Our Aging Population: Unused Economic Powerhouse?

Serialized, in three parts, from Fast Company By 2050, the number of people over 65 will more than double. Cities, communities, companies–and our entire culture–have some adjusting to do. If we can, the benefits will be enormous. BY EILLIE ANZILOTTI Patrick O’Halloran is 82 years old, “but I’m still a work in progress,” he says. After a … Continue reading Our Aging Population: Unused Economic Powerhouse?

Caregivers & Technology: What They Want and Need

Click the italicized text to view the report: Caregivers & Technology: What They Want and Need from Longevity Network   [Below; slides from the linked report]  

Must the human lifespan have a limit?

From Kevin Loria in "Business Insider"  Jeanne Calment, the French woman who holds the record for the longest verified lifespan, died in 1997 at 122 years old. Few people, of course, ever become supercentenarians — 110 years old or older — and even fewer hit 115. So few people have exceeded that age, in fact, that a group of researchers published … Continue reading Must the human lifespan have a limit?

A Father’s Death

He Lived Cautiously, and Then Died Suddenly From the Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2015 by Jeffrey Wasserman (A father's unexpected death leads one man to reassess his instinct to always play it safe in life.) My father did everything “right,” yet there he was in intensive care, on life support. When my teenage daughter Alice … Continue reading A Father’s Death

Family caregiver balancing act.

In a survey conducted by Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, 26 percent of North American family caregivers of older adults report that they felt a "workplace stigma" associated with elder caregiving. These 10 ways to feel more empowered at work could help give family caregivers hope for better balance and health: 1. … Continue reading Family caregiver balancing act.

Do you want to know how long you’ll live?

"If you're coming down with a bad case of Age Anxiety, here's some good news. Seventy-five percent of human aging can be self-regulated. But what exactly does one regulate? Granted, heredity plays a key role. But at least six lifestyle factors also regulate aging." 

Long Lives, Old Countries, Small Families, and a Better World

Our Older World The aging of the world is an unprecedented transformation that results from thousands of years of striving for better, healthier, and longer lives. We are in the first minute of a giant change. If we navigate well, we can make the most of the greatest treasures humankind has ever sought: longer, more … Continue reading Long Lives, Old Countries, Small Families, and a Better World

Another useful resource:

Subscribe to Senior Newswire@The Savvy Senior June 26, 2017 Your weekly link to grown-up news and information from newspaper and magazine publications, news organizations and web resources nationwide. IN THIS ISSUE Health Money Taxes Politics Retirement Social Security Scams Insurance Caregiving Technology Working End of Life Extra HEALTH: Sleep Apnea is a Killer? It's Listed … Continue reading Another useful resource:

The Good News About Getting Older

Nine Keys to Aging Well Please forward this to those with doubts about the benefits of aging. Psychologist and storyteller Jonathan Young served as the founding curator of the Joseph Campbell Archives. Information on Dr. Young's books and seminars is available at folkstory.com along with articles and interviews. The Good News About Getting Older summarizes the … Continue reading The Good News About Getting Older

Better to forget?

I spoke with Blake Richards, one of the co-authors of the paper, who applies artificial intelligence theories to his study of how the brain learns. He says that in the AI world, there's something called over-fitting — a phenomenon in which a machine stores too much information, hindering its ability to behave intelligently. He hopes … Continue reading Better to forget?

“Foreign Policy” magazine predicts boomers’ decline

 The Boom Was a Blip - Getting Used to Slow Growth By Ruchir Sharma  The global recovery from the Great Recession of 2009 has just entered its eighth year and shows few signs of fading. That should be cause for celebration. But this recovery has been an underwhelming one. Throughout this period, the global economy … Continue reading “Foreign Policy” magazine predicts boomers’ decline

Our Parents Health Care Needs: The Aspen Ideas Festival

By Richard Eisenberg  . June 27, 2017 Part of the TRANSFORMING LIFE AS WE AGE SPECIAL REPORT You’ve likely heard how the Republicans’ Obamacare legislation might have profound effects on older Americans. Health insurance premiums could be up to five times higher than those of younger people (up from three times today), for instance. The Urban Institute estimates … Continue reading Our Parents Health Care Needs: The Aspen Ideas Festival

Baby boomers, concierge services, and extra cash

The New York Times article Baby Boomers Look to Senior Concierge Services to Raise Income nicely covers where these two intersect - older Americans earning money by helping other older Americans. Key quote: Elder concierge, as the industry is known, is a way for the semi- and fully retired to continue to work, and, from a … Continue reading Baby boomers, concierge services, and extra cash

Nutrition in healthy aging

The significant increase in average life expectancy is one of society’s great achievements which has been associated with a shift in the leading causes of illnesses from infectious to noncommunicable diseases.  It is well known that the percentage of populations categorized as elderly (e.g. 65 years and older) will increase dramatically in almost every country … Continue reading Nutrition in healthy aging

Can baby boomers use wearable techno-logy?

poor design decisions that fail to address the aging population's needs can undermine the technology's value. Older adults also tend to experience feelings of mistrust and frustration when using new devices, with the result that they often abandon otherwise worthwhile technology.

Do we have a moral obligation as a society to ensure that genetic engineering is pursued, or should we do everything possible to ensure that we do not open this Pandora’s box?

International Ethics Project

More recently, the human race stands at a threshold like never before. The human race now has the tools to restruct its own hereditary capacities (Kevles, 2016).The enhancement of human beings has materialized into an ever expanding topic in recent years. As science and technology continues to develop, people are beginning to realize that some of the basic factors in the human race may be altered with, in the future. The human condition could be altered with through the improvement of basic human abilities (Bostrom & Roache, 2008). Genetic Engineering can be defined as the intentional manipulation of genetic material so as to attain an intended and desired result. The process of Genetic Engineering employs various molecular techniques to manipulate the genetic material of cells and/or organisms to alter hereditary traits or produce biological products (Kumar & Sahal, 2014). This post looks at various considerations relating to genetic engineering.

Life extension

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Elderly Aussies’ Angst: Australia’s Retirement Racket

Its slick marketing promises a safe and sound place to live yet retirement village operator Aveo is making a fortune by ripping off Australians through complex contracts and eye-watering exit fees. With 89 retirement villages around the country, which house more than 13,000 retirees, Aveo is one of the biggest retirement village operators in the … Continue reading Elderly Aussies’ Angst: Australia’s Retirement Racket

Filling the Coming Demand for Professional Home Caregivers

America is facing a caregiver crisis, and one organization is helping come up with the solutions. The New York-based non-profit Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI) is working to improve the lives of people who need home or residential care by improving the lives of the workers who provide that care. Americans are living longer than ever before. By … Continue reading Filling the Coming Demand for Professional Home Caregivers

Long-Term Care Services Are Improving Too Slowly

When it comes to access to long-term supports and services (LTSS) for older or disabled Americans, where you live matters. Washington edged out Minnesota this year as the best state for supporting older adults and family caregivers, according to the 2017 Long-Term Services and Supports State Scorecard. The state ranks highest for affordability and access, … Continue reading Long-Term Care Services Are Improving Too Slowly

Additional Aging Resources: Aging in the Media

A Boomer's Life After 50 Lindsey McDivitt's Blog Mid-Century Modern Magazine   Mid-Life Boulevard National Public Radio's "Next Avenue" As Time Goes By   Related articles The Trump Budget Cuts Disability Benefits. That Will Hurt Trump Counties Dream Analyst, David Rivinus, Will Be Interviewed by National Public Radio’s Stu Taylor

“We’re about to see a big upsurge in hoarding”, says Washington Post

"We’re about to see a big upsurge in hoarding", says Washington Post

Neuroscientists agree with Buddhists. says recent study

When it comes to science—particularly, health—Western ideology is often portrayed as being at odds with Eastern beliefs. One point of agreement is the state of human consciousness. David Barash, who wrote Buddhist Biology, explains Buddhism’s notion if impermanence as it relates to human consciousness: “Attempting to cling to a solid, immutable core of a self … Continue reading Neuroscientists agree with Buddhists. says recent study

Defining Sedentary Behavior; An Emerging Global Public Health Priority

A worldwide network of scientists examining the links between sedentary lifestyles and health problems such as obesity and cardiovascular disease today announced a new dictionary of terms to support research into sedentary behaviour. The results of the 'terminology consensus project' led by the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute's (CHEO RI) Sedentary Behaviour Research … Continue reading Defining Sedentary Behavior; An Emerging Global Public Health Priority

Elder Abuse Day 6/24/17, says UN Report

the taboo topic of elder abuse has started to gain visibility across the world, it remains one of the least investigated types of violence in national surveys, and one of the least addressed in national action plans.

Your Pets Are Living Longer Too. But Geriatric Cats?

We don’t really have much of an idea what healthy aging looks like in a cat. Which, in turn, means we don’t really know the best way to care for our feline pals late in life.

Aging Sex Offenders: To Care; and How?

“The problem is that you’re talking about a project that’s uniquely difficult when it comes to structural needs and safety,” says Amy McCoy, a public-information officer with the Iowa Department of Human Services.

Housing Options for Aging Populations

New advancements in aging-in-place strategies provide a positive outlook for the long term.

Don’t Dare to Call Me Old!!

Sarah Harper, a gerontologist who is director of the Oxford Institute of Ageing, proposed a different approach to the language we use about ageing, suggesting that people in their 60s and possibly 70s and 80s should still be considered active adults. She said there was a danger of neglecting what true old age should be: a time of withdrawal and peace and reflection. It can be a difficult time but “it is a time we need to claim as a special time because we are finite beings … we will die”.

Older; With Bipolar

Young’s longstanding research interest is in optimizing the use of medicine for treatment of older people with severe mood disorders. While less is known about milder forms, severe bipolar disorder in elder adults seems to fall into three categories. He defines below.

Retirement Security: It’s Not Just About the Money

Retired or not, a person's sense of worthiness requires some sort of 'purpose'; a sense of accomplishment from whatever activities are available in his or her environment.  According to Abraham Maslow, the most basic needs are the physiological, food, air, sleep the the like.  The needs that take the most effort, the most conscious effort, … Continue reading Retirement Security: It’s Not Just About the Money

Gene Testing and Long-Term Care Insurance

Approximately 5.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, making up half of all nursing home residents, but very few people have been tested for it's specific gene. Last month, however, the gene testing company 23andMe started offering tests that reveal whether people carry the gene, while assessing their risks for developing certain conditions. Following the wave, … Continue reading Gene Testing and Long-Term Care Insurance

Your Spit Holds a Clue to Brain Health

Your spit may hold a clue to future brain health. Investigators at the Beaumont Research Institute, part of Beaumont Health in Michigan, are hopeful that their study involving small molecules in saliva will help identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease -- a neurologic condition predicted to reach epidemic proportions worldwide by 2050. Given … Continue reading Your Spit Holds a Clue to Brain Health

What Are The 7 Dimensions of Wellness?

Wellness is much more than merely physical health, exercise or nutrition. It is the full integration of states of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being: social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual and physical wellness.

Advocacy Services for The Elderly – 1

 The ABA Commission on Law and Aging is a collaborative and interdisciplinary leader of the Association’s work to strengthen and secure the legal rights, dignity, autonomy, quality of life, and quality of care of aging persons. The Commission accomplishes its work through research, policy development, advocacy, education, training, and through assistance to lawyers, bar associations, … Continue reading Advocacy Services for The Elderly – 1