2026 April Golden Years (Record-Journal)

APRIL2026

RECORD-JOURNAL,

Hownutritionalneedschangewithage

Nutritionalneeds change as thebodyages.

The humanbodyundergoes an assortment of changes overthe course of alifetime. Some of thosechanges arevisible to thenaked eye, butmanymoreare not. Thebody’schangingneeds in regard to nutritionisone alteration that people cannot see.

Anutritiousdietcan be abuildingblock of a long andhealthy life. Nutritionalneeds change as thebodyages, andrecognition of thosechanges canhelppeopleresteasythattheir dietsare workingintheir favorand nottotheir detriment.

Calorieneeds

Thebodyrequiresfewer calories as individualsreach adulthood. That’s becausemusclemass begins to decrease in adulthoodwhile fatincreas-

es.The National Institutes of Health notesthat musclesuse more calories than fatthroughoutthe day, so it makessense that abodyexperiencing adecline in muscle mass will requirelesscalories than oneinwhich muscle mass is on therise. No twoindividuals arethe same,and some adults exercise more than others.Soit’sbestfor adults to consulttheir physiciantodiscuss theirown calorie needsand then adjust theirdiets basedonsuch discussions.

What to eat

TheAmericanHeart Associationnotes agingadults’ calories should come from nutrient-dense foodslikevegetables, fruits,whole grains, lean meat,and low-fatdairy.Thisrecommendationalignswithadults’ decliningcalorie needs, as nutrient-dense foodscontain ampleamounts of protein, vitamins and/or minerals butdonot containa lotofcalories.

Waterneeds

It’s vitalfor agingadultstomakeaconcerted efforttodrink water each day. TheOffice of DiseasePreventionand Health Promotion notesthatthe sensationofthirstdeclineswithage.Aging adults who areunaware of that unique biological realitymay be riskingdehydration becausetheyare notcompelled to drinkwater throughout theday.The ClevelandClinicnotes that dehydrationcan contribute to dizziness, weakness andlightheadedness,among othersymptoms. Thosesymptoms canbeparticularlymenacingfor olderadults, whoare at increased risk forpotentially harmfulfalls even if they arenot dehydrated.The body stillneeds waterasitages, andseniors taking certainmedications mayneedmorethanusual duetomedication-related fluidloss. Theseare just some of thewaysnutritional needschangewithage. Adults areurged to paygreater attentiontodietastheyage andmake choicesthatcan counterage-related changesintheir bodies.

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Keeping up with technology has become afull-time jobfor many people.The devicesindividuals rely on continue to evolve at arapid pace. While youngergenerations whowereraised ontechnologycan adaptwithease, seniors may have aslightlymorelengthy learning curve,particularlywhenitcomes to artificial intelligence (AI).

Artificial intelligence is being integrated into many facets of daily life.Seniors canbenefitfromAIin many unique andusefulways.

AI is no longer asci-fi concept; it’s acomponent of dailylife. AI candoeverythingfromsummarize emails to turn images into quirky cartoons to answer health-related questions. Accordingtothe 2026 AARP Tech Trends Report,AIusage amongpeople ages 50 andolder hasnearlydoubled in thelasttwo years. Thirty percentofseniors arenavigatingthe AI frontier,and thereare many ways AI canbeput to good use.

•Aging in place: AI technology canbeusedto ensure seniorscan enjoytheir independence longer than they otherwisemight.AI-poweredhomes can do alot of theworkfor most seniors, andsafeguards canhelpprotect them.For example, radar-based sensorscan detect afallwithout theuse of cameras andalert emergencyservices. AI canautomatically adjust environments by illuminating hallways or shutting off astove if it hasbeenleftunattended, accordingtoAge Safe®America.

•Healthmonitoring: Aprimary driver forAI adoption,healthissomething that canbemanaged andevenimprovedwiththe useof AI.The University of Michigan National Poll on HealthyAging foundthatmorethanhalfofseniors like AI devices foraging in place. AI cansummarize complex medicalreports or producemealplans accordingto nutritionalguidance. Smartpilldispensersuse AI to trackadherence andcan help keep apersonsafe.

•Companionship:Lonelinessand social isolationis arealconcern forseniors.AIconversationalpartners caninitiateconversations,suggest activities or tell jokes. TheNationalInstitutesofHealthsays AI-driveninterventions usingsocialrobotsordigital humanfacilitatorshaveled to significant reductions in loneliness amongadultsages55and over.

Thirty percentofseniors arenavigatingthe AI frontier,and thereare many ways AI canbe puttogooduse.

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With so much to gain from volunteering, retirees canstart lookingfor opportunities in theircommunities.

Howseniorscanfinda suitablevolunteeringopportunity

Volunteeringisa rewardingexperience that engagespeoplefromall walksoflife. Whileyoung adults andadultsinmiddleage may find it hard to squeezevolunteeringintotheir schedules, retirees arefreeofmanyofthe professional andpersonalobligations that preventyounger adults from volunteering.

With so much to gain from volunteering,retireescan startlooking for opportunitiesintheir communities. Many such opportunitiesexist,and the followingtipscan help retirees find themostsuitableone forthem.

•Identifyyourmotivationtovolunteer.Identifying whyyou want to volunteercan be agreat firststep. Many retirees whohad long anddistinguished careersinthe professional arenaaspiretogivebackbyemploying their expertiseinnew ways.For example, retiredattorneys maywantto volunteer with anonprofitorganizationthatprovidesfreelegal advice tothose whocannotaffordtohiretheir ownlegal representatives. Once retireeshaveidentified whytheywanttovolunteer,theycan then look for opportunities that alignwiththatmotivation.

•Considerany potentiallimitations youhave. Some volunteering opportunitiesare physically demanding, whichmakes them difficult forretirees. Seniors maynot be able to handle avolunteeringopportunity that requires heavy lifting or onethatasksvolunteerstospend hoursontheir feet.Be honestabout anyphysicallimitations,and discussany uncertaintyyou might have with your health care provider before committing to avolunteering gig.

•Decidehow much time youcan volunteer. Volunteering is oftencharacterized as arewarding experience that offershomebound seniorsa chance toget up andgo. Butsomeretireesalready have active social lives, so it’s imperative that prospectivevolunteersidentify howmuchtimetheyhave to volunteer. Many organizationsallow volunteers to determinehow much time they spendvolunteering, butothersmay askmoreofvolunteersin

Mike DeLuca Publisher Jay Torsiello Graphic Designer

regard to atimecommitment. Forexample,volunteeringtoorganizecommunity events mayrequire asignificant time commitment that some retirees do notnecessarily want to make Thereare many greatreasons to volunteer. Retirees consideringvolunteeringcan give theprospectample considerationbeforetheybegin searching forthe rightopportunity to give back.

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