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Regardless of age, there is always the opportunity to set and achieve new goals.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the mindset of three women, all in their 90s<\/u>, who live at Sunrise at East 56th, a senior living facility in Manhattan, New York.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s never too late to improve yourself,” said Barbara Fleischman, 99, who is originally from Detroit, Michigan.<\/p>\n
MOST SENIORS IN AMERICA CAN\u2019T AFFORD NURSING HOMES OR ASSISTED LIVING, STUDY FINDS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Along with Lois Hummel, 90, and Dolores Wharton, 96, Fleischman spoke with Fox News Digital via Zoom about their New Year\u2019s resolutions for 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They also shared some advice for younger generations. Their answers may surprise you.<\/p>\n
Goals for New Year include, \u2018Accept people\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nFleischman’s biggest New Year\u2019s resolution<\/u> is to be less judgmental of others.<\/p>\n
“I want to assume that everyone is trying to be better, just like I’m trying to be better, and so I’m not going to sit in judgment,” she said.<\/p>\n
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From left to right, Dolores Wharton, Lois Hummel and Barbara Fleischman are all residents of Sunrise at East 56th, a senior living facility in Manhattan.<\/span> (Sunrise at East 56th)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n“I’m just going to accept people and say, \u2018They’re trying.\u2019”<\/p>\n
WHEN SHOULD OLDER DRIVERS HAVE TO STOP DRIVING?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Fleischman also aims to stop jumping to conclusions this year, she said.<\/p>\n
Her resolutions for 2024 are quite different from the ones she set in years past, she indicated.<\/p>\n
\n“Why do I need restraint? I\u2019m 99.”<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
For example, she used to resolve to not eat so many sweets \u2014 but now she feels she’s earned the right to enjoy her dessert.<\/p>\n
“Why do I need restraint? I\u2019m 99,” Fleischman said with a laugh. “I\u2019m having pumpkin pie or mint chocolate ice cream, and enjoying it very much.”<\/p>\n
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Barbara Fleischman, 99, is pictured with Jim Santana, executive chef at Sunrise at East 56th in Manhattan.\u00a0<\/span> (Sunrise at East 56th)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nHummel, who grew up in Pennsylvania<\/u>, said her primary New Year\u2019s resolution is to continue her focus on staying active.<\/p>\n
The day after Christmas, to mark her 90th birthday, she accomplished her longtime goal of walking across the Brooklyn Bridge<\/u>.<\/p>\n
“I couldn’t have done it without my trainer, Doug, and my very close friend, Miriam, who went with us and has a great sense of humor,” Hummel said.<\/p>\n
\n“Acceptance is absolutely the key to happiness \u2014 but it\u2019s probably the most difficult thing you could possibly achieve.”<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The bridge was quite busy that day and not quite as serene as she expected \u2014 but Hummel said she still enjoyed the experience.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, she will continue working with her physical therapist<\/u> and plans to walk around Roosevelt Island, which is about a mile in circumference, she said.<\/p>\n
Like Fleischman, Hummel has also resolved to work on mastering the art of acceptance.<\/p>\n
“Acceptance is absolutely the key to happiness \u2014 but it\u2019s probably the most difficult thing you could possibly achieve,” she told Fox News Digital. “I try, but I haven\u2019t been very successful at it.”<\/p>\n
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Dolores Wharton, 96, is pictured with her book, “A Multicultured Life.” Wharton is a retired corporate executive who also ran a nonprofit program to advance the careers of women and minorities.<\/span> (Sunrise at East 56th)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWharton, a lifelong New Yorker who’s been close friends with Fleischman for over 50 years, also has a resolution to walk regularly<\/u>.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m using a walker now, after having been in a wheelchair for a while after a fall last week,” she told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“So now I want to be able to walk \u2014 not with a walker, but on my own \u2014 right into Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale\u2019s, my favorite stores.”<\/p>\n
Words of wisdom for all<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhen asked to share her best advice for younger generations, Fleischman stressed the importance of constantly growing and learning.<\/p>\n
“You have to learn from what is happening around you and be smart enough to accept it,” she advised. “Acceptance is very important.”<\/p>\n
INTERNET USE BY SENIORS ON REGULAR BASIS COULD SLASH THEIR DEMENTIA RISK, STUDY SUGGESTS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n For example, Fleischman said she\u2019s learned to accept the fact that she doesn\u2019t hear or see<\/u> as well as she once did, and she can\u2019t swim like she used to \u2014 but she’s accepted those realities and still considers herself “very lucky.”<\/p>\n
Hummel, a retired economist, encourages others to adopt a practice that encourages introspection and reflection.<\/p>\n
“The most important thing I ever did for myself was to spend four years doing silent meditation,” she said, a practice that she started in her 60s and wholeheartedly recommends.<\/p>\n
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Lois Hummel, 90, is pictured crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, which was a longtime goal of hers, she told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/span> (Sunrise at East 56th)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n“It will give you insights into yourself and will serve you for the rest of your life, because you can learn more about acceptance than you can learn any other way.”<\/p>\n
She added, “The more you look, the more you see the type of person you really are.”<\/p>\n
Hummel also stressed the importance of looking after animals and the environment.<\/p>\n
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: NO REASON WHY THESE CAN’T INCLUDE FAITH GOALS, URGES PASTOR<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Wharton\u2019s advice is for people to “interact harmoniously” with one another.<\/p>\n
After working for years on a nonprofit program to advance the careers of women and minorities, she also encourages females “to aspire to go into the corporate world.”<\/p>\n
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From left to right, Dolores Wharton, Barbara Fleischer and Lois Hummel spoke by video with Fox News Digital from Sunrise at East 56th, a senior living facility in Manhattan, New York.<\/span> (Sunrise at East 56th)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe three women agreed that giving back to others and to the community should be a primary focus.<\/p>\n
Fleischman, who spent many years doing volunteer work<\/u>, shared a mantra she said her husband used to follow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“He said if the community has been good to you and you haven\u2019t suffered, you owe something back to it. It\u2019s a joy to help others who haven\u2019t done as well as you have.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Above all, she added, people should try to be better, whatever that means for them.<\/p>\n
“If each individual tries to be better and helpful to others, then the whole world will change.”<\/p>\n
\n“You learn so much by reaching out to others \u2014 it\u2019s a wonderful gain.”<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Fleischman also advised people to be “less concerned about themselves and more concerned about others,” noting that “self-absorption” is not healthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
5 WAYS TO STICK WITH YOUR \u2018EXERCISE MORE\u2019 NEW YEAR\u2019S RESOLUTION IN 2024, FROM A NEW YORK DOCTOR<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n “We\u2019re here not only to help ourselves, but to help others,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“You learn so much by reaching out to others \u2014 it\u2019s a wonderful gain. And I hope that will be a resolution for many people.”<\/p>\n
Benefits of goal-setting for seniors<\/strong><\/h2>\nNew Year\u2019s resolutions are especially important for seniors because they represent looking toward the future, according to Dr. Sandi Petersen, VP of health and wellness at Pegasus Senior Living in Dallas, Texas<\/u>. \u00a0<\/p>\n
“Seniors should be encouraged to look forward, regardless of age,” she told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a geriatric clinician, Petersen considers this a critical factor in her evaluation of older adults.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Are they looking forward to the future \u2014 or are they feeling isolated, alone or hopeless? If individuals are focused on the future, it\u2019s a sign of mental health, whether they are 9 or 90+,” she noted.<\/p>\n
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“Seniors should be encouraged to look forward, regardless of age,” a geriatric clinician told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAs some older adults with cognitive decline<\/u> cannot make resolutions on their own, Petersen stressed the need for their loved ones to engage them in future-oriented conversations to promote socialization and improved quality of life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“And, given the mind-body connection, we know that improved mental health<\/u> increases the likelihood of improved physical health and a better sense of overall well-being,” she added.<\/p>\n
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Diana Santiago, clinical supervisor at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, noted that future goals for the older adults in her facility are mostly focused on “purpose and quality of life.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Family seems most important to these folks, as that is what drives them to seek treatment,” she told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n
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A geriatric clinician noted that future goals for the older adults in her facility are mostly focused on “purpose and quality of life.”\u00a0<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nSome of the most common resolutions among her senior patients include improving relationships with family members, getting physically stronger and healthier, managing anxiety and depression<\/u>, and managing chronic pain.<\/p>\n
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n “Sometimes goals with this population can even be simply focused on getting home from treatment and seeking to get better quickly,” Santiago said.<\/p>\n
“We will use this as a motivation rather than as an obstacle.”<\/p>\n
For more Health articles, visit <\/u><\/strong><\/i>www.foxnews.com\/health<\/u><\/strong><\/i>.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n[ad_2]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[ad_1] Read this article for free! Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account! Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20557"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20557\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}