September is Healthy Aging Month, a time for older adults to direct their attention to improving self and overall well-being. If your patient population includes adults over age 50, you will find the resources and suggestions provided on the Healthy Aging website (http://www.healthyaging.net) useful in practice. As a primary care provider, my patients look to me for advice on staying healthy or returning to better health. It does not hurt to improve your well-being no matter your age; age-specific advice can be universal. The editors of Healthy Aging Magazine suggest 10 things for adults over age 50 to do to reinvent themselves during the month:1
* Do not act your age; just live how old you feel.
* Be positive in your conversations and actions.
* Drop negative friends; surround yourself with positive people.
* Walk like a vibrant, healthy person, and remember to wear comfortable shoes.
* Stand up straight; you will feel better and look taller and trimmer.
* Smile! See your dentist to brighten your smile.
* Do something with your time. Avoid feeling lonely.
* Start walking not only for health but also to meet others around you.
* Make this month the time to set up your annual physical and other health screenings.
* Find your inner artist; sign up for a fun class.
How do you define age?
In the July 2014 editorial, I addressed the difference between biologic and chronologic age.2 I note that chronologic age is simply how old you are factually in years; biologic age is "who you are as a person and how old you are to yourself and to others." I admit that I often prejudge patients based on their birthdate but am always delighted and inspired when surprised by the youthfulness of someone I call a senior.
One patient in particular comes to mind: She is 92 years old yet continues to travel to an international destination every year, including Turkey, China, several European cities, Ghana, India, and this year, Israel. She exemplifies healthy aging by actions but more important, by attitude. Synonyms for positivity include confidence, hopefulness, assurance, and enthusiasm. I quote a favorite from Maya Angelou: "At 50, I began to know who I was. It was like waking up to myself."
Annual health screenings
NPs can encourage their patients to set aside September (or any month that might be more convenient) as the month in which they take care of their annual health exams and age-appropriate screenings. Make it easier for them to remember that specific month as a time to review everything about their lives-not just the aspects of their health that were relevant to the follow-up visit to monitor a chronic condition or the episodic visit for an acute illness.
Prevention is the key. Even with mandated provisions through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, promoting preventive measures can be challenging. Current distractions surrounding the uncertainty of healthcare in the future add resistance to this effort.
Gerontology for NPs
Caring for older adults requires special education and training. This realization created nursing programs to prepare gerontological NPs and now adult-gerontology NPs; however, some NPs educated in other population foci (before the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation was adopted and schools revised their curricula) may not have received content and skills necessary to provide comprehensive care to meet the medical, psychological, and social needs of the older adult.3 Read the article in this issue by Sherry Greenberg, PhD, RN, GNP-BC and colleagues to learn of an innovative program that fills this gap and earn continuing education credits.
Healthy aging!
Jamesetta A. Newland, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, DPNAP
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF [email protected]
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