Indiana - Older Adults & Seniors

Emergency Readiness Kit

2010-03-09T16:20:45Z

For those of you who might be interested in programming on seniors' emergency readiness, there is one resource that might fill at least part of the bill.

The "Just in Case" Emergency Readiness for Older Adults and Caregivers kit includes a factsheet, checklist, 16-minute video, and presenter's kit.

Most of it is available free from the http://www.AginginStride.org site, but there is also an option to purchase it in VHS or DVD and also receive a presenter's kit, and handouts of the checklists and factsheet.

You can stream the video free off the website, and see the 12-page Factsheet and Checklist (PDF) available free in both English and Spanish here . It was co-published with the U.S. Administration on Aging. It's good, recapping everything I've ever seen in my two viewings of other presentations on the topic of disaster preparedness.

I'm thinking it could be used solo or in conjunction with an "Officer Friendly" type visit from the local police or safety commission.

Re: Programming ideas and needs

2010-03-09T16:15:22Z

A colleague alerted me to California's TLA50] statewide initiative, a three-day institute "designed to promote an understanding of how the size and history of the baby boomer cohort, along with their extended life spans, will impact aging in America. Emphasis was given to the importance of viewing these older adults as resources for their communities."

TLA50 was designed in partnership with Libraries for the Future ] and the California Library Association]; 88 participants representing 44 California library jurisdictions and used LSTA money for at least some of the financing.

Presentations focused on three areas: 1.) Redefining Aging: Who Are The Boomers?, 2.) Visioning the Future: Boomer Issues and Opportunities, and 3.) Beyond Senior Services: Launching Local Efforts.

Did any of y'all go? Was it great?

In my other life, as CT's de facto LSTAC, I applaud California's innovative thinking and shout, "It's about time" while at the same time bemoan the across-the-board cuts that all state LSTA budgets received during the latest cycle. I'd do something like this in a heartbeat if I had the money. Since I don't, but I do have an active and fabulous LFF presence in CT (heck, in my building), I'll be forced to be "innovative." I guess it's easier to be innovative with money, eh?

Re: Programming ideas and needs

2010-03-02T13:20:30Z

Satia Orange from ALA is seeking input and ideas from the library community for the American Society on Aging/National Council on Agings Las Vegas Conference, March 15-19, 2009.

Ive reproduced her email to the seniorserv listserv subscribe]:

The [url http://asaging.org/index.cfm ]American Society on Aging[/url]/[url http://www.ncoa.org/ ]National Council on Aging[/url] planning committee is accepting program proposals until May, for their Las Vegas Conference, March 15-19, 2009.

Once again I am asking if the list members of aging@ala.org and seniorserv@ala.org would like to have a library component to the ASA/NCOA conference. Such a proposal will require librarians serving older adults in attendance at the conference, and presenting several programs of interest to library and senior services staff. You all have much to share and there are many interested in what you are doing in libraries.

At the 2007 ASA/NCOA conference in Chicago, we had a successful two-space exhibit with lots of interest from conferees. There were few librarians in attendance, although the interest in collaboration was high. For those who have never attended, there are always great speakers, celebrities, and a wide range of programs dealing with senior issues. Lots of learning opportunities! Much like the ALA conferences.

It's a great way of learning about collaboration possibilities with other senior services professionals, to share the effective practices of programs and services in libraries, and to learn about issues of importance to older adults and their caregivers. Go to http://asaging.org/index.cfm to learn about the 2008 conference which was held a few weeks ago.

Feel free to contact Satia:

Satia M. Orange
Director, Office for Literacy & Outreach Services (OLOS)
ALA Staff Liaison to OLOS Subcommitteee on Aging
American Library Association
40 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-280-4295/800-545-2433 #4295
Email: sorange@ala.org
Website: www.ala.org/olos

RE: Upcoming events

2010-03-02T13:20:15Z

Over on ALA's Seniorserv listserv, the inimitable Allan M. Kleiman noticed that veteran newsman Tom Brokaw, who wrote a best-selling book called The Greatest Generation about the men and women who came of age in the Great Depression and fought World War II, is now using his reporter's eye to look at their children: the baby boomers.

On Thursday, March 4, 2010 CNBC will premier a two-hour documentary called, "TOM BROKAW REPORTS: BOOMER$." The show will air at 9 p.m. and again at 12 midnight. If you happen to miss the premiere, don't worry. CNBC will rebroadcast the documentary on Saturday, March 6th at 7 p.m., Sunday, March 7th at 9 p.m., and Monday, March 8th at 8 p.m.

Here's how CNBC describes the report:

"In a landmark two-hour documentary, Tom Brokaw tells the story of history's wealthiest and most influential generation. From hula hoops to civil rights, in war and politics, Brokaw chronicles the extraordinary impact 78 million baby boomers have had on American society over the past six decades, and explores the challenges they face as they begin to approach the age of
retirement."

Institute for Healthcare Advancement’s Ninth Annual Health Literacy Confere

2010-01-28T19:01:16Z

The Institute for Healthcare Advancement announced the Ninth Annual Health Literacy Conference, Health Literacy in the Real World: Programs & Solutions That Work for Thursday and Friday, May 6-7, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, California.

This year’s program highlights librarians’ roles in health literacy. A panel of health sciences librarians will report on MLA/NLM’s Health Information Literacy Research Project funded by the National Library of Medicine and several other “librarian/health provider partnership” initiatives in a session, “Looking for Health Literacy Solutions? Partner with a Librarian.”

2010 Census report on Boomers

2010-01-26T15:09:43Z

The U.S. Census Bureau has published its first report on Baby Boomers in over a decade using data from the 2006 American Community Survey and it describes characteristics of Baby Boomers in 2006. Highlights include:

• 26.1% of the U.S. population was a Baby Boomer in 2006
• 26.1% of the entire US population is a Boomer
• 65.6% of Baby Boomers were currently married
• 17% of Baby Boomers were divorced
• 11.7% were never married
• 74.1% were employed
• The South has, by far, the highest number of Baby Boomers.

Fascinating, and excellent fuel for budget rationalizations.

MetLife Foundation’s national caregiving study (November 2009)

2009-12-31T16:12:30Z

The MetLife Foundation’s national caregiving study (November 2009) was conducted for the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP included a component on caregivers of adults aged 50+.
Key findings include:
• An estimated that 43.5 million caregivers provide unpaid care for a family member or friend who is aged 50+. This means that:
• 19% of all adults in the U.S. are caregivers;
• Approximately 67% of caregivers are female;
• The average age of caregivers is 50 years old;
• Caregivers provide care for an average of four years;
• Caregivers provide on average 19 hours of care per week;
• 55% of caregivers are employed while caregiving and 64% of these caregivers report having to make workplace accommodations (such as coming in late to work) as a result of their caregiving role.
• 15% report their care recipient requires help due to aging
• 15% report their care recipient requires help due to Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or forgetfulness.

The study was based on telephone interviews with 1,397 caregivers aged 18+ and who care for someone 50 years or older.

Here is the full study, which had 2 other components:

Caregivers of Children under 18 with Special Needs and Caregivers of Young Adults .

RE: Programming ideas and needs

2009-10-26T14:21:04Z

Older Americans contribute tremendously to Peace Corps programs all over the globe. No single group has more to offer in terms of experience, maturity, and demonstrated ability.

Maybe the Peace Corps is an option for a program in your library or for your region?

This link should get you to current events (just select your state from the drop down) or see the available information for your region.

Many older Volunteers find their age to be an asset while serving overseas. You will have the opportunity to share a lifetime of work and wisdom with people of developing nations who respect and appreciate age. And because there's no upper age limit to serve, it's never too late—Volunteers who are well into their eighties have served and continue to serve.

Seniornet.org

2009-10-15T13:43:56Z

Does anyone have any personal or library-related experiences with Senior Net, about which we have posted before? It almost seems like a competitor to libraries, but maybe 'potential partner' is a more hopeful term.

SeniorNet is a nonprofit organization of computer-using adults, age 50+ with a mission to provide older adults education for and access to computer technologies to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom.

There is some free educational content on the site, but most of it seems driven towards joining($40; $30 to renew) and taking classes online or at learning centers. Members get “privileges” in Learning Centers and online.

www.seniornet.org and (800) 747-6848.

MetLife study: Grandparents Generous with Money, Not with Advice

2009-09-30T13:34:56Z

MetLife did what they termed a 'quickpoll' (actually 7 pages) here.

It shows, among a lot of other things, that today's grandparents throw money at their grandchildren, not necessarily time.

"Nearly two-thirds (63%) of America’s grandparentshave provided financial assistance or monetary gifts to their grandchildren in the last
five years ... The median amount provided was $3,000 over that period, and the average amount was $8,661..."

and that

"While some grandparents get involved with providing financial advice and counsel, most do not."

Time to hit grampy up for a loan.

On a personal note, my ex-father-in-law gave my son $50 in singles for his 9th birthday. It was fun and especially cool because looked like a LOT of money.

Book suggestions for older adults wth dementia

2009-07-28T17:01:00Z

The Seniorserv listserv recently listed a Q&A that I think may be helpful for those of us who don’t subscribe to that listserv.

The question was asked by Carol Bean of the Lantana Road Branch, Palm Beach County Library System in Lake Worth, FL.

A volunteer recently asked about books we typically stock for literacy students that are fairly short and easy to read (graduated by degrees of difficulty), as a resource for her mother who is suffering from dementia and gets frustrated trying to read regular novels. My own mother is suffering from short term memory loss and probably wouldn't be able to remember earlier chapters as she reads through a longer novel.

Are there books, or a book resource, geared towards people with dementia or memory loss, for pleasure reading? I'm thinking relatively short (fiction or biographical) books that could be read in one (short?) sitting would beideal.

Do any other libraries have "special" collections (or designated books) they maintain of these types of materials, similar to a literacy student collection?

The reply came from Allan M. Kleiman, Library Consultant(s)-on-Call, libraryolderadults.blogspot.com, who is renowned for his expertise on library services to older adults.

Eldersong Publications has a few choices in their catalog. They are online. Also, may I suggest magazines like Good Old Days and Reminisce. But I would foremost suggest that you look at the Dewey numbers 817/818 in the library's collection. The 817 American Humor is ideal and can bring some laughter along with the short chapters. The 818 would have American Short Stories and collected works of familiar authors.

Some of my best received material that I read from is from the 817 area. Comedians like George Burns or social commentator Erma Bombeck always are popular and bring a smile and a laugh.

You might also consider the picture/shorter chapter biographies from the Children's Department. Just enough words for content but pictures to "stir" the memories.

Another options would be to do some searching using keywords in Novelist, like humor, etc. And you can also key in reading level for some children's titles, too.

Alan winds up by saying something that I agree with and hope readers of this discussion board take to heart: “Good-luck and let us all know how the programming goes. We can all benefit by our mutual experiences.”

RE: Programming ideas and needs

2009-07-14T14:29:12Z

Check out the Senior Center Evaluation toolkit.

A brief look at this pdf shows it to be a tool that can – and should – be modified slightly by libraries to gauge the effectiveness of their older adult / senior services. It’s pre-made. Essentially, it gives you the plan, which is not rocket science, and will help you to ‘prove the worthiness’ of your programs / slate of senior services. If you haven’t done this already, I feel that this is an excellent place to begin.

You can - and should- share this with senior centers in your area and consider doing either a shared or complementary evaluation.

May is Older Americans Month

2009-07-14T14:26:46Z

Hi all,

May is Older Americans Month.

Allan Kleiman, Chair of ALA's Library Service to an Aging Population Committee notes that the Dept of Health & Human Services' Aministration on Aging has some freebies up.

2 articles on programming for seniors/older adults

2009-07-14T14:01:14Z

2 columns by Fatima Perkins and Joyce Voss, members of the OLOS Subcommittee on Services to Older Adults.

'Partnerships and Collaborations for Senior Programs' by Fatima Perkins.

'Memories Into Memoirs' by Joyce Voss.

Aging in America Conference: March 15-19, 2010 Chicago, IL

2009-06-25T16:21:57Z

2010 Aging in America Conferencel]

March 15-19 | Chicago, IL

http://www.agingconference.org/

The Aging in America Conference is the largest multidisciplinary aging conference in the country and is recognized as a platform for new knowledge and practices, focusing upon replicable models that help our members and participants be more effective in their work with older adults. The hundreds of workshops and poster presentations offered answer these important questions:

Each year presenters from across the country and a wide array of disciplines related to the field of aging share their knowledge, practical experience, and applied research at Aging in America—the annual conference of the National Council on Aging and the American Society on Aging.

Btw, there’s also a Call for Presentations, the deadline is Monday, June 29. Proposals will be accepted online only. The proposal process is available via the Aging in America website at www.agingconference.org. Questions? Email facultyinfo@asaging.org.

Upcoming events

2009-06-25T16:19:31Z

This thread will be for events of a national scope.

I'll take them down after the event has passed.

Please feel free to post here if you have an event or know of one that would be useful for librarians interested in older adult services.

Funding Opportunity: Community Innovations for Aging In Place grants

2009-06-09T14:10:09Z

The federal Administration on Aging is sponsoring two funding opportunities that will award competitive grants to entities for developing and carrying out model aging in place projects.

Deadline: July 15, 2009

The projects will promote aging in place for older individuals in order to sustain the independence of older individuals. Recipients...must identify innovative strategies for providing, and linking older individuals to programs and services that provide, comprehensive and coordinated health and social services to sustain the quality of life of older individuals and support aging in place.

More information is available here.

The two kinds of grants are: 15 CIAIP Grants and 1 Technical Assistance Grants.

AoA expects to awards 16 total grants with a total program funding of $5M. The award ceiling is $500,000, the floor is $200,000. Grants are expected to be funded for three years.

CIAIP Grants
Up to $4,500,000 will be available to fund up to 15 new Community Innovations for Aging In Place (CIAIP) grants. These grants will be funded at a federal share of approximately $250,000 to $500,000 per year for a project period of three years, contingent on the availability of federal funds.

Technical Assistance Grants (TAG)
Up to $500,000 will be available to fund one Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) in the form of a cooperative agreement. This grant (cooperative agreement) will be funded at a federal share of approximately $500,000 per year for a project period of three years contingent upon availability of federal funds.

Aging in Stride

2009-06-03T18:33:15Z

I believe I've mentioned Aging in Stride's electronic newsletter before, but just in case I haven't or it's gotten lost in the shuffle.

http://enews.aginginstride.org/ is the site, which is of course available off the 'usual' Aging in Stride] site.

This month's newsletter includes:

10 Myths and Facts About Falls (e.g., Each year, one in three people age 65 experiences a fall serious enough to require medical attention)

Rx Friendship: Add More Socialization to Your Healthy Aging Prescription (which reinforces that "Loneliness can be a debilitating, distressing condition" for people)

Age-Related Eye Problems Can Lead to Computer Vision Syndrome (gives readers tips such as "Keep blinking. To minimize the chances of developing dry eye when using a computer, make an effort to blink frequently. Blinking keeps the front surface of the eye moist")

Be Healthy and Safe in the Garden (e.g., "Limit distractions, use chemicals and equipment properly, and be aware of possible hazards to lower your risk for injury")

And there's a wordfind. I always seem to find unintentional words in those.

RE: WSJ article

2009-05-12T16:01:19Z

We're seeing a lot of seniors/boomers at our programs, particularly those aimed at job seekers.

Read How You Want

2009-05-08T18:07:38Z

Read How You Want is an Australian large print publishing company that prints LP books on demand based on their own catalog. What is special is that you can purchase the book in 11, 13, 16, 16 BOLD, 18, 20 and 24 pt type size as well as in Braille and daisy formats. The titles are available direct from the company, through Amazon, and soon through one or more of library book wholesalers. Check out their website.

Noted by Mr. Extraordinary Allan Kleiman