Everyone agrees that people who live in their homes in the community thrive – be they old, young or in between.

Recently EU Commissioner Vladimir Spidia released a report that was drafted by experts to address the issues of institutional care reform.   As noted in the report, there is strong evidence in support of transition from institutional care to community-based alternatives.     It can provide better results for users, their families and staff while costs are comparable to those of institutional care.

This is an important issue and vital to quality of life for all individuals.

Residents of reirement communities have led and continue to lead fascinating lives. That’s what my new Canadian friends reminded me of last night.

More than 30 members of the international community dined together last night at AAHSA’s Annual Meeting in Chicago, USA.

Check out the pictures below.

Major technology companies are increasingly investing in the development of remote monitoring devices to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of health care and increasing their bottom line in the process.

Dutch Philip Electronics is teaming up with the Netherlands’ largest health insurer, Achmea, to develop and distribute home monitoring health care in the Dutch market.

As reported in Reuters, home monitoring is at the heart of Philip’s home health care strategy and they expect their market to double in the coming years.

Philips is not alone.   Earlier this year General Electric and Intel joined forces to develop remote monitoring devices, while Google and IBM have teamed up on software to facilitate grwoth of personal health records.

When thinking about retirement how much thought do you give to WHERE?  Now you have help.

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index ranks 11 countries based on the adequacy, sustainability and integrity of their public and private pension systems.   The Netherlands tops the rankings, followed by Australia, Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.  Chile is #7, followed by Singapore, Germany, China and Japan.

None of the 11 countries studied scored an A for its retirement- income system.   But the index did confirm what experts have long thought to be true: The Netherlands and Australia have the top two retirement-income systems in the world.

There are a number of other countries, such as Norway, that are perceived to have excellent retirement/pension systems.   Perhaps next time they will expand the study to include a broader view of the globe.

MetLife Mature Market Institute recently released a new market survey on the cost of elder care in the US.    The survey, Market Survey of Long Term Care Costs, is the latest in the MMI research on this topic, the first of which was published in 2002.

The cost of all sorts of care – from nursing homes to assisted living communities – continues to climb, in some regions and states more than others.   Slowing the growth curve of health care spending is one of the reasons the US is trying to overhaul the health care system.  This study demonstrates that they need to include long term care in the mix if there is to be true savings down the road.

According to a recent article in The Economist, the global fertility rate in half of the world will fall to 2.1 or below, meaning that population growth will be slowing down.  This demographic projection is usually met with fear about global ageing, demise of retirement systems, and negative economic projections.

But there is a positive side.   As the article explains, higher standards of living reduce fertility.  And lower fertility improves living standards and can help bolster a country’s economy.    And it makes it easier for women to work, boosting the size of the labour force.

After you read this article I’m sure you’ll have your own opinion.  Share your thoughts with us.

French Minister Nora Berra is in charge of addressing the ageing demographic challenges in France.   Her position as ’secretariat d’etat’ dedicated to the elderly in France is an example of recent steps being taken by the French Government to provide more and better care for their ageing population.

In an interview in The Connexion, Minister Berra describes the government’s efforts to build more ‘retirement home’ beds, increase staffing and establish broader access to home care.     We will continue blog on other country responses to the global ageing crisis as they become available.

It’s hard to believe that the end of the first decade of the 21st century is right around the corner.  Much has happened over the past 10 years and according to the author of this article from The Australian Business Journal, there are six trends that defined the last decade and could have an impact during the next 10 years and beyond.     While these don’t affect ageing services directly there are clear implications for future care challenges and opportunities.    Share with us trends you’ve seen in your country.

IAHSA has teamed up with the Institute for the Future of Aging [IFAS] to expand global connections for conducting applied research in ageing services.   Earlier this year we released an international workforce study that was funded by Invacare Europe and helped define challenges in recruiting and retaining front line caregivers.

And we continue to encourage cross-country research initiatives that can help address the challenges of global ageing.  The IFAS Newsletter recently reported on joint efforts between IAHSA and IFAS to develop an International Research Network that will  foster cross sharing of ideas, projects and results.    In addition, IAHSA is helping our members gain access to IFAS’ expertise to help shape future ageing service programs.

Contact us if you want to learn more about our research program.

IAHSA members provide leading edge care and services and technology plays a vital role in what many members are doing.

This year at AAHSA’s Annual Meeting, participants will be able to see a full scale house with innovative technology. The AAHSA House—a fully functioning 2,600 sq. ft house will boast the best in universal design and cutting-edge technologies in a hands-on, interactive environment; allowing buyers to understand and test out products.

To learn more, click here.