Health
Seniors in New York City share New Year’s resolutions for 2024: ‘Never too late’
Regardless of age, there is always the opportunity to set and achieve new goals.
That’s the mindset of three women, all in their 90s, who live at Sunrise at East 56th, a senior living facility in Manhattan, New York.
“It’s never too late to improve yourself,” said Barbara Fleischman, 99, who is originally from Detroit, Michigan.
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Along with Lois Hummel, 90, and Dolores Wharton, 96, Fleischman spoke with Fox News Digital via Zoom about their New Year’s resolutions for 2024.
They also shared some advice for younger generations. Their answers may surprise you.
Goals for New Year include, ‘Accept people’
Fleischman’s biggest New Year’s resolution is to be less judgmental of others.
“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.
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. (Sunrise at East 56th)
“I’m just going to accept people and say, ‘They’re trying.’”
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Fleischman also aims to stop jumping to conclusions this year, she said.
Her resolutions for 2024 are quite different from the ones she set in years past, she indicated.
“Why do I need restraint? I’m 99.”
For example, she used to resolve to not eat so many sweets — but now she feels she’s earned the right to enjoy her dessert.
“Why do I need restraint? I’m 99,” Fleischman said with a laugh. “I’m having pumpkin pie or mint chocolate ice cream, and enjoying it very much.”
Barbara Fleischman, 99, is pictured with Jim Santana, executive chef at Sunrise at East 56th in Manhattan. (Sunrise at East 56th)
Hummel, who grew up in Pennsylvania, said her primary New Year’s resolution is to continue her focus on staying active.
The day after Christmas, to mark her 90th birthday, she accomplished her longtime goal of walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.
“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.
“Acceptance is absolutely the key to happiness — but it’s probably the most difficult thing you could possibly achieve.”
The bridge was quite busy that day and not quite as serene as she expected — but Hummel said she still enjoyed the experience.
Looking ahead, she will continue working with her physical therapist and plans to walk around Roosevelt Island, which is about a mile in circumference, she said.
Like Fleischman, Hummel has also resolved to work on mastering the art of acceptance.
“Acceptance is absolutely the key to happiness — but it’s probably the most difficult thing you could possibly achieve,” she told Fox News Digital. “I try, but I haven’t been very successful at it.”
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. (Sunrise at East 56th)
Wharton, a lifelong New Yorker who’s been close friends with Fleischman for over 50 years, also has a resolution to walk regularly.
“I’m using a walker now, after having been in a wheelchair for a while after a fall last week,” she told Fox News Digital.
“So now I want to be able to walk — not with a walker, but on my own — right into Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s, my favorite stores.”
Words of wisdom for all
When asked to share her best advice for younger generations, Fleischman stressed the importance of constantly growing and learning.
“You have to learn from what is happening around you and be smart enough to accept it,” she advised. “Acceptance is very important.”
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For example, Fleischman said she’s learned to accept the fact that she doesn’t hear or see as well as she once did, and she can’t swim like she used to — but she’s accepted those realities and still considers herself “very lucky.”
Hummel, a retired economist, encourages others to adopt a practice that encourages introspection and reflection.
“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.
Lois Hummel, 90, is pictured crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, which was a longtime goal of hers, she told Fox News Digital. (Sunrise at East 56th)
“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.”
She added, “The more you look, the more you see the type of person you really are.”
Hummel also stressed the importance of looking after animals and the environment.
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Wharton’s advice is for people to “interact harmoniously” with one another.
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.”
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. (Sunrise at East 56th)
The three women agreed that giving back to others and to the community should be a primary focus.
Fleischman, who spent many years doing volunteer work, shared a mantra she said her husband used to follow.
“He said if the community has been good to you and you haven’t suffered, you owe something back to it. It’s a joy to help others who haven’t done as well as you have.”
Above all, she added, people should try to be better, whatever that means for them.
“If each individual tries to be better and helpful to others, then the whole world will change.”
“You learn so much by reaching out to others — it’s a wonderful gain.”
Fleischman also advised people to be “less concerned about themselves and more concerned about others,” noting that “self-absorption” is not healthy.
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“We’re here not only to help ourselves, but to help others,” she said.
“You learn so much by reaching out to others — it’s a wonderful gain. And I hope that will be a resolution for many people.”
Benefits of goal-setting for seniors
New Year’s 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.
“Seniors should be encouraged to look forward, regardless of age,” she told Fox News Digital.
As a geriatric clinician, Petersen considers this a critical factor in her evaluation of older adults.
“Are they looking forward to the future — or are they feeling isolated, alone or hopeless? If individuals are focused on the future, it’s a sign of mental health, whether they are 9 or 90+,” she noted.
“Seniors should be encouraged to look forward, regardless of age,” a geriatric clinician told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
As some older adults with cognitive decline 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.
“And, given the mind-body connection, we know that improved mental health increases the likelihood of improved physical health and a better sense of overall well-being,” she added.
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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.”
“Family seems most important to these folks, as that is what drives them to seek treatment,” she told Fox News Digital.
A geriatric clinician noted that future goals for the older adults in her facility are mostly focused on “purpose and quality of life.” (iStock)
Some of the most common resolutions among her senior patients include improving relationships with family members, getting physically stronger and healthier, managing anxiety and depression, and managing chronic pain.
“Sometimes goals with this population can even be simply focused on getting home from treatment and seeking to get better quickly,” Santiago said.
“We will use this as a motivation rather than as an obstacle.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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Research continues to uncover new details on how fasting may help extend life.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications investigated how intermittent fasting can boost longevity in small worms often used in aging research.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas compared worms that were fed normally to those that underwent a 24-hour fast in early adulthood and were then fed again, according to a press release.
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The scientists measured a variety of factors, including stored fat, gene activity related to fat metabolism and lifespan.
The results showed that the life-boosting benefit did not depend on the fasting itself but on the body’s behavior after eating again.
Experts say sustainability is key when choosing a long-term weight-loss strategy. (iStock)
Study lead Peter Douglas, associate professor of molecular biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern, suggested that these discoveries “shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the re-feeding phase.”
“Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” he said.
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“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” he added. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”
Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, called this a “high-quality” study that adds an “important nuance to how we think about fasting and longevity.”
Intermittent fasting typically involves limiting meals to an eight-hour daily window or fasting every other day. (iStock)
The benefits of the refeeding phase after fasting were “especially interesting,” Wright, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The researchers showed that longevity was linked to the body’s ability to turn off fat breakdown after fasting, allowing cells to restore energy balance,” she reiterated.
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“From a scientific standpoint, that’s a meaningful shift because it suggests fasting is not just about burning fat, but about metabolic flexibility.”
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Fasting may support longevity through triggering metabolic switching, enhancing cellular repair and stress resistance and improving markers like insulin sensitivity, research shows.
Limitations and cautions
Although this study provides “important insight” on the power of refeeding, Wright noted that the findings should be approached with caution, as the study was done on worms and cannot always be translated to humans.
“Additionally, it explains how a process might work in a controlled lab condition rather than real-world eating behaviors,” she added as a limitation. “Finally, the study is short-term and doesn’t give us the long-term translation on lifespan outcomes.”
The review found intermittent fasting was barely more effective than doing nothing, according to the study authors. (iStock)
Wright cautioned that fasting is “not a magic solution for longevity, and how you eat overall matters more than when you eat.”
“I advise, first and foremost, to focus on diet quality, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and minimally processed foods,” she said.
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For those who are considering fasting, it’s better to stick with a moderate plan — like a 12- to 14-hour overnight fast — rather than going to extremes, Wright said. After fasting, she recommends focusing on well-balanced meals.
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Several groups of people should be cautioned against fasting, according to Wright, including those with diabetes who are on insulin or hypoglycemic medications, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a history of eating disorders and older adults at risk of malnutrition.
Anyone considering intermittent fasting should consult with a doctor before starting.
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