September is Healthy Aging Month

We can’t avoid aging (at least not yet), so why not work with aging to make it a positive and healthy experience? That’s the idea behind Healthy Aging Month, created 10 years ago by Educational Television Network and now promoted by healthyaging.net. This month is about inspiring and motivating older adults to improve their health – not just physical, but mental, social, and financial health as well.

So, encourage your older patients to stay active. A daily 30-minute walk through the neighborhood with a friend or group of friends is a good way to strengthen bones and muscles and combat cabin fever. Encourage patients to strengthen their minds and beat boredom by learning new things, reading, and doing puzzles. Financial health is important for older patients, too, especially for those living on a fixed income. But getting financial advice from their doctor might be a little awkward. If there’s financial stress, make sure it doesn’t become a health concern.

What are you doing to celebrate Healthy Aging Month?

-Erin