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June 2008 Archives

June 2, 2008

Monkhouse Mondays: Social Climate Change

[Editor's Note: Dr. Thomas has invited Eden Alternative's Europe Coordinator Christa Monkhouse to guest-post on a weekly basis from across the Big Pond. Christa is personally responsible for introducing the Eden Alternative to Europe, first in the UK, then Denmark, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and soon in Sweden, Finland and other European nations. Stay-tuned for regular updates on 'Monkhouse Mondays'.]

The social climate change (cooling, not warming)......and it’s solution

I spent the last week in Vienna, Austria, springtime – lilac at it’s peak, roses budding – teaching Eden and attending the Iahsa European conference, listening and learning.

I had the privilege to meet with Prof. Ernst Gehmacher (82). He is member of the Austrian chapter of the Club of Rome for global sustainability and the most prominent person in Europe to measure social capital*. He is convinced that investment into building, nurturing and sustaining human relationships is more profitable (in Dollars and Euros) than "pure“ money investment. As a biologist and sociologist he has accumulated a wide database which clearly indicates that social capital is related to happiness, better health and lower health care costs.

The younger generation, who we confine to grow up in social isolation, their companion pieces of technology such as computers and the internet, is impoverished in terms of social capital, their social climate is getting colder, not warmer. Therefore we should start looking at our elders as providers and deservers of social capital, not just as cost and burden to society and bring the generations back together. And in the end, it will "pay off“ in human warmth and economic growth.

I agreed with him to measure the Eden-Alternative impact with his social capital measurement tools. I keep you posted on this.

*(defined as the sum of social relations at the micro-level such as friends and families, at the meso-level such as membership of clubs, parties and other associations and at the macro-level represented by culture, belief-systems, world- and spiritual views).

-- Christa Monkhouse at info@eden-europe.net

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 2, 2008 7:11 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 3, 2008

KGMB and the Genius of Aging

Watch the Video here...

DR THOMAS: This morning the Genius of Aging turns its attention to an important topic that frankly, doesn't get talked about enough, and that's elder abuse. And luckily, we've got Scott Spallina and Lei Shimizu. Thank you for coming in and talking with me about this, and you know, a lot of people don't really understand how big a problem elder abuse is, and I know you guys are hip deep in it every day. What's the story?

SCOTT: Well, you're absolutely right, that this is a grossly under-reported crime.

DR. THOMAS: It's a crime.

SCOTT: It is a crime, definitely. And that's why the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney set up the Elder Abuse Unit to deal specifically with these crimes, focusing on victims over the age of 60 years old.

DR. THOMAS: You know, a lot of times, bad things happen, between even people who love each other. It really is a crime. In a sense, it really is domestic violence, a different kind of domestic violence. Lei, you've worked with this for a long time.

LEI: A lot of times it's intergenerational transmission of family violence. You know like being a victim of child abuse, becoming a parent who's abusive, becoming a parent or a couple who abuses each other, like spousal abuse. And then, as an elder, you are abused and neglected and maltreated because of the generation of abuse.

DR. THOMAS: Right. And we've got to break the cycle.

SCOTT: They say that one fifth of all elder abuse crimes happen in a family. And we're talking about not only spouses but about adult children. In a case I was recently prosecuting in Hawaii, was an elder adult son who beat up his 69-year-old mother, because she did not clean the bathroom to his liking, and be broke her orbital bone. When the police arrived at the scene, she was forced to crawl out the window.

DR. THOMAS: Wow. I'm a geriatrician, I mean I love elders, it's my calling in life. It makes my blood boil. It must be tough, getting through a day at work sometimes, but, even all of the details you're dealing with, there's a whole bunch more that's not being reported.

SCOTT: Exactly. Elder abuse right now is where domestic violence was 30 years ago. And even now we're having trouble convincing the public that there's a problem with domestic violence. So, to even mention elder abuse, we're like 30 years behind the curve. We're trying to model our program after successful programs on the Mainland, but they've been working at it for over a decade.

DR. THOMAS: We will, we will catch up. I mean I am swearing. This is really important, and you know Lei, you said that a lot of times people don't report the crime because they're dependant on the person who's committing the crime.

LEI: They're dependant on their caregiver. It's the cultural nature that we have in Hawaii, and you know that it's shameful to say that you are abused by your son or your daughter. You know it's just incredible…

DR. THOMAS: So neighbors, I mean I think both of you agree. Neighbors, other family members, friends, ministers, anybody should have their eyes pealed, really.

SCOTT: Exactly. And there's that saying that what happens behind closed doors, every man's home is his castle. That doesn't apply to domestic violence. It does not apply to elder abuse. There's no shame when you're the victim of a crime. You need to get help. That's whey the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney is working with the police department, is working with Elder Affairs, is working with Adult Protective Services.

DR. THOMAS: I am so with you on this and I, you know, I'd love to see the day come when this, when the sunlight is out on the topic, people can talk about it, there's no shame, people can report it, because quite frankly, it's one of the great dangers people face in old age is winding up in a situation where you're dependant on somebody who commits acts of violence or neglect against you, so…

SCOTT: Well you remember that the seniors of our community are our greatest resources. And they need the protection, they need every protection we can give them.

DR. THOMAS: I'm like so proud, I mean I want to come to your office, I want to work with you guys, I love you!

SCOTT: We'll give you a badge.

DR. THOMAS: I'm on it.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 3, 2008 6:36 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 4, 2008

Eden International

Hey Everybody, Jude and I are attending the Eden Alternative International conference in Columbus Ohio.

This video was made by Steve Lemoine. Steve is a tremendous leader and he has done an enormous amount of work to make this possible.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 4, 2008 6:44 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 5, 2008

Let's Not Forget

Let's not forget that John McCain was an enthusiastic supporter of George Bush's plan to privatize Social Security.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 5, 2008 6:54 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 6, 2008

Power-Up Friday: Changing Aging

The 4th Eden Alternative International Conference will be winding down today. It may take me a while to digest all of the wonderful things I’m experiencing. However, one story from the past came to mind today:

It was six or seven years ago and I was at a Pioneer Network Gathering in Rochester. I found myself sitting in a conference room late at night, conversing with Bill Thomas and renowned elder advocate Carter Williams. Bill was regaling us with tales of his recent Eden bus tour across America.

All of a sudden, Bill paused and said, “You know what’s occurred to me? I’ve realized that it’s not enough to change nursing homes. We have to change society’s view of aging.”

My initial response was mild exasperation, and I thought to myself, “Just as we’re starting to make some noise with the Eden Alternative, leave it to Bill to push things to an impossible level!”

Fast forward to 6/5/08. I sat in the general session yesterday morning and listened to the stories and looked at the faces around me.

And I remembered that night. And I thought, “Damned if we aren’t doing just that! We really are changing aging in our society!”

Sometimes you don’t know where you’re going until you can look back and see where you’ve been.

-- Al Power

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 6, 2008 7:56 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 9, 2008

Monkhouse Mondays: Exalted standards

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to be invited to the re-opening of the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zürich, Switzerland. It had been restored to it’s former glory by it’s visionary proprietor, the renovation taking four years to complete. Everyone knows that the Dolder is "THE place to stay“, a true benchmark in global tourism. On it’s website it rightfully prides itself to meet "exalted standards“.

During the 4th Eden-Alternative international Conference in Columbus, Ohio last week I learned from many organisations and individuals how they strive to make their nursing homes and their surrounding communities into "THE place to live“ for frail Elders and I got the impression that these efforts will lead to Eden being perceived as the "Dolder“, the desirable global standard. The only difference is that while one Dolder Grand Hotel will do, we will need many many more "Edens“. In comparison with today’s prevailing nursing home standards, Eden might indeed sound exalted – but – given what I learned at the conference - not for very much longer.

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 9, 2008 9:19 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Changing Aging Bloggers

[Editor's Note: Dr. Bill asked me to post this photo of the Changing Aging blog team from the Eden Alternative International Conference in Columbus, Ohio last week -- From left to right: Christa Monkhouse, Eden Alternative European Coordinator; Dr. Bill Thomas; Jane Verity, who will be blogging about aging issues in Australia and Scandanavia; and longtime Changing Aging contribute Dr. Al Power.]

Permalink |Comments (0)

Next Step

Eden Alternative Executive Director Nancy Fox is moving on up and out and will be leading the culture change journey for Pinon Management starting next month.

This was her last International meeting as ED.

Nancy will remain on as an Eden Mentor and will be based in Denver --- the host city for the 21012 Eden International meeting.

She is a wise, thoughtful and skilled leader.

In the photo I have just finished thanking her from the podium.

Onward!

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 9, 2008 1:33 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 10, 2008

Food and Energy

You are going to be hearing from me about the concept of...

Diachronic Competition

and its cousin

Diachronic Cooperation

This relates to competition and cooperation across time.

Here is an interview that places oil production into a cross generational context.

"When you think about how unique oil is in terms of its chemistry, its energy density...to think that what we're doing with it is simply pulling it out of the ground and burning it as fast as we possibly can seems utterly outrageous. This is the most unintelligent thing we could possibly do with this amazing stuff.

Possibly, future generations will be able to think of interesting things to do with this stuff, but they probably won't have the chance because there won't be any left.

You could call this diachronic competition. We who are alive today are in competition with our own descendents. We are actively reducing the survival opportunities of our own children and grandchildren."

More here.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 10, 2008 6:37 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 11, 2008

Bridging the Gap Between Generations

Last month I shared an email from a tremendous high school senior in California, Carrie Ryan. I asked Carrie to send me updates about her initiative, Bridging the Gap Between Generations. Carrie is graduating from her high school this month but she's leaving behind an amazing legacy. Carrie tells her story below:

Dr. Thomas,
So, because of the excitement around the starting of my organization, I forgot to tell you both how I was propelled into this idea for Bridging the Gaps!

My grandfather, one of the most important and influential people in my life, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. As difficult as it was for me, I found myself drawn to take care of him. Even when he was put in a home, I found every way possible to be near him.

I constantly volunteered at Monte Vista Grove Homes, where he was living at the time, and not only visited with him, but with the other residents as well. I started to realize how happy I was surrounded by them and how happy I was making them. The relationship was mutually beneficial on both sides!

So, I started to work at Monte Vista Grove Homes as Activities Coordinator. Throughout my years of volunteering and working, I developed a large interest and passion for aging. Simultaneously, my English teacher, Ed Raines, who is quite the visionary, came up with a new course Aging in Literature. Although I was extremely excited about the course, many of my classmates did not share my interest, and with the low number of people signed up, the course did not run.

Luckily though, with my passion and interest in aging and my teacher's willingness to run the course with me independently, I added Aging in Literature to my schedule as an independent study. Throughout this past semester of my senior year, I have read "W;t" by Margaret Edson, "King Lear," "The Remains of the Day," "The Sandbox," and "The Death of Ivan Illych."

This course has transformed my life and outlook. With the help of Mr. Raines, who has encouraged me and inspired me to continue with my passion and interest for the elderly, my independent study has spurred me into creating Bridging the Gap Between Generations. It has been with my understanding of issues surrounding aging in the literature I have read that I have been able to find the knowledge and understanding necessary to create my organization.

Now with Bridging the Gaps, working with the eldelry will become a service learning component to the school. Students from technology classes and even the Aging in Literature seminar (which will be running next year! YAY!), will be volunteering over at Monte Vista Grove Homes.

I have found that the experiences I have had working and volunteering over at Monte Vista have transformed my life and I wish that the girls at my school can share the same powerful experiences! And, with these experiences, the girls will be able to better understand and empathize with the elderly, causing a greater connection and bond to form!

I thought I might share this with you, although a very long email, because it is the fuel that drives my project! Hope this helps!

Carrie Ryan

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 11, 2008 8:05 AM |Permalink |Comments (2)

June 12, 2008

Sleep

[Editor's Note: Below is Dr. Thomas' latest health column published bimonthly on www.timegoesby.net. Thanks to Ronni Bennett for inviting Bill to become the TGB Geriatrician.]

The comments about age-related changes in sleep patterns posted in response to the piece I wrote on "Adaptation" reminded me of a patient I knew early in my practice.

She slept an average of 16 hours a day, mostly in blocks of three to four hours at a time. It was clear that she was not distinguishing between night and day and that caused all kinds of problems for her caregivers. I saw the patient regularly and the good news is that, over the next three months, she stared sleeping ten hours a day, almost all of them at night! Still, she was prone to napping in the middle of the day. I told the family not to worry-- napping is normal at her age.

Her mother and father were relieved by the changes, having a newborn baby in the house can be tough! It turns out that how we sleep changes as we age. Toddlers do not sleep in the same way a newborn does, nor does the eighty year old experience sleep the same way a thirty year old does.

So what do we need to know about age related changes in sleep patterns?

1) Not surprisingly, older people are more likely to develop sleep related medical disorders than younger people. Here are a few of the more common disorders along with their definitions.

Nocturnal Leg Cramps: This involves sudden, painful cramping of one or both calf muscles during sleep. The cramp can last for as many as 10 minutes, and the resulting pain from the cramp can last for much longer.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD): The person is in REM (dreaming) sleep and acts out violent dreams through body movements and sounds. This disorder generally occurs in older men, but can occur in others as well.

Sleep Bruxism: Also known as teeth grinding during sleep, sleep bruxism is when a person involuntarily grinds or clenches their teeth while sleeping. This can lead to teeth wear and jaw discomfort. The method for treating teeth grinding is usually a mouth guard that is worn during sleep.

Sleep Talking: This usually occurs during a sleep-wake transition of the sleep cycle. The person can utter sounds or even entire sentences. The sleeper generally does not remember doing this in the morning.

Sleep Apnea: Changes in upper airway muscle tone during sleep make breathing difficult. The person experiences shortness of breath, wakes up, breathes and falls back asleep. The pattern can recur hundreds of times a night.

Most of these "parasomnias" have effective treatments.

2) Much more common are sleep-related problems that are caused by medications and medical conditions. It's always a good idea to tell your doctor about how you are sleeping-- even if she doesn't ask and even if you are sleeping well. Few physicians pay enough attention to sleep related issues and patients are wise to raise the issue. Sometimes small changes in medical treatment can make a big difference in how I sleep. I remember being a doctor in training and prescribing a "water pill" to a patient of mine. It was the right drug, it was the right dose the trouble was that I told her to take it in the evening. She was up half the night running to be the bathroom because her doctor (me) didn't know what he was doing.

3) There are normal age-related changes in sleep and sleep patterns. The most important thing is to understand what is normal and what is not normal. Here is a short list of normal changes...

Sleep efficiency is the ratio of the total time we spend in bed (not counting amorous adventures) and the total time we spend sleeping. Sleep efficiency generally decreases with age.

Daytime napping increases with age. It's normal. Enjoy it. Get used to it. Take pride in it. In medical school we used to joke that medical training also teaches students the value of a good nap. I still enjoy a mid-day nap when the opportunity arises.

Phase Advance is the fancy medical term for the experience of going to bed earlier in the evening and waking up earlier in the morning. The sleep phase advances as we age. Many older people fall asleep early in the evening, yet awaken much earlier than desired in the morning and cannot fall back to sleep easily.

Changes in sleep can be merely annoying or they can represent a symptom of a more serious medical situation (heart failure, depression, etc.) Sometimes not even your doctor can be sure which is the case. The general rule I follow is that when changes in sleep patterns are merely annoying-- they are usually normal. When the changes cause real distress or are combined with other non-sleep related symptoms, it's time to make an appointment with your doctor.

Yawn.

I think I'll take a nap.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 12, 2008 6:06 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 13, 2008

Aging Well: Volunteers help preserve wilderness

Friends of Wilderness

A group of Routt County volunteers have found a way to indulge their love of wild places while helping protect those areas. Their organization, Friends of the Wilderness, assists the U.S. Forest Service by maintaining trails and educating the public about respecting local wilderness areas.
“Our volunteers axre so, so dedicated,” said Suzanne Munn, volunteer coordinator. “They just take personal responsibility for our wilderness out there — after all, it’s our land.”

The organization started about 10 years ago with a group of active retirees volunteering for the Forest Service. In 2001, the volunteers formed Friends of the Wilderness and established a formal partnership with the agency.

The group, which attained nonprofit status in 2007, has grown to more than 30 volunteers. Together, they put in about 2,000 volunteer hours in the Mount Zirkel, Sarvis Creek and Flat Tops Wilderness areas last year.

Current volunteers’ ages range from 50 to 73, though they welcome members of all ages.

“Every year it gets bigger and better, and we see more results and accomplishments,” Munn said. “We’d love to have more people come on board.”

Rest of Article Here

Aging Well? Yeah that's a division of Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association. I know these nurses and I can assure you that they are off the wall--- in a totally good way. I love the work they are doing. Keep an eye out for them-- more good stuff is coming our way.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 13, 2008 6:51 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Power-Up Friday:

A few weeks ago, I was reading a newsletter about global aging, and it expressed concern about the rapid rise in people with dementia worldwide, noting that it would be a particularly challenging issue in developing nations. Yesterday, I was looking at a grant application form, and it asked how my area of study might benefit "third world" cultures as well. All of this made me think of Binta.

In the wonderful, whimsical, Oscar-nominated short film "Binta y la Gran Idea", Binta is a child in a small Senegalese village. They have little technology and she attends a thatched, one-room school. Life is simple and close to nature. Community is everything.

One day, Binta learns about life in America. She tells her father of the land where people have so many fish that they don't need to help each other get food, and so much wealth that they guard it with guns. Her father gets a "grand idea", and recruits Binta to carry it out.

She works her way up the bureaucracy, from the village to the regional and national levels, and finally gets permission to carry out the grand idea: to adopt a child from the US, which they see as an "impoverished" country!

So thanks to Binta and her father, here's my "grand idea": In industrialized nations, our institutional approaches to dementia and aged care in general are impoverished. Maybe we should be asking what traditional societies can teach US about aging and the care of people with dementia. I'll bet they have a lot to say.

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 13, 2008 8:18 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 14, 2008

Obama Weighs In

From a speech in NC...

We’ll also eliminate income taxes for any retiree making less than $50,000 per year, because every senior deserves to live out their life in dignity and respect. And while John McCain wants to pick up where George Bush left off by trying again to privatize Social Security, I will never waver in my commitment to protect that basic promise as President. We will not privatize Social Security, we will not raise the retirement age, and we will save Social Security for future generations by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 14, 2008 5:19 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Big Changes Coming

Reuters surveys American's new interest in the bicycle...

U.S. cities that have long promoted bicycle use by commuters are now seeing a steady rise in the popularity of pedal power as gasoline prices soar.
Campaigns originally designed to cut down on traffic and pollution are now paying off for people looking for an option to driving with national gas prices averaging a record $4 per gallon.

People in cities such as Chicago, Washington and Portland, Oregon, can take advantage of bicycle lanes, bike-friendly transit systems and bike-parking locations built in recent years.

"Twelve years ago, I would bike down to City Hall and often it was a lonely ride," said Ben Gomberg, Chicago's bicycle program coordinator. "Today, there are often 17 or 18 riders stopped at the intersections."

Unlike Europeans, Americans use bikes for transport sparingly, even though 40 percent of personal trips in the United States are two miles or less, according to bicycle advocates.

In a country famous for its love of cars and driving, less than 1 percent of personal trips are by bike compared with up to 30 percent in some parts of Europe, campaigners say.

But rates of bike use in some U.S. cities are significantly higher thanks to recognition by urban planners of the environmental, economic and health benefits.

In Portland, widely regarded as America's most bike-friendly city, 5.4 percent of people said in a 2006 survey that the bicycle was their primary means of getting to work.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 14, 2008 6:33 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 16, 2008

Monkhouse Monday: Ageing Potential

[Editor's Note: Eden Alternative Europe Coordinator Christa Monkhouse guest-posts on a weekly basis from across the Big Pond. Christa helped introduce the Eden Alternative to Europe, first in the UK, then Denmark, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and soon in Sweden, Finland and other European nations. Stay-tuned for regular updates on 'Monkhouse Mondays'.]

Last week I received a much treasured present from a friend in South Africa, a bottle of red wine (2005 Shiraz DeGrendel Tijgerberg, Capetown) with two golden stickers indicating it is an award winner. Taking it out of its box and reading the enclosed leaflet, one phrase caught my attention: “Ageing potential 10 years”.

Being a discerning wine-enjoyer, not a wine expert, I looked up the phrase "ageing potential“ on the internet and found that it is a (somewhat artistic) prediction of how the wine will taste in a couple of years time based on the grape, the climate and soil conditions (intrinsic components), production, filling and storage conditions (extrinsic components). The assumption is that there are certain wines which improve with age, reaching their peak taste after a few or even many years.

Thinking about human ageing, I wonder if we replaced the declinist and ageist notion of ageing (extrinsic factors) with the ageing potential of wine, describing it as the synthesis of all human traits, talents and experiences (intrinsic value) and a new appreciation of them (extrinsic value), would we be able to describe a person of 55 or 60 not as old, but as a person with an “ageing potential of 25 to 35 years” and young people of twenty as having an aging potential of 65 to 75 years”?

-- Christa Monkhouse

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 16, 2008 3:25 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 17, 2008

Will McCain Privatize Social Security?

You be the judge...

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 17, 2008 6:54 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 18, 2008

Future Elders

These are the Elders of 2075...

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 18, 2008 6:09 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Ummmm... Wow.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 18, 2008 11:24 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Proud of Our Son

Our son, Zachary Thomas, graduated from high school last summer. After graduation, he decided to enlist in the United States Coast Guard. He is stationed on Lake Erie at Ashtabula. We are very proud of him.

Recently, the Commandant of the USCG stopped in at Station Ashtabula. The photo below was taken on that day.

Zachary is kneeling second from the left.

Their USCG's motto is Semper Paratus --- "Always Ready"

This is a video of some of the USCG's rescues.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 18, 2008 6:46 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 20, 2008

Power-Up Friday: Social Capital

Here is your beloved Power Up Friday post...

"The new currency won't be intellectual capital. It will be social capital - the collective value of whom we know and what we'll do for each other. When social connections are strong and numerous, there is more trust, reciprocity, information flow, collective action, happiness, and, by the way, greater wealth."
- James Kouzes

Thanks to Christa's 6/2 post, I've been looking into Dr. Ernst Gehmacher and other writings on social capital. As the quote above suggests, social capital and aging in community will be the touchstones for changing aging in the coming decades. Here are a few things I've learned:
- Pollack and von dem Knesebeck (2004) studied individual social capital in Germany and the US, measured as degree of participation, reciprocity and civic trust. They found that low social capital correlated with low self-reports of health, more depression and functional limitations.
- Nilsson (2006) looked at social capital among 1135 older adults in rural Bangladesh and found that low social capital was a significant predictor of poor quality of life. (It appears that this concept holds across cultures and socioeconomic strata.)
- A soon-to-be-published Harvard study, (Ertel, et al.), shows that increased social interaction slows memory loss in older adults.
As Dawn Carr concluded in a 2005 paper, aging should be viewed for its potential, not as a "problem". Society needs to invest in social capital for all, which means valuing the needs of elders, even though they may no longer be economically productive. Further, we need to recognize what elders can offer society and create opportunities for this reciprocity.
Gehmacher said it best in his position statement for the Club of Rome: A full social and community life is "a fundamental human right".
More on social capital and dementia next week....
-- Al Power

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 20, 2008 6:40 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 21, 2008

Home

My wife's sisters are visiting.
We sat on the back porch and talked.
A summer thunderstorm blew in from the west.
We retreated to the inside of the house.
It is good to be alive.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 21, 2008 5:37 PM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 23, 2008

What's Up in Tokyo?

Elder Porn

Besides his glowing complexion, Shigeo Tokuda looks like any other 74-year-old man in Japan. Despite suffering a heart attack three years ago, the lifelong salaryman now feels healthier, and lives happily with his wife and a daughter in downtown Tokyo. He is, of course, more physically active than most retirees, but that's because he's kept his part-time job — as a porn star.

Shigeo Tokuda is, in fact, his screen name — he prefers not to disclose his real name because, he insists, his wife and daughter have no idea that he has appeared in about 350 films over the past 14 years. And in his double life, Tokuda arguably embodies the contemporary state of Japan's sexuality: In surveys conducted by organizations ranging from the World Health Organization (WHO) to the condom-maker Durex, Japan is repeatedly found to be one of the most sexless societies in the industrialized world. A WHO report released in March found that one in four married couples in Japan had not made love in the previous year, while 38% of couples in their 50s no longer have sex at all. These figures were attributed to the stresses of Japanese working life. Yet, at the same time, the country has seen a surge in demand for pornography that has turned adult videos into a billion-dollar industry, with "elder porn" one of its fastest-growing genres.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 23, 2008 7:01 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 24, 2008

Old Old Age

This is crazy...

Professor Gloria Gutman has the kind of credentials that should guarantee a long, fruitful stay at the peak of her profession. She developed and directs the highly regarded Gerontology Research Centre at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. She's written or edited 20 books and more than 100 scholarly articles on such issues as housing for the elderly, dementia and long-term care. Her work is recognized beyond Canada's borders -- she's president of the International Association of Gerontology, representing organizations in 63 countries.

But last summer she faced a problem. On July 17 she turned 65. At Simon Fraser, as at many institutions and workplaces across Canada, that's the age of mandatory retirement. Happy birthday! Here's your watch, there's the door. One day you're 64, an internationally respected member of the faculty. The next, you're too old to be employed as an expert on aging.

How weird!

"I find it odious," Gutman says. "At whatever age we are, we should be judged on the basis of our competency."

In her view, Canada is tossing away a valuable part of its labour force. "It's insane when you figure what life expectancy is today," she says. "And look at demographics -- fertility rates are dropping. We need everybody to work who can work."

Increasingly, opinion leaders share that view. Mandatory retirement, once a hallmark of a prosperous and civilized society, now seems doomed by demographics. With too many old people and too few young, something's got to give. Even Canada's 66-year-old Prime Minister wants an end to mandatory retirement. It's a notion, however, that sends chills down the aching backs of some labourers bent over factory assembly lines, or office workers trapped in cubicleland, counting the months until their pension kicks in.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 24, 2008 6:48 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 25, 2008

Wired Elders

There is a new old age waiting to be born...

As a student at Columbia in the turbulent late 1960s, Bill Reed played a role in in the legendary occupation of campus buildings. Weeks later, he dressed as a cavalry officer and staged what he calls a "takeover of the campus sundial" - a protest against the protests. The proud descendant of an English horse thief who came to America on the Mayflower, Reed was, to take liberties with Jack Kerouac's description of the first hippies, the rucksack revolutionary's rucksack revolutionary.

These days, the 53-year-old entrepreneur ranks among Portland, Oregon's business elite. He has a restaurant, Billy Reed's American Grill, that dispenses roadhouse fare along with free Net access; an upscale residence with remote-controlled utilities and security; and, a few miles south in the suburb of Milwaukee, a $16 million rest home, Oatfield Estates.

As befits an aging rebel, Reed remains doggedly committed to socially and environmentally responsible projects. The walls of his eatery are cooled by well water and the tables topped with tropical hardwood scavenged from local shipyards. His house has solar heating, the garden is organic. And at Oatfield he's rallying his peers once again, this time in defiance of their biological destiny.

Oatfield, which opened in September 2000, is the country's first wired rest home. Perched on a hilltop in the shadow of the spectacular Mt. Hood, the facility comprises three (eventually to become eight) Swiss chalet-style residences, each including a kitchen, common areas, and fifteen apartment suites. Living spaces are outfitted with touchscreen-equipped PCs for surfing the Web, monitoring vital signs, and recalling names (tap a photo and up pops a personal profile). Computers are connected via Ethernet, and everything from lighting dimmers to ceiling fans can be remote-controlled. Caregivers, their families, and residents all live together and make decisions democratically about food and activities. It's a high tech commune for oldsters.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 25, 2008 6:50 AM |Permalink |Comments (2)

June 26, 2008

New Canterbury Tales

Heart is here...

In "A Place Called Canterbury," author Dudley Clendinen writes about the 400 days he spent at his mother's senior citizen apartment building/nursing home in Tampa, Fla., where the average age of its residents is 86. Clendinen became intimately involved with the lives of its residents and staff and weaved what has been described as a delightful soap opera.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 26, 2008 6:53 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 27, 2008

Hmong Aging

Another culture, another reality...

In the world of change where time and quality request financial independence, what will be the colour of our last age, the old age? Who will take care of us becoming old and disable? Worker in a post-industrial society, one only exists by the professional place, the capability to bring back home a salary. As for the Hmong traditional society, one only exists by the social recognition through the kinship and the number of descendants, and not the professional achievement. Reaching the old age, what will be one's life without work, strength to earn a living, family support and love? Beyond the institutional protections (the welfare, the Medi-Cal or Medicaid, the retirement), who will be the caring ones that, unfortunately, money cannot pay for?

Hmong people came from far, from a society promoting auto-sufficiency and interdependence to a society in transition where the individualization process develops new forms of solidarity and responsibility among its members: the notion of sufficiency or interdependence concerns more individuals than community growth. Nowadays, what are the duties of a child toward his/her parents? What kinds of expectation do parents have toward their children? In Hmong American communities, what are the needs of elderly people? Are they different in nature if compared to the ones in the traditional sittings in Southeast Asia? Is there any gap in term of understanding of the Elderly needs, the aging process, the notion of aging on behalf of the children toward their parents and vice versa? Is the senior home becoming the alternative choice for children to take care of their parents? Do elderly parents accept to live in these places?

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 27, 2008 6:55 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Power-Up Friday: Eden Care Partner Award

[Editor's Note: Guest-post from Al Power below]

Rochester New York's ABC affiliate, WOKR-TV, featured Eden International Care Partner Award recipient Gregory Payne on their "Bright Spot" to close the evening news on 6/25.

Known to those at St. John's Home as "Greg Grounds", Payne convenes a weekly "Green Thumb Society", helping the elders to start seedlings, and to plant flower and vegetable gardens at the home. The group also pots plants to deliver to visitors, and to those who cannot participate.

Greg read Bill's book, "In the Arms of Elders" several months ago, and became an instant Eden Champion. His work, (which as the news report suggests, comes straight from the heart), has touched the lives of all who live and work at St. John's.

To see the video, click here, and click on the 6/25/08 Bright Spot.

-- Al Power

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 27, 2008 10:41 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 30, 2008

Monkhouse Mondays: Normal or deficient – a matter of perspective!

My husband Lowell (Canadian) told me this story over breakfast (Sunday, summer morning, sitting outside, in sunny Switzerland near Lake Zürich).

During the early 1970’s he was working with a Canadian provincial government and they were attempting to implement the ideas of the Syracuse University Professor Wolf Wolfensberger who had written the book Normalization. They were developing the requisite services so that people with disabilities could live in the community and not in institutions. Once when visiting a Hutterite Colony with his boss, they saw a young man with Down-Syndrome. At that time this young man would have quite likely been living in an institution if not living on the commune. The boss asked the colony’s headman to tell him about “the young man over there”. The headman responded by saying "who, John the cattle herder?" That, in a nutshell, described the solution.

I drew immediate parallels to how we should treat our Elders today. Readers are invited to respond with their ideas and impressions.

-- Christa Monkhouse

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June 2008 Archives

June 2, 2008

Monkhouse Mondays: Social Climate Change

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 2, 2008 7:11 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 3, 2008

KGMB and the Genius of Aging

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 3, 2008 6:36 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 4, 2008

Eden International

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 4, 2008 6:44 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 5, 2008

Let's Not Forget

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 5, 2008 6:54 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 6, 2008

Power-Up Friday: Changing Aging

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 6, 2008 7:56 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 9, 2008

Monkhouse Mondays: Exalted standards

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 9, 2008 9:19 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Changing Aging Bloggers

Next Step

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 9, 2008 1:33 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 10, 2008

Food and Energy

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 10, 2008 6:37 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 11, 2008

Bridging the Gap Between Generations

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 11, 2008 8:05 AM |Permalink |Comments (2)

June 12, 2008

Sleep

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 12, 2008 6:06 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 13, 2008

Aging Well: Volunteers help preserve wilderness

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 13, 2008 6:51 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Power-Up Friday:

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 13, 2008 8:18 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 14, 2008

Obama Weighs In

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 14, 2008 5:19 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Big Changes Coming

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 14, 2008 6:33 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 16, 2008

Monkhouse Monday: Ageing Potential

Posted by Kavan Peterson on June 16, 2008 3:25 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 17, 2008

Will McCain Privatize Social Security?

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 17, 2008 6:54 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 18, 2008

Future Elders

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 18, 2008 6:09 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Ummmm... Wow.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 18, 2008 11:24 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Proud of Our Son

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 18, 2008 6:46 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 20, 2008

Power-Up Friday: Social Capital

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 20, 2008 6:40 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

June 21, 2008

Home

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 21, 2008 5:37 PM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 23, 2008

What's Up in Tokyo?

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 23, 2008 7:01 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 24, 2008

Old Old Age

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on June 24, 2008 6:48 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

June 25, 2008