THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609270236
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REBECCA MYERS CUTCHINS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 57 lines
Although the average life expectancy in the United States is 72 for men and 79 for women, it is not uncommon for people to live into their 90s.
That's why Maryview Medical Center is sponsoring a six-hour seminar to teach folks how to stay healthy in their golden years and to increase health awareness in adults of all ages.
``We're looking at (attracting) senior citizens, baby-boomers, anybody who's planning to live a long time,'' said Sue Underwood, a gerontology nurse who is helping to organize the event.
Called ``Plan To Live To Be 100,'' the conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Holiday Inn - Portsmouth Waterfront.
``You know, we're all aging at exactly the same rate of speed, but some of us are doing a better job of it than others,'' Underwood said. ``And the time to start planning to be old and be healthy is when you're young.''
As director of health awareness at Maryview, part of what Underwood does is help people incorporate quality of life into their aging.
``One of my interests is discovering for myself and for others ways to age well, stay healthy, stay active and have it all,'' she said.
The conference will begin at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast, followed by a talk on aging by Dr. Richard Bikowski, a gerontologist and associate professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Bikowski's talk will be followed by discussions on nutrition by a dietitian, medication by a registered pharmacist and rehabilitation by a physical therapist.
Before lunch, Dr. John O'Brian, a professor of medicine at EVMS, will discuss osteoporosis. The afternoon will conclude with a talk on stress management by Underwood and a question-and-answer period.
One of the conference's objectives, Underwood said, is to help people distinguish between what is normal aging and what is not.
``High blood pressure is not a normal part of aging; Alzheimer's disease is not an inevitable part of aging,'' Underwood said. ``People tend to think if you live long enough, you're going to have Alzheimer's. You hear these things, and these are myths.
``They are myths that mislead and tend to make you dummy down to whatever life hands you, and there's no need to do that.''
Other objectives of the conference include identifying health and pharmacology needs that occur in people as they age, collaborating with physicians and health-care providers to design high-quality plans for aging, understanding nutritional and exercise needs, and coping with stress and changes that occur in daily living.
The cost of the event, which includes breakfast and lunch, is $15 for health-care professionals, $10 for others. Seating is limited to about 175, and pre-registration is required. MEMO: To register, send your name, address, phone number and a check or
money order to Maryview Medical Center, Health Awareness, 3636 High St.,
Portsmouth, Va. 23707. No reservations by phone. For more information
about the conference, call Norma Megill, Maryview's Senior Advantage
representative, at 398-2273. by CNB