For a complete list of past issues of Ripples, please click here.

Ripples

The E-Newsletter of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI)
Volume 7 Issue 10
December 15, 2008
Happy Holidays from the Geriatric Social Work Initiative!!

Upcoming Deadlines:
Hartford Doctoral Fellows: February 2, 2009
Hartford Faculty Scholars: February 2, 2009
Gero-Ed Specialized Gerontology Program Funding: April 10, 2009
Hartford Pre-Dissertation Awardees: May 1, 2009

In this Issue…
Announcements
Research & News
Funding Opportunities
Resources
Policy


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to the following….

• Amanda Lehning, Hartford Doctoral Fellow Cohort VIII, for being awarded the 2009 Society for Social Work and Research Doctoral Fellows Award for her dissertation entitled “Local Government Innovation Creating Aging-Friendly Communities: A Mixed Methods Triangulated Approach. Dr. Lehning will be presented with her award during the Presidential Awards Ceremony at the 2009 SSWR Conference , January 15-18, 2009 in New Orleans, LA.

New Profiles in Social Work: Cheryl Waites, EdD, MSW, ACSW
Check out this month’s profiles in social work, featuring Cheryl Waites, EdD, MSW, ACSW. Profiles in social work is dedicated to highlighting social workers who have benefited from GSWI programs. To view this month’s profile, click here .

Winners of the Social Work and Aging Youtube Contest Announced
In honor of the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative's 10 Year Anniversary, we asked students - why is gerontology important to social work? Over 30 videos were received in response to the contest and the top five submissions were viewed during the AGE-SW reception held at the 61st Gerontological Society of America’s scientific meeting, held this past November. We are now pleased to announce the first place winner: The Gerontology Student Association at Washington University in St. Louis. The first place winner received a check for $1,000 and paid travel expenses to the 2008 GSA annual meeting. Second place went to Maegan Krueger Blaschke, The University of Texas, San Antonio. The second place prize was $500. Congratulations to the winners! To view the winning entries, as well as the videos receiving honorable mentions, please visit http://gswi.org/youtubewinners.html . This contest was sponsored by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGE-SW).

Inaugural HPPAE Alumni and Student Committee on Leadership in Aging
The Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE) recently introduced the inaugural members of a network that supports the on-going leadership development of HPPAE students and alumni and to enhance the awareness of the social work profession in aging, overall. The Committee is charged to move forward three areas of work to strengthen the HPPAE network of alumni, students, and beyond: 1) Outreach and Communications, 2) creating a newsletter; and 3) establishing a national journal featuring HPPAE student and alumni research on aging. To read more about the Committee and its members go to: http://www.socialworkleadership.org/nsw/students/callforapp.php . HPPAE is coordinated by the New York Academy of Medicine’s Social Work Leadership Institute with funding support from the John A. Hartford Foundation.

University of Missouri, St. Louis School of Social Work Secures Funding to Continue MSW Program
The University of Missouri, St. Louis School of Social Work recently secured a generous grant of $100,000 from E. Desmond Lee to sustain their MSW program. The University of Missouri, St. Louis (UMSL) School of Social Work is one of a select cadre of universities across the country to offer an innovative program, the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE), coordinated by the New York Academy of Medicine’s Social Work Leadership Institute. UMSL’s MSW program is on the vanguard of a national movement among health and social service leaders, funders and policymakers to grow the workforce of social service professionals who have expertise in working with older adults. For more information regarding the University of Missouri, St. Louis and their Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education project, please contact Dr. Joseph Pickard, Associate Professor, 314-516-7984, pickardj@umsl.edu . 

AGHE Annual Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference
The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) will hold it’s annual meeting from February 26-March 1, 2009, in San Antonio, TX. Under the theme "Deep in the Heart of Aging: Promoting Healthy Futures Through Education and Training," this conference is the premier national forum for discussing ideas and issues in gerontological and geriatric education. Educators, clinicians, administrators, researchers, and students share their experiences, expertise, and innovations regarding teaching and learning about aging and older persons. For more details including registration information, visit www.aghe.org .

Registration Open for IAGG's Paris Meeting
Registration for the 19th World Congress of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) is now open. The event will take place in Paris, France, from July 5-9, 2009. IAGG continues to accept abstracts for oral and poster presentations until January 31, 2009. Visit http://www.gerontologyparis2009.com for complete information about the conference.

Call for Articles: Journal on Jewish Aging
The Editorial Advisory Board is seeking original articles for the next issue of the Journal on Jewish Aging. Subject matter includes, but is not limited to, the social, clinical or spiritual needs specific to the aging Jewish population and the management and governance of various types of Jewish senior service agencies. All submissions are subject to review by the Editorial Advisory Board. If you or somebody you know are interested in submitting an article for publication, please read the Author Guidelines or contact Rachel Maisler, Editor-in-Chief, at 202-543-7500 or rachel@ajas.org .
The submission deadline for this issue is January 2, 2009. 

RESEARCH & NEWS

Recommendations for Preventing Elder Abuse during the Holidays
The US Administration on Aging’s National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) features an informative article on elder abuse prevention strategies during this holiday season. As manywill travel great distances to visit with parents and other family members - the article provides recommendations on using this annual visit as an opportunity to consider and plan for the needs of elderly family members. To read this article in its entirety, click here.

Seniors Capitalizing on Discounts during Tough Times
In this enlightening article featured in the Dallas Morning News , the author examines how seniors are putting to good use those senior discounts, especially in these difficult economic times.

Researchers Examine Origins of the “Senior Moment”
At the University of California - San Francisco, researchers are studying the links between aging, concentration, memory - and the results are astonishing. America's 78 million baby boomers turning 60, at the rate of about 8,000 a day - by 2050, the world's population of those over 60 years old is expected to exceed the number of young people for the first time in history. With more than 2 billion people potentially prone to absent-minded moments of memory lapse and befuddlement, researchers are seeking to learn more about this potential public health issue. To read more on this study, click here.

New Harvard Research Investigates the Causes of Aging
Scientists at Harvard University recently published the findings of their study of the aging process, specifically gene expression and DNA damage caused by aging in mammals, in the research journal Cell. "What this paper actually implies is that aspects of aging may be reversible," said David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School biologist who led the research. To learn more about this study, click here .

New Study Fails to Show Benefits of Ginkgo in Dementia Patients
In a study co-sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the dietary supplement ginkgo biloba was found to be ineffective in reducing the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older people. The popular Ginkgo extract has been alleged to have several medicinal properties, such as enhancing memory and concentration. The results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. To learn more information about this study, click here . -

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Funding Opportunity for Doctoral Students
The Hartford Doctoral Fellows Program supports outstanding doctoral students at dissertation stage. Fellows receive $25,000 a year for up to two-years in dissertation support, as well as academic career consultation and leadership development. Fellows attend the annual meetings of The Gerontological Society of America and the Council of Social Work Education where special pre-conference institutes are offered. Dr. James Lubben is National Program Director (lubben@bc.edu). Next deadline: February 2, 2009. For more information and to download an application form, please visit: www.gswi.org/programs/hdf.html.

Hartford Faculty Scholars Program
The Hartford Faculty Scholars program is seeking scholars that will train the next generation of social workers to provide care to older Americans and their caregivers. The program is funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation of New York City and administered by the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Barbara Berkman, Columbia University, is National Program Director. Application deadline is February 2, 2009. For more information, click here.

NIH K01 Funding: Promoting Careers in Aging and Health Disparities Research
The National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (NIA) K01 program is to support the career development of highly trained scientists with hopes of addressing the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. The focus of this funding opportunity is limited to health disparities related to aging.  Eligible individuals are applicants who have been determined by the grantee institution to be committed to a career in health disparities research related to aging and who are members of or knowledgeable about health disparity population groups.  Nationally, health disparity population groups include but are not limited to African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, the medically underserved, low socioeconomic populations and rural populations.  To read more about this announcement, click here.

National Center on Senior Transportation University Student Scholars Program
The National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) announces an opportunity for currently enrolled university students to conduct a project that relates to older adult transportation. Through this program, the NCST anticipates awarding a number of post-baccalaureate students with awards up to $3,000 per award to expand upon current transportation/mobility-related projects to benefit older adults and transportation service delivery networks. The product generated as part of this program will be used to contribute solutions to transportation challenges that older adults, their caregivers, and the communities where they reside face. For more information, click here.

Doctoral Research in Aging Grant Announced
The Elderhostel K. Patricia Cross Doctoral Research Grant is accepting applications for this prestigious $5,000 grant. The funding seeks to aid doctoral students researching topics relevant to aging and later-life learning. Applications must be received by March 2, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.elderhostel.org/grants/.

RESOURCES

AgingStats.Gov
The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (Forum) was established in 1986, with the goal of bringing together Federal agencies that share a common interest in improving aging-related data. The Forum has played a key role by critically evaluating existing data resources and limitations, stimulating new database development, encouraging cooperation and data sharing among Federal agencies, and preparing collaborative statistical reports such as Older Americans 2008, Retirement Resources Report and Data Sources on Older Americans 2006. Please visit www.agingstats.gov for more information.

Two Reports Raise Awareness for Family Caregiving
The estimated economic value of family caregivers’ unpaid contributions was approximately $375 billion in 2007—exceeding total Medicaid long-term care spending in all states, according to a new report from AARP. In a separate study released by UnitedHealth Group’s Evercare organization and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), researchers found that more than one third of Hispanic households have at least one family member caring for an older loved one—a larger percentage than all U.S. caregiving households. The study participants indicated that additional resources and tools in Spanish are necessary to help them care for their loved ones. Eighty percent indicated training sessions that teach caregiving skills would be helpful, while more than seven in 10 would find online training in caregiving skills useful. To read the study, click here.

POLICY

AoA Increases Outreach Efforts on Digital T.V. Transition
On Monday, December 8, 2008, the Administration on Aging (AoA) participated in a 25-agency meeting hosted by the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to further coordinate Federal efforts to educate vulnerable Americans about the February 17, 2009, deadline to transition to digital television and the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.  To date, more than 20 million households have requested more than 39 million coupons and redeemed more than 16 million coupons since the program opened on January 1, 2008.  In addition to assisting the NTIA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in its education and outreach efforts and working with the National Aging Services Network across the country, AoA recently issued a “DTV e-news” to help highlight some recent developments in the DTV outreach campaign. To read the AoA DTV e-news, please click here.

States Cut Spending on Services for the Elderly
The Wall Street Journal reports that many states experiencing budget shortfalls have proposed decreased spending for home and community-based services for older adults.  Such services are often critical in allowing frail or sick adults to remain living in their homes rather than moving into nursing homes.  More than 40 states are facing looming or current deficits, and at least 15 states have proposed reductions in funding for senior support services, including personal and home care services.  As a result, the waiting lists for services from state-funded local aging agencies have grown longer and some adults have been forced to move into nursing homes, a costly expense for state Medicaid programs.  To read "States Cut Services for Elderly, Disabled," visit:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122714130153442755.html.

Health Professions and Primary Care Reinvestment Act Introduced
On November 19, 2008, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton introduced the Health Professions and Primary Care Reinvestment Act (S. 3708).  The bill would expand the training health professionals receive, improve efforts to recruit and retain health professionals, and increase incentives for health professional serving in community settings, particularly rural and urban underserved areas.  The goal of the bill is to equip primary care professionals with the skills and tools needed to help establish a "medical home" for patients,  providing preventive care and coordination of care for those with multiple or chronic conditions.  The bill also reinvests in geriatric training programs by expanding opportunities for doctors, social workers, psychologists, researchers and others to work with patients in rehabilitation centers, at home, in nursing homes or other settings where people live or work.  For more information, click here .

Public Policy & Aging Report from The National Academy on an Aging Society
Edited by Robert B. Hudson, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Social Welfare Policy at Boston University’s School of Social Work, this landmark report includes four articles that provide an “updated and informed assessment of where the Older Americans Act and the Aging Network stand in the face of pressing demographic, economic, and health care issues.” The report documents the evolution of the Network and the significant transformations currently underway as a result of various state and federal initiatives, including Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Evidence-Based Prevention Programs, Cash and Counseling, and the Nursing Home Diversion Modernization Grant Program which “herald the front and central place the network is to play in the world of home and community-based care.” To order the report, please visit www.agingsociety.org.

--------
Ripples, an e-newsletter designed to keep interested deans and directors, faculty members, students, practitioners and others informed about the work of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI). 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 Katherine Carter, Program Coordinator at kcarter@geron.org. If you have been forwarded this newsletter by a colleague and would like to subscribe, please reply to this e-mail and type the word “subscribe” in the subject line. Please be sure to visit our website at www.gswi.org. This newsletter has been sent from The Gerontological Society of America, 1220 L Street, NW, Suite 901, Washington, DC 20005-4018. To unsubscribe to Ripples, click here and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.