Monthly Archives for October 2001

The Best Of…Healthy Attitude, Lifestyle Are Likely Keys to Living Past 100

Published October 29, 2001, Pawtucket Times 

             Just a couple of days past her birthday on July 18, 2001, Henrietta Bruce, who was officially recognized as Rhode Island’s oldest woman, passed away at the ripe old age of 110.  Born in Barbados, West Indies in 1891, Bruce, one of 10 children, would later move to New Jersey and finally to the Ocean State. Ultimately she married in 1921, had a son who lived into his 80s, and in later life because very active in the Evangelical Convenant Church in East Providence.

           “She was cognitive right up to her 110th birthday,” says Judy Riendeau, activity coordinator at Bay Tower Nursing Center, in Providence, fondly remembering Bruce’s ‘sassy personality.”  As to her longevity, Bruce did not attribute it to good nutrition, regular exercise or genetics, Rindeau notes.  When asked how she lived so long, the nursing facility resident would respond “Only by the grace of God.”

           According to the year 2000 U.S. Census report released last month, there is a rapid growth among America’s centenarians.  Bruce was one of 50,45 persons age 100 and over last year, and their ranks increased about 35 percent from a decade ago, said Lisa Hetzel, statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau. As to Rhode Island, Hetzel notes that today there are 278 centenarians, up 43 percent from 1990.

           Why are more people living past age 100?  According to writer John F. Lauerman, who with Drs. Thomas Perls and Margery Silver of the New England Centenarian Study at the Harvard Medical School Division on Aging, co-authored the book, “Living to 100,” a pcture is emerging of the typical centenarian.

            Lauerman, the health care writer for the Springfield Union-News, says that people in the oldest age group tend to remain physically and mentally healthy as well as emotionally stable.  Most importantly, centenarians tend to come from families in which long lives are common.

            In “Living to 100,” based on Perls and Silver’s New England Centenarian Study, Lauerman notes that a good attitude is one key to living longer. “Centenarians rarely consider their age as a limitation,” he says, noting that they take advantage of the opportunity for longevity afforded to them by their genes.

           Certain genes may be key to whether a person reaches age 100 and over, “but don’t thwart them,” warns Lauerman.  Good health practices are key to maximizing your life, he says.

           In addition, exercise resistance training, is an important factor for maintaining strength and muscle, notes Lauerman.  It can also can reduce your risk for heart, disease and increase your sense of well-being, he adds.

          Lauerman also recommends that you keep your mind active and investigate new challenges.  Take advantage of new opportunities like second careers, volunteering, learning to play musical instrucments, writing or even traveling, he urges.  Humor, meditation and low-impact exercise like the Chinese discipline of tai chi may also help get rid of stress.

          As to nutrition, increase your portions of vegetables and fruits, minimize meat, saturated and hydrogenated fats, and sweets.  Also, eat  moderately and supplement your diet with the antioxidants vitamin E (400-800 international units (IU daily) and selenium (100-200 micrograms daily).

         Making these changes doesn’t necessarily guarantee becoming a centenarian, Lauerman says, but they will allow you to llive longer and healthier, which is what centenarians do.  Research reveals that one of the most interesting things about centenarians is that most of the unhealthy portion of their lives is packed into the last few years, he adds, noting that they seldom spend many years in an unhealthy state before death.

         Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer who covers aging, health care and medical issues. This article was published in the October 29, 2001 issue of the Pawtucket Times.

The Best of…Lifestyle Change is Effective Way to Fight Cancer

Published October 22, 2001

           Although cancer deaths in Rhode Island are among the highest in the nation, we ultimately do have control to reduce the incidence of this devastating disease, say state health experts.

           According to John Fulton, associate director of the Rhode Island’s Department of Health, cancer-related deaths last year in the Ocean State topped 2,500.  With its urban setting, Rhode Island’s listing as one of the top 10 states for cancer death was not a surprising to Fulton.  In an urban setting, he says a person’s lifestyle might include an unbalanced diet, little physical exercise, use of tobacco and a heavier use of alcohol, all contributing factors to the state having the higher incidence of cancer.

          Seniors can take more control of their health and well-being to reduce the probability of being afflicted with cancer.  By just avoiding many of the high-risk factors for cancer and by living a healthier lifestyle, or through early detection by screening and treatment, Rhode Islanders of all ages can stave off or successfully survive cancer’s devastating effects, says Fulton.

          He recommends all older persons schedule a check up every year with their primary care physician. Balanced diets are important, too, he says especially with meals including large portions of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Don’t forget regular physical activity, such as walking for at least 20 to 30 minutes.  At annual checkups, always ask your physician if it’s time for your mammogram, pap test, or sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.  Finally, do not use any type of tobacco because it causes at least four out of 10 cancers in Rhode Island.

           Being diagnosed with cancer does not always translate into a death sentence, says Dr. Arvin S. Glicksman, who serves as the executive director of the Rhode Island Cancer Council.  The private nonprofit group, funded by the Rhode Island General Assembly, serves as an information and referral source for those needing cancer-related information, along with providing educational programming to the public and health care professionals.

         “Breast cancer incidence is much higher for women age 65 and over than for younger women,” he states. “While 80 percent of women of all ages get      mammograms, less than 50 percent of those age 65 and over have regular mammograms.”

         “When detected earl breast cancer is over 90 percent curable,” Glicksman says.  But somehow older woman do not avail themselves of this important test, even with Medicare paying  for the annual mammograms in women age 65 and over and with 45 mammography centers located throughout the state, he adds.

       According to Dr. Glicksman, colorectal cancer kills more men and women in Rhode Island than either breast cancer or prostate cancer.  Again, preventative screening is important because even if early cancer has already developed , it is 90 percent curable too, if caught early,” he adds.

       “With testing we do for cervix cancer and colon rectum cancer we can actually detect the problems before the cells become cancerous,” Dr. Glicksman says.  “In these cancers we are actually preventing the cancer before it even starts by removing precancerous lesions.”

          Meanwhile, only a few of the 39 municipalities in Rhode Island have created Cancer Task Forces to bring cancer-related educational, screening programs and activities to their residents.

          “The City of Pawtucket has the most well-developed program,” Glicksman says.  Recognizing the important of early preventative screenings, he notes that the city allowed all full-time employees up to four hours of paid time away from work for one preventative cancer screening appointment performed by a licensed physician.  Those requiring additional time for cancer screenings are allowed to use their sick time for this purpose.

         No miraculous wonder drugs or startling medical techniques are necessary to combat cancer, Dr. Glicksman states.  The cancer care rate can rise to more than 75 percent by using the medical techniques, treatments and medications now available, combined with early prevention screenings and lifestyle changes.

        Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based  freelance writer covering aging, health care and medical issues. The article was published in the October 22, 2001 issue of the Pawtucket Times.  He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.

Elderhostel Brings R.I. History Alive

Published in Pawtucket Times on Oct. 15, 2001

Some seniors age 55 and over have traveled to small French villages to see where Monet once walked and view his masterpiece artworks in Parisian museums.

Or those with a strong appreciation of music have traveled between cities, from Memphis to New Orleans, to learn about America’s greatest music – spirituals, blues and jazz.

The more adventuresome have immersed themselves in India’s 2,000 years of history and exotic culture by visiting the country’s ancient forts, temples, and palaces, traveling from Delhi to Jodhpur.

The described trips are just a few of more than 11,000 programs offered annually in more than 100 countries by the Boston-based Elderhostel, a nonprofit group considered to be one of the world’s largest educational and travel organizations that offer travel packages to seniors age 55 and older.

For Elderhostel’s fall programming, more than 34,226 seniors have attended in-depth lectures, field trips and cultural excursions as 1,847 enrollment sites throughout the world. In Pawtucket, Marcia Sandeen, 76, along with 39 other hostelers from Texas, Colorado, Nevada, New York, and as far away as Florid, came to learn Rhode Island’s history and view its quaint colonial streets, explore English-style mill villages and rare New England stoneenders.

Planned by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC), presentations by local historians and travel to local historical sites create an exceptional learning experience about Rhode Island’s history and and architectural treasures. Throughout the five-day jam-packed itinerary the older hostelers traveled throughout the Ocean State visiting an array of sites, from the Friends Meeting House in Lincoln to Pawtucket’s historic Slater Mill, the John Brown House, Pendleton Houses and a tour of Benefit Street in Providence, to a Newport mansion, “The Breakers.”

Even meal time brought history alive to the seniors who ate lunch at the Modern Diner in Pawtucket, a customized and factory-built Sterling Steamliner diner that was the first diner to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The group also dined at the Hose Company No. 6, a renovated 1895 fire station in Pawtucket and the Stagecoach Tavern Restaurant in Chepachet, located in an old tavern occupied by soldiers during the Dorr rebellion in 1842.

Sandeen admits “a retied teacher never stops learning.” And she hasn’t either. Since 1987, the former Houston elementary school teach who now resides in Las Vegas, has traveled to 35 Elderhostel programs across the United States, even traveling to four foreign countries.

Why come to Rhode Island? “It’s fascinating to be here because of its heritage and history,” she tells All About Seniors, adding that her favorite programs are always “historic and scenic.” That sums up Rhode Islan

During a tour of Pawtucket’s Slater Mill, Sandeen was clearly impressed with the preservation of the old mill complex.

The birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution was a great onsite classroom for the older hostelers, too. “The tour guides were excellent and you could tell that they really love the subject,” she mentioned, as she walked with her group through the historic mill built in 1793.

Last month’s horrific terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C. and New York City did not stop 70-year old Lillian Mordas and her husband Joseph, 75, of Beacon, N.Y., from attending the Elderhostel program in Rhode Island. The retired elementary school teachers have visited eight states during their 10-year involvement with the Elderhostel organization.

Tourism should not be stopped by fear. Lillian Mordas says, with her husband nodding in agreement. The couple have lived through the Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. “We’ve seen quite a bit and we must show the younger people that you should not be fearful of traveling. You manage to survive through the tough things,” she stated.

Before coming to Rhode Island the Mordas did not realize that the state was so industrial and had so many mill buildings. Now it’s obvious to them. “We’re overwhelmed at being in a state that is considered the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution and one that has made so many contributions to religious freedom,” Lillian added.

“So many cultures and life experiences come through Rhode Island’s Elderhostel program,” notes Bob Billington, BVTC’s executive director, who has organized 20 Elderhostel programs in Rhode Island during the last six years. “The programming must meet all the educational requirements and standards set forth by Elderhostel,” he says. But add to travel, meals, gratuities and medical or insurance coverage, you get a great deal of value, he says.

But for the older hostelers, a zest for living and curiosity of exploring new places and a desire to learn from each other are the right ingredients to keep them coming back for years.

Elderhostel’s programming is offered in all 50 states and more than 80 countries. For m ore information call the toll-free registration line at 1-877-426-8056, or visit the groups website at http://www.elderhostel.org.