For those of us who have a different vision of retirement than living with illness and waiting for the end of life, the National Council on Aging has created the Aging Mastery Program (AMP), a series of 10 core classes which “provide participants with an overview of the challenges encountered while navigating life in old age and offer support to master new skills.” The modules include:
- Navigating Longer Lives: the Basics of Aging Mastery
- Exercise
- Sleep
- Healthy Eating and Hydration
- Financial Fitness
- Advance Planning
- Healthy Relationships
- Medication Management
- Community Engagement
- Falls Prevention
View a description of the full curriculum. There are also electives available in topics such as physical health (e.g. communicating with your doctor), financial health (e.g. whether or not to downsize your living situation) and life enrichment (e.g. strengthening intergenerational connections).
Some senior organizations I work with such as Dorot and Selfhelp Community Services provide wonderful ways to increase community engagement. But many of us would benefit from this training, or at least get reminded of what we already know. If you’re in NY, contact any organization below for more information on how to sign up for AMP:
- Central Harlem Senior Citizens Centers (Manhattan)
- Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities (Corona)
- Jewish Community Center of Staten island
- Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults (Queens)
- Kingsborough Community College (Brooklyn)
- Presbyterian Senior Services (Manhattan)
If we’re fortunate enough to enjoy a long life, participating in programs like AMP will increase the odds that we’ll enjoy it as long as we can.
Addendum 7/11/18 – Also take a look at PSSLife! University, offered in NYC by Presbyterian Senior Services, which incorporates some components of the Aging Mastery Program.
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