Annual Editions:: Aging, 28/e

Preface

UNIT 1:: The Phenomenon of Aging

Unit Overview

1. Healthy Aging in the 22nd Century, Marta M. Keane, The Futurist, 2014.

The author suggests that in the future older adults will live longer and use more technology. Each component of health is examined, as well as how these components will be manifested in the year 2100. New positive societal views on aging are suggested.

2. Demography Is Not Destiny:: The Challenges and Opportunities of Global Population Aging, Peter Uhlenberg, Generations, 2013.

This article offers a brief explanation of why populations around the world are growing older, compares patterns of population aging in three countries to illustrate the diversity that exists, and provides a foundation for thinking about a future where older people are more numerous than children.

3. The Booming Dynamics of Aging:: Meeting the Challenges of the Emerging Senior Majority, Dorcas R. Hardy, CSA Journal, 2014.

This article discusses the challenges faced, both globally and nationally, of the dynamics of population growth among older adults. This growth creates challenges in many areas including federal entitlement programs, Social Security, Medicare, long-term care, aging-in-place, and caregiving.

4. Headed for the Future:: A Boomers Guide to Returning to College, Karen Gorback, CSA Journal, 2014.

This article suggests that many older adults are entering or returning to college for a variety of reasons. The challenges faced by older students when returning to school and the rewards of achieving their goals are detailed.

5. Long Live... Us, Mark Bennett, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, 2011.

The author points out how much life expectancy in the United States has increased by the year 2009; moreover, how much difference there was in the life expectancy of men in comparison to women. Reasons for the increasing life expectancy of the U.S. population, as well as the reasons why women have a longer life expectancy than men are presented.

6. How to Live to Be 100, Kimberly Palmer, U.S. News & World Report, 2012.

This article provides insight into why some people live healthy lives, while other experience chronic disease. While explanations of science and luck are explored, aspects of financial health are considered.

7. 7 Career Mistakes You Dont Even Know Youre Making, Ann Brenoff, Huffington Post, 2014.

This article suggests that older adults have a harder time finding jobs when unemployed. For those still employed, remaining employed is the goal. Older adults unwittingly make career decisions that can affect their future and current employment. This article points out those errors and provides ways to assist in better career decision-making.

UNIT 2:: The Quality of Later Life

8. Age-Proof Your Brain:: 10 Easy Ways to Stay Sharp Forever, Beth Howard, AARP The Magazine, 2012.

Dementia is not inevitable. Elders, even those with a genetic link to Alzheimers disease, can delay or prevent it. Included in the ten suggestions for keeping your brain healthy are:: meditation, spirituality, social networking, stimulating new memory, exercise, and nutrition factors (e.g., Mediterranean diet, spices, vitamin supplements).

9. Poll:: Obesity Hits More Boomers in U.S., Terre Haute Tribune-Star, July 19, 2011.

The baby boomers born between 1946 and 1965 are now approaching and gradually moving into their retirement years. The current boomers are more obese than earlier generations of older people.

10. Building the Foundation for Active Aging, Colin Milner, The Journal on Active Aging, 2013.

This article describes the nine principles of active aging and the seven dimensions of wellness. The author explains how these tools can assist in offering a comprehensive approach to building the foundation for active aging.

11. The Arts and Health Project:: Supporting Healthy Aging Through the Arts, Jenifer Milner, The Journal on Active Aging, 2013.

The author summarizes a study conducted by Gene D. Cohen, MD, PhD. The study was conducted to suggest the effects of creativity in older adults. The findings suggest that older adults who participated in arts programs enjoyed better health.

12. Age and Gender Effects on the Assessment of Spirituality and Religious Sentiments (ASPIRES) Scale:: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Tucker Brown et al., Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2013.

This article suggests that spirituality and religiousness are an important part of life across the lifespan. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that while the expression of spirituality and religious sentiments varies across age and gender, the fundamental meaning of these constructs remain the same.

UNIT 3:: Societal Attitudes towards Old Age

13. We Need to Fight Age Bias, Jack Gross, AARP Bulletin, 2010.

When the Farm Bureau Financial Group in Iowa merged with the Kansas Farm Bureau, all the claims employees were offered a buyout or a demotion. Jack Gross was 54 and demoted after 13 years of performing this job. He sued the company for age discrimination. The results of this case going through a federal jury, an 8th circuit court jury, and the U.S. Supreme Court are presented and discussed in this article.

14. Older Adults and Technology Use, Aaron Smith, Pew Research Internet, 2014.

The author suggests the findings of a survey conducted to understand older adult usage of technology. While more than half of older adults use the internet, 27% use social network sites and are more likely to own a tablet or e-book than a smartphone. Further results of this study are discussed in this article.

15. Health Disparities Among Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Older Adults:: Results from a Population-Based Study, Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen et al., American Journal of Public Health, 2013.

The author points out the need for tailored interventions to address health disparities among lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults. Furthermore, there is also a need for ongoing research across the life course to better understand health disparities by sexual orientation and age.

UNIT 4:: Problems and Potentials of Aging

16. Peripheral Arterial Disease and Exercise for Older Adults, Sally Paulson and Joohee Sanders, IDEA Fitness Journal, 2014.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that transport blood to the head, organs, and limbs. It usually affects the arteries in the legs, which can impair the mobility of older adults. This article describes the benefits of exercise among older adults diagnosed with PAD.

17. The Worst Place to Be If Youre Sick, Katharine Greider, AARP Bulletin, 2012.

The author points out the number of persons who die in the hospital each year from preventable medical mistakes. Further, a report on Medicare patients in hospitals found that the hospital staff did not report a very large number of the mistakes causing harm to patients. The current methods of identifying and reporting hospital mistakes are presented as well as Medicares step of restricting payment for the entire cost associated with 10 hospital acquired conditions.

18. Poll:: Upbeat Baby Boomers Say Theyre Not Old Yet ,Terre Haute Tribune-Star, 2011.

The article examines current baby boomers who are now approaching the retirement years to determine their view of aging; what age they consider to be the start of old age, and how they are viewing their forthcoming retirement years.

UNIT 5:: Retirement:: American Dream or Dilemma?

19. Will Baby Boomers Phase Into Retirement? , Julie I. Tacchino, Journal of Financial Service Professionals, 2013.

This article addresses phased retirement and why it can be beneficial to both employees and employers. A phased retirement is a variety of employment arrangements that allow retirees to continue working at reduced workloads while gradually shifting from full-time work to full-time retirement.

20. Live For Today, Save For Tomorrow, Carla A. Fried, AARP The Magazine, 2011/2012.

The author presents the advantages of individuals continuing to work into their 60s and beyond their anticipated retirement age. She points out that the longer you work in your 60s and 70s, the less you need to have saved for retirement prior to that time. Moreover, she observes the greater the number of years you delay retiring and drawing from your accumulated retirement funds, the larger your retirement savings is going to grow.

21. 5 Ways to Make Your Retirement Not Suck, Ann Brenoff, Huffington Post, 2014.

The author suggests there are five ways to make the transition to retirement easier. These include:: where to live, saving money, living on a budget, making accommodations to an existing home, and lowering expectations.

22. Recordkeeping for Retirement Starts with MySSA, Kenn Beam Tacchino, Journal of Financial Service Professionals, 2014.

The author suggests that encouraging clients to plan retirement by providing an array of documents necessary for a smooth transition includes registering at the website of the Social Security Administration, and using the tab MySSA. The author further describes how the site can be accessed and how an account is created. The information provided through MySSA includes accurate earnings statements, accessing errors, and ensuring that benefits are accurate.

UNIT 6:: The Experience of Dying

23. A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Engagement in Late-Life Widowhood, Linda M. Isherwood, Debra S. King, and Mary A. Luszcz, International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 2012.

This article examines the extent to which social engagement contributes to the adjustment of bereaved family members following the death of a spouse. Frequency of phone contacts with children and participation in social activities are examined to see if their frequency increased or decreased for widows following the death of their spouse.

24. Finding Common Ground to Achieve a Good Death, Amy Tan and Donna Manca, BMC Family Practice, 2013.

This study examines the experiences of family physicians when they conflict with the surrogate decision-maker of a dying patient. The findings suggest that family physicians desire for their dying patients to achieve a good death. This process includes building mutual trust and rapport, understanding one another, and making informed and shared decisions with patients and their families.

25. Six Steps to Help Seniors Make the CPR/DNR Decision, Viki Kind, CSA Journal, 2012.

This article suggests that there are six steps on the decision-making spectrum that will assist older adults in writing their advance healthcare directives. These are decisions that should be made prior to experiencing a medical crisis regarding the choice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), or the request of do not resuscitate (DNR).

26. ‘Affordable Death in the United States:: An Action Plan Based on Lessons Learned from the Nursing Economic$ Special Issue, Christine T. Kovner et al., Nursing Economics, 2012.

An eight-point action plan is proposed for lowering costs associated with end-of-life health care in the United States, as well as improving the quality of life experienced by patients and their families. The two major features of the action plan include the expansion of hospice, and palliative care and the increased use of advance directives.

27. Palliative Care:: A Paradigm of Care Responsive to the Demands for Health Care Reform in America, Deborah Witt Sherman and Jooyoung Cheon, Nursing Economics, 2012.

Palliative care and hospice care are part of a continuum of care; palliative care is provided at any time during the illness trajectory, while hospice is offered at end of life. This article points out that palliative care is an economic imperative in reducing the cost of health care and the promotion of quality of life.

28. Palliative Care:: Impact on Quality and Cost, Jessica D. Squazzo, Healthcare Executive Magazine, 2013.

This article suggests that palliative care can improve the quality of care, communication, and coordination for critical patients, and has the potential to reduce the reliance on emergency rooms. Palliative care is a unique, team-oriented approach.

UNIT 7:: Living Environment in Later Life

29. Creating Communities That Support Healthy Aging, Nancy LeaMond, American Public Human Services Association Policy & Practice, 2013.

The author discusses the challenges communities face when their residents are aging. One challenge is the need for infrastructure that accommodates the needs of aging residents. AARP offers pointers to community leaders that suggest they acknowledge an aging population, avoid a wait and see attitude, and seek successful community models to assist in making communities livable at any age.

30. Happy Together, Sally Abrahms, AARP Bulletin, 2011.

The author points out that as the baby boomers reach their retirement age, they are dismayed by the thought of moving into assisted living or nursing home facilities. The common denominator of emerging and still to be created models of residential senior citizen communities are the desires for common interest, values, and resources where neighbors know and care about one another and will assist them as they age. The variety of neighborhood and communities that are emerging for senior residents are presented in this article.

31. City Governments and Aging in Place:: Community Design, Transportation and Housing Innovation Adoption, Amanda J. Lehning, The Gerontologist, 2012.

This article discusses what characteristics of community design, housing, and transportation innovations that city government could adopt to benefit older adults who want to continue living in the city.

32. The Real Social Network, Martha Thomas, AARP The Magazine, 2011.

In 2001, Bostons Beacon Hill neighborhood began a village movement. This socialization trend is growing rapidly. Aging persons stay in their own homes. Their village organizes services like those in retirement communities. Connectedness to neighbors allows for home maintenance, transportation, health care, and other social networking.

33. AARPs Network of Age-Friendly Communities, aarp.org, 2012.

This article suggests that as the population ages, communities need to adopt progressive measures in public policy and infrastructure to meet the needs of their residents. AARPs Network of Age-Friendly Communities assists communities to become age-friendly by adopting safe neighborhoods, accessible services, transportation, housing, and other assistance.

UNIT 8:: Social Policies, Programs, and Services for Older Americans

34. End-of-Life Care in the United States:: Current Reality and Future Promise – A Policy Review, Lisa A. Giovanni, Nursing Economics, 2012.

This article examines the present state of end-of-life care with consideration of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the impact on end-of-life practices and policies in the U.S. The author concludes that based on current healthcare policy, end-of-life care is neither recognized nor endorsed in current policies.

35. iHubs:: A Community Solution to Aging in Place, Beth Roalstad, Generations, 2014.

iHub is an intergenerational concept with a mission to collaborate with community stakeholders to organize resources, public policy and citizen efforts to address the increase in the aging population in Colorado Springs.

36. Social Security Twist for Boomers with Public, Private Jobs, Amanda Alix, USA Today, 2014.

This articles discusses the Windfall Elimination Provision of Social Security. This provision specifically affects older adults who have worked in both private and public sectors prior to 1983. Older adults should be aware of this provision when planning for retirement.

37. Social Security Heading for Insolvency Even Faster ,Terre Haute Tribune-Star, 2012.

This article identifies the years when the Social Security and Medicare hospital insurance fund will run out of money at their current rate of expenditures. The effect of these programs running out of money will have on the economy and the lifestyle of older Americans are presented. The lawmakers not addressing any program changes needed to correct these problems were discussed.

38. Time for a Tune-Up, Jonathan Peterson, AARP Bulletin, 2012.

The author believes that in 21 years Social Security will only be able to pay three-fourths of its promised benefits. The author outlines 10 options that are on the policy table in Washington to avoid any future shortfall in Social Security funds available to the public.

39. Retooling Medicare , Patricia Barry, AARP Bulletin, 2012.

This article points out that politicians are eyeing Medicare as a spending program that is ripe for cuts to reduce the national deficit. Older Americans are viewed as a large group of voters who see Medicare as in their best interest.