Spring into Wellness: Fresh Ideas for a Healthy Season

Happy spring! To start off the season with some fresh ideas, this month’s issue of AgeWise includes a variety of articles about health—brain, financial, and preventive. It takes a combination of all these and other areas to create a holistic approach to becoming and staying healthy.

What are some of the risk factors for falls, and how can we prevent them? The article about the fall prevention presentation at the March Age Friendly Civic Coffee has a nice summary of practical ways to look around your home and lifestyle to take stock of what might be red flags for causing a fall.

USAging, a national organization that supports Area Agencies on Aging and advocates for programs that help older adults and people with disabilities live independently, published a press release about the cuts in staff related to the Administration for Community Living (ACL). Read more about how this will affect the health and well being of these groups, including access to adult day programs, support for caregivers and transportation to doctor’s appointments and other needed services.

There is an article with some good tips and information about Social Security, which has been in the news a lot lately. Social Security is an important federal program designed to provide financial support for Americans as they age or face disability. It was created in 1935 during the Great Depression to help ensure that people could retire with a basic income. It has since been expanded to cover people with disabilities and people who have had a spouse or parent pass.

Throughout your working years, you contribute to Social Security through payroll taxes—meaning the money you receive later is your own, not a government handout. When you retire or become unable to work, those contributions come back to you as monthly payments to help cover living expenses. Though many older adults have other retirement income like a pension or individual retirement account to live on, Social Security plays a vital role in keeping millions of Americans financially secure. It’s important that everyone understand that it’s something we’ve earned, and it should not be on the chopping block when budget cuts are being considered. If this happens, we urge you to voice your concerns to your elected officials in Congress to let them know how having Social Security income is vital to your family budget.

What type of vaccines should older adults have in addition to an annual Covid booster? It’s confusing at times, but there’s an article included that provides a great list of what is recommended and what each vaccine does.

AARP Washington State has a new executive director, Seattle resident Ron Chew. Learn how he plans to provide leadership in long-range planning to help meet the needs of the state’s older adults and their families.

The state Dementia Action Collaborative held a summit for health care professionals in March: Dementia Innovations Summit: Primary Care at the Forefront. This article has some great information about how staff are working together to provide care for not only the person with dementia but also the caregiver and family.

Have a great month, and enjoy the signs of new growth—trees, flowers, and plants—wherever you may be!

Contributor Alex O’Reilly chairs the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services. She welcomes input from readers via e-mail (advisorychair@agewisekingcounty.org).

Mark Your Calendars

Following are upcoming events of interest:

• WA Cares Conversations: Emergency Preparedness for Seniors: Tuesday, April 8 (1 p.m.- 2 p.m.); online. Join a team of experts in discussing long-term care facility emergency planning, building emergency kits, types of emergencies and how to plan, and how to prepare loved ones living at home. Get the link here.
• ADS Advisory Council: Friday, April 11 (noon–2 p.m.); in person at Seattle Municipal Tower and online. To receive the meeting link and information, email aginginfo@seattle.gov in advance.
• Civic Coffee: Mental Health Awareness: Wednesday, April 30 (1 p.m.- 2 p.m.) at Filipino Community Village, 5727 37th Ave S., Seattle, WA 98118. Contact agefriendly@seattle.gov for more information.
• Get Ready for Caregiving- Your, Mine and Theirs: Join Dori Gillam as she talks about her experiences navigating the healthcare systems and becoming a caregiver for her parents overnight. Monday, May 12 (7:30 p.m.) at The Wyncote NW Forum, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101. Get tickets here.