Summer Safety for Older Adults Follow us on Twitter @HGSWI
As temperatures rise this summer so does the number of older adults who are at risk of heat and seasonal related illnesses. Dehydration, heat stroke, and skin cancer are just some of the health issues that older adults are more susceptible to during the summer. For that reason it’s important for older adults, their loved ones, and caregivers to understand how to survive the summer heat. This edition of Ripples focuses on providing helpful information and resources about staying safe during the summer months. For more information you should visit our homepage.
CSWE Gero-Ed Center launches free consultation service
The CSWE Gero-Ed Center has launched a new, free consultation service designed to help you prepare your students to work with older adults and their families. Gerontology Education (Gero Ed) Consultants are social work faculty members who have successfully infused gerontological competencies and content in their curriculum and/or have implemented a specialized gerontology structure (area of emphasis, certificate, specialization, etc.) in their social work program. Visit the Gero Ed Consultant webpage for more information and to download a list from which to select a consultant to fit your needs. These experts represent a range of degree levels, program sizes, and generalist and advanced curricula – with experience in faculty engagement, student recruitment, experiential learning, interdisciplinary education, teaching methods, specialized course development, and several other specialty areas.
GSA’s 65th Annual Scientific Meeting: Registration is now open
Registration has opened for GSA’s 65th Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place November 14-18, 2012 in San Diego, CA. The theme is “Charting New Frontiers in Aging.” Charting implies connections — within and across disciplines, professions, individuals, cohorts, generations, systems, environments, cultures and nations. By charting connections, we move beyond our personal insights and investigations to achieve a deeper and more meaningful understanding of aging and its implications. For more information, visit www.geron.org/2012.
2013 AGHE Fellows Applications Now Available
The Fellows Selection Committee announces applications for Fellow status are now available at 2013 AGHE Fellows. Completed applications are due October 31, 2012. Fellow status is an honor conferred by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) to recognize outstanding leadership in gerontological/geriatric education by established scholars and educators at AGHE member institutions. Individuals eligible for this honor should be able to document well-established careers of achievement in gerontological or geriatric education. Fellow status is granted only to individuals at AGHE member institutions who demonstrate a record of excellence beyond routine teaching. Applicants must obtain two (2) letters of support; the nominator must be an AGHE Fellow who is not on the Fellows Selection Committee (list available on the AGHE website). AGHE fellows can only nominate one applicant per year and can only write one letter of support for a second fellow applicant. GSA members who are not AGHE fellows can write support letters but not nomination letters. Questions can be emailed to Angela Baker at aghefellows@aghe.org.
Summer Safety Tips for Seniors
If you cannot see this YouTube video, click here.
Avoiding dehydration is important for all, especially seniors Summer can be a fun and exciting time of the year filled with barbeques, pool parties and constant outdoor fun. It can be very rewarding to the body and mind as the sun provides important nutrients like Vitamin D and improves psychological well-being. Unfortunately, it can also be a dangerous time of the year, especially for older adults. For more information about how to prevent dehydration in older adults click here.
Understanding how extreme heat effects the human body
The heat wave that gripped the nation earlier this month did more than just wilt crops and send people scurrying indoors for air-conditioned comfort. More than 70 people across the country died during the nearly two-week run of 90-plus temperatures that felt even swampier in some areas thanks to the humidity. Understanding how heat affects the human body and how to protect vulnerable groups from heat stroke and other heat related illnesses is key to staying healthy during hot summer months. Click here to learn more.
Research and Demonstration Program to Improve Coordinated Transportation Systems for People with Disabilities and Older Adults
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to promote the independence and community integration of people with disabilities and older adults through coordinated transportation systems that are responsive to their transportation needs. The goal of this 5 year project is to identify proven models and approaches that can be used by states and communities across the country to empower people with disabilities and older adults to be actively involved in the design and implementation of coordinated transportation systems in ways that successfully make those systems responsive to the needs of these populations. The deadline date for submission of applications is 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on August 14, 2012. The projected start date is September 30, 2012. For more information about this opportunity click here
Application For 2012 Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations In Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards Now Available With continuing support from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) is pleased to oversee the annual Caregiving Legacy Awards program now in its fifth year. The program stimulates innovation in the field of Alzheimer's disease caregiving by recognizing and rewarding those efforts which lead the way in addressing the needs of Alzheimer's disease caregivers. The deadline to apply is August 17, 2012. You can find more information here.
RWJ Foundation Invites Applications for New Connections: Increasing Diversity of RWJF Programming — Junior Investigator Program
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced it will fund up to ten two-year grants of up to $100,000 to be awarded to investigators' home institutions for programs designed to enhance the research capacity of scholars from underrepresented groups — ethnic or racial minority or low-income communities, first-generation college graduates (i.e., the first person in one's family to receive a college degree), or others who historically have been underrepresented in research disciplines. The program provides support and training to junior investigators to address program priorities for the foundation's teams and portfolios — Childhood Obesity, Coverage, Human Capital, Pioneer, Public Health, Quality/Equality, and Vulnerable Populations. The deadline for application is August 29th. To find out more, click here.
The following opportunities are from the Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health:
New Resource: Let’s Face It: Older Adults Speak About HIV
A new resource is available to help the Aging Services Network educate older adults about HIV/AIDS. The booklet, Let’s Face It: Older Adults Speak About HIV, was created by the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA) to allow the concerns of older adults living with or at risk for HIV to be heard in their own voices. The booklet includes 12 stories that focus on issues that have been found to be particularly common in older adults. To view the booklet, click here. To receive up to ten free copies of the booklet, contact Elizabeth Dominguez at: 212-924-3934 Ext. 134 or edominguez@acria.org. You can also complete the brochure order form and fax it to 212-924-3936. For additional HIV and aging resources, visit the AoA Older Adults and HIV/AIDS Webpage. To learn more about ACRIA, visit the website.
NIH provides heat-related illness advice for older people Hot summer weather can pose special health risks to older adults. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping older people avoid heat-related illnesses, known as hyperthermia. A new resource titled Hyperthermia: too hot for your health describes this dangerous condition and some more common health related risk factors. Tips for prevention and responding to heat related illness are also provided. To access a free copy of NIA’s AgePage on hyperthermia in English or in Spanish, contact the NIA Information Center at 1-800-222-2225 or click here for an English version or here for a Spanish version.
Summer Food Safety from the USDA
Foodborne illnesses increase during the hot summer months, and extra care should be taken to protect vulnerable groups such as older adults. The USDA has compiled several resources regarding summer food safety, which provides simple tips for various demographics. Click here to explore the resources.
Scan Foundation: 10 Resources to Help Prepare For Aging with Dignity and Independence
The Scan Foundation recently released a brief with a number of helpful resources for people who may need assistance with activities of daily living. The brief includes links, numbers and contact information for programs including Area Agencies on Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, the ElderCare Locator, Benefits Checkup and FCA's Family Care Navigator. Additional resources include websites to compare quality of Medicare certified home health care agencies and nursing homes. For more information, click here.
Data On Caregiving From Bureau Of Labor Statistics American Time Use Survey
The New Old Age blog reports on new data from the 2011 American Time Use Survey, which suggests that in the past three months, 39.8 million people (aged 15 and older) provided unpaid care. The survey began in 2003, includes 12,500 respondents who are asked how they spent their previous 24 hours, and starting last year, respondents were also asked about caregiving. Almost a third of respondents reported taking care of two or more older people, and 23% also had a minor child in their households. The results also suggest that male caregivers are growing in numbers. The average time spent providing care was three hours, though women spend about an hour more than men.
Policy Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2013 Budget The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the appropriations bill for FY 2013 to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies on June 14. Funding for services related to family caregivers remained relatively stable from the prior year, for example the National Family Caregiver Support Program received $153.6 million, the same amount allocated in FY 2012. The Committee recommended $4.9 million for the Lifespan Respite Care Program, while last year's funding and President Obama's budget was $2.4 million. While President Obama requested $9.5 million for Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration Grants (for states), the committee requested $4 million. An appropriation of eight million dollars for adult protective service demonstrations was recommended by President Obama and by the Committee. For more information, visit: US Senate Committee on Appropriations FY 2013 Bills
SCOTUS Blog: Post-decision Healthcare Symposium
Scotusblog, a popular online resource for information regarding Supreme Court decision making, as gathered several opinion pieces on the recent Health care mandate decision. Ranging from conservative to liberal these op-eds shed some light on how the SCOTUS decision will impact the future of health care in the United States. To read the various posts click here.
Ripples, an e-newsletter, is designed to keep interested deans and directors, faculty members, students, practitioners and others informed about the work of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI).Please note that the information contained in Ripples comes from a variety of sources, including aging listservs, and social work and aging newsletters. In order to get this information to subscribers as quickly as possible, there is little to no additional verification of work or research of resources.
We welcome your feedback and encourage you to contribute any story ideas, stories, resources, news and other content to subsequent issues of the newsletter. To make a contribution, please contact us via email at gswi@geron.org.
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