By Rick Banas, Vice President of Strategic Marketing
During his presentation on Saturday at the Museum of Science and Industry, Dan Buettner showed several slides of a man in his 90s who lives in Loma Linda, California. A contactor had presented the man with an estimate of $5,000 for building an 8-foot-high fence on the perimeter of his property. Not liking the cost, the man in his 90s was doing the work himself. He was digging the holes for the posts and pouring the concrete. Four days later, Dan noted, the man was in the local hospital for heart surgery.
But, Dan went on, the man in his 90s who was building the fence was not the one in the picture who is on the operating table. He is one of the doctors on the left, assisting in the surgery.
This story was one of many covered by Dan in his presentation. Much of the material comes from his New York Times best selling book “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest” and his most recent work with the “Vitality Project” in Albert Lee, Minnesota.
One of the things I appreciate most about Dan is his focus not only on more years of life, but more good years of life. In his presentation, he discussed places where people not only enjoyed significantly greater longevity, but also profoundly lower incidences of disabilities and illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.
Given our company’s focus on developing and operating senior living communities, my ears really perked up when Dan talked about the importance of “social connectedness” as he discussed nine tips for living longer and better.
“Isolation kills,” he emphasized, “and America is becoming more isolated.”
Yet being socially connected in our lives to family, friends and community accounts for about 50% of the longevity formula, Dan explained.
Our senior living and assisted living communities cannot replace family. But we can make it easier for families to get together to socialize.
We can especially benefit those who are isolated for all or most of the day, those without family or those who do not have family living in the immediate area.
With residents getting together for meals, activities and outings, the opportunities for social interaction are plentiful.
Aging is inevitable, Dan says. But how we age is largely up to us.
All affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management, Ltd. are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
