Thursday, December 2, 2010

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

ASA SPRING CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

The American Society for Aging announced that registratiion is open for their exciting Spring Conference, AGING IN AMERICA, March 15, 2010 at the Hyat Regency in Chicago, Ilinois.
OVER 600 WORKSHOPS, 200 poster sessions, Issues, forums and site visits Highlight the day's program. More information from the organization's website, www.asaging.org

Friday, October 31, 2008

CREATIVE ACTIVITY BOOSTS HEALTH, HAPPINESS


DO YOU LIKE TO DRAW, go to concerts or listen to CDs? Find yourself innovative in your thinking or having creative ideas? Then you are probably one of the many who improve their mental outlook and even possibly improve their physical health through creative activity. Go to plays or symphonies, make ceramic art, paint ties. Its good for you!

In fact, came across an organization, National Center for Creative Aging mailto:info@creativeaging.org,%20that publicizes the creative link by citing research and having symposiums on creativity and its positive effect on the aging process. For example:

Acting Out Contributes to Brain Health as we Age, Study Shows Tony and Helga Noice have found that older people can improve their comprehension, problem solving, verbal fluency, and word recall using the same techniques actors use. Because acting uses several parts of the brain, it may be more beneficial than working on crossword puzzles and Sudoku, which strengthen limited areas of the brain. The hope is that activity directors in nursing homes and senior centers will incorporate acting into their programs, which could make the program extremely inexpensive to run. Chicagotribune.com, September 7, 2008

and

Hearing the Music, Healing the Brain Studies have shown that listening to and playing music can greatly help people with Parkinson’s disease and those recovering from strokes. “We see
patients develop something like an auditory timing mechanism. Someone who is frozen can immediately release and begin walking. Or if they have balance problems, they can coordinate their steps to synchronize with the music,” said Oliver Sacks, neurologist and professor at Columbia University. The area of the brain that processes music also overlaps with speech networks, which is why neurologists recommend music therapy to retrain people to speak. Music also helps reduce stress and anxiety which in turn relieves depression, improves communication and stimulates memory. Denverpost.com, September 8, 2008 http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10398078 Remarkable.