ProAging Information Network

ESPN’s award-winning primetime newsmagazine E:60

will feature the heartwarming story of a minor league baseball

player who brightened the lives of some senior citizens in the episode

airing Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. ET. The program, which launched in

October 2007, combines investigative reporting, in-depth profiles of

intriguing sports personalities and features on emerging star athletes.

These stories are presented in a fresh and innovative format that

incorporates producer/correspondent meetings.

Like many young men, Josh Faiola is chasing his dream of one day playing

Major League Baseball. After his release from the Baltimore Orioles

organization this spring, Faiola caught on with the Lake Erie Crushers

(Avon, Ohio) of the independent Frontier League. Because the league’s

players are paid so little, most players live with local host families

who volunteer to take a player into their home for the summer. But

Faiola’s found a different kind of host family – an assisted living

facility with 28 senior citizens with an average age of 83. E:60 follows

Faiola and the residents of the facility through the summer, documenting

one young man chasing his baseball dream, and the effect that dream had

on his new family of surrogate grandparents.

Watch promo clip here: http://www.independentbaseball.net/independent-baseball-teams/independent-baseball-player-has-assisted-living-facility-as-his-host-family/

Date: Thursday November 05, 2009

Time: Noon - 2ish

Location: The Virginian

9229 Arlington Blvd.

Fairfax, VA 22031



Description: Don’t miss the best networking opportunity for senior-living professionals in Northern VA! Free event, lunch served, seating is limited so RSVP to rsvp@proaging.com or the link below.

Topic: A Day in the Life of a Physician & an Innovative Medical Practice

We are excited to have Dr. Alan Dappen as our speaker. Dr. Dappen will help us understand the perspective of a physician to help us better communicate on behalf of our clients and for marketing. He will also share the story of his innovative medical practice located in Northern VA.

*About Dr. Alan Dappen * After practicing family medicine around the world for nearly 25 years and heading up a large family medical practice in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC, Dr. Dappen found himself wanting to give his patients more convenience, better access and higher quality of care than the insurance-driven healthcare system could provide. He left the confines of the conventional model and started Doctalker Family Medicine, which combines the best medical traditions with today’s technology to give patients control of their healthcare.

 

Please RSVP

rsvp@proaging.com

http://proaging.wufoo.com/forms/proaging-rsvp-form/ 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – This year’s winners of The Purpose Prize, a $100,000 award for social innovators in their encore careers, are using a new stage of life to do extraordinary things to improve life for millions of people worldwide.

They include:

    * A former telecom executive who helped wire an Appalachian county and brought laid-off factory workers back to profitable farming.

    * A professor who invented a way to transform toxic fly ash into green bricks.

    * A psychiatrist who helps saves soldiers’ lives by offering free mental health treatment.

    * A former NASA exec who works to treat alcoholism in Native American communities by reviving old customs and traditions.

    * A couple who honor their son, killed on 9/11, by helping to bring mental health services to countries ravaged by terrorism, violence and war.

These people – and five other $50,000 winners – are social entrepreneurs over 60 who are using their experience and passion to take on society’s biggest challenges. Now in its fourth year, the six-year, $17 million program is the nation’s only large-scale investment in social innovators in the second half of life.

The winners and 1,000-plus nominees in 2009 underscore a trend in entrepreneurialism later in life. According to studies by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the 55-64 age group is the most active in creating new ventures. Counter to stereotype, people ages 20-34, the study found, are the least entrepreneurial.

"More than ever, the problems facing our communities, our country and our world call out for creative solutions," said Marc Freedman, co-founder of The Purpose Prize and author of Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life. "Fortunately, we don’t run out of ideas as we age.

"Like so many others in this new stage of life between the end of midlife careers and the beginning of true old age, The Purpose Prize winners combine creativity, experience and passion with a desire to do something bigger than themselves," Freedman continued.

The Encore Careers campaign is run by Civic Ventures, a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. Funding for The Purpose Prize comes from The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John Templeton Foundation.

Sherry Lansing, CEO of the Sherry Lansing Foundation and former chair of Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, chairs the jury that selected this year’s winners. The 24 judges are leaders in business, politics, journalism and the nonprofit sector – including actor Sidney Poitier, social entrepreneur Thomas Tierney, former Senator Harris Wofford and journalist Cokie Roberts.

The winners and 49 Purpose Prize Fellows of 2009 will be honored at a Summit on Innovation on Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business’ Center on Social Innovation, one of the world’s leading academic centers focused on social entrepreneurship.

The 300-plus attendees of the invitation-only event will hear a keynote address from Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman, and a panel discussion between William Damon (professor of education, director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, and author of Nobel Purpose: The Joy of Living a Meaningful Life); Philip Zimbardo (professor emeritus, Stanford University, researcher behind the Stanford Prison Experiment, author of The Lucifer Effect and Time Paradox); and Laura Carstensen (professor of psychology, founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and author of A Long Bright Future).

The Purpose Prize is a program of the Encore Careers campaign (www.encore.org), which aims to engage millions of baby boomers in encore careers combining social impact, personal meaning and continued income in the second half of life. The goal: to produce a windfall of human talent to solve society’s greatest problems, from education to the environment, health care to homelessness.

Short summaries for all winners are below. Fuller summaries, videos and photographs are online at www.encore.org.

The $100,000 winners are (alphabetically):

Elizabeth (68) and Stephen Alderman (68), Peter C. Alderman Foundation, Bedford, NY

To honor their son – who died on 9/11 – and to treat the 1 billion victims of trauma and terrorism around the world, the Aldermans created a foundation that creates homegrown mental health systems where violence (rape, war, kidnapping,) has desecrated communities.

Judith Broder (69), The Soldiers Project, Los Angeles, CA

As a psychiatrist, Broder knew that, without help, some soldiers would never get past what they had seen and done. She created an organization that allows for free, confidential, unlimited therapy to service members and their families.

Don Coyhis (66), White Bison, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO

Although sober after years of alcohol abuse, Coyhis felt empty, disconnected from the reasons why he shouldn’t drink. He turned to his Native American roots and founded a nonprofit that offers native-focused recovery resources. In turn, it began a movement called Wellbriety.

Henry Liu (73), Freight Pipeline Co., Columbia, MO

A former engineering professor, Liu found a way to transform fly ash – a toxic byproduct of burning coal – into bricks. The process requires less energy and money, and doesn’t contribute to air pollution. Now he’s exploring how to move freight efficiently through underground pipelines.

Tim Will (61), Foothills Connect Business & Technology Center, Rutherfordton, NC

Will used his telecommunications background to connect his Appalachian county’s agrarian past to a digital future. Bringing broadband to the rural area helped link local farmers to chefs in Charlotte through an online ordering system, bringing laid-off factory workers back to farming.

The $50,000 winners are (alphabetically):

Marcy Adelman (63), openhouse, San Francisco, CA

As a psychologist, Adelman knew that many LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) seniors looking for housing and care late in life face discrimination and loneliness. She set out to provide affordable, LGBT-friendly housing and training for service providers to better support LGBT elderly.

Duncan Campbell (65), Friends of the Children, Portland, OR

Because of two alcoholic parents, Campbell essentially raised himself – and then, as an adult, went on to establish a successful investment firm. Now, he invests in children, promising the most disadvantaged children a caring, paid adult mentor from age 5 until adulthood.

Ann Higdon (69), Improved Solutions for Urban Systems, Dayton, OH

Higdon grew up homeless, with no love for learning until a teacher inspired her. Since then, she has convened professionals to similarly inspire dropouts. Her organization, which includes three charter schools, helps area dropouts earn diplomas while training for jobs in various sectors.

Connie Siskowski (63), Caregiving Youth Project, Boca Raton, FL

Siskowski cared for her grandfather as a pre-teen, so she knew that caring for aging relatives is stressful and far from a normal childhood. Her organization facilitates support groups in middle schools, offers classes on life skills, and provides other resources for youth caregivers.

James Smallwood (62), The Choice Is Yours, Inc., Camden, NJ

Previously homeless and drug-addicted, Smallwood was able to beat his cocaine dependency and create a nonprofit to train ex-convicts, addicts, and the homeless for work in the construction trades, while helping them with reading, math and job-hunting skills.

###

About Civic Ventures (www.encore.org)

Civic Ventures is a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.

About The Atlantic Philanthropies (www.atlanticphilanthropies.org)

The Atlantic Philanthropies are dedicated to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Their work is aimed at ageing, disadvantaged children and youth, population health, and reconciliation and human rights.

About the John Templeton Foundation (www.templeton.org)

The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for research and discoveries relating to what scientists and philosophers call the Big Questions. The Foundation supports work at the world’s top universities in such fields as theoretical physics, cosmology, evolutionary biology, cognitive science, and social science relating to love, forgiveness, creativity, purpose, and the nature and origin of religious belief.

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-md.senior27oct27,0,723566.story

The Harford Senior Center in Baltimore will remain open after a letter-writing campaign by its regulars led city and state officials to maintain funding for the building, officials from the center said.

The building was scheduled to close at the end of October because of financial cutbacks resulting from the economic downturn. But Russ Snyder, president of Volunteers of America Chesapeake Inc., one of the organizations responsible for working with the senior center, said the center received only slight cuts in its funding from the city after many of the seniors contacted City Council members and the mayor’s office.

"It resulted in us sitting down at the table and working something out. They were passionate about keeping it open," Snyder said.

The senior center at 4920 Harford Road provides lunches, aerobics, computer training, bingo and other activities. The center’s schedule has been adjusted, and it will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Wednesdays, when the center will stay open until 4 p.m.

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) – Fewer U.S. households are prepared for retirement after the value of their homes and investment portfolios declined in the recession, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. said.

Fifty-one percent of Americans would be unable to maintain their standard of living if they retired at age 65, compared with 44 percent in 2007, the insurer said today in a statement, citing the National Retirement Risk Index it developed with the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. The estimate is “conservative” because it doesn’t include medical costs or long-term care, the insurer said.

“The real problem behind this is that so many households were dependant on their home values,” Paul Ballew, a senior vice president of customer insights and analytics at Nationwide, said in an interview. “Once home prices came back down to normal levels, we wake up one day and realize we don’t have adequate savings.”

Americans are facing a decline in the value of their homes and other assets at the same time the U.S. government is pushing back the age that retirees qualify for full Social Security benefits. The average 401(k) retirement savings account fell by almost one-third in 2008, and people aren’t saving enough to make up the difference, Ballew said.

The U.S. median price of existing homes was $174,900 in September, 24 percent less than its peak in July 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors. The average balance of 401(k) accounts at the end of 2008 was $45,519, compared with $65,454 a year earlier, reflecting market losses, according to data collected by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, based in Washington.

Savings Rate

Equity markets have improved in 2009, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbing 18 percent this year before today. Individuals in higher-income brackets with more stock holdings will benefit most from the index’s recovery, Ballew said. “For non-upper income Americans, they were just housing-dependent,” he said.

The U.S. personal savings rate fell to 3 percent of disposable income in August from 4 percent in July, compared with 8.9 percent at the end of 1992. The saving rates needs to increase to 8 percent to 10 percent to compensate for the drop in retirement funds, Ballew said.

“The level of savings that has to be sustained over a period of a decade is much higher than what anybody would have assessed a few years ago,” Ballew said.

Running Dry

Social Security statistics show that 2.57 million people requested social security benefits in the 12 months ended in September, up from 2.1 million applications in the same period a year earlier, as the first baby boomers – those born right after World War II – are starting to retire. Applications for the benefits rose almost 50 percent more than expected this year because of the recession.

The shift in the age of full eligibility for benefits from 65 to 67 further erodes the income available to those who plan to retire at 65, Ballew said. The Social Security trust fund will run out of assets in 2037, four years sooner than previously forecast, and expenses will exceed revenue beginning in 2016, the trustees of the program said in May.

Eligibility requirements and average retirement ages are likely to be increased further to make up for a shortfall in Social Security funds, Ballew said.

The retirement risk index estimates how much income households are expected to have in retirement relative to their pre-retirement income, Nationwide said. The rate is compared with an income that would allow the household to maintain their standard of living. Those that fall more than 10 percent below the target rate are considered ‘at risk.’ The Boston College survey measured retirement readiness through June.

Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, sells home, auto, business and life insurance. The company is owned by its policyholders.

 

Despite continued studies that report the aging of Americans, the number of available nursing home beds continues to decline. Several states reported double digit declines in the number of available beds. A new report from the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) indicates the number of available beds at the beginning of 2009 was 1.67 million, a two percent decline from the prior year.

Financial executives predict that if population and economic trends continue, the nation may face a two-class system of providing long-term care for millions of aging and disabled individuals. Those with savings or private insurance will have options including access to private facilities established for individuals who are not dependent on government programs, Medicare and Medicaid.

Skilled nursing facilities that depend on government payments face a projected Medicaid shortfall in 2009 of $15.64 a day or almost $6,000 per-resident on an annual basis according to the AALTCI report. While experts report that the under-funding is not increasing sharply for 2009, it is expected to expand wider in 2010 as state budget shortfalls affect Medicaid shortfalls.

States recently received $87 billion in increased federal medical assistant percentage (FMAP) funding as a result of the economic stimulus package. Many have not used the funds to increase Medicaid rates paid to facilities. Instead, they have used it to balance their budgets according to several experts who monitor the long-term care industry. Looking forward, a total of 48 states face budget shortfalls.

The number of certified licensed nursing facility beds in the United States was 1.669 million as of December 2008. At the end of 2002, there were some 1.7 million nursing home beds. Texas had the largest number of nursing home beds (122,635), California had 121,950 followed by New York with 120,101. Alaska had the fewest beds with 725.

States reflecting a double-digit percentage decline in the number of nursing home beds are Wisconsin (down 17.9%), Minnesota (down 15.9%), Delaware (down 12.0%), Texas (down 11.9%), Nevada (down 11.2%) and Rhode Island (down 11.0%).

Nursing homes are facing serious financial difficulties because many depend on Medicare and Medicaid payments. Both programs funded by Federal and State taxes have cut benefit payments. As a result of financial deficiencies, in Wisconsin 17 percent of nursing home facilities are reportedly in bankruptcy.

Written by Jesse Slome from the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance

Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1/28/34234/long-term-care-insurance-association-reports-fewer-us-nursing-home-beds.html

Men in Particular See Dip in Fitness Levels, but Exercise and Healthy Weight Can Help

By Bill Hendrick

WebMD Health News

Oct. 26, 2009 – Fitness levels decline with age and accelerate after age 45 in men and women, a new study says. But staying at a healthy weight and engaging in regular physical activity can help.  

“The U.S. population is aging and is becoming more obese and sedentary,” Andrew Jackson, PED, from the University of Houston and colleagues write in the Oct. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. “It is well documented that the cardiorespiratory fitness of men and women declines with age and that body composition and habitual physical activity are related to cardiorespiratory fitness.”

They add that low fitness levels increase the risk of diseases and interfere with the ability of older adults to function independently.

The study included data on 3,429 women and 16,889 men aged 20 to 96 who participated in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study between 1974 and 2006. Most participants were white, well educated, and middle- to upper-socioeconomic class with access to health care.

Participants completed between two and 33 health examinations and had treadmill exercise tests to assess cardiorespiratory fitness.

Although fitness levels declined over time, cardiorespiratory fitness declined more rapidly after age 45, and the decline was greater for men than for women, the researchers say.

In addition, the results also “showed that being active, keeping a normal BMI, and not smoking were associated with substantially higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness during the adult life span studied,” the researchers say. “Being inactive and having a high body mass index were associated with a lower age at which an individual could be expected to reach threshold cardiorespiratory fitness levels associated with substantially higher health risks.”

Body mass index is a widely used calculation based on a person’s height and weight. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 and higher is considered obese.

Because increasing rates of obesity and low levels of physical activity have been observed in the general population, the researchers say their findings suggest that more men and women will reach at a younger age the fitness level designated by the Social Security Administration as representing disability.

“These data indicate the need for physicians to recommend to their patients the necessity to maintain their weight, engage in regular aerobic exercise, and abstain from smoking,” the researchers say.

 “The finding that BMI and a habitual level of physical activity are important determinants of (cardiorespiratory fitness) raises a lifestyle concern for the older adult population,” the researchers write.

 

Everyone Is Aging Blog Post on this article: http://www.retirement-living.com/publisher/2009/10/26/entry-97-playgrounds-for-adults-a-great-idea 

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - Who says playgrounds are just for children? In Japan, the world’s fastest aging society, the elderly are the ones taking to the climbing frame these days.

Many elderly Japanese are taking part in increasingly popular workout classes which use playground equipment designed for the country’s rapidly graying population.

And with fewer and fewer people having children, and nearly a fifth of the 123 million population aged above 65, it made sense for local governments to disassemble children’s playgrounds and convert them into fitness parks for the retired.

The workout classes, also funded by local governments, teach the elderly how to use the equipment.

"If I’m at home, I tend to slouch or lie down, but if I come here, I straighten my back, as everyone else is working out with so much energy," said Soichiro Saito, a 79-year-old who takes part in a once-a-week gym class.

Saito’s class swing around on a specially designed climbing frame at a Tokyo park, walk down balance beams and stretch their muscle on poles under the watchful eyes of trainers.

Most of the senior citizens participating in the classes relish not only the exercises, but the company.

Many are isolated from the local community, either living on their own or with their elderly spouses. Others say they are taking the classes to remain fit and independent – and out of hospitals or nursing homes.

"My legs got really heavy after I got sick, but they’re lighter after the workout. My mind is cleared up as well," said Ikuko Yamakoshi, 77, who suffers from a chronic illness.

FUN KNOWS NO AGE LIMIT

With nearly 40,000 centenarians, Japan has the world’s oldest population and continues to age fast.

The initial investment in an elderly playground starts at 8 million yen ($87,220), including the installation of equipment and instructors’ fees.

While the costs are quite high, the Association of Physical Fitness Promotion And Guidance, the organization that conducts about 50 elderly workout classes across Japan and is funded by local governments, says demand has been steadily growing.

"There aren’t many children using playground equipment now and most equipment is damaged and needs to be removed," said Masato Saijo, director of the association.

"So it was natural for us to replace old equipment with workout equipment for the elderly."

In 2007, there were over 15,000 pieces of elderly workout equipment installed in parks across Japan and the number has nearly tripled since 1998, according to a report by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism in Japan.

The ministry also said the number of children, aged 12 or younger, using the playground daily has shrunk to 34 percent in 2007 compared to 50 percent in 1971.

By contrast, the number of senior citizens aged 65 or over using the playground daily has doubled during the same period.

Japan already boasts the longest life expectancy in the world, with experts citing healthy diet, quality health care and a tradition of active pensioners as factors in the phenomenon.

And as more elderly citizens live longer and remain active, the association’s Saijo said no one is ever too old to have fun.

"Anyone can try this workout even if you’re 85. No prior experience or preparation is necessary. All you have to do is come out here and start working out," he said.

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINTRE59P0XG20091026 

Baltimore Sun Blog on this topic: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2009/10/erickson_retirement_sold_enter.html

New owner will strengthen Erickson’s capital position, continue providing high-quality service and care to 23,000 existing community residents

To pave way for company sale and establish the company for long-term success, Erickson files voluntary Chapter 11 petition to restructure debt and separate core businesses 

BALTIMORE, MD (October 19, 2009)—Erickson Retirement Communities, a national manager and developer of continuing care retirement communities, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement  with Redwood Capital Investments LLC, an investment company controlled by leading Baltimore businessman Jim Davis, to purchase Erickson.  The transaction, subject to regulatory approvals, will ensure that the mission of John C. Erickson, founder and executive chairman of Erickson, to serve America’s seniors, will continue for many years to come by providing a comprehensive solution to the company’s long-term capital needs.

To complete the sale of the company to Redwood, Erickson must restructure its debt.  As a result, the company today filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas, Texas. Given the nation’s severe economic crisis, Erickson had been in discussions with its lenders in recent months to restructure its debt but, despite good faith negotiations with certain of its creditors, it was unable to reach an out-of-court agreement.  This voluntary action will not only enable the company to restructure its debt, but also to reorganize its core management and real estate businesses into separate yet commonly owned legal and financial entities.  A separation of the management and development sides of the business means existing and future residents will be better protected from the volatility of the real estate development business, and allows for the resumption of building in developing communities as the economy improves.

“This strategic decision will benefit all members of the Erickson Community,” said John Erickson, company founder and chairman. “First and foremost, Jim Davis, whom I have known for years and hold in the highest regard, is a strong advocate of community residents; his top priority is their continued well being. Jim is fully committed to the values and vision of the company and will continue its mission. Equally important, this transaction allows Erickson to manage through the current difficult economic environment so the business can regain its financial footing and continue its mission to provide quality lifestyle for community residents, while also safeguarding residents’ financial security.”

Erickson Retirement Communities has two core businesses:  its management arm, which provides services, care and amenities for community residents, and continues to operate successfully; and its real estate development arm, which acquires land for future campus growth, and has been significantly impacted by the recession.

The voluntary restructuring, sale of the company, and ongoing market process require court approval. Because this process has the support of Erickson’s lenders and the not-for-profit corporations that have management contracts with Erickson, Erickson expects the transaction, which is subject to approval of the Court, to be approved and consummated in the first quarter of 2010.

Erickson develops campuses that not-for-profit corporations unaffiliated with Erickson operate and typically contract with Erickson to manage.  When campuses are completed, the not-for-profit corporations typically buy the communities from Erickson.

John Erickson founded Erickson in 1983 with the opening of Charlestown, an innovative full-service retirement community in Catonsville, Maryland, and has expanded the network of communities to 19.  He and his wife Nancy created the Erickson Foundation, which funds various philanthropic organizations in Maryland and elsewhere.

About Erickson Retirement Communities

Erickson Retirement Communities is a national developer and manager of full-service continuing care retirement communities. Headquartered near Baltimore, Md., Erickson has built an innovative network of 19 communities that combine a maintenance-free active lifestyle with an ever-expanding host of amenities, social activities, and wellness and medical centers, proven to improve both physical and mental health. Erickson was named by FORTUNE as being one of the Top 100 “Best Companies to Work For®” in 2008 and 2009. For more information, visit www.erickson.com.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – As the nation continues its

debate on health care reform and Social Security COLA, a new survey taken by

RetireSafe finds that over 79 percent of more than 626 seniors responding to a

poll expressed concerns that they were not represented in Washington.

"After visiting two senior expos and meeting hundreds of seniors, reading

surveys and emails and listening first hand to our supporters, we confirmed

that no one is listening to older Americans.  We are going to correct this

travesty," said Thair Phillips, RetireSafe’s president.

RetireSafe collected the surveys at senior expos September 29 and October 13

in Pennsylvania. Seniors were asked about health care reform.  The full

results of the poll are listed on RetireSafe Listens at www.retiresafe.org.

To listen to seniors and represent their real voice in Washington on issues

such as health care reform, RetireSafe today launched its RetireSafe Listens

campaign. The campaign kicks off with a new listening post for seniors on

RetireSafe’s website, where seniors can go to hear and be heard.

According to Phillips, older Americans who are interested in getting their

real voices heard are invited to complete surveys online at www.retiresafe.org

or at various locations across the country.  Seniors can hear the voices of

others as RetireSafe shares the unfiltered results of the surveys on the

website and with The White House, Congress, the media, and with everyone else

that needs to hear the voice of older people.

Phillips said, "RetireSafe Listens is the one place where the experience and

lessons learned in a life of service and honor to America is sought out,

heard, and shared, especially with the leaders who determine the laws that

affect the very core of our lives and freedoms.   RetireSafe is listening.

Your opinions matter and your ideas will be shared.  Your voices will be

heard."

He said, "These are the first steps in what we hope is a much bigger campaign

to listen to seniors."

RetireSafe has met with some senior White House advisors to tell them about

the RetireSafe Listens campaign and health care reform survey and to invite

their participation.

RetireSafe is a grassroots advocacy organization representing over 400,000

supporters.