CORE Community Resources

Residents of Bayfield, Wisconsin, a picturesque village on the North Shore of Wisconsin overlooking the Chequamegon Bay and The Apostle Islands, have CORE Community Resources, which is empowering seniors in the Bayfield area to remain independent and involved in their community.

Core's vision is to:

To create a community that becomes a national example of how neighbors can help seniors
live and thrive and benefit their community.

CORE is an example of a new movement where people are joining together to shape their future and "age in community." 

Will Health Care Costs Bankrupt Aging Boomers?

Rising health care costs pose a significant threat to boomers’ retirement security. Although
Medicare covers nearly all adults age 65 and older, premiums, deductibles, copays, and holes in
the benefit package leave many older Americans with substantial out-of-pocket expenses. Unless
health care practices or public policy change, seniors’ out-of-pocket spending will likely grow in
coming years as health care costs continue to increase.

This report from the Urban Institute, Washington, examines the likely financial burden of health care costs for baby boomers as
they age.

http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412026_health_care_costs.pdf

Caregiving Book Club

Check out these links for suggestions of books for caregivers, and the caregiver.com book club, where caregivers can meet online to discuss books:

http://www.caregiver.com/bookclub/index.htm

http://www.caregiving.com/caregiving-book-club/

Outdoor Spaces

Pioneer Network is proud to offer Creating Home – Access to Nature, a three-part webinar series that investigates outdoor environmental design and green spaces to benefit older adults. The webinars will take place on three Tuesdays in March -- the 2nd, 9th and 16th from 1:00pm to 2:00 p.m. EST.

Pioneer Network's Creating Home -- Access to Nature Webinar Series will demonstrate the importance of having people, policies, and programs that support outdoor usage. The series will also explore current research findings in gerontology, psychology and design, as well as comments from residents themselves, providing eldercare professionals with cost-effective guidelines for creating outdoor spaces seniors will use.

The webinar series will also help attendees to avoid pitfalls, such as "invisible" barriers, which prevent easy access to outdoor features. Led by Susan Rodiek, Ph.D., the Creating Home – Access to Nature Webinar Series will also examine outdoor access in terms of the revised interpretive guidelines for quality of life in nursing homes, and discuss F-Tags that relate to outdoor access and utilization.

http://www.pioneernetwork.net/Events/Webinars/AccessToNature/

What You Need to Know About Long-Term Care

From the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a new brochure on planning and paying for long-term care.

http://www.ltccc.org/documents/finalentireengishbrochure2-4-10.pdf

ThisCaringHome

ThisCaringHome.org, a project of Weill Cornell Medical College, was created to provide tips and tools to enhance home safety for persons with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. The Home Safety-Virtual Home Section of the Web site allows visitors to explore research-based solutions to home safety and daily care issues by the simple click of a mouse. The Web site also provides social networking so caregivers can share information, ask questions, and find support from the online community.

This multimedia Web site features videos, animations, and photographs, as well as expert reviews of home furnishings, smart technologies, and home care products. Go to www.thiscaringhome.org.

Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs

MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving recently released their latest study, Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs, focusing on how caregiving, employer health costs and employer-sponsored wellness benefits intersect.

The findings of the study indicate that health care costs for family caregivers is about 8% higher than that of non-caregiving employees, potentially costing US employers an extra US$13.4 billion per year.

Making the Case: Saving Your State's Caregiver Support Programs

Published in December 2009, this paper is intended to help advocates, program administrators,
service providers and caregivers fight for their state and local caregiver support programs.

It includes background information, statistics, talking points and a list of additional resources to help make the case for maintaining public funding for crucial caregiver support services.

You can download "Making the Case" at:

http://caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=2367

2009 Profile on Older Americans

The Administration on Aging has recently released its annual Profile of Older Americans with the latest key statistics on older Americans in key subject areas.

The profile includes both narrative and statistical charts.

The 2009 edition is only available online at:

http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Aging_Statistics/Profile/index.aspx

Preventing Serious Falls: Tips for Older Adults and Their Loved Ones

Falls are a leading cause of serious injuries in older adults. Every year, about a third of older Americans fall. Injuries from falls can lead to hospitalization, nursing home admission, and even death among older people.

Visit the American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Aging website for useful tips on fall prevention.


http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/falls_tips.php