Mister Rogers had lessons for multiple generations

Recently, the annual Heartland Film Festival was held in Indianapolis. CAC invited University of Indianapolis staffer Jen Huber to share her thoughts on the intergenerational influence of one of the films screened, Mister Rogers and Me.

I’ll admit that at the end of the movie Mister Rogers and Me, I was blinking away a tear or two. There he was, the man I had spent hours and hours with in front of the television, telling me that he loved the person I had become and was proud of me. I noticed that I wasn’t the only one getting a bit choked up. In a packed theatre, 250 of my closest friends and I watched this excellent documentary, which talks about the life of Fred Rogers and his quiet influence.

“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” began airing in 1968, ten years before I was born. The final episode aired in 2001, nearly 900 episodes later. So for 33 years (and more if you count the reruns), Mister Rogers has been teaching, listening, explaining, comforting, and encouraging generation after generation of young people.

Not only would Mister Rogers talk to the children and explain away their fears or frustrations, but he also would talk to the adults about bigger issues such as divorce and how it would affect their children. Mister Rogers helped to bring parents and children together and told kids that it was OK to talk about their feelings or issues that seemed frightening, such as being picked on at school or even how to deal with death.

He asked parents to watch over their children and be willing to talk to them and listen, even if their fears seemed irrational or silly. To Mister Rogers, talking about feelings and asking adults to open up and talk about their feelings was a natural thing to do.

The movie went on to interview several people who had worked or lived near Mister Rogers: Tim Russert, Dr. Susan Linn, Arthur author Marc Brown, and NPR’s Susan Stamberg. All talked about his calm demeanor and dedication to his television audience and to his close friends. As he is quoted in the movie, “ I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than complex.”

Mister Rogers wanted to be—and was—a safe and stable influence for millions of children. Many of those children are now grown up and having children of their own. I hope that his gentle influence and words of wisdom continue to trickle down through the next generation of parenting, reminding us that we are loved—to paraphrase Mister Rogers—“just the way we are.”

"When I say it's you I like, I'm talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch—that deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive: love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed." —Fred Rogers

Jen Huber
Assistant Director, Publications
University of Indianapolis

Falls of special concern to older adults

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) recently urged Americans to survey their environments for dangers that might increase the risk of unintentional falls. Citing Centers for Disease Control data, ACEP noted that almost 9 million emergency room visits each year are the result of falls. And, said ACEP, seniors age 70 and older are among the those at highest risk.

For older adults, falls are associated with lower-body weakness, problems with balance and walking, visual impairments, chronic illness or history of a stroke.

“A fall can be a sentinel event in the life of an older person, potentially marking the beginning of a serious decline in function or the symptom of a new or worsening medical condition,” said Dr. Sandra Schneider, president of ACEP. “Identifying the cause of the fall and making appropriate interventions to improve function are as critical as treating injuries if future falls are to be prevented and quality of life and longevity are to be improved.”

According to the Home Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of unintentional home injury deaths, accounting for 33% of such fatalities. They also comprise more than 40% of nonfatal injuries.

A little proactive planning can help reduce the likelihood that an older adult might experience a series fall:

• Remove clutter from your home. Don’t leave objects on the stairs or walkways.
• Use nightlights in the bedroom, hall and bathroom. Be sure the tops and bottoms of stairs are well lit.
• Repair loose stairway carpeting or boards.
• Consider adding hand grip bars in a bathroom and shower area, especially for the elderly or those with disabilities.
• Make your home or work area easily accessible for the elderly or those with disabilities if they frequent that area. You can do that by moving furniture or objects on the floor that could cause tripping hazards.
• Especially for older adults, remove throw rugs and tack down other rugs to avoid tripping. Also consider using a panic button (as a pendant, wristband or necklace).
• Be sure the bottom of the tub or shower has a non-skid surface.
• Wear helmets and other protective gear if biking, motorcycling or playing any type of contact sport.

For more tips on keeping your home safe for an older adult -- and the rest of the family -- download the ACEP Home Safety Checklist.

A message from Mr. Shaffer

The note had been on my “to-do” pile for several days when I finally had a free minute to pick up the phone. All I knew about the caller was what the note told me: Call Mr. Shaffer. Saw you on TV.

I dialed the number and let the phone ring several times before an older man’s voice greeted me on the other end of the line.

“This is Ellen Miller from the University of Indianapolis, Center for Aging & Community. I had a message that you…..”

“Oh yes,” he enthusiastically replied. “I’m so glad you called. I didn’t know if you would. I’m sure you are very busy, but I saw you on that program on the public TV, ‘What Happens When You Are an Old Fellow’ or something like that.”

I laughed as I put the pieces together. He had seen one of the many airings of the documentary “When Did I Get Old,” produced by WFYI and underwritten by UIndy Center for Aging & Community. I was one of the panel members for section of the documentary that discussed planning.

“I had to go back several times before I could catch your name on the TV so I would know who you were and who I needed to call.” He had gone to quite a bit of effort to find out my name, call the University and leave me a message. I wondered silently what could be so important. My curiosity was definitely piqued!

He began telling me that he was 88 years old and that he had lost his wife last Valentine’s Day. Since that time, he had spent most of his time “moping and feeling sorry for myself.” Then one night he was surfing through the channels on TV and came across the documentary on WFYI. He was drawn in, and pretty soon, there I was on the screen talking about resiliency and adaptability.

I suggested to the viewers that no matter how much we plan for our retirement, things don’t necessarily go the way that we envision, and that the key to a successful and satisfying elderhood is the ability to bounce back, no matter the circumstances. Focus on the positive, make the best of the situation and find the joy.

The timing must have been right because he said that my words hit him right between the eyes. “I realized right then that I needed to get back to an attitude of gratitude,” he stated. He went on to describe reconnecting with his euchre club, nurturing relationships with his neighbors, and making adjustments to his daily life so he could remain healthy to enjoy the time he had left.

“I’ve taken enough of your time now,” he remarked after a few minutes of conversation. “I’ve found that I need a nap around this time of day and it is time for me to head that direction. I just wanted to tell you that I think you are a pretty girl and a smart girl -- and that the work that you are doing is so important and so vital for people like me.”

With tears in my eyes, I hung up the phone. So many days, I wonder if the work we are doing at the Center for Aging & Community is really making a difference in quality of life for older adults. On this particular day, I didn’t have to wonder -- because a kind-hearted gentleman had taken the time to call and tell me that our work had indeed made a difference in his life.


Ellen W. Miller, PhD
Executive Director

90-something British author finds the upside of retirement living

Moving into a retirement home, assisted living facility, or some other option in the later years is often portrayed as life diminishing. One’s daily life is settled into a smaller space, with fewer personal belongings, and many of life’s daily tasks are provided by others. But, Diana Athill, British editor and writer, found at age 91 that the move to a retirement home was liberating.

As she noted, there are no more “domestic worries, no more shopping, no more electricity bills, no more laundry.” But the move also meant changing her relationship to her belongings, which through paring down (although still quite numerous, she jokes), has distilled “possessing from being a vague pleasure to being an intense one. Less is more.”

While not everyone’s view or experience, Ms. Athill’s adjustment shows the positive side of making the move to a care community, albeit much later in life than used to be the case. Whereas older adults used to make a move to a retirement facility in their 60’s, they now more often do so in the 80’s or beyond.

Photo of Diana Athill taken by Andrew Testa for The New York Times

As an example of the many ways one can age today, Ms. Athill quit her editing job at age 75 to become a successful writer herself. One of three memoirs she has penned since turning 80, Somewhere Towards the End, is a powerful and unflinching look at growing old, both the joys still to be had as well as the challenges of physical decline. It’s not often we hear deep ruminations on very late life. I hope we hear more.


Sharon Baggett, PhD
Associate Professor

Lifelong love of team takes couple 4,000 miles from home

Betty and Jonathon Hutchinson sport UConn shirts while cheering on Team USA
at the Women's World Basketball Championships in the Czech Republic last month. (AP Photo)

Stories abound about the various challenges that arise due to aging-related issues. So it is always a great joy to read or hear about an example of older adults enjoying life despite whatever difficulties they have to manage. I recently came across such an example in the story of 90 year-old Betty Hutchinson and her 88-year old husband Jonathon. Last month, the Hutchinsons traveled 4,000 miles by plane and train to cheer on Team USA, which was playing in the International Basketball Federation's Women’s World Championships in the Czech Republic.

What is the Hutchinsons’ connection to the team, you might wonder? Jonathon is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and a die-hard Huskies fan and several Team USA players also members of the UConn women’s basketball team. Geno Auriemma, UConn’s coach, is also coach of the women’s Team USA.

The couple also plans to donate a dollar for every point the U.S. scores to the All Baskets Count charity. The fund was developed to help with construction of a residential living environment called “House for All Generations” where older adults who require assistance live together with younger 18-20 year olds who provide support in day-to-day living activities. Auriemma and coaches of several other teams also made commitments to donate toward the home, which will be constructed in the Czech Republic.

Basketball fans following a team to a big game? That might not be such a story. What is noteworthy about the Hutchinsons is that, despite being 88 and 90 years old – ages when many people consider life is about watching the clock tick down, they have goals and pursue them regularly. They work out together – training for and competing in marathons. They continue to do the things that they enjoy and that are meaningful to them, such as traveling, rooting on their favorite teams, and providing philanthropic support for a greater good.

Now that’s a story.


Tamara L. Wolske, MS
Academic Program Director
University of Indianapolis
Center for Aging & Community

My lips are wrinkling!

One of my sisters is 10 years older than I am (I’m 57). I’ve watched her as aging has changed her body, especially the way the skin on her face has evolved over time. One of the changes I noticed was that her lips started to wrinkle. You know, that puckered effect. When her face was in a resting or neutral position, showing those lip wrinkles, I would wonder if she was in a bad mood. Then she’d look up and smile, the wrinkles would smooth out, and I’d know things were OK with her.

Well, I guess it is my turn now. Every time I look in the mirror, I notice that my lips are wrinkling! And, I’ve noticed that if I’m not smiling, my lips and mouth give an expression that I’m not happy or that I disapprove of something (so I’d better smile more!). All of this seems as though it happened over night. But in reality, it has been taking place over many years.

Researchers who study aging skin have determined that there are two major reasons for skin change: chronological aging (normal aging changes to skin) and photoaging (aging of skin due to sun exposure).

Chronological aging of skin is associated with a thinning of the epidermis and fat layers, loss of collagen “pegs” that give structure to skin, decreased number of fibroblasts that build collagen structure and reduced levels of collagen and elastin (fibers that allow skin to stretch but return to its original state). The result is increased skin laxity or sagging, fine wrinkling, and in some individuals benign skin growths.

Photoaging is associated with chronic UV light exposure. This causes further disruption of collagen and elastin formation. In addition, UV radiation generates harmful compounds called “reactive oxygen species” (ROS) which then cause oxidative damage to skin cells (e.g., cell walls, membranes, mitochondria, DNA). Exposure to UV light actually heats up and wounds the skin, causing an inflammatory process to take place, which damages collagen and other supportive skin structures. There is often “imperfect repair” of these structures, and the damage is cumulative over time. Eventually, skin wrinkling occurs. (Helfrich YR, Sachs DL, Voorhees JJ. Overview of Skin Aging and Photoaging. Dermatology Nursing. 2008; 20: 177-183) If chronic UV exposure continues, skin cancers can develop in some people.

Photoprotection refers to measures that can protect the skin from UV damage. Sunscreens, sun-protective clothing and sun avoidance reduce exposure to UV radiation. Sunscreens should have a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher and should be applied every 2-3 hours. The SPF only protects against UV B radiation, so a good sun block also contains a chemical like ecamsule and/or avobenzone, which protect against UV A radiation. A complete list of sunscreens can be found at www.skincancer.org.

I think that my wrinkled lips may be due not only to normal aging changes, but also to my hours of exposure to the California sun, engaged in water activities in San Francisco Bay and also playing softball for many summers. Nowadays I remember to smile a lot and I use sunscreen whenever I do my outdoor activities here in Indiana.


Constance McCloy, PT, EdD
Associate Professor