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Remember the Zimmers?? Have you seen the movie Forever Young? Both are examples of how talented and innovative our elder citizens are. And here is another group, the RejuveNation singing the Turtles hit song, Happy Together. A film about them was part of Pangea Day a global film festival…Enjoy.
While April 22 may be the official day to celebrate our planet, every day can be Earth Day. Take a moment to think of what you can do in your daily life to reduce your footprint. We all have a role to play in conserving and restoring the Earth for future generations. And this is an issue that all generations can be involved in! Just look at the group Green Seniors. These elders engage their communities and inspire action around climate change and conservation. Also, take a look at Earth Hour - an amazing movement that began in Sydney, Australia. Do you have an hour for the Earth? There are so many ways just ONE person can make a difference. Share your activities with us and help make everyday an Earth Day!
Residents at Vinson Hall Retirement Community have a new house guest. He is white, furry, and comes all the way from Japan. Meet Paro the world’s most therapeutic robot (according to the Guiness Book of World Records). Modeled after a baby Harp seal, Paro is a mental commitment robot designed to interact with humans on a personal and therapeutic level. Dr. Shibata, Paro’s inventor, has exhibited the seal pup all over the world and studies people’s reactions to the robot. In Italy, a resident suffering from dementia became calm and relaxed after petting Paro. In Japan, Paro stimulated communication between nursing home residents as they gather around to pet him and care for him. I got to meet Paro at a special presentation at Vinson Hall Retirement Community. This incredible little robot made everyone in the room smile as he squeaked, batted his long eyelashes, and raised his head. It is easy to see how people, both young and old, enjoy interacting with him.
Choose from two exceptional pre-conference sessions at IAHSA’s Second European Conference.
Facility Tour
IAHSA member Christa Monkhouse leads a tour through SeneCura Social Center one of the most modern multi-functional care facilities in Austria. SeneCura Social Center provides short-term and long-term care for older residents and boasts the leading dementia station in the German-speaking area.
Technology Workshop
Mr. Sten Hanke, Researcher, Austrian Research Centers, facilitates a workshop on the M*Power project, a pan-European initiative focused on an open platform technology to simplify and speed up the development and deployment of services for the elderly and cognitively disabled.
At Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea they are making a special effort to bring in a new generation of park visitors - the elderly. As birthrates in the country continue to fall, businesses that cater to the young must now market to the young-at-heart. People over sixty will get a significantly reduced price on a yearlong pass. At this price, Japan’s elderly can enjoy Disney Magic more often. The park also hopes that the discount will encourage Japanese grandparents to bring along their grandchildren. “It’s a treat that we generally give to the grandchildren once a year, but they do look forward to it so much that I think we could definitely go more often,” said Yoko Tsuyuki, a 65-year-old grandmother of two. What a great way to encourage intergenerational activity and bring happiness to Disney fans of all ages!
Answer the Call for Presentations
Share your expertise, innovations and organizational successes with colleagues from all corners of the world. Submit a proposal for consideration in the IAHSA 8th International Conference - Leadership Beyond Borders. This premier event will showcase the most innovative programmes from around the globe and provide an exciting forum for the exchange of both practical knowledge and new strategies focused on the provision of care and services to older adults. Accepted proposals will be eligible for consideration for the 2008-2009 IAHSA Excellence in Ageing Services Awards.
Important Dates
1 May 2008: Proposal Submission Deadline
1 October 2008: Notification of Decision
1 June 2009: Presenter Registration Deadline
20-22 July 2009: IAHSA 8th International Conference
There are days when reading the paper is down right depressing. Stories of elder abuse, rising health care costs and retirement woes dominate the headlines. But today was different. Two stories caught my attention and brightened my day and I hope they do the same for you!
Tuning into Music Therapy
Members of the Adult Day Support Program at Bethany Cochrane in Calgary, Canada are all recording artists. There debut album featured a selection of standards such as Amazing Grace and Springtime in the Rockies, with a few members even taking on solos. This is a fantastic example of how a creative project helps elderly maintain skills which help them stay independent longer. At Bethany Cochrane music is not the only activity residents engage in. There are debate sessions, hobby and games times and wellness clinics. This community is bubbling with examples of positive engagement between residents, staff and the community.
Manchester opens outdoor playground for elderly
The city of Manchester, England has opened a playground for the elderly. Town residents who lived in state housing lobbied the government for an outdoor recreation area after learning of a similar programme in Germany! So far over sixty elderly have tried out the new equipment and the response is very positive. The space also lends itself to intergenerational interaction because it was build next to a children’s play area. What a unique and enjoyable experience for the town’s elderly.
Recently Reuters told the story of Aisa, an elderly refugee from the war in Bosnia (1992-1995). She and 74 other elderly refugees live in Slovenia and are just a few of the more then 32 million people in the world uprooted from their homes and forced to start again somewhere else.
Aisa’s situation highlights the unique challenges of this special needs population in times of crisis. She and the other refugees in the community have found it difficult to assimilate into Slovenian society. The linguistic and cultural barriers make finding a job and meeting new people next to impossible. So they spend time visiting doctors, watching TV and drinking coffee with each other. The Slovenia government has done its best to make them feel welcome. As 84-year-old Osman said, “We have never been better in worse times.”
Groups of elderly refugees are living on the margins of society all across Europe. IAHSA would like to hear stories of how your organization is working with this special population. How might the global community help our elders in times of crisis?
To learn more about the unique situation facing elderly refugees visit the UN High Commission for Refugees. Or visit the Web site Forced Migration Online for a list of reports and research relating to the situation of older refugees.
Happy Holidays and a Healthy and Safe New Year from IAHSA. We appreciate your support and look forward to 2008.
I would like to introduce you to Sarah Mashburn and the AAHSA Future of Aging Blog. Sarah’s insightful posts are worth adding to your “Must Read” list. In addition to covering topics of importance to AAHSA members, Sarah often reaches into the global news room to find things from other countries that are worth sharing with readers in the U.S. Her most recent post focuses on Britain’s Putting People First campaign (something you may also have read about on the IAHSA blog). I also recommend that you read her post on the Silver Tsunami.
Linking into the Future of Aging blog is just another way that IAHSA is building a global community across borders. We hope you enjoy this fantastic resource!
Technology has the potential to transform aging, but the real question is: do older people want it in their lives? In Japan, the answer may be no.
An article in the Washington Post takes a look at how technologies like robots and automatic feeding spoons are becoming unpopular among Japanese elders and their families. This isn’t good news for companies like Sanyo, who invested millions of dollars in developing Hopis, a robotic dog that could monitor everything from a person’s blood sugar to body temperature. And it probably isn’t good news for aging-services providers, since researchers predict that 40 percent of Japan’s population will be elderly by 2050.
What’s the source of the tech turn off? According to one expert, “….we keep coming up against the same problems. They (technologies) are costly to create, require supervision to use, and in the end the manpower issue is not solved. We can see things work, but who is going to pay the expense?”
So, what beats Hopis and his other friends in the popularity contest? For now, it’s stuffed animals.
October 1st is the International Day of Older Persons and we want to know what YOU are doing to raise awareness in your community about global ageing and the important issues that face our world’s elders.
Here at IAHSA we are partnering with AARP International to host My Generation: Connecting, Giving, Enjoying on Tuesday, October 2. This event will be the American debut of the BBC’s acclaimed Documentary “Power to the People: the Great Granny Chart Invasion”. After the film, attendees will have the opportunity to share their ideas and insights with award-winning investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Tim Samuels.
But the celebration goes beyond this event. Organizations and communities around the world around are already planning their celebrations. Organizations in Gisborne, New Zealand are working togehter to host an expo and the city of Leeds in the United Kingdom is planning a programme along with a week-long series of community events.
Share what’s happening in your community or plan your own event and help us spread the word about the International Day of Older Persons!
