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Cape May County Health Department News By LOUIS I. LAMANNA. Public Health Coordinator

In recent columns, I have talked about Wellness, Physical Fitness for Healthy Individuals and also about some of the special problems of our senior citizens. Today, I would like to talk specifically about Health Promotion for the Elderly. On Oct. 9, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division on Aging, held the "Governor's Conference on Health Promotion for the Elderly" at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick. IN-ADDITION to an ~ addr&s by the governory'there were several other presen/t a t i o n s b y distinguished physicians and fitness pxnprte The iobby of the . hotel showcased many exhibits and displays provided by private industries such as Johnson and Johnson 'and Campbell Soup, and state agencies such as the . New - Jersey State Department of Human Service and the state Department of Health. By far the most exciting exhibit in the lobby was the "live" exhibit performed by the Franklin Township Senior Fitness Dancers, and the Senior Fitness Dance Team of Essex

County. These two groups proved that a person can be fit and active at any age. THERE WERE several presentations during the day that outlined sensible approaches to healthy living for the senior citizens. One such presentation was "Help Yourself to Good Health" by Joseph Novellis M.D., a physician, columnist, and radio host, and Miss Alice Fay, veteran film .and recording star. ' The presentation is under the aegis of Pfizer Pharmaceutical and offers five general rules for older people. These rules entertwined with many of the other presentations of the day. The first rule reads, "Stay active and Involved". Under this heading, Dr. Novello pointed out that less than 10 percent of the elderly ever suffer from senility and that the assumption that most senior citizens either live In nursing homes or are dependent on their grown children is also false. Doctor Novello urged that senior citizens take an active part in the affairs of their communities. MISS FAYE, who teamed with Dr. Novello. in this presentation, pointed

out that even though she is 69 years old and is arthritic, she had taken up painting and . that she maintains a' vigorous schedule, appearing throughout the country. The second rule is "Don't Smoke". Every health report for every age group contains this advice and for the same good reason. Smoking is the single greatest cause of self-induced illness in the United States. The third rule, "Eat a Balanced Diet", was a common : | thread throughout the i day's presentation. c In his "Nutrition i Alert: Facts, Facts, I and Fallacies", | Richard Rivlin, M.D., I noted that changes in : diet affect several t diseases, i.e., cancer, i heart, kidney, osteoperosis and t diebetes. He sug- I gested that senior I citizens reduce the 1 amount of fat in their i diets, and increase 1 their intake of fruits i and vegetables. I HE ALSO warned < that at least 25 per- I cent of the population i

suffers from calcium deficiency. He suggests that we must start at a young age building calcium and this may slow the loss of bone that occurs in aging. He also cautioned that there are things that nutrition can not do. For example: nutrition cannot reverse the aging process, though it can delay the emergence of some diseases (heart disease, osteoperosis, etc.) Doctor Rivlin further stated that so far it does not seem that memory can be improved by diet. OF PARTICULAR relevance to health promotion for the elderly was his observation that nutrition is not just food but how it is handled and stored. He pointed out that the older person can suffer from druginduces nutritional deficiency. Improper use of diuretics or laxatives can cause a loss of minerals and nutrients. In particular Vitamin D is lost by an excessive use of laxatives. Rule 4 is "Exercise Regularly". Not only was the rule propjosed by several other speakers, but is was demonstrated by an audience participation session which everyone enjoyed. It was demonstrated throughout the day that almost everyone can perform some type of exercise and unless prohibited by a specific physical problem almost everyone benefits from exercise. THE LAST rule states "Follow Doctor's Orders". Under this heading were two important principles. The first is to make certain to have a list of all prescriptions. Many senior citizens have more than one doctor and it is important that each doctor knows what medications they are taking. The second principle is not to take another person's medication. Recent studies have shown that often senior citizens will take someone else's medication. Doctors tailor prescriptions to fit the individual's needs and physical makeup, prescriptions are not interchangeable. The American peoEle are living 'onger ves and our population is growing older. becomes increasimportant for the individual and for our society that our senior citizens live to be and productive.