MATURE MARKET HEADLINES POSTED 12/23/98
Religion Offers Comfort & Solace to Elders
In a recent study, a University of Michigan researcher found that older adults
who live in dilapidated neighborhoods but use religious coping strategies, fare
a lot better than those who don’t. The study adds to the mounting evidence that
religion exerts a beneficial effect in late life.
Neal Krause, PhD, of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education
at the University of Michigan, used data from a nationwide longitudinal survey
of elderly people to examine the impact of chronic strain and religious coping
on health over time.
"The noxious impact of living in a dilapidated neighborhood is offset
completely for older adults who rely heavily on religious coping strategies,"
according to Dr. Krause, writing in the December 1998 issue of The Gerontologist.
The sampling frame for this study consisted of all eligible individuals contained
in the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) Medicare Beneficiary
Eligibility List. This list contains information on the name, address, sex, and race
of virtually every older adult in the United States. Dr. Krause used a three-stage
process to draw the sample for the baseline survey. Finally a total of 1,103
interviews were completed successfully in 1993. Four years later an effort was
made to interview the ones who took part in the baseline survey. Dr. Krause
successfully interviewed 605 people.
Looking at physical living environment, religious coping, and on health, Dr.
Krause found that older people living in noxious environments fared better than
those who were less religious. Dr. Krause argues that when traditional coping
resources, like social support, are less helpful for dealing with chronic strains,
then older adults who live in deteriorated neighborhoods turn to religion to fill
this void. He also argues that "people are more likely to use religion as a coping
resource when the stressors they face are more pernicious and difficult to
remedy."
However, the stress-buffering properties of religious coping were observed with
self-rated health only, and it must be remembered that self-rated health is
subjective and reflect a person’s view of his health. Actual functional disability
may be quite different. Some researchers argue that the function of religion may
not be to improve health per se, but instead to provide a more positive attitude
to deal with basic health problems they encounter.
The Gerontologist is the refereed publication of The Gerontological Society of
America, the national organization of professionals in the field of aging.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Elder, Boomer, & GenX Views on God"
"Eldercare Trend: "Nearer My God To Thee"
"Prayer Versus Elder Depression"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Agency Evaluates Needs of Aged Parents
As the American population ages, more and more people find themselves facing the agonizing decision of how to best care for their aging and increasingly dependent parents. Guilt, sorrow, frustration and even anger alternate as adult children try to cope with the unavoidable fact of their parents' increasing frailty.
The magnitude of options available for elder care makes this painful eldercare decision even more difficult. What can be done to retain a loved one's independence as long as possible? What are the signs that a parent is no longer capable of living on his own? Kelly Assisted Living, an eldercare agency, offers the following suggestions.
- Day-to-day living activities
Assess how well your aged parents perform daily living activities such as walking, bathing, cooking.
- Medication Management
Measure the aged parents' understanding of the importance of medication, and ensure they are aware of when and how the drugs should be administered and stored.
- Mental Health Status
Notice whether parents have become withdrawn or have difficulty remembering crucial items.
- Home Safety
Make sure there are no obvious in-home hazards that could cause accidental injury, such as loose rugs, exposed wiring or dimly lit areas.
Not comfortable taking on this task yourself? Kelly Assisted Living offers a complete assessment service in which a registered nurse or a person with a master's degree in social work completes a comprehensive evaluation of an older person's health, lifestyle, environment and social behavior within the elder's home. For more information, contact Kelly Assisted Living at 1-800-541-9818.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Help With Homework Helps Home Work Well"
"Boomer Moms Score A+ on Home Work"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Bob Costas Ranks Top Sports Events of Century
Written for The World Almanac by the Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster Bob Costas, a new article lists in chronological order what Costas believes to be the 25 most dramatic sports events of the past 100 years. Here's the Costas list.
- 1927 - Dempsey vs Tunney long-count fight.
- 1926 - Jesse Owens 4 gold medal wins in Berlin rebuking Hitler's Arian supremacy.
- 1938 - Joe Louis knocks out Max Schmeling in a 1st-round Knockout.
- 1951 - Bobby Thompson's home run beats the Brooklyn Dodgers.
- 1956 - Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series for the Yankees.
- 1958 - Colts defeat Giants for NFL title, 23-17.
- 1960 - Bill Mazeroski's homer in the bottom of the 9th wins Game 7 of World Series.
- 1967 - Packers score with 16 seconds left in 13 below zero weather against Cowboys.
- 1968 - Bob Beamon long jumps 29 feet, 2-1/2 inches at Mexico City Olympics.
- 1969 - Joe Namath guarantees victory, then delivers in Jets - Colts Super Bowl III.
- 1971 - Ali vs Frazier. Unbeaten rivals enter ring for 15 rounder. Frazier prevails.
- 1971 - Thanksgiving Day: Nebraska 35, Oklahoma 31.
- 1973 - Secretariat wins Triple Crown run as greatest thoroughbred in history.
- 1975 - Game 6 of a classic World Series between Boston and Cincinnati.
- 1979 - Larry Bird's Indiana State beaten in NCAA title game by MSU's Magic Johnson.
- 1980 - U.S. hockey team upsets Soviets to win gold medal at Lake Placid Olympics.
- 1980 - Bjorn Borg wins his 5th title in a row at Wimbledon men's final.
- 1982 - Joe Montana's final touchdown pass to Dwight Clark sends Frisco to Super Bowl.
- 1986 - Forty-six year old Jack Nicklaus wins his 6th Masters title.
- 1986 - World Series Game 6. Red Sox, ahead by 2, with 2 outs and nobody on, still lose.
- 1988 - Dodgers upset win against heavily-favored Oakland in World Series Game 1.
- 1996 - Michael Johnson blazes to victory in record 200-meter victory at Atlanta Olympics.
- 1997 - Tiger Woods becomes 1st African American winner of Masters Tournament.
- 1998 - Michael Jordan's jumper with 5 seconds to go wins NBA Game 6 for Bulls.
- 1998 - Mark McGwire's homer record takes baseball to new heights of excellence.
In addition to the article by Bob Costas, the 1999 edition also includes "The Ten Most Influential People of the Second Millennium" by Arthur Schlesinger Jr. The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1999 is in bookstores now.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Cabinet-Maker Wins Top Aging Design Award
KraftMaid Cabinetry's "Passport Series" cabinetry has been named a best product for mature markets by the American Society on Aging. The cabinet-maker received the top award out of a field of 13 corporations. The Passport Series is a complete system of cabinet components that avoids the design flaws that make standard cabinet systems difficult for many mature consumers to use.
Available exclusively form KraftMaid, Passport Series is the only cabinet series that has been certified for Universal Design by the Institute for Technology Development and tested for ease of use by this independent testing laboratory. Passport received top approval ratings from individuals with varying physical abilities, ranging from fully physically capable, to wheelchair users, to those with multiple disabilities, and to seniors.
Several of the innovative design features of the Passport Series includes items such as raised dishwasher for easy loading, sink base that allows seated use, toe kick that allows wheelchair users freedom of movement, lower counters and work centers that can be easily used while seated, and knife hinges that allow cabinet doors to open full 180 degrees for access to cabinet contents. "The concept of Universal Design is increasingly important in today's marketplace, particularly as the population of the mature market grows and baby boomers begin to plan for retirement" says Tom Chieffe, General Manager of KraftMaid Cabinetry. For more information, contact KraftMaid at 1-800-571-1990.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"Center for Assisted Living Launches Website"
"Assisted Living Agency Expands Into Europe"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Surgical Innovation Helps Emphysema Patients
Saint Louis University School of Medicine (SLUSM) is one of 17 centers participating in a national trial to examine the role of surgery for the treatment of end stage emphysema, a project sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Medicare. The operation performed is called thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery. This procedure is being compared with medical therapy to determine which alternative will provide greater relief from the severe shortness of breath experienced by patients with end-stage emphysema.
"While the reported early results of lung reduction surgery are quite encouraging, the NIH has determined that a formal medical trial is required before this type of surgery can be considered the standard of care" says Keith S. Naunheim, M.D., professor and chief of cardiothoracic surgery at SLUSM. "If surgery proves to be superior when compared directly to standard medical therapy, then this operation can be made available to all appropriate candidates."
Medical therapy is designed to support the patient with oxygen, exercise programs and bronchodilators to help their breathing. As an alternative treatment, the surgery is designed to remove the most diseased portions of lung and thus shrink the size of the lungs. This "volume reduction" allows the chest wall and diaphragm to return to their normal positions, allowing them to function more efficiently. The goal is to relieve shortness of breath and increase lung function for the emphysema patient.
The operation is generally performed by one of two approaches. The "sternotomy" approach entails a large incision down the center of the chest and sawing the breast bone in half. Through this incision, the surgeon can operate on both lungs. This is the incision commonly used for heart surgery. The alternative approach, called "thoracoscopy", consists of three one-half-inch incisions made on either side of the chest. Through these small slits, a video telescope and instruments are placed so that the operation can be performed inside the chest with videoscopic guidance. The thoracoscopic approach is performed on both sides at one sitting. The use of thoracoscopy allows the same procedure to be done through smaller incisions, with the idea that it will be less painful and easier to tolerate and will shorten recovery time for the patient.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
"New Venture Targets Elderly Lung Patients"
"New Anesthetics Foster Surgery Trend"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Dr. David Demko, Editor
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