The Aging Mastery Program® core curriculum combines evidence-informed knowledge sharing with goal-setting and feedback routines, daily practices, peer support, and small rewards. Classes are led by expert speakers who help participants gain the skills and tools they need to manage their health, remain economically secure, and contribute actively in society. The goal of the 10 core classes is to provide participants with an overview of the challenges encountered while navigating life in old age and offer support to master new skills.
What are the 10 core classes of the Aging Mastery Program?
- Navigating Longer Lives: The Basics of Aging Mastery
Introduction to the program and its philosophy with a special emphasis on the new realities of aging, making the most of the gift of longevity, and taking small steps to improve health, financial well-being, social connectedness, and overall quality of life. - Exercise and You
Discussion of the importance of exercising both the mind and the body with a focus on strategies for incorporating meditation, aerobics, strengthening, flexibility, and balance into daily routines. - Sleep
Overview of how sleep patterns change as we age, the importance of monitoring the sleep cycle, and simple strategies to improve sleep. - Healthy Eating and Hydration
Review of nutrition as it relates to aging with a focus on strategies for incorporating healthy eating and hydration into daily routines. - Financial Fitness
Introduction to strategies for remaining economically secure in an era of longevity with an emphasis on setting financial goals and setting financial boundaries with friends and families. - Advance Planning
Guidance around key steps needed to manage health care, financial, and housing/care decisions with a focus on considering the role of personal values and beliefs in these decisions. - Healthy Relationships
Exploration of the benefits of being socially active, as well as the risks of isolation with a focus on practical strategies for continuing to build and strengthen friendships and family connections as we age. - Medication Management
Best practices on how to take medications as directed, how to store medications safely, and how to keep track of multiple medications. - Community Engagement
Introduction to the value of continuing contribution and small acts of kindness with a focus on identifying personal aptitudes for meaningful volunteer and civic opportunities. - Falls Prevention
Overview of the importance of falls prevention among older adults along with strategies to prevent falling.
What are the AMP elective classes?
AMP includes elective classes in physical health, financial health, and life enrichment.
Physical health electives:
- Communicating With Your Doctor
Introduction to the importance of good communication with health care teams with a focus on gaining the skills to become more empowered and effective in these interactions. - Preventive Health Services and You
Overview of preventive care with the goal of having participants reflect on their healthcare use patterns with respect to annual check-ups, immunizations, preventive tests, and counseling. - Memory Matters
An interactive class highlighting normal age-related memory changes and highlighting basic skills—Active Attention and Spaced Retrieval—to aid memory. - Nutritional Vital Signs: Preventing and Treating Malnutrition
An awareness class on the myths, realities, and prevalence of malnutrition among older adults with to help individuals interpret warning signs and understand options for both treatment and prevention. - Sexual Health
An overview of the importance of sexual health and positive sexual relationships with an emphasis on highlighting how health issues can impact sexual life and encouraging individuals to talk openly about concerns.
Financial health electives:
- Your Home as a Strategic Asset
Discussion of issues related to aging in place and the health, social, and financial questions to consider when deciding to stay in one’s home. Review of various home financing options, including reverse mortgages. - Rightsizing Your Life
Guidance around the pros and cons of rightsizing (downsizing) by thinking through both the concerns and upsides to moving to a different living situation, along with the practical considerations of such a move. - Safe Home/Healthy Home
Introduction to the impact of the home environment on a person’s health and safety with special attention to falls prevention, fire safety, and environmental health as well as do-it- yourself low-cost/no-cost solutions for areas of potential concern.
Life enrichment electives:
- Intergenerational Connections
Overview of the benefits of intergenerational connections for older adults with a focus on strengthening intergenerational interactions/ relationships within the family and within the community. - Aspirations/Bucket Lists
A motivational class to help individuals discover strategies to align personal goals with societal benefits, linking what they would like to do with why they would like to do it.
