ProAging Information Network

http://www.retirement-living.com/events?state=&query=proaging&sort=

ProAging/IAC/NorthCounty @ Vinson Hall - Social Work Month Lunch



Date: Thursday March 19, 2009

Time: Noon - 2ish

Location: Vinson Hall

6251 Old Dominion Drive

Mclean, VA 22101



Description: Dont miss the best networking and education of the year. Featured speaker is Steve Gurney sharing the perspective of his immersion into the life of a retirement community resident at age 43. 

Contact: Please RSVP

Call: 703-992-1126 or rsvp@proaging.com 

 

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ProAging @ The Erickson School/UMBC featuring Dr. Bill Thomas

 

Date: Friday April 24, 2009

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 10ish

Location: UMBC Campus - specific location TBA

Catonsville, MD 21228



Description: Join other senior-serving professionals and the students, alumni, staff and faculty of the innovative Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC. This is a FREE event, refreshments, bring plenty of business cards and brochures. About Dr. Bill Thomas Dr. Bill Thomas, is an international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare. He is a professor at the Erickson School and has been heavily involved in the culture change movement to promote elderhood as an honorable and valuable position in our society. He is the founder of the Eden Alternative, a philosophy and program that de-institutionalized nursing homes world-wide over the past 20 years. Most recently he developed the Green House, a radically new approach to long term care where nursing homes are torn down and replaced with small, home-like environments where people can live a full and interactive life. Please RSVP to rsvp@proaging.com  so we can send you specific driving and parking details.

Call: 800-394-9990 ext. 1126

rsvp@proaging.com 

A new article in The Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences reveals that African American women aged 60 and older who volunteer in elementary schools are not only more physically active than their non-volunteering counterparts, but seem to sustain this physical activity over time. Specifically, those who volunteered burned twice as many calories as those who did not. 

This study, led by Erwin Tan, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins University, suggests that the country’s investment in national and community service programs can simultaneously be an investment in public health.

“For our volunteers,” Tan said, “volunteering with children may be as good for their health as a gym membership. For our children, the wisdom that our older adults have is priceless.” He added that, due to their enjoyment of working with children, the volunteers may be more willing to keep up with this approach in the long term, compared with traditional exercise programs.

Tan also explained that the focus on African American women was due to their prevalence in the two community groups from which the study participants were recruited, but he said the results are likely the same for all older people.

The data was gathered from participants in the Experience Corps (EC) program, a community-based initiative that places older adults as volunteers in public elementary schools. This information was then compared to surveys of non-volunteers enrolled in the Baltimore Women’s Health and Aging Studies.

Tan’s research builds on the results of a 2006 study of the EC program, which showed that 15 hours of volunteer work per week at an elementary school nearly doubled a sedentary older adult’s activity level.  The new study demonstrates that the increased activity can remain high for at least three years.

Another Johns Hopkins-based investigation of the EC program was published in the December 2008 issue of The Gerontologist. A research team led by Michelle Carlson, PhD, reported similar findings about EC’s potential cognitive benefits for participants. 

She and her colleagues found that EC volunteers showed greater improvements in memory and executive function than those who did not participate in the program.  In fact, the older adults with the lowest baseline performance in these areas — those most at risk for health disparities — demonstrated the most significant gains.

 

Both studies highlighted above show that everyday activity interventions (e.g., EC) can appeal to older adults’ desires to remain socially engaged and productive in their post-retirement years. Simultaneously, these activities provide measurable physical and cognitive health benefits.

 

The Baltimore County Department of Aging and the Commission on Aging are hosting their annual “Senior Solutions Conference” on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at the Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt.

The topic of this year’s Conference is Age is Just a Number: How to Extend Your Warranty and will focus on way professionals can help increase longevity and quality of life for older adults. The keynote speaker is Harry R. Moody, Director of Academic Affairs for AARP. Some of the other topics that will be included are “Using Technology to Enhance the Aging Experience,” “Staying Sharp: Preventing Alzheimer’s” and a panel discussion on “Staying Young Through Engagement.”

Sheppard Pratt Health System, Mays Chapel Ridge, Frank, Frank & Scherr, LLC, Home Helpers, Gilchrist Hospice Care, the Johns Hopkins Geriatric Education Center and the Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing are sponsoring the conference.

Continuing Education Units will be offered for a variety of professions.  For more information and/or a registration brochure, call 410-887-2002 or e-mail jkfish@baltimorecountymd.gov.

 

 By: PR Newswire | 29 Jan 2009 |

10:57 AM ET Text Size WOONSOCKET, R.I., Jan 29, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –

Second Annual "For All the Ways You Care" Contest Invites Participants to Share and Celebrate Accounts of Caregiving CVS/pharmacy, the nation’s leading retail pharmacy, today announced its second annual "For All the Ways You Care" contest created to celebrate and honor caregivers across America.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090129/NE64371LOGO ) CVS/pharmacy invites caregivers and others to submit stories of caring online at www.ForAllTheWaysYouCare.com, a growing community that strives to celebrate the unsung caregivers in our society. The site provides a forum for people to share a story about someone who has touched their life or how they personally have touched another’s.

"CVS/pharmacy is committed to caring for women and those they care for. We are pleased to see the For All the Ways You Care community continue to grow as people exchange stories and discuss all aspects of caregiving," said Rob Price, senior vice president, Marketing and Advertising, CVS/pharmacy. "Thousands of stories have been shared on ForAllTheWaysYouCare.com since it launched last year, and we continue to be truly amazed by the selfless devotion demonstrated by so many caregivers." From the stories submitted from October 5, 2008 through March 1, 2009, CVS/pharmacy and an esteemed panel of judges will select a group of finalists and ultimately a grand prize winner whose stories best represent a nurturing spirit and dedication to others. The finalists will be honored for their inspirational stories at a luncheon and luxury weekend in New York City in May.

In appreciation for their commitment to caring, nine finalists will each receive $10,000 and the grand prize winner will receive $25,000 from CVS/pharmacy.

Panelists selecting the winners include Lee Woodruff, author and wife of ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff; Dr. Roseanna Means, founder of Women of Means, a program of volunteer doctors who provide free medical care to homeless women and children; Tina Sharkey, BabyCenter chairman and global president; and Rosemary Ellis, Good Housekeeping editor-in-chief. The members of the panel will post their own personal caregiving stories on www.ForAllTheWaysYouCare.com.

"I am privileged to be part of this growing campaign," said Woodruff. "Our family continues to receive an outpouring of love and support, and I am grateful to help give back by honoring special caregivers across America." To join the community of caring and enter the For All the Ways You Care contest, please visit: www.ForAllTheWaysYouCare.com.

 

Consumers Purchasing More Affordable Long-Term Care Insurance

Individual Buyers Are Younger; Opting For More Affordable Cost-Sharing Approach

Los Angeles, February 25, 2009  -  Some 400,000 individuals purchased long-term care insurance protection in 2008 according to a just-released report.   The overwhelming majority (84%) of individual buyers in 2008 were younger than age 65 and three-fourths (76%) selected a more affordable approach to this protection by opting for coverage for a specific number of years.

The annual study conducted by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, the industry’s professional trade organization, analyzed data on 215,000 buyers of individual long-term care insurance protection.  According to the organization’s research, some 8.2 million Americans now have long-term care insurance protection purchased on an individual basis (typically through an insurance professional) or through a plan offered by their employer.

"Individuals continue to purchase protection at younger ages," explains Jesse Slome, the Association’s Executive Director.  In 2008, some 53% of individual buyers were between ages 55 and 64; compared to 50% the prior year.  Another 24% were between ages 45 and 54 (2008).  "The age of buyers keeps dropping as consumers – especially baby boomers – understand the cost-saving benefits of locking in good health discounts and ways to make protection more affordable," Slome explains.  In 2000, the average age of an individual buying long-term care insurance was 67.

The number of individuals purchasing long-term care insurance protection for a specified number of years also increased according to the Association study.  Just over three-fourths (76%) of buyers in 2008 opted for coverage for a claim lasting five years or less; a slight increase over the prior year (71%).  "The most expensive long-term care insurance policy is one with an unlimited benefit period (one with no cap on the number of years benefits will be received)," Slome explains.  "Consumers are right-sizing their protection taking into account available savings and retirement income.  This cost-sharing approach can reduce the cost of protection by 30 percent or more

Perhaps in recognition of cost-consciousness, consumers were fairly evenly spread in terms of the level of selected daily benefit.  Just under one-third (31.5%) opted for a daily benefit between $100 and $149.  "In current dollars, that amounts to between $36,500 and $54,385 in a yearly benefit," Slome notes.  "But most policies offer an option so benefits keep pace with rising costs and 15 years from now, the value of the (higher) benefit would be $75,800 a year."

The complete findings of the study are published in the 2009 LTCi Sourcebook available from the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.  For additional information, call the Association’s offices at (818) 597-3227 or visit the organization’s website: http://www.aaltci.org/.

Summarized Study Data

credit:  2009 LTCi Sourcebook, American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance

Age of Buyers (2008)

Under 45                   7%

45 to 54                   24%

55 to 64                   53%

65 and Over            16%

Daily Benefit (2008)

Less than $100                  6.5%

$100 to $149                   31.5%

$150 to $199                     35%

$200 and Over                   27%

Benefit Period (2008)

2 Years                   7%

3 Years                   30%

5 Years                   24%

Unlimited                13%

Premium Paid (2008)

Age                   Low                   High                   Average

35 - 44               $637                   $2,830                   $1,650

45 - 54             $1008                   $6,440                   $1,900

55 - 64               $844                   $7,400                   $2,150

65 and Over     $1,883                   N/A                   $3,350

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Turmoil in the housing and stock markets now threatens the retirement security of tens of millions of baby boomers who looked to their houses and investments as sources of retirement wealth. A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) shows that due to the collapse of the housing bubble, the vast majority of near retirees have accumulated little or no wealth. This means that they will be almost completely reliant on Social Security and Medicare to support them in their retirement years.



“The collapse of the housing bubble, which led to the current recession, has already destroyed almost $6 trillion dollars in housing wealth for homeowners,” said report co-author Dean Baker, who will be testifying today before the Senate Special Committee on Aging. “This reality is compounded by the recent collapse of the stock market. The result is that many baby boomers will only have Social Security and Medicare to rely on in their retirement.



The study, “The Wealth of the Baby Boom Cohorts After the Collapse of the Housing Bubble,” analyzed the wealth holdings of families headed by people ages 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 in 2004 and projected their wealth in 2009. The findings are presented by income quintile under three scenarios: house prices remain at November 2008 levels—the latest data available—, house prices fall by 5 percent from November levels, or house prices fall by 15 percent. In all three scenarios, the vast majority of these families will lose a substantial portion of their net wealth in 2009.



The report projects that in 2009, the median household in the 45 to 54 age cohort saw its net worth drop by more than 45 percent since 2004, to just over $80,000 (including home equity). For early baby boomers, those between the ages of 55 and 64, the losses were not quite as steep but still came to 38 percent of net wealth, with the median wealth falling to $140,000, approximately 80 percent of the price of the median home. Nearly 30 percent of late baby boomers will need to bring cash to a closing to cover their outstanding mortgage and transactions costs. 



This analysis should reaffirm the need to protect programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Baker commented, “now that tens of millions of families have just seen much of their wealth disappear, it is especially important to pursue policies that ensure retirement security for those on the brink of retirement.”



In examining wealth holdings for these families, the authors used data from the Federal Reserve Board’s 2004 Survey of Consumer Finance.  The authors also used the S&P/ Case-Shiller 20-city Composite Index to adjust for equity values and home price changes between 2004 and 2009.

“Discovering How Engaged Older Adults are Transforming the Nation’s Service Community”

Partners In Care Maryland has received a Multi-generational & Civic Engagement (MGCE) Initiative grant from the National Council on Aging (NCOA) for demonstrating potential as an exceptional locally developed program model for older adult volunteers 55 years and older.  This Initiative is funded through an innovative public-private partnership between NCOA, US Administration on Aging, Corporation for National and Community Service, the Atlantic Philanthropies and MetLife Foundation.

“Across the nation, local community groups are discovering new and innovative ways to significantly engage an expanding army of baby boomers,” said Barbara Huston, Partners In Care Maryland president. “Our programs focus on ways that tap the life experience, skills, and special talents of older adults to strengthen and reach vulnerable segments of our community.”

Partners In Care Maryland competed with more than 80 applicants from across the country, and was selected as one of only 14 programs to be noted for exceptional programs and volunteer engagement strategies.

“Grantees participating in this Initiative will undergo a vigorous process of review, documentation and model development that will provide the evidence to encourage greater investment by public and private funders, policy makers and legislators in effective programs and initiatives that engage older adult volunteers to address issues and challenges,” said Tom Endres, NCOA vice president for Civic Engagement.  “The grantees’ programs and practices will demonstrate what actually works and makes a difference at the local level, and how other communities and groups can apply these principles and models in their local communities.”

#    #    #

The National Council on Aging (NCOA), a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, is a national voice for older Americans – especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged – and the community organizations that serve them.  We turn creative ideas into effective programs that help millions of the nation’s seniors live independently, find jobs and benefits, manage their health and contribute to the communities.  For more information, visit www.ncoa.org.

Partners In Care Maryland (PIC) is a community nonprofit empowering older adults to remain independent in their own homes.  Founded in Anne Arundel County in 1993, PIC uses the tool of time-banking or service-exchange to foster civic engagement and build a community network of care around older adults.  For more information, visit partnersincare.org.

 

 CATONSVILLE, MD (February 24) A group of prominent Maryland healthcare institutions, including Erickson Retirement Communities, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, MedStar Health, and the University of Maryland Medical System announced this week that it has submitted its comprehensive plan for a statewide health information exchange (HIE).  Widespread adoption of health information technology can enable improvements in healthcare quality, prevent medical errors, and reduce healthcare costs by delivering essential information at the point of care.  The plan addresses issues related to governance, privacy and security, technical architecture, hardware and software, implementation costs, and financial sustainability.

 The group, whose members have been meeting as the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP), presented their plan to the Maryland Health Care Commission and the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission, which funded the initiative.  A copy of the plan was also presented to Gov. Martin O’Malley.

 “In designing this plan, the members of CRISP wanted to ensure that the needs of both providers and patients across all venues of care were well served,” said Catherine Szenczy, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for MedStar Health.

 The CRISP proposal to build a secure, standards-based platform for exchanging health information puts patients at its center.  In the future exchange, patients will enjoy a high degree of flexibility and control over how and when to share their personal health information.  Providers such as physicians’ practices and hospitals will benefit from access to information that was previously unavailable in real-time, helping to reduce unnecessary tests and prevent drug interactions.  CRISP recommends that the statewide HIE pursue an incremental growth strategy, building from individual “use cases”—individual HIE services that have a demonstrated need and demonstrable clinical value to patients and care providers.  In this way, HIE growth is driven by clinical value and fosters near-term progress while planning for long-term success.

 "The collective effort of the CRISP participants reflects the collaboration that can be achieved by Maryland’s health care community to address the possibilities of a state-wide health information exchange," says Jon Burns, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, University of Maryland Medical System.

 Within the context of widespread health IT adoption and interconnectivity, incremental improvements in care quality and cost offer the prospect of transforming the American healthcare system, where spending on healthcare currently amounts to approximately 16 percent of GDP, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ national health expenditure data.

 “With a new national commitment to health IT, now is the right time for Maryland to enable the widespread exchange of health information,” said Stephanie Reel, Vice Provost for Information Technologies at Johns Hopkins University  and Vice President for Information Services for Johns Hopkins Medicine.

 CRISP’s was one of two plans submitted to the Maryland Health Care Commission and the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission.  This summer, based on insights gained from the plans, the state will solicit proposals to build the statewide HIE.  It intends to fund the implementation through its hospital rate-setting mechanism.  

 “Developing an HIE in Maryland is an opportunity that can enable increases in patient safety, improve quality and drive towards meaningful cost savings.  To live up to the promise, it’s important that a wide range of stakeholders, from policymakers to providers to technologists, embrace a collaborative spirit and a long-term vision,” said Scott Afzal, Director of Health Information Systems for Audacious Inquiry and lead project manager for CRISP.  “The CRISP planning process was extremely encouraging—the leadership of hospital systems, government agencies, advocacy groups for consumers and the underserved, and private-sector healthcare organizations set aside some of the underlying competitive forces to develop this plan which, we all believe, will serve Marylanders well as we move into an HIT-enabled future.”  

 In addition to Erickson and the three hospital systems, participants in the CRISP planning process included:

·         Audacious Inquiry

·         Baltimore Medical System

·         CareFirst

·         Community Health Integrated Partnership

·         Dynamed Solutions

·         LifeBridge Health

·         MedChi

·         Northrup Grumman

·         Ober|Kaler

·         Primary Care Coalition

·         The Shepherd’s Clinic

·         St. Joseph Medical Center

·         The Summit Health Institute for Research and Education

Source: http://www.4029tv.com/health/18803945/detail.html

Technology Allowing Docs To Travel With Laptops, Portable Devices

POSTED: 3:02 pm CST February 26, 2009

ST. LOUIS – There are no hard statistics, but experts say more and more doctors are making house calls. And they say that can add up to better care.

In-home visits were once commonplace, but by the early 1970s fewer than 1 percent of doctors made them.

Today, as some of the technology gets smaller, doctors are able to get back on the road not only with their black medical bags, but with a laptop and perhaps a portable X-ray machine.

Steven Landers directs home health care at the Cleveland Clinic, making about 20 calls per week to geriatric and chronically ill patients. He said by visiting them in their own environment, he learns things he wouldn’t otherwise.

Experts say the number of doctors making house calls is still very small, but it’s risen sharply since a Medicare policy change 10 years ago increased the reimbursement for home visits.

Still, that’s mostly for homebound patients. Private and public insurance typically doesn’t pay for house calls made out of convenience rather than necessity, and clients end up paying additional fees.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/20/AR2009022000041.html?hpid=smartliving



By Ann Cameron Siegal

Special to The Washington Post

Saturday, February 21, 2009; Page F01

Steven Mintz, a Department of Energy economist, had multiple sclerosis diagnosed more than 30 years ago, so he and his wife, Suzanne, have had plenty of time to think about adapting their Kensington home in preparation for the disease’s progression.

John Salmen is not facing mobility issues yet, but he and his wife, Ann Scher, have converted their Takoma Park bungalow to "a house for the next 50 years."

What the couples have in common is a desire to stay in their own homes as long as possible, instead of moving to housing designed for seniors. It’s an option called aging in place. Increasingly, it appears that the turmoil in the housing market may also tie others to homes they are unable to sell.

"One of the unwritten tragedies of the current housing price collapse is that for a host of reasons [e.g., money, job security, depreciated properties], a higher share of older Americans will be ‘forced’ to age in place, who might otherwise have considered alternative housing arrangements," said Stephen Golant, a gerontologist and geographer who teaches at the University of Florida.

As we age, the day-to-day challenges of getting around will most likely increase, whether for simple things such as turning a doorknob or more complex tasks such as taking a shower or navigating a stairway. Often, people wait until a stroke, heart attack, hip replacement or other crisis before thinking about housing adjustments. Such hasty decisions can end up being unattractive and costly.

Awareness of these issues is rising, said Peter Bell, executive director of the National Aging in Place Council. "Boomers may be more cognizant of the need to plan ahead because they have had to deal with their parents in a reaction mode."

Terminology

The aging baby boomer population has a multitude of strategies that fall under the age-in-place umbrella.

Universal design is the most common term. It covers items that aim to serve all members of a household without the need for further adaptations. "Universal design simply enlarges the population of people who can use something," said Louis Tenenbaum, a Potomac-based consultant for independent-living strategies. As an example, he noted that curb cuts were designed for wheelchair access, but are popular with people pushing strollers or wheeling luggage.

Around the house, "A walk-in shower works if you’re dependent on a wheelchair or walker, but also makes it easier to wash the dog," said Nancy Thompson, with the Livable Communities department of AARP, the seniors association.

 

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