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Last Sunday The New York Times Magazine featured an article on global demographics, describing the birth rates in various countries and regions around the world. None of this information is new to those of us in the ageing field but it is good to see that the mainstream press is starting to look seriously at this issue.
As we’ve noted many times in our Global Ageing Network Blog, global ageing will be the defining demographic event of this century and will impact the world in many ways – financial systems, retirement, workforce and even climate change. The NYTimes is a good conversation starter – Let’s keep it going.
Much has been written in the US about the Green House movement, founded by Dr. Bill Thomas, creator of the Eden Alternative. The Green House model has been consistently featured in articles and as education sessions since its inception.
This recent article on Kiplinger.Com gives a good description of the model here in the US. If there are similar models of care in your country please share them with us.
Late in 2007 we wrote about the importance of care coordination for individuals moving from one level of health care to another. The OECD’s study highlighted four key areas for reform and gave an overview of practices in three countries – the US, Germany and England.
Now according to a recent report, the Australian Government has allocated AUS$300 million to provide transition services for elderly to help them regain heath and independence after discharge from a hospital. The program will provide a range of low intensity therapy services, including physiotherapy, dietetics and podiatry, as well as nursing support and personal care services.
This is a very important part of a comprehensive health care plan and is a good model for others to replicate.
The European Commission wants to see Europe developing as a hub for ICT for older people through the development of smart home technologies, electronic alarm systems and remote health facilities, for example.
It is hoped that smart devices, mobile technologies for monitoring vital signs and user-friendly interfaces for people with impaired vision or hearing will improve the quality of life of elderly people, their carers and families.
According to an article on VNUNET, the plan, proposed by the European Commission in June 2007, had already been approved by the European Parliament in March 2008 in a first reading. Twenty EU member states, as well as Israel, Norway and Switzerland would participate in this € 600 million joint research project called “Ambient Assisted Living” programme.
Between now and 2013, another € 400 million are allocated to research and innovation for the elderly people under the E.U.’s seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. “There is no reason for older people in Europe to miss out on the benefits of new technologies. The solutions and services resulting from this program will help them to remain active in society as well as staying socially connected and independent for a longer time,” said Viviane Reding, E.U. Commissioner for the information society and media.
The Care Home Olympics took place on Thursday, 19 June 2009, in Sheffield, England. Competitors tested each other’s skills in sports such as bowling, skittles, mini golf, target throwing and dominoes. Teams were made up of residents from 20 care homes, with the event starting with a chair-based, mass warm up and ending with dancing.
A prime goal of the Olympics was emphasizing the importance of physical activity. And of course having a chance to meet people and socialize are great benefits too.
And the Lord Mayor presented metals and prizes to the winning homes.
Go Team!!
There have been numerous articles and studies about the tidal wave of retirees swamping retirement pension systems as the baby boomers leave the workforce. Not only have the prognosticators declared that there will be a financial drain both in terms of increase in health care expenditures as well as in tapping of government pension systems, there will also be a workforce crisis as jobs go empty.
Not so, says Kevin Coyne of the Coyne Partnership. In a recent article in Business Week, Kevin and his business partner Shawn Coyne say that the Silver Tsunami will be more of a trickle – certainly in the US. According to their calculation more older Americans will choose to work beyond age 65 and there will be fewer retirees and more workers.
This is certainly a much rosier picture than we’ve seen elsewhere. Thoughts? Is this true in your country???
Sunday is the 3rd Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, launched three years ago by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.
The purpose is to raise awareness of the issue of elder abuse and to encourage the adoption of a comprehensive strategy to prevent elder abuse and ensure quality of long-term care for older people.
Studies show that 4% of older people living in private households and 30% of older people in institutions are victims of elder abuse. Elder abuse can take various forms: physical, psychological or emotional, sexual, financial or neglect. Inadequate care is more often related to the incapacity of overburdened and stressed carers to cope with the increasing demands posed on them, rather than a real intent to exploit or harm vulnerable older people.
An example of what is possible is demonstrated by IAHSA member The Hebrew Home at Riverdale in NY, USA. They created the Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Research, the first comprehensive elder abuse center in the US. The Center provides a coordinated system of crisis intervention that includes an emergency residential shelter and community based services for victims of elder abuse; a broad spectrum of community education and training programs to increase professional knowledge; a national replication training program; and a research component to profile victims.
Share with us other examples of innovative approaches for dealing with this terrible problem. And mark Sunday 15 June as ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY.
According to a new national survey of working adults in the US, one in four employees currently cares for an older or disabled adult.
The study, conducted by work-life benefits firm Workplace Options, noted that of the employees caring for an older adult, nearly half have missed work time.
The role of the employer was also reviewed and 61% of the respondents said that they would utilize a service that assisted with care giving if it was provided by the employer free of charge.
It would be interesting to see if the situation is similar elsewhere in the world. Please add a comment to let us know what you see in your country.
The Australians have done it again – providing leadership in the creation of a user-friendly website to help carers develop cultural awareness and build appropriate strategies for building a respectful, caring relationship with client who are Greek and who have limited knowledge of English.
Greek Care provides practical advice and information on how to work with Greek elders — communication strategies, activities, religious information, information about beliefs and values that impact on service delivery — as well as background information about Greek history, geography and tradition. There are many hints on how to enhance the practitioner-client relationship. Often they are quite simple strategies that will nevertheless engage your client and elicit satisfaction on their part.
In the past we’ve blogged about the Australian Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing – another example of the importance given to this complex issue.
Thanks to Tim Dixon, Deputy Editor of Australian Ageing Agenda for telling us about Greek Care.
Recent research at the University of Helsinki, Finland, indicates that if a person’s spouse passes away, the surviving spouse is more likely to enter a long-term care facility than those with a living spouse.
The study to be published in July in the American Journal of Public Health analyzed how the death of a spouse affects the likelihood of needing institutionalized care. According to an article in Reuters, the research team followed nearly 141,000 adults in Finland, age 65 and older, living with a spouse. They were followed for five years, and results showed the risk of entering long-term care was higher in those who lost a spouse as compared to those still living with their spouse.
One conclusion of the study was that targeted bereavement counseling would help reduce the need for institutional care.
During and after major disasters, the elderly are often forgotten in the rush to save everyone else. We saw it during the tsunami, during 911, during Katrina. And we’re seeing it again in China after the earthquake that struck on 12 May.
According to an article in the Washington Post, nearly 12,000 elderly Chinese lost their relatives in the quake and many more are separated from their families with their long time homes and belongings lost forever.
In a country known for its revering its elderly, China’s economic growth has altered traditional patterns between parents and their adult children as young people concentrate on making a living.
The provincial and central government officials have promised that all elderly left homeless will be taken care of. But with this disaster, as with others, attention to this population comes late. Help Age International is a world leader in helping countries provide for the elderly in times of need. The Chinese could benefit from their assistance.
During IAHSA’s 2nd European Conference in Vienna last week, there was a lot of talk about culture change – not only during the education sessions but also as a major theme for the networking breakout groups.
A primary tenet of culture change is creating an environment that honors person-centered care – where seniors in aged care facilities enjoy much of the privacy and choice they would experience if they were still living in their own homes.
In order to get an idea of how far Culture Change has progressed in the USA, the Commonwealth Fund conducted a research project to study nursing homes to determine the penetration of the culture change movement. The results were mixed with much room for improvement. However the researchers found that the more a nursing home adopts culture change the greater the benefits, in terms of staff retention, higher occupancy rates, better competitive position and improved operational costs.
IAHSA members around the world are embracing the culture change movement. Share your experiences with others by adding comments here.
The OECD recently released a report on the health workforce and migration policies in New Zealand, with a special focus on the international recruitment of doctors and nurses.
While the report focuses on New Zealand, primarily because NZ has the highest proportion of migrant doctors among OECD countries, the information should be of interest to all countries that are depending on immigration to support health care services.
Increasing international competition for highly skilled workers raises important issues such as sustainability and ability to compete in a global market. Better coordination and stronger collaboration could contribute to more effective and pertinent policies.
IAHSA will continue to monitor this important topic for our member’s benefit.
