Health & Wellness

Do Something!

admin — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 13:07:00 -0600

Ruth Fox isn't one to slow down. "I don't like to sit around and twiddle my thumbs," she says. That's why, at age 80, she continues to get out of the house every day and "make myself useful."

She's been a real blessing to the Brevard County, Florida, Health Department, where she volunteers nearly every weekday. Her duties include filing and filling out paperwork, but to Ruth, her work means much more. "Volunteering keeps me young," she says. "I'm around people half my age, but they treat me as one of their own."

"I'm Too Young for This!"

mcherkezian — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:34:13 -0600

The woman on the phone said she was a nurse. “Ms. Barber, I’m calling from your HMO. I just wanted to let you know we’re writing a prescription for you—it’s a bone-restoration medication. Your scan results show that you have osteoporosis.”

Clunk. I dropped my laundry basket, heavy with one more load before our vacation to Colorado. “Osteoporosis?” I sputtered. She must have the wrong Karen Barber. No way I could have osteoporosis! I was young—well, not old, anyway—the picture of health.

Pumped Up

admin — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 10:50:00 -0600

She bench-presses 90 pounds, squats 135 and dead-lifts 95. Pretty impressive for a woman who's just five feet tall and 100 pounds...and 86 years old! Maybe the most impressive thing about great-grandmother Morjorie Newlin of Mount Airy, Pennsylvania, is that she wasn't always a powerhouse. She became one—in her seventies.

Woman Refuses to Act Her Age by Skydiving at 95 Years Old

batch — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:05:07 -0600

For those who feel old age may restrict them from doing many things, Eleanor Cunningham is providing an inspiring story.

News Channel 13 in New York reports that Cunningham, known as "Nanny," went skydiving on her 95th birthday.

While most of her family was there to cheer her on and take pictures, some members were baffled by her decision. "They're not speaking to me," she said with a laugh in her interview.

Volunteer Serves 10,000th Meal

batch — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:05:04 -0600

Nathan Acker recently celebrated a milestone most people could only dream about. The 88-year-old Gorham, Maine, man recently served his 10,000th meal through the Meals on Wheels program, according to WMTW.com.

Through his volunteer work with the Prides Corner Congressional Church, Acker delivers 14 meals every Wednesday to those in need.

As if delivering meals wasn't enough to make Acker an inspirational person, he also donates his time volunteering at nursing homes, running a bridge game for the residents.

A Prescription for Aging

admin — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 11:06:00 -0500

Dr. Sherwin Nuland, M.D., the author of The Art of Aging, shares some tips for a healthier life.

1. Exercise your mind.
Read anything, from your daily paper to the works of Dickens or Karen Armstrong. Do crossword puzzles, visit museums, sign up for a class at the YMCA or local college.

2. Exercise your body.
Join a gym. It may be challenging, but you'll find something you enjoy—walking, swimming, even dancing. You'll be amazed at how every success leads to another.

Nursing Home Residents Uplifted by Pageants

batch — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:05:13 -0500

Across the U.S., nursing homes in some states, including Georgia, California and Alabama, hold an annual beauty pageant that lets residents enjoy a day in the spotlight.

Rather than an evening gown or talent competition, these contests typically ask residents to speak about their lives, hobbies and approach to life.

At the recent Ms. Missouri Nursing Home Pageant in Independence, Missouri, women who had been crowned at their local facilities competed at the statewide contest, the Associated Press reports.

100-Year-Old Still at Work and Loving It

batch — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:05:06 -0500

When it comes to growing old gracefully and thinking positive, Astrid Thoenig of Parsippany, New Jersey seems to have the magic formula down pat.

The Associated Press reported that on September 24, Thoenig celebrated her 100th birthday at the family-run insurance company where she has been working for more than three decades.

"It's another day—it's hard to explain," Thoenig told the news provider. "I don't feel old, and I don't think old."

The Making of a Caregiver

admin — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:44:00 -0600

My days in retirement had started to blur together. Oh, they were pleasant enough-summer days spent lolling away up at our lake house, puttering on the boat, visiting with our kids and grandkids. But lately I'd felt this grinding sameness. I was growing bored. And to think I'd looked forward to retirement.

Grandma Geronimo

admin — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:19:58 -0600

I was waiting at a stoplight when it happened. Through the windshield I saw a small plane against the blue sky and then something fall from it. It was a man! He was a sky diver.

My grandson, Clyde Lee, a parachutist in the military, had told me about such things. I held my breath until the sky diver's parachute puffed out and he floated down beyond the tree line.

A car honking behind me broke the spell. The light was green and I had to move on, but at that moment I knew what I wanted to do: parachute from a plane!