Helping Older Adults Search for Health Information Online: A Toolkit for Trainers

This toolkit, developed by the National Institute on Aging, provides free and easy-to-use training materials to teach older adults to find reliable, up-to-date online health information.  The training features two websites from the National Institutes of Health -- NIHSeniorHealth.gov and MedlinePlus.gov. Trainers can use the toolkit with beginning and intermediate students of the Web.

http://nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit/toolkit.html

Caregiving and the holidays: from stress to success!

From the Family Caregiving Alliance, this web article provides tips and strategies for alleviating the added stress many caregivers can experience during the holiday season. 

http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=1039

Palliative Care: The Relief You Need

The National Institute of Nursing Research has published a new brochure highlighting the benefits of palliative care. This new brochure describes a comprehensive treatment that helps reduce or eliminate the pain and other distressing symptoms of illness and medical treatments.

"Palliative Care: The Relief You Need When You’re Experiencing the Symptoms of Serious Illness," produced by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), a component of the National Institutes of Health, explains in easy-to-understand language what palliative care is, who it benefits, and how it works.

Aging in America in the Twenty-First Century

What will life in an Aging America be like for the elderly, and, perhaps more importantly, for the middle-aged and younger generations? As America ages, it is also becoming increasingly diverse, socially and economically.

How will the aging of society impact those in various socioeconomic groups disparately?

We must understand where we will likely go, and develop the policies and strategies at the local and national levels that will optimize life opportunities for all age and socioeconomic groups in an Aging America.

The MacArthur Foundation has been exploring and planning the response of their organization to these issues by sponsoring a set of exploratory consultations with recognized scholars from relevant disciplines This planning phase included meetings of American and European scholars from relevant disciplines and discussions with other groups and organizations working in areas related to an Aging Society.

From these meetings emerged an agenda for a research network to conduct a society-wide, broad-based analysis of the modifications required in our major societal institutions to facilitate emergence of a productive, equitable Aging Society in the United States.

To read the report: go to http://www.agingsocietynetwork.org/

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up. This condition is seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It usually happens during the winter.

Check out the MedlinePlus: Nursing Homes page for information and a video on Seasonal Affective Disorder.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html

Aging with Ease: A Positive Approach to Pain Management

This booklet gives you a brief overview of how to recognize, understand, and safely treat your pain.

It provides the latest information, including advice from the American Geriatrics Society’s 2009 guidelines for controlling persistent pain in older people.

http://www.agingresearch.org/content/article/detail/2514/

Caregiving in the U.S. 2009

Caregiving is still mostly a woman’s job and many women are putting their career and financial futures on hold as they juggle part-time caregiving and full-time job requirements. This is the reality reported in Caregiving in the U.S. 2009, the most comprehensive examination to date of caregiving from the National Alliance for Caregiving  in America. The first national profile of caregivers, Family Caregiving in the U.S. was published in 1997, and an updated version of the study, Caregiving in the U.S., was reported in 2004.

The sweeping 2009 study of the legions of people caring for younger adults, older adults, and children with special needs reveals that 29 percent of the U.S. adult population, or 65.7 million people, are caregivers, including 31 percent of all households. These caregivers provide an average of 20 hours of care per week. The 2009 reports also begin to trend the findings from all three waves of the study.  The first national profile of caregivers, Family Caregiving in the U.S. was published in 1997, and an updated version of the study, Caregiving in the U.S., was reported in 2004.

http://www.aarp.org/research/surveys/care/ltc/hc/articles/caregiving_09.html

Family Council Manual and Toolkit: A Guide for Creating and Sustaining Effective Nursing Home Family Councils

The Family Council Manual and Toolkit: A Guide for Creating and Sustaining Effective Nursing Home Family Councils was developed by FRIA, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group comprised of the friends and relatives of those residing in nursing homes that works to ensure that the consumer’s voice is heard by both providers and policymakers. The manual and toolkit were developed to help consumers create and sustain effective family councils within facilities.

The manual describes the purpose, role, and structural options for family councils. The authors offer suggestions on running meetings and building membership and support for the council, as well as recommendations on how to build alliances and overcome common challenges. The manual also provides examples of successful family councils.

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Innovations/Tools/2009/Aug/Family-Council-Manual-and-Toolkit.aspx

Vibrant and Healthy Living Tips for Brain Health and Successful Aging

This site explores the seven keys to brain fitness:

• Physical Activity
• Mental Stimulation
• Diet / Nutrition
• Stress Management
• Social Interaction
• Sleep: Quality & Quantity
• Spirituality / Purpose & Meaning

 http://brainfitnessforseniors.com/