As a younger man on hikes, I would scramble straight up hills on my way to the top. Now, I’m not quite as sprightly, and I tend to look more carefully for a better path that will get to the destination. We all face the inevitable march of time, and it requires us to seek out different ways to adjust to age.
In this issue, you can read about Washington State University researchers in human development, nursing, and other areas who are working on “optimal aging,” living the best quality life possible given individual circumstances. This might include chronic illnesses, physical limitations, or cognitive decline. Other aspects of getting older also receive attention from WSU scientists: improving brain health to stave off dementia, leveraging the knowledge of pharmacists to manage medication, and developing comfortable, fabric-like material that can easily monitor health.
All this work is designed to help people choose their own path as they age, whether that’s continuing to live at home or moving into senior living communities, or with assisted care. It also can ease the work of caregivers, who are often family members.
We have to find our way when we’re young, too, especially with education. The rise in school absenteeism and truancy has reached critical levels nationwide. A WSU research team has expanded a tool to help guidance counselors and other school personnel to assess chronically absent students and identify causes. This could help tailor support and stem the tide of truancy.
There are always forks in the road and decisions to be made. Not all of us can fly across the Pacific, like aviation pioneer Clyde Pangborn who’s profiled in these pages, or drive a long-haul truck in retirement, like David Longanecker who’s also spotlighted in this issue. But finding the right path can often give us the life we want.
Readers, please note that the magazine’s print distribution is changing for the Winter and Spring issues. You can find details on the back cover on how to continue receiving all issues of the magazine. Basically, if you donated $10 or more to WSU within two years, you can get the Winter and Spring issues in your mailbox. As always, all magazine issues and stories (plus extra videos and more) are available at magazine.wsu.edu