Living Well Blog

Archive for August, 2010

Series Overview: Growing Old, At Home….Where We Age

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Only 5 percent of Americans ages 65 and older live in group quarters like nursing homes. In recent years, this share has been steadily declining (based on 2008 American Community Survey data). Numbers do not total 100 due to rounding. In a series of reports, NPR explores the quiet revolution — both high-tech and low — that aims to make it easier for seniors to age at home.

Check the series
Part 1: ‘Villages’ Help Neighbors Age At Home
Part 2: High-Tech Aging: Tracking Seniors’ Every Move
Part 3: Wired Homes Keep Tabs On Aging Parents
Part 4: Building Homes to Age In

‘Villages’ Help Neighbors Age At Home

Monday, August 30th, 2010

In Chevy Chase, Md., Betty and Jack O’Connor are part of a growing number of people banding together to help each other grow old at home. Betty is 80, Jack, 85, and it’s something of a triumph that they’re still living independently in their suburban house, with its backyard garden and pool. Jack suffered a brain injury in a fall five years ago. Since then, a hip replacement has left him frail, and an allergic reaction to the anesthesia in that operation stole even more of his memory. NPR Radio emission by Jennifer Ludden.

Read more

High-Tech Aging: Tracking Seniors’ Every Move

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Lida and Chris Bridgers created Adaptive Home, an elder care monitoring system that uses sensors to track movement around a home. Their company grew out of their own need to monitor Lida’s mother, Flora Roberts after a stroke.
Learn more

Wired Homes Keep Tabs On Aging Parents

Monday, August 30th, 2010

A New Paradigm: High Tech to help people to age in place. This article shows how the boomer generation that has grown up with e-mail, cell phones and video cameras is now using all of these things to help care for their aging parents.  A NPR radio emission by Jennifer Ludden

Read more

Building Homes to Age In

Monday, August 30th, 2010

As Americans live longer than ever, some will find it difficult to stay in their beloved homes: Steep stairs or a slippery shower can pose dangers, and standard houses are not wheelchair accessible. One solution? With 78 million baby boomers about to hit retirement age, some say the time is ripe to overhaul the way homes are designed. A NPR radio emission by Jennifer Ludden

Read more

International Symposium on Healthy Aging: Monday, September 13, 1pm-5pm

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Co-Sponsored by: UCB School of Public Health; the UCB Retirement Center; the Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services, School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley; UCB Resource Center on Aging; UCB Osher Lifelong Learning Institute; Kazamashobo Publishing, Co. Ltd.

The Symposium on Healthy Aging will address three issues. The first is to clarify predictors of longevity among older adults in the United States, Sweden, and Japan. The second is to examine healthy aging among immigrants in the United States, Sweden, and Japan. Lastly, we will propose recommendations for health care policies for diverse older adults, making use of the perspectives from these three countries.

Please note: seating is limited, so please respond as soon as possible. RSVP with your name and email address to Kazumi Hoshino, Ph.D., planning committee member, at hoshino@berkeley.edu by September 9, 2010.

See the program

2011 Bay Area Senior Games

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Make a note: 2011 Bay Area/CA State Senior Games!

The games will be March 26-30, 2011, held mostly at Stanford University

Here’s a representative video from the 2010 Games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAk7Q3nNvPI&feature=channel