This week I went to Bradenton Florida for the Ward family reunion. Although my father is deceased, he is survived by 4 sisters, 3 of whom live in the Bradenton area. I was excited about seeing the “wild Ward women” and meeting cousins I didn’t even know existed! As a gerontologist and fall prevention exercise instructor, I was excited about visiting the area because it is so densely populated with older adults. I wanted to observe the different levels of ability, the services available and overall, how people feel about physical falls.
Florida is the retirement capita of the United States. There is community after community with a minimum age requirement of 55 years old and most of these neighborhoods have a pool and recreation center. The yards are well maintained, the homes are small and most everyone has a car in the driveway. My aunts, like most of their friends, do not drive after dark nor do they go outside of a 30-mile radius. They are aware of their limitations and live on the side of caution.
My older relatives live in neighborhoods where people live within their means. There is no need for extravagant cars or excessive homes. These people are living on retirement funds and social security. Everyone has Medicare and most have supplemental insurance. Relatives visit each other every Sunday and call each other often. They are aware of each other’s doctor’s appointments and have social support systems in place. Having a friend or family member check in occasionally is a great idea for those who live alone. It's about safety and dignity....
My oldest aunt, Mary, flew in from Ohio. She is the matriarch of the family and has remarried after the death of her husband of 56 years. Her new husband is a long-time friend whom she and her husband used to square dance with he and his wife. Mary enjoys the male company and prefers to be with someone rather than alone. “At this age, it’s nice to have someone to talk to”… I can’t blame her! She’s in excellent health and is sharp as a tack.
Next is Betty. She isn’t aging quite as well. She had to give up her line dancing due to a vestibular (inner ear) dysfunction. Her balance is off and she has begun to fall. Her husband of 53 years is taking wonderful care of her. She told me she started watching my senior exercise videos in order to remain active.
Norma is the next oldest and she is sharp as a tack, too. She plays the Lowrey and produced 2 DVDs which I am going to use as background music in my seated exercise routines. She recently had an operation on her wrist and is careful not to overexert herself during this healing time. She cannot wait to play her organ again. She also makes the time to Take 5 to Exercise with her granddaughter, Rene, my twin! Rene is 37 years old and has shoulder issues and low back pain. I recommended some basic exercises and she said she enjoys the exercises in Day 5; Take 5 for Maintenance.
Last but not least is Helen. She recently met and is engaged to Larry, a long-time friend whom she recently was reintroduced to. “At my age, you don’t want to wait!”. And she's right; she is happy, Larry adores her and they have fun! Helen has bells palsy but doesn’t let that stop her. She also plays the organ and is a wonderful singer. I see where I get my competitive nature as she whispered to me, “I ain’t gonna let Norma out-do me, I have a CD that I made, too.” Helen gave me a copy to play during class as well!
I had a wonderful time visiting my aunts, meeting my cousins and observing life in a middle class retirement community. These seniors understand how important it is to stay active in order to remain independent. There’s a lot of dancing and walking but I was unhappy that my aunts are not more active in balance or resistance training. They represent the silent generation and they do not know how to engage in appropriate exercises. However, they each have my a set of my series and are beginning to do the exercises. I am so excited about obtaining my FallProof master instructor status so I can schedule a tour in southwest Florida to increase awareness of fall risk reduction exercises and teach older adults how to safely challenge the body systems of balance.
Flying back home to Sacramento, California,
The Fall Prevention Lady
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