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The Periodic Midlife/Longlife Update E-newsletter - April 2006
The Periodic Midlife/Longlife Update E-newsletter
is devoted to sharing information and enhancing
excellence in ongoing faith and holistic formation for maturing adults from
midlife through end of life.
Bill
Prather, Founder and Director
of
Partners In Pastoral Care
seeks to provide members with
an ongoing flow of practical information that leaders/models can use directly
with adults of all ages. Training is also offered through the educational arm
of Partners in Pastoral Care.
All opinions expressed herein are those of the
author. Permission is granted to reproduce this issue in whole or in part as
long as its source is identified.
5.Quality Resource for Veterans with
End-of-Life Issues
1.Faith &
Mental Health: Religious Resources for Healing, by Harold G. Koenig, M.D.,
Templeton Foundation Press, 2005, Philadelphia and London, 343 pages, $29.95.
It’s not often that a book of
great breadth, stature and excellence arrives, so when it does, we would all do
well to respectfully take notice. This book by Dr. Koenig is of general
interest for professionals and practitioners who work with people of faith in
any capacity, but it is of particular importance, to a point of being mandatory
reading, for any of us who care for and about Midlife/Longlife adults, their
spiritual development, and their mental health.
Dr. Harold G. Koenig is
professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and associate professor of
medicine, at
DukeUniversityMedicalCenter
. He is director
and founder of Duke’s Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and
Health. I have referenced Dr. Koenig’s work in past issues of my
newsletter; however, I believe this is the first time I have reviewed an entire
book by him.
This book is a research
compendium marvel destined to be the definitive “go-to” reference for anyone
interested in mental health issues in general, and particularly those
associated with faith-based organizations (FBOs), i.e., churches and
church-sponsored or church-affiliated programs.
Dr. Koenig has long pioneered
solid research looking at the connections between faith and health in general.
He is responsible for making such topics respectable and legitimate points of
investigation for medical and behavioral science researchers, topics formerly
held at arm’s length by the conventional research establishment. Any piece of
work authored by Harold G. Koenig deserves our attention, and this book
delivers without reservation.
In his book, Dr. Koenig
identifies the entire universe of research studies that have investigated
“mental health and faith” in the last century…a monumental task. He states that
850 such studies exist. He then brings order to this body of work by organizing
the studies and their findings under headings that offer not only a framework
for better understanding, but also give the book a cohesiveness that immensely
heightens its clarity.This organization
is the masterstroke of creativity that transforms what would otherwise be a
strictly academic treatise into a readable and compelling work. I was never
bored while reading this book as I so often am with academic works. I found
myself riveted to its pages as each revealed yet more evidence of the impact of
faith on mental health.
Dr. Koenig captured me with an
easy writing style combined with an unparalleled excellence of scholarship and
depth of resource. Never did he try to “sell” his own perspective. He remained
the consummate and detached scholar while at the same time giving the reader an
experience that speaks as much to one’s heart as to one’s head. Dr. Koenig is
not only a great researcher and scholar, but he is also a great
communicator.
While the book does not differentiate
age gradation, Dr. Koenig does reference many studies that involve 50-plus
adults.Here is a sampling:
Loss of Spouse- One researcher found that importance of religion and
spiritual beliefs/practices were strong predictors of psychological well-being
in persons between 65 and 87 who lost their spouse. This relationship was found
independent of the person’s other social supports and physical health.
Transcendence- Elders who transcended losses due to aging
through their faith experienced high levels of life satisfaction (happiness).
Further, no one who demonstrated such transcendence experienced overall low
life satisfaction.
Optimism - Older adults who had a close relationship with God were
more optimistic and, therefore, enjoyed better overall health.
Sense of Meaning- Older adults who derive a sense of meaning in life from
their religion tend to have higher levels of life-satisfaction, self-esteem,
and optimism.
Quality of Life (QOL) - QOL refers to a person’s overall level of functioning,
including psychological well-being, social relationships, and ability to
independently care for physical needs. One research team studied older persons
with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). More advanced RA was associated with more
depression, greater pain, poorer self-ratings of health, and greater physical
role limitations. Spirituality, however, was associated with greater well-being
and better health perceptions (in older RA patients) even after controlling for
other predictors of well-being, such as disease activity, functional
disability, and age.
Forgiveness- Increased religious involvement increases forgiveness.
This finding was especially true with advancing age. Investigators conclude
that “forgiveness is tied intricately to religion/spirituality.”
Prayer- Praying for the benefit of others has been shown to
increase mental health and well-being, an effect that may be partly explained
by an increased sense of meaning in life.
Social Support- Informal interpersonal contact was the strongest
predictor of life-satisfaction (happiness) in later-life adults. Interpersonal
contact, however, produced this effect only if friendships were church-based.
Pain - Praying tends to predict a greater reduction in pain over
the long-term than is experienced by those who do not pray.
Depression - Subjects who
indicated that religion was not very important were almost six times more
likely to remain chronically depressed. This was especially true of older women
(vs. men). Among depressed women who indicated that religion was not important,
none (0%) recovered completely from depression. Among women who indicated
religion was very important, 50% recovered completely. Positive religious
coping predicted lower depression six months later, independent of other
potentially influential factors. Levels of depression were significantly higher
in older men.
This is but a taste of what this
book offers. The overall conclusion of the book is clear…religious beliefs and
practices have a profound and positive impact on every measure of mental
health. Dr. Koenig offers specific ways that FBOs (faith-based organizations)
can assist in this vital work. While mental health is not the primary goal of
religion, there now remains no question that the practices and beliefs of
religion mightily increase the mental wellness of adults, and especially older
adults.
Faith & Mental Health:
Religious Resources for Healing is a
monumental book. It is a veritable tour-de-force of research related to
mental health and faith. To say the book is comprehensive and thorough is to
understate its reality. It is relevant and readable, personally interesting,
and vitally confirmatory for anyone working in FBOs. This book is the work of a
master scholar; it is destined to rank as the definitive statement on faith and
mental health. I recommend you get this book, read it, and keep it handy on
your shelf both for reference and for comfort.
Something
to Think About
“As men grow older they reclaim
their suppressed feminine side by becoming more emotional and receptive. Women,
meanwhile, move deeper into the masculine zone, becoming increasingly
assertive, venturesome, and independent.”The Five Stages of the Soul
2.The following was
developed as an age test by an R&D department at Harvard University. Take
your time and see if you can read each line aloud without a mistake.The average person over 40 years of age can't
do it!
1. This is this cat 2. This is is cat 3. This is how cat 4. This is to cat 5. This is keep cat 6. This is an cat 7. This is old cat 8. This is person cat 9. This is busy cat 10. This is for cat 11. This is forty cat 12. This is seconds cat
Now, go back and read the third word in each line from the top down.
3. Boomers have become more aware of the value of working
out, and the fitness industry is becoming more aware of the value of the
over-50 market. Being an avid walker and backpacker myself, I was captivated by
a recent International Council on Active Aging survey showing 85% of
respondents ages 55 and older agreed that exercise is important to their health
and longevity, and 64% said they would like to participate in fitness
activities more than they do.
The
owner of the health club I joined six years ago told me that fitness centers in
general are recognizing the benefits of attracting older adults. He said, “The
biggest problem for me is adding age-friendly programs and equipment while
attracting the younger set.”
This conversation and reports like
one from the World Fitness Convention and the 50-Plus Facts provided further
down in this piece reveal that there is a possibility of limitless ministry to
the Midlife generation.
“Boomers looking for more natural
ways to delay the effects of aging than pills, Botox and liposuction and are
turning to gentler types of exercise—yoga, Pilates and other mind-body
approaches,” noted Gwen Hyatt, president of Desert Southwest Fitness, a company
that offers continuing education programs for health and fitness professionals.
Hyatt, who gave a presentation on training athletes age 50 or older, stated
that although boomers are concerned about their appearance, “their primary
motivation for exercising is health. Most women age 50 or more didn’t have many
positive experiences in physical education classes in grade school,” she says.
“Now, at 50-plus, they are experiencing a re-awakening—the kids have left home,
they have more free time, and see this as a time to do something for
themselves.”
That “something” includes joining groups: Bible studies, prayer
gatherings, volunteer and mentoring groups, and fitness classes. The
unbelieving boomer is not reticent about joining fitness classes, taking
personal training sessions, and using age-friendly equipment even if it is in a
church facility.
Good stewardship of marvelous,
God-given facilities involves their use as often and as much as possible. Allow
your creativity to begin to flow in the direction of initiating a ministry to
those Midlifers/Longlifers in your community who will take advantage of the
opportunity of group fitness if it is offered. One boomer, speaking of her
three-times-a-week session in a very small facility, announced, “It’s all about
community, friendships, and relationships.”
My research has discovered some
wonderful prepackaged programs, such as those offered by New Zealand-based Les
Mills. The equipment used in your facility need not be the most expensive, but
should be models designed with such features as easier-to-read numbers and
simplified adjustment controls.
Consider these 50-Plus Facts:
One
hundred million North Americans are considered to be older adults.
A
majority of boomers (born from 1946 through 1964) are 50 or older as of
2005.
The
age-boom opportunity constitutes the centerpiece of the active-aging
industry’s initiative to reach 100 million members by the year 2010.
The
55-plus market has grown 379% since 1987, whereas the market for people
ages 18-35 grew only 12%.
The
older-adult market represents 80% of the wealth in the United States—and
55% of the discretionary income.
This
market constitutes 50% of total consumer demand.
Of
boomers ages 50-plus, 64% would like to participate in fitness activities
more than they do.
Of
older adults surveyed, 85% agree that exercise is important to their
health and longevity.
Active
older adults maintain a fitness membership for 7.8 years on average, which
is 4.7 years longer than younger adults.
Source:International
Council on Active Aging
We would be honored to visit with
you about your community, work with you on a needs assessment, and help you
develop a cutting-edge ministry that will authentically demonstrate the Gospel
of Christ.
International Council on Active
Aging at www.icaa.cc
4. When you interact with an elder, to which brain are you
addressing your communication? Perhaps more importantly, from which side of your brain are you “coming”? Whether people are actually “right-brained” or
“left-brained” is yet to be determined scientifically, yet from a clinical
standpoint there seems to be no doubt that people do respond to the same
stimuli differently. So the right and left brain notion can be a metaphor for
our thinking, and can help us in our attempts to communicate accurately. Here
is a comparative list of characteristics of left and right brain
thinkers:
Left Brain Thinkers: Prefer written or spoken directions;
multiple choice tests; to do things one at a time; language skills in
thinking and remembering; exact recipes and formulas. Likes details,
agendas, lists; does not take risks; asks many questions and logically
solves problems. Is neat and orderly—files things away; is planned and
structured. Keeps feelings to self; punctual; can concentrate for long
periods of time.
Right Brain Thinkers: Prefer demonstrated directions, essays. Does
several things at once. Imagery in thinking and remembering; creating own
recipes and ways of doing things. Dislikes details and lists; takes risks;
intuitively solves problems; has a high tolerance for clutter/piles; fluid
and spontaneous; shares feelings. Has own concept of time; mind wanders;
short attention span.
Can you decide whether you’re a
right- or left-brain thinker? Can you take into consideration the
brain-sidedness of the elders with whom you work? Does this make any difference
in the way you converse or explain things with them?
5.The VA has published a monograph on their end-of-life care for veterans that describes advances in access and quality through
collaboration with community hospice partners. The report is published by
the VA with support from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
and Ethos Consulting Group, LLC. You may download a copy at www.nhpco.org/veterans or http://www1.va.gov/geriatricsshg/docs/VATransormsEndol.pdf
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