Download By Tina Reed, Staff Writer As she recently surveyed her garden

By Tina Reed, Staff Writer
As she recently surveyed her garden,
which is tucked in the woods on the
South River, Carolyn Gorsuch wasn’t
pleased.
A recent storm had scattered a path
of wood chips meant to create a smooth
passage through the shady oasis she
and a friend had painstakingly created.
Moving with the ease of a much
younger person, the 86-year-old bent
over to pick up a few small branches
that had fallen. She tossed them into
the woods until she was satisfied.
“Isn’t this lovely? This is my favorite
part of the garden,” she said, looking
around as sunlight streamed through
the trees.
As health organizations across the
nation mark September as Healthy
Aging Month by offering advice on
aging well — everything from
remaining engaged in the community
to staying active — Gorsuch is one of
many locals who already seem to have
discovered the secret.
County officials have good reason
to pay attention to local seniors like
Gorsuch.
There are more than 80,000 county
residents over the age of 60. And
with baby boomers fast approaching
retirement, it’s projected that in 20
years seniors will make up more than
a quarter of the state’s population.
While there is little county data
specific to senior citizens, the county
population at large closely follows
national trends in having escalating
rates of obesity, diabetes and chronic
health conditions.
“The baby boomers that are coming
up are going to be looking for all
kinds of different activities,” said
Pam Jordan, director of the county
Department of Aging and Disabilities.
“That’s already starting to emerge.”
More of those who go to senior
centers around the county are pushing
for wireless Internet access so they can
power up their tablets, Jordan said.
More than 300 seniors use such centers
every day for classes on subjects like
history, yoga, pottery and dance,
Jordan said.
“We’re a lot more than bingo,” she
said.
Meade Rudasill, 79, and his wife,
Sue, 78, say physical and mental
activity have continued to play a
central role in their lives.
They credit their vitality to
spirituality
and
active
social
connections. Meade still hunts
regularly and Sue loves to dance. He is
a leader on several committees and
she is taking a Spanish class.
Meade said he never bought into
the idea of retirement as a time that
would allow him to sit back and watch
the world go by without him.
He strode to another room to grab
a book he’s reading: “Reboot!: What
to Do When Your Career is Over But
Ginger Cove, Annapolis’ premier life-care retirement community, is located on
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®
Your Life Isn’t.” That book, written by
Annapolis-based author (and Capital
Gazette columnist) Phil Burgess, says
a lot about the kind of life he tries
to live.
“You’ve got to stay active physically
and mentally,” Rudasill said.
That’s only part of the secret,
Burgess said. He said the idea of
retirees having “golden years” of
relaxation shortchanges their ability to
live productive and satisfying lives.
“The aging process is the most
positive when someone has strong
social engagement,” Burgess said. “It’s
not how wealthy or healthy you are.”
The American Psychological
Association said that while most older
adults experience normal age-related
physical changes, persistent stereotypes
about aging don’t fit most modern
American seniors.
Age-related physical changes can
include hearing impairment, weakened
vision and an increasing probability
of arthritis, hypertension, heart disease,
diabetes and osteoporosis. But most
older Americans live independently,
maintain close relationships and the
have same personality they’ve had
their entire life, the APA said.
That has been the case for Gorsuch.
In part, she credits her health to
the energy and positive outlook she
has had her entire life. Gorsuch
regularly climbs into her kayak to
spend some time out on the water.
Years after giving up the piano, she
is reteaching herself to play.
She gets her morning news from
her electronic tablet and swaps
newspapers with a neighbor to stay
up on current events. One recent
afternoon, her phone rang off the
hook from friends and neighbors
arranging visits.
Gorsuch prefers taking the stairs
to riding the elevator and watches her
diet. She takes only one prescription
medication a day, for high blood
pressure.
“I truly believe if you face the world
expecting good things, that good
things come to you,” she said.
That’s not to say everyone can
avoid the chronic ailments that often
accompany aging.
The Anne Arundel County
Department of Aging offers courses
to help those who develop chronic
illnesses manage their symptoms, said
Pam Toomey, chronic disease program
coordinator.
She said the most prevalent
conditions she sees are hypertension,
arthritis, high cholesterol, depression
and diabetes. “People come to class
with all sorts of chronic conditions,
but there are a lot of similarities in
the symptoms, like pain, fatigue,
depression and tense muscles.”
The program, based on Stanford
University research, focuses on teaching
those suffering from chronic diseases
to cope via relaxation, diet, deep
breathing and staying active.
And while there are no hard data
on the local program’s effectiveness,
county officials say they have anecdotal
evidence that it has reduced emergency
room and doctors’ visits and improved
individual health.
County
Health
Department
personnel visit older residents and
those who are disabled and need
regular health checks, said Laura Block,
a health department social worker.
Block said one of the simplest ways
to enhance wellness is to help
individuals manage their health in an
organized way — including coordination among the patient’ doctors.
“Most of the people I see who have
a high quality of life are still doing
something they really love to do,”
Block said.
While many focus on the physical
troubles that accompany aging, few
highlight the benefits, Burgess said.
Burgess, a baby boomer himself,
said getting older has given him
more perspective on life and more
confidence in his talents and the
wisdom he has attained over the
years.
“What’s the secret to aging well — a
cigar and a swig of whiskey every day?”
he said. “That’s probably true if you’re
having it with your group of friends.
The real secret is social engagement.”
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