Thoughts, ideas, brainstorm help....[healthy aging]

Best to stay away from the political fight over healthcare funding, I'd say. We're ultimately responsible for our own health, really.

I'm glad to hear you're not doing the presenting. Nobody's going to take advice on ageing from somebody who looks 25. Unless of course you're really 62, in which case we should all be doing exactly what you are, whatever it is.

I think the first step to growing old gracefully is to pick good parents. The serious side is that genes are very important in determining all sorts of things; disease, longevity, hair loss...it helps to know the family history so you can manage the inherited risks.

It might be helpful to have someone mention the relationship of physical and mental health, and finding balance in whatever you do.

And not to turn it into a 'sexpo', but it might be enticing to have some one explain that a healthy sex life at a ripe old age is entirely possible. It gives us spring chickens something to look forward to, and incentive to stay in shape.

 

The easy stuff is to preach diet and exercise but so many people have heard that over the years that it does not have the same impact. As a nurse I find that so many people lack information and do not know how to talk to their doctors who are so busy and sometimes just so distracted that you need to lay it out in front of them and guide them to meet your needs.

Teaching people to be more informed about their choices for information; internet, pharmacist, other health professionals and things like the Diabetic Association, Heart etc. and then teaching them how to sort through the information and be more prepared for their doctor appointments would be great for most individuals and would definitely make aging healthy and managing aging issues a bit easier for everyone.

Some things can be fixed and others need to be lived with. In my job I see so many people who become addicted to pain medications. Pain meds should be used for short term pain. Long term issues like joint degeneration need a different approach. People need to learn to accept some changes such as pain, getting up slowly, warming up joints and other "adjustments". Getting old is not for the weak, it is hard work!

 

I'd agree people are tired of listening to that same message, but very few people have 'heard' it to the extent they understand it and do something about it. It works better than anything else.

 

Says the guy who lives in a country civilized enough to have universal health care!

I'd show up to lean about how to REALLY lose weight: Not to be told what and how much to eat; but to learn how to eat less.

I exercise regularly, but I'd say a seminar on what constitutes a healthy exercise regimen, and for those who have a hard time sticking to it, strategies for sticking with it when you feel like you'd rather do something easier.

Offer free pain killers to everyone who registers. That'll get people in. Everyone likes pain killers. Especially the opiate-based ones.

Information on how to off yourself. I may get flamed for this, but when your pet is terminally ill and in pain, you get a vet to kill it as painlessly as possible. It's illegal to off yourself or to help someone else off themself. But people have the right to know how to bite the big one when they otherwise have nothing to look forward to but pain. Call it "death with dignity" and provide the information.

Where to go for help when all your friends have died and you're all alone.

How to rob banks. For some people aging would not be quite so bad if they could afford to do expensive fun stuff. Hey, I'd be miserable if I couldn't afford to go hiking in Canada in summer and go to warm places in winter.

How to start an internet porn business. Same reason as the above suggestion.

I don't expect you to like all my suggestions. These are just quickly off the top of my head.

 

"The easy stuff is to preach diet and exercise but so many people have heard that over the years that it does not have the same impact."

Your point is .. ?

OP,
I suggest doing the following:
Pick the 5 - 10 things you think people would be most interested in avoiding in middle to old age. Mine are

• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Falls and Fractures
• Chronic Pain
• Constipation and its complications (Diverticulitis)
• Senility
• Heart Failure
• Heart Attacks
• Strokes

Then list the top things to avoid or to do to lower risk. If you google enough, you will be able to find data on relative risk reduction for each tactic. E.g., Type II Diabetes is unusual in slim and active people. At the end of your talk, add a note from this internist: people who think that 'stress' is the cause of their problems should put avoiding constipation at the top of the list of things to deal with. For clearly, they are full of shit.

 

I like that approach! Half the battle in healthcare these days is that you have to do a lot of the footwork yourself and knowing where and how to search for the information you need would be helpful. WebMD, various forums with people experiencing similar problems, and other resources are out there to help people, but most don't know how to find them.

 

There are many organizations with outreach programs that you just have to mention your existence to. Contact your local hospitals, health food stores, health oriented charities, community colleges, YMCA, and so on. Many have speakers available. Just be careful about which way they expect any monies to be flowing. Maybe you can charge a fee to people trying to sell something, free to people who don't, and maybe you could help pay for a prominent person's appearance. People with a new book out are a good deal all around - they already have a presentation ready, you can review it in advance, and they want to talk about it.

Check out Smart Life Forum | The Bay Area's Alternative Health Group for a San Francisco area organization that has been doing monthly health meetings for many years. The newsletters are all available online, and videos of many of the presentations can be purchased for about $15 apiece.

 

cognitive function appears to follow a "use it or lose it" type pattern [with the appropriate disclaimer that genetics and some environmental factors may make things like dementia far more likely in some individuals regardless.] it's worth encouraging activities that work the mind.

 

Where is this expo being held? :madgrin:

A presentation on how to avoid becoming diabetic and how to deal with it if you do become diabetic. It is becoming more common in the US and has many devastating and expensive long term side effects.

 

Don't forget to have some entertainment, too. Laughter is the best medicine and it keeps you young. Have a free (play for tips) open mic, comedy, poetry reading stage with a host/MC. Let vendors offer healthy drinks, herbal teas, etc.

 

Better yet, have a big bin of washed, halved oranges, and a hand-operated squeezer, and let people have "all the o.j. you can squeeze by hand" either free, or for a flat price.

"Get your exercise and your vitamin C both at the same time."

Note: This idea is inspired by Slickrock, the rustic resort I stayed at in Belize. They say on their web site: All the o.j. you can drink. But it turns out you have to squeeze it yourself.