MATURE MARKET HEADLINES POSTED 02/27/98
Her Teeth Are Like Stars, They Come Out at Night
105 million Americans have missing teeth, says the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness (IDIA), a Los Angeles-based, non-profit organization. Loss of teeth can lead to many serious physical and emotional problems such as on-going pain, instability in the mouth, loss of self-esteem, a collapsed facial appearance, and malnutrition due to inability to eat.
Patients suffering from all of these symptoms are good candidates for dental implants. Dental implants are substitute tooth roots which are placed in the jaw to provide a stable foundation for a replacement tooth, a bridge or a full set of dentures. Dental bridges or dentures have traditionally been the primary options for tooth replacement. But, says the IDIA, these choices are not without problems.
When a tooth is lost, the bone which previously supported the teeth starts to deteriorate. Wearing dentures which press on the gums, further accelerates bone deterioration that eventually leads to facial structure collapse. Bridges, while not accelerating bone loss, destroy the structure of adjacent teeth by grinding them down to pegs in order to make the bridge fit.
This dilemma has left many tooth-challenged senior citizens wondering about their options. In response to these concerns, the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness is implementing a nationwide effort to identify and help impoverished senior citizens get dental implants at no cost. Qualified applicants must be at least 65 years old, on a limited, fixed income, and suffer from ongoing problems associated with wearing dentures.
This charitable effort has been initiated in ten U.S. cities. In each location, selected patients receive state-of-the-art dental implant treatment by local oral surgeons and dentists experienced in dental implant practices. Any one who qualifies, and would like to apply for the free dental implant program may call the IDIA at: 1-800-936-4342 to learn more about the screening process.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Clothier Sees Big Profits In Going Baroque
Remember that Art Appreciation class you had to take in college? That's how many boomers were introduced to the Baroque Period. An era when being big was, well, a big thing. Well, big is back.
Women turning age 50 today are an average of eight pounds heavier than their mothers were at age 50, says the National Institute of Health. In fact, the majority of today's women wear at least a size 12 (one-third wear a size 16 or larger).
Only a decade ago, the majority of women wore a size 12 or smaller. And that's why today's clothiers are making it BIG these days. Women's plus-size clothing is a $23 billion-a-year industry. But while the demand for fuller-figured clothing has been on the rise, the clothing industry has been slow to respond with clothes that fit well, are stylish and made of good quality fabrics that don't cost a fortune.
But not all clothiers are ignoring this opportunity. One case in point is Lands' End Inc, the Wisconsin-based clothing retailer. In response to an overwhelming number of requests, Lands' End has introduced new, expanded sizes for fuller-figured women in their March 1998 catalog.
This new offering includes 45 of the company's most popular, casual styles in sizes 18W-26W. Thumbing through their fashionable catalog, I was left with the impression that Lands' End is serious about helping full-figured people achieve higher levels of attractiveness.
So count on increasing numbers of America's Husky's to start coming out of the closet to take their rightful place among today's fashion set. The Lands' End penetration into this relatively untapped market is based their "clothing preference survey", taken a few years ago, that discovered what full-sizers expect from clothiers. Here's what their survey of large-size women discovered.
- Large-size consumers want quality fabrics with attention to style.
- They want color: pastels, primary colors, subtle prints, and trendy colors.
- Price is no object if clothing fits well, looks great, and make'em feel good.
- Variety of clothing choices creates loyal, brand name, repeat customers.
Hmmm. A $23 billion-a-year industry that's still growing. And just in time, too. Because today's 80 million boomers are getting to an age when they look better in clothes, especially when those clothes are mainstream fashions.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Nursing Home Growth Swept Under RUG
This is the year that assisted living facilities begin their climb to dominate the long term care industry, says John J. Zanardelli, Executive Director and CEO of United Methodist Services for the Aging. The forces that sent this trend in motion began with President Clinton's signature on the Balanced Budget Act last August.
The balancing process calls for reductions in the levels of reimbursement made to long term care providers for services rendered to Medicare residents. "The government is transferring the risk'" says Zanardelli. "We're shifting from an environment where costs were reimbursed to an environment where reimbursement is based on a fixed amount." The new reimbursement system will take effect July 1, 1998, and will be based upon the Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs) introduced back in 1993.
The new payment system is based on the government's belief that if it can measure resource consumption, then it can project payment. Over a few years, reimbursement will shift from a facility-specific rate to a nationally averaged rate. Zanardelli seems to believe that the government's belt-tightening just might result in a more efficient and effective long term care industry. "The new reimbursement system requires that facilities understand and manage their costs ... and they must have management strategies in place that demonstrate they are providing quality care."
Consumers, too, might fare better under the new system. For example, as the new market forces drive assisted living costs down while keeping quality of care up, consumers stand to get more bang for their buck. AgeVenture predicts this will be an interesting year for the long term care industry, especially for large corporate providers.
These Big Guys have the advantage of "an economy of scale" that helps them hold down costs. As a result, they will be presented with many and frequent opportunities to expand in order to fill vacuums created by smaller, less efficient providers who go belly-up under the new market pressures.
Yes sir, this is the industry and the year to be BIG. Industry watchers just might see that what worked for hamburgers, just might work for corporate long term care providers. And that is, "The bigger the provider, the better the provider, the providers are bigger at the corporate level".
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Grandparenthood Growing on a Grand Scale
The odds of becoming a grandparent are 19 to 1. And the chances are almost as good that you will have five to six grandchildren. So it looks like grandparenthood is going to be an increasingly popular role in the coming decades. But the pervasiveness of grandparenthood is just half the story.
According to Maximiliane E. Szinovacz, of Old Dominion University, what is noteworthy about grandparenting in the 90's is that several lifestyle trends have given grandparenting a new meaning.
These lifestyle factors are discussed by Szinovacz in this month's issue of The Gerontologist. Those themes, categorized here by AgeVenture editoral staff, include the following.
- More multi-generational families
Many American families now have three or more generations, raising the opportunity for increasing amounts of love and support for family members.
- Greater potential for intergenerational conflict
However, more family members means greater competition for limited family resources. Greater competition could lead to conflict.
- Higher proportion of minority grandparents
Szinovacz's research, supported by the AARP-Andrus Foundation, discovered that grandparenthood occurs earlier among Blacks. "Well over half of Black women, and one third of White women under the age of 55 are grandmothers." The earlier onset of grandparenthood among Blacks also enhances the proportion with four-generation families.
- Predominance of grandmothers
Dr. Szinovacz also points out that gender and lineage are a factor in the survival of grandparents. Maternal grandmothers are most likely to survive into their grandchildren's adult years, followed by paternal grandmothers.
- Reality orientation for grandchildren
The data demonstrate that most grandchildren will experience the death of one or more grandparent during adolescence and early adulthood. "Even by age 12," says Szinovacz, "only one third of grandchildren have four living grandparents."
- Increasing numbers of step-grandparents
The reality of divorce will touch more grandchildren. Dr. Szinovacz argues that stepgrandparenthood is becoming a widespread phenomenon among families of all races. Fifty-five percent of Black couple families and 40 percent of White and Hispanic families now have stepgrandparents.
- Mounting stress on the grandparenting role
Many new grandparents are employed and married. As a result, they may still have living parents and may have to balance care responsibilities for parents and grandchildren. For example, most middle-age grandparents are married, 15 percent have dependent children at home, 45 percent are employed full-time, and 43 percent still have living parents who may need care.
AgeVenture predicts the growing numbers of these unique grandparents will impact a variety of industries, causing unprecedented growth. Here's just a few AgeVenture predictions.
- Children's literature will incorporate a wider variety of grandparental roles and cultures.
- Entertainment media will increasing focus on how to cope with loss, i.e. death and divorce.
- Private agency eldercare will expand services to include emotional supports for caregivers.
- Toys will focus on shared-entertainment partnerships between grandparent and grandchild.
- Family albums go high-tech as intergenerational teams produce the virtual family legacy.
- Family counseling and marital enrichment services will abound, helping families cope.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Wellness Market for Arthritics is 40 Million Strong
Arthritis is one of the oldest afflictions of humans, with evidence of joint destruction in the bones of cavemen. Now, according to the February issue of Arthritis Today, the Arthritis Foundation's national consumer magazine, more and more evidence suggests that a healthy lifestyle is vital when it comes to controlling certain types of arthritis both before and after they develop.
The findings give hope and direction to millions of Americans suffering from the pain and limitations of arthritis. Researchers agree that genetics, specifically the HLA or immune response genes, and environmental factors such as infections, viruses and chemical agents, play an important role in the development of certain types of arthritis. But, lifestyle influences haven't been as clear until recently. For example, the Arthritis Foundation has isolated four controllable lifestyle factors that can help to prevent or decrease pain and deformity due to a type of arthritis.
- OBESITY
Excess weight puts unnecessary stress on joints that can lead to osteoarthritis and can raise urice levels which can cause gout.
- DIET
People with gout should avoid foods high in purines and alcoholic beverages. Early studies show that osteoarthritis may not progress as rapidly in people who consume higher levels of vitamins C and D; and preliminary investigation suggests that saturated fats may damage cartilage cells.
- CIGARETTES
Recent British studies associate cigarette smoking with the development of rheumatoid arthritis, and increased spinal mobility and stiffness in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. In the U.S., researchers report a connection between smoking and lupus and the severity of rheumatoid arthritis.
- STRESS
Scientists and physicians agree that, although there is no firm evidence that stress causes rheumatic diseases, significant physical or mental stress can worsen the course of the disease and cause flare-ups.
"Nothing definitive can be done right now about your genes or the environment, but you can take actions to control your weight and diet, stop smoking, and modify stress," says Arthritis Foundation spokesman, Doyt L. Conn, MD. Arthritis currently afflicts more than 40 million Americans.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Elderly Trained to Research Needs of Their Peers
In a unique program instituted at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, Israel, older people are being trained as researchers in the study of aging. As a result, the program has created a new and innovative social role for seniors. David Glanz, assistant director of the Bar-Ilan program, noted that in involving older persons in social research on their peers can add a unique dimension to studies of the elderly.
Training the elders, says Glanz, empowers the elders and enriches their lives. The program began when the Brookdale Program in Applied Gerontology took the first steps to institute a course on Training Seniors as Researchers in the study of Aging. Most of the participants in the program were in their mid-60's, and none of them had any previous social research experience.
How did the elder researchers fare? To date, senior researchers from the program have completed four research projects and two more are in the works. Two of the completed research papers have been published in academic journals in the United States. The first topic to be addressed for the senior researchers was elder abuse. Despite the difficulty of dealing with emotional trauma, the students produced an original and effective methodology to use in their research.
Subsequently, the elder students have completed investigations on pre-retirement training, evaluation of home-bound learning projects and a study on the impact of knowledge about old age or worry about aging. According to Glanz and fellow researcher, Shimshom Neikrug, teaching older persons to do their own social gerontological research is a worthwhile social investment because it collects data essential to understanding the problems of the aged, but also creates productive social roles for retirees. Anyone interested in further information about the program can contact Glanz via snail mail at: Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, ISRAEL 52900. Or by e-mail at: glanzd@ashur.cc.biu.ac.il
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Dr. David Demko, Editor
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