Civic Engagement after Retirement

Civic engagement of retired Americans has become an important focus area of public policy within the past five years. Older adults represent an important, growing, and potentially untapped resource for civic projects. In turn, civic engagement offers older adults opportunities to increase their social capital by expanding their network of personal contacts. For full story, click here.

Preserving Life Stories with Project StoryKeeper

A new effort to record the life histories of aging Americans is underway at Project StoryKeeper. Project StoryKeeper’s online training program includes questions, interviewing techniques, and recording tips that will help discover personal histories of older adults at home or within care settings such as hospices, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. For full story, click here.

Older Adults and Excessive Heat Events

When summer brings excessive heat events, it is important to be aware that—according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention—more people die from heat waves each year than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. Older individuals are particularly vulnerable to the effects of excessive heat. For full story, click here.

Care for the Caregivers

Currently, more than 44 million Americans are providing care for a loved one affected by illness, injury, or the effects of aging. The website, Lotsa Helping Hands, is an excellent tool for helping them coordinate caregiving schedules. Lotsa Helping Hands provides a free service that coordinates the caregiving tasks of friends and family who want to volunteer their support for a loved one in need. For full story, click here.

Traditional System is Challenged by an Alternative Long-Term Care Model

The Wall Street Journal recently published a critical profile of the Green House alternative to traditional nursing home care. The article assessed the opportunities and challenges facing the growth of this elder care housing model. For full story, click here.

The Past, Present, and Future of the Culture Change Movement in Long-Term Care

The long-term care (LTC) culture change movement is considered by many to have begun in 1997 with the first meeting of the Nursing Home Pioneers (now known as the Pioneer Network). Anna Rahman and John Schnelle recently provided a detailed history of this movement, elaborating on their view of its weak empirical base and suggesting an agenda to improve research in the area. For full story, click here.

What are Predictors of Nursing Assistant Retention in Long-Term Care Communities?

It is well known that staff turnover rates impact the business and health care performance of long-term care settings and other health care contexts. A recent study examines patterns and predictors of staff retention among nursing assistants in these settings. For full story, click here.

The Complexities of Measuring Worker Turnover in Long-Term Care

Researchers with the Better Jobs Better Care (BJBC) Demonstration Project recently published a paper that reflects on lessons learned during the demonstration regarding staff turnover rates. The primary concern is the lack of a uniform method to measure staff turnover since this variability leads to uncertainty in the ways turnover rates are currently interpreted. For full story, click here.

Study of How Married Couples Negotiate Assisted Living

The number of married couples residing in assisted living residences (ALRs) is expected to rise dramatically in the coming years. Little is currently known about the challenges and opportunities that these couples face. This research seeks to document their experiences in order to advance existing knowledge of later-life couples inside these care settings. For full story, click here.

Tough Economic Times and the Effect on Older Adults

An AARP-sponsored survey conducted during April 2008 reported that most middle-aged and older persons are having difficulties paying for such necessities as food, gas, utilities, and medicine. Because the prices of consumer goods are rising, many have felt the need to postpone major purchases and travel plans. For full story, click here.

Stem Cell Research Demonstrates Hope for Slowing Age-Related Cellular Degeneration

Researchers at the University of California, Berkley are setting the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions such as muscle atrophy, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease. For full story, click here.

Animal Study Suggests Inadequate Sleep May Increase Pace of Cellular Aging in Older Adults

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that the protein reaction to stress caused by sleep deprivation was impaired in the brains of older mice. These findings suggest that inadequate sleep can aggravate an age-related impairment of a protective cellular process. For full story, click here.

Policy Issues

Senior Investor Protections Enhancement Act Introduced in the Senate

Individuals who attempt to take advantage of older investors (ages 65 and better) would face stiffer penalties under the Senior Investor Protections Enhancement Act. For full story, click here.

Fueling the Health Care Debate: Rising Health Care Costs, and the Burden on Employers and the Insured

The rising cost of health care in the United States is a topic of great concern to families, employers, health care providers, and politicians alike. In 2006, the United States spent $2.1 trillion on health care—more than double the expenditure in 1996, and yet only half as much as the projected cost in 2017. For full story, click here.

Older Adults Lose 51% of their Buying Power Since 2000

According to a new study by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), older adults have lost 51% of their buying power since 2000. While the annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increased the average Social Security benefits by 24%, the study found that typical expenses rose almost four times as fast. For full story, click here.

Contributors
Richard Shank	Editor	Cecilia Grefalda	Staff Writer
Paula Fenza	Staff Writer	Scott King	Staff Writer
Theresa Sangram	Staff Writer	Kim Deng	Staff Writer
Andrew Small	Staff Writer

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