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Innovations in Aging Collaborative

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News

The Importance of Nutrition at Any Life Stage

March 21, 2016 by Claire

by Emma Schiestl, Community Outreach Program Director

March is National Nutrition Month! Although many people emphasize leading a healthy lifestyle in order to live into your golden years, many people forget the importance of nutrition once you’ve reached them. Here’s what you need to know about maintaining your nutritional health as you age.

  1.  By consuming a balanced, healthy diet in your later years you can avoid many common diseases that disproportionally effect seniors. Many disease, including osteoporosis, type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure are directly influenced by food consumption. Additionally, many of the consequences of these diseases are far more damaging to older adults in comparison to younger individuals who suffer from the same condition. By altering your diet to avoid these health conditions you may drastically improve your quality of life. For example, by adding additional calcium to your diet through milk or milk substitutes, you can increase your bone density and reduce your fall risk.
  2. Poor diet can result in mental health consequences. “A growing body of evidence indicates that food plays an important contributing role in the development, management, and prevention of specific mental health problems such as depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease.” Although nutrition can effect these conditions at any age, the consequences may be more severe in older adults because preventable cognitive decline is often viewed as natural, causing caregivers and doctors not to recognize when an aging person can actually treat their cognitive symptoms. In order to prevent these mental health changes be sure to eat a varied diet full of nutrient rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
  3. A higher proportion of seniors are effected by malnutrition than any other age group. Malnutrition in seniors can be caused by many factors including the inability to drive to the grocery store, teeth and gum weakness, arthritis interfering with cooking ability, loss of appetite, the desire to avoid eating alone, and a reduction in the sensitivity to taste resulting in a decreased desire to consume food. This is dangerous, especially to seniors, because malnutrition can lead to a weakened immune system making it more likely for an older adult to become sick and it can result in physical weakness increasing a senior’s chance of injury. Malnutrition is easily preventable given the cause, check out the link above to for prevention tips.
  4. Specific vitamins and minerals become even more vital as you age. Vitamins and minerals have several different functions in your body ranging from fighting infections to assisting in the absorption of energy from food. While it is important to get a variety of vitamins and minerals from your food consumption throughout your life, certain vitamins and minerals become even more important as you age. For example, calcium is vital for maintaining strong bones, something that is crucial for older adults who are at risk for bone loss. Vitamin D is equally critical based on its role in assisting with calcium absorption. Additionally, Vitamin B6 plays a critical role in maintaining neurotransmitter health. Not only are neurotransmitters important for maintaining mental health, they also greatly effect physical health. For instance, the tremors associated with Parkinson’s Disorder are caused in part by dopamine reduction, an important neurotransmitter effected by Vitamin B6.
  5. It’s never too late to start eating healthy One major drive behind maintaining good nutrition is the desire to live a long life. Although this desire provides strong motivation for young adults and individuals in mid-life to eat well, older adults who have already reached their later years find this less compelling. However, nutrition is still highly important once you’ve reached older adulthood. While many people focus on the long term benefits of healthy eating, there are also several short term results an individual can benefit from by choosing a healthier diet. For example, by making healthier food choices older adults can experience “increased mental acuteness, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels, faster recuperation times, and better management of chronic health problems.” There is always a good reason to start eating better at any age!

Nutrition is important at any life stage! If you’re an older adult struggling to prepare meals on your own or for your loved ones, remember there are options. Colorado Springs has Golden Circle locations across the city, and Silver Key can deliver Meals on Wheels directly to your home.

Filed Under: News

Aging in the Pikes Peak Region

June 24, 2015 by Claire

A new report written by Tucker Hart Adams, PhD and Cindy DeGroen, Colorado State Demographer for Innovations in Aging Collaborative was released to the community on June 24, 2015.  This new research highlights the demographic trends in the Pikes Peak region (El Paso, Teller and Park Counties) while also identifying successful practices  that support older adults in other communities.  This report also identifies the Age Friendly City/Communtyinitiative from the World Health Organization and AARP as a possible framework to meet the needs of this growing segment of our society.    The report is rich in data, information and descriptions of programs from around the country.  Please click here to see the full report.


 

On January 14, 2014, IIAC and its partner Peak Vista Community Health Centers released a report entitled Convening to Support Aging in Place for the Pikes Peak Region.  This collaborative project was made possible through the support of the Colorado Trust’s Convening for Colorado grant program.  Over the course of six months a team from Innovations and Peak Vista worked together to bring together senior stakeholders and service providers to address the “silver tsnami” that is looking in our region.  Several reccomendations were made by the community for the community.  Innovations is committed to being a leader on behalf of our community to address the many challenges ahead and look for innovative solutions.  Please see report here. 

IIAC is committed to bringing to the community data and information that supports the greater understanding of aging in Colorado Springs.  Thanks for a partnership with a leading urban planning and design firm, HB&A, Innovations in Aging is able to provide maps  that identify where the concentrations of our adult and older adult populations live.  Please click here for the maps.

In December 2011, IIAC released a report entitled Aging in El Paso County written by Tucker Hart Adams, PhD Senior Partner of Summit Economics and now one of our board members.  This report is an excellent resource which is rich in data from highly credible sources that paints the picture of the rapidly growing senior population, thier challenges and the opportunities our communities have in addressing the issue.  Please click here to view the report

Filed Under: Research

Specialized Healthcare & Life Care Management

October 8, 2014 by Claire

Specialized Healthcare & Life Care Management    featured Sara Honn Qualls, Mary Ann Kluge, and Amy Silva-Smith, Gerontology Center at UCCS; Stephen Bensen, Researcher, Department of Veteran Affairs; Darla Gurry, Senior Reach National Consultant; Don Backstrom, Director, Regional Specialties & Geriatrics, Kaiser Permanente; and Julie Anderson, Peak Nutrition Clinic Director, Gerontology Center UCCS. 70 persons attended the event.

Innovations in Aging Collaborative Presents the Remarkable Aging Series for 2014.These gatherings will address the major issues that are facing our community as Baby Boomers are aging and choosing to remain in our community and as new retirees move to Colorado Springs. The series will feature thought leaders in each topic area as keynote speakers and trainers sharing their expertise and knowledge of trends and emerging issues to address aging in our community. These dynamic topics address our community’s frail and elderly seniors as well as the healthy and vibrant retiree seeking engagement, recreation and culture and the confidence that this community will provide for them as they age.

Persons attending the events were given the opportunity to meet and interact with the speakers, received a bibliography on the topics presented, and had an opportunity to purchase books from the UCCS traveling library. Follow up online surveys were conducted and were overwhelmingly positive four convenings. At present two follow-up groups are meeting, one on volunteer transportation networks modelled after ITNAmerica, and one on the “Village” model presented by Dr. Ramsey from “A Little Help” organization in Denver.

Filed Under: News

Remarkable Aging Series 2014

October 8, 2014 by Claire

Claire Anderson - group june 2014The series consisted of four convenings featuring national and regional thought leaders as keynote speakers. Our purpose for the series was to change the mindset about the contributions of older adults in our community and to explore the impact of engaged seniors on the vibrancy and viability of the Pikes Peak Region.

Filed Under: News

Housing Choices and Livable Communities

September 10, 2014 by Claire

Housing Choices and Livable Communities featured Katherine Freund, founder of ITN America; Roberto Rey, Multicultural Outreach Director, Colorado Branch AARP; John Olson and Mark Tremmel, Collaborative Design Group; Dr. Paul Leon Ramsey, Executive Director of A Little Help; Kyle Fisk and Lori Rhodes from Challenger Homes; and Aimee Cox, Community Initiatives Manager, City of Colorado Springs.  82 persons attended the event.

Innovations in Aging Collaborative Presents the Remarkable Aging Series for 2014.These gatherings will address the major issues that are facing our community as Baby Boomers are aging and choosing to remain in our community and as new retirees move to Colorado Springs. The series will feature thought leaders in each topic area as keynote speakers and trainers sharing their expertise and knowledge of trends and emerging issues to address aging in our community. These dynamic topics address our community’s frail and elderly seniors as well as the healthy and vibrant retiree seeking engagement, recreation and culture and the confidence that this community will provide for them as they age.

Filed Under: News

The Business of Aging: Infrastructure, Information and Institutional Innovation

June 18, 2014 by Claire

The Business of Aging: Infrastructure, Information and Institutional Innovation featured Elizabeth Hanes, health, medical and technology writer and innovator. Additional speakers included Robert Kemp, Colorado State Demographer;  Jan Erickson, founder of Janska Clothing; and panelists Becky Medved, RCSPros;  Dan Davies, AbleLink Technologies; and  James Dodd, Loop Communications. 63 persons attended the event.

The older adult population is expected to increase 179% in the next 16 years. This leaves a large market for businesses to develop products and services for older adults. This is a half day conference for businesses to discuss innovative ideas, learn about new products and services for older adults, and collaborate with other businesses engaged in the business of aging.

Filed Under: News

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