佳美 81 美國通 35 aging America一解： Friendship, and Some Fancy Footwork (The Bodacious Belles, a women’s group in Beaufort, N.C.)

 

Of course, for many older people, isolation, declining health or a lack of financial resources make getting older a cascade of challenges without easy solutions.

But in an aging country, in which women outlive men by about six years, the Belles are the kind of potent social network that knits older women together, as well as a window into successful aging.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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Their Weapons Against the Effects of Aging: Friendship, and Some Fancy Footwork

The Bodacious Belles, a women’s group in Beaufort, N.C., shows the difference a network of support can make in an aging America.

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The Bodacious Belles participating in the annual Fourth of July Parade in Beaufort, N.C.

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WHY WE’RE HERE

We’re exploring how America defines itself one place at a time. In Beaufort, N.C., a group of women offers a window into what contemporary aging can be in a nation that is rapidly getting older.

Studies have shown that participating in community activities and forming lasting ties in groups like the Belles is beneficial for older adults’ mental health.