The Senior Scene

Well, that’s one way to make a dream come true.

Dennis Cobourn, 82, went skydiving thanks to the “Livin’ the Dream” program at Solstice Senior Living at Point Defiance, the Tacoma community where he lives. The program helps residents fill their bucket list at any age.

When Cobourn shared his lifelong ambition to skydive, the wheels (or is that wings?) were set in motion. And on Aug. 17, he took the plunge.

“It was scary, exciting and exhilarating. I’m so glad I did it,” Cobourn said after jumping out of a plane while strapped to a professional skydiver who guided him on the way down.

He was joined for the sky-high adventure at Skydive Kapowsin in Shelton by Solstice administrator Lisa Meinecke, who also counted skydiving as a personal item on her own bucket list.

“There was no chickening out for them. They were in all the way,” said Joelle Nyman, director of vibrant-life services at Solstice at Point Defiance. In Cobourn’s case, “age has never stopped him,” she added.

Cobourn, who loves rock and roll music and sports cars, is a longtime aviation buff. He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in aerospace engineering. He went on to work on space launch vehicles for General Dynamics in San Diego and Boeing 737 and 747 aircrafts in Seattle. Later, he worked as a utilities engineer in Vancouver, Wash. and Bremerton.

For his skydiving experience, Cobourn did a tandem jump—attached back-to-front with a harness to a qualified instructor. Some pre-jump training on the ground covered the gear they’d be using, how they’d jump from the plane, and techniques for freefalling and landing.

In tandem jumps, the duo typically freefalls for a minute, reaching a speed of 120 miles per hour before opening the parachute at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. The rest of the descent takes four to six minutes, according to Skydive Kapowsin.

Cobourn is now in the company of other octogenarians and up who’ve skydived. The oldest tandem jumper on record, according to Guinness Book of World Records, is Al Blaschke of Texas, who was 103 for his leap in 2020—which wasn’t his first. He also jumped when he was 100. The previous recordholder was a 102-year-old woman, who did it in 2018.

The oldest solo jumper was 80-year-old Dilys Price of Wales, in 2018. She died in 2020.

Florence Rigney is finally doing something at least close to what she never wanted to do: Sit.

“SeeSee,” as she’s known by her friends and co-workers, has retired at the age of 96 from a career that began more than 70 years ago and ended with her being the oldest working nurse in America.

“I don’t like to sit around – I’ve always got to have something to do. That’s my nature,” said Rigney, whose last day with MultiCare Health System was July 16.

Nursing took Rigney across the country, from Washington to Texas to Wyoming, with small breaks to care for her family. She has two children. Now, in retirement, she’s looking forward to enjoying her family and friends.

“I don’t know exactly what made me want to become a nurse, but it was something that I always wanted to do. I love to interact with patients and give them the help that I can,” Rigney said.

She witnessed countless changes and medical innovations since she first put on the white uniform of a student nurse in the Tacoma General School of Nursing. When she started, penicillin had just been introduced.

One of the biggest changes that she’s seen is the duration of patient stays in hospitals. In the old days, she noted, patients could stay for 10 days or longer after surgery. Now most go home in a day or two, thanks to advances in modern medicine and in-homecare options.

As an operating-room nurse, Rigney was responsible for setting up the rooms to the specifications of surgeons and prepping patients for surgery, such as positioning them on the operating table. During her shifts, she was always active, frequently walking more than three miles or more according to her Fitbit. And she was always the first to jump to a task. When a pregnant co-worker made a call to hospital nurses to help her move a patient, Rigney, in her 90s, was the first to show up.

Rigney did try to slow down once. When she was 65, she turned in her retirement papers. But that only lasted about six months. She knew she needed to get back in action to stay sharp and active. She returned to Tacoma General Hospital to work full-time and only within the last couple years switched to part-time, continuing to prep surgery rooms and patients and filling in as a relief nurse.

In a career spanning 70 years, you pick up quite a bit of knowledge, and Rigney has some to share with future nurses: “Don’t ever think that you know it all. I kind of did that when I was in the operating room, and you have to always be open. You never stop learning.”

In appreciation for her service to her profession, MultiCare, which has hospitals, clinics and other healthcare services in multiple regions of Washington, is establishing the SeeSee Rigney Nursing Endowed Scholarship Fund. It will provide scholarships to MultiCare nurses for continued learning and development and for MultiCare employees who want a career in nursing.

Rigney was “never one to slow down. Some of her colleagues joked that they had to sprint to keep up with her,” said Laureen Driscoll, president of MultiCare’s Tacoma General and Allenmore hospitals. “She’s continued to be a dedicated nurse and an incredible resource to her colleagues and community. It’s humbling to stop and think about the thousands and thousands of lives she’s cared for. Everyone at MultiCare thanks SeeSee for her unmatched dedication and service, and we’re proud to honor her by supporting tomorrow’s future nurses.”

The public can contribute to Rigney’s legacy at multicare.org/supportnursing.

There’s some debate on how society should describe the 55-and-older population, but there’s no consensus. From politics to the pandemic, when older adults come up in discussions of pressing issues, they’re labeled in ways that range from traditional (senior citizens) to respectful (mature adults) to Boomer.

To help figure out what older adults prefer, 600 of them were surveyed about how they want to be thought of and referred to. The general feedback was this: They want to be recognized as integral parts of society rather than as burdens. And their preferences for an age-group label are varied.

The survey by The Senior List (the seniorlist.com), a consumer research and information website, found sentiment around terms like “older adult,” “mature adult” and “retiree” is much more positive than “seniors” or “elderly.” They made people feel more included, “which is important as we age,” The Senior List reported.

Several points that emerged from the survey are:

• “Senior” terms are on their way out. Traditional labels like “senior” or “senior citizen” were preferred by a small percentage of older adults – 17 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Younger respondents were less tolerant of both terms, foreshadowing a continued decline in popularity.
• Inclusive terms are appreciated the most. Terms that slightly altered words like “adult” were most embraced by the group; 79 percent were positive about being called “older adults” or “mature adults.” On the flip side, terms that might make older adults feel alienated, like “the elderly” or “golden agers,” proved least popular.
• Emphasis on lifestyle was preferred over longevity. The only term that focused on status rather than age (“retiree”) performed surprisingly well. Though half of survey respondents were under 65, only 17 percent disliked “retiree,” suggesting that older Americans may prefer stage-of-life labels over references to lifespan.

The lack of a standout isn’t particularly surprising, according to researchers, as that choice can be deeply personal. Some seniors embrace growing older, others resist mortality, while the very definition of “old” is a matter of perspective. Since aging is inevitable, perhaps some people feel boxed in or trapped by a label of any kind.

Those in their 50s don’t necessarily favor the same language as those in their 80s, which becomes apparent when dissecting the survey data along age lines.

Many opinions were consistent across age groups, especially the universal intolerance of least-popular names (“the elderly,” ”elderly,” and “golden agers”). A comparison of these emerging terms versus traditional titles, however, revealed different preferences by decade: 63 percent of respondents in their 50s chose inclusive references as their favorite, and had little love for traditional “senior” labels (9 percent). Opinions of those over age 80 were inverted, and senior titles (63 percent) topped the inclusive options (21 percent).

“This might only suggest that we become more comfortable with ‘senior’ titles as we grow older, but popular usage reflects the same shifting dynamic,” The Senior List said.

According to databases like Corpus of Contemporary American English and Google’s Ngram Viewer, which analyze word counts across published sources, the use of “senior citizen” has steadily declined since 1980, while “older adult” has consistently climbed in recent decades and looks to continue on that path.

Meanwhile, support for the lifestyle term “retiree” followed a classic bell curve, peaking around traditional retirement age, with less support among those too young to consider it or long past the age where it was relevant.

Then again, societal forces may soon divorce this term from age entirely. Older Americans now live longer, work longer, and have expanded employment opportunities thanks to remote technology. Tech moguls retire at 35 as grandparents re-enter the workforce, blurring lines so much that AARP stopped using its full name (American Association of Retired Persons) in favor of its four-letter acronym.

What’s the impact moving forward? The youngest folks who are 55-plus prefer the inclusive terms like “older” or “mature” adults, showing that “senior” or “elderly” terminology probably won’t be around much longer. And stage-of-life labels will be preferred to lifespan references.

The public-health officers of King County, Pierce County, and six other counties in western Washington are formally advising citizens to wear masks in any businesses and other indoor public settings—a change from recent loosening of mask guidelines since the advent of vaccinations against COVID-19.

In a joint statement issued July 26, the officials said a return to broader mask-wearing will help reduce the risk of COVID-19 to the public, including business customers and workers, help stem the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in many parts of the state, and decrease the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

Vaccinations are the best defense against COVID-19 and are readily available for everyone age 12 and over, and anyone who isn’t already should get vaccinated “immediately,” the officials said.

Health officers for Snohomish, Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, San Juan, and Grays Harbor counties also are part of the mask recommendation.

The renewed emphasis was also stated by King County’s health officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin, during a press briefing July 23.

“Wearing a mask in indoor public settings where not everyone is known to be vaccinated is easy and effective and provides an extra layer of protection for all of us as we get back to doing the things we want to do and need to do,” Duchin said.

COVID-19 has been on the rise in King County since June 29, when the county’s indoor mask directive ended. At that time, Seattle-King County Public Health reported an average of 61 new cases daily. Three weeks later, the average daily case counts were at 141.

Hospitalizations in King County also have increased, according to Duchin. In a seven-day period ending July 23, 45 people were admitted to hospitals as COVID patients, a 32 percent increase over the previous week.

According to the western Washington county health officers, recent outbreaks have occurred in indoor settings where people have prolonged contact with one another, such as gyms and social gatherings. These outbreaks, like others reported nationally, include indoor public settings where unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people aren’t masking. There are some instances of infection even among vaccinated people engaging in indoor activity in a poorly ventilated space without masks.

The health officers issued the following questions and answers to help inform the public about the need for masks:

Where and for whom does this recommendation apply?

Anyone older than 2 years old is encouraged to mask up if they are entering an indoor space that is open to the public. This includes retail and grocery stores, government buildings, or other businesses or places where people can enter freely.  If you can’t be certain those around you are fully vaccinated, mask up. Masks add another layer of protection to what vaccination has already given you. If you’re not vaccinated, it prevents transmission to others.

What does this mean for businesses?

This is not a new or separate mandate for businesses, which must still comply with statewide mask requirements and should be requiring masks for unvaccinated individuals in public indoor spaces. However, we are encouraging businesses to ask everyone to mask up when entering in order to help protect workers and customers, particularly if they are unable to verify vaccination status of everyone who enters their establishment.

Why are local health officers urging masking for all in these settings when the state Department of Health and the governor haven’t?

Local public health officials are responsible for providing their best advice and guidance for their communities on how COVID-19 is transmitted and how to prevent it. Because of the increasing case counts, hospitalizations, and transmission of the Delta variant, the health officers felt it was important to share this recommendation with their communities for reducing transmission of COVID-19.

 How will this be enforced?

This is not a mandate. It is a recommendation from the Puget Sound-area health officers to keep the community as safe as possible.

 If the vaccines are so effective, why do vaccinated people need to mask up?

The vaccines are highly effective, and this recommendation doesn’t challenge that fact. No vaccine is 100 percent effective at preventing illness. Those who are fully vaccinated are less likely to become ill with COVID, and much less likely to become hospitalized or die. Still, vaccinated people can get COVID. These are called breakthrough cases, and a small number are happening in Washington. So even though you are at least 10 times less likely to get COVID or have a severe illness if you are fully vaccinated, you still can get sick and potentially spread it to others. Well-fitting, multi-layer cloth face masks reduce spread of infectious droplets. As case rates rise, and as we continue to learn more about the highly transmissible Delta variant, masking is an extra layer of protection that the health officers are encouraging for everyone when indoors in public. Vaccination, mask wearing, good ventilation, and hand hygiene keep bad health and economic consequences of this Delta strain at bay.

Isn’t this confusing? Do people listen to the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or the state or local health departments?

The CDC and state and local public health officials agree that COVID vaccines and masking have been effective at reducing transmission. While the officials aren’t requiring masks in all indoor public settings for fully vaccinated individuals, even vaccinated people may still choose to mask up, and that is what we are encouraging them to do. At the same time, this ensures easy verification that all unvaccinated people are masked in those settings, as well.