Ageing population 'poses economic dangers'

[25 June 2007 - Sunday Business Post - Ireland] Ireland’s ageing population poses significant long-term dangers for the country’s economy, a major labour conference heard today. By 2036, more than 40% of the workforce will be aged 50 or over, according to economists. Delegates at the Active Ageing and Labour Market Trajectories seminar in Dublin urged the Government to make it easier for older people to continue in employment beyond retirement age. The conference heard from a number of international experts on pensions issues and the need to root-out ageist discrimination in the workforce if Ireland’s economy was to continue to flourish. More

National Religious Gathering Explores Faith, Science, Creativity and Society

[24 June 2007 - By Steven Dahlberg - From the United Church of Christ General Synod, Hartford, Connecticut] Yesterday, I attended the "Synod in the City" as part of the United Church of Christ's General Synod. The Synod is taking place in Hartford, Connecticut, for several days and has drawn more than 10,000 people from around the country. The UCC is celebrating is fiftieth anniversary during this General Synod.

The "Synod in the City" was designed to engage the broader community with the UCC members and delegates in learning, playing and worshiping together throughout downtown Hartford. Several keynote presenters spoke throughout the day and I offer some brief summaries below (with more to come). The themes from these presentations not only touched on faith, religion and theology, but on creativity, purposeful life, science, culture, society and politics. The day opened with a presentation by journalist Bill Moyers (video), followed in the afternoon with a keynote from Senator Barack Obama (video) -- both UCC members.

Many of the presentations will eventually be available online. Monday will feature a keynote (2:30 p.m. EDT) by Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund.

FROM SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2007:

Walter Brueggemann: An Old Testament scholar and author who has authored more than 58 books, hundreds of articles, and several commentaries on books of the Bible. His most recent book is Theology of the Old Testament.

• Biblical stories help us explore "what is valued and who is valued."
• It is the poets who help us imagine "that the world can be organized differently."
• "The poets notice" -- not the ideologues, the moralists.
• Talking about 9/11 -- "the poets go to the depth of crisis and reach into God's conflicted heart."
• Jeremiah offers two triads for the church and society: one is the trajectory of death (wealth, might and wisdom) and the other is a trajectory of life (love, justice and righteousness). The latter adheres with the divine purpose for life -- and it's something "all of the church needs to be talking about."
• Talking about differences in the church, he said, we need to "learn to care with dignity and respect" for those who do not sign on to this particular agenda.
• "Anxiety is the main pathology in our society to which pastors must respond." This anxiety is generated by our focus on wealth, might and wisdom,  as well as our focus on never being good enough. He said there is a "deliberate program of inadequate productivity that leaves everyone" ineffective and unproductive.
  

Ray Kurzweil: This author, inventor and futurist explores the relationship between humans and the machines we've created.
He began his remarks by sharing his faith background as a Unitarian, in which he developed a life-long desire to keep learning about truth, a thirst for knowledge, and a way of living informed by the Golden Rule.

• He said fashioned himself an inventor at five years old, though he doesn't know exactly why. However, "the key to invention is timing." He said many inventors get their products to work, but the timing to bring them to market or to have an impact in society is sometimes off.
  
• For many years, he has worked on predictions about technology and its impact. He said specifics are not predictable, but the overall impact of technology is. Yet people often don't pay attention to such predictions: "Exponential growth is seductive and surprising."
• He demonstrated one of his inventions: a hand-held device that blind people can use on the move to read signs, books and other printed material. The device has camera imaging technology, software and a voice reader.
• For Kurzweil, the connection between technology and faith has to do with our "quest for deeper meaning and to understand more of the world."

New target: Singaporeans to work beyond age 70?

[21 June 2007 - Channel NewsAsia - Singapore] With the wheels in motion to get more seniors into the workforce, the Minister-in-Charge of ageing issues, Mr Lim Boon Heng, is thinking of taking things a step further: To get Singaporeans to work beyond age 70. More

NCPR News Forum explores aging and creativity

[20 June 2007 - North Country Public Radio] Mercy Care of the Adirondacks and Paul Smiths College will host a forum on Tuesday, June 26th, on creativity and creating elder-friendly communities. The guest speaker will be Dr. Gene Cohen, Director of the Center for Aging, Health and Humanities at George Washington University. Mercy Care of the Adirondacks Executive Director Donna Beal says many communities in the region are seeing changes in health and long-term care, and people are living longer. She spoke with Todd Moe. More (includes audio)

Mapping the Growth of Older America

[12 June 2007 - The Brookings Institution - By William H. Frey, Visiting Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program] Aging baby boomers constitute this decade's fastest growing age group, expanding nearly 50 percent in size from 2000 to 2010. This group -- more highly educated, with more professional women, and more diverse than its predecessors -- will add new stresses to suburban and Sun Belt locations where they are predominantly "retiring in place" with demands for health, transportation, and other services. More (and Full Report)

Ageing is no-go area for baby boomers

[20 June 2007 - The Guardian] In sharp contrast to their US counterparts, Britain's baby boomers are not yet ready to embrace positive ageing, it seems. Launched last May with investment of £5m, Heyday, a membership organisation aimed at the over-50s, was "a step too far too fast", its parent and backer, Age Concern, admits. The venture hoped to attract 300,000 members, for a subscription of £26 each. Benefits include a magazine published six times a year, and offers on goods and services. But its membership stands at 44,000 and the majority of members are aged between 65 and 80. The Charity Commission has queried the organisation's aims, and three senior managers have resigned over the last year. In a statement last week, the charity said: "Age Concern England has accepted that its strategy to engage with baby boomers in their 50s and early 60s has not worked. Younger people did not join in the numbers anticipated." More

Forget the dream of retiring early if you are 40

[19 June 2007 - Telegraph - UK] People aged 40 or younger will have to get used to the idea that "early retirement" will mean giving up work in their 60s not their 50s, John Hutton, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said yesterday. He disclosed that the Government was considering encouraging people to work past the normal retirement age by requiring them to apply for the state pension, rather than receive it automatically. Ministers no longer want 65, or the present 60 for women, to be seen as a "focal point for retirement." More

Focused Regimens Keep Aging Mind Sharp, Says New Publication

[15 June 2007 - Gerontological Society of America - Press Release] Treatments to keep the brain healthy can be just as effective as exercise is for the body, according to the latest special issue of The Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. The volume, titled "Cognitive Interventions and Aging," features research devoted to methods for preserving mental function - from training routines and medication to more modern approaches such as civic engagement and the use of technology. The publication was guest edited by Richard Schulz, PhD of Florida State University. Ten articles are presented in total:

• "Developing Context and Background Underlying Cognitive Intervention/Training Studies in Older Populations"
• "Should One Use Medications in Combination With Cognitive Training? If So, Which Ones?"
• "The Impact of Speed of Processing Training on Cognitive and Everyday Functions"
• "The Neural Correlates of an Expanded Functional Field of View"
• "Improving Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Nontraditional Approaches"
• "Training and Maintaining Memory Abilities in Healthy Older Adults: Traditional and Novel Approaches"
• "An Engagement Model of Cognitive Optimization Through Adulthood"
• "Do Self-Monitoring Interventions Improve Older Adult Learning?"
• "Training Older Adults To Use New Technology"
• "A Multilevel Modeling Approach to Examining Individual Differences in Skill Acquisition for a Computer-Based Task"
  

Advances in imaging technology, electrophysiology, biomarker assay, genetics, statistical analyses, and data sharing are moving the field of cognitive research forward at an accelerating rate. The growing prominence of ailments such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases has spurred a greater interest in cognitive interventions among the American public. This special issue was developed as the result of a symposium on cognitive training for older adults sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. More

CDC and Alzheimer's Association Release the First Ever Brain Health "Road Map": Effort to maintain and improve the cognitive performance of all adults

[10 June 2007 - CDC and Alzheimer's Association] In order to maintain and improve the cognitive performance of all adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alzheimer’s Association today released the first-ever National Public Health Road Map to Maintaining Cognitive Health (Road Map) at the 2nd Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia in Washington, D.C. The Road Map highlights the importance of maintaining and improving cognitive health to the overall health of the nation. The Road Map is both a call to action and a guide for implementing a coordinated approach to raising the public’s awareness about cognitive health and increasing the nation’s commitment to understanding both the risks for cognitive decline and ways of maintaining brain health. “Public health has a key role to play in ensuring that added years for older Americans are quality years, including both physical health and cognitive health,” said CDC Director, Dr. Julie L. Gerberding. “The National Public Health Road Map to Maintaining Cognitive Health represents a reason for optimism coupled with a clear need for action. The Road Map provides critical action steps that organizations and agencies can take to move cognitive health into the public health arena in a strategic, coordinated manner.” The components of healthy cognitive functioning include language, thought, memory, judgment, perception and the ability to carry out the activities of daily living. Public health efforts to date have largely focused on physical health. It is clear, however, that the loss of cognitive function carries life-altering implications for individuals and families, high costs for healthcare systems, and a tremendous burden on society. As Americans age, there is increased risk of cognitive decline, including a dramatic rise in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. This in turn contributes to caregiver burden, spiraling health care costs and economic hardship. More | Full Report (PDF)

Beyond the Nest Egg: What to Ask Yourself About Retirement

[7 June 2007 - Wall Street Journal - By Glenn Ruffenach and Kelly Greene] When it comes to planning for retirement, most people focus first on money: Am I saving enough? Is my nest egg big enough? Yes, a healthy savings account is important for later life. But unless you have a good idea about what you want to do in retirement -- how you plan to fill your days and what that lifestyle might cost -- questions about the size and adequacy of your nest egg are premature. Here are some of the steps that individuals should take to figure out the life they want to lead in their 50s and beyond. More

The Biology of the Imagination

[Summer/Fall 2007 - Entelechy - By Simon Baron-Cohen] In what sense might something as intrinsically human as the imagination be biological? How could the products of the imagination -- a novel, a painting, a sonata, a theory -- be thought of as the result of biological matter? After all, such artifacts are what culture is made of. So why invoke biology? In this essay, I will argue that the content of the imagination is of course determined more by culture than biology. But the capacity to imagine owes more to biology than culture. More