CULTURE CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE
CONTINUUM
OF LIFE-LONG LIVING & LONG-TERM CARE
"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would
literally astound ourselves." ~
Thomas Edison
Special Tributes This Month:
Profile: Karen Schoeneman -
No ordinary bureaucrat
We
Thank You Karen!
(Source: Liza
Berger, McKnights)
Karen Schoeneman
If you want to know Karen Schoeneman's boss, just look behind her computer screen. There sits a photo of 108-year-old Mamie Legg. The now-deceased nursing home resident is shown learning audio e-mailing with the help of a social worker.
“We all work for Mamie,” says Schoeneman, deputy division director for the Nursing Homes Division at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “The only important thing is that she has a good day, good life. Somebody knows about her, cares about her, even loves her.”If this doesn't sound like typical government-speak, then you're beginning to understand Schoeneman. While she has spent more than 20 years at CMS, she always has had one foot planted in the world of resident advocacy. A founding member of the Pioneer Network, she has worked to make culture change a household word at CMS—and succeeded. Among her proudest accomplishments is revising quality-of-life guidance for surveyors last summer.
“She's been a very powerful force in the agency, not only working externally but internally to make positive change happen,” says Mary Pratt, director of the Division of Chronic and Post Acute Care at CMS.
Even those likely to disagree with Schoeneman's policy ideas can't deny her commitment to long-term care residents.
“To me, Karen is the champion for culture change at CMS,” says Evvie Munley, senior health policy analyst at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
Schoeneman always has been a fan of the elderly. As an only child
growing up in
Starting out as a social worker in large healthcare facilities she saw the negative impact of institutionalized care. One commonly accepted idea back then was that facilities were too overwhelmed to give anyone special treatment.
As a result of the culture change movement, she now knows such thinking “is wrong, and we can [give personalized attention], and here's how,” she says.
Schoeneman, who is not married and does not have children, could be a poster child herself for quality of life. The avid gardener likes to hike and go to the beach. She still is waiting for the day a co-worker will toss a rubber ball around with her at lunch. One colleague recounts a few years ago when Schoeneman adorned her sparkly convertible Mustang with bumper stickers espousing positive change.
The national acceptance of culture change has made Schoeneman only more optimistic about the nation's potential to improve care for residents.
“I remain enthusiastic,” she says. “You cannot dampen me down no
matter what you do. Things will definitely keep on getting better.” READ MORE
Congratulations Rhode Island
New law promotes more
home-like care in Rhode Island nursing homes
STATE HOUSE – A new law approved
by the General Assembly aims to shift the culture of Rhode Island
The legislation (2010-S2289A),
(2010-H7169A),
sponsored by Sen. Charles J. Levesque and House Health, Education, and Welfare
Committee Chairman Joseph M. McNamara, allows beds to be added in home-like
settings in nursing facilities as other traditional-care beds in the state are
lost when other facilities close. The limits are aimed at preventing damage to Rhode Island
“Patients and their families are increasingly seeking more comfortable,
personal, home-like atmospheres in nursing facilities. This is a plan that will
help transform and improve the care of the elderly in Rhode Island Rhode Island ’s nursing homes move
toward the cutting edge and provide the kind of setting that the patients and
families of today want,” said Senator Levesque (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth ,
Bristol
Said Representative McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick ,
Cranston
The legislation maintains the statewide cap on nursing facility beds. As beds
become available due to closure or reduction at some facilities, those beds
could be transferred. However, under the terms of the legislation, the vast
majority of transferred beds would be required to go to facilities that conform
with the principles and building designs established by the “Eden alternative,”
“Green house,” or “small house” programs or similar options. MORE
Nursing Home Culture Change
Legislation (WATCH THIS!!!)
A Capitol TV special on Rhode Island Senator Charles J. Levesque's legislation which transforms nursing homes in the state to more comfortable, home-like settings.
Content Category Shortcuts:
Changing the Culture of
Long-Term Care
Changing the
Culture of Long-Term Care was
a free symposia aimed at promoting culture change in
The symposia was
held in both Athens (Sept 8, 2010) and Valdosta (Sept 10, 2010) and was
co-sponsored by the Georgia Division of Aging Services' Office of the State
Long-Term Care Ombudsman, the University of Georgia Institute of Gerontology,
the Georgia Geriatric Education Center, Georgia Council on Aging (Georgia for a
Lifetime), Culture Change Network of Georgia and the Valdosta State University
Division of Social Work.
We'd like to
thank all those who attended the symposium as well as the excellent
speakers throughout the day. Below are photos from both locations and the
symposium program.
Click to download the attached
file(s):
CultureChangeLTC
Living in a NORC in Atlanta
WATCH THIS!
REGISTER NOW ~ October 14, 2010
in Atlanta , GA
3rd Annual Culture Change Network of Georgia Summit: Getting To Know All About
YOU!
Two tracks featuring national experts:
LaVrene Norton: How to
Implement Culture Change
Virginia Bell & Tonya Cox: Best Friends
Approach & Activities (Dementia Focus)
A limited
number of scholarships are available.
(Source: PHI)
Download Chapter 5 of Getting Started: A Pioneering Approach to Culture Change in Long-Term Care Organizations for free.
Joanne Rader
Susan Misiorski
Four years ago, PHI’s National Director of Training and Organizational Development Susan Misiorski authored Getting Started, a handbook on implementing culture change, published by the Pioneer Network. The handbook has been a great success, but many Pioneers have asked for more direction regarding which changes to tackle when.
In response, Misiorski has teamed up with independent consultant and culture change expert Joanne Rader to author a new chapter titled, “Selecting and Prioritizing Changes.”
Both Misiorski and Rader have been supporting elder care and disability services providers to implement person-directed culture change for over 20 years.
Read an interview with them about the new chapter HERE.
What additional information is in the Getting Started Handbook and how do I get it?
The original handbook is available for $99.00 at the Pioneer Network’s bookstore. The handbook includes:
- A reproducible chapter explaining what culture change is. Share this with staff, elders and families.
- A process for developing and/or revising mission, vision, and values with high involvement of elders, families and staff.
- An organizational assessment ensuring measurements are built into the change process.
Multiple staff inservice modules. There are 4 inservices included for each of the 13 Pioneer Network Values (pdf)
(Source: By
Kathy McCollett, PHI)
Kathy McCollett is an Organizational Culture Change Specialist with PHI’s Training and Organizational Development team.
The
Pioneer Network’s 10th National Conference “Meeting at the Crossroads” was
convened in
Bonnie Kantor,
executive director of the Pioneer Network, presented valuable new tools and
information that have been developed this year by the Pioneer Network–all of
which are now available at pioneernetwork.net.
Carter Catlett
Williams opened the conference. She acknowledged that we
are at the crossroads of a nation, of an industry, and as individuals. The
beauty of meeting at these crossroads, she said, is that it allows us to share
information with each other about where we have been, what we have learned, our
visions and our dreams, and where we are going.
Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee said that she “has a heart for people.” She believes that there is a great need for more home- and community-based services and sees culture change as a national priority. Acknowledging that the attendees at the conference are “revolutionizing aging,” she said, “I want to be a partner with you in every single way,” and, “I want this to be about ‘long term independence’ rather than ‘long-term care.’”
In recognition of her contribution to “deep system change,” Karen Schoeneman, the deputy director of the Division of Nursing Homes for CMS, was presented the 2010 Picker Institute Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Patient-Centered Care in the Long-Term Care Setting. She has worked tirelessly for many years toward deepening culture change values in the long-term care survey process.
Many
of the presenters reflected the thought that changing the culture of aging is
about developing and maintaining relationships.
Review of the Pioneer Network
Conference:
“The only thing that
should change when someone moves to a nursing home is their address”
(Source: Steve Gurney, www.retirement-living.com)
“The only thing that should change when someone moves to a nursing home is their address” This was a quote that someone shared with me at the Pioneer Network Annual Conference last week. Although it may seem like a lofty and unacheivable goal - after attending this event and meeting so many caring, creative and committed people - I am confident that we will see dramatic sweeping changes in senior living in the near future!
I was a speaker and it was my first time attending one of their conferences. I am kicking myself for not attending sooner! The Pioneer Network was founded with a focus on radical change in the culture of aging often referred to as the "Culture Change" movement in Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Settings. Click here for a definition of Culture Change.
I guess I thought that concepts of Culture Change relied primary on changes to the physical structure of a community or nursing center. After attending the conference I realize how wrong my interpretation was! Through conversations with attendees and going to several seminars it’s clear that this movement is centered on the people living in these homes. As Holly Whiteside Author of "The Caregiver’s Compass" states, “The architectural or administrative changes only support and facilitate people shifting their focus to human connection.”
It gave me hope that there are so many caring people motivated to think creatively and try new ideas to improve these environments. I also liked the fact that there was so much healthy debate and challenging of ideas and thoughts. I liked how everyone seemed to challenge each other from the viewpoint of “is that going to be what the resident wants?”
There were many topics and resources that I discovered at the conference, I hope to explore many of these in future postings on the blog and in articles in Guide to Retirement Living SourceBook. :
If you are working with seniors and their families you need to try to attend a Pioneer Network event. Trust me, there is nothing you will read that will convey the benefits of attending this event with your eyes wide open and a willingness to meet and talk to others. The programming and organization are great – but it’s the people that you will meet that will make you feel confident that we will have better care for our elders. LINK
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Since the issuance on June 12, 2009 of the revisions to the CMS
Interpretive Guidelines, providers have indicated interest in tools and
resources for nursing homes to operationalize the guidelines which are all
about resident Quality of Life, Person-Centered Care and a Home Environment.
Pioneer Network heard this need, and is proud to introduce Promising Practices.
Promising
Practices in Dining is our first topic, with Promising
Practices in Home and the Environment expected next. We have incorporated and
highlighted promising practices from a broad range of nursing homes and care
settings to create this easy-to-use resource to enhance the quality of life for
our nation's elders and those who care for and about them. LEARN MORE
Artifacts of Culture Change
The
CMS Artifacts of Culture Change is a tool for providers to assess readiness,
implementation and sustainability of person-directed care. The Artifacts of
Culture Change tool fills the purpose of collecting the major concrete changes
homes have made to care and workplace practices, policies and schedules,
increased resident autonomy, and improved environment. It results from study of
what providers and researchers have deemed significant things that are changed
and are different in culture changing homes compared to other homes. The tool
was developed by Carmen S. Bowman, the owner of the culture change consulting
business, Edu-Catering: Catering Education for Compliance and Culture Change in
LTC (click here for
details) and Karen Schoeneman, Deputy Director of the CMS Division of Nursing
Homes.
The Artifacts is one of several tools available to assess culture change
transformations. The
Development of the Artifacts of Culture Change Tool (click here to download) lists other
assessment methods (pg. 5), describes the development of the Artifacts, and
provides additional helpful information to support the use of the
tool. The full Artifacts tool is available in Appendix A of the
Development document or click here to download the tool separately.
Civil Rights vs. Right to
Choose Under Review
(Source: www.alfa.org)
Provider
companies and caregivers nationwide have been closely watching the case of an
The Nursing Home Reform Law of 1987 gave individuals more rights and
some occasionally request not to be treated by staffers of a certain race. And
nursing home staff will often honor an individual’s preferences. "When people write laws, they don't
think about these types of things very much," said Dennis Frick, an
attorney with the Indiana Legal Services' Senior Law Project, to the Associated
Press.
Under federal law, those who reside in nursing homes have the right to choose
their own doctors. And nursing homes are also under legal obligation to
reasonably accommodate their residents’ “individual needs and preferences.” Although patients can refuse to be seen by
doctors of the opposite sex due to privacy concerns, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals ruled in Chaney’s case in July that race cannot be applied to that
law. "The privacy interest that is
offended when one undresses in front of a doctor or nurse of the opposite sex
does not apply to race," the ruling said.
In addition to battling privacy issues, nursing homes throughout the nation
must also deal with potential legal disputes when it comes to staffing. A
Read the Associated Press story, “Huge Verdict Shakes up Nursing Home Industry.”
Read the Associated Press article, “Ind. Ruling Halts Caregiver Choices Based on Race.”
Ask the care expert: deli
gloves vs. home-like environment
(Source: Sherrie
Dornberger, McKnights)
In order to observe a homelike environment and resident dignity, we are not supposed to assist wearing gloves. But if we are one-on-one with a resident and bread needs to be buttered, should we wear gloves?
This question is one that everyone seems to be struggling with. You need to put on deli gloves, use food handling paper—like those used in bakeries to pick up individual donuts or cookies—or use the “knife/fork it” method, where you use a knife and fork to pick up food items to hand it to the resident if they can't pick items up alone.
This method is the personal favorite of some infection control nurses when it comes to feeding residents. It is tricky to get used to but works well and cuts down on the number of gloves needed while assisting in the dining rooms. After all, we don't wear gloves in our own homes.
Food code regulations require that gloves be worn when preparing and handling food unless the food can be handled with utensils. The staff working in the kitchen and tray line must always wear gloves when handling food, and hands should be washed each time gloves are removed.
When assisting with feeding an individual resident, the caregiver's hands should be washed first and care should be taken not to touch food while feeding. If bread must be buttered, it is best to use a hands-free approach (very tricky!), or apply gloves, prepare the food, and remove gloves. In this case, there would not be a need to wash hands again, unless the facility policy requires that.
But, with all of this said, let's not forget cleaning the resident's hands also. If you hand food to them and their hands are not clean, then all of your hygiene efforts—cleaning your own hands or using the knife/fork method, for example—will not matter. LINK to ARTICLE
American Association of Homes
and Services to be no more
(Source: McKnights)
It's official: The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging will become LeadingAge, the group announced Monday.
Approximately 40% of members voted recently in an election to approve the name change, said AAHSA President and CEO Larry Minnix. The final tally was 85% for the name and 15% against the name in voting that closed in mid-August. The new name will take effect in early 2011—the 50th anniversary year for the agency. Legal paperwork and transitioning steps have already begun.
The new name will “reinforce the kind of leadership and innovation that our members have been involved in for a long time,” Minnix said. AAHSA leaders have been involved in a process to rework the brand for 18 months, according to Minnix. The board approved the new name before it was pitched to members. With the new name also comes a new mission statement: “Expanding the world of possibilities for aging.” Link to Article
REGISTER NOW ~ October 14,
2010 in Atlanta , GA
3rd Annual Culture Change Network of Georgia Summit: Getting To Know All About YOU!
Two tracks featuring national experts:
LaVrene Norton: How to
Implement Culture Change
Virginia Bell & Tonya Cox: Best Friends
Approach & Activities (Dementia Focus)
A limited
number of scholarships are available.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"The shortest distance between two people is a story," notes Dan Gediman, the
Executive Producer of public radio's popular broadcast This I Believe.
Gediman recently led a popular seminar with more than 300 people in attendance
at the 10th National Pioneer Network Meeting at the Crossroads Conference in
This I Believe webinars are made possible with generous support from
Kellogg's Corn Flakes®.
Co-sponsored
by Pioneer Network and the Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes
Campaign.
Your Choice of Available Dates:
Tuesday, September
28, 1 – 2:30 p.m. (EDT) or
Wednesday, October 6, 1 – 2:30 p.m. (EDT)
Conversations with Carmen Monthly Web Talk Show
The shows are produced by Action Pact and hosted by Carmen Bowman. In one jam-packed hour your team will hear from an expert in the culture change movement on a timely subject, be exposed to some up-to-date "Culture Change in the News," and a closing feature called "Words to Consider" - taking a look at undignified language and dignified replacements to consider. There is more info at culturechangenow.com.
For $99.00 per site, as many people can watch as you can get around
a computer monitor or in a room to see a projection of the show. Many teams tell us that having their whole
team hear the same up-to-date, innovative information in an encouraging
conversation format helps them dive into what fits their community.
Date: Friday, October 15, 2010
Guest: Jack York,
Owner of It's Never 2 Late Adaptive Computer Systems
Conversation Topic:
Technology's Contribution to Regulatory Compliance
We're finding that computers and all you
can do with them are contributing to compliance with several "heavy
hitter" CMS requirements: Tag F240 Quality of Life, Tag F241 Dignity, Tag
F242 Self-determination and participation, Tag F246 Accommodation of Needs, Tag
F248 Activities and Tag F309 Quality of Care.
Computers connect residents to the world and provide choice like never
before; adaptations accommodate and promote dignified use of computers like
never before; applications such as visual care plans help staff know their
residents and plans of care like never before - all contributing to quality of
life and compliance with these federal requirements like never before. Carmen,
regulator turned educator, will explain the compliance link while Jack York
shows technology's capability to affect residents' quality of life in this
engaging and interesting conversation.
2010 Planetree Annual
Conference and Long-Term Care Leadership Summit
October 5 – 8, 2010 in Denver ,
Colorado
The four-day event convenes internationally recognized health care leaders and will feature several distinguished keynote speakers, including: Dr. Andrew Weil, renowned integrative medicine physician; Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, Director of AHRQ; Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com and CEO of Eons.com; Amy Silverstein, author of “Sick Girl;” Drum Café, talented Djembe drummers, master facilitators and musicians; and John J. Nance, author of “Why Hospitals Should Fly.”
The special Long-Term Care Leadership Summit will be held on October
5th in the
For more information and to register for both events.
2010 Consumer Voice Annual
Meeting & Conference
October 19 – 22, 2010 in Orlando ,
Florida
The 2010 Conference will: Enable you to cultivate your network
including interactions with residents, citizen advocacy groups and other
advocates, family council members, ombudsmen, researchers, direct care workers,
and others committed to quality long-term care; Provide tangible tools to
assist in every day advocacy efforts; and Showcase expert presentations and key
information to help you translate issues into action and action into better
care. This year the conference will be
held at the beautiful Caribe
Royale hotel in
CEAL WEBINARS
The Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL) is bringing you four, one-hour webinars on practices of excellence in assisted living from across the country, including topic experts and the award winners from the Promoting Excellence in Assisted Living Awards Program.
September
29, 2010, 2:00 – 3:00 EST
“Workforce Practices: How to Achieve Successful Outcomes”
October
27, 2:00 – 3:00 EST
“Person-Centered Care: It’s More Than an Art”
November
16, 2:00 – 3:00 EST
“Dementia Care: What Works”
December
7, 2:00 – 3:00 EST
“Medication Administration: Getting It Right”
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER CLICK HERE
SAVE THESE DATES for Upcoming
Pioneer Network Conferences
August 2 – 4, 2011 in St.
Charles, Missouri (The request for
proposals is now open.)
August 6 – 8, 2012 in Jacksonville , Florida
August 12 – 14, 2013 in Bellevue , Washington
(near Seattle
The
Longevity Prescription
of Dr. Robert Butler: A Proposal for Book Discussion Club
(Source: Ronni Bennett, www.timegoesby.net)
The fabulous Time Goes By blog by Ronni Bennett is worth a look if you have not checked it out. It’s all about what it’s really like to get older. Ronnie is proposing an on-line book discussion focusing on Dr. Robert Butler’s last book.
The title of the book is The Longevity Prescription – The 8 Proven Keys to a Long, Healthy Life. Generally, I have little truck with self-help books, even one from Dr. Butler. But this is not your ordinary self-help book. In this one, the good doctor's native enthusiam infects every page – along with his intelligence, optimism and the wisdom of a lifetime. He's not preaching at you about what you should do to attain a vibrant old age; he is engaging and encouraging the reader to practice living as he did. You cannot read this book without believing you can overcome or accommodate obstacles that are in your way or, more particularly, you think are in your way to a longer, healthier old age.
Just about every sentence is packed with information I want to pass on to you, particularly his many small, easy steps we can take every day to improve and maintain our health. There is so much, however, that I don't believe a “review” can do the book justice. So here is what I propose: That we go through the book together, one chapter a week – there are nine plus an important introduction - and make this a kind of TGB Book Discussion Club – over ten weeks. That's two-and-a-half months to an improved old age for all of us.
Certainly, I encourage you to buy the book, but if you can't afford it ($26 U.S. and $32.50 Canadian – I don't know if it's published in Great Britain, Europe and elsewhere) or don't want to, I will write about each chapter in enough detail that you will get a reasonably good idea of the main points. Your job then, in the Comments section of the post each week, will be to respond to what you've learned, introduce elements I've left out (if you're reading along), tell us about your experiences with what you do now to maintain your health, what you need to change, what you want to incorporate from the book into your daily lives, encourage all of us in our efforts and to respond to and build on one anothers' comments.
If this interests you, sign up today in the Comments section below. Well, no one needs to sign up. But if there is enough interest, I'll get us started with the introduction chapter next week.
What Does It Feel Like To Be
75? Say Goodbye To Spry
(Source: by Jennifer Ludden, NPR)
While reporting
my recent series on Aging At Home, I came across a special suit at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab. It's meant to help
20-something engineers feel the aches and limitations of an average 75-year-old
so they can design better products for them. Think of it as working like those
outfits Superheroes put on, only backward. Of course, I couldn't resist.
1. Now, I'm
40-something — no spring chicken. But if the crosswalk light is blinking, I can
still dash across the street, no problem. Until, that is, MIT researcher
Rozanne Puleo starts strapping me into what she calls her Age Gain Now Empathy
System. MORE
Place to Live (So have things
really changed? WATCH THESE)
(Source: Thanks to Joe
Angelelli via facebook)
Early film about aging - A Place to Live From Prelinger archive.
(Part 2 of 3) WATCH THIS
(Part 3 of 3) WATCH
THIS
(Source: by Aurora Cyganik-Barker RN, BN,
Linked In)
Recently, I read an article that considered dignity and respect in elder care, with regards to the Human Rights Act. The article began with asking the reader to ponder some questions. It asked why dignity and respect should matter, and asked us to examine our attitudes towards the elderly. Ageism exists, that we know, but why are the elderly treated differently? It really got me thinking because from personal experience, aging and providing care can in itself seem an undignified business.
The
article also cited some examples of complaints that were made in the
Other tales include a former nurse being shocked and dismayed at the lack of caring in the staff that treated her while in the hospital. Another patient was left in a puddle of urine and blood (from a rectal bleed) and staff reportedly observed the elderly spouse of the patient cleaning up urine from the floor without so much as offering assistance or even disinfectant. Finally, the article describes countless complaints of elderly and confused patients having meals plopped in front of them, and no assistance whatsoever. Then, the untouched meal was removed without a word, leaving the patient hungry.
None of us in healthcare want to admit that bad things happen to patients or residents, but we all know that they do. MORE…
(Source: by Aurora Cyganik-Barker RN, BN,
Linked In)
After my last blog, I kept thinking about dignity and long term care, and I decided to write a little more about it. Dignity and respect when dealing with the elderly can be a delicate subject. The very mechanics of long term care can almost negate dignity in a way, as our residents need to trust us to perform personal care and more. My last blog discussed what dignity and respect mean in respect to human rights. In this second chapter, I would like to spell out common situations that may occur in care that fail to provide respect and dignity. I thought that it might help us all to translate what it all means into our daily practice. MORE…
The
Elderly, Through the Eyes of a Geriatrician
(Source: By PAULA
SPAN, New York Times)
Dr. Jeffrey M. Levine was studying geriatrics at the Mt. Sinai
School of Medicine in
Dr. Jeffrey M. Levine with a patient, Ethel Posnick.
Twenty-five years later, Dr. Levine’s moving portraits of older
Americans have appeared on 30 covers of The Gerontologist, among other medical
journals. “Aging Through a Physician’s Lens,” an exhibit of his work, was shown
at the New York Academy of Medicine earlier this year and traveled to
universities across the South. When he travels — to
“It’s been a great struggle and a big financial concession,” Dr.
Levine said of his dual lives as a geriatrician and photographer. He was
showing me slides — over-70 road racers with silver heads and taut calves,
Granny Peace Brigade marchers with lined faces, the world’s oldest ping-pong
champion — in his small
“I’ve always set aside big chunks of time for my art” — he has worked a four-day week at times — “and that’s eliminated certain career paths. You need to give 110 percent of yourself in medicine to make it work.” But he had his reasons. READ MORE AND CHECK OUT THE PHOTOGRAPHY
BRAVE OLD WORLD
In 2010,
We
talked to gerontologists, academic and medical researchers, service and
advocacy groups, older Americans and their families to learn about the
emotional, physical and cognitive experience of aging. Our stories — told
through text, video, photos, graphics and experiential simulations, plus one
animated cartoon — portray the aging
Our
project is part of the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism
Education, led by 12 of
Demographics dictate design. Welcome to Elderland, an American town in 2035, when the elderly population — larger than ever before — requires a makeover of public and private life.
With AARP
reporting that 9 in 10 adults over 60 prefer to stay in their homes or
communities, designers, healthcare providers and municipalities are responding
to the demand for age-friendly design and technologies. Follow Elderman through
a day in the not-so-distant future, based on experts’ predictions for an aging America
ALSO SEE BELOW “Growing Old in Three Minutes”
GROWING OLD IN THREE MINUTES
Please Don't Call Us That!
A generation is now saddled
with labels like seniors, geezers and — worst of all — aging baby boomers.
(Source: by Joe Queenan, | from: AARP | July 29, 2010)
Those whom the gods would destroy they first make mad, goes the trusty old saw. Well, I'm a baby boomer and I'm fighting mad. Long viewing ourselves as the coolest, hippest, most upstanding generation the world had ever known — the generation that stopped wars, that levitated Pentagons, that was capable of driving presidents from office — we now have the twin misfortunes of sliding from middle age into full-fledged senior citizen status, and simultaneously being saddled with the most inane, infantile, humiliating nickname any age group has ever known.
It is not enough that baby boomers must endure the obligatory misfortunes of the aging process — bad knees, bad feet, bad hair, no hair. We must also suffer the indignity of being abused via a generational nomenclature that screams "lame." It was bad enough to be called baby boomers when we were 30. What's it going to feel like when we're 85?
Unlike
Gen X or Gen Y or the Millennials or the Lost Generation or the Greatest
Generation, all of whom sport perfectly classy, tasteful, albeit synthetic,
market-researched nicknames, baby boomers are shackled with one of the most
ignominious, mortifying sobriquets in the history of the word. Not since the
French middle class anointed the poorer classes "les sans-culottes"
during the French Revolution has one social group suffered such outright
mockery from another. But at least "sans culottes," if only because
it is French, sounds kind of flashy. "Baby boomer," a weird mélange
of the prepubescent and the guttural, sounds juvenile. Especially when you're
collecting Social Security. MORE
(Source: Lynn Casteel
Harper, www.huffingtonpost.com)
The
Like the aging of a river, human aging is a natural process; we are aging from day one. A river shapes the land day after day, year after year. Likewise, the passage of time changes the terrain of our own bodies. While a river's aging process inspires us to awe, human aging inspires us only to dread. It is a first-class insult to be told you "act old" or "look old." After a point, even to "look your age" is a slight. Instead of treating the ever-changing landscapes of our bodies as hallowed ground worthy of our respect, we've turned our aging bodies into battlegrounds.
Every morning on my way to work, I pass a billboard advertising an upcoming "Anti-Aging Expo." The irony does not escape me. As a chaplain at a skilled nursing facility in a retirement community, I spend all day with people who have "failed" to "anti-age."
As the billboard's expo highlights, we as a society are against aging. By declaring aging the adversary, we've waged war on nature and on our own bodies. Our creams, hair dyes, concealers, surgeries are our smart bombs; our changing bodies are our enemy targets. However unintentionally, we've also done violence to the "losers" in this war against aging -- old people themselves.
Crude
caricatures of old people speak to our societal prejudice; they are either
"cranky," "cute," "sweet," "spunky."
Older people can testify to the growing sense of being taken less seriously,
from the patronizing pet names ("honey," "sweetie") to
their physicians talking about them instead of to them. Somewhere along the
lifespan timeline they have suffered a demotion. READ
MORE
Retirement Haven Hunts
Youthful Violators
(Source: By MARC LACEY, The New York Times)
Joshua Lott for The New York Times
Tom Wilson, left, and Bill Szentmiklosi are compliance officers in Sun City, ferreting out children who might endanger the community’s special status.
Life at 93 for a Baltimore County ,
Maryland
(Source: Linked In)
A local senior in
As a provider of senior care and housing, all of these factors above should be considered in the daily engagement of those over the age of 55. Without this awareness, we provide care when we should be focused on providing options for a better lifestyle. MORE
for his 75 years – and counting – of teaching.
Spring Arbor gives back to
teachers
(Source:
www.theapexherald.com)
Spring Arbor of Apex Assisted Living residents made gift baskets for
Residents were excited to put together the baskets for people who contribute to
the town of
I
recognize you do amazing work, but you're still not getting minimum wage
(Source:
by
Union Review, Daily Kos )
The US Senate recently proclaimed a week in September to be designated as a time to "recognize" direct care workers. That's fantastic. What they should also recognize, however, is that more than 1.5 million home care workers are currently living at near-poverty level earning a median income of $17,000 a year. Most of these workers, who both love their work and are good at their work, must have two and three jobs to just make ends meet. Many of these workers need food stamps to put food on their tables. All this ultimately hurts the consumer, who often finds it difficult to find and retain high quality home care services…
Someone sent me an email earlier entitled, "U.S. Senate Declares National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week." The big week of recognition is slotted to begin September 12th.
In the announcement for "Recognition Week," Senator Ben Nelson says, "Direct support professionals provide an invaluable service to the millions of Americans living with disabilities. I'm proud to honor these hard-working individuals who give so much to help those in need. Their dedication to service is an example to us all."
So, bravo to the Senate for marking a week in September to honor these workers, but honor and a week of applause doesn't pay the bills. Surely, they must know this.
MORE…
Video: Rapping Nurse Has
Bright Future
(Source: www.myfoxphilly.com)
(Source: by Deane Beebe, PHI)
A recent issue of the National Academy on an Aging Society’s Public Policy & Aging Report is devoted entirely to the evolution of long-term care and trend toward home- and community-based services. The report, entitled “Advancing Home and Community-Based Services: Transforming Policies, Programs, and Service Delivery in Long-Term Care,” (pdf) contains articles by national long-term care experts, including articles on the history of long-term care, trends toward consumer-directed care, and the long-term care workforce.
The article “Strengthening the Direct-Care Workforce: Preliminary Recommendations from a National Panel of Experts in Long-Term Care” highlights the preliminary findings of a national panel convened by the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging to “enhance the capacity of both the direct-care workforce and family caregivers to provide quality care.”
The national panel addressed four key issues:
- supply of direct-care workers and family caregivers;
- readiness or capacity of both direct-care workers and family caregivers to provide care;
- retention of direct-care workers and family caregivers in their roles; and
- quality or outcomes of direct-care workers’ and family caregivers’ care.
MORE
Categorized
|
PHI
Blog, PolicyWorks
(Source: Guest Commentary by
Jack Mills, PHI)
Jack Mills
A guest column by Jack Mills, Executive Director of the National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP), an initiative of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development.
NNSP released a brief last week that provides important lessons for health care providers and direct-care workers. From Hidden Costs to High Returns: Unlocking the Potential of the Lower-Wage Workforce (pdf) reports on the experience of dozens of health care organizations and manufacturing companies.
These employers have found that investments in lower-wage workers directly benefit their bottom lines while their workers move up to better jobs. The brief documents the benefits for employers and provides lessons to help other employers follow suit.
Companies highlighted in the brief include the Visiting Nurse Association of Eastern Massachusetts (VNAEM), which employs 160 people at its home care agency and two assisted living facilities for low- and moderate-income seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Aides
Should Get the Pay and Respect They Deserve
As VNAEM CEO Linda Cornell points out, aides are low on the organization’s wage ladder, but they are “the people who have the most responsibility in our organization for the direct hands-on care that our patients and residents receive.” Their performance on the job consequently has a huge effect on service quality and customer satisfaction.
VNAEM’s goal is for every patient and resident to be treated as you would want your loved ones treated, and its ultimate goal is to have everyone in the association recognize and embrace direct-care workers as equal members of the care team. Their approach was that certified aides and nurses’ aides should receive high-quality training, and the pay and respect that they deserve.
Funding from the Commonwealth Corporation’s Extended Care Career Ladder Initiative (ECCLI) supported VNAEM’s early work toward its goals with B&F Consulting in 2004-2005. Over the next two years, VNAEM teamed up with other health care employers and a nonprofit workforce organization, called Employment Resources, Inc. (ERI), to form a collective recruitment and training program for entry-level aides.
Ms. Cornell and her staff had long felt that the standard training required for certified aides and nurses’ aides was too rudimentary to ensure the quality of care that the association wanted to be known for. “In the industry,” she says, “the training did not match what we need…. It was just a bare minimum, no real hands-on training.” MORE
(Source: By
A judge has halted new restrictions that would keep convicted felons and
convicted sex offenders from providing in-home care to elderly and disabled
patients participating in a
Alameda County Superior Court Judge
David Hunter said Tuesday that the limits sought by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger would cause irreparable harm, and both caregivers and their
patients would suffer.
Schwarzenegger is seeking to exclude anyone ever convicted of a felony or
certain misdemeanors, including shoplifting, from working as caregivers in the In-Home Supportive Services program
that serves 430,000 low-income elderly and disabled Californians. MORE
New
Family Council Brochure
(Source: The Consumer Voice)
The Consumer Voice has created a new brochure to help educate on the topic of empowered, effective and independent family councils. The brochure contains information on what a family council is, rights and best practices, resources and grant opportunities, and examples of family council activities. This is an excellent resource for current family councils or those interested in starting a council. Check it out to learn more!
Series Overview: Growing Old,
At Home
Where We Age
(Source: by NPR Staff)
Only 5 percent of Americans ages 65 and older live in group quarters like nursing homes. In recent years, this share has been steadily declining (based on 2008 American Community Survey data). Numbers do not total 100 due to rounding.
Source:
The
aging of
One thing that's not expected to change: The overwhelming majority of the elderly will want to grow old in their own homes. Nine out of 10 seniors stay where they are when they retire, according to AARP.
While
many elderly are in better health than previous generations, it will be a
challenge to keep living independently as Americans also live longer than ever.
This will be a societal challenge: The number of people ages 65 and older will
grow from 13 percent of the current
In a series of reports, NPR explores the quiet revolution — both high-tech and low — that aims to make it easier for seniors to age at home. MORE
StoryCorps
(Source: youtube)
Danny Perasa and his wife, Annie, came to StoryCorps to recount their twenty-seven-year romance. As they remember their life together from their first date to Danny's final days with terminal cancer, these remarkable Brooklynites personify the eloquence, grace, and poetry that can be found in the voices of everyday people when we take the time to listen. YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS
CaringBridge: Connecting
Family and Friends When Health Matters Most
CaringBridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free websites that connect family and friends during a serious health event, care and recovery. A CaringBridge website is personal, private and available 24/7. It helps ease the burden of keeping family and friends informed. The websites are easy to create and use. Authors add health updates and photos to share their story while visitors leave messages of love and support in the guestbook.
- Each day, over half-a-million people connect through CaringBridge.
- More than 1 billion visits have been made to personal CaringBridge websites.
- The CaringBridge community includes authors, visitors and/or donors in all 50 states and more than 225 countries/territories around the world.
Baby boomers signal shift in
what aging means
(Source: acreamer@sacbee.com, The Sacramento Bee)
MANNY CRISOSTOMO / mcrisostomo@sacbee.com
Luiz Martinez, 65, of Vacaville, far left, twirls
Carole Chilimidos, 66, of Fair Oaks to the sounds of a five-piece band at
As
director of Carmichael's
"Shuffleboard was very popular with seniors here 25 years ago," said McAdam. "And there are still a few of them left who like to play, so this is a rough transition for them. But we already have martial arts going into that room."
Not to mention Zumba and yoga classes – and maybe the occasional weeknight couples dance. The boomers – the postwar generation born from 1946 to 1964, some 77 million strong and not shy about demanding a little attention – are coming of age. It's not an overstatement to suggest that the lifestyle of aging is about to undergo a revolution.
Along
with deep concerns about the increasing need and, in many cases, declining
resources for in-home assistance, stable retirement income and reliable health
care funding, the so-called silver tsunami also brings with it an enormous
shift in what aging in
Alzheimer's
Disease The Emotional Roller Coaster Ride
In
other words, I need to remind myself to blame Alzheimer's disease and not my
mother.....
(Source: By Bob DeMarco ,
Alzheimer's Reading Room)
It is difficult to describe the range of emotions an Alzheimer's
caregiver might feel or experience in a single day. Imagine being happy and then
sad, caring then angry, focused then frustrated -- an almost endless stream of
feelings and emotions that conflict. The
caregiver lives an anxiety filled life day-after-day. I doubt that many people
outside "the
front row" think about or consider this.
Those outside the front row are normally too busy living their own life.
Take me for example. I doubt that I communicate the amount of anxiety I feel in
any given day to many people. Oddly, the only way most people could find out
the way I feel and the way I think is by reading this blog. I say odd because
it is likely that the people that read this blog on an ongoing basis know more
about me than my close friends and people I see daily.
One reason why this happens is because I am reluctant to be an alarmist and I
make a conscious effort not to be too negative. I certainly don't want to
overreact within my own self. In others words, I don't want to turn me into a
negative person by constantly obsessing on the negative. But the point here is that Alzheimer's
cargivers experience a tremendous amount of anxiety. Lets take an example that is small but
real. READ MORE
Lessons learned from elder
friends
(Source: by Jim Farnham,
www.democratandchronicle.com)
This
is written about two women who I know well. One is 95, living in a
Since
my wife and I come from
A carer's story
(www.news.bbc.co.uk)
Social
care and how to fund it are high on the political agenda. John Miles, from
(Source: By Bob DeMarco , Alzheimer's Reading Room)
At the beginning of my travels with Alzheimer's, I had to get over
the shock when the diagnosis of dementia came. That took what seemed like a
minute, but it was over a year.
It is not easy to do this. You have to work on this consciously. Pretty much
every day. There aren't any shortcuts.
Many of you know the feeling of abandonment that comes with Alzheimer's
disease. Family, friends, they run away.
They disappear. This is easy to understand. Let's face it, it is easier to put
your head in the sand.
When they run away it is hard to accept. Don't take it personally. Assume its easier for someone to put their
head in the sand and let it go at that.
A simple fact of life.
You are the one that received the call. It is your calling. Answer the
call and get on with it.
It is time to become the best Alzheimer's caregiver you can be. You'll do this
by taking one tiny step at a time. You'll learn as you go and you'll get better
at it each day.
After all. You are the ONE.
Repeat after me.
I Am an Alzheimer's Caregiver.
I Am not Alone.
I Am the One.
My name is
We live our life one day at a time. If
you do not see the podcast button -- go here to
listen. LINK http://networkedblogs.com/7Q0vX
(Source: Linked In)
Want to live longer? According to Dr. Patricia Boyle, a neuropsychologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center and an assistant professor of behavioral sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. ”…if you find purpose in life, if you find your life is meaningful and if you have goal-directed behavior, you are likely to live longer.”
Did you know dreams continue beyond the age of 35? Want proof? When I started into the senior living industry it was with Brightview Senior Living. The company had six communities with most of the focus on assisted living and dementia care. One community that stood out, and really the person that stood out, was the Activity Director at Brightview of Bel Air. A hairdresser by trade, she engaged the residents (including in the dementia neighborhood) in a way few others can – with a focus on dignity, respect, and the belief that even people living in an assisted living community could thrive, not just survive. This passion played out in two significant ways: 1) she challenged herself and her community to find the dream left unmet for each of her residents and then she would creatively find a way to make that dream a reality 2) she sparked a group of residents to form a singing group that eventually cut a CD and sang the national anthem at Cal Ripken Stadium for a minor-league baseball team.
People, all people, have or want to re-kindle their sense of purpose. What is your purpose? Do you have the key to helping someone else re-kindle their purpose? If so, use it! LINK
(Source: Linked In)
In his recent blog Joseph Coughlin, Director of MIT’s AgeLab clarifies that “Sun and sea alone will not provide regional competitive advantage in light of financial limitations and evolving lifestyle demands.” This is a show stopper. For the longest time location, location, location was touted as the key ingredient to success for developers in senior living.
Now, with baby boomers spreading their influence throughout the country and really the world based on where and how they are choosing to live, local governments and businesses need to focus energy now to attract and retain this key constituent for the future. How? Ask them, challenge them, prioritize the answers, and then invest in the future.
Government
and business across the
Access
to on-going learning; volunteer networks that provide meaningful and
long-lasting chances to help; walkable paths and exercise venues that are
easily accessible; tax structures that benefit engaged citizens, and more. Too often the focus for those eligible for
Music Therapy Reduces
Requests for Meds
(Source: Jenny Hoff, KXAN
News Austin , Texas
"Every resident gets their own music prescription" Leave
it to an
That's when MusicFirst was created, a program that aims to reduce a resident's pain, both physical and emotional. He found that this specific demographic was an area that was very much in need, referring to the nursing home communities. Through MusicFirst, CoroHealth media directors, and a music therapist work individually with each resident to assess their needs. After asking each resident about their personal interests, they test a range of tunes and watch the effect. In addition to watching the physical responses, we also measure their physiological responses to that. "If they both emotionally positive and physiologically then that is something we use to build their prescription from"
He then puts a proprietary computer into the resident's room, fully loaded with a timed program that he and the resident's caregivers can update remotely with new music and sermons. Cyndia Ingram, an administrator with Manor Oaks in Rockdale said there is no doubt that the music has made a difference. Instead of just feeding and assisting residents, the caretakers now find themselves listening to stories and connecting on a deeper level. View online
Traveling with elderly mom
and dad can be a window to the past, present
Road
trips with older parents can help adult children and sometimes their own kids
learn about what shaped their folks, and themselves. Or just help catch up on
the present day.
(Source: Los
Angeles Times)
|
The thought of vacationing with elderly parents can send shivers down the spines of adult children. Many who try it, however, say it brings unexpected pleasure. (Blair Thornley / For The Times) |
For the last four summers, 85-year-old Patty Fleming has clambered
into a silver Buick Regal with her three 50-something daughters and hit the
interstate for a weeklong vacation.
"OK, girls," she says when the chatter gets too frenetic, "I'm
turning off my hearing aid. You can talk about me as much as you want."
Then she settles down with a book. After she rests a while, she announces,
"Stop talking about me now," and turns the hearing aid back on, says
Pam Rimar, her youngest daughter.
"We have a great time. Husbands and kids stay home, we all catch up, and
we have lots of one-on-one time with Mom," says Rimar, an
The thought of
vacationing with an elderly parent can send shivers down the spines of adult
children. Many who try it, however, say the practice brings unexpected pleasure
— and an opportunity to move beyond the generation gap that marked their
relationship when they were young. MORE
Take a Best Friends Approach
When Caring for Those With Alzheimer's and Memory Loss
(Source: PR Newswire)
There is a quiet revolution taking place amongst caregivers of those with Alzheimer's and dementia, and it's really quite simple. It's called the Best Friends Approach™ and international experts Virginia Bell and David Troxel are helping professional and non-professional caregivers alike engage in a method of care that is making everyone's lives better. Adopting a Best Friends approach helps diminish pain and loss and has a powerful impact on both the person with memory loss and the caregiver.
"Everyone wants to be treated as a real person and being treated as a best friend is what they need most of all. Friendship is so magical and multicultural as well as multigenerational," according to Virginia Bell, co-founder of Best Friends Approach. "We live in a hyper cognitive society where ones worth is often based on cognition, which is not true in many other countries where a person has infinite value even if they don't know what day it is— your worth is measured with different standards."
The Best Friends Approach seeks to make life better by adapting a philosophy that is not difficult or hard to understand. By applying the rules of friendship to the person living with memory loss, the relationship is transposed and is allowed to take on a new definition and with it new understandings.
Here are seven key points to apply when taking on the role of a Best Friend for someone with memory loss. READ MORE
Carers Need Help Prior to
Dementia Diagnosis
(Source:
www.netnewspublisher.com)
One of the most difficult times when caring for a friend or family member with dementia is the period before diagnosis, according to new research led by UCL and published online in the British Medical Journal.
As
the population ages, a large and increasing number of people are caring for a
relative or friend with a form of dementia. Those family carers often have to
make decisions on behalf of the other person. The study, based on interviews
with family carers in
You
will need to travel light, and learn how to be flexible, to find new routes to
familiar places, to throw away all of the old maps, all of the old guides. You
are on a trip that will demand all of your patience, your stamina, your
love....
(Source: By Tom and Karen Brenner, Alzheimer's Reading Room)
Someone you love has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
You may feel that this is the end of life as you know it. You are probably
awash in the ocean of negativity that is out there when people speak of
Alzheimer’s. There is the look of pain, of sympathy, the “there but for the
grace of God” attitude that well meaning friends and family feel they must
convey to people living with Alzheimer’s.
You will be told over and over and you will read over and over again
about the walking dead, the long good bye, the loneliness, the exhaustion, the
fear, the dread, the…
STOP! There are always choices in life.
You still have a life and you can still make choices. You can choose to be a
victim, or you can choose to be victorious. Of course, there is no cure for
Alzheimer’s, but there is a path, a way for you through the magical mystery
tour that is Alzheimer’s world. Having
Alzheimer’s does not have to mean that your life is over; it does mean your
life will be different. MORE
Richard Taylor on Culture Change
(Source: Linked In)
Hello, culture change, especaily culture change in nursing home, and in alzheimer's units trditonally and consistently ignores including the people whose culture is being changed in planning and executing and evaluating the change process. Culture change is not about changeing the way the employess and management think and act, it is about creating a culture, a community, a network, a way of livinging that grows out of the wants and needs of those whose culture was actually changed by the changing behaviors of those who serve the true owners and users of the culture. Plants, animals, new paint, shorter hall ways, fall resistant floors and rugs, and more activities don't create a culture. They may reinfore it, they may influence it, but ultimately culture comes from the hearts, minds, spirits of those who live in in it 24-7. Envormental manipulations, born again staff members play a marginal roll in a change in culture if the owners/users of the culture don't want to change, don't like the changes, and weren't included in deciding who, what, when and where the elements of culture we seleected and shaped to change. For many residents the idea that they have the right and obligation to themselves and each other to own the cutlure, to define it, to use it to meet their own needs has been over time erased or minimized from their minds. Couple that with a mind that is struggling with the symptoms of dementia and you have a pretty placid group of owners of the culture. They need to be reabled, enabled, empowered, supported to regain control and responsibility for their culture. I realize that folks in the deepest stages of dementia cannot to this for themselves. But sure we should push back the point where we just assume what we know is best for them and try, and keep trying to enable them to assume a right that all human beings have, and that is to live in a culture that meets their needs and wants.....Richard
I HAVE ALZHEIMER’S
A preview of Richard Taylor, PhD’s first video “Be with Me TODAY”™ by Have A Good Life Media.
(Source: By
As their memory slips away, dementia sufferers describe what it is like to
forget. SEE THIS
Choir provides music therapy
for Alzheimer’s patients
(Source: www.bbc.co.uk)
Opera highlights dementia
issues
(Source: www.bbc.co.uk)
A new opera which explores the effect of Alzheimer's on patients, their families and carers has been given its Welsh premier. The Lion's Face took nearly four years to research and write - and is based on one man's decline with dementia. BBC Wales health correspondent Hywel Griffith went to see it in rehearsal. MORE
Sir Terry Pratchett on living
with Alzheimer's
(Source: www.bbc.co.uk)
Sir Terry Pratchett is one of the most successful writers of the last thirty years. His fantasy novels have sold tens of millions of copies.
He is still writing fiction, but now he is also dealing with and writing about a very personal fact. He has the incurable, degenerative brain disease, Alzheimer's and he wants the right to choose the time and manner of his own death.
Is that an ending wider society is ready to accept? MORE
The Vanishing Mind -what are
the real lessons of how to prevent its disappearance
(Source: Peter Whitehouse,
www.themythofalzheimers.com)
In a previous blog we discussed what is now being considered by many a “disastrous” consensus conference on what we can do to prevent Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline help in Washington many weeks ago now but just recently reported in the New York Times. The answer according to the experts was nothing.
The leadership of the NIA was apparently quite worried about the conference from its very inception. The standards of scientific evidence used in the reviews were more akin to the FDA’s requirement for randomized controlled studies than for the common sense integration of data and clinical wisdom that occurs in practice. Very few clinicians who know the literature and work with patients will stop recommending that people eat well, exercise, and engage in meaningful cognitive and social activities.
The problem with this review process was that it fits into a narrow interpretation of evidence-based medicine which is increasingly being criticized. I worked with the largest international review group, the Cochrane Collaboration for years. Many of our reviews of the scientific literature led to inconclusive analyses. Complex interventions are much harder to study and we run the risk of concluding that the inability to find a positive effect of an intervention means there was no effect.
The NIA damage control efforts include a certain amount of historical reinvention, as reported in the New York Times. In order to explain the lack of progress it was suggested that we only came to realize that the dementia was different than normal aging in the 1980s. Actually, in our view some forms of dementia are related to brain aging.
However the field has been promoting this separation since the formation of the Alzheimer’s Association and the NIA itself in the early 1970s. Maybe the director of the NIH will be critical of the Alzheimer’s field for its lack of progress, perhaps because, God forbid we have not been paying enough attention to molecular genetics. Yet many clinicians, despite the exaggerated reporting in the New York Times, realize that the multiple breakthrough story is broken. Diagnostic tests are not 100% accurate and are not ready for prime time. Promises for effective therapies in the near future are deceptive.
The deep lessons of this distorted reporting (see comments in the public editor section of the Times) and of the various claims for progress lie in our over-reliance on simplistic scientific solutions to complex human problems. Just imagine for one moment that this is not one disease (something many people believe but are not willing to say). Our allocations of funding and the search of hope would change, perhaps dramatically. LINK to BLOG
Brain injuries in sports are
coming to a head: pondering the growing concerns
(Source: Danny George, www.themythofalzheimers.com)
As readers of the site know, one of my personal sub-interests within the dementia field is the contribution of head injuries to the progression of brain aging, particularly in sports.
As a former football player, I have closely tracked (and praised) the NFL’s recent actions protecting players from concussions and acknowledging the association between early life head injuries and increased risk for dementia later in life. A frightening experience on a little league baseball field this summer made me ponder whether we should be doing more to protect pitchers from line-drives up the middle.
Now it seems that basketball, which, like baseball has floated under the radar while football and boxing have received the majority of public attention, is undergoing similar scrutiny. In a recent NY Times Well Blog post, Tara Parker-Pope reports that nearly 375,000 children and teenagers are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for basketball-related injuries. Parker-Pope also reports on a recent study in the journal Pediatrics, which found that: READ MORE
Carle names top 'nana'
technologies for 2010
(Source: McKnights)
Microchip-embedded prescription bottle caps, a stylish activity monitor, an exercise program and an emergency assistance device stand out as great products for seniors. That is according to George Mason University Professor Andrew Carle, who recently released the top “Nana” technologies for 2010. Carle, director of the university's Program in Assisted Living/Senior Housing Administration, coined the term “Nana" technology in 2004 to define the growing industry of microchip-based products for seniors. This year, he singled out four: GlowCaps, Wellcore, DriveSharp and ActiveONE-Personal Assistance Locator. LINK
Social Networking Surges For
Seniors
(Source: by Joshua Brockman, NPR)
Tim Boyle/Getty Images
77-year-old Suzette D'Hooghe works on her laptop
computer during a computer class in
Grandma is posting a photo on Facebook. Grandpa is looking for former colleagues on LinkedIn. And more and more people ages 50 and older are joining social networks, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. The study found that social networking has almost doubled among this population — growing from 22 percent to 42 percent over the past year.
According to comScore, a digital measurement company, 27.4 million people age 55 and over engaged in social networking in July, up from 16 million one year ago.
"I've connected with friends and acquaintances that I have lost contact with through the years — people I've graduated high school with and people from my hometown," says Claire LeSage, 63, who has been using Facebook for about a year-and-a-half.
In
addition to connecting with her nephews and a niece who live across the
country, LeSage uses Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Plaxo to run Wittz End,
her relocation concierge service for baby boomers and seniors in
Will the iPad be a hit with
the elderly? (WATCH THIS)
(Source: Ben Patterson,
technology writer, Yahoo! News)
The Web's going wild over a YouTube video of 99-year-old Virginia Campbell and her favorite new thing: the iPad, which she's already used to read a couple of books and compose a dozen limericks. Are seniors in general swooning for the iPad?
I've seen no detailed surveys on the elderly and how they're taking
to Apple's latest "magical" device, but
as far
The
YouTube video speaks for itself, with the glaucoma-suffering but otherwise
sharp-as-a-tack English major tapping away intently on "her new toy,"
oblivious to a cluster of hovering relatives. "It's fantastic," she
gushes, although she gets tripped up — just for a moment — on the virtual
QWERTY keypad. "Where's the comma?" she barks, before finding it
("there!") a micro-second later.
To
this technology-ninny it’s clear
In my compromised 100th year,
That to read and to write
Are again within sight
Of this Apple iPad pioneer.
Meanwhile,
the AARP Bulletin Today traveled to a retirement home in
IPad appears to be clicking
with seniors
(Source: Ryan
Kim, Chronicle Staff Writer)
Mike Kepka / The Chronicle
Rita Schena, 78, checks e-mail on her new iPad
at her home in
Rita Schena, a 78-year-old retired teacher, is not the kind
of person who waits in line for the release of a new tech gadget. But there she
was April 3, the day the iPad went on sale, queuing up at a Palo Alto Apple
store. She had spent a short time playing with her son's iPad that morning and
was instantly smitten. "I said, 'Oh
my God, I have to have one of these,' " said Schena, who lives in
Eric Dishman: Take health
care off the mainframe
(Source: www.ted.com)
At TEDMED, Eric Dishman makes a bold argument: The US health care system is like computing circa 1959, tethered to big, unwieldy central systems: hospitals, doctors, nursing homes. As our aging population booms, it's imperative, he says, to create personal, networked, home-based health care for all. WATCH THIS
Wired Homes Keep Tabs On
Aging Parents
(Source: by Jennifer Ludden, NPR)
Edward and Lavinia Fitzgerald
in Savannah, Ga., have dinner while telecaregiver Denise Cady of ResCare, a
camera monitoring service, looks on.
The
boomer generation that has grown up with e-mail, cell phones and video cameras
is now using all of these things to help care for their aging parents. That's
leading to some odd dinnertime scenes, like the one that plays out every
evening in the ranch house of Edward and Lavinia Fitzgerald in
"Here's your ketchup," Colleen says, as she puts the bottle on the table along with the salt shaker. It could be dinnertime anywhere, but for one thing: There's an extra guest at this meal. "How's the weather down there?" That voice comes from a woman who appears on a computer monitor next to the kitchen table. "Oh, that's Denise," Edward explains. "That's our good friend!"
Watch Cady Interact With The
Fitzgeralds
Actually,
Denise Cady is what's called a "telecaregiver," and for two years she
has been checking on the Fitzgeralds every evening from
"Oooh, looks good," Cady says. "Are those fresh green beans?" MORE
To Win Over Users, Gadgets
Have to Be Touchable
(Source: www.aarp.org, reporting on original
article by CLAIRE CAIN MILLER | from: New York Times)
Whoever said technology was dehumanizing was wrong. On screens
everywhere — cellphones, e-readers, A.T.M.’s — as Diana Ross sang, we just want
to reach out and touch.
Scientists and academics who study how we interact with technology say people
often try to import those behaviors into their lives, as anyone who has ever
wished they could lower the volume on a loud conversation or Google their brain
for an answer knows well. But they say touching screens has seeped into
people’s day-to-day existence more quickly and completely than other
technological behaviors because it is so natural, intimate and intuitive.
And so device makers in a post-iPhone world are focused on fingertips, with
touch at the core of the newest wave of computer design, known as natural user
interface. Unlike past interfaces centered on the keyboard and mouse, natural
user interface uses ingrained human movements that do not have to be learned.
“It’s part of the general trajectory we’re on in the computing industry — this
whole notion of making computers more open to natural human gestures and
intentions,” said Eric Horvitz, distinguished scientist at Microsoft Research. READ MORE
iPad for Dad Series (Check
out this series)
(Source:
www.asourparentsage.net)
Links to others available on each posting!
Dad with his new iPad keyboard
MedCottage (WATCH THIS!)
(Source: CBS)
This CBS video introduces N2Care’s signature product, the
MedCottage, a mobile, modular medical home designed to be placed temporarily on
a caregiver’s property for rehabilitation and extended care. It is a
state-of-the-art hospital room with remote monitoring so caregivers can provide
the best possible care. The MedCottage is a response to the trend that as
people age or require additional care, many treatment options take them away
from their families; instead, the MedCottage gives families the ability to
participate directly in their loved one’s recovery, rehabilitation, or extended
care. For more information on N2Care or the MedCottage, click here.
Universal Design: The House
Of Your Future?
(Source: NPR)
Imagine building a house when you're young that you can live in as you age: wide doorways can accommodate both a stroller and a wheelchair; towel racks in the kitchen double as grab bars as balance grows unsteady; and entryways are smooth to prevent tripping. Builders incorporate these concepts of universal design to create homes that are barrier-free without looking purposely modified. Here, take a tour of a home designed to be accessible to all. MORE
One Third Of 45+ Demographic
Have Made Home Improvements To Live There Longer
(Source: AARP )
What’s
on the minds of the 45+ mindset this summer? According to the
- 26% said that access to affordable housing was a major problem if the needed or chose to move
- 33% said that they have made improvements to their current home that would enable them to stay in that home longer
- 17% noted that access to practical and convenient public transportation options in their community was a problem
For the full scoop on the survey results, visit the AARP Closer Look June 2010 Survey
Apartment remodeled to assist
visually impaired
(Source: KRISTINA IODICE, THE GAZETTE)
CAROL LAWRENCE/The Gazette
The Inn at Garden Plaza employee Sophia Bower helped design a model apartment for those with limited eyesight at the senior living community. The model was unveiled Monday, showing such details as a talking microwave and a large print TV remote.
Looks are everything at a new kind of apartment unveiled Monday at The Inn at Garden Plaza retirement community. Believed to be a first, the “vision enhancement” apartment was remodeled to deal with the challenges of living with macular degeneration.
The
model displays key changes that will help seniors with vision limitations of
macular degeneration live more independently. The options will be available to
incoming residents, or residents currently living in the apartment building. Age-related macular degeneration is the
leading cause of blindness for those aged 55 and older in the
The
project started when Jan
Jones, senior sales director at The Inn at Garden
Plaza and The Bridge, saw a need for
apartments designed specifically for people with impaired vision from macular
degeneration. Nan Drobnick, a vision
rehabilitation therapist with Peak Vista’s Second Sight program, contributed
her expertise. A longtime resident offered her experiences with dealing with
the disease. Sophia Bower, director of environmental services, and her team
were responsible for the physical remodel, which took about two weeks. MORE
Home Modifications for
Alzheimer’s Care
(Source: Networx – Thanks to
Alzheimer’s Daily News)
Alzheimer's disease, the
most common form of dementia, poses a particular set of challenges in the home
environment. According to the Alzheimer's Association, 5.3 million Americans
have Alzheimer's disease, and it weighs in as the 7th leading cause of death in
Alzheimer's related
complications often involve the home-environment - falls and fires are two of
the most common. Beyond preventing injury and death, the home environment
affects the quality of life of someone with Alzheimer's. Rosemary Bakker is Director of ThisCaringHome.org, a project of Weill
Cornell Medical College. In an interview she discussed strategies for reducing
home risks and improving quality of life for people with the disease. Bakker
said, "The environment is so important to a person with Alzheimer's.
They're much more sensitive to their environment, so there's a lot they can do
to make it safer for them, and to give them a greater quality of
life." Go to full story: networx.com
(Source: PHI)
Mary Jane Koren
Modern Healthcare’s August 16 issue features a commentary on the many ways that consistent assignment benefits nursing homes and residents, written by Mary Jane Koren, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign. Koren, a geriatrician and vice president at The Commonwealth Fund, explains in “Predictable Scheduling: Nursing Homes Can Boost Quality, Bottom Line with ‘Consistent Assignment’” that when a nurse aide routinely cares for a nursing home resident, it improves the quality of care and is cost-effective.
Relationship
between Consistent Assignment and Quality
Consistent
assignment is one of the targets identified by Advancing Excellence in
For example, she explains that when an aide develops a relationship with a resident through consistent assignment, the use of physical restraints can decrease and the development of pressure ulcers can be reduced. Ongoing relationships allow aides to observe and report potential medical problems, thus reducing costs.
Since residents rate relationships with caregivers as important, Koren says that nursing homes that employ consistent assignment have a “competitive edge in a tough market.”
“The PHI team has coached many nursing homes to implement consistent assignment,” said PHI Director of Training and Organizational Development Services Susan Misiorski. “I can’t emphasize enough how critical this practice is to ensuring high job satisfaction, high resident satisfaction, and quality care outcomes,” Misiorski said. MORE
The Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged examines predictors of nursing home admissions among seniors without a dementia diagnosis. It is one of the first analyses that don't consider dementia.
1,024 elderly adults over 75 without dementia were interviewed six times on average every 1.4 years, according to the report. During the study, 7.8% of seniors without dementia were admitted to a nursing home. Factors that led to faster admission to a nursing home include living alone, functional impairment, major depression and stroke. Seniors who had home care aides, as well as seniors who did not regularly see specialist physicians were also more likely to be admitted to a nursing home sooner. MORE
The reasons for admission did not strike me as unusual but may to others. Particularly those living alone being more likely to be admitted. Often that loneliness leads to depression. And it speaks to the fact that many people discount the positive social aspects that any type of senior living arrangement offers. It also makes sense that seniors not under the care of a specialist tend to be more likely to go to a nursing home, most likely because they were not keeping up with their health issues. Those having home care aides surprised me but when I thought about it made sense. Those same care aides are probably more acutely aware of just how much care their clients need and recognize when home care is truly not enough.
Some of these non-dementia issues we can control. Certainly a functional impairment or stroke could be out of our reach to prevent but we can help our elders living alone and often depressed. That is a societal role for anyone. Do you know the seniors in your neighborhood and their circumstances? Perhaps they can use a new friend.
The study appears in BMC Health Services Research 2010.
Aging Committee chief hears
complaints about nursing homes
(Source: McKnights)
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) took advantage of his position as chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging to hold a field hearing in his home state to drum up support for re-authorization of the Older Americans Act. But he might have received more than expected Tuesday, when a local agency leader used the hearing to blast nursing homes “not appropriate for people to live in.”
Criticizing
what she calls outdated, poorly designed facilities with overcrowded rooms,
Milwaukee County Department on Aging leader Stephanie Sue Stein said a national
campaign is needed to bring buildings up to par, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
reported. "There are facilities that are simply not appropriate for people
to live in," Stein said to raucous applause at the
Stein said an overhaul of the system would be in line with goals of the Older Americans Act. Kohl noted that 10 million Americans use services provided by the Act, many aimed at keeping seniors well fed, healthy and out of institutional care.
Also
at the hearing, Assistant Secretary of the Administration on Aging Kathy
Greenlee noted that 12 states will be receiving federal funding for the
development of community-based respite-care programs for caregivers. The funds,
which include $188,000 for
(Source: www.asourparentsage.net)
Ideas about changing the nursing care at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) began when carpets were replaced in one of the memory neighborhoods. For several days residents with memory disabilities spent their waking hours visiting a more home-like assisted living area. The caregivers immediately spotted a change — people from the memory neighborhood were more engaged in the activities and more active. The visitors even asked if they could stay.
Looking Toward the
President/CEO Ron Yoder walked over to see for himself and was deeply moved. He began thinking more about physical environments and how they affect the lives of elderly residents at VMRC. So over a number of years the philosophy of the Harrisonburg, Virginia, continuing care retirement community nestled in a valley in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia, began to evolve. Eventually a plan emerged, one that imagined ten residential houses for people who require nursing care, but with the medical care functions masked and the “just like home” aspect emphasized.
VMRC connected with Eden Alternative (read the 10 principles) and the Pioneer Network, two organizations dedicated to moving long-term care away from a medical model. Both groups support the development of welcoming, community-based settings where both older adults and their caregivers make choices and enjoy independence (and use of the word “neighborhood” as opposed to word like “unit”). Choices that stress community are everywhere at VMRC, and residents — even those who need nursing care — get to make them, enjoying gardens, musical events, connections with the university next door, residential care areas with a minimum of long halls, nursing areas that do not dominate, social activities with town residents on a regular basis, and even a rehab and wellness center shared by residents and members of the Harrisonburg community. Read about VMRC resident-centered initiatives. READ MORE
A Story of Households in
Springhouse Assisted Living Alzheimer’s Community
(Source: Kevin McElroy via Pioneer Network)
At
Patriots Colony in
Will Improve the Quality of
Home and Community-Based Care
(Source: PHI)
Individuals from 83 organizations have participated in the workshops
P. Afeefa Murray, Patricia Hillebrand, Maureen Sheahan and Maria Elena Del Valle—from PHI’s training and organizational development team—conducted “train-the-trainer” educator workshops, which explored adult learner-centered approaches to leading frontline staff through a competency-based entry-level curriculum for personal care workers developed by PHI for Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor & Industry.
Since
April 2008, this PHI team trained 142 individuals from 83 organizations, as
part of 11 educator workshops. Training the trainers builds capacity within
participating organizations to implement and sustain the training themselves.
Relationship-Centered
Caring in the Context of Adult Learner Centered Approaches
In teaching a relationship-centered approach to care, we recognize that by improving communication and problem-solving skills of caregivers, we can build healthier relationships among staff, and between staff and the individuals they assist. These skills build within the participants the competencies necessary to shift away from a task orientation (giving care to people) to a relationship centered orientation (engaging with people to offer care and support).
Using learning circles, small group exercises, role plays, and other interactive activities, the PHI trainers demonstrated methods to connect to a wide variety of learning styles. The trainers that attended the workshops stated they really appreciated the variety of adult learner centered methods they were exposed to.
As an owner from one home care agency recently told us, “Everyone I have talked to within my agency and others have walked away with many new skills and much needed education. This training has been a blessing to many and will be a blessing to many clients. It was extremely informative and [the impact] will last a long time.”
[Download the free, entry-level curriculum] LINK TO ARTICLE
Aging in Place Partnerships: A Training Program for Family Caregivers of Residents Living in Affordable Senior Housing READ ARTICLE
Be Aware of Your Words When a
Loved One's Death Is Near
(Source: by Carol Bradley
Bursack, Editor-in-Chief, www.eldercarelink.com)
It was when my mother died that the truth of studies on hearing, as it affects those in a coma, really came home to me. My mother had been in pain for years. Once she was declared terminal and the care the nursing home staff provided couldn't cover her needs, we called in hospice. Our local hospice worked seamlessly with the nursing home staff to care for Mom. MORE
Hospice Care As Seen by a
Grateful Daughter
(Source: by Carol Bradley
Bursack, Editor-in-Chief, www.eldercarelink.com)
My dad's body language told those of us who knew him well that he was in pain. As he reclined in his bed, he'd raise himself on an elbow and pound his fist into his opposing hand, grimacing as he did so. Over and over he'd slam fist into palm. He was trying to beat away the pain. Still, we saw the pain even though he couldn't articulate it. I talked with the nurses and they all agreed with me that hospice was the next move. He was dying in a manner that was unacceptable.
The head nurse pushed the doctor in charge to approve hospice care, but he refused. Because Dad was in a nursing home and on medications, he slept quite a bit. Some days he slept too much. It was fitful sleep, but the records kept by the nursing home said he slept. After checking the records, he said if Dad slept that much he couldn't be in pain. This doctor swept through the nursing home once a month (a nurse practitioner was there once a week). He read the records. That was that.
The
nurse, however, was not one to back down and one day, while I was working at my
job as a news librarian, I got the call. The doctor finally authorized hospice
care. I was thrilled in that I knew our local hospice, Hospice of the
Elder-Friendly ER Opening in Port Huron , MI
(Source: by ChangingAging.org)
I was in St. Joseph
I took the opportunity to grab a quick hello from Karen Harris — stay tuned for more information when the ER opens in October! Senior Emergency Center
RN jobs to rise by 25% in
nursing facilities over next decade, government report finds
(Source: McKnights)
Registered nursing employment is expected to grow by 25% in nursing care facilities from 2008 to 2018. That is according to the 2010-2011 edition the of Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. Employment is expected to increase by 48% in physician offices and 33% in home health during the same time period. Growth will be at a slower rate in hospitals (17%). Overall RN employment is expected to rise by 22% from 2008 to 2018. That is “much faster than the average for all occupations,” the 2010-11 edition of Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook reported. LINK
For some East Bay retirees, Mexico
(Source: By Kathleen
Kirkwood, Correspondent, www.insidebayarea.com)
Brad Billingsley could have been waiting for his tee time at an
Brad,
62, and Linda Billingsley, 61, are among the "silver surge" of baby
boomers seeking alternative retirement nests in
It's
not certain how many
(Source: www.timescrest.com)
Way back in 2007, scientists from
Two years later, the definitive World Alzheimer's report, compiled by the
world's top dementia scientists, admitted that the problem was much worse.
Their conclusion was that 35 million people worldwide would be suffering from
dementia (90 per cent of which were Alzheimer's cases) in 2010 and that the
number is set to almost double every 20 years to 65. 7 million in 2030 and 115.
4 million in 2050. Several countries woke up and started to put in place
services for the old, like homes to support dementia patients, screening
programmes and treatment protocols.
Today, an estimated 37 lakh people in
According to Dr Daisy Acosta, chairman of Alzheimer's Disease International
(ADI), the costs of caring for Alzheimer's sufferers is likely to rise even
faster than the disease's prevalence - especially in the developing world.
"This is a wake-up call that Alzheimer's is the single most significant
health and social crisis of the 21st century, " said Dr Acosta.
"World governments are woefully unprepared for the social and economic
disruptions this disease will cause, " she added. READ MORE
(Source: Silver Innings)
It’s rightly said ‘Young people are
god's creation; Old people are work of experience’. George Bernard Shaw said “Youth is a
wonderful thing,”
We believe 'The youth caters for revolutions, The elderly for evolution’.
At Silver Inning Foundation we strongly
believe that ‘Youth and Elderly should work together for a Strong Tomorrow’
that’s the reason we have started this community/forum Youth for Senior
Citizens (YS) , that aims in Bridging the gap between youth & elderly. MORE
Seniors for Seniors Pet
Programs Gaining in Popularity
www.allassistedlivinghomes.com
There have been a number of studies that highlight the benefits of seniors interacting with and owning pets, and one of the great initiatives that various cities are implementing is a seniors for seniors pet program. While the ages vary, seniors for seniors pet programs typically look to match senior citizens (starting at age 59-62), with senior pets (starting at age 5-7). Seniors are able to easily get connected with an older pet because the city typically gives discounts on all senior pet adoption fees, which helps speed up the process so that seniors can take the pet home to enrich there lives. When a senior cares for a pet, they become more active in their daily life, as they have a greater sense of purpose and responsibility that keeps them motivated. Each day they look forward to bonding with their pet, taking care of them, as well as taking better care of themselves.
Seniors who own pets often have lower blood pressure than those who do not own pets, and are also less depressed in general. Additionally a study of Medicare patients showed that seniors who own dogs have fewer trips to the doctor than those who do not own a dog. Another great benefit of seniors owning a pet is that they have an added sense of comfort and security, because they have a trusted friend by their side. Overall pet ownership is a great thing for seniors, and hopefully more cities will implement seniors for seniors pet programs, so that older pets and senior citizens can both benefit from each other. LINK
(Source: by brittnichols, Linked In)
On
Tuesday afternoons in
The Farmer’s Market is a weekly affair for the resident gardeners of Rose Villa. However, in this community, the garden was not conceived by the Rose Villa administration as something to keep the residents occupied; quite the contrary. David Mayer, Public Relations Manager, explains, “The community garden is, and has always been, a resident-directed feature.” Shortly after its opening some 50 years ago, the residents approached Rose Villa staff with an idea. Just across the road from the main property where all the apartments were located sat two acres of vacant land, also owned by Rose Villa, which they wanted to develop into their own garden for growing fresh fruits and vegetables.
At that time, the administration told the residents that they were welcome to use the property for gardening. However, the Rose Villa Staff would be unable to offer any ‘official’ support for the project. The residents were enthusiastic and went right to work. Today it is evident that the resident-operated community garden has grown, and thrived, with very little assistance or intervention from the staff. All plot organization, maintenance, and management is overseen by a resident garden committee. Adds Mayer, “Our job as staff is to just help when they ask for it, and then stay out of their way!”
Whatever the growers don’t eat themselves, they are able to sell to other residents at the weekly resident farmer’s market. Or, they can donate their bounty to the main dining room. The residents take pride in their work and enjoy sharing it with others in the community. “It is pretty amazing to see the garden each summer,” admits Mayer. LINK
From the nursing home to the
big screen: 'Death cat' to be immortalized in new film
(Source: McKnights)
Already
a celebrity in nursing home circles, Oscar, the cat famous for predicting the
deaths of terminal residents, will be getting the big-screen star treatment in
a new
Neither an expected release date nor names of cast members were announced The film will be put out by the Wind Dancer Films and Anonymous Content companies, Variety reports. A similar plot wherein a cat could predict the deaths of patients was used in a recent episode of the Fox TV series “House, M.D.” LINK
Oh for the LOVE of ANIMALS!!!
They
Can and Do Make a Difference!!!
MAKE THAT CHANGE!!!
(Source: Seth Godin’s Blog)
Let's assert that marketing works. The money and time and effort we put into marketing goods and services actually works. It gets people to change their minds. It cajoles some people into buying and using and voting for things that they otherwise wouldn't have chosen. (If it doesn't work, save your money).
If it works, then, are you responsible for what happens after that? If you market cigarettes aggressively, are you responsible for people dying of lung cancer?
I think there are two ways to go here:
1. You're not responsible. The marketer is like a lawyer representing the obviously guilty client. Everyone is entitled to a lawyer, and it's up to the jury to decide. The lawyer's job is to do the best she can, not to decide on the outcome. Market the best you can and let buyers take responsibility.
2. You are responsible. Your insight and effort cause people to change, and without you, that change would never happen.
I'm not sure there's a middle ground. Either we should applaud the folks lobbying on behalf of causes we despise, the pornographers selling products that degrade our society and the politicians spinning and lying to get elected (because all these people are doing is giving us a choice for which we're responsible) or we should take responsibility for stuff we sell.
My take: if you're not proud of it, don't sell it.
Have
you "burned your boats"?
(Source: Kent Clothier)
In other words, have you totally committed to being successful? In
case you don't know what I am referring to, here is a rough outline of
the story.....
Hernando Cortez discovered
You see, when you are fully committed and do not allow yourself to even
entertain the thoughts of failure - your success comes faster and is even more
abundant than you could have ever imagined.
There is a big difference between the wildly successful people in life
versus the drones that are just going through the motions. Most wildly successful people are fully
committed to wrenching everything out of their experiences and towards
achieving their goals.
While the others, well, let's just say their goals are usually limited to
"I hope I win the lottery tonight."
I am a living testimonial to what I am saying.
I have been very fortunate and have achieved more than most in business,
but I have also suffered more than most in business. I am very familiar
with both sides of the tracks and I can tell you beyond any shadow of a doubt -
that the majority of you have what it takes to create an unbelievable life for
yourself RIGHT NOW - BUT YOU HAVE TO COMMIT TO MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
No half measures - BURN THE BOATS - FULL COMMITMENT! Do not allow yourself to look back. Get whatever tools that you need, surround
yourself with inspiring people, and put in the time and effort needed to wrench
everything out of your limited time here.
Food for thought, I turned 40 this year. I am hopeful that I have at
least another 40 years to go. If I do, that's about 14,600 days that I
have left to hang around here. Why would
I waste one of them? This is my shot - I'm committed - I want to create
the ultimate life for me and my family.
MY boats are burned baby - no looking back!
Let's do it together!
Good Luck
Kent Clothier
President and CEO. 1-800-SELL-NOW, FIndCashBuyersNow.com,
FIndPrivateLendersNow.com
Turning the tables on
critical trolls
(Source: Seth Godin’s Blog)
How to deal with the colleague/board member/voter who is quick to criticize whatever you're proposing?
It can't work/it's been done before/it's never been done before/you can't do it/we don't have the time/money/skills...
So easy to be right when everyone else is wrong, so easy to be confident when someone else is putting themselves on the line.
I start with this: do we agree that there's a problem? An opportunity?
Do we agree that we need to take action, that something needs to be done, that there's an opportunity here?
If we don't agree on that, then don't waste time listening to my solution. Before we do that, let's spend more time deciding if there's a problem or opportunity here.
Once we agree on that, then the response seems simple: "What do you think we should do?"
"Be specific."
"Thanks."
Senior management
(Source: Seth Godin’s Blog)
A newly-retired executive takes a job as an adjunct professor and really shakes things up. Both the school and the students are blown away by her fresh thinking and new approaches. A forty-year old internet executive who has been running his company for decades misses one new trend after another, because he's still living in 1998.
One thing that happens to management when they get senior is that they get stuck. (As we saw with the new professor, senior isn't about old, it's about how long you've been there). MORE