| 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 Lory L. Phillippo, CEO of Circle Center Adult Day Services and member of the ODP Health and Long-term Care Work Group.
Quote: "Focus on developing spokespeople who can lead public opinion (people outside the predictable "older adult choir") including more younger people." Read the profile.
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Articles & Reports
Boomers Shaping the Future of Technology
Aging Baby Boomers may not be leading the charge into the technology future, but they are close followers behind the younger generations. And due to their size and buying power, they will have an out-sized influence on which products are developed and which ones succeed. A new paper published by AARP and Microsoft Research speculates about some technologies likely to gain the Boomers' favor within 10 years:
- Sensor-equipped exercise clothing that tracks the body's physical condition during workouts.
- Implanted chips containing electronic health records.
- Gene scans that compile genetic make-ups.
- Self-healing computers.
- Mobile devices that double as cash and credit cards.
- Domestic robots -- which will provide Boomers with an excuse to renovate the kitchen to be "robot friendly."
More Grandparents Parenting Again
To many Boomers, the best thing about being a grandparent is getting to have fun with the grandchildren -- and then sending them home to mom and dad as soon as the job gets hard. But for an increasing number of grandparents -- 2.6 million, according to the U.S. Census' 2008 count -- the grandchildren don't go home. That's a jump of six percent since 2005. Due to incarceration, substance abuse, mental illness or pure selfishness, an increasing number of Americans are abandoning their children, and grandparents in their 50s or 60s are taking over. The financial assistance available for these caretakers is minimal.
According to
DSS, 6.2% of all children or 107,602 are actually being raised in a home
where the grandparent is the head of household, often without a parent present
at all.
Improving Plane Rides for Seniors
As the population ages, it's a good bet that older citizens will comprise a growing share of airplane passengers. Airplane manufacturers like Bombadier and Boeing are paying attention. Equipped with "third age suits" that allow them to experience plane travel as older people do, designers are making many changes, including:
- Larger seats. (People tend to get heavier as they get older.)
- Wider aisles
- Overhead bins that are easier to load.
- Adjustable seats that relieve pressure points.
It's a good start. But Virginians don't have to wait for airplane manufacturers to take action. What can we do to provide a better experience for seniors in our airports?
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Richmond Doctor "Making a Difference"
In September, ODP News highlighted Dr. Peter Boling, who serves on the ODP Shared Database Work Group, for reviving the ancient art of house calls. Now he has been featured on the NBC nightly news. The back-to-the-future innovation, says Boling, potentially could save Medicare $50 billion a year -- and provide seniors with better care.
Where the Bismol Bombers Rule
Last month we profiled playgrounds for the elderly supported by municipal authorities in Japan. It turns out that Virginia has something similar -- promoted by the private sector. Wiwalk (When I Was a Little Kid) in the Richmond area bills itself as a "senior playground" where grown-ups get to play "walk-pace" sports like volleyball, deck hockey and three-wheel racing. Some games are organized in leagues with names like, The Endangered Species, the Bismol Bombers and the Alzheimers Assault. Gotta love it! Only in America.
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