Teacher Power
[Summer 2005 - NRTA Live & Learn - AARP] At age 13, Fred Mednick gave an impassioned bar mitzvah speech about how he would change the world by improving education around the globe. Thirty-four years later, after a 20-year career as a high school principal in Los Angeles and Seattle, Mednick is making good on that promise. As founder of Teachers Without Borders (TWB), he has created an ever-expanding, mostly volunteer network of more than 5,000 teachers in 84 countries who are helping one another build dynamic education systems in the communities that need them most. ...

Health, work and well-being � Caring for our future: A strategy for the health and well-being of working age people
[October 2005 - British Government (PDF)] Work matters � it can help to improve your health, reduce health inequalities and offer improved opportunities. Due to changing demographics, having more people in work is increasingly important for communities and our economy. The health and well-being of people of working age is therefore of fundamental importance to our future and we are committed to bringing about a real and sustained improvement in this area. It has been estimated that absence due to sickness costs around �12 billion each year � with costs to the public sector representing around �4 billion. In addition to the impact on the health and well-being of individuals and their families, unplanned absence puts additional pressure on those colleagues who pick up the extra work. It also has a significant impact on productivity across the economy. While much good work, both inside and outside Government, is already going on to improve the health and well-being of working age people, we need a strategy that will bring together all the elements. If we co-ordinate our approach and identify gaps where we need to carry out further work, then we will achieve much more to help that improvement in health and well-being. Health, work and well-being � Caring for our future demonstrates our commitment to making a real difference to the health and well-being of working age people. It also forms a key component of the welfare reform, public sector reform and public health agendas. ...

Oliver Sacks speaks on power of creativity
[20 October 2005 - The Dartmouth] Oliver Sacks, the acclaimed author of "Awakenings" and "The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat," spoke to an enthusiastic crowd in Moore Theater Wednesday. The speech, entitled "Creativity and the Brain," was sponsored by the Montgomery Endowment. "There are innumerable sorts of creativity," Sacks said as he listed perceptual, natural, individual and communal creativity, along with "creative driving" and "creative cooking," as examples. Sacks emphasized that creativity provides inspiration to all people. "Creativity is universal," Sacks said. "We all dream, and in dreams we have fantastic adventures unrestrained by reality." ...

Work-Family Conflict and Retirement Preferences
[June 2005 - CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR POPULATION RESEARCH (UCLA) - PDF file] This study investigates relationships between perceived levels of work-family conflict and retirement preferences. Methods: Using the large sample of 52-54 year-old respondents to the 1992 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we estimate multinomial logistic regression models of preferences for partial and full retirement within the next ten years. We examine the association between preferences for retirement and perceived work-family conflict, evaluate the extent to which work-family conflict is a mediating mechanism between stressful work and family circumstances and preferences for retirement, and explore potential gender differences in the association between work-family conflict and retirement preferences. Results: Work-family conflict is positively related to preferences for both full and partial retirement. Yet work-family conflict does not appear to mediate relationships between stressful work and family environments and retirement preferences, nor do significant gender differences emerge in this association. Discussion: Our analyses provide the first direct evidence of the role played by work-family conflict in the early stages of the retirement process, although we are not able to identify the sources of conflict underlying this relationship. Identifying the sources of this conflict and the psychological mechanisms linking work-family conflict to retirement preferences is an important task for subsequent research. ...

Creativity Key to Better Retirement
[14 October 2005 - The Korea Times] Retirement is so often defined negatively and individualistically, as the end of a career and the cessation of work. However, an American specialist on the subject said that retirement can also be a creative time - a period of renewal and rejuvenation. "Most people never fully prepare for this abrupt change. Organizations do not help them. Employees and employers generally do not consider retirement life-planning as an extension of career development," Steve Dahlberg, general manager for the Creative Education Foundation in the United States, said in an interview with The Korea Times. ...

Boomers' Wealth of Knowledge: Developing countries' techies are meeting more of America's IT needs, but older workers offer a key element in short supply -- experience
[18 October 2005 - BusinessWeek - Paul Horn] ... HUMAN FACTOR. While developing countries are churning out more IT skills, there's still no substitute for experience. Until very recently, developing countries' economic environments have not provided opportunities for applying advanced IT skills to real-world business processes and issues. So our current pool of knowledge and experience will need to be preserved and shared as much as possible. This will require new techniques to keep older, experienced workers engaged. Technologically, it might mean the development of still-new tools for broader collaboration outside the physical organization as a growing number of baby boomers prefer to work part-time or remotely as a transition to retirement. Since many of them might be older workers, assistive technologies may also play an increasing role to accommodate their unique needs. ACT NOW. But technology alone is not the answer. We're learning how a more loosely organized "extended family" of contributors can work together effectively. We'll also need to create programs and opportunities beneficial for both the experienced worker and the organization, so that people will want to stay engaged in some capacity beyond their formal working years. While it may sound simple, this represents a profound shift in how corporations view retirement and the relationship between older skilled workers and the company. But as with other precious resources, if we don't recognize their value and find ways to nurture and preserve it, we'll quickly lose it. ...

Aging Naturally: In an exclusive TIME book excerpt, Dr. Andrew Weil shares his secrets for maximizing health and happiness--no matter how old you are
[17 October 2005 - Time magazine] ... Your thoughts, emotions and attitudes are key determinants of how you age. The most common forms of emotional imbalance--depression and anxiety--are so prevalent that they can properly be called epidemic. They affect people of all ages, including a large percentage of the elderly. Doctors manage them with antidepressants and antianxiety agents--the key word here being "manage." These drugs suppress depression and anxiety; they do not cure them or get to their roots. ...

Also from Time:
Living It Up: From septuagenarian mountaineers to nonagenarian CEOs, Japan's greatest generation refuses to quit
Alpine climber Yuichiro Miura knows something about rapid descent�in 1970 he became the first person ever to ski Mount Everest, hurtling more than a mile down the peak's icy flank in less than two minutes, and barely surviving. But handling the downhill slope of his own life proved trickier. Miura retired from climbing at age 60, deciding he was too old to haul himself up mountains anymore, but after five lazy years of Japanese beer and Korean barbecue, he had an epiphany: "I was only talking about my past, not my future. I wanted to challenge my dreams again." Miura decided that it was time to retire from retirement, and what better way to reverse his downhill slide than to go back to the top of Everest? Friends thought he was nuts, but in 2003, after five years of training, Miura�then 70�became the oldest person ever to reach the roof of the world. The remarkably buff septuagenarian is now planning another Everest ascent in 2008 at age 75. "When you're getting older, you think about the things you can't do and all the reasons," he explains. "But if I have to die in a hospital, I might as well die on Everest." Nearly one out of five Japanese�close to 25 million people�are over 65, a statistic that inspires endless fretting and political debate over social stagnation, overburdened pension plans and inadequate health care. But being one of the world's grayest nations, with a median age of 42.6 years and rising, doesn't mean Japan is turning into a vast nursing home. ...

Love Those Boomers
[24 October 2005 - BusinessWeek] The massive postwar boomer generation that drove every significant cultural and marketing trend for 50 years -- from Howdy Doody to the Beatles and the Ford Explorer -- is defying marketers' expectations about how it wants to live and shop. As boomers head into their 60s starting next year, this generation, which grew up with the mass market and witnessed the rise of network TV and then the Internet, is once again forcing marketers back to the drawing board, this time to rethink the rules for reaching graying customers. But it matters now because half of the 77 million boomers -- people born between 1946 and 1964 -- will be 50 or older this year. That's the age at which marketers traditionally lose interest in consumers, believing that their choices about which brand of toothpaste or which car to buy have long since hardened and that their biggest earning and spending years are behind them. In the network TV business, where marketers are still fixated on viewers 18 to 49, folks older than 50 are literally dubbed "undesirables." Elsewhere, though, attitudes are changing -- and fast. With average life expectancy at an all-time high of 77.4 years, more and more Americans over 50 consider middle age a new start on life. Fewer than 20% say they see themselves stopping work altogether as they age, according to a recent Merrill Lynch & Co. (MER ) survey of boomers. Of those who plan to keep working at least part-time, 67% said they'll do so to stay mentally active, and 57% said to stay physically active. People now in their 50s may well work longer than any previous generation, with more than 60% of men age 60 to 64 expected to be in the workforce in 2012, up from about 54% in 1992, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ...

Arts and aging combine for a healthier, more creative retirement
[10 October 2005 - Herald Tribune (Sarasota)] Florida has benefited enormously from its large retiree population for decades. In fact, the economic benefits are so compelling that several other Southern states are actively competing with Florida to attract as many retirees as possible. If Florida is to maintain its edge as a magnet for retirees, the state will have to offer more than the conventional array of activities. Retirees will increasingly want to choose from a wider range of more creative and intellectually challenging activities than are now available in most communities. ...

What Makes Older Women Work?
[September 2005 - Center for Retirement Research (PDF file)] As the U.S. population ages, traditional sources of retirement income will likely fall short of what is needed to maintain pre-retirement living standards for many individuals. The issue of retirement security is especially important for women, because their lower wages, interrupted work histories, and role as caregivers make them especially vulnerable to old-age poverty. Even today, nearly 30 percent of single women, who represent a majority of households at older ages, are classified as poor or near-poor.1 Many of these women were married when they entered retirement and suffered a large drop in income when their spouse died. Part of the solution to this problem could be for women to extend their work lives. Of course, working longer requires women to be employed in the first place. This brief explores the extent to which older women � particularly those who are married � face different employment opportunities and incentives than men. The first section provides background on trends in labor force participation. The second section describes different factors � demographic, financial and family-related � that might affect whether older women are employed. The third section assesses how influential these factors are by presenting the results of an empirical analysis. A subsequent brief will analyze the factors that affect women's planned and expected retirement ages. ...

Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities discusses EU�s response to global ageing
[September 2005 - Alliance for Health and the Future] Mr. Vladim�r Spidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities spoke at the EURAG Congress about the EU�s response to the challenge of ageing. He discussed his belief that the EU needs to close the gap between demographic trends and public policies, and that �to defend the values of the European social model, and to deliver the improved quality of life that longevity will bring, means modernising the practices that define solidarity between generations.� He also noted that in order to maintain high living standards, EU nations have to increase the resources available, by for example, extending the working life. Commissioner Spidla focused on two particular areas: the EU�s role in helping older people contribute to Europe�s long-term economic and social development; and the EU�s contribution to solidarity with the very old, in terms of adequate income and quality care. He noted that between 1997 and 2004 Finland managed to raise the employment rate of older workers by 15 percentage points, and Norway made similar pogress, so it is important to learn lessons from these nations. He also discussed adapting all policy areas that affect older workers � �from improving reconciliation between work and family, to lifelong learning, to tax and benefits reforms.� Spidla then emphasized that �exploiting the full potential of every worker, including older workers, is a priority for the EU�s Lisbon strategy for growth, employment and greater social cohesion.� He concluded by outlining various areas in which the EU can modernise and adapt its policies to respond effectively to ageing, but that making real progress requires a strong partnership between the EU, Member States, and all stakeholders. ...

Raising the retirement age
[14 October 2005 - Christian Science Montior] Sometimes the press misses the big picture by missing small events. Example: Belgium was shut down Oct. 7 by a general strike. Unions didn't want the retirement age lifted from 58 to 60. Yet Belgium, like many rich nations, has little choice. People are living longer and too many will soon be drawing benefits. Governments in wealthier nations need to rethink the whole concept of "retire" and adjust their policies to make it easier for older people to keep working, find work, and receive training. Aging need not mean setting limits on one's agility, alertness, and ability to contribute. In a little-noticed news item last week, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the think tank for 30 industrialized nations, warned that world economic growth will decline to 1.7 percent over the next 30 years if older people aren't encouraged or allowed to work. If nothing is done, the OECD stated, the ratio of nonworking retirees to workers will nearly double in those countries by mid-century. ...

Living It Up
[10 October 2005 - Time Asia] From septuagenarian mountaineers to nonagenarian CEOs, Japan's greatest generation refuses to quit. ... Alpine climber Yuichiro Miura knows something about rapid descent�in 1970 he became the first person ever to ski Mount Everest, hurtling more than a mile down the peak's icy flank in less than two minutes, and barely surviving. But handling the downhill slope of his own life proved trickier. Miura retired from climbing at age 60, deciding he was too old to haul himself up mountains anymore, but after five lazy years of Japanese beer and Korean barbecue, he had an epiphany: "I was only talking about my past, not my future. I wanted to challenge my dreams again." ...

IBM To Help Companies Cope With Aging Workforces
[28 September 2005 - InformationWeek] IBM's consulting services will help companies cope with the problems caused by having massive numbers of Baby Boom employees getting older and retiring. "The aging population will be one of the major social and business issues of the 21st Century, and companies worldwide are starting to examine what this means in terms of skills, knowledge and growth," Mary Sue Rogers, global leader of IBM Business Consulting Services Human Capital Management group said in a statement released Wednesday. "The scale of this age-driven change will alter the way work and knowledge are managed within companies moving forward." ...

American Heritage examines baby boomers' legacy
[7 October 2005 - (Pittsburgh) TRIBUNE-REVIEW] All hail the baby boomer generation. After all, according to American Heritage's cover story, "The Boomer Century: How the Baby Boom Generation Changed Everything," the 76 million Americans who were born between Jan. 1, 1946, and Dec. 31, 1964, were the most prosperous, best-educated, most culturally influential generation in our history. ...

Companies Urged to Lay Plans for Boomer Retirement Wave
[7 October 2005 - E-Commerce Times] A recent survey by consulting firm Accenture found that fewer than half of the organizations it looked at had formal knowledge-transfer programs in place. And a third of those that did were seen having short-term programs that may not be enough to capture the depth of a retiring workers' critical knowledge. ...

Avoiding Dementia: Fitness and Your Brain
[3 October 2005 - MSNBC] People who take care of themselves may live longer, goes the couch potato's refrain�but why would they want to? Better to live hard and die young than hang around for an old age blighted by dementia. It's a seductive excuse�and a deeply misguided one. In truth, almost anything that raises your risk of heart disease�smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol�also increases your risk of forgetting your name. If you want to keep your brain humming for life, staying fit is job one. ...

Value of Unpaid Activities by Older Americans Tops $160 Billion Per Year
[27 September 2005 - Urban Institute] Many older Americans continue to make valuable contributions to society long after they withdraw from the labor force. Older people often spend time caring for grandchildren and frail family members. Many volunteer their time to church groups, charitable organizations, and cultural institutions. Many also volunteer informally, helping friends and neighbors in need. Because older adults are not generally paid for their help, these services are often overlooked in the ongoing debate about Social Security, possible changes to the retirement age, and the proper role of older Americans in an aging society. This brief measures the value of unpaid activities by Americans age 55 and older in 2002. The study considers formal volunteer activities (defined as volunteering for an organization), informal volunteering (helping others who do not live in the same household), and caring for family members (parents and in-laws, spouses, and grandchildren). Estimates depend on both the number of hours spent in each activity and the value of each contributed hour. We measure older Americans' use of time, as in earlier briefs in this series (Johnson and Schaner 2005; Zedlewski and Schaner 2005), with data from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a large, nationally representative survey of older Americans. Because the value of each contributed hour is impossible to measure with certainty, we measure contributions under low-, moderate-, and high-cost assumptions. Our discussion, however, focuses on the moderate-cost scenario, which represents our best estimate of the value of unpaid activities. A methodological appendix provides details about our approach. ...