MATURE MARKET HEADLINES POSTED 9/18/98
Help With Homework Helps Home Work Well
One of the best ways to help grandparents is to give them what they want. And what elders want is to continue living in their home surrounded by familiar keepsakes and fond memories. Adult children can make that happen, but they have to "do their homework", assess the home environment of the elder to make sure it promotes health, wellness, and safety. This will make the elder empowered with a better feeling of comfort, security, and self-sufficiency.
You don't have to be an expert to know the kind of home work that needs to get done. A lot of home adaptation is common sense. As people age, they often find that tasks they've performed easily for years are now a difficult and frustrating experience because of failing eyesight, diminished flexibility, and difficulty with walking. Health statistics show that as many as 86% of the elderly have more than one chronic ailment. These natural occurences of the aging process can make an older person more susceptible to accident or injury. However, it doesn't mean the elder must relocate to a skilled nursing facility. In fact, less than 5% of the elderly reside in nursing homes.
So, what's required is a bit of home safety. "The most frequent accidents in the home involving the elderly can be easily avoided with some simple precautions," says Patricia Lynett, spokesman for Kelly Assisted Living. "A home safety check and changes in the living environment can better ensure the safety of elderly parents." Kelly Assisted Living offers the following suggestions to help adult children make their elderly parents' homes safer and more comfortable.
- CHECK MEDICATIONS
1. make a list of all medications, dosages and when they are to be taken.
2. dispose of outdated medications.
- KEEP PHONES AND EMERGENCY NUMBERS HANDY
1. write important numbers in large print and place by the phone.
2. ensure phone access with additional lines or use a portable.
3. arrange for a message service to ensure your calls are received.
- AVOID FALLS
1. remove electrical cords, throw-rugs, and carpet runners from pathways.
2. keep stairways well lit, and install light switches at top and bottom of stairs.
3. install handrails on all stairways.
4. place a nightlight in the bedroom, bathroom, and access pathways.
- IN THE KITCHEN
1. check all appliances for frayed cords or faulty plugs.
2. check for overloaded electrical outlets.
3. replace applicance controls with large-print, easy-to-read controls.
4. replace heavy cookware with lightweight pots and pans.
5. arrange cupboard contents so frequently used items are near the front.
- IN THE BATHROOM
1. install grab bars and non-slip bathmats in tubs and showers.
2. set hot water temperature not to exceed 120 degrees to prevent scalding.
3. install a ground fault circuit interrupter in outlets to protect against shocks.
If you think you might have missed something, contact a home health agency to conduct a home safety assessment.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Feds Fix Fraud Fretting Home Health Future"
"A Home You Can Live With"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Alzheimer's Research Is Everybody's Business
Alzheimer's is fast becoming a shark circling the corporate ship of state, eroding profitability by draining the productivity of nearly one-in-ten adult workers who must juggle career, family, and eldercare responsibilities. Responsibilities that cause workers to miss work, or be distracted while at work, or show up tired from last night's caregiving duties. It's no wonder that public-private partnerships are being created to battle Alzheimer's.
The latest example of such a partnership is illustrated by the recent $200,000 research award given by Allied Signal Corporation to a California Scientist in order to find clues leading to late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. The $200,000 award, administered by the not-for-profit Alliance for Aging Research, will be presented to Dr. Edward Koo and his research team at the University of California, San Diego. This corporate gift is part of AlliedSignal’s continuing program of stimulating basic research in human aging. "I’m very proud that Dr. Koo of my state has won this important award," said California Senator Dianne Feinstein.
"The sooner we discover the causes of chronic age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, the sooner we can reduce human suffering and related high health care costs." Dr. Koo’s AlliedSignal-funded investigation will focus on a protein in the brain known as LRP, or low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein. His research will try to determine if LRP is suspected in the half of all cases of Alzheimer’s Disease that can’t be attributed to known genetic causes. LRP may be a risk factor for the type of AD that most often affects people over age 65. "Finding additional risk factors for these unexplained cases may lead to a better understanding of the underlying cellular mechanisms leading to Alzheimer’s," said Dr. Koo.
"The results of this research could potentially open an entirely new drug target on which pharmaceutical companies can focus their research." Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease, affects millions of Americans and costs this nation billions in healthcare costs annually. Current estimates are that unless scientists find a way to prevent, cure, or treat the disease, incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease will rise to 14 million cases in the United States.
The annual AlliedSignal award is the largest private grant in aging research made by a private sector company outside the health care industry. Since 1984, AlliedSignal’s Program on Aging has donated over $9 million to the field of aging and aging research. AlliedSignal is an advanced technology and manufacturing company with businesses in aerospace, automotive products and engineered materials. "AlliedSignal has a history of selecting the best and the brightest scientists who are on the cutting edge of aging research," said Daniel Perry, executive director of the Alliance for Aging Research.
"The result, we are convinced, will be a healthier, longer life for all human beings." The Award for Research on Aging is open to all U.S. senior-level scientists from non-profit institutions conducting research. Contact the Alliance for Aging Research at (202) 293-2856 for information on how to apply. The Alliance for Aging Research, based in Washington, DC, is an advocacy group which promotes more funding for medical research for diseases and conditions that affect older Americans.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Aging Workforce Spawns New Benefit"
"PCA's Public-Private Partnership in Eldercare"
"Urine Test Detects Alzheimer's Disease"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Insurer Targets Needs Of Mature Women
The Woman's Life Insurance Society (WLIS), a not-for-profit fraternal benefit insurance compnay, is going national with a fresh initiative designed to address untapped trends in the mature women's market. The new initiative, called "Intuitions", rejects the traditional insurance sales approach based solely on a prospect's age and income. Instead, it recognizes the unique events in women's lives that cause a change in values and serve as a stimulus for them to seek additional financial protection, such as insurance. In applying this new marketing approach, WLIS places the prospective client in one of four life stage categories based on circumstances and life events that shape her values, rather than based on her age or income. The four life stage categories identified by WLIS are:
- "Promises" to meet the needs of young women;
- "Expectations" to meet the needs of women with young families;
- "Priorities" to meet the needs of single mothers;
- "Insights" to meet the needs of mature women.
Like most insurers, WLIS offers products to cover financial needs. However, WLIS also offers fraternal benefits and education programs at no additional charge to meet more than the family's financial needs. For example, the new initiative offers self-help kits on topics such as breast cancer awareness, weight-control, keeping fit through walking, and smoking cessation. Scholarship programs and volunteer opportunities are also available.
The needs of women are of particular concern to WLIS because women face basic realities which are very different than those of men. Here are some examples of late-life situations that create special needs for women.
- Women live longer than men by an average of 5-7 years. On average, they will spend the last one-third of their lives not married, but single, either through widowhood or divorce.
- 75% of the elderly poor are women.
- Many women face age-related challenges alone (chronic disabilities, absence of caregiver). As a result, 80% of all residents in nursing homes are women.
- 80% of retired women are not eligible for pension benefits.
- 50% of working women do not have a current pension program.
- Women still earn less doing comparable jobs in the workplace.
- Many older women are left penniless and can't support themselves in retirement.
- Women often enter the workforce later in life than men and have shorter work histories because of family responsibilities.
The Woman's Life Insurance Society Home Office is located in Port Huron, Michigan. By the end of 1997, the Society counted 70,000 members, collected $18 million in revenues, donated $344,408 to charities, and provided $1.3 million in voluntary service through local chapters throughout the United States and Canada. Janice Whipple, national president of WLIS, says the society understands the special needs of women "like no other insurance company can or ever will". WLIS seems to have secured its future based on its vision and an ever-growing market of mature women.
That's a winning combination. Like someone once said, "Its the stuff that dreams are made of". Reminds me of the inspirational story of another woman from earlier times, Ethel Percy Andrus, a retired school teacher who saw a need and filled it, all the while laying the groundwork for an organization that would become the American Association of Retired Persons. For additional information about WLIS generally, or to locate a WLIS chapter near you, call: 1-800-521-9292.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Older Women's Market Is Sleeping Giant"
"Women Continue Caregiver Tradition"
"Job Discrimination More Costly to Women"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Home Builders Nail Down Boomer Market
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is aiming a spotlight on the active adult housing market with the launch of an all-new trade show and education event called the "Senior Housing Conference & Marketplace". NAHB announced that this first time event, devoted to representing all aspects of the seniors housing industry from financing to developing to managing to marketing will run simultaneously with the 1999 Remodelers' Show November 5-7 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
NAHB's commitment to the active-adult housing sector is in response to projections that the 55-64 age group will increase by 7.5 million between now and the year 2010. "Every eight seconds, another U.S. citizen turns 50, and by the turn of the century, nine percent of the U.S population will be 55-64 years old," explains Tony Rodriquez, chairman of NAHB's National Council on Senior Housing. NAHB projects that the Baby Boomer active-adult housing market will grow at a rate of 700,000 new members per year, beginning in year 2002. "
Just think, by the year 2010, there will be 20.5 million U.S. households in the 55-64 age bracket. It's important to identify products and services geared to those buyers now in order to ensure the best business plans for tomorrow," notes Rodriquez. Mindful of the expected surge in active-adult buyers, NAHB is getting set to provide educational and technical resources for production of the Seniors Housing Conference & Marketplace.
"Highlighting issues pertaining to the entire seniors spectrum includes everything from designs and products to services and research. It's all about making the most of emerging opportunities and providing the best housing options for Americans as they age." The HAHB conference is billed as a "major gathering of professionals from every niche of the seniors housing market that will serve as a comprehensive information source for those interested in reaching the active adult buyer." Additional information about the conference is available at: 1-800-368-5242, extension 220.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"ODS Goes Grey and Global with Active Aging"
"Tax Law Windfall for Boomer Homeowners"
"Boomers Boost Second-Home Market"
"Redefining Retirement ... Sun City Style"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Assisted Living Agency Expands Into Europe
Kelly Services, Inc., a global provider of staffing services, has announced its European operations. In Germany, Kelly has signed an agreement to acquire Workshop Zeitarbeit GmbH and its related companies. The Workshop group specializes in temporary and permanent placement of office and clerical employees, and in providing training primarily focused on computer skills. The group has offices in Hamburg and Munich. Dirk Bosma, founder and managing director of the Workshop group, has been appointed general manager of Kelly's German operations. Brigitte von dem Hagen, also one of Workshop Zeitarbeit's founders and managing directors, will remain with Kelly as deputy general manager in Germany. "I am very excited to be working with Kelly Services," said Bosma.
"We have plans to expand throughout Germany. With Kelly's resources and expertise, I see tremendous opportunities for growth." In Belgium, Kelly has opened offices in Brussels and Antwerp, and plans to offer temporary and permanent placement services throughout the country. Terence E. Adderley, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Kelly Services, said, "In recent years we have been expanding steadily in Europe. We expect to open many more offices in Germany in the next three to five years and to add additional service lines.
Our expansions into Germany and Belgium represent another step in providing our services to large customers with international operations, as well as meeting the needs of the local market." With the addition of Germany and Belgium, Kelly now owns and operates offices in 12 European countries and all the major employment centers in Europe. Around the world, more than 1,600 Kelly offices provide employees with a wide range of skills, ranging from office and information technology, to legal, engineering and scientific. Kelly offers human resource solutions that include temporary services, staff leasing, outsourcing, vendor on-site and full-time placement.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Older Women's Market Is Sleeping Giant"
"Home Is Site For Sears Eyes"
"Ameritech Lauded for Eldercare Achievement"
"A Home You Can Live With"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Super Woman Is Alive and Well
Women who juggle the roles of wife, parent, and employee generally suffer no ill effects on their health compared with other women, according to the results of a 10-year study. "Employment and marriage (both) have generally beneficial effects on women's health, probably because both employment and marriage can provide benefits such as increased income and social support," Ingrid Waldron, PhD, and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania report in the September Journal of Health and Social Behavior. The researchers observed no "particularly harmful effects for employed women with many children or for mothers who were employed full-time."
The investigators analyzed information on marital status, employment, parenthood, and health symptoms for 3,331 young women who were interviewed in 1978, 1983, and 1988. They obtained the data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience and used a variety of statistical techniques to assess the influence of various factors on the women's health. Both marriage and employment were associated with better health trends, Waldron and her colleagues found. Employment had more beneficial effects for women who were not married, and marriage had more beneficial effects for women who were not employed.
"It appears," Waldron said, "that employment and marriage can substitute for each other in providing benefits, such as increased income or social support, which contribute to better health." Parenthood had different effects on women's health, depending on their individual characteristics. Women who gave birth as teenagers, for example, had greater health difficulties over the course of the study. "Young age at birth may contribute to long-term socioeconomic disadvantages and persistent problems for the children in these families, resulting in harmful health effects for the mothers," Waldron and colleagues write.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Women Continue Caregiver Tradition"
"Husband Says Home Chores Lead to Sex"
"Boomer Couples Cling to Role Stereotypes"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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NIA - NASA Start Count-Down To Wellness
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), with astronaut and Senator John Glenn and other federal agency partners, today launched a national education campaign for keeping fit after 50. The project is tied to release of an important new book, Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging, that shows older Americans how to step up their physical activity to improve health and well-being with age. Joining the NIA in distributing the guide and increasing public awareness about exercise and healthy aging are the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Public Health Service's Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the Department of Health and Human Services, along with Senator Glenn.
"Every American can benefit from increased physical activity, and even moderate exercise can help older Americans lead longer, healthier lives. It's good for them, and for public health in our nation," according to Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala. NIA is relying on a growing body of research demonstrating the benefits of exercise and its role in maintaining and even restoring strength and stamina with age. At the same time, Secretary Shalala said, studies have shown that inactivity can be dangerous; lack of exercise and poor diet together were found to be the second largest underlying cause of death in the U.S. in 1990, after smoking.
The initiative comes at a critical time, as the 78-million-strong baby boom enters its 50s, said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. The rapid aging of the population makes it increasingly important that older Americans take advantage of ways to stave off frailty and diseases associated with aging. "Regular exercise could make the difference between an individual -- or a society -- that ages well and one that doesn't," he noted. "This guide gives people the tools they need to start an exercise habit and stick with it."
Senator Glenn, who has had a longtime interest in aging research, also stressed the importance of a meaningful commitment to exercise and fitness. In fact, the Senator said, his participation in the upcoming Shuttle Mission STS-95 at age 77 would not have been possible without attention to exercise and diet. "You're never too old to get in shape," the Senator said. NASA's Life Sciences Division and the NIA are working on joint research about healthy aging, and NASA is a key partner in promoting exercise and the new guide.
"The importance of exercise in maintaining good health is demonstrated by the effects of inactivity in two seemingly very different situations -- spaceflight and aging," said Arnauld Nicogossian, M.D., NASA Associate Administrator for Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications. In the weightlessness of space, astronauts no longer have to work against the gravity of Earth. This decreased effort can have adverse effects similar to those associated with aging, such as weakening of bones and muscles, cardiovascular deconditioning, balance disorders, disturbed sleep, and depressed immune response.
The NIA spent two years preparing the 100-page guide, reviewing the medical literature on exercise and aging, selecting a set of recommended exercises, and writing the booklet. The guide focuses on four key areas for improving health and ability:
- Endurance exercises increase breathing and heart rate.
- Strength exercises build muscles.
- Balance exercises, which involve building up leg muscles, help prevent falls.
- Flexibility exercises keep the body limber by stretching the muscles and tissues.
The book will be available in both electronic and printed form. On the Internet, it will initially appear at , a NASA website. Mature adults are urged to contact the NIA toll free for the exercise guide, at 1-800-222-2225, or 1-800-222-4225 (TTY). The book can also be ordered by e-mail at "niainfo@access.digex.net". The NIA, part of the National Institutes of Health at DHHS, leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging and the special medical, social, and behavioral issues of older people. A substantial part of NIA's research involves ways to prevent frailty and reduce disability with age.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Gerontologists Seek Longevity Prescription"
"Biologist Says No Firm Limit on Aging"
"What's Your Fitness Personality?"
"Science Helps Boomers Battle Premature Aging"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Cardiac Disease Still A Heart-Breaker
There is a worrying increase in the number of women smokers in the 35-64 age group in many countries which potentially can translate into higher heart attack rates among women, say WHO (World Health Organization) experts at a recent meeting in Vienna, Austria. This finding is part of preliminary analysis of the final ten-year results of the largest collaborative study of heart disease ever undertaken. The results are drawn from examining 150 thousand heart attacks and 180 thousand risk factor records.
The study reveals that heart disease rates are declining in general, with some Eastern European countries and China bucking the trend. At the present time, there is a much better chance of surviving a heart attack than in the past, due to a range of effective treatments. Also, it appears that, proportionally, men are faring better. Heart disease rates for women are receding more slowly and the increasing numbers of daily smokers in many countries do not augur well for the future. Looking into other well-established risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels and obesity, the scientists found that in most populations blood pressure is coming down.
The reductions in the smoking patterns are not uniform. There are differences by sex and age group in a number of countries. Cholesterol levels are still too high practically in all populations. Having analyzed the available data for the last decade, the researchers concluded that cholesterol levels remain today as high as they were ten years ago. The only noticeable exception is China where the cholesterol levels are either low or within the prescribed norm.
Obesity was confirmed in the report as a major risk factor. In most populations investigators found significant increases in the number of overweight men and women. "Since 1982, the WHO MONICA Project has been on the cutting edge of cardiovascular disease monitoring and population survey technology", explains Dr Ingrid Martin, in charge of the cardiovascular diseases programme at the WHO headquarters in Geneva. "Over the years, the project generated an enormous amount of high quality data which helps us to understand better the relationship between trends in cardiovascular disease and major risk factors."
The global death toll directly attributed to cardiovascular disease is 15 million a year. Heart disease alone is responsible for seven million deaths in the world each year. Individual reports on the incidence of heart disease and on all major risk factor will be published early next year.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Cigar Trend Has Oral Health Pros Fuming"
"Hospital Stay Longer for Female Heart Patients"
"Diet & Lifestyle May Lower Blood Pressure"
"Women's Health Initiative"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Dr. David Demko, Editor
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