News About Aging

By Shannon Reyes

The lack of proper nutrition can take a harmful toll on one’s health. Known as malnutrition, this condition is especially concerning since fewer physical attributes are linked to it, making diagnosis particularly difficult. Vulnerable populations, including older adults, are often more susceptible to malnutrition. According to Defeat Malnutrition Today (DMT), a national coalition dedicated to the eradication of malnutrition in America, one in two older adults is at risk for malnutrition.

PCA will begin distributing Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) produce vouchers Monday, June 24, as part of an annual program to encourage seniors to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Eligible Philadelphia seniors can receive $20 worth of vouchers (four vouchers, each valued at $5) that can be used to purchase fresh Pennsylvania-grown produce sold at certified farmers’ markets throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding area.

Food allergies are an increasing health concern in the older adult population. Though we often think of allergies as something a person is born with, the reality is that food allergies can develop at any time in one’s life. Currently, a majority of medical research is aimed at pediatric patients. However, mounting evidence suggests that older adults may be at increased risk of food allergies compared to the general population.

Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) will sponsor a team at the Walk Against Hunger on Saturday, April 27.

By Michael Hanisco

Located on a busy stretch of Frankford Avenue in the booming Fishtown section of Philadelphia, Lutheran Settlement House (LSH) has been serving food and friendship to children, adults and families in Philadelphia since 1902.The nonprofit organization houses a senior center that caters to the needs of older adults. Almost 50 older adults, many of them lifelong residents of the gentrifying neighborhood, attend the center daily.

By Alicia M. Colombo

The term “superfood” has gotten a lot of use lately. It describes a food that is nutritionally “dense,” meaning the food contains a high amount of nutrients per calorie. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, superfoods are thought to be linked to the prevention of disease and are believed to offer several health benefits beyond their basic nutritional value.

By Marcia Z. Siegal

On Tuesday mornings, the comforting smell of cornbread baking wafts through the community room of Haven Peniel United Methodist Church at 2301 West Oxford St. in North Philadelphia. Jean Kennerly, 85, known as “the Cornbread Lady,” is famous for this culinary delight, which is made from her own recipe.
But cornbread is not all that’s cooking in the church’s kitchen.

I hadn’t had oatmeal in the house for years, so off I went to get some. The moment my hands reached for it on the supermarket shelf, a whole rush of feelings almost overcame me. That familiar carton of Quaker oats carried me right back to my mother’s apartment in a Philadelphia high-rise.

By Marcia Z. Siegal
With sophisticated fitness centers and wellness programs, computer and Zumba classes, intergenerational collaborations, and a focus on active living, today’s senior community centers are a far cry from the centers previous generations were accustomed to.
National Senior Center Month, observed in September, provides an opportunity to celebrate the vibrant programming featured at senior centers supported by Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), which is engaging members ranging from baby boomers to centenarians.