The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
January speaker answers question, "What makes a good place to grow old?"
UMRA members who braved unplowed streets and parking challenges (except for those arriving by light rail) were treated to a fine presentation at our January luncheon by Vancouver native and U of M doctoral candidate Jessica Finlay, whose academic work is focused on human geography and social gerontology. “It’s an unusual pairing,” she said. “I’m kind of an academic unicorn.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans ages 65 and older will double from 46 million today to more than 98 million by 2060, and the 65+ age group’s share of the total population will rise from 15 percent to nearly 24 percent.
And yet, Finlay noted, many of our neighborhoods are “Peter Pan communities—designed and built for people who never grow old.”
Finlay’s research asked a sample of 125 self-identified older residents of the inner city (in and near downtown Minneapolis), outer city (North Minneapolis), and suburbs (Eden Prairie) “What constitutes a good place to grow old? Participants included persons living alone or with others; in houses, condos, apartments, or homeless shelters; persons of varying financial circumstances; and persons with varying mobility limitations.
She began assembling her sample of subjects by volunteering at a center for the elderly, with each person who agreed to be interviewed helping her contact others. Soon she had dozens eager to tell their stories. Visiting people in their homes and walking with some in their neighborhoods, she observed and assessed their major concerns regarding mobility; safety and security; how they remained socially connected; and the challenges many faced gaining access to shopping and essential services.
How and where we live affect our health and well-being, and Finlay hopes to eventually use her research to help make the built environment healthier, happier, and safer for aging in place. It was a splendid presentation followed by a stimulating Q&A.
—John S. Adams
January Luncheon Meeting
Tue, January 23 2018, 11:30am
Jessica Finlay
U of M doctoral candidate
Conference Room ABC,
Campus Club, Fourth Floor,
Coffman Memorial Union
Can we make the built environment healthier, happier, and safer for aging in place?
Winston Churchill once observed, “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” He was on to something. Urban surroundings built right can contribute to improved physical, mental, and social health, discourage us from dropping litter, encourage us to interact with neighbors, invite us to explore our neighborhood, minimize certain risks, and much more.
Our January luncheon speaker, Jessica Finlay, a Vancouver native and doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota, will invite us to consider ways that aging in place can be healthier, happier, and safer. A geographer with a special focus on gerontology, she believes that “if we pay more attention to how we build and maintain urban environments, …supportive changes can benefit all citizens—regardless of age or ability.”
Finlay’s doctoral studies build on three intersecting research areas: urban geography (How does society build and interact with the urban environment?), public health (How are the health and wellbeing of the population as a whole monitored, regulated, and promoted by the state?), and feminist studies (A disproportionate share of our elderly population is female, and socioeconomically marginalized older adults are the fastest growing group). Data for her study were compiled from hundreds of personal interviews
Minnesota’s urban elderly face a range of challenges. For example, “Construction zones are terrible for elders and the disabled,” Finlay said in an article about her doctoral research published in the Star Tribune. “This causes more than just physical challenges, such as the mental stress of figuring out rerouted buses. … [And] in wintertime, with snow, ice, unshoveled sidewalks or impassable berms left behind by plows, many seniors venture out much less often. This makes Minnesota winters seem extra long and isolating to them.”
“On the plus side, seniors love the Minneapolis skyway system,” she said. “They’re weather-protected, mostly accessible for those using motorized chairs or walkers, and a safe and familiar environment for shopping and exercise.”
— John S. Adams, former UMRA president (and urban geographer)
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.