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Holding On To Friendships As We Age

Did you know that social isolation is as hazardous to your health as high blood pressure, obesity and even smoking? In fact, being lonely has about the same impact on your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day!

Friendships are especially important to us as we age. But holding on to them through life's inevitable changes - retirement, relocation, divorce, remarriage, illness, etc. - can be a real challenge. In Seven Tips for Improving Boomer Relationships from ConsumerAffairs.com, "relationship coach" Jan Yager gives some helpful advice on staying connected through thick and thin.  

Boomers Discover the Fountain of Youth

Here's another tidbit from Del Webb's Boomer Survey. The average boomer feels 13 years younger than his/her real age. Have boomers discovered the legendary fountain of youth? Not really, but many credit their good fortune to participating in activities that "keep their minds sharp, their bodies strong and their social life robust." Those boomers feeling younger than their actual age participated in 2 or more of the following activities: 

1. Exercise regularly -- More than 55 percent work out regularly as a way to feel youthful.

2. Hit the books -- Nearly a third have gone or will go back to school.

3. Volunteer -- More than 60 percent are giving back to their communities by volunteering.

4. Still working -- More than 70 percent plan to work in "retirement" either part-time, full-time or in starting a new career.

5. Trying pickleball or Zumba -- Approximately 40 percent have taken up a new hobby or activity.

 

Big Changes At the Academy of Lifelong Learning

The Academy of Lifelong Learning has a new name - The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware. "That's quite a mouthful," you say? Yes, but along with the new name comes a $1 million endowment gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation with a second $1 million gift promised in the next year. In addition, Delaware's program will now be able to network and share best practices with 119 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes around the country.   

The additional funding will enable the University to expand its lifelong learning programs in Wilmington and Lewes, and to add a new program in Kent County. Beginning in September, 2010, the Institute will start offering classes at the Modern Maturity Center, a senior center located in Dover.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware, one of the oldest and largest programs of its kind, is a vibrant learning cooperative that provides opportunities for adults 50 and older to learn, teach and travel with thier peers. The program's membership fee is $230 per semester. 

For registration and course information go to the Institute's website.

Out and About in Delaware - August

Don't let the summer heat keep you indoors. Get out and have fun!

• August 6-8, 2010. Riverfront Blues Festival. Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, Wilmington. Outdoor music festival with national acts each day. More information.   
• August 13-15, 2010. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Delaware College of Art and Design, Wilmington. Course for those who have never drawn before based on the well known book. 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. More information.
• August 21, 2010. 3rd Annual Lewes Creative Artists Workshop. Lewes Public Library, Lewes. Free workshops on art-related topics. 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. More information.
• August 21, 2010. Diamond State BBQ Championship. Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Dover. Delicious BBQ, live entertainment, Delaware's Strongest Man Competition and more. 10:00 a.m. More information.
• August 26, 2010. Do-Wop Celebration with the Bronx Wanderers. The Freeman Stage at Bayside, Selbyville. From Do-Wop to DION and The Four Seasons. 7:00 p.m. More information.
• August 28, 2010. Summer Picnic and Performance Series. Historic Houses of Odessa, Odessa. Picnic and performance by Delaware musician Jerry "Crabmeat" Thompson on the lawn of the historic Corbit-Sharp House. 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. More information. 

How Boomers Are Creating New Kinds of Community

Does it seem like 55+ communities are popping up all over the state? I am told that there are more retirement communities in Delaware (per capita) than in any other state in the nation. It certainly seems like it. 

Developers are counting on retiring boomers to fill these housing units and while the traditional, retirement community model will appeal to many boomers there are others who will be looking for something very different.

In this article from Terrain.org, Aging in Community: How the Coming Baby Boom Generation will Transform Traditional Models of Independent Living, the authors describe co-housing, a living option that addresses boomers' needs for real community, a shared sense of purpose and mutual aid.

Transitioning to Retirement: Personal Reflections

In this third and last installment of her series, "Transitioning to Retirement", Sheri Ackerman talks about her own transition from a Federal employee working in D.C. to a retiree, volunteer and much more living the good life in Rehoboth Beach. Continue Reading

The Best and Worst of Retirement

Del Web, the nation's largest developer of retirement communities, just released its 2010 Boomer Survey. Here are two survey questions that you may find interesting.

 

"What aspects of retirement have you particularly enjoyed?"

• No time clock
• No alarm clock, sleeping in
• Doing what I want, when I want
• Less stress

"What aspects have been disappointing?"

• Not being around people
• Missing co-workers
• Finances, the economy
• Getting lazy
• Boredom

Stress-Free Flying

Jean Williams has been on the go ever since she retired as the Director of the Newark Senior Center. She's been exploring the world, visiting far-off family and consulting around the country. You don't do that much traveling without learning a thing or two. In this article she shares some of that hard-won wisdom with you. Continue Reading

The Art of Conversation - 50+ Style

I love to hear bright, articulate people 50+ discussing what's next in their lives. If this sounds exciting to you, too, then be sure to check out "Reinventing Retirement: Second Acts," a Merrill Lynch webcast that was first broadcast this June. The panel features Marc Freedman, a thought leader in the field of aging; Anna Quinden, a retired journalist; Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist; and Sallie Krawcheck, an investments expert. Listen to some rich conversation about the shift from "freedom from work" to "freedom to work", finding happiness after 50, plus some fascinating thoughts on why women may find it easier than men to adjust to retirement (men live their lives like a "ladder"; women like a "circle").

Out and About in Delaware - July

Some things to do in July off the beaten path:

• July 15, 2010. This Old House: Researching the History of an Older House. South Coastal Library, Bethany Beach. Delaware Archives staffer reveals how archival records can be used to trace the history of an older home. 2:00 p.m. More information.
• July 16-31, 2010. Delaware Shakespeare Festival. Rockwood Park, Wilmington. Macbeth under the stars. More information.
• July 17, 2010. Romance on a Summer's Night. St. Martha's Episcopal Church, Bethany Beach. Well known Washington artists perform a concert of love songs. 8:00 p.m. More information.
• July 22, 2010. Delaware Today Magazine's Best of Delaware Party. Dover Down's Hotel & Casino, Dover. 85 exhibitors, live entertainment, plenty of food and drink. More information.
• July 31, 2010. 16th Annual People's Festival Tribute to Bob Marley. Tubman-Barrett Riverfront Park, Wilmington. Live music, food, children's activities and more. 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. More information.
• August 2, 2010. Eat, Pray, Love. Kent County Public Library, Dover. Discussion and food related to the popular book. 2:00 p.m. More information.