Happy New Year friends! It is not too late to add a few additions to your list of New Year’s resolutions, especially if it will improve your quality of life in 2024!

1.      Take a class to improve your balance!

None of us want to fall, yet accidents happen. We all know friends who had a serious fall, negatively impacting their life with months of physical therapy, loss of mobility and even living independently. As Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Why not sign up for a class that will improve your balance?

Did you know that our local Elder Options offers multiple free classes that help with fall prevention? Look under the tab “Health Aging” under the “services” tab on their website, https://agingresources.org

One of the best classes is called “A Matter of Balance” and it is a 2-hour 8-week session program designed to help participants increase their levels of “fall efficacy, falls management, and falls control.” It also will help those who have anxieties about falling or who have fallen in the past. Anxiety about falling will only contribute to restricting your lifestyle choices out of fear of falling!

Tai Chi classes are well known to improve balance and Elder Options offers several of eye-hand coordination, improves balance, reduces stress, and improves overall health and fitness. It also helps with arthritis! You can choose between several options depending on your schedule, but all are free.

Since falling is one of the most common causes of death and serious injury among older adults, please consider calling ElderOptions and asking about balance classes nearest to you. They service a16-county area, and classes rotate, so visit the website to get the latest class list or call them at 1-800-262-2243.

2.      Make sure you are up to date on all your vaccinations!

You may be sick and tired of hearing about various vaccinations, but the truth is they save lives. Are you up to date on the latest Covid booster?  Don’t get complacent please. Covid is still sending older people to the hospital and older frailer adults are more at risk. Plus, the new variants are smarter than ever and newer boosters will protect you.

What about your flu, RSV, pneumonia, and shingles vaccinations?  They are all important. Are you up to date with all of them? Check with your doctor if you aren’t sure if they are right for you or you have had a serious reaction. Space them out and my advice is to take them one at a time.

Here is a great website on Covid and Aging Adults: 2023-2024 from an excellent source, Dr. Leslie Kernisan

COVID& Aging Adults: 2023-2024 Updates.

3.      Cultivate a positive attitude toward aging!

I have written about this topic in several blogs, including October 2022, 2023, national Ageism Awareness Month. How you think about yourself, and your age can affect every aspect of your health. Breaking the Age Code, by Becca Levy, PhD. is a book that may change many of your beliefs and concepts about aging and growing older. According to the author, many of the health problems formerly considered to be due to the aging process such as memory loss, hearing decline, and even cardiovascular events are instead influenced by the negative age beliefs that dominate the United States.  She proves over and over again that the mind-body connection dictates for each one of us how we will age, and just how drastically we are influenced by the culture that surrounds us. If you have a positive view on aging, you will live 7+ years longer than a person with negative beliefs!

What are your beliefs about aging? Are the first five words you think of when you hear the word “aging” or “old” negative? Do they include any positive words?   My goal is to pay close attention to the way my inner voice speaks to me and work on positive affirmations and gratitude about aging well. I try to recognize any negative “self-talk” and re-word or re-frame things immediately. Remember, never regret growing older; it is a gift denied many.

Here is the link to the book:

https://becca-levy.com/the-book/

4.      Take fewer medications if possible.

When was the last time you brought all your medications into your primary care physician and asked for a review? What about any over the counter meds you take without even considering how they may be negatively affecting you or interacting with your prescribed medications?  Mismanagement of medication is one of the primary reasons older adults wind up in the ER. According to the CDC, that number totals 177,000 annually, either from overtaking meds, not taking them properly, or inadvertent medication interactions. It is no surprise that taking as few medications as possible is better for your health.

When you schedule your next doctor appointment, let them know you would like to do a review of all your meds, even if they are prescribed by another doctor or specialist!

5.      Stay connected to friends and family.

Covid taught us all the impact of loneliness and isolation. What are you doing to stay connected to friends and family?  Do you take classes at our wonderful Senior Center? Do you go to the numerous free music or lectures on the UF campus? Do you take educational classes through Prime Time, or The Institute for Learning in Retirement? Zoom with far flung family or just take a walk with a friend! You will be happier and healthier!

Here are some useful websites.

Senior Center Calendar: https://eldercare.ufhealth.org/senior-recreation-center/senior-recreation-center-calendar/

Institute for Learning in Retirement: https://www.oakhammock.org/ilr/

In the Loop: Events at UF College of Music and Arts: (some free, some ticketed)

https://arts.ufl.edu/in-the-loop/events/

Star Bradbury

Senior Living Strategies