More Mountains to Climb

I first encountered Karen and Tom over a communal breakfast at a hotel in the alpine village of Mürren, Switzerland. Karen told the server, “We’re doing that crazy hike today.” “That’s not a crazy hike ,” the server replied. “That’s a crazy climb .” The exchange caught my ear because I knew exactly what they were referring to, because my wife and I were scheduled to participate in the same “crazy” activity later that morning. It’s called a via ferrata , Italian for “iron path,” a mentally and physically challenging mountain-climbing route consisting of rugged footpaths, ladders, rungs, bridges, and ziplines. At some points along the route, participants literally dangle more than 1,300 feet above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, anchored to the cliff face only by a pair of carabiners and their own hand strength. I found the couple’s participation in the activity particularly interesting considering Tom’s revelation: a fear of heights. While suiting up for the climb, Karen and Tom, who are in their 70s and, coincidentally, from Bucks County, shared memories from another outdoor activity they had done a few days earlier, paragliding, as well as from a not-long-ago trip to Tanzania, Africa, to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. On most adventures, they told us, they’re usually the oldest participants. During the Kilimanjaro summit, for example, they earned the nicknames bibi and babu , Swahili for grandmother and grandfather, respectively. “We send pictures of the things we’re doing to our kids back home, and they think we’re crazy,” Karen told me. “They joke around and ask us, ‘Did you update your will before you left?’” Older adults who believe their aging bodies prevent them from chasing such exhilarations may view Karen and Tom’s exploits with a tinge of jealousy or even regret. That said, age should not prevent anyone from pursuing activities that stimulate the mind, if not stoke the adrenaline, according to Kathleen A. Cameron, senior director of the National Council on Aging’s Center for Healthy Aging. “Trying new things, whether they are considered ‘adventurous’ or not, is good for the aging brain because it stimulates the creation of new neural connections, by ‘exercising’ the brain, activating underutilized areas, and promoting neuroplasticity,” she says. “This helps maintain cognitive function and potentially slows down age-related decline in memory and thinking abilities. Trying new things is like building a ‘cognitive reserve’ [to compensate for natural age-related brain changes] by challenging the brain with new tasks and learning experiences.” Examples: taking up a musical instrument or exploring a new genre of music; starting a new hobby like painting, pottery, or dancing; reading books about unfamiliar topics; engaging in brain-training games; and participating in classes or workshops about new subjects. All can encourage neuroplasticity, which is defined as the brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections throughout life, improve memory and learning, and trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can boost mood and motivation. When older adults retire, they suddenly find themselves with more freedom than ever. Some struggle to fill the time, while others become even more active than they were prior to retirement. Cameron cites a study from the December 2020 issue of Preventive Medicine, which suggests that cognitive decline is almost twice as common among adults who are inactive compared to those who are active. Furthermore, remaining active later in life facilitates learning and problem-solving skills, and can even help lengthen one’s life by improving sleep, moderating stress, and reducing the risk of potentially lethal diseases, including some forms of cancer. Some older adults may refrain from doing new things either out of fear, boredom, or not knowing where to begin—or, merely because they see themselves as “too old” to go on new adventures. Consider Lorraine Gerson, an 80-year-old Maryland resident who, despite needing a walker to get around, recently went skydiving for the first time. Or 93-year-old Joy Ryan, who has visited all 63 U.S. national parks with her grandson—including the National Park of American Samoa in the South Pacific—with more jet-setting adventures to come. Ryan’s globetrotting travels underscore an important point: Going on adventures is often less intimidating, and more fun, when done in the company of others. Organizations such as the National Council on Aging (www.ncoa.org) offer guidance designed to spur social connections with everyone from grandchildren to fellow older adults; for the latter, online platforms such as Meetup can help foster new friendships. Taking such initiative can kickstart a new adventure, whether it involves a physical activity such as hiking, kayaking, or biking, or pursuing a less vigorous interest, such as dining, culture, or travel. “Having fun should never end,” Cameron says. “Just because we are getting older does not mean that we have to stop enjoying pleasurable activities. Define your own fun based on your interests and abilities and go for it.” Karen and Tom of Bucks County, the friends I made while dangling off the side of a ragged cliff face in the Swiss Alps, would likely agree. A Launchpad for New Adventures While some older adults prefer to “age in place,” others choose the comfort and camaraderie of living in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). Such communities certainly offer security, opportunities to make new friends, and other ways to improve their overall health and well-being. They also serve as launchpads of sorts, places from which they can embark on new adventures and indulge aspects of themselves they have either forgotten or never fully explored. Southeastern Pennsylvania boasts an abundance of CCRCs and independent-living facilities devoted to helping older adults thrive, whether they live independently, require personal care, or need memory care or other specialized support. These communities are considered some of the best places to retire in southeastern Pennsylvania, or anywhere for that matter. We acknowledge that the communities listed here represent only a segment of the area’s many exceptional places to retire. Acts Retirement Life Communities Brittany Pointe Estates in Lansdale, Fort Washington Estates, Granite Farm Estates and Lima Estates in Media, Gwynedd Estates in Ambler, Normandy Farms Estates in Blue Bell, Southampton Estates, and Spring House Estates in Lower Gwynedd actsretirement.org Arbour Square of Harleysville Harleysville trueconnectioncommunities.com Artis Senior Living Huntingdon Valley, Yardley, and Princeton, New Jersey artisseniorliving.com Atria Senior Living Atria Bethlehem, Atria Center City in Philadelphia, and Atria Lafayette Hill atriaseniorliving.com Brandywine Senior Living Haverford Estates, Longwood in Kennett Square, and Upper Providence in Phoenixville brandycare.com Chandler Hall Newtown chandlerhallhealthservices.org Cornwall Manor Cornwall (Lebanon County) cornwallmanor.org Dunwoody Village Newtown Square dunwoody.org Elm Terrace Gardens Lansdale elmterracegardens.org Five Star Senior Living The Devon Senior Living, NewSeasons at New Britain in Chalfont, and Forwood Manor in Wilmington, Delaware fivestarseniorliving.com Freedom Village at Brandywine Coatesville fvbrandywine.com Friends Home & Village Newtown fhvpa.org Garden Spot Village New Holland gardenspotvillage.org HarborChase of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware harborchase.com/harborchase-wilmington The Hearth at Drexel Bala Cynwyd thehearthatdrexel.org Hershey’s Mill Villages & Golf Club West Chester hersheysmill55plus.com The Hickman West Chester thehickman.org HumanGood The Mansion at Rosemont, Rydal Park & Waters in Jenkintown, and Spring Mill Pointe in Lafayette Hill humangood.org Independence Court of Quakertown Quakertown prioritylc.com IntegraCare Glen Mills Senior Living, Exton Senior Living, Magnolias of Lancaster integracare.com Kendal-Crosslands Communities Kennett Square kendal-crosslands.org The Manor at York Town Jamison themanoratyorktown.org Maplewood at Princeton Plainsboro, New Jersey maplewoodseniorliving.com Masonic Villages Lafayette Hill and Warminster masonicvillages.org Meadowood Lansdale meadowood.net Merrill Gardens Eagleview Landing in Exton, Merrill Gardens at Glen Mills and West Chester, Truewood by Merrill in Glen Riddle merrillgardens.com Oxford Enhanced Senior Living Langhorne oxfordenhancedseniorliving.com Pennswood Village Newtown pennswood.org Phoebe Ministries Allentown and Wyncote phoebe.org Pickering Manor Newtown pickeringmanor.org Pine Run Village Doylestown pinerun.org Pleasant View Communities Manheim pleasantviewcommunities.org Riddle Village Retirement Community Media riddlevillage.com SageLife The 501 at Mattison Estate in Ambler, Plush Mills in Wallingford, Daylesford Crossing in Paoli, and Echo Lake in Malvern sagelife.com The Solana Doylestown Warrington thesolanadoylestown.com Springton Lake Village Media springtonlakevillage.com Sunrise Senior Living Abington, Dresher, Haverford, Lafayette Hill, Media, Newtown Square, and North Wales sunriseseniorliving.com Symphony Square Bala Cynwyd symphonysq.com Bellingham at West Chester West Chester seniorlivingbellingham.com Waverly Heights Gladwyne waverlyheightsltd.org White Horse Village Newtown Square whitehorsevillage.org Photo by rkl_foto/Shutterstock.com Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, October 2024