January 4, 2010 Issue 20
Older Dominion Partnership e-Newsletter
In This Issue
Member Profile
Articles & Reports
Meeting Resources
Quick Links
Older Dominion Partnership

The Older Dominion Partnership (ODP) is a non-profit initiative by Virginia business, government, foundations, and non-profits to help Virginia prepare for the age wave -- the doubling of the Commonwealth's 65+ year old population from ~900,000 today to over ~1.8 million by 2030. The ODP serves as an inspiration, catalyst, and independent platform for networking, collaborating and planning.

Call for Ideas!

What kinds of articles or information would you like to see in this newsletter or on the ODP Web site? See what we are doing at
www.olderdominion.org
and make suggestions.

We gladly accept articles for publication in this e-Newsletter. Please send them to administrator @olderdominion.org

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Member Profile

Mast HeadMeet Denise Scruggs, director of the Beard Center on Aging at Lynchburg College and a member of the ODP Community Readiness Work Group.

Quote: "I am concerned about the lack of interest in our communities regarding the population shift and the need to prepare for the Age Wave.  It appears that people are not taking the population shift or the implications of this shift seriously."

Read the profile.
Articles & Reports
 
66 Million Caregivers -- and 20 Million Are Stressed Out

Sixty-six million Americans provide care for an elderly parent, family member or a disabled child, according to a new study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. Two-thirds of caregivers are female, and their average age is 48. Caregiving for many amounts to a part time job, 18 hours on average -- often on top of full-time employment. Three in ten caregivers say the work is emotionally stressful. Read more.


Aging in Place: What It Takes

Nineteen percent of men and thirty-nine percent of women over 65 live alone, mostly in their own homes. The vast majority wants to continue aging in place, but millions of them have disabilities that make it difficult to do all the chores and run all the errands. Tennessean.com does a wonderful job of putting a human face on both those who are struggling to maintain their independence and the loved ones who help them. Read more.


Louisiana Aging Program Canceled -- But Don't Blame the Economy

The Corporation for National and Community Service has yanked funding for the RSVP senior volunteer program in Baton Rouge. CNCS blamed the time-consuming nature of applying for federal money, the failure of the Baton Rouge Council on Aging to submit documents in a timely fashion, and the fact that the program had filed to meet projected enrollment of 625 people. Read more.


Coming Up: High-Tech Walking Canes
The Technology & Aging Conference at UCLA showcases new technologies for seniors. The October conference unveiled some remarkable devices that are either in the testing stages or on the market. Some of the highlights:
  • Canes and shoes equipped with gyroscopes and accelerometers that can teach people to walk more safely and avoid falling.
  • Software that magnifies a computer screen when people lean in closer to view it.
  • A Web portal with a simplified interface that's easier for seniors to learn and use.
  • Simplified MP3 players that make it easier for seniors to play music.
  • And our personal favorite (and one we could use ourselves), special glasses with tiny attached cameras and face recognition technology that match up a person's face with his or her name! Read more.
Meeting Resources

Mast HeadODP Events & Meetings Resources

Throughout 2009, ODP presented Age Wave Planning information at numerous meetings and events. Don't miss out on this great catalog of information, presentations, audio and video links. You can find them all on the Older Dominion Partnership Web site.


The Older Dominion Partnership e-Newsletter is published twice monthly, made possible by the generous support of the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation.