Lifelong learning thrives at ‘Senior University’
Class registration, field trips and meeting new teachers. School is officially back in session and not just for school-age kids. Each fall, for some lifelong learners around Atlanta, it’s time to go back to class for a new semester at Senior University — with no backbreaking backpacks required.
Senior University of Greater Atlanta is a volunteer-run learning program for adults 55 and older. For an annual rate, members can attend as many classes as they’d like in person or online, with subjects ranging from constitutional law to Cuban history, Shakespeare to space science.
For many, it’s the personal connection, not just the curriculum, that keeps them coming back.
Founded more than 45 years ago, SUGA, as it exists today, evolved out of senior-focused classes offered through Emory and Mercer universities. Today, the program operates independently as a nonprofit, with in-person classes twice a week at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Tucker and online Zoom classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The classes are led by former educators, working professionals or retirees with deep knowledge and passion in their respective fields and disciplines, including art, medicine, business and law.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY AGING IN ATL
Do you have questions for yourself, a parent or a relative about aging? This event is for you
Join the AJC for an informative event about aging well in Atlanta. Hear from healthcare and wellness experts and learn ways to maximize your local pharmacy. Get educated on the best ways to manage your estate and avoid costly pitfalls. Learn how to make sure your wishes on important healthcare decisions are known and easily executed by loved ones. Explore Medicare plans and learn how to avoid scams. We’re looking forward to seeing you Monday, Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Crown Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia.
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The power of intentional travel
Travel should change us, and whether it does or does not becomes our responsibility. Not only should experiences enrich our knowledge of the world and its cultures but also be a catalyst for healthy aging.
Don’t wait until the years while away to book the trip or schedule the tour, but allow travel to enhance your life as you age, shaping mindsets, capabilities and understanding.
Go with purpose, move slowly and deliberately, reaping the often-intangible rewards of travel. Regardless of location, engage deeply, producing a greater appreciation of the world and oneself.
Since childhood, world perceptions have been defined by storybooks and screens. Those first impressions, now triggered by an intense desire to know what lies beyond the imagination, prompt travel plans.
Atlanta’s Art Pharmacy connects arts and health care
Something Chris Appleton has known for a long time is that there’s an intersection between health care and the arts. And that’s where he planted his flag when he founded Atlanta-based Art Pharmacy in 2022.
The company facilitates arts experiences prescribed by health providers to aid in mental health treatment, often for seniors. Appleton, a native Georgian, said part of the company’s success is attributable to its roots in one of the Southeast’s most art-centric cities.
“There’s such a breadth and diversity of arts and culture organizations and programs that range from name-brand cultural institutions to frontline grassroots organizations,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The breadth of that network is really necessary to meet individuals where they are.”
That breadth facilitated Art Pharmacy’s own expansion. It’s now available in seven separate markets in seven states — and there are plans to add three additional states this year, Appleton said.
AI is helping Georgia doctors care for seniors
Artificial intelligence is changing the medical landscape, enhancing care and revolutionizing treatments in ways that affect senior patients specifically.
From physicians using the technology to document patient data to seniors contributing to innovations in their own care, AI is firmly installed in the medical field — a fact that presents possibility and challenge.
Dr. Fariha Sultan is an Emory Healthcare physician practicing geriatric medicine. She’s using AI to streamline and enhance her work in several ways. An AI assistant called Abridge has helped her reduce cognitive load. The technology, via app, records audio during patient visits. The result, Sultan said, has been greater engagement with patients.
“It is as easy and as simple as just pressing a button on the app, and the recording begins. Instead of looking in the chart or the computer and typing, you’re actually looking directly at the patients and giving them that attention, and they feel that they’re being listened to,” she told the AJC.
Mobility tips from an Atlanta physical therapist
Occasional falls and loss of balance can be frustrating. But Atlanta physical therapist Dr. Joseph Powell said the cause of these challenges may not solely be the result of aging per se.
“Falls are not necessarily a natural part of aging but rather a result of the physiological and neurological changes that do naturally occur as we age,” Dr. Powell explained.
Typical causes for balance deficits may include the loss of muscle flexibility, reduced strength, postural changes and infrequent activity, according to Dr. Powell. Studies show strength training can help.
According to the Mayo Clinic, it can help preserve and enhance your muscle mass while increasing bone density. It increases your metabolism — and can overall improve your quality of life, making it easier to do everyday tasks.
