One in four American adults lives with a mental health problem. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety are only a few of the myriad of mental health conditions that affect aging older adults in the United States. In honor of both Mental Health Month and Older Americans Month , which are both celebrated in May, this edition of Ripples will focus on providing information to assist older adults, their caregivers, and geriatric social workers talk about the importance of mental health, identify potential resources, and access treatment for mental illness. This includes information on the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, which is a source of many important resources & programs for older adults. Also be sure to visit our homepage for additional resources not mentioned in this newsletter.
HGSWI seeking recipient quotes & photos for fall celebrations The HGSWI is seeking photos and quotes from current & previous GSWI participants. These items will be displayed during a slide presentation during celebrations at the 2012 CSWE & GSA Annual meetings. To submit a quote, click here. Please send photos (from HGSWI-related events or activities) to hartford.evaluator@gmail.com.
New poll of older adults from the John A. Hartford Foundation reveals serious gaps in care
Many older Americans, including those with a regular primary care provider, are not receiving important geriatric services, according to a new poll released by the John A. Hartford Foundation. In the nationally representative poll of Americans age 65 and older, large majorities report that they have not received depression screening, falls history or counseling, referral to community-based health resources, and other important services that support healthy aging. The poll also explores awareness of the new Medicare Annual Wellness visit and older patient satisfaction. For a complete list of findings from the poll, please visit http://www.jhartfound.org/learning-center/hartford-poll-2012/.
Congratulations to Dr. Barbara Berkman for receiving the American Cancer Society's Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Award Dr. Barbara Berkman, P.I. and National Director of the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholars Program, has been selected by the American Cancer Society (ACS) Board of Directors to receive the ACS's 2012 Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Award. Dr. Berkman's research has focused on health and mental health with older adults and families and in particular the psychological, social, and environment dimensions of coping and caring for patients with cancer. Having served on the ACS Research Council and other ACS committees for many years, Dr. Berkman was pleased to bring a psychosocial perspective into a predominantly biologically-oriented research environment demonstrating the link between social work and health care. Please join the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative in congratulating Dr. Berkman on this significant award.
Patricia J. Volland to receive Distinguished Recent Contributions in Social Work Education Award
Congratulations to Patricia J. Volland, P.I. and National Director of the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE), who has been selected by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) to receive the Distinguished Recent Contributions in Social Education Award. The award will be presented to Volland at the 2012 CSWE Annual Program Meeting to be held in Washington, DC. The award recognizes Volland’s efforts in revolutionizing social work education and field practice with older adults by founding the Social Work Leadership Institute (SWLI) at the New York Academy of Medicine.
Hartford Faculty Scholar featured on Milwaukee Public Television Jung Kwak, PhD, Hartford Faculty Scholar (Cohort XI), was a guest panelist on Milwaukee Public Television’s “4th Street Forum”. 4th Street Forum is a nonpartisan program which promotes public discussion of political and social issues that concern the local community. Titled “Dying Wisely and Well” the panel featured Dr. Kwak and other experts who focused on how older Americans approach end of life care and the things older adults value most when facing the inevitability of death. To listen to the discussion click here.
Hartford Faculty Scholar Receives Edith Rathburn Award for Excellence in Outreach and Engagement Hartford Faculty Scholar, Dr. Sudershan Pasupuleti (Cohort IX), has been selected to receive the 2011-2012 Edith Rathbun Award for Excellence in Outreach and Engagement. This award celebrates Dr. Pasupuleti’s professional accomplishments, which have contributed to the quality and relevance of the University of Toledo’s academic engagement and impact in the community. Dr. Pasupuleti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work at the Judith Herb College of Education, Health Science & Human Service of The University of Toledo.
Treatment of Depression in Older Adults, Evidence-Based Approaches If you are unable to view the video, click here to be directed to YouTube.
Anxiety, Depression Often Go Hand-in-Hand with Arthritis
Depression or anxiety affect one-third of Americans with arthritis who are aged 45 or older, a new study shows. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that even though anxiety is nearly twice as common as depression among people with arthritis, doctors tend to focus more on depression in these patients. To learn more about the study, click here.
Depression in Middle Age Linked to Depression People who have symptoms of depression in middle age may be at increased risk of dementia decades later, a new study suggests. Using medical records, researchers tracked more than 13,000 people in a large northern California health plan from roughly their 40s and 50s into their 80s. Compared to people who had never been depressed, those who experienced symptoms of depression in middle age -- but not later in life -- were about 20% more likely to go on to develop dementia. To learn more about the study, click here.
National Report Finds Those with Mental Illness Have Higher Rates of Chronic Illness
The report: “Physical Health Conditions among Adults with Mental Illnesses” found that individuals with major depressive episodes experienced higher incidence of impairments such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure. The report was issued last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To get a general overview of what the report covered click here.
Accepting Nominations for Student Travel Scholarships The CSWE Gero-Ed Center is pleased to accept nominations for the Ashley Brooks-Danso Memorial Fund’s Student Travel Scholarships. Three awardees will win $500 for travel expenses to CSWE’s Annual Program Meeting (APM) and a complimentary APM registration. Nominees must be full- or part-time currently enrolled students in a CSWE-accredited baccalaureate or master’s level social work program and have an interest in aging. Applications are due from faculty nominators by Monday, July 2, 2012, at 11:59 pm ET.
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, 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. For more information click here. For the application click here.
Shock, Rehabilitation Awards Extend Deadlines
The nomination deadlines for GSA's Nathan Shock New Investigator Award and Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award have been extended to Friday, June 1. The Shock Award carries a $1,500 prize and acknowledges outstanding contributions to new knowledge about aging through basic biological research. The Rehabilitation Award offers a $250 prize and is designed to acknowledge outstanding contributions in the field of rehabilitation of aging persons.
The following opportunities are from the Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health:
National Institute of Mental Health’s Older Adult Fact Sheet
The National Institute of Mental Health has created a brief overview of the statistics on depression and suicide in older adults, with information on depression treatments and suicide prevention. To view the fact sheet click here.
American Psychological Association’s Depression and Suicide in Older Adults Resource Guide
The APA has complied links to studies, journal articles, and other consumer resources that will provide older adults, family caregivers, and practitioners a better understanding of how depression and suicide are impacting the aging baby boomer cohort. Click here to access the guide.
The State of Mental Health & Aging in America
The CDC has released a brief on the mental health of older adults as a public health issue. With some insight into the situation as well as resources, this brief is a great way of gaining a general understanding on the mental health issues facing older adults in America. To read the brief, click here.
New Webinar Series to Address Coordination of Resources Available to Assist Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementias and Their Family Caregivers The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Administration on Aging (AoA), in partnership with grantees including the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers, Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center, and the Eldercare Locator are partnering to host a webinar series to improve coordination of resources available to assist persons with Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias and their family caregivers. For more information and registration information click here.
Once your registration is approved, you will receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event. Space is limited, so please register as early as possible. Each webinar will also be recorded and posted on the AoA web site soon after the session.
Video Caregiving: A Visual Education Center for Family Caregivers Videocaregiving.org is a new resource from Terra Nova Films dedicated to providing visual educational material to family caregivers. Videos are designed to be short, simple, and direct and help family members understand how to best help their aging loved one. An entire section of the site is dedicated to providing information about Alzheimer’s disease, but there is a wide range of additional topics touched upon.
New Legislation on Age Discrimination in the Workplace Proposed
Three years ago, in a decision widely viewed as a setback for older Americans, the U.S. Supreme Court made it significantly more difficult for workers to win many age discrimination cases. Now, three senators — two Democrats and a Republican — are leading a renewed push on Capitol Hill (PDF) to restore what had been the accepted standard of work-related age discrimination for more than two decades. They’re aiming to make the burden of proof under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act the same as alleged discrimination based on race, sex, national origin or religion.
Report Shows Lower Costs in Medicare due to the Affordable Care Act
The Medicare Program will save over $200 billion through 2016 due to the Affordable Care Act, and beneficiaries in traditional Medicare will enjoy $59.4 billion in lower costs, according to a report released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). According to estimates from the CMS Office of the Actuary, the over $200 billion in short-term savings to the Medicare program come from ending excessive payments to private insurers who offer Medicare Advantage plans, implementing anti-fraud measures, and changing provider payment policies to reflect improvements in productivity. To learn about the report 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.
For archived issues of Ripples, please click here.
