October 18, 2006

Feeling a little rusty with age? Baycrest shares its expertise on losing the rust in forum for boomers and beyond

Sunday, November 5, 2006

Toronto, ONT – Are there days when you feel like the rusty Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz? Worried that you don’t have the best genes for aging well? Fear not. There is a lot you can do to stay healthy, active and independent.

Baycrest Centre for Education on Aging offers up a slate of engaging experts in Aging Well Starts Now, a one-day forum on Sunday, November 5 at the Joseph E. and Minnie Wagman Centre (55 Ameer Ave. on the Baycrest campus).

Learn how specific foods affect your brain power and help prevent chronic disease. Bone up on the best approaches to help conquer chronic pain. Learn how to use music to sleep better, reduce stress and anxiety. Discover ways to boost your memory. Get up to speed on how hormonal changes in aging male partners can affect their mood, body strength and libido.

“This forum is about motivating and encouraging you to take control of your own journey as you age,” says Lesley Miller, co-chair of the forum and 59 years young. “The approach we advocate is not a quick fix. It takes commitment and hard work to make changes in your life to slow down or delay the symptoms of old age. If I can lose the rust, so can you!”

Registration for Aging Well Starts Now is $80 and includes parking and lunch. Contact Baycrest at (416) 785-2850, or go to http://www.baycrest.org/ and click on the Aging Well apple icon.

Special thanks to the North York Mirror for providing sponsorship for this special event.

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For more information on this press release, please call:
Kelly Connelly, Media Relations
Baycrest Centre for Education on Aging
416.785.2432, kconnelly@baycrest.org

A sneak preview of some of the presenters and the expertise they will share at Aging Well Starts Now:

Does your home need a facelift?
Lori Molnar, environmental gerontologist and interior designer with Lori M. Consulting
Morning session: 11:00 a.m.

With a bulge of boomers turning 60 next year, they need to start thinking about changes they can make to their home to make life easier as they age. It doesn’t have to be a huge and costly renovation. There are lots of little changes that can make a house more senior friendly. Change all the door knobs to levers that are easier on arthritic hands. Make sure the bathroom light fixture on the ceiling, or over the vanity, has more than one bulb. When one goes out there’s still enough light and lots of time to ask a neighbour to drop by and use a chair to change the other one. If building a retirement home, make sure all the electrical outlets on the walls are at least two feet off the ground. That way it’s easier on the back not to have to bend down so far. Molnar will offer lots of great tips on modifying the home environment to accommodate the changing needs of older adults.

Middle age hazy
Dr. Angela Troyer, psychologist, Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System
Afternoon session: 1:30 p.m.

Are you an aging boomer who is feeling a little foggy in the brain? Don’t worry, there are things you can do to help your memory – from lifestyle changes to trying out specific memory strategies. With lifestyle, get involved in activities that give your brain a good workout and make you think hard. Reading a good book, taking in a lecture, playing bridge or the piano, or going to a museum will help keep your brain active. Have you ever left your house in the morning and half way down the street started to worry about whether you closed the garage door? Here’s a strategy for boosting your attention: “See it and say it”. When closing the garage door, make an effort to see yourself pushing the garage door button and say aloud, “I’m closing the garage door”. This should help solve those annoying second guessing moments.

Aging affects mind, body and sex. Is testosterone the answer?
Dr. Jerald Bain, endocrinologist, Mount Sinai Hospital
Morning session: 11:00 a.m.

As men age, they experience changes in their body which may be related to a decrease in testosterone. They can experience lethargy, physical weakness, mood swings, a diminished sex drive, and even depression. Doctors have to start paying more attention to testosterone and hemoglobin levels in male patients over 40 – and patients need to start discussing symptoms with their doctors! Open dialogue is the best medicine. Some men may be appropriate candidates for testosterone boosting treatments.

Music…the drug without side effects
Amy Clements-Cortés, music therapist, Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System
Afternoon session: 1:30 p.m.

There is nothing worse than not being able to fall asleep or wind down from a hectic day. Pachelbel and Beethoven to the rescue! Try listening to music that is slow enough to decrease your heart rate to a restful 60 to 70 beats per minute. Music without lyrics is the most effective and least taxing on your brain. There is a large selection of music from Classic to Modern that is recommended for deep relaxation. Learn the strategies for bringing your body into a state of harmony. Clements-Cortes will take her audience on a relaxation journey.