Inspire Archives | No Geraniums

New and Unexpected Risks, a Challenge when Ageing

March 3, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

New and unexpected risks become increasingly challenging as we move on in life. That’s partly because we have already invested heavily in coping with the risks we encountered earlier on.

Risk management has become an important part of everyday modern life. This responsibility weighs heavy on us. The more since it covers so many topics, such as physical, emotional, and social risks.

To avoid responsibility and self-reflection is the worst strategy anyone can take if challenged by new and unexpected risks. The best way to charge these risks is head-on, but with as much care as possible.

How to Cross Personal and Social Boundaries?

March 1, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

Why does a woman of 90 say: “I am not old. My neighbour is old.” And how old is your neighbour? “91.” With her statement, the 90-year-old woman emphasizes her independence. She warns you not to cross her personal boundaries. To cross personal and social boundaries is an effort.

The fear of crossing personal and social boundaries is a common human quality. Most people don’t want to ask others for help. The fear of losing independence is the biggest psychological threshold. On the other hand, nearly everybody is willing and prepared to help others.

Have you Ever Thought of Ballroom Dancing as a Form of Exercise?

February 22, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

My parents used to go to Benidorm every year for 8 months. So I would visit them at least once every winter season. My mother loved walking through the surf and most of the time I would accompany her then.

When we walked in the morning everything was quiet, but if we were late and it was already afternoon, we would hear music long before we were on the boulevard.

This music came from several big cafes where they had cleared the centre of tables and chairs to create an empty spot that served as a dance floor.

Do Assistive Technologies Counteract Ageing Conditions?

February 15, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

All sorts of conditions determine our everyday behaviour and fix us in time and space. They seem to leave us very little room to manoeuvre. For instance, given time we will age. Fortunately, all kinds of assistive technologies can help us to cope with the conditions that inherently accompany ageing.

In a nutshell, assistive technology (AT) is anything, from an item to a piece of equipment to a piece of software to an entirely new product that helps increase, maintain, or improve the functional abilities of people.

Do assistive technologies help us or do they counteract everything we can do better ourselves?

What is Digital Health and what Good is it to Us?

February 10, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

Digital health has seriously taken off during the past few years. But what is digital health? No computer, as yet, has been able to cure any ailments.

Is digital health perhaps about those cute little digital dogs, called Aibo? They keep you company when you’re lonely.

Or is digital health about those numerous digital health-training programs for medical staff? Or the advanced computer storage and processing devices, without which no nurse or doctor would be able to perform their job. Even more complicated are surgical robots.

Our Mobility Defines our Quality of Life Substantially

February 8, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

The importance of mobility is demonstrated by the enormous leap in the quality of life of older people took over the last 20 years.

This improvement is predominantly attributed to denser public transport, cheaper cars, scoot mobiles, rollators, improved electric wheelchairs, taxis-to-share and the like.

Our quality of life is defined by our mobility. That sounds a bit odd from someone who spent a substantial part of his life in traffic jams and overcrowded trains. But there is another side of the coin. Another type of mobility that is even more important.

How to Avoid Hearing Impairments? A Concern for Everyone.

February 3, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

The other day I wrote on Facebook that a hearing impairment can affect anyone. I introduced some common courtesy suggestions when you participate with people who suffer such impairments.

Hearing impairments primarily seem to be physical problems. However, for the ones suffering, these impairments are a social problem as well.

The risk of social isolation is substantial. This signifies that the responsibility of ‘fixing’ hearing impairments rests on everybody’s shoulders.

How Do you Cherish your Sweet Memories?

February 1, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

The other day sweet memories awoke. A friend of mine posted a map of a small village at the Belgium border where I used to cycle with my race bike.

Especially when the sun was shining and I had some time off, I frequently went for a ride there. His post made me go back in time.

My memories of these rides swiftly and vividly came back to me. I was amazed at how precisely I could picture the tracks I used to ride.

Where I had to go left. Where the roads were rough. Or where I was going down or up and had to push for some extra power. Sweet memories indeed.

How Fall-proof Are You? 9 Tips to Prevent Falls

January 27, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

To stay fall-proof is a major challenge. The older we get, the more we’re at risk.

How Fall-proof Are You? 9 Tips to Prevent Falls

Yet, falls are something where prevention pays off the most. Falls prevention also agrees with many of the suggestions we do at AGEwithCARE.

If you take care of your overall health, your chances to fall will decrease. Moreover, prevention of falls makes a lot of sense for everybody.