CAREGIVING FOR SPOUSE URGES WOMEN TO EARLY RETIREMENT, STUDY FINDS A recent Cornell study found that working wives in late midlife are five times more likely to seek early retirement when caring for ill or disabled husbands than wives who are not caregivers. Alternately, the study found, that male caregivers are slower to retire than their counterparts who are not taking care of their wives. The study, released this month, is based on the master's thesis of Cornell doctoral candidate and co-author Emma Dentinger. Though half the women and fewer men respondents were presently caring for parents or had in the past; the study found that the decision to retire was most significantly influenced by caring for a spouse. It seems that the closer the relationship between the caregiver and the person receiving the care, the greater the influence on retirement decisions. Further investigation revealed that men who were caregivers are slower to retire than those who are not. The male caregivers reported less satisfaction with their jobs and higher household incomes than their female counterparts. "The husbands seem to delay their retirement, therefore, for financial reasons, rather than a greater work commitment or a desire to escape their family life," Clarkberg says. "How much caregiving influences whether an adult in late midlife will retire soon or not, and however, largely depends on the strength of the relationship between the worker and the person needing caregiving," explains Marin Clarksberg, assistant professor at Cornell and co-author of the study. "Caring for a spouse has the strongest, and in the case of men, the only significant impact on shaping retirement timing." For more information go to http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-10/cuns-cfs100402.php. back to top VIOLENCE, HOMICIDES A GROWING PROBLEM IN NURSING HOMES As the life expectancies of Americans increase so do the number of persons in nursing homes who suffer from conditions that may cause aggressive behaviors, such as Alzheimer's disease. Experts say assaults on caregivers, relatives and friends are on the rise and reports of violence between residents have risen 17 percent since 1996. AARP policy analyst, Nanne Lewine, indicated that policies in many nursing homes no longer require the restraint of unruly patients. Additionally, states are hesitant to commit elders with dementia to mental hospitals, especially those who exhibit destructive behaviors only occasionally. "It seems to be a pretty prevalent problem, but if could be one of those situations where, for the facilities, you are damned if you do, and damned if you don't," said Lewine. "You don't want to throw someone into an institution when they only have problems sporadically. You want to have them live as independently as possible." For more information go to http://www.ltcombudsman.org/ombpublic/49_468_3891.cfm. back to top PHYSICAL THERAPY HELPS FRAIL STAVE OFF DISABILITY Despite the effects of good nutrition and exercise on senior disability rates, an excess of 7 million Americans 65 and over still suffer from chronic disabilities that make it difficult for them to live independently. Researchers at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut have demonstrated that a 6-month in-home training program could benefit frail persons and keep them in their homes. The program, described in a recent issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, looked at 188 elderly people who could be termed frail because, for example, they were unable to walk 10 feet and back in 10 seconds or to rise from a chair with their arms folded. The participants were divided into two groups. One group received health education, learning good health practices including physical activity and handling medication. The other group met with a physical therapist, learning exercises to develop balance, strength and mobility and eventually receiving exercise schedules independent of the physical therapist. After a year, researchers found that those in the group that received physical therapy had much lower disability scores, which were determined by how easily they could perform basic maneuvers like using the toilet or getting out of bed, than those in the group that received health education. The benefits of physical therapy were greatest among those with moderate frailty though, as the severely frail did not significantly benefit from the program. For more information go to http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-10/nioa-pf100202.php. back to top HOMES BRING GENERATIONS TOGETHER AGAIN UNDER ONE ROOF Intergenerational housing, common in the early 20th century, is currently experiencing a revival in popularity, according to a recent article in The Salt Lake Tribune. For decades families have spread out across the country, but now people seem to be returning to the concept of multiple generations living under one roof. Characterized by enough space for not just one family, but two, the homes are a modernized version of the accessory apartment. Typically each family will have their own space complete with separate living quarters, kitchen, bath and a separate entrance. According to Larry McNickle, chief housing advocate for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, these living arrangements have gained in popularity because they allow autonomy while providing proximity and security. Living with loved ones "may be more cost-effective and compassionate than some of the alternatives out there," McNickle said. "You get the best of both worlds, independence with opportunity for instant involvement if needed." For more information go to http://www.sltrib.com/. back to top RESEARCHERS DEVISE WAYS TO REDUCE NOISE, IMPROVE SLEEP IN NURSING HOMES An ongoing study of nursing homes by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) indicates that in as noise levels increase, even slightly above background level, residents sleep is disturbed. Researchers have divided nursing home noises into three categories: people talking, people doing things, and mechanical noises. "The nursing home population has a great deal of sleep disturbance…Not all awakenings are related to noise. But sleep disruption related to noise is enough of a problem that we want to find ways to relieve it." said Bettye Rose Connell, health research scientist at the Atlanta V.A. Medical Center and assistant professor at Emory. Acoustical engineers at GTRI have come up with several low-cost ways to reduce noise and have tested them in 5 nursing homes. They include: - Noise-absorbing panels
- Special hooks for curtains
- Sound deadening blankets for wrapping around icemakers and other appliances
- TV speakers that attach to the headboard
- TV speakers embedded in bed pillows
Researchers are eager to next determine which noise-reducing strategies are most effective. For more information go to http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-10/giot-rdw100102.php. back to top ELDER PERFORMANCE BOOSTS CREATIVITY, MEMORY, SOCIAL LINKS In retirement communities across the country, 60, 70, and 80-somethings are taking to the stage for the first time in their lives or in decades, according to a recent article in the Washington Post. They are captivating audiences with their singing, dancing and comic routines. The performance, creativity and interaction are said to positively impact, among other things, mental health, motivation, and independence. Gene Cohen, author of The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life, said seniors who take up creative activities are taking great strides to maintain and improve health. "Creativity is an emotional and intellectual process, a mechanism, that can, moment by moment displace negative feelings, such as anxiety or hopelessness, with positive feelings of engagement and expectation," Cohen writes in The Creative Age. "Anything that can make you intellectually sweat will have a positive impact on the brain." For more information go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24637-2002Oct26.html. back to top STAYING POWER OF HOUSING BOOM IS IN THE NUMBERS David Berson, chief economist for Fannie Mae, was recently in Chicago to speak at the American Housing Conference, which was sponsored by Hanley-Wood, LLC. In his presentation he gave a 10-year housing forecast and predicted, "This could be a stronger decade than the last one." Berson expounded on the current and future states of the housing market citing that the current successes of the market are mortgage-rate driven. Currently, the homeownership rate is 67.8 percent, Berson says, "By the end of this decade, we will definitely hit over 70, and in the long run, we may get to 75 percent." He says that later this decade the Baby Boomers, large numbers of immigrants, and the Echo Boomers will propel the market. Berson also projected that in the next decade that single-family housing starts will average 1.6 million annually and that the debate over sprawl will keep home inventories low and therefore prices high. His bottom line is this, " We estimate that the value of single-family housing will double over the course of the decade." For more information go to http://www.chicagotribune.com/. back to top WISCONSIN CRISIS LOOMS IN ELDER CARE Just as demand for long-term care in Wisconsin is mounting, the resources that provide it are beginning to dwindle. Demographics and an increasingly dismal financial situation are to blame. With the state already expecting a budget deficit of $1.3 to $1.8 billion in the years from 2003-2005, Wisconsin's over 65 population is expected to increase 41 percent, from 716,539 to over 1.01 million, in the years between 2005 and 2020. Increasing wages of nursing home workers and stagnant government reimbursement rates only make the outlook bleaker. "It's time to talk about the haves and the have-nots," said John Sauer, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of Home sand Services for the Aging. "What are we going to do to meet the needs of the low-income population?" For more information go to http://www.madison.com/. back to top | 
