The Whales of August

Having recently been catching up on the long, historic career of Bette Davis, I was looking forward to watching one of her last films, “The Whales of August.” In the film, Bette Davis and Lillian Gish play elderly sisters. Bette’s character, “Libby” is blind and her sister “Sarah” (Lillian Gish) cares for her and maintains the home they share.

This film shed a very positive light on aging. Seniors were depicted as independent and able to care for themselves. They helped each other instead of relying on younger friends, family or caregivers. I wish I saw more of this in television and advertising. The only other media depiction of seniors I’ve seen that comes close is the “Golden Girls” where the women support each other through life’s events. However, even one of the characters on the Golden Girls, (Sofia), is cared for by a younger, though senior aged, daughter.

“The Whales of August” depicts seniors as active (walking, cleaning, cooking, maintaining health and wellbeing, visiting friends, paining oil paintings and arranging flowers). The characters blend their past, present and futures in healthy ways as they hold onto and honor traditions, but still find enjoyment the present and find future events to look forward to.

What was also notably different in this film was the way the characters embraced aging. Blind Libby asks her sister if her hair was as white as a swan. When her sister says she believes it is, Libby comments that she’d always had beautiful hair. I cannot recall any film or media character embracing age so gracefully. The two sisters in the film also dressed up for company and took great pride in the care of their hair. They did not complain about their age, appearance, or life. While I do not see this as being realistic for many, as many people have real problems to contend with, I do see it as a model for enjoying life.

By not focusing on the negatives (not once does Libby complain she is blind or cannot see what others are discussing - photos, jewelry, flowers, ocean view), there is more time to focus on the positives or approach things a new way. For instance, blind Libby is able to feel the flowers, jewelry, or sunshine, and hear a description of the photographs. She even agrees to the installation of a picture window in their living room, though she won’t be able to see out of it herself. She comments on how nice the day feels by the warmth of the sun coming in through the window. Libby depicts a woman who is perfectly content with these filtered observations, and I imagine the lesson to viewers is to enjoy interacting with others regardless and not feel sorry for oneself.

Anderson, L. (Director), Berry, D. (Writer). (1987). The Whales of August. [DVD]. USA: MGM.

All content © Village Memorial 2009-2010.

Crone Energy: A Traveler

I met Mrs. S on a flight to Los Angeles last December. She was heading to visit her son and daughter-in-law for the holidays. As retired widow, Mrs. S spent much of her free time traveling. She’d been to more countries than I can recall, but listed some in Africa, Europe, Asia and South America, just to name a few. Her last trip had been to take her granddaughter on a cruise to the Netherlands. (She made a point to take one of her children or grandchildren on nearly each of the trips she made.) Although, she usually traveled with friends. Their rule was to go to as many countries as possible and whenever someone asked why they'd gone someplace unusual, they replied, “Because we’ve been everywhere else.”

Besides travel, Mrs. S’s calendar was full with activities and personal hobbies:

• She was in the process of building a large family historical cookbook database.
• Refusing to watch commercials, she recorded all her favorite television programs on TiVo so she could watch them later and forward through the ads.
• She was also working on filling up her new Ipod with music – a free gift she got from opening a new account at her bank.
• She was a speed-reader and could read several books in one sitting.
• She used a travel points credit card and got many of her flights for free (including the one I met her on.)
• She loved to cook, but as she lived alone, she made use of the large meals by breaking them into smaller portions and freezing them for later meals.
• She ran a birthday club in her hometown.
• On top of all this she made time to meet friends and dine, attend musicals or plays, films and concerts.

Mrs. S was truly an inspiration to me. She was more vital and active than most younger people I know. She maintained close relationships, good health, hobbies, and still found time to travel. She was intellectual, clever and kept up with current technology, including making the most of financial rewards and incentives programs. I can only aspire to be as well rounded as Mrs. S. She is a role model for life in general as well as an inspiration for living when I reach her age. I can only hope that I will find myself as well balanced and vital as her when I am in my 80’s.

All content © Village Memorial. 2009-2010.

Age Limits in Golf

With all of the excitement following Tom Watson’s last chance (at age 59) to win at the British Open (that restricts players age 60+) last weekend, FateCare decided to investigate what sounded like an incredibly ageist agenda.

FateCare looked at three specific questions 1) are age limits in golf common, 2) what are the health benefits to playing golf, and 3) is golf any less beneficial or even dangerous to senior players?

1. Age limits in golf are not common.

• “The British Open is the only major that sets an age limit for its champions” (Ferguson, 2009).
• Augusta National “announced an age limit of 65 this decade” (Ferguson, 2009), but never imposed the limit.
• The Masters lets players decide when to stop. (Ferguson, 2009)
• The PGA Championship claims no limit, but seldom has “champions over 50 compete” (Ferguson, 2009).

2. Golf promotes several health benefits.

• Golf requires cardiovascular exercise that promotes a healthier heart and lower cholesterol (Think-Golf, 2006). If a player walks, instead of using a golf cart, he can end up walking “several miles around the course” which can be up to 3 to 5 miles of walking in an 18-hole game. (GoGolfNW.com, 2009).

• The weight bearing exercises associated with golf, when practiced “two to three times a week can create long, lean muscle mass, which helps support a strong skeleton” (Think-Golf, 2006). The swinging of clubs and putting “help tone muscles in the arms, back and shoulders. It may also improve flexibility and range of motion. Golf also helps to strengthen hand-eye coordination and balance. It can be a great way for older players to remain spry and active in a low-impact way” (GoGolfNW.com, 2009).

• Vitamin D is produced when one spends time out in the sunshine. “Vitamin [D] is essential for strong bones, it regulates the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Vitamin D also helps regulate the growth of skin cells” (Think-Golf, 2006).

• Golf also allows players to engage in social interaction “spending time with friends and other players and engaging in conversation” (GoGolfNW.com, 2009).

• Golf is also useful in behavioral therapy of Alzheimer's patients. By giving Alzheimer's patients "an activity that once brought about true pleasure...their minds can clear, and memories related to that activity can return" (Futterman, 2009). Activities like golf have proven "helpful in both making people with dementia feel competent and generating periods of lucidity" (Futterman, 2009).

3. Golf is less beneficial to seniors in Vitamin D production and creates risk for injuries if participation is unsafe.

“Studies have shown that as we age, we tend to produce less vitamin D even with adequate sun exposure” (Benefits of Vitamin D, 2009), further supporting the need for supplementation. Vitamin D plays a key role in human longevity “the risk of death from all-cause mortality may increase by 26 percent due to inadequate vitamin D” (Archives of Internal Medicine, 2008).

Golf can be of risk to seniors when participation is unsafe.

Although playing golf provides a moderate intensity exercise stimulus for seniors, musculoskeletal injuries can also result from unsafe participation, as can the aggravation of pre-existing musculoskeletal problems. Strategies for targeted management of the senior golfer's typical concerns are summarized into 4 categories consisting of: injury rehabilitation coordinated by therapists, warm up routines; club-fitting/coaching on proper technique, and pre-season conditioning programs. (Cann, et. al., 2005).

Summary

Golf is beneficial and safe for seniors when played according to proper techniques. Of course before beginning with any new physical activity program, one should consult with their physician first.

Reference:
Cann AP, Vandervoort AA and Lindsay DM. (2005). Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences. University of Western Ontario. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16386170

Explore the Health Benefits of Golf. (2009, June 29.) GoGolfNW.com. Retrieved from: http://www.gogolfnw.com/stories/2009/jun/29/explore-health-benefits-golf/

Ferguson, D. (2009, July 20). British Open age limits could bar Tom Watson after 2010. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved from: http://www.freep.com/article/20090720/SPORTS15/90720037/-1/RSS07

Five Health Benefits of Golf. (2006, Nov. 22). Think-golf.info. Retrieved from:
http://www.think-golf.info/archives/87/five-health-benefits-of-golf/

Futterman, M. (2009, Apr. 16). Memories Slip, but Golf Is Forever. Alzheimer's Patients Perk Up On Outings to the Greens. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123914598587898813.html

Healthy Heart Beats. (2008). Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Colorado State University. Retrieved from: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/healthyheart/0810-12a.html#vitd

The Benefits of Vitamin D. (2009, Apr. 15). Health.learninginfo.org. Retrieved from: http://health.learninginfo.org/benefits_vitamind.htm

All content © Village Memorial. 2009-2010.