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The latest edition of our Aging in Indiana e-news is available. This month's focus article is on stimulus funding for aging veterans.
Plus, you'll find information on:
While researching my new book, Caring for Our Parents, I spent much of the past 2 ½ years visiting those who are receiving long-term care. Nearly everyone I spoke to wanted to stay at home or, if they were living in a nursing facility, wanted to return home. But the reality is many could not.
Because aging in place often requires services as varied as personal assistance, transportation, access to meals and doctors, routine home maintenance, and opportunities to socialize with others, it is difficult and expensive for someone living alone. But, I discovered that communities are finding a wealth of new ways to help neighbors stay at home.
In the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur, Mo., Marge and Ron Fenster participate in chair yoga and other activities sponsored by the local Jewish Federation. Marge and Ron, who suffered a severe stroke a few years ago, live in a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC)-- in their case an extended neighborhood with a large number of older residents. The local Federation takes advantage of that critical mass of seniors by offering non-sectarian services to many people at one time. In Creve Coeur, it includes exercise classes, transportation, and discounts at local shops and restaurants. For some, it may be as simple as a regular phone call to check on how they are doing.
In Washington, D.C. Norm Metzger and a group of neighbors formed a community non-profit co-op called Capitol Hill Village. Residents pay annual dues of about $600, and their membership gets them access to volunteer assistance, as well as a number they can call for recommendations for services that range from plumbers to home health agencies. Like the St. Louis NORC, Capitol Hill Village also offers social events, such as group tickets to plays.
While the villages and NORCs bring services to pre-existing communities, a very different model has also begun to sprout up: Intentional communities where people with shared interests move in together to help one another as they age. In Burbank, CA, the Senior Artists Colony is home to painters, sculptors and retired Hollywood actors. In rural Abingdon, VA, the ElderSirit Community is a haven for seniors who share mutual support and spirituality. In a Takoma Park, MD multi-generational co-op, younger members help seniors with shopping, while older residents reciprocate by baby sitting children of young families.
These communities all face challenges. Many NORCs are struggling with government funding cuts and have been forced to reduce services. And while dozens of communities are trying to copy the success of Capitol Hill Village, relatively few have pulled it off.
I discovered no single model works best. The remarkable people I’ve met are experimenting with many ideas and I suspect we’ll learn there will be room for them all, as well as a few we haven’t even thought of yet.
(Blog editor's note: To learn about NORCs in Indiana, click here.)
Howard Gleckman is the author of Caring for Our Parents: Inspiring Stories of Families Seeking New Solutions to America’s Most Urgent Health Crisis, (St. Martin’s Press, 2009) and is a senior research associate at The Urban Institute. He also writes a bi-weekly column on long-term care and elder care issues for Kaiser Health News.
The Giveaway
If you would like to own a copy of Caring for Our Parents, leave a comment on this post with your thoughts on aging in place, NNORCs or your own experience caring for elders. On Thursday, July 2, we will use Random.org to select one reader/commenter to receive a complimentary copy of the book. The winner will be announced on this blog.
Hmmm...Not sure. Let's ask CAC's Executive Director Ellen Miller. She's one of the newest members of the 50+ crew:
I belong to a social networking community called Smaller Indiana. Recently a member began a discussion by asking the question, "What is your relationship with aging?" The question was prompted when the person asking read a book called called How Not to Look Old, in which the book's author states "aging sucks."
The conversation that has ensued on Smaller Indiana was interesting to me because the remarks were centered primarily on the physical aspects of aging. One look at the CAC course schedule and its clear that aging is about far more than how we feel.
Aging has implications for not only our bodies, but also our psyche, our social relationships, and our spirituality.
In my own response to the thread on Smaller Indiana, I said "I look forward to getting older because I anticipate it will be a time of freedom, which sounds great from my current position as chief carpool driver, dinner maker and sideline cheerer. I hope to spend my elder years learning and doing all the things I feel like I don't have time for now."
Quite possibly because I've been drinking the successful aging koolaid for almost four years now (it comes with the job), I look forward to aging as a time in my life with great potential.
How about you? What is your relationship with aging?
Amy Magan
Communications Manager
An article on Info Long-Term Care yesterday regarding "virtual visiting" between people in long-term care facilities and their loved ones piqued my interest enough to read the entry and the links attached.
My mother-in-law is in a nursing home in southern Indiana. Facilitating conversation between her and my children via telephone is not always easy. My youngest son, who is six years old, has the attention span of, well, a six-year-old boy when it comes to talking on the phone. He's easily distracted by the television, a dinosaur toy or a fly on the wall. While my other two children are more attentive, their phone conversations with their GoGo are not what I would call robust.
So the idea of "virtual visiting," which uses Skype to connect two parties is appealing to me. The article shared on Info Long-Term Care describes a pilot project by Western District Health Service in Australia that provided an assisted video communications link between residents in a long-term care facility and their loved ones. The project's purpose -- which was achieved -- was to improve residents' quality of life through increased contact with family and friends and increased socialization with the outside world.
How cool would it be if my 10-year-old could show his GoGo how he can dribble a basketball between his legs and behind his back, instead of just trying to describe it to her over the phone, hoping that his explanation and her ability to process his words would get the idea across?!
Participants in the project scheduled times to use the video connection, so both parties would be assured of being available. Trained volunteers were on-hand in the long-term care facility to handle any technological issues that might arise.
The Virtual Visiting Pilot Program final report details the successes of the program, the barriers that were encountered in implementing the program, and the supports that were put in place to resolve those barriers.
Also available for review is the set-up guide given to families who opted to participate in the program.
It would be great to see this pilot program set up in more facilities, including the one where my mother-in-law lives.
Amy Magan
Communications Manager
Technology is here to stay and has moved in on every facet of life -- from programming a coffeemaker to how we conduct courses in higher education. I don’t consider it a good thing or a bad thing; it’s just part of the changes that happen over time and has to be dealt with in the most positive way possible.
I absolutely love to be in a classroom, either as a student or an instructor because I consider myself a "co-learner" in either role. I enjoy the personal and real-time dynamics of being in a class and I believe there is great value in the interaction that allows for reading facial expressions, body language and managing other nuances of interpersonal communication.
The online classroom cannot duplicate these experiences nor should it be expected to do so. But technology has made online education more interactive and dynamic than ever before. Instructors in our online Aging Studies programs are currently using Web 2.0 technology applications and multiple methods for sharing information with and between students. Applications such SnapKast to capture PowerPoint presentations with the accompanying lecture, discussion forums, real-time conference call discussions, blogs, wikis, podcasts and web videos provide students with different learning styles a variety of options for interacting with curriculum content.
Taking an online course means a trade-off on certain things and, for some students, the benefits of the trades are extremely valuable.
There is a considerable savings when taking courses in an online classroom versus an on-campus classroom. Students save on travel time and time in the class meeting that may or may not be productive, depending on a number of variables on any given day. Transportation costs – gas and wear and a tear on the car – are negated as well.
For those who are attending a distance learning program, saving on airline costs is substantial. Students also have the flexibility to participate in the online classroom anytime that works with their own personal schedules – class is available 24/7 on the Internet. That can't happen with a traditional class that is scheduled around the availability of the instructor and the institution.
Web-based learning allows students to not have to leave work early or come in late, arrange a babysitter, miss meals or special events with their families or friends, cancel meetings or volunteer work, etc. With time being the number one thing busy people have the least of, how priceless is it to be able to manage coursework to gain a certificate or degree without having to rearrange your entire life around your classes every semester? There are other benefits from savings in time and travel as well.
Online courses may not work well for everyone. People have different learning styles, aptitudes and capabilities. Many traditional classrooms are now wired to allow for the use of technology and various types of media that can become part of the traditional curriculum. There are many roads that can take us where we want to go and the use of technology will continue to gain importance in the education process over time.
Tamara Wolske, MS
Academic Program Director
For more information about CAC's online graduate programs in Aging Studies, click here.
A recent story from Prevention Magazine and MSNBC.com shared 7 tips for older adults who want to strengthen their cognitive abilities. Some won't seem new, while others may be a bit surprising:
It's been a while since we've pointed out some of the great content being shared on other blogs dedicated to aging issues. Take a few minutes and check out some of these:
Caregiving.com: 10 Steps to a Successful Caregiving Experience
This is relevant to all caregivers, not just those caring for an older person. Some of the tips will seem not so new, but definitely bear repeating.
Time Goes By: It's About Time
Guest blogger Bob Brady reflects on, well, being reflective in an article that brings to mind our recent post on gerotranscendence.
Longevity Blog offers up a USA Today video on the Golden Age Games, which are sponsored by the U.S. Armed Forces for veterans age 55 and older.
Feminist Women Entering Retirement: Moving Forward, New Skills Needed
Many older adults are opting to work beyond traditional retirement age. Author Sylvia Bereskin offers her thoughts on retraining and retooling to meet the demands of staying in business.
There is more great content out there. Check out the links in the left-hand column here. If you know of a great aging-related blog, leave us a comment and we'll check it out.
This article recently appeared in the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community's Aging in Indiana e-newsletter. To subscribe to this free, monthly e-news, click here.
Whether a person is changing doctors, hospitals or providers, a transition in medical care comes with some risks to the patient. The biggest transition is often going from living on one's own to living with someone or moving into a facility in order to address health care needs. Having a transition plan is one way seniors and their families can help prepare for addressing health needs.
People who work with or care for seniors may find it useful to share with them the suggestions for developing a good transition plan listed below:
I’m currently co-teaching GERO 581 Spirituality and Aging, which is offered totally online, with Connie Beran, a faculty member from Concordia University, in Austin Texas. We were discussing some of the theories of aging that address the way in which the experience of spirituality changes in the later years of life. One of the theories that greatly appealed to us was “gerotranscendence.”
The term gerotranscendence comes from the words “gero” (“old age” in Greek) and “transcendence” (“to climb over” in Latin). According to Lars Tornstam, a researcher in this area, gerotranscendence is a developmental stage that occurs when an individual who is living into very old age shifts their perspective “…from a materialistic and rational view of the world to a more cosmic and transcendent one, normally accompanied by an increase in life satisfaction.”
Research shows that gerotranscendent elders are less self-occupied and more altruistic. As they age, they often become more selective in their choices of social and other activities; they avoid social interactions they judge to be unnecessary. Gerotranscendent seniors report a decreased interest in material things, viewing too many possessions as burdensome.
They express a greater need for “alone time” for thought and meditation, referred to as positive solitude. Gerotranscendent elders remove their “masks” because they no longer feel the need to play their old roles; they can now be themselves. These individuals find themselves simply accepting the mysteries of life, acknowledging they can’t understand everything. When gerotranscendent older adults reflect back on their lives, they realize that the pieces of their life’s jigsaw puzzle really do form a wholeness.
Gerotranscendence brings with it changing perceptions of time. An elder may report that they experience feelings of being a child, a young person, an adult and an older adult all in one moment. This view of time allows them to re-evaluate old events to gain new perspectives, and provides opportunities to right old wrongs. Finally, gerotranscendent individuals view death as a natural part of the life process; they appear to fear death less than those who are younger.
Senior living community administrators and health care providers are starting to examine how gerotranscendence can be recognized and supported within a variety of living and health care settings. It is important that staff and care providers view the hallmarks of gerotranscendence as a normal part of aging, and not indicative of a pathological process. Research is just beginning to identify the ways in which gerotranscendence as a developmental process can be better understood and supported within these and other settings.
For more information on gerotranscedence, check out the following links:
http://www.soc.uu.se/research/gerontology/gerotrans.html
http://www.soc.uu.se/research/gerontology/pdf/GeroFolderEnglish5.pdf
Constance McCloy, PT, EdD
Associate Professor
Hollywood veteran Ed Asner, who gives voice to widower Carl Fredricksen in the new movie UP, has also lent his name and voice to a direct-to-DVD documentary called "Saving Our Parents."
The intent behind the documentary is to help protect and educate the public, seniors and their adult children about safe and healthy aging. Topics covered in the DVD include:
A story in today's Boston Globe talks about how many baby boomers love being grandparents, but don't love the traditional "grandma" and "grandpa" monikers that come with the role.
Now, I am not a boomer. In fact, I am the child of boomers. But I consider the titles "grandma" and "grandpa" to be honorable.
When I had my first child, and my parents first grandchild, my mother couldn't wait to call herself Grandma. She told me that she felt she'd earned it -- this from a woman who just four years earlier had given birth to my youngest brother. Still, as the parent of a then preschooler, she was not scared off by the word "grandma."
My mother-in-law, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the word. Her own mother was never "grandma" to my husband and his cousins -- they call her "Buck." My father-in-law had already declared "Poppo" as his grandparent name. So we were quite scientific in how we chose a name for our kids to call their grandmother; we went down the alphabet>:
BoBo
CoCo
DoDo
FoFo
GoGo...GoGo, that's it!
My mother-in-law will tell you a few tales about how the name came to be, but now you know the truth.
I understand the need for alternate names to differentiate between sets of grandparents; I grew up with a Grandma and Grandpa and a NaNa and PaPa. And I suppose that it's each person's prerogative to decide what they want to be called.
But some of the names cited in the article and included in The New Grandparents Name Book just don't sit well with me.
"Sonoma" and "Napa" for grandparents who are wine lovers. In that line of thinking my husband and I would be "Jedi" and "Scrabble."
"Bubbles" and "Pebbles" conjure up images in my mind of flighty women who might be delivering singing telegrams or else making balloon animals at birthday parties.
So when it comes to be my turn to be a grandparent (in no less than 16 years or so, kids), I'll proudly be "Grandma" and I'll expect a sweatshirt that allows me to tell it to the world.
Amy Magan
Communications Manager
