Being physically active with your family is a great way to stay healthy and make exercise fun. And being physically active can be more fun when you’re with someone you love.

Whether you play team sports with the entire family or take brisk walks with your spouse, child, or grandchild, you’ll be rewarded with improved health and time spent together.

Grandparents and grandchildren playing basketball together and smiling

Family gatherings are the perfect time for team sports and outdoor activities.

Choose teams for softball, basketball, or kickball.

Sign up for family tournaments to play tennis, bowling, or volleyball.

Go biking, jogging, or hiking at a nearby park.

If you live near water, try sailing, canoeing, or rafting.

Family members can make great exercise buddies.

Take yoga or water aerobics classes.

Ping pong is fun for a twosome or a foursome.

Our pets are family, too! Brisk walks with a canine buddy are healthy for both of you.

Be Active with Your Grandchildren!

Build a healthy lifestyle that includes your grandchildren. Start being active together when your grandchildren are young. Pretty soon, it will be a regular part of your life and theirs! Go4Life has activity ideas for children of all ages:

Infants and Toddlers

• Take them for walks in the stroller and rides on your bike. Don’t forget your helmets.
• Play games that get your bodies moving—Wheels on the Bus, Pretend We’re Animals, and Hide-and-Seek.
• Sign up for baby yoga or exercise classes.
• Try baby-friendly swimming classes.

School-Aged Children

• Walk to the park and push their swing.
• Jump rope together.
• Build a fort—indoors or out.
• Play catch, kickball, basketball, or soccer.
• Go swimming or biking together.
• Play a video fitness game together and see who wins!

Teens and Young Adults

• Participate in activities that interest them. Try hiking, skating, or tennis.
• Go golfing or swimming. Invite them to join you in physical activities that require two people, such as tennis or ping pong.
• Ask them to help you in the garden or with heavy-duty household chores.

If you’ve had Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly “Wellness” visit once every 12 months to develop or update a personalized prevention plan. Your provider may also perform a cognitive impairment assessment.

Your costs in Original Medicare

You pay nothing for this visit if your doctor or other qualified health care provider accepts assignment.

The Part B deductible doesn’t apply.

However, you may have to pay coinsurance, and the Part B deductible may apply if:

Your doctor or other health care provider performs additional tests or services during the same visit.

These additional tests or services aren’t covered under the preventive benefits.

What it is

The cognitive impairment assessment is performed to look for signs of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

The personalized prevention plan is designed to help prevent disease and disability based on your current health and risk factors. Your provider will ask you to fill out a questionnaire, called a “Health Risk Assessment,” as part of this visit. Answering these questions can help you and your provider develop a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy and get the most out of your visit. It can also include:

A review of your medical and family history.

Developing or updating a list of current providers and prescriptions.

Height, weight, blood pressure, and other routine measurements.

Detection of any cognitive impairment.

Personalized health advice.

A list of risk factors and treatment options for you.

A screening schedule (like a checklist) for appropriate preventive services. Get details about coverage for screenings, shots, and other preventive services.

Advance care planning

by National Institute on Aging

If you do not see an aging friend or relative often, changes in his or her health may seem dramatic. In contrast, the primary caregiver might not notice such changes or realize that more help, medical treatment, or supervision is needed. Or, the primary caregiver might not want to accept the fact that the health of his or her spouse or parent is failing. Sometimes a geriatric care manager or other professional is the first to notice changes.

For families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, it can be easier to cover for the person—doing things for him or her, filling in information in conversations, and so on—than to acknowledge what is happening.

As a caregiver, you can provide support by helping an aging friend or relative get the care they need.

A few good questions to help you start the conversation with the primary caregiver are:

If you thought there might be a change in Aunt Joan’s condition, whose opinion would you seek?

I didn’t notice Dad repeating himself so much the last time I was here. Do you remember when it started?

Forgetfulness: Normal or not? infographic icon. Click through for full text.

Read and share this infographic to learn whether forgetfulness is a normal part of aging.

Some changes may not be what you think. Occasional forgetfulness does not necessarily indicate dementia. Before you raise the issue of what needs to be done, talk to your parent and the primary caregiver about your concerns.

Try not to sound critical when you raise the subject. Instead, mention your particular worry, for example, “Mom, it looks like you don’t have much food in the house—are you having trouble getting to the store?” and explain why you are asking. Listen to what the primary caregiver says about the situation and whether he or she believes there are problems.

Discuss what you think could be done. For example, you could ask:

Would you like me to arrange to have groceries delivered on a regular basis?

Do we need to get a second opinion about the diagnosis?

Can you follow the medication schedule?

Would you like some help with housework?

Try to follow your suggestions with practical help, and give specific examples of what you can do. For example, you might arrange to have a personal or home health aide come in once a week. You might schedule doctors’ appointments or arrange for transportation.

In some cases, you may have to be forceful, especially if you feel that the situation is unhealthy or unsafe. Do not leave a frail adult at risk. If you have to act against the wishes of your parent or the primary caregiver, be direct and explain what you are going to do. Discuss your plan, and say why you are taking action.

by Dr. Richard Hodes Office of the Director (OD).

Ready for a new year of tackling the many opportunities and challenges in research on aging related biology, diseases and wellness? NIA is off to another monumental start: Our FY2020 budget indicates continued congressional support for our work that is enabling unprecedented advances, including efforts to combat Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). Specifically, this year’s budget includes a 3.3 percent increase in NIA’s general appropriation plus an additional $350 million designated for AD/ADRD, bringing NIA’s total budget to $3.5 billion and the NIH-wide spending target for AD/ADRD to $2.818 billion.

With these increases, NIA remains, budget-wise, the fourth largest of the 27 NIH Institutes and Centers, and the largest public funder of AD/ADRD research in the U.S.

To sustain the momentum, it is absolutely essential to increase the number and diversity of participants in AD/ADRD clinical trials. NIA’s substantial recruitment and retention efforts are designed to enhance efforts in this area nationwide.

We are also strengthening our support for research to help those living with AD/ADRD and their caregivers. Our work this year will include hosting the National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers in Bethesda March 24 and 25. Of note, the draft findings of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Center Program systematic evidence review on AD/ADRD care/caregiving interventions will be released for public comment during this meeting. Although this reflects only the first step of a two-part study, it will provide initial indications about which interventions are showing promise for wider dissemination and implementation.

On other research fronts, NIA recently hosted an intriguing Geroscience Summit and is exploring additional ways to keep this evolving scientific field moving forward while broadening interest among stakeholder communities. We are building on recent research success in healthy aging, including non-drug interventions for diseases and conditions affecting older people, falls prevention and supporting the health needs of diverse populations of older adults.

NIA is also continuing our emphasis on and making gains in data- and resource-sharing to fortify the research community and amplify the impact of public spending. We look forward to updates on new and existing data resources including the Healthy Cognitive Aging Project, multiple Initiatives and Resources from the Division of Neuroscience, the Health, Aging and Body Composition study, the AgingResearchBiobank, a broad range of Data Resources for Behavioral and Social Research on Aging, the CALERIE Research Network, the Longevity Consortium, the Longevity Genomics Project and others. In addition, our Research Center Collaborative Network remains an important catalyst for interdisciplinary, collaborative aging research nationwide.

These are just some of many examples of the research NIA is supporting toward the ultimate and overarching goal of the right treatments for the right people at the right times to help maintain health and independence as we age.

Ventura County Library READ Adult Literacy Program is now recruiting adult volunteer tutors who would like to help other adults in Ventura County improve their reading and writing skills. No teaching experience is required and the training is free. The next five-week tutor training series will be starting in February in Ventura and Simi Valley.

The READ program trains adult volunteers to provide free one-to-one reading instruction for adults in need of basic literacy skills. Instruction in basic literacy includes the development of phonetic reading skills combined with communication skills. Ventura County Library is encouraging residents to take this opportunity to volunteer as a tutor or encourage someone you know to take advantage of the free program.

After completion of the five-week training, tutors will meet with their adult learners at one of the assigned tutoring sites. Tutoring is scheduled by the availability of the tutors and the learners.

Illiteracy is an issue that can be debilitating in so many ways for adults who never received the proper instruction. Adults who are unable to read have a much more difficult time with many daily activities that others may take for granted, along with a clear disadvantage in today’s competitive job market.

For more information about how you can support literacy and make a difference in someone’s life, call (805) 677-7160.