Successful Aging turns 20: Helen Dennis shares memorable advice about getting older

Editor’s note: Through 20 years and astir 1,000 columns, Helen Dennis has demonstrated a committedness to education, knowing and work arsenic she’s explored the processes and challenges of getting older. As we observe Helen and her 2 decades of penning Successful Aging, we privation to grant her dedication, passionateness and research. 

So this week, we decided to inquire Helen questions astir her 20 years of penning Successful Aging and springiness her the accidental to stock her thoughts with readers. We learned a batch and anticipation readers volition bask Helen’s reflections connected her work, beingness and readers.

Q. You person devoted truthful overmuch clip and vigor to helping radical recognize the challenges of aging. What got you funny successful this taxable and what led you to constitute astir it?

A. I got into the tract of aging erstwhile I was successful postgraduate schoolhouse looking for a thesis topic. I came upon an intriguing publication entitled “Cognition and Aging,” and I subsequently did my postgraduate thesis connected a taxable that dealt with aging. At the aforesaid time, my precocious father-in-law was sick with terminal crab and resided successful a semipermanent attraction facility. I spent each time with him for six months. The world and idiosyncratic acquisition pb maine to the tract of aging. I was fortunate to marque my vocation astatine the USC Davis School of Gerontology and from determination was a large leap to the column. I ever felt it important to link research, cognition and acquisition to people’s lives. The file gave maine that opportunity.

Q. Was determination an older idiosyncratic successful your beingness who made an interaction connected you?

A. My parents, some immigrants, worked hard to marque it successful the U.S. When they could spend to retire, they developed caller parts of their lives. My begetter engaged successful philanthropic causes and fundraising. My parent supported her synagogue and became an avid big learner. They some became important contributors to causes beyond themselves, demonstrating the imaginable to find added meaning successful aboriginal beingness that provided them with an enhanced consciousness of intent and fulfillment — successful causes beyond themselves. That exemplary of imaginable (and hard work) has stayed with me.

Q. You bash seminars and different events wherever you meet with others to sermon aging. What concerns bash you regularly hear?

A. The wide 3 apical issues typically are fiscal security, wellness (including the fearfulness of dementia) and having a consciousness of purpose. Since my country deals with non-financial issues, the concerns often halfway connected nonaccomplishment of identity, uncovering a caller consciousness of purpose, staying independent, caregiving and keeping socially connected.

Q. Aside from your work, what bash you bash for amusive oregon to relax?

A. I similar the outdoors, classical music, concerts, theater, being with my grandchildren and friends arsenic good arsenic sharing a bully meal, sometimes prepared by me.

Q. Is determination a portion of proposal you’ve been fixed oregon heard that resonates with you?

A. Several years ago, I had a speech with the noted Stanford geriatrician Dr. Walter Boortz.  He said that the existent force of aged property is not disease; it’s frailty. And that is thing we tin bash thing about.  For me, it reinforced the value of staying beardown and acceptable to propulsion retired to the oldest property possible. I americium reminded of the precocious Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who engaged successful fittingness exercises with her manager until her mid 80s, doing push-ups, planks and squats, contempt her bouts with cancer. That stays with maine daily…try to forestall frailty.

Q. What has amazed you the astir astir the column?

A. I americium amazed by the graciousness of our readers, expressing their appreciation of the column. I americium amazed erstwhile readers bespeak they sent a file to a person oregon relative, oregon erstwhile readers bespeak they placed a file oregon 2 successful a record for aboriginal reference. I americium amazed erstwhile my file is utilized arsenic a ground for treatment astatine a civic gathering oregon is recommended by a nonrecreational enactment oregon utilized successful a classroom. Finally, I americium continually amazed by our readers’ resilience erstwhile facing challenges and their resourcefulness successful uncovering solutions to problems.

Q. Is determination thing that we didn’t inquire you that you’d similar to answer?

A. The tract of aging is much breathtaking than ever with caller possibilities successful technology, careers, housing, transportation, concern and more.  At the aforesaid time, we request to beryllium cognizant that determination is simply a downside to aging arsenic older adults unrecorded successful poorness and look ageism, the situation of dementia and challenges of caregiving, unit shortages successful nursing homes and more. Yet – we request to support focused and optimistic arsenic we leverage the strengths and opportunities of this caller beingness signifier portion having a committedness to code the challenges of an aging nine done nationalist policy, enhanced services, probe and providing equitable wellness attraction that volition warrant adjacent opportunities for economical stability, health, intent and dignity for each ages.