Insights and Ideas – More Info

VARIOUS INSIGHTS & IDEAS TOPICS

Articles

older woman living comfortably aloneSingle? No Kids? Don’t Fret: How to Plan Care in Your Later Years Sarah Peveler lacks a support system that many older people count on: their adult children. But Ms. Peveler, 71, who is divorced and childless, said she was determined not to let fear of an uncertain future get the best of her. To help avoid the potential perils of a solitary old age, Ms. Peveler is carrying out a multipronged, go-it-alone plan.– New York Times

various drafting toolsWhat Will Senior Housing Look Like in 2028? Significant changes are coming as we move out of the World War II generation to the baby boomer generation. – Next Avenue

Joan and Erik EriksonThe Science of Older and Wiser Since ancient times, the elusive concept of wisdom has figured prominently in philosophical and religious texts. The question remains compelling: What is wisdom, and how does it play out in individual lives? Most psychologists agree that if you define wisdom as maintaining positive well-being and kindness in the face of challenges, it is one of the most important qualities one can possess to age successfully — and to face physical decline and death. – The New York Times

Buck institute buildingBuck Institute partners with Google’s Calico in a quest for longevity The Buck Institute for Research on Aging has entered a new partnership with Google’s Calico subsidiary, a deal that will set up science operations for the longevity and age-related disease venture at the institute’s Novato campus. Under the agreement, Calico Life Sciences will have the opportunity to identify, fund and support innovative research, from basic biology to potential therapies for age-related diseases. Calico has the option to obtain exclusive rights to discoveries made under research it sponsors.  – North Bay Business Journal

crossword puzzleHow to Make Your Brain Healthier What can we do to ward off Alzheimer’s and keep our learning, thinking and memory skills sharp? Unfortunately there is no known way to prevent Alzheimer’s, however, there are some things we can do to keep our brains as healthy as possible to delay or lessen normal cognitive decline that comes with age. Next Avenue

Edward O. Wilson, naturalist and author, 85, at Walden PondOld Masters at the Top of Their Game The portraits here are of men and women in their 80s and 90s, rich in the rewards of substantial and celebrated careers, and although I know none of them except by name and reputation, I’m asked why their love’s labor is not lost but still to be found. Why do they persist, the old masters? To what end the unceasing effort to discover or create something new? Why not rest on the laurels and the oars? The short answer is Dr. Samuel Johnson’s, in a letter to James Boswell in 1777: “Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” – The New York Times

senior woman stares out windowWho Will Take Care of Childless Boomers? One study predicts that about a quarter of boomers may become “elder orphans.” That’s a newly coined term for people who reach old age with no family or friends left, like the 81-year-old North Carolina man who made the news in May when he called 911 for food because he had no one else to turn to. – Forbes.com

illustration of man with objects all making soundsHearing Loss Costs Far More Than Ability to Hear Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting adults and the most common among older adults. An estimated 30 million to 48 million Americans have hearing loss that significantly diminishes the quality of their lives — academically, professionally and medically as well as socially. – The New York Times

elderly man in wheelchair in nursing homeWhat Home Means to New York’s Oldest Old In the time I’ve spent with the oldest of the old, conversations have returned frequently to questions of home: what it means to live independently or in a residence for old people; how to balance safety and essential care with privacy and autonomy. – The New York Times

senior female businesswomanAgeism in Modern America I believe that we lose out as a culture and a people when we do not value our older women and listen to what they have to teach us. Margaret Mead told a story about the old does of the red tail deer herds in Alaska. In times of drought or severe storms, it was the old does who had the memory of out of the way watering holes or sheltering cliff where they could find refuge from the storms. The herd rallied behind and old does towards safety. – Nancy Rhine, MS, LMFT, CPG

senior couple driving in big carAmerica’s Seniors Find Middle-Class ‘Sweet Spot’ People on the leading edge of the baby boom and those born during World War II — the 25 million Americans now between the ages of 65 and 74 — have emerged as particularly well positioned in the nation’s economic timeline. While there are plenty of individual exceptions, as a group they are better off financially than past generations and may well enjoy a more successful old age than future ones, even those merely a decade younger. – The New York Times

Lynsey Moore, in her 80s, and Stedman Joseph, 99, take the air at the Morningside Heights Housing CorporationElderly New Yorkers, Here for the Duration It used to be that New Yorkers of a certain age reflexively said goodbye to all this — the traffic, the tumult, the long lines and the incomparable bagels — and headed south or west for their sunset years. No longer. Around town these days there are many more than 50 shades of gray. According to the city’s Department for the Aging, the 60-plus population increased 12.4 percent between 2000 and 2010. By 2030 it is projected to grow by 35.3 percent to 1.84 million. – The New York Times

The Childless Plan for Their Fading DaysThe Childless Plan for Their Fading Days According to an August 2013 report from AARP, 11.6 percent of women ages 80 to 84 were childless in 2010. By 2030, the number will reach 16 percent. What’s more, in 2010, the caregiver support ratio was more than seven potential caregivers for every person over 80 years old. By 2030, that ratio is projected to decline to four to one. By 2050, it’s expected to fall to three to one.— The New York Times

seniors relaxing outsideStudy Highlights Need for “Creative” Senior Housing Models One of these “creative” housing models includes a technology-enabled senior housing that allows older adults to participate in both active and passive health monitoring as well as socialization activities, LeadingAge writes. This calls for partnerships between housing providers and community organizations that enhance the opportunities for seniors to engage in wellness activities, such as the co-location of managed long-term care providers and subsidized senior housing to allow ill, older residents to safely age-in-place. – Senior Housing News

Films and Television

Tippi Hdren Whiskey & Apple Pie (Documentary Film) Enjoy the wit & wisdom of over 30 men and women across America. Find out what they have to say about the secret of happiness. Get inspired with their messages to younger generations. Laugh out loud and enjoy the ride! Whiskey & Apple Pie is a recipe for living a better life and a delicious journey for all generations to enjoy!

senior and caregiverLiving Old | FRONTLINE PBS With 35 million elderly people in America, “the old, old” — those over 85 — are now considered the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. While medical advances have enabled an unprecedented number of Americans to live longer and healthier lives, this new longevity has also had unintended consequences. For millions of Americans, living longer also means serious chronic illness and a protracted physical decline that can require an immense amount of care, often for years and sometimes even decades. Yet just as the need for care is rising, the number of available caregivers is dwindling. With families more dispersed than ever and an overburdened healthcare system, many experts fear that we are on the threshold of a major crisis in care

Legacy Film Festival logo Legacy Film Festival on Aging The Legacy Film Festival on Aging celebrates the aging process as profound and meaningful, often challenging, and always courageous. Will we ‘age gracefully’, or crankily, or painfully? Or defiantly? Our filmmakers portray some of the many facets of this unique, ever-changing experience honestly and artfully and always with compassion and love for their subjects.