Misc

National Family Caregivers Month, organized by the National Family Caregivers Association, is "designated as a time of year to thank, support, educate, and empower family caregivers." This year's theme encourages caregivers to speak up for their rights.

For interesting facts about caregiving, see Selected Caregiver Statistics on the Family Caregiver Alliance website.

I love coming across individuals who have figured out how to age successfully, whether I know them personally or learn about them in some other way.

Adolph "Sonny Boy" Kiefer is most likely the swimming legend you never heard of. A gold-medal winner in the 1936 Olympics, his swimming career was cut short by World War II. He went on to become a naval officer, invent the nylon swimsuit, and faciliate the construction of public pools across Chicago. Today, at age 90, he swims 45 minutes every morning before going into his office!

NPR had an interesting story this morning on adults with dementia volunteering at a school in Cleveland. As of yet there are no research data on this specific program; however, it appears that older volunteers without dementia benefit from their volunteer experience in schools through increased social interaction and cognitive activity (see articles on Experience Corps).

Today marks the beginning of Older Americans' Mental Health Week. The purpose of this week is to spread the message that mental illness (e.g., depression, anxiety) is not a normal part of aging.

I saw "Young @ Heart" recently, which is a documentary film that follows a choir of seniors who sing rock and punk music. What I liked most about the film was that it illustrated how one can still find meaning and joy in life in the face of physical decline and death. I also liked how the main "characters" defied almost every negative stereotype of aging.

I'm happy to report that I've officially survived the first year of my PhD program! A few of my Clinical Neuropsychology classmates, our professor, Brian Yochim, PhD, and I went out to celebrate after our final was finished.

It took me a while to realize it, but I believe one of the reasons for why I enjoy working with older adults is that I've grown up knowing my older relatives. I've been lucky enough to know three great-grandparents, four grandparents, and many great aunts and uncles in my lifetime. In a society that largely views aging with fear, disgust, or indifference, I've had the privilege of watching my older relatives age successfully.

My grandmother was one of those elders who inspired me to pursue my work with older adults. She passed away five years ago after a long struggle with cancer, but I still think of her often. Today would have been her 83rd birthday. A few things that I admire about my Grandma Hansen...

- her lifelong commitment to development and learning: in her youth, women either married and raised a family or chose a career, she chose marriage and returned to school after her children were grown

- her appreciation for the "little" things: a bird in the window, spring flowers in the woods near my parents' home

- her creativity: she was an accomplished rosemaler, sewer, and quilter

- her ability to express her pride in me: she was very supportive of my swimming career and working toward a master's degree in counseling

She provided me with a wonderful example of how to age well and I hope someday to be half as successful as she was.

We received news this week that our Ph.D. program is accredited by the American Psychological Association. UCCS now has the first official Clinical Psychology doctoral program with a curricular emphasis in geropsychology!