| Older Dominion Partnership |
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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.
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| Call for Ideas! |
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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
Meet Ken Robertson, human resources director for the Virginia Retirement System and ODP Shared Database Work Group member.
Quote: "Organizations need to prepare for the eventual phased departure of Baby Boomers from their workforces and then be creative in attracting, developing, and retaining Millennials. Actually, if organizations invest in developing the skill sets they need, the Millennials will be more likely to stay, as long as they see an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way and continuously learn." Read the profile.
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Articles & Reports
More than 100 stakeholders with the Older Dominion Partnership gathered Nov. 5 for its fall meeting to discuss Virginia's progress in preparing for the age wave. Among the key ODP goals stated: In five years, the age-wave plans will be under way in communities across Virginia; in 10 years, the ODP will be weaving those initiatives together in a master plan with the state. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has the story here.
To obtain materials from the meeting, click on the following:
Welcome, Tom Silvestri, publisher, Richmond Times-Dispatch (audio) - Focused Discussion, Tom Silvestri (audio) and group discussion (audio)
Forty years ago, Theodore Roszak captured the anti-establishment mood of 1960s-era Baby Boomers in his book The Making of a Counter-Culture. Now he argues in his new book, The Making of an Elder Culture, that retired Boomers will return to the idealism of their youth, reject the society of mass consumption, enroll as volunteers in large numbers, and transform the world once again as seniors.
Rozsak also predicts a new battleground in America's graying society. Some 25 million family members, mostly women, are caring for aging parents who are living with chronic conditions that once would have killed them. The caregivers are overwhelmed. Writes Roszak: "The revolt of the caregivers, when it comes, may be the turning point in the history of the elder culture, as distinctive and defining as the anti-war rallies of the 1960s and 1970s."
Boomer volunteerism and caregiving for an aging population are two key themes explored by the ODP. Check out a review of Roszak's book in a US News & World-Report book review here, or at Amazon.com here.
House Calls: Saving Patients, Saving Medicare
Dr. Peter Boling, a geriatrician and head of general medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, was profiled recently in an Associated Press article that ran nationally. He's a man on a mission -- to revive the old practice of house calls, now practiced by only one physician out of 200. In many cases, it's more cost-effective -- and better for the patient -- to provide routine medical services at home rather than the hospital, he argues. Boling's crusade to win Medicare reimbursement for home-based primary care teams is gaining traction in Congress. Read more.
Peace of Mind for Alzheimer's Caregivers
One of the greatest fear of Alzheimer's caregivers is that their loved ones will wander off and not know where they are. The Alzheimer's Association has introduced a technological fix: the Comfort Zone solution, powered by Atlanta-based Omnilink. The service outfits the Alzheimer's patient with a GPS device that allows his or her location to be monitored any time on the Web. If the patient wanders outside a designated zone, it sends an alert. Richmonder Bill Bailey, who has an early stage of the disease, was an early tester of the device. Read more.
The Battle of the Census
Residents of Michigan, an economic hard-luck case looking for any break they can find, are attuned to the budgetary ramifications of the U.S. Census -- and especially how Michigan "snowbirds" identify their permanent place of residence. Each resident is worth more than $1,000 annually in federal senior-assistance funds, reports Robert Dolsen in The Herald-Palladium, who urges seniors residing part-time in southern states to mark their permanent residence as Michigan. Read more.
That logic works in reverse. Perhaps Virginians should urge Northern snowbirds living part-time in the Old Dominion to identify themselves as Virginians. As Dolsen write, "Imagine how many home-delivered meals, caregivers getting help, children receiving help from foster grandparents, day care visits and in-home visits that could provide for those in serious difficulty."
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Central Virginia Age Wave Planning Meeting
Lynchburg, VA
Friday
November 20, 2009
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $25
Inspired by the ODP, Lynchburg and six surrounding counties are kicking-off a Central Virginia Age Wave Planning meeting. This executive-level planning session is for community leaders in Central Virginia to prepare for the doubling of our senior population.
To register or to request information contact The Beard Center on Aging, 434-544-8456.
Location: 1501 Lakeside Dr. Lynchburg, Virginia, Lynchburg College
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