Lisa Couling’s advice for “aging positively” – the theme of National Seniors Day in Richmond – is to get outside, sweat once a day, hang out with young people and learn new things.
A sense of humour also helps, Couling, 64, added, and she has a dark sense of humour and loves to make people laugh.
Semi-retired now, Couling sees aging as a positive thing.
“Getting older is a beautiful thing,” Couling said. “Every day, I’m as young as I’ll ever be.”
Couling retired after a long career in IT and now works part-time – on her own terms – as a consultant.
She started in data entry and retired as a systems developer 40 years later.
The first year after she retired, Couling said she was slightly disoriented because her identity was very much tied to her work. After leaving full-time work, she was just viewed as a “retired person.”
But she said part of having a good retirement includes making a plan for retirement well in advance, including focusing on hobbies and special interests – for Couling, this is working out regularly at the gym with a tight-knit group and being involved.
“I like to be open and positive about opportunities around me,” she added.
Much of society admires youth and beauty, but according to Couling, “age is just a number,”
“Everybody ages, we ought to smash those stereotypes,”Couling said. “It’s not about the wrinkles or the grey hair, it’s about attitude.”
And while everyone has issues, she believes people – especially as they age – can control how they respond to what life throws at them.
This includes friendships, community and meditation.
And as she ages, she finds she’s calmer, freer and has more patience.
Something that sent her along this path of positivity and taking chances was a book she read in the 30s called “Feel the fear and do it anyways.”
“It didn’t tell me something I didn’t know but it validated that way of thinking and it took me to where I am today and where I continue to be to face any fears,” she said.
Oct. 1 is National Seniors Day and the city focuses every year on aging positively with the goal of reducing ageism and stereotypes about seniors.
This year’s campaign tagline is “aging positively spreads joy, connection, inspiration, community and wonder.”
The seniors centre has ages 55 to 105 coming to access programs, explained Debbie Hertha, program lead for seniors at the City of Richmond.
Hertha said the most important thing the city does for seniors is creating connections for them.
And they’re trying to do that at the neighbourhood level, for example, through group activities and events put on with city grants.
“Just to get people connected is the most important thing,” she said. “From there, if we know their situation, we can then connect them to (services).”
The needs of seniors are complex and can vary from age to age, she added.
At the age of 73, Steve Deare goes to the gym five times a week and plays basketball on Saturday – and pre-COVID-19, he could be found regularly on the dance floor.
Deare partially credits a healthy childhood with lots of fresh fruit, no junk food and being outdoors a lot as helping along the way to a healthy older life.
While he admits good genetics plays a part in staying in shape in his senior years, staying socially connected and keeping a positive attitude are crucial pieces as well.
“Richmond is very healthy because it’s very flat - you can ride a bike for miles and miles,” Deare said.
To keep up his social connections, Deare meets with a group of friends – the Caribbean club – at Richmond Centre every Friday to catch up. He is an honorary member as he is originally from Barbados.
The City of Richmond and its partners are celebrating its more experienced residents with a series of free events to mark October 1 as National Seniors Day. And while many of these events might be focused on Richmond's older residents, people of all ages are encouraged to attend. Pre-registration is required for the in-person activities as space is limited.
Residents can register
- Online: Select a Course ID # below.
- Phone: Registration Call Centre at 604-276-4300, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. -5 p.m.
- In person: At any parks, recreation or cultural facility.
Seniors Day Musical Interludes (online)
Wed., Sept. 29, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free
Enjoy a variety of old time favourite songs while connecting with other seniors. This session is offered through Zoom. Registration required.
Course ID #104586
National Seniors Day Social
Fri, Oct. 1, 10-11:30 a.m. Free
Celebrate the day with light refreshments, learning about 55+ year program activities and sharing ideas for future programming. Registration required.
Course ID #94775
East Richmond Community Hall
Seniors Day - Ukulele Workshop
Fri, Oct. 1, 10-11:30 a.m. Free
Join others to learn and make music through picking melody, harmony and strumming in a fun and relaxed environment. Pre-requisite: Ukulele - Beginner 1 with ability to read music notation and understand rhythm and note values. Registration required.
Course ID #95361
Managing Stress, Anxiety and Depression Workshop
Fri, Oct. 1, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free
Learn the cause and explore strategies to manage and reduce these symptoms, as well as to minimize the impact on daily and social life. This workshop is presented by Pathways Clubhouse.
Registration required.
Course ID #94836
South Arm Community Centre
Sweet Treat Combo
Fri, Oct. 1, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Celebrate National Seniors Day with a special sweet treat and hot beverage. Enjoy a maple pecan danish and hot coffee or tea for $3. Available for dine-in or take-a-way from the Seniors Centre Cafeteria.
Minoru Centre for Active Living
Positive Aging Campaign 2021
Oct. 1-8
The City of Richmond Seniors Services celebrates National Seniors Day every year with a campaign that showcases positive images of seniors in Richmond. The goal of the campaign is to reduce ageism and existing stereotypes. A different theme is chosen annually with posters displayed at community centres and other Richmond locations featuring positive messages. Visit the Positive Aging Campaign.
