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Concepts of Successful Aging & Introduction to the Senior Mentor Program

This presentation discusses the concepts of successful aging and introduces the Senior Mentor Program. It covers the growing population of older adults, the specific needs of geriatric patients, and the top causes of death among older Americans. It also explores the key factors for maintaining mental and physical health, as well as the importance of social support. The Senior Mentor Program pairs active seniors with medical students and aims to provide education, training, and relationship building opportunities.

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Concepts of Successful Aging & Introduction to the Senior Mentor Program

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  1. Concepts of Successful Aging & Introduction to the Senior Mentor Program November 4, 2005 Carla J. Herman, MD, MPH Department of Internal Medicine

  2. Why Geriatrics? • Fasting growing cohort – over 65 • By 2020, 20% of total population • Over age 85 group growing very fast

  3. Americans Are Living LongerA Trend that is Expected to Continue Source: National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Decennial Life Tables for 1989-91, vol. 1, no. 3, Some Trends and Comparisons of United States Life Table Data: 1900-91. Hyattsville, MD; 1999, p. 2, Table A.

  4. Growth in Population Age 65+

  5. Care of Older Persons Will Require • An increasing proportion of health care resources • Clinicians who are alert to the specific needs of the geriatric patient • An emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention at all ages

  6. What’s Different About the 65+ Age Group? • Wide range of health status • Age-related physiologic changes • Increased incidence of comorbidity • Atypical disease presentations • Increased incidence of iatrogenic illness • Higher need of social supports • Different goals of therapy

  7. Top 5 Causes of Death Among Older Americans in 2001

  8. Successful Aging Sucessful AgingRowe and Kahn 1998 Avoiding Disease Maintaining high cognitive & physical functioning Active engagement with life

  9. What Is Successful Aging? • Staying involved with life and living • Staying active despite chronic conditions • Exercising body & mind • Interaction with people • Meaningful contribution to life

  10. Maintaining Mental Function • Young persons outperform elders in ability to: • Recall a word or name • Speed of processing information • Young persons and elders have same ability to: • Understand and learn • Perform other cognitive functions

  11. Maintaining Mental Function Studies found key factors that predict good mental function in older adults are: • Regular physical activity • Strong social support systems • Belief in one’s ability to handle life events • Staying mentally challenged

  12. Maintaining Physical Health • Regular health checks • Staying physically active • Eating a healthy diet • Stopping smoking or chewing tobacco • Safety habits to prevent falls • Managing stress • Immunizations

  13. Maintaining Social Support • Defined as belief that one is cared for, loved, esteemed, and has a network of social obligations • Successful agers from MacArthur study report that they thrive because they have important social bonds with both family & friends • Married people live longer than unmarried • Members of church or secular organizations live longer than those without affiliations

  14. Marital Status of Adults Age 65 +

  15. Geriatric Medical Education at UNM • Increased focus on • Older patients • Learning roles of multi-disciplinary providers • Maintenance of health and functional abilities • New initiatives supported through funding from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation

  16. UNM Senior Mentor Program • Pairs active seniors with medical students • Seniors: - Aged 65 and over - Albuquerque area • First & second year UNM medical and physician assistant students

  17. Goals of Senior Mentor Program • Longitudinal experience • Older adults as “professors” • Relationship building • Education & training for both

  18. Benefits to Senior Mentors • Involvement with young people • New friendship • Share life history, expertise & perspectives on health and healthcare system • Opportunity to contribute & help others

  19. Benefits to Medical Students • Develop a positive relationship with an older adult • Acknowledge full and rich the lives of seniors • Learn about aging process and use of health care system • Witness successful aging • Enhance listening skills

  20. What’s Involved • November 11 meet the mentors • 3 meetings of mentor & student pairs • 2 student discussion sessions • 1-2 group social events with all mentors and students • Feedback on how it went • Opportunity to continue a second year

  21. Nov 11 Meet Your Senior Mentors • Hotel MCM Eleganté on Menual, 3:30 – 5:30 pm • Continuing second year medical students and their mentors also attending • Brief introduction for benefit of new mentors • Listen to continuing pairs’ experiences • You and your mentor will introduce each other to the group • Food and beverages • Questions?

  22. Your Senior Mentors • Ages 65 – 94, active despite chronic conditions, mix of professional backgrounds and interests • Matching with your preferences & interests as best we can • A few mentor couples, most singles • If with a couple: two students per couple, can go together or separately to see your mentor, suggest portion one-on-one time

  23. Student/Mentor Meetings • You and your mentor schedule these on your own • Meet at least 3 times by late April, can meet more • Meet at mentor’s home or other mutually agreed place • About 2 hours • Social conversation or activity • And discussion topics (see folder): • Mentor’s Life History • Mentor’s Healthcare Views • How Mentor Stays Active • Brief email afterwards to staff

  24. First Student/Mentor Meeting • Meet by December 9 -- Topic: Mentor’s Life History • Getting to know your Senior Mentor • A conversation, not a medical history interview • Focus on cohort your mentor grew up with and world events that affected cohort • Prompts you can use if you want • Your mentor will want to know about you also • Reflect afterwards on what you learned

  25. First Student/Mentor Meeting • Brief email afterwards to Lloryn Swan • When and where meeting took place • 1-2 sentences something you admire in your mentor • 1-2 sentences richest part of your meeting • Purpose: get a sense of how meetings are going, track progress of program, help us prepare for student discussion sessions • December 9 Student Discussion & Lunch • Share mentor meeting experiences • Continuing students invited also • Facilitated by Sandra Qaseem, MD

  26. January Early February Early March By late April May 2nd mentor meeting on your own Student discussion Student & Mentor Social Event (1st & 2nd years) 3rd mentor meeting on your own Celebration with mentors Spring Semester

  27. Senior Mentor Experiences

  28. Senior Mentor Experiences

  29. Senior Mentor Experiences

  30. Senior Mentor Experiences

  31. Contact Us UNM Center on Aging 1720 Louisiana Blvd NE, Suite 300 Campus mail: MSC10-5550 (505) 272-6082 Faculty liaison: Sandra Qaseem, MD sqaseem@salud.unm.edu Staff liaison: Lloryn Swan, 272-4837 lswan@salud.unm.edu

  32. Compassionate Physicians Providing Better Care with Older Adults Thanks to the wonderful Senior Mentors and Medical Students!

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