SourceBook Guide To Retirement Living - ProAging Info Network :

Young@Heart, a world-renowned chorus of senior rockers to play in DC on 12/5

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:07:00 -0500

Young@Heart, a world-renowned chorus of senior rockers and stars of an award-winning documentary, are coming back to the DC area thanks to popular demand to star in their production of “Alive and Well” to benefit Iona Senior Services. The chorus will rock the Warner Theatre on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 4:00. Proceeds will benefit Iona’s counseling services, support groups, arts programming, and high-quality day programs for families living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Tickets available exclusively through http://youngatheart.eventbrite.com. Holiday parties, families and groups welcome! Call 202.895.9416 or email events@iona.org.

Idea House Brings Transformed Aging Vision to Life

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:58:00 -0500

CHICAGO, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – The following is being released by
the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging:

WHAT: The AAHSA Idea House, a 2,600-square-foot house that will display
groundbreaking technologies and design innovations that make it possible for
more and more older adults to have what they want: to remain independent and
at home. The House will be displayed at the American Association of Homes and
Services for the Aging’s (AAHSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Chicago.

This house will feature the best in universal design and will include
technologies and design that can improve older people’s quality of life, while
reducing health care costs, encouraging healthy behavior change and providing
caregivers with support. What is most remarkable is that 90 percent of the
products being displayed are on the market today. In the house, you can try
out:

    – A security system that replaces the traditional peephole with DVD
        screen.
    – A height-adjustable kitchen cabinet and toilet seat designed to meet
        different users’ needs.
    – A medication dispenser which automatically organizes, reminds,
dispenses
        and monitors an individual’s medication use.

– A gaming system that provides 24/7 access to speech therapy, e-mail
and
classic radio shows through your television.

WHERE:
McCormick Place Lakeside Center
2301 S. Lakeshore Drive
Chicago, Ill. 60616

WHEN:
Press Preview Tour, Monday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m.
Exhibition Open, November 9-11, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHO: As the association of not-for-profit providers of nursing homes, assisted
living, senior housing and home and community-based services, AAHSA, through
its Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), is working to bring
together consumers, providers, universities and corporations to advance
technologies that will allow all seniors to receive the services they need,
when they need them, in a place they call home. www.aahsa.org

To attend or for more information, contact Lauren Shaham at (202) 508-1219 or
lshaham@aahsa.org.

About AAHSA
The members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
(www.aahsa.org) help millions of individuals and their families every day
through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to providing
the services that people need, when they need them, in the place they call
home. Our 5,700 member organizations, many of which have served their
communities for generations, offer the continuum of aging services: adult day
services, home health, community services, senior housing, assisted living
residences, continuing care retirement communities and nursing homes. AAHSA’s
commitment is to create the future of aging services through quality people
can trust.
SOURCE American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging

Lauren Shaham of AAHSA , +1-202-508-1219, lshaham@aahsa.org

IONA has office space available

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:52:00 -0500

TENANTS WANTED!

Ideal Professional Office Space Available in the highly-desirable Tenleytown location of Northwest DC.

Three Office Suites with a Reception Area for lease totaling 444 Square Feet.

With lease contract, tenant also receives access to all of the building’s meeting rooms AND storage.

Additional Amenities include:
• Covered Garage Parking Available (for an additional fee)
• Great Location- 1 block away from the Tenleytown Metro and on the Wisconsin Avenue Bus Line
• Walking Distance to American University
• Walking Distance to vibrant Wisconsin Avenue shops and restaurants

*The prospective tenant must align with our mission to support people as they experience the challenges and opportunities of aging.

Price: $39 per square foot

For more information, please contact:
Tiffani Huskey at (202) 895-9491 or thuskey@iona.org

Building Adult Foster Care: What States Can Do

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:45:00 -0500

The AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) recently released a report titled, “Building Adult Foster Care: What States Can Do”.

By: Robert L. Mollica; Kristin Simms-Kastelein; Michael Cheek; Candace Baldwin; Jennifer Farnham; Susan Reinhard; Jean Accius | 2009-09-22

This PPI report examines the role of adult foster care (AFC) within the array of long-term services and supports. It explores the trends and issues facing adult foster care providers, discusses the role of the Nurse Practice Act on the scope of services available in adult foster care and offer recommendations as to how states can support the development and growth of AFC services.

States are currently facing major budget shortfalls given the current economic environment and are looking for viable options to provide services and supports to older adults and people with disabilities. Adult foster care may be a cost-effective alternative to institutional care. From the perspective of consumers, AFC can enhance their ability, regardless of age and income, to participate as fully as possible in all aspects of community living. It provides residents with a homelike and family like environment. Because AFCs are integrated into local communities, individuals can engage in social interactions as they get help with personal care, medications and health-related activities, money management, housekeeping and transportation to appointments.

This report is the only comprehensive national review of adult foster care regulations, trends, and issues facing providers. It offers an update to PPI’s 1996 review of AFC regulations and highlights innovative approaches to developing and funding AFC.

More info: http://www.aarp.org/research/ppi/ltc/hcbs/articles/2009_13_building.html

Helping Grandpa Get His Tech On

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:41:00 -0500

By ERIC A. TAUB, New York Times
Published: October 28, 2009

A few days before my 100-year-old mother’s death this summer, she said she had only one regret: not being able to see her family in California again.

A few phone calls later and my mother was using iChat to speak with and see her great-grandchildren for the first time in years.

My mother, born in a Belarussian village before the advent of commercial radio, was by her late 90s using a cellphone, receiving e-mail messages from her family and asking me “what is this Twitter thing anyway?”

She was far from the only centenarian using technology for more than just medical monitoring and protection against falls. Contrary to stereotypes, computers, social networks, e-mail and even video games are becoming essential parts of older peoples’ lives.

Some of the highest growth rates in broadband use are happening among the elderly. The Pew Research Center found that broadband use for those 65 and older increased from 19 percent in May 2008 to 30 percent in April 2009. Since 2005, broadband use has tripled in that group.

Although challenges remain for many older people, any number of products can help them become more involved in the digital age. Here’s a look at some of the most popular ones.

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE PC While many digital devices like cameras or cellphones don’t require a PC, their use can be enhanced with a computer by helping users transmit photos or easily update a mobile phone address book.

For those concerned that Microsoft’s Windows interface is too daunting for elders, Big Screen Live (bigscreenlive.com) simplifies the standard interface, making it easier to send e-mail messages, surf the Web, share photos, shop online or play games. Changes like fewer buttons, color-coded commands and larger type ease the Windows experience.

While the company does not make a similar product for the Mac, older users who have sight and hearing problems can adjust a Mac’s on-screen appearance using the Universal Access pane found in the System Preferences folder. Screen background color, audio alerts and keyboard behavior are some of the features that can be adjusted. More information, including a video demonstration of accessibility settings, can be found at apple.com/accessibility.

SMILE FOR GRANDMA! Video chatting has become a popular way to ease the isolation experienced by many older people with limited mobility. Free programs like Skype and iChat, and the built-in webcams on many computers, make it easy to do.

For Mac users familiar with Terminal commands, the iChat program can be set up to accept all incoming video requests, making video chatting effortless for tech-challenged elders.

In addition to online chats, Internet-connected digital picture frames from companies like Ceiva, D-Link and Kodak allow friends and family to continually send new images, helping older or less mobile people keep up with events.

YOU NEVER CALL Several cellphone providers offer special models for older people, with louder audio and simplified keypads. Jitterbug (jitterbug.com) specifically markets itself to those with declining physical capabilities.

The company offers a cellphone with large, easy-to-read buttons and displays and also allows customers to have an operator dial the calls for them. The operator can add addresses to a person’s contact list and, for additional fees, customers can have 24-hour voice access to a nurse or roadside assistance.

Plans start at $15 a month for 50 minutes’ use for those who want a phone for emergencies. The Jitterbug phone costs $147 and is available without a contract.

YOU NEVER WRITE For those who mainly use a computer for e-mail, PawPawMail (pawpawmail.com) takes the complexity out of the process. For $5 a month, users transmit and receive mail through PawPawMail’s Web site, which features simple graphics, large type and real names rather than potentially confusing e-mail addresses. The account manager, typically a younger family member, sets up the account, creating a list of approved e-mail senders; spammers and phishers cannot get through.

If operating a computer, even one with a simplified interface, is a nonstarter, it’s still possible to be part of the e-mail world. Presto (presto.com) offers a specially designed $50 Hewlett-Packard printer configured to automatically dial in to its servers and download e-mail messages several times a day.

For $12.50 a month (if prepaid yearly), the owner automatically receives, but cannot send, e-mail messages according to a schedule set by the user or account manager. To contact a user, the sender must be placed on an approved list, as with PawPawMail.

Messages can include photos and PDFs. E-mail messages can be formatted as plain text in a variety of type faces and sizes, or as greeting cards. Presto also offers a range of downloaded messages, including Andy Rooney essays, puzzles, travel information, celebrity news and other topics.

A hand-held device called Peek (www.getpeek.com) makes sending and receiving e-mail messages easy. Peek, which looks a bit like a BlackBerry, charges $19.95 a month for unlimited e-mail and text messaging, considerably less than plans from cellphone providers to do the same tasks.

The $50 Peek Pronto allows users to view attached Word, JPEG and PDF files, and receive news and weather headlines. It works with most standard e-mail providers like AOL, AT&T, Google, Yahoo and Verizon. There is no monthly contract, so potential users can try the service and make sure they are comfortable with the small keyboard.

While imagining your elderly uncle using high-tech devices to keep in touch might at first seem far-fetched, it’s only a matter of time before it is second nature. Just remember: today’s Web jockeys are tomorrow’s grandparents.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/technology/personaltech/29basics.html?_r=1&hpw

AARP is looking for some people with real-life stories to share

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:38:00 -0500

Americans should have the peace of mind that comes to knowing that their futures will be financially secure. Yet, millions of Americans worry about their health and long-term financial security.

Some are talking about:

Not being able to afford health care
Being denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition
Falling into the Medicare doughnut hole and can no longer afford their prescription drugs

Join other Americans who are speaking out about health care reform and how it will impact our lives. AARP would like to hear from you. If you, a friend, or a family member have experienced any of the above situations and would be willing to share your real-life story with the media and/or Members of Congress, please contact Amber Nightingale at 703-931-0758 or anightingale@aarp.org.

Scrutinize any contract to avoid nasty surprises at continuing care community

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:29:00 -0500

By David S. Hilzenrath, Washington Post
Sunday, November 1, 2009

If you are considering moving to a continuing care retirement community, you would do well to consult a lawyer and read the fine print of any contract to determine whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks. A "Residence and Care Agreement" for Ashby Ponds, an Erickson community in Ashburn, illustrates some of the trade-offs the decision could entail.

This Story
You’re only as secure as the retirement home
THE FINE PRINT: Scrutinize any contract to avoid nasty surprises at continuing care community
You might be drawn to Ashby Ponds by the potential to avoid another disruptive move when you are least able to cope with it, but there is no guarantee you would be able to move to an assisted-living or nursing facility on the same campus – even when those facilities are completed. If the assisted-living and nursing home beds at Ashby Ponds are full, management could arrange for you to go elsewhere.

(Some delay in building those facilities is routine at Erickson developments, said Ronald E. Walker, chairman of a nonprofit group associated with Erickson campuses. Though Ashby Ponds opened in September 2008, the assisted-living and skilled-nursing portions were not expected to open until the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012, according to a May report from the community’s management.)

The deposit you post to move in does not limit the amount you could be required to pay on a monthly basis; management can raise the monthly fees. In addition, the fees can go up as you move from one level of care to the next. At Erickson communities, the average monthly fees range from $1,750 for singles in independent living to $5,178 in assisted living and $307 per day – as much as $9,517 per month – in the nursing homes, Erickson spokesman Mel Tansill said.

Management can decide to transfer you to a higher level of care. If you refuse to go, management can kick you out and hold on to your deposit until 60 days after it finds a new tenant.

To gain admission to the community, you have to pass financial and medical reviews. If you marry a nonresident, your new spouse would have to pass such a review before being allowed to move in.

To reassure management that you have the ability to pay expenses, you must agree not to give away any assets that would bring your net worth below a minimum requirement. Evan H. Farr, a Fairfax lawyer who specializes in issues facing the elderly, recommends putting any extra assets in an asset protection trust before you move in.

Unlike a real estate investment, the deposit you post to enter the community does not grow as property values rise. But it can shrink as property values fall. If it takes management a long time to replace you, you may be offered the option of accepting a smaller payout so that management can in effect cut the price of admission for the next tenant to occupy your apartment.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/30/AR2009103004200.html

ESPN to feature the Minor League Player in Assisted Living Tonight

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0400

ESPN’s award-winning primetime newsmagazine E:60
will feature the heartwarming story of a minor league baseball
player who brightened the lives of some senior citizens in the episode
airing Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. ET. The program, which launched in
October 2007, combines investigative reporting, in-depth profiles of
intriguing sports personalities and features on emerging star athletes.
These stories are presented in a fresh and innovative format that
incorporates producer/correspondent meetings.

Like many young men, Josh Faiola is chasing his dream of one day playing
Major League Baseball. After his release from the Baltimore Orioles
organization this spring, Faiola caught on with the Lake Erie Crushers
(Avon, Ohio) of the independent Frontier League. Because the league’s
players are paid so little, most players live with local host families
who volunteer to take a player into their home for the summer. But
Faiola’s found a different kind of host family – an assisted living
facility with 28 senior citizens with an average age of 83. E:60 follows
Faiola and the residents of the facility through the summer, documenting
one young man chasing his baseball dream, and the effect that dream had
on his new family of surrogate grandparents.

Watch promo clip here: http://www.independentbaseball.net/independent-baseball-teams/independent-baseball-player-has-assisted-living-facility-as-his-host-family/

ProAging @ The Virginian - A Day In The Life of a Physician & an innovative medical practice

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:19:00 -0400

Date: Thursday November 05, 2009
Time: Noon - 2ish
Location: The Virginian
9229 Arlington Blvd.
Fairfax, VA 22031

Description: Don’t miss the best networking opportunity for senior-living professionals in Northern VA! Free event, lunch served, seating is limited so RSVP to rsvp@proaging.com or the link below.

Topic: A Day in the Life of a Physician & an Innovative Medical Practice

We are excited to have Dr. Alan Dappen as our speaker. Dr. Dappen will help us understand the perspective of a physician to help us better communicate on behalf of our clients and for marketing. He will also share the story of his innovative medical practice located in Northern VA.

*About Dr. Alan Dappen * After practicing family medicine around the world for nearly 25 years and heading up a large family medical practice in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC, Dr. Dappen found himself wanting to give his patients more convenience, better access and higher quality of care than the insurance-driven healthcare system could provide. He left the confines of the conventional model and started Doctalker Family Medicine, which combines the best medical traditions with today’s technology to give patients control of their healthcare.

Please RSVP
rsvp@proaging.com
http://proaging.wufoo.com/forms/proaging-rsvp-form/

Five Social Innovators in Encore Careers Win $100,000 Purpose Prize

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:18:00 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO – This year’s winners of The Purpose Prize, a $100,000 award for social innovators in their encore careers, are using a new stage of life to do extraordinary things to improve life for millions of people worldwide.

They include:

    * A former telecom executive who helped wire an Appalachian county and brought laid-off factory workers back to profitable farming.
    * A professor who invented a way to transform toxic fly ash into green bricks.
    * A psychiatrist who helps saves soldiers’ lives by offering free mental health treatment.
    * A former NASA exec who works to treat alcoholism in Native American communities by reviving old customs and traditions.
    * A couple who honor their son, killed on 9/11, by helping to bring mental health services to countries ravaged by terrorism, violence and war.

These people – and five other $50,000 winners – are social entrepreneurs over 60 who are using their experience and passion to take on society’s biggest challenges. Now in its fourth year, the six-year, $17 million program is the nation’s only large-scale investment in social innovators in the second half of life.

The winners and 1,000-plus nominees in 2009 underscore a trend in entrepreneurialism later in life. According to studies by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the 55-64 age group is the most active in creating new ventures. Counter to stereotype, people ages 20-34, the study found, are the least entrepreneurial.

"More than ever, the problems facing our communities, our country and our world call out for creative solutions," said Marc Freedman, co-founder of The Purpose Prize and author of Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life. "Fortunately, we don’t run out of ideas as we age.

"Like so many others in this new stage of life between the end of midlife careers and the beginning of true old age, The Purpose Prize winners combine creativity, experience and passion with a desire to do something bigger than themselves," Freedman continued.

The Encore Careers campaign is run by Civic Ventures, a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. Funding for The Purpose Prize comes from The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John Templeton Foundation.

Sherry Lansing, CEO of the Sherry Lansing Foundation and former chair of Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, chairs the jury that selected this year’s winners. The 24 judges are leaders in business, politics, journalism and the nonprofit sector – including actor Sidney Poitier, social entrepreneur Thomas Tierney, former Senator Harris Wofford and journalist Cokie Roberts.

The winners and 49 Purpose Prize Fellows of 2009 will be honored at a Summit on Innovation on Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business’ Center on Social Innovation, one of the world’s leading academic centers focused on social entrepreneurship.

The 300-plus attendees of the invitation-only event will hear a keynote address from Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman, and a panel discussion between William Damon (professor of education, director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, and author of Nobel Purpose: The Joy of Living a Meaningful Life); Philip Zimbardo (professor emeritus, Stanford University, researcher behind the Stanford Prison Experiment, author of The Lucifer Effect and Time Paradox); and Laura Carstensen (professor of psychology, founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and author of A Long Bright Future).

The Purpose Prize is a program of the Encore Careers campaign (www.encore.org), which aims to engage millions of baby boomers in encore careers combining social impact, personal meaning and continued income in the second half of life. The goal: to produce a windfall of human talent to solve society’s greatest problems, from education to the environment, health care to homelessness.

Short summaries for all winners are below. Fuller summaries, videos and photographs are online at www.encore.org.

The $100,000 winners are (alphabetically):

Elizabeth (68) and Stephen Alderman (68), Peter C. Alderman Foundation, Bedford, NY
To honor their son – who died on 9/11 – and to treat the 1 billion victims of trauma and terrorism around the world, the Aldermans created a foundation that creates homegrown mental health systems where violence (rape, war, kidnapping,) has desecrated communities.

Judith Broder (69), The Soldiers Project, Los Angeles, CA
As a psychiatrist, Broder knew that, without help, some soldiers would never get past what they had seen and done. She created an organization that allows for free, confidential, unlimited therapy to service members and their families.

Don Coyhis (66), White Bison, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO
Although sober after years of alcohol abuse, Coyhis felt empty, disconnected from the reasons why he shouldn’t drink. He turned to his Native American roots and founded a nonprofit that offers native-focused recovery resources. In turn, it began a movement called Wellbriety.

Henry Liu (73), Freight Pipeline Co., Columbia, MO
A former engineering professor, Liu found a way to transform fly ash – a toxic byproduct of burning coal – into bricks. The process requires less energy and money, and doesn’t contribute to air pollution. Now he’s exploring how to move freight efficiently through underground pipelines.

Tim Will (61), Foothills Connect Business & Technology Center, Rutherfordton, NC
Will used his telecommunications background to connect his Appalachian county’s agrarian past to a digital future. Bringing broadband to the rural area helped link local farmers to chefs in Charlotte through an online ordering system, bringing laid-off factory workers back to farming.

The $50,000 winners are (alphabetically):

Marcy Adelman (63), openhouse, San Francisco, CA
As a psychologist, Adelman knew that many LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) seniors looking for housing and care late in life face discrimination and loneliness. She set out to provide affordable, LGBT-friendly housing and training for service providers to better support LGBT elderly.

Duncan Campbell (65), Friends of the Children, Portland, OR
Because of two alcoholic parents, Campbell essentially raised himself – and then, as an adult, went on to establish a successful investment firm. Now, he invests in children, promising the most disadvantaged children a caring, paid adult mentor from age 5 until adulthood.

Ann Higdon (69), Improved Solutions for Urban Systems, Dayton, OH
Higdon grew up homeless, with no love for learning until a teacher inspired her. Since then, she has convened professionals to similarly inspire dropouts. Her organization, which includes three charter schools, helps area dropouts earn diplomas while training for jobs in various sectors.

Connie Siskowski (63), Caregiving Youth Project, Boca Raton, FL
Siskowski cared for her grandfather as a pre-teen, so she knew that caring for aging relatives is stressful and far from a normal childhood. Her organization facilitates support groups in middle schools, offers classes on life skills, and provides other resources for youth caregivers.

James Smallwood (62), The Choice Is Yours, Inc., Camden, NJ
Previously homeless and drug-addicted, Smallwood was able to beat his cocaine dependency and create a nonprofit to train ex-convicts, addicts, and the homeless for work in the construction trades, while helping them with reading, math and job-hunting skills.
###

About Civic Ventures (www.encore.org)
Civic Ventures is a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.

About The Atlantic Philanthropies (www.atlanticphilanthropies.org)
The Atlantic Philanthropies are dedicated to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Their work is aimed at ageing, disadvantaged children and youth, population health, and reconciliation and human rights.

About the John Templeton Foundation (www.templeton.org)
The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for research and discoveries relating to what scientists and philosophers call the Big Questions. The Foundation supports work at the world’s top universities in such fields as theoretical physics, cosmology, evolutionary biology, cognitive science, and social science relating to love, forgiveness, creativity, purpose, and the nature and origin of religious belief.