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November 2008 Archives

November 1, 2008

Aging 100 Students Click Below

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 1, 2008 7:03 AM |Permalink |Comments (14)

November 3, 2008

Tourism as Everyday Life

This just in from Janice Blanchard...

HUGH BARTLING Public Policy Studies Program, DePaul University, Illinois, USA While tourist spaces are most traditionally associated with decidedly transitory and commercial enterprises like amusement parks or resort districts, the logic of tourism is permeating into other arenas of socio-spatial design. One of the more intriguing aspects of this trend is evident in the development of themed planned communities. Unlike the theme park where visitors are implicitly asked to ‘exit reality’ to take part in a collective fantasy, the themed planned community is a heterotopia with a much more pronounced ‘permanent’ quality. In a housing market driven by private capital, theming strategies associated with tourism are being increasingly utilized by developers for distinguishing their properties.

Poet Frederick Mercury had this to say on the subject...

Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see-
Im just a poor boy, i need no sympathy-
Because Im easy come,easy go,
A little high, little low,
Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me,
To me

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 10:43 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Monkhouse Monday

Tiedoli, Italy: A mountain village comes back to life

In Switzerland, like anywhere in the Alps, there is lots of tourism but little „local life“, some of the mountain villages look abandoned and lonely between the seasons. Not so in northern Italy, in the village of Tiedoli. An almost abandoned stone-house village is now the home for elders, yes, very frail elders, but also the fertile field of human, animal and nature relationships, and now, of course, new jobs, tourism and small businesses. Read the full story here: http:/http://www.lecaseditiedoli.it/index.php?langsito=eng

Strem, Austria: A wine-growing village at the Austro-Hungarian border is growing

A similar story can be reported from Austria, the village of Strem has built a small nursing home and is now expanding it to an intergenerational village. The same here; new jobs, no away-migration, new housing for young families, more revenue. What cannot be quantified is how the souls of elders returning to the village enrich all generations. Read the CEO’s, Mr. Peter Kalmans presentation at the 2008 Iahsa Vienna conference here:
Both projects have been a long and continuing struggle, involved lots of courage and resilience, the initiators deserve public recognition and praise. Anybody aware of a suitable medal which can be pinned to their chests?

What else is there to say other than: be inspired and copy!

Christa Monkhouse

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 11:05 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

"If it's unemotional, is it Art?"

A Google image search for "unemotional art" turned up this image...

In general, I am willing to believe art "without emotion" can possess aesthetic merit.

Others may disagree.

(H/T EL)

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 2:25 PM |Permalink |Comments (2)

Brave Sir Robin

John McCain’s first rally of the day, in Tampa outside Raymond James Stadium, only drew about 1,100 people. Local reporters noting that at almost the same spot just before the 2004 election, President Bush drew about 15,000 people. Two weeks ago, Obama drew an estimated 8,000.
Republican Gov. Crist, who had previously agreed to do interviews with CNN and various local affiliates, bolted right after the rally with no explanation.

Gov. Crist fleeing the scene reminded me of this...

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 3:07 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

"Toots" Has Passed

Senator Obama's grandmother died today. As the blogger Eschaton has observed...

Obama's going into this without any of his guardians left - father, mother, stepfather, grandmother, grandfather.

Hard times and an election still to win.

Better Days

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 5:16 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Something is Happening Here

The Crabby Old Lady gets it, as usual...

Did you see the long lines of people waiting to vote early over the weekend? People in at least one city lined up starting at 6AM for a 10AM opening at a polling station. In some states, millions have already voted. One TV news show reported that by the time polls open Tuesday morning, one-third of Americans will have voted.
As the Buffalo Springfield sang a long time ago, “Something’s happening here.”

And something IS happening. I sense something new in the zeitgeist, a seriousness and urgency among the people. After eight years of the disastrous administration of George W. Bush that has bankrupted the country, killed thousands of our young people, decimated the military, transferred billions of dollars in wealth to corporations and one percent of the populace while impoverishing the middle class and gutting the Constitution, we are at a turning point.

More Here

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 8:20 PM |Permalink |Comments (2)

November 4, 2008

American Pie

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 4, 2008 3:14 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 5, 2008

The Morning After

Janice Blanchard offers her deeply heartfelt thoughts on the new direction our nation took on Election night 2008. I share her sentiments completely...

All of my life, I have felt ten years behind the rest of my generation– the 76-million-strong Baby Boom Generation.

In November 1963, when John F. Kennedy was tragically murdered in Dallas, Texas, I was three and a half years old – and vaguely remember my mother crying during the middle of the day. In 1965, during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King’s March into Selma, I was in an all-white kindergarten in Wilmington, Delaware mostly oblivious to racial tensions and the vast prejudices and inequality that made up America. In 1968, through Walter Cronkite, I remember sitting with my father during the six o’clock news, scared but outraged by the unspeakable horror of the Vietnam War and moved by the anti-war protests that rocked our country – and deeply saddened by the deaths of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy Jr. In the summer of 1969, caught up in pre-adolescence and a popular culture on steroids, I distinctly remember wanting to go to Woodstock and wear halter tops and Yardley lipstick. In the early 1970s, during the peak of the Women’s Movement, I wanted to join Gloria Steinem and my sisters that were finding their voices and fighting for the equal rights of women.

But as each social justice movement came along that struck a chord deep within my soul, I was always just a few years too late. By the late 1970s, when I finally came of age, it was the” jaded age” – the Boomer Generation that had done so much to try and create positive change in the world in the 1960s had hit a collective wall, and turned to wrestle the demons within. We emerged in the 1980s into the World of the Yuppies and Reaganomics. In the 1990s, during the “Dem-Light” years of Clinton’s middle-of-the road ideals and politics, I finally got married, started a family, and turned to my career to find meaning -- forgetting and forsaking that deep yearning to be part of the collective conscious of creating deep and meaningful social change.

This past winter, at Denver University, I heard Barack Obama speak during the primaries. Within moments, I knew that all my life I had waited for this moment to arrive – that finally I was at the right place, at the right time and that my soul’s desire to align with others that want to make a positive difference in this world had finally come. Finally, it all somehow seemed to make sense. I would do whatever it would take to see this man to the Oval Office.

Tonight, as I watched state after state pledge their audacity of hope in Obama and the future of our tattered and threadbare nation, I feel deep gratitude to be given this opportunity to be part of a collective movement galvanized to create positive change in America and the world. Within every fiber of my being, I feel renewed and hopeful – and so very excited to be part of the change we have been waiting for.

Peace and Love, JB

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 5, 2008 11:00 AM |Permalink |Comments (2)

Obama in Japan

Emi Kiyota is a brilliant young researcher (we won't hold her age against her) with a bright career ahead of her. She did some of the foundational design investigations on the Green House model and now I can announce that she will be guest blogging with us.

Her main interests are aging and design and she has a strong background in Asia and Sri Lanka.

Here is her report on Japan's reaction to Obama's election...

In Japan, the reaction to Obama’s victory is mixed. Some are concerned about the uncertainty of posture toward Japanese politics, others are welcoming the change and hope he is bringing to the world.

Prime Minister Aso commented:

‘Working together with President-elect Obama, I will strive to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance and to resolve various challenges the international community faces when addressing issues such as the international economy, terrorism and the environment,’’

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) commented:

"There's the chance for Mr. Obama to tackle President Bush's regressive stance on global warming and disarmament. On these issues, we can look forward to a new strengthening of Japan-U.S. ties."

Among the various comments stated by the Japanese leaders, Mr. Hatoyama's (Democratic Party of Japan) stood out.

“American people have made a great history by overcoming racism and elected an African American president. This victory reminded Japanese people that true democracy still strongly stays alive in America. “

I could not agree more on his comment.

While I was watching Obama’s speech and looking at tears of my husband who is from the Ivory Coast, I was reminded that “this is the America I always imagined when I was growing up in Japan.” Overcoming obstacles and bring about positive changes for freedom and democracy was always the image of American society. I was pleased to witness this American value last night.

This historical event gave me a hope to bring about the change in elder care in the world.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 5, 2008 8:08 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Obama in Japan

Her main interests are aging and design and she has a strong background in Asia and Sri Lanka.

Here is her report on Japan's reaction to Obama's election...

In Japan, the reaction to Obama’s victory is mixed. Some are concerned about the uncertainty of posture toward Japanese politics, others are welcoming the change and hope he is bringing to the world.

Prime Minister Aso commented:

‘Working together with President-elect Obama, I will strive to further
strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance and to resolve various challenges the international community faces when addressing issues such as the international economy, terrorism and the environment,’’

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) commented:

"There's the chance for Mr. Obama to tackle President Bush's regressive stance on global warming and disarmament. On these issues, we can look forward to a new strengthening of Japan-U.S. ties."

Among the various comments stated by the Japanese leaders, Mr. Hatoyama's (Democratic Party of Japan) stood out.

“American people have made a great history by overcoming racism and elected an African American president. This victory reminded Japanese people that true democracy still strongly stays alive in America. “

I could not agree more on his comment.

While I was watching Obama’s speech and looking at tears of my husband who is from the Ivory Coast, I was reminded that “this is the America I always imagined when I was growing up in Japan.” Overcoming obstacles and bring about positive changes for freedom and democracy was always the image of American society. I was pleased to witness this American value last night.

This historical event gave me a hope to bring about the change in elder care in the world.

I have attached the image of the “Obama victory party” by residents in Obama city, Fukui, Japan

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 5, 2008 8:08 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 7, 2008

Power Up Friday

Tuesday's election was certainly evolutionary. Was it also revolutionary? This group thinks so:

Here's another great video of the 106 year-old Obama voter.

-- Al Power

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 7, 2008 5:30 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Power Up Friday #2

St. John's home got a nice story on BBC News today. here's the web version:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7711794.stm

There will be a TV and radio version broadcast as well.

AP

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 7, 2008 5:30 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 10, 2008

Monkhouse Monday; LIfe - a Stepladder?

Life – a Stepladder?

This is a translated text written by Alice Liber (83) Switzerland, founder of the „New Panther Club“ in Zürich and a strong supporter of the Eden-Alternative®. This is her reflection on ageing:

„As I was trying to sort through my papers I found a picture of my grandmother with her stepladder. Three steps up, a small platform on top, three steps down. Birth on one side, death on the other side, the stepladder was a symbol for life how it was perceived until the beginning of the last century, one had two lives, childhood/youth, grown up. Because, after school, one worked until one died.

In Switzerland in 1948 old age pension was introduced and since then we have had three ages. The European Union now talks about the fourth and fifth age and we are back on the stepladder, seven steps.
But in Switzerland gerontologists still talk about three ages. 50+ and you are old and need care. Some researchers even talk about 45+ where you start to need advice and care. I have no understanding for this.

Many people I know are 60, 70, 80 and over, full of life, even their faces are smooth, they look like 40 or 50. I read that in the US this age is much kinder called „extended middle age“, a decidedly friendlier notion. In Switzerland, you remain 50+. Never before so many studies about aging have been conducted, the stepladder turns into a ladder, up up up until you are 50+, after that, you fall down, open ended falling.

And here is where the notion of care comes in. People ask you strange questions: What is your former occupation? How do you spend your spare time? Why do you still want to learn things? At your age it does not lead to anything, where do you experience unnecessary limitations and challenges in your life?

Such questions are confusing and demeaning for an old person. My former occupation? Why former? It is still part of me, my experience never goes away. I am never bored, so why do I have to fill my "spare“ time? And my curiosity to learn, to learn everyday, will never leave me, a year ago I just got acquainted with the internet.

Sometimes I wonder if other normal people who work with us and for us see us the same way?

Alice Liber (83) alice.liberATgmx.ch
(Translation from German Christa Monkhouse)

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 10, 2008 5:30 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 11, 2008

Time and Time Enough

This is a very good mashup. Please consider investing the 6.5 minutes it takes to watch it to the end.

We are storytelling animals and we make eager use of whatever elements we find available to us.

Thoughts?

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 11, 2008 6:35 AM |Permalink |Comments (4)

November 12, 2008

Robotic Care

A Japanese research group consisting of University of Tokyo and Toyota Motor Company invented a robot that can perform household tasks at home. This robot can complete daily tasks including laundry, carrying dishes on the tray, or cleaning.

According to the researchers, they developed this robot to help elders who live alone. Users can program this robot to perform certain tasks in advance, so that necessary daily household tasks can be completed for them.
It is projected that this robot will be available for commercial use in ten years with more sophisticated functions, and the price will be about $10,000.
When I saw this press release, I was a bit worried about the future prospects of elder care in Japan.
Although we need help to complete our daily tasks in order to age in place, we need much more than that to feel our life is worth living. What we need can be as simple as having a cup of coffee with others once in a while. This robot can serve a cup of coffee for me, but it cannot replace the person who sits in front of me and chats with me. (I do not think that I would enjoy talking to a robot every day…)
This robot is a great invention from a functional point of view, yet we should also be mindful about meeting elders’ “emotional needs.”
Can anyone develop a “meaningful relationship” with a robot?

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 12, 2008 6:00 AM |Permalink |Comments (4)

Blanchard WinsdDays

Aging in Community neighborhoods intend to be:

INCLUSIVE – welcome people of all ages, ethnicities and abilities, especially elders
SUSTAINABLE – commited to a lifestyle that is sustainable environmentally, economically, and socially
HEALTHY – encourage wellness of the mind, body and spirit
ACCESSIBLE - provide easy access to the home and community (e.g. universal design features, accessible transportation)
INTERDEPENDENT – foster reciprocity & mutual support between family, friends, neighbors and the community
ENGAGED – promote opportunities for civic and social engagement, education, and creative expression

-- Janice Blanchard

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 12, 2008 1:22 PM |Permalink |Comments (1)

November 14, 2008

Power-Up Friday: A Staggering Question of Health Care Ethics

In the latest issue of Health Affairs, medical technology is highlighted and many questions are raised. A study from Stanford reports that even though the use and cost of MRI and CT scans have increased dramatically since 1995, there is little evidence to suggest that there has been an impact on overall health care or mortality outcomes.

The explosion of medical imaging technology since my medical school days is absolutely staggering. Nevertheless, our infatuation with the latest and greatest machines sometimes keeps us from critically examining just how useful they are in the larger scheme of things. With increasingly tough economic questions being asked, these types of studies will put our health care practices under greater scrutiny in the days to come.

Nowhere is this more important than in the care of older adults. Changing medical conditions and life expectancy put even further constraints on the usefulness of diagnostic testing, as comfort and quality of life concerns begin to overshadow the ability to cure disease. A recent task force on colon cancer screening, for example, has recommended it not be done routinely in people over 75, and similar guidelines for prostate cancer suggest that people with a life expectancy of fewer than ten years not be screened.

The point is that we need to look at each individual in terms of their own situation, their prognosis and life goals, before blindly walking through the available diagnosis and treatment options. This requires practitioners to know their patients well and to initiate values-based discussions with each person before deciding how to proceed. These conversations alone may serve to cut the cost of health care dramatically.

Here's a great quote from A. L. Caplan (speaking about nursing homes), which is even more true 18 years after it was written:

"...ethics concerns not only questions of life and death but how one ought to live with and interact with others on a daily basis. The ethics of the ordinary is just as much a part of health care ethics as the ethics of the extraordinary. For the resident, the small decisions of daily life set the boundaries of his or her moral universe."

-- Al Power

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 14, 2008 7:03 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

November 15, 2008

Twittering

Here is what I am thinking. I know thousands of people all over the world with whom I share the passion for making life better for elders and elders in the making.

The trouble is that it can be hard to stay in touch, to stay connected.

The best answer to this dilemma that I have found is something called Twitter.

The irony is that we are all too busy (and too stressed) to read long e-mails and articles. We do, however, have time to stay in touch with short messages that are rooted in the moment.

That is what Twitter is all about. It is fun and funny and useful in a kind of strange way.

Right now there are 10 people who follow my twitter feed. My goal is to increase that to 100 people by New Year's Eve.

Do you think we can do it?

*Update 11/11*We now have 11 followers!

*Update 11/12* We now have 28 followers and counting!

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 15, 2008 11:16 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

November 17, 2008

Monkhouse Mondays: Europe's Last Witch Hunt

Anna Goeldi, Switzerland – The last witch executed in Europe – rehabilitated

Two-hundred and twenty-five years after the execution of Anna Goeldi, a maid in the then upper classes of a small town in central Switzerland, she was officially rehabilitated by the local government in June 2008. This move is significant and has attracted attention from the whole world. Anna Goeldis case is special, she was not „old and wise“ (one of the definitions for witches in the middle ages) but beautiful and attractive, clever and headstrong, she had affairs with local politicians, the doctor, the mayor, adultery was a crime and they would have lost their jobs, so they tried to get rid of her, she was tortured and beheaded.

This happened in a protestant area (witch-hunting was the craft of the Catholics, the Vatican has not apologised until today), years after the Europe-wide witchhunt was over. After much campaigning and political turmoil, Anna Goeldi was rehabilitated in 2008 (!) as a victim of judicial murder.

Watch a short video here (before the rehabilitiation):

and a newspaper story here.

I leave it to the (female) readers to judge what this story has to do with present times and our own, contemporary lives.

-- Christa Monkhouse

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 17, 2008 8:32 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

AGING 100 Students

Click on the AGING 100 button on the left to comment in the AGING 100 open thread discussion.

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 17, 2008 3:09 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 18, 2008

100 Second Mashup

Josh Marshall and his team at TPM host a regular feature called "The Day in 100 Seconds"

They offer an editorial on the day's news (or lack of news) that consists entirely of mashed up video clips from cable news networks.

See what you think...

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 18, 2008 6:43 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 19, 2008

Time Lapse Aging

Watch the aging process...

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 19, 2008 6:25 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Blanchard WinsDays: Swinging and Thinking

Bill and I have been collaborating the past couple weeks on an article for Generations, the quarterly publication for American Society on Aging.

Truth be told, the research and writing has been going on for 2 years. In the summer of 2006, with my 6-year-old twins Ben and Hannah in tow, we flew to upstate New York to Bill and Jude’s Summer Hill Retreat. With the kids off to day camp, I spent the day teasing out the concepts of “Aging in Community” a phrase to describe the grassroots movement of people creating new communities to intentionally nurture and support growing old, together. To describe and document in quasi-academic terms a new social phenomenon blossoming out of complex demographic, economic and social changes in 3000 words is not an easy task. Especially with Dr. Bill!

When writing about a new idea, one may find books and articles that define one aspect or another. But to describe the whole, requires something that one may or may not find in writing. In this case, it was in talking about community with Bill, Jude, and other colleagues that the principles and elements of this paradigm shift began to emerge. I found the most insightful conversations were not the scheduled times to hash out ideas in the office, rather the impromptu chats on the big porch swing.

It is a beautiful thing when two or more people gather informally together to articulate a new way of being in the world – and it needs no referencing!

Cheers – Janice Blanchard

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 19, 2008 7:42 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

November 20, 2008

WoW Election Preview

OK.

So there is something called Machinima. Here is the Wiki...

Machinima (pronounced /məˈʃiːnəmə/ or /məˈʃɪnəmə/),

is an example of emergent gameplay, a process of putting game tools to unexpected ends, and of artistic computer game modification. The real-time nature of machinima means that established techniques from traditional film-making can be reapplied in a virtual environment. As a result, production tends to be cheaper and more rapid than in keyframed CGI animation.

As machinima begins to break out of the underground community of gamers and becomes more widely recognized by mainstream audiences, tools are being developed to allow for faster and easier creation of machinima productions. A number of upcoming machinima products are expected to provide machinimators with original assets, as well as advanced features such as a timeline, gesture and sound creation, and precise camera tools.

This mashup combines

World of Warcraft.
Machinima
Presidential Politics

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 20, 2008 6:14 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

What Are Old People For? Live BLog

Guest Live blogger LU!

2:30 pm Here we go

2:35 pm What are old people for? cool, he wrote/published a book,

2:40 pm Writing a book sounds like a lot of commitment (needs original idea, thousands of hours)
The Writer's Market <---- I should buy that book for book proposal
I have to write a book proposal before I can write a book??!!
I have to identify MY audience? This is starting to sound more about the market/business

2:45 pm Thinking fresh and original
Outline/detailed notes by HAND??
don't cross out/ correct anything in first draft (sounds like good advice, I think I'll try
that next time)

2:50 pm Ouch, why would he tear it apart like that? That's tough...I would just cry if I had to go
on 2 years of work. I guess constructive criticism is necessary though. Publisher,
Copy Editor, Bluelines, how long does this take again?

2:55 pm You don't get to choose the title or cover of you own book? Wow...that sucks.
Inside flap sounds difficult to summarize.
Instant books? ooh....book manuscript to shelf is 18 months. I thought it would take
longer.
3:00 pm Haha, so an important message is worth around $30,000.
Wrinkles...blah...I think I'm going to avoid the sun as much as possible now.

3:05 pm If grandparenting is so important, what about when human life spans were shorter?
I would definitely prefer to live in the society with elders. I'm not sure what I can learn
about life lessons and virtues when I am 29.

3:10 pm I hate being treated like a child and expected to act like an adult.
Adulthood doesn't sound fun at all. Why do we all have to follow it though?

3:15 pm Yeah, where the heck is our free time? Where does it all go? It's so ironic that we work
more than a peasant in Medieval times. What is this answer that Elders have for us?

3:18 pm How many books did he write? His other book sounds something like "The Giver".

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 20, 2008 2:31 PM |Permalink |Comments (3)

November 21, 2008

Power Up Friday

President-elect Obama is facing some challenges that are
unprecedented in recent decades. As he prepares his transition
and selects his advisers, he will need two things to help the US
through the very tough days ahead.

The first thing he will need is leadership - the kind that calls
everyone to work together toward a higher goal, even if the
personal rewards are not evident. The kind of leadership that
Roosevelt had, the kind that Churchill had.

The second thing he needs is elder counsel. No one under 75 has
any real memory of the Great Depression, and few people under 70
have any recollection of World War II. As we look forward toward
a time when the world needs shared sacrifice to survive and
thrive, we would do well to hear the voices of those who have
lived through such times before. What worked and what didn't?
What got people through from day to day? It's not all in the
history books.

Elders don't need to run the country, but they need a formal
advisory voice. Their wisdom and perspective has been sadly
lacking in our government, and many others as well. They need to
be volunteers, not those seeking political office or lobbying
for contracts.

Leadership and elder counsel. Obama has one. He needs the other.

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 21, 2008 10:06 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 24, 2008

Monkhouse Monday

Oma* - The MIP (Most important person)

I stopped by on my Eden mission travels through Europe in winter wonderland Eastern Austria, where my family lives. Last night we went out for Schnitzel, Knödel, Sauerkraut and Eispalatschinken (Dessert of sweet thin pancakes with chocolate and icecream). We had a good time, my two sisters, my brother in law, their three children (aged between 20 and 25), me, and last, but not in the least least, my mother (78,5), called Oma.
The point I am making is, without Oma, just being there, being with us, things would have been less meaningful and pleasurable, actually somehow incomplete. Something would have been missing, for all of us.

Christa Monkhouse

* Oma is a loving term for grandmother in German

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 24, 2008 10:56 AM |Permalink |Comments (5)

November 25, 2008

Belief-O-Matic

What do you believe?

Belief :

the mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another.
mental acceptance and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something.
'belief' vs. 'faith' :

Even if YOU don't know what faith you are, Belief-O-MaticTM knows. Answer 20 questions about your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, and more, and Belief-O-Matic™ will tell you what religion (if any) you practice...or ought to consider practicing.

Belief-O-Matic

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 25, 2008 9:07 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

Kodokushi: tragedy of elder care in Japan

As mentioned in the previous post regarding the robot care in Japan, I have a concern about the concept of aging in place in relation to socialization. There was a newspaper article about “Kodokushi” a solitary death where one dies completely alone without being taken care of or accompanied by anybody. They are often found several days after, in some cases even over a month after one's death.

The living arrangements among family in Japan has changed dramatically in the last few decades. The number of elders who live alone has increased rapidly over the past 20 years. Males living alone has grown from approximately 190,000 in 1980 to 1.05 million in 2005. In the same period, females living alone has grown from approximately 690,000 to 2.81 million.

Japanese elders, as elders in other countries, would like to stay at home as long as they can, and avoid moving into senior care facilities. However, this creates a problem of social isolation for them. Due to the collapse of the conventional family system and the weakened networks to their local community, it may have caused the serious social problem of Kodokushi.

Based on the results of the World Value Surveys conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which asked respondents about their contact with other people in their normal daily lives, Japan was one of the most “lonely” countries. People in Japan had the least communication with friends, work colleagues and other acquaintances in places of worship, and in sports and cultural associations in their everyday life.

It is important to ensure that elders can age in place at their own houses, however, our society should re-visit this concept and ask ourselves “why do people like to remain their own homes when they age? ” I believe that the answer is not just the attachment to their houses, but to maintain casual and continuum socializations within their familiar community. The social phenomenon of “Kodokushi” may be teaching us to challenge a shift in our thinking from individual focused to a community based approach.

We need a society where every elder can feel connected to someone who cares about them.

--- Emi Kiyota

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 25, 2008 12:53 PM |Permalink |Comments (4)

November 28, 2008

Power Up Friday

Congrats to Fran Markover, Ithaca College Class of 1971, for her first place poem in the college's first arts and literary contest.
Here it is:

The Grandmas
In Gabon, when the grandmothers speak, the president listens...
- Bernadette Rebienot, grandmother of 23

In the Black Hills, on the back page of the Nation
The International Council of 13 indigenous Grandmothers
gathers from each direction of grief --
rainforest, African desert, the Arctic, Great Plains
Their shawls are battle-scarred with red, black and blue
Scarves warm arthritic knees
The grandmas don't speak of soup, of quilts
They are not tourists in Hot Springs
They hold hands, lift them in homage to the pines
The women are quiet spokes, their time

a circle, the fire, burn and ash of past gatherings
like the one at the great hall of Mica, its
UN-votes, treaties undone, urban tricksters
The women inflame the air with sage
Grandma Aggie prays for the home-comings of the condor
Debra White-Plume imagines more children for her tribe
Sisters Rita and Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance
invoke an end to Star Wars, 3rd grade gangs, bedroom rape
Chant of babies from un-united states of Fallujah, Kabul,
Phoenix, Katmandu. The grandmothers share

words their elders didn't -- suicide, diabetes, radioactive
Seek Windows and webs that suspend age, that
mid-wife old ladies into shamans, laps into lap-tops
One grandma teaching another about how mushrooms absorb
petroleum spills, how dollars green into trees, roots
de-tox crystal meth. The women hold hands pearled
with sweat. Remember in their bones, in soft-
wear of skin, how seeds and herbs heal wrinkles
of GrandMother's belly. How once they held the final word
'war' 'peace' in each fist

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 28, 2008 8:07 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Blanchard WinsDays

Making New Thanksgiving Traditions

As one of seven children, Thanksgiving brings back wonderful memories of childhood, crowded around the table with siblings, family and friends enjoying an overflowing table of goodies. I love the Holidays, but being 2000 miles away from the nearest relative makes it somewhat a less than boisterous meal with my comparatively small family of two children and my husband. Usually, we pair up with other families that are in similar situations to create our own extended family of sorts. That was the plan for this year, but unfortunately the host at the last minute had to cancel leaving us scrambling for other plans.

This past week, I have been doing interviews with members at our Unitarian Universalist Congregation. I am shocked by how many have been members for 30 or more years, once very involved in volunteer and social activities, that no longer participate as much and feel as a consequence they are now growing “invisible.” When asked, several shyly told me that they had no Thanksgiving plans – children had moved away, friends have passed on and there isn’t really a meaningful place or people to spend the day with…. Or is there?

This year, we will spend the early afternoon delivering lunches to homebound elders and others, and the early evening we will enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner in community with about 40 other members of our Church family, several some of my new elder friends. We plan to bring board games and stay late, creating a new tradition that feeds the belly and the soul. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

Happy Thanksgiving! Janice Blanchard

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November 2008 Archives

November 1, 2008

Aging 100 Students Click Below

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 1, 2008 7:03 AM |Permalink |Comments (14)

November 3, 2008

Tourism as Everyday Life

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 10:43 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Monkhouse Monday

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 11:05 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

"If it's unemotional, is it Art?"

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 2:25 PM |Permalink |Comments (2)

Brave Sir Robin

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 3:07 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

"Toots" Has Passed

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 5:16 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Something is Happening Here

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 3, 2008 8:20 PM |Permalink |Comments (2)

November 4, 2008

American Pie

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 4, 2008 3:14 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 5, 2008

The Morning After

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 5, 2008 11:00 AM |Permalink |Comments (2)

Obama in Japan

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 5, 2008 8:08 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Obama in Japan

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 5, 2008 8:08 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 7, 2008

Power Up Friday

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 7, 2008 5:30 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Power Up Friday #2

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 7, 2008 5:30 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 10, 2008

Monkhouse Monday; LIfe - a Stepladder?

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 10, 2008 5:30 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 11, 2008

Time and Time Enough

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 11, 2008 6:35 AM |Permalink |Comments (4)

November 12, 2008

Robotic Care

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 12, 2008 6:00 AM |Permalink |Comments (4)

Blanchard WinsdDays

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 12, 2008 1:22 PM |Permalink |Comments (1)

November 14, 2008

Power-Up Friday: A Staggering Question of Health Care Ethics

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 14, 2008 7:03 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

November 15, 2008

Twittering

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 15, 2008 11:16 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

November 17, 2008

Monkhouse Mondays: Europe's Last Witch Hunt

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 17, 2008 8:32 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

AGING 100 Students

Posted by Kavan Peterson on November 17, 2008 3:09 PM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 18, 2008

100 Second Mashup

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 18, 2008 6:43 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

November 19, 2008

Time Lapse Aging

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 19, 2008 6:25 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

Blanchard WinsDays: Swinging and Thinking

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 19, 2008 7:42 AM |Permalink |Comments (1)

November 20, 2008

WoW Election Preview

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 20, 2008 6:14 AM |Permalink |Comments (0)

What Are Old People For? Live BLog

Posted by Dr. Bill Thomas on November 20, 2008 2:31 PM |Permalink |Comments (3)