6 The Hampton Roads Messenger Health


Can Spirituality Help You Age More Gracefully?


Volume 9 Number 4


December 2014


WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its


today partnership that it agreement with


renewed the


Minority Business RoundTable (MBRT) to continue joint outreach efforts to minority entrepreneurs. The strategic


ongoing effort to support small business development


in underserved communities. The BY RACHEL DORNHELM


WASHINGTON, D.C.–As people get older, they often try to come to terms with their lives. They may ask themselves, what happened along the way and why?


Aging may also come with new and different challenges, like the loss of independence or a debilitating illness. Research


suggests that Lydia spirituality


can help. At a recent meeting for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), KALW’s Rachel Dornhelm spoke with


K. Manning,


associate professor of Gerontology at Concordia University in Chicago, about spirituality and aging in older adults. Dornhelm produced this interview


through a


interviewed, I came to the table with a broad definition rooted in the [social- science] literature. It was:


1. Intense awareness of the present; 2. Transcendence of the personal self;


3. Feeling of connection with all of life, the universe or a supreme being.


Of course, there are so many different ways to define spirituality. I just think of it as connection to something bigger or greater. Or the Other--big O.


DORNHELM: You mentioned the literature. What does the scientific literature say about spirituality and aging?


Are there any interesting


correlations or trends? MANNING:


There Journalism


Fellowship from New America Media and GSA, supported by AARP.


RACHEL DORNHELM: How did you get interested in the subject of aging?


LYDIA MANNING: I had an


experience when I was young. I was very close to my grandmother who ended up in a nursing home when I was seven. So from the ages of seven to about 14 or 15, I spent a lot of time visiting with her. As a result I had many friends who were actually residents in the nursing home. I realized early on that I had a connection, interest, and a fondness for being around and working with older adults.


DORNHELM: So what was your dissertation topic and what are you researching now?


MANNING: For my dissertation topic I interviewed women in late, late life. All of the participants were over 85 years old. I was very interested in their spiritual experiences and how that factored into late, late life and approaching death. How they were making meaning as they approached their end of life?


From that, I realized the there profound hardship was


something happening with spirituality and resilience. The women I talked to described having withstand


ability to and


adversity, particularly in late, late life. In many ways their spirituality was a buffer and a tool.


DORNHELM: Were these people who always self-identified as spiritual?


MANNING: The women I talked to for my dissertation were all 85 and over, and for most of them spirituality reflected some kind of continuous narrative in their lives.


DORNHELM: I’m curious how you define spirituality in your work.


MANNING: With the women I correlations between are positive religion and


wellbeing. Higher levels of religiosity often indicate


higher levels of


subjective wellbeing and happiness, and [better] health outcomes.


There are operating a lot of mechanisms there. If you have a


population that is pretty dedicated to church attendance, for example, and identify as religious, maybe there are other behaviors that complement that lifestyle. Maybe less smoking, less risky behavior.


If you look in relationship outcomes in


the later literature, the


between positive life, and higher


levels of spirituality and religion, are still mysterious.


DORNHELM: What to you are the most interesting points of inquiry to follow up on?


MANNING: My work has been focused on positive association and experiences. I do think there is room for looking


at trauma related to


religion or spirituality, and how that impacts people later in life.


And I think it would be interesting to look at cohorts of Baby Boomers. How many conversions and reconversions have they had? (If they’ve gone away from religion) do they identify spiritual later in life?


as


DORNHELM: Is there anything else we should be thinking about with respect to spirituality and aging?


MANNING: In the world of


scholarship and the academy we are quick to make assumptions. So even if academicians or providers aren’t religious,


it is important to offer a


space for older adults to be spiritual beings, if that is important to them- -especially in medical care. If you’re dealing with end-of-life issues, and someone is asking you to meet them in a spiritual place, it’s important for providers to honor and remain open to that.


Nutrition Information Makes 6 servings


Serving size: 1/4 cup


Each serving provides: Calories: 110 Total Fat: less than 1 g Saturated Fat: less than 1 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 115 mg Total Fiber: 2 g Protein: 1 g Carbohydrates: 25 g Potassium: 344 mg


agreement allows the organizations to share resources and educate minority entrepreneurs on how to use SBA products and services to establish and grow their businesses.


“The Urban Institute conducted recently a study that found that


women and minority-owned businesses are three to five times more likely to be approved for an SBA-backed loan than a conventional loan. We know that providing lending and access to federal contracts to minority businesses can lift up entire communities,” said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet. “I’m determined to get more loans and federal contracts into the hands of entrepreneurs who reflect the diversity of America.”


In FY 14, the SBA approved 15,620 minority


totaling $6.5 billion. Minority-owned businesses continue


account for


owned business loans to


about 28 percent of the agency’s overall lending and 12.9 percent of its microloans. Also in FY 2014, the number of SBA loans to African Americans grew by roughly 36 percent from the previous year and 14 percent for Hispanics and women.


In FY14, Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), which constitutes


alliance is part of SBA’s initiatives


SBA, Minority Business RoundTable Renew Partnership to Expand Outreach to Minority Entrepreneurs a majority


businesses, continued FY13, the federal contracts. government


of minority-owned to receive


awards valued in billions of dollars through federal


During far


exceeded its goal of awarding 5 percent of prime contracting dollars to SDBs, awarding 8.61 percent or $30.6 billion.


That highest achievement government


percentage of contracts the has


awarded MBRT is a national


represents the to


Small


Disadvantaged Business in American history.


membership


organization for minority CEOs that serves as a unified voice for minority businesses. Through this partnership, the SBA and MBRT intend to help more of these businesses succeed and stimulate economic growth in their communities and the nation’s economy.


The SBA and MBRT alliance business development


is


intended to strengthen and expand small


across


the nation for minority entrepreneurs. SBA will provide MBRT with timely information on the agency’s programs, services and resource partners, participate in roundtable discussions and conferences and advise them on events that will impact their mission.


As part of the resource pooling,


MBRT will cooperate with SBA and its resource partners to provide information to members about


its


business development programs and services, and share current SBA news and information.


The two-year agreement is a renewal of the partnership that started between the SBA and MBRT in 2010.


HRM Healthy Recipe Candied Yams


These yams are heart healthy because they are cooked with soft tub margarine instead of butter. The spices and a touch of orange juice add flavor you and your family will surely enjoy!


Ingredients


• 3 medium yams (1½ cups) • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed • 1 teaspoon flour, sifted • ¼ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg • ¼ teaspoon orange peel • 1 teaspoon soft tub margarine • ½ cup orange juice


Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 ºF.


2. Cut yams in half, and boil until tender but firm (about 20 minutes). When cooled enough to handle, peel and slice into 1/4-inch thickness.


3. Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and grated orange peel.


4. Coat a medium-sized casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place half of the sliced yams in the dish. Sprinkle with spiced sugar mixture.


5. Dot with half the amount of margarine.


6. Add a second layer of yams, using the rest of the ingredients in the same order as above. Add orange juice.


7. Bake uncovered in oven for 20 minutes.


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