Learning Network for Active Aging

[December 2006 - US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY] The EPA's Aging Initiative has recently created a new web resource: "Learning Network for Active Aging." "The Learning Network for Active Aging aims to be a forum where those interested in active living, healthy aging and smart communities may both access and provide information." More

Well-Being Throughout the Senior Years: An Issues Paper on Key Events and Transitions in Later Life

[December 2006 - SEDAP Research Paper - by Margaret Denton and Karen Kusch] Social Development Canada's mission is "to strengthen Canada's social foundations by supporting the well-being of individuals, families and communities and their participation through citizen focused policies, programs and services" (Social Development Canada 2005a). Well-being is a concept that goes beyond good health to encompass physical and mental fitness as well as social fitness (being able to perform one's social roles and the demands of everyday living adequately). As people age, they experience a number of transitions in their lives. They may retire, change residence, loose a spouse, become a caregiver, and/or develop a health problem or disability. These transitions, especially when they occur around the same time, may impact on their well-being and independence and prevent them from being contributing members of society. This paper summarizes the research on what we currently know about the key events and transitions experienced by seniors, their impacts, and the resources seniors have or need to successfully cope with these events throughout the senior years. It will also review what we know about opportunities, gaps or barriers in accessing social support programs and service delivery designed to assist seniors in coping successfully with adverse events and life transitions. Issues to be considered include availability, access and costs of community support and home health care services. Finally, the paper will attempt to provide potential policy research directions to address current knowledge gaps. This is an extensive literature, and we have limited the scope by focusing on the last 10 years of Canadian research published in Journals and by Statistics Canada. We have favored research based on national studies in this review, though there are many excellent case studies and qualitative studies that add texture to our knowledge. Recognizing that the senior population is a very heterogeneous group, this review will examine (where the research permits) differences by senior life-course stages, and other target groups such as women, the disabled, visible minority, immigrants, Aboriginal peoples, sub-regions, low income, and persons living alone. This review of the literature has shown that while we have basic information about many of the transitions in seniors' lives, there is very little information about the various life course stages or about various sub groups of society. More (PDF)

TRANSITIONS OUT OF AND BACK TO EMPLOYMENT AMONG OLDER MEN AND WOMEN IN THE UK

[May 2006 - Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex] This paper analyses the labour market transitions of older men and women using data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). I find large peaks in exit rates out of employment at ages 60 (women) and 65 (both sexes) which occur in the exact birthday month. This suggests that pension schemes have strong incentive effects. Discrete-time hazard regression analysis shows that benefits and health status are the two most important determinants of retirement, with effects that are larger than found in previous studies for British and US men. When modeling unobserved heterogeneity I find that the share of 'movers' between work and non-work is twice as high among women as among men. More (PDF)

Facing the inevitability of aging

[13 December 2006 - Minnesota Public Radio] They're growing in number, but that doesn't mean society respects them more. A long-time researcher in the aging field talks about the image and reality facing the growing population of people over 65. Guest: Robert Butler, MD, President and CEO of the International Longevity Center. The center is affiliated with Cedars Mount Sinai Hospital, where Butler founded the department of geriatrics in the 1980s. More | Listen to Audio of Call-in Show

New Book: Managing the Aging Workforce: Challenges and Solutions

[From John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Nov 2006, Pages: 240] Managing the Aging Workforce is one of the crucial topics for many of the worlds enterprises. The increasing average age of populations does not only affect social systems, countries and communities, but also has a strong impact on the work of businesses and companies. The decline in demographic fitness will not only hit countries like the U.S., the Western European countries, or Japan, but also the upcoming societies in China or in the Eastern European countries. In many of these countries, during three or four decades the average age will grow from about 40 years now to about 50 years. Where experts are needed, this may result in an increase of the workforces age of between 5 and 10 years in only one decade. For companies thus, a number of challenges arise that have to be overcome fast and continuously. The main topics in this field will be new strategies in leadership, new concepts in health management, new ways in knowledge management and learning, as well as new models how to drive ideas for diversity and innovation. On the one hand, enterprises therefore will have to invest in their aging employees for supporting their talents, helping them to learn and keeping them in the company. On the other, they will have to increase productivity, keep on searching for new products, and integrate experts from abroad. This has to be combined with new ways of strategies and HR management. This book presents an analysis of the present and upcoming situation, and an introduction into the strategic concepts enterprises will need to survive in aging societies. More

National Institute on Aging - Summer Institute on Aging Research 2007

[December 2006 - National Institute on Aging] Location and Date: Aspen Wye River, Queenstown, Maryland, July 14-20, 2007 - Applications due March 2, 2007 - The Summer Institute on Aging Research program includes lectures, seminars, and small group discussions in research design relative to aging, including issues relevant to aging of ethnic and racial minorities. Lectures will cover topics in research on aging, including: the biology of aging; genetics and Alzheimer’s disease; and health, behavior, and aging. Discussion sessions will focus on methodological approaches and interventions. The program also will include consultation on the development of research interests and advice on preparing and submitting research grant applications to NIA. More

Is Asia Prepared for an Aging Population?

[1 December 2006 - International Monetary Fund - Working Paper] Many Asian countries (such as China, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines) will experience a significant aging of their populations during the next several decades. This paper explores how these aging Asian countries are addressing and anticipating the challenges of an aging society. It suggests that Asia's preparedness for an aging population is decidedly mixed. While growth policies have been successful, much work is still needed in many countries to establish an adequate and farsighted policy framework in the areas of pensions, health insurance, and labor market policies. More | Full PDF Report

Rocky's Final Round

[18 December 2006 - Newsweek] After 16 years, Sylvester Stallone is back in the ring, and that's no joke. The series-ending 'Rocky Balboa' is a surprisingly moving story of aging and redemption. More

Cognitive vitality in later life starts in youth

[12 December 2006 - Reuters Health] Just as building bone mass early in life protects against fractures, building your brain early in life may also protect against cognitive decline, according to Dr. Stephanie Studenski, a member of the American Geriatrics Society who helped organize a recent conference on "cognitive vitality." "We all know that having a healthy brain in late life can be achieved in several ways, some of which have to do with exercising your mind and body throughout life and leading a healthy lifestyle," Studenski of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine told Reuters Health. "But another important idea is that the brain builds capacity early in life and everybody has extra capacity or reserves," she explained. Building that reserve earlier in life helps protect against losing cognitive abilities to the point where they become a problem. She offers these other tips for keeping the aging mind sharp:
- See your doctor regularly and follow their advice.
- Exercise regularly.
- Get enough sleep.
- Eliminate stress.
- Think, think, think. The more you use your brain, the better it'll work.
- Socialize.
- Eat right.
More

Immigration is no way to fund an ageing population

[14 December 2006 - Financial Times] Increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates are leading to big fiscal problems throughout Europe. Without fundamental changes, the rise in the relative number of older people and the slower growth of the labour force will substantially raise government outlays for pensions and healthcare. More

Employer Survey: 1 of 4 Boomers Won's Retire Because They Can't

[12 December 2006 - The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College] In a new nationally representative survey, employers estimate:

• Half of their employees currently in their 50s will be unprepared for retirement.
• One-quarter of all workers will be unprepared and will want to work longer.
• Uncertainty, however, will make the retirement process messy.

Read the full brief.

Fidelity research institute creates $50,000 prize

[13 December 2006 - The Boston Globe] A new Fidelity Investments research institute said it has established a $50,000 annual prize to be awarded for published economics research bearing on retirement and other financial security issues. The Boston mutual fund giant set up its Fidelity Research Institute recently as part of its broader focus on policy matters related to retirement and an aging population. The institute said it will judge entries from peer-reviewed journals based on criteria such as their strategies for savings, healthcare financing , and other issues. The institute also named the first six members of its advisory board, including academics from Stanford University, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Ross Kerber) More

Age Lessons Forecasts Top 10 Boomer Trends for 2007

Age Lessons Forecasts Top 10 Boomer Trends for 2007: From Ear Prompters to Anniversoirees to Retro Sports
[12 December 2006 - Age Lessons Press Release] If you're wondering what's on the Baby Boomer agenda for the coming year, Age Lessons, a consulting firm specializing in Boomer marketing and workplace issues, has assembled a list of the Top 10 Boomer Trends on the bubble for 2007. Trends include ear prompters, faux families, retro sports, cultural Renaissance, storytelling, micro housing developments, envirohats, vitaMEns, anniversoirees and sAGE power. "By dint of size and purchasing clout, the Boomer cohort continues to set trends in areas as wide-ranging as the workplace, wellness, technology, recreation, family life and politics," noted Age Lessons President Laurel Kennedy, a well-known thought leader on Boomer marketing and workplace issues. "Boomers are redefining what mid-life looks, feels and sounds like in American society, embracing technologies that enable them to remain engaged and active longer."

2007 Age Lessons Boomer Trends Forecast(TM)

1. 1. Technology/Ear prompters. Those ubiquitous ear buds will enjoy another reincarnation providing real-time data feeds to Boomers having a "senior moment" by supplying missing data points.
2. 2. Family/Faux families. Unmarried, single Boomers will form faux families to share daily living, holidays, birthdays and life's major moments, based on shared interests and affinities.
3. Sports/Retro sports. Anticipate a revival of non-contact, less demanding sports options like tether ball, flag tag, hopscotch, Earth Games that minimize the wear and tear on aging knees and cartilage.
4. Social/Cultural Renaissance. Boomers will pursue long-dormant artistic interests in music, painting, writing sidelined by the demands of work and child care.
5. Folklore/Storytelling returns with a modern twist as a social outlet that allows Boomers to connect with children, grandchildren, each other in response to ubiquitous, impersonal electronic media.
6. Housing/Micro developments featuring streets based on niche interests will pop up, with cul de sacs dedicated to a single activity--marathon mews, aerobic avenue, song street, hiking heights, golf grove, tennis terrace.
7. Safety/Envirohats. Flu epidemic? No problem. Air pollution? Breathe easy. Boomers will be fully protected by envirohats that generate a clean, toxin-free mini-atmosphere treated and balanced to individual requirements.
8. Health/Vita-ME-ns. The fountain of youth is at hand with custom-tailored vitamin elixirs and beverages designed to add what's missing and counteract what's extraneous, tuned to one's personal body chemistry.
9. Marriage/Anniversoirees. Reality TV has covered over-the-top weddings and Sweet Sixteen parties. Next up? Aging Boomers, celebrating successful marriages with blow-out 25th anniversary parties that show the kids how it's done.
10. Politics/sAGE Power. Gray is the new power color in grassroots politics, as aging Boomers rediscover their revolutionary roots and engage in the political fray to influence the electoral agenda and outcomes.
    

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Learning During Sleep? Researchers Investigate Communication Between Memory Areas

[6 December 2006 - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft on Science Daily] If I can’t remember this morning where I put my car keys last night, it’s due to my memory failing me again. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg have been investigating how memories might be consolidated. Their new study offers the hitherto strongest proof that new information is transferred between the hippocampus, the short term memory area, and the cerebral cortex during sleep. According to their findings and contrary to previous assumptions, the cerebral cortex actively controls this transfer. The researchers developed a new technique for their investigations which promises previously impossible insight into the largely under-researched field of information processing in the brain (Nature Neuroscience, November 2006). More

Creativity, Education and Prison - Online Wednesday Morning

[12 December 2006 - Steve Dahlberg] I just found out that an article I wrote last month is going to be featured on Wednesday as the "Editors' Pick" article on Gather.com. Gather.com is an online community, particularly geared toward public radio listeners.

From the Gather.com Editor: On behalf of the editorial team here at Gather, I am very pleased to inform you that your article "The Right to Be Creative -- In Schools, In Prison and In Life" has been chosen as an Editors' Pick. Congratulations! Your article will be featured on the home page of Gather.com on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 from 7:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. EST.
http://www.gather.com

This article was written following the opening performance of "Time In" in Hartford, which featured the words and inspiration of female prisoners from Connecticut. They were part of a creative writing class with author Wally Lamb (who has also been featured as an Oprah author). The article was also inspired by my mentor and colleague Berenice Bleedorn's work with prisoners in Minnesota in the 1980s.

"Last month I witnessed the positive impact that creativity had for a group of incarcerated women. Through a creative writing program, their creative spirits were nurtured, supported and given a voice -- where previously they'd been trampled, stifled and shredded."Time In" explores the stories of women incarcerated at York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut. This collaborative dance, song and spoken-word performance encompasses the stories of female prisoners' lives before conviction, the ceaseless presence of time in their lives on the inside, and the new lives and language they must learn as convicts. It also explores the life of the mind and spirit-- something that isn't given over to confinement in cells and boxes, like the rest of their lives are in prison. For some, the freedom of the mind is a way to maintain sanity; for others, a way to begin to imagine life after prison."

Here's the permanent link to the article, after it is featured on the Gather.com home page Wednesday morning:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976857411

New International Journal on Aging

[13 December 2006 - Nordic Discussions on Social Gerontology] A new journal has been born: The International Journal of Ageing and Later Life. It is a free, online, refereed journal available here.

China faces grim challenges to cope with ageing population: official

[12 December 2006 - People's Daily Online] China is facing an increasing social security burden with the rapid growth of its ageing population, a Chinese official said Tuesday. "The ratio between the active employees and the retired will reach 2.5:1 in 2020," said Li Bengong, executive deputy director of the China National Committee on Aging. Li said the figure in 1990 was 10:1 and had dropped into 3:1 in 2003, bringing a "great challenge" to China's social welfare and service system. A white paper issued Tuesday said that by the end of 2005, China had nearly 144 million people aged over 60, accounting for 11 percent of its population. The number is still rising by three percent every year. More

Volunteering Hits a 30-Year High, New Federal Report Finds

[4 December 2006 - Corporation for National and Community Service - U.S.] The report, "Volunteer Growth in America: A Review of Trends Since 1974," finds that adult volunteering rose sharply between 1989 and 2005, increasing more than 32 percent over the last 16 years. Even with the increase, less than a third of American adults give their time - a finding that has prompted the nation's volunteer agency ask more Americans to join this trend during the holidays. More

'A bold attempt to challenge ageism'

[1 November 2006 - The Guardian - UK] The older population in Scotland is growing and likely to continue to do so. We meet the minister whose mission is to ensure its senior citizens get a clear voice. ... Malcolm Chisholm is unrepentantly a baby boomer: a "classic" one, he says, born in the first boom after the second world war rather than a Johnny-come-lately 1960s version. Now aged 57, Scotland's minister for communities knows just how demanding his contemporaries are likely to be as they head into old age. And quite right too, he believes, which is why he is passionate about creating a Scotland that values - and caters for - its older people. In the next few months, the Scottish executive will publish a strategy for Scotland with an ageing population. It is now being written, following a consultation earlier this year, and Chisholm is determined it will make a difference. "It's partly about changing cultures, recognising that older people are making a contribution and making sure they have the opportunity to do so," he says. "This is a bold attempt to challenge ageism and combat ageist attitudes in society as a whole." More

'America's Oldest Worker' Has A Sweet Life: At 104 Years Old, Honey

[8 December 2006 - CBS News] If you drive into Quinter, Kan., and ask anyone, "Where's Waldo?" they'll tell you he's at work, of course. Ralph Waldo McBurney still goes to work at his honey business every day, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports in this week's Assignment America. Unfortunately, summer is bee season, so things aren't exactly buzzing now. But the mere fact that he shows up at all earned him the title "America's Oldest Worker," an honor recently bestowed on him at a ceremony in Washington. More

Adapt or Die: The Biological Imperative for Aging Creatives

[24 November 2006 - Gamasutra] For more than 3 billion years, biological evolution has guided the colonization of our planet by living organisms. Evolution's rules are simple: creatures that adapt to threats and master the evolutionary game thrive; those that don’t become extinct. Just how much "mastery" has been involved in my ability to dodge an evolutionary bullet is certainly an open question but none the less, I am still in the game well beyond my projected "use by date" and at 62years old, show no signs of “going bad” anytime soon. My point being this: to avoid self-extinction, we must develop some level of awareness that we are at risk in the first place, some way to "change the nature of the outcome." The bargain is just that simple: if we do, we survive, if we don't, we disappear. So we elder statesmen must find a way stay relevant, and if it does not exist yet, create it. Adapt or die becomes much more meaningful when you realize that the work you have taken on has lost its momentum and that the necessary internal support continues evaporating at an alarming rate. This, then, is my humble recitation of fact concerning my own evolutionary trajectory. A trajectory that has been, and I am being generous here, erratic, convoluted and not without some level of discomfort and distress. More

55-Alive! Launched as Premier Interactive Online Magazine and Community

[6 December 2006 - 55-Alive Press Release] Interactive Online Community Combines MySpace-type Member Profiles, Video Content, Member Stories and More Than Two Dozen Featured Columnists ... 55-Alive! ( http://www.55-Alive.com ) today announced the launch of a new interactive online magazine and community specifically for active adults, the baby boomer generation, and the 50-plus generation, together numbering in excess of 70 million. "55-Alive! is a new, exciting and dynamic interactive community," said Kelly Lantz, 55-Alive! President. "55-Alive! is presented in a magazine format that combines MySpace-type member profiles, video content, featured columnists, member groups, and much more." The core beliefs of 55-Alive! are individuality, connection, and interaction. "Those over 50 are the most experienced members of our society," said Ms. Lantz. "They've always done things their way, and now that they're over 50 they don't want to be told what they must do or how or how to live their lives. They don't think of themselves as 'seniors,' 'baby boomers,' or 'retirees.' Instead, they view themselves as grandparents, teachers, tennis players, volunteers, and many diverse combinations of these types of categories." Based on these core beliefs, the 55-Alive! community is built around connection and interaction between members. "The 55-Alive! platform allows members to share their expertise and to connect with other like-minded people, whether it be about sharing life experiences, actively pursuing new interests, or making life better for others through volunteering and philanthropy," said Ms. Lantz. "It's not a one-way source of information delivery. We strongly believe that each of our users has important ideas and expertise to contribute. If someone has a story or idea, we want to hear about it. Members can also join one of the 55-Alive! groups, such as a grandparenting or travel group, or they can form a new group." In addition to the MySpace-type member profiles, 55-Alive! has teamed up with more than two dozen featured columnists and premier content providers, including Studio One channels and video content from Roo Media Corporation. Users can watch video clips of the latest news, see movie trailers, or read any of the more than 300 articles added each month. About 55-Alive!: 55-Alive! is a premier interactive online magazine and community for individuals over 50. 55-Alive! provides news, lifestyle, health, recreation, and financial information, dozens of featured columnists, and an interactive community. Membership is free, and members can create online profiles and blogs, participate on discussion boards, become moderators or featured article contributors, or join one of the 55-Alive! Groups. 55-Alive! is the successor to the http://www.RetirementLifeToday.com website and is, along with http://www.RetirementCommunitiesOnline.com and http://www.RVListingsOnline.com , a part of the Karden Investments portfolio of companies. More

Education beyond the conscious

[3 December 2006 - Times Union - Albany, New York] Human beings have divided selves. Some philosophers emphasize that people have a cool, rational side and an unruly, passionate side. Some theologians emphasize that people have a loving, virtuous side and a selfish, sinful side. Freudians used to emphasize the divisions between the ego, the superego and the id. But lately some brain researchers have another way to conceptualize the divided self. They distinguish between the conscious, intentional parts of the mind and the backstage automatic parts. The best metaphor for this last division comes from Jonathan Haidt's wise book "The Happiness Hypothesis." Imagine, he writes, a boy riding an elephant. The boy is the conscious mind, the prefrontal cortex and such. The boy can plan ahead. The elephant is the unconscious part of the brain. It produces emotions and visceral reactions. It processes information and forms intuitions. More

Adult learning: It is never too late to learn

[23 October 2006 - Eur-Lex - Brussels] This Communication highlights the essential contribution of adult learning, through the acquisition of key competences by all, to employability and mobility in a modern labour market and to social inclusion. It draws on lessons learnt from the dialogue with Member States in the framework of “Education and Training 2010” and from experiences gained in the existing EU education and training programmes, in particular Socrates programme5. It also reflects the approach outlined in the Communication on efficiency and equity6, namely that reforms are possible which make education and training systems both more efficient and more equitable. It recalls that the Structural Funds, and in particular the European Social Fund (ESF), have the potential to support the development of infrastructures and strategies. It underlines the importance of certain specific issues: the gender dimension, in particular regarding data collection, differences in access to lifelong learning and in preferred forms of learning. It provides the necessary policy underpinning for the implementation of the future “Grundtvig” programme, which will form part of the overall Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013. Finally, it proposes a reflection on adult learning involving Member States and relevant stakeholders, leading to the formulation of an action plan in 2007. More