|
|
SPOTLIGHT ON
Linda Ross, M.S.
Interim Director of Programs and Services
Alzheimer's Association of Greater Dallas
Silver Tsunami Preventative Care
My advice: Keep moving, watch your numbers, maintain social interaction.
|
More on Linda
On Her Bookshelf |
36-Hour Day (Mace & Rabins, Johns Hopkins Press, 2006) describes what it is like to care for a family member with Alzheimer’s. You can look up a particular problem without reading the whole book (because you don’t have time to read the whole book!)
|
Like Trees Walking (Sigloh, Cowley Publications, 2007) is a series of beautiful meditations about the second half of life. It reflects on aging, retirement, and what people want.
|
|
Old Dogs are the Best Dogs (Weingarten & Williamson, Simon & Schuster, 2008) is a beautiful book. I have and love two old dogs. I’m determined that when I grow older, I will only take rescued older dogs.
|
The Boomer Century (Croker & Dychtwald, Springboard Press, 2007) sets the stage for what people getting Alzehimer’s are going to be like. Baby Boomers (and I’m one of them) have a distinct personality.
|
On Her Web Browser
|
|
www.alz.org/greaterdallas
(Alzheimer’s Association of Dallas)
www.alz.org
(National Alzheimer’s Association)
www.owl-national.org
(The voice of midlife and older women)
www.wellnessletter.com (Nutrition, fitness and healthcare)
|
| On Her Mind |
“Quality of life is defined, not that you can still do what you want when you are twenty or forty, but by what meaningful thing you can do at the age you are.”
“I encourage young people to go into the field of aging. There are not enough students going into gerontology—and they will be needed!”
|
|
|
Look out! Here comes the Silver Tsunami—a massive wave of baby boomers reaching senior age.
“All systems in society are going to be impacted by this age group,” said Linda Ross, Interim Director of Programs and Services for the Alzheimer’s Association in Dallas.
She encourages the aging population to start preparing early for their later stages in life—especially now that the economy is uncertain.
“Don’t wait too long to get long-term care insurance,” Ross said, “Get it in your fifties, before you develop a health condition that can exclude you or make it too expensive.”
Ross also suggests that seniors share their future care wishes with family members while they are still able, because long life increases the risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease. “The massive statistics about how many people are going to have dementia are staggering,” Ross said. “One out of every eight people will have it by the age 65. By 85, it increases to one out of two.”
So how does one prevent Alzheimer’s? According to Ross, you can do everything right and still get the disease, but certain behaviors will improve your quality of life and “keep you younger”:
1. Keep moving! Exercise is the only true fountain of youth.
2. Watch your numbers: weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
3. Maintain social interaction, because isolation is a killer.
“We all hope that sooner, rather than later, we will achieve a world without Alzheimer’s,” Ross said. “That is the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association.”
Until then, she suggests that baby boomers, the Silver Tsunami, prepare themselves for the best quality of life for their future—because the waves are rolling in!
Interview and article by: Amy Dee Stephens
The Alzheimer's Association of Dallas provides programs and services to over 30 counties in the North and East Texas area. To learn more about this and other resources for Alzheimer's care, visit www.alz.org/greaterdallas
|
More from Linda Ross:
Preparing Families Ahead of Time
Selecting a Center for Alzheimer's Care
Do you know someone with a Silver Story to share? Send to a Friend |
|
|
