RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATE WHY FALLS CAN BE DEADLY TO THE AGED According to the National Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of accidental death among people over age 75 and the second leading cause for those aged 45 to 75. Although the consequences of falling are well known, the relationship between aging and falls remains a mystery. Researchers at Virginia Tech's Locomotion Research Laboratory, determined to untangle the relationship between aging and falls, are looking into why falls occur and how to help prevent them. The project seeks to learn the mechanics of slipping and falling; determine the gait, sensory, environmental, strength and perceptual factors behind the mechanics; and model the muscle, joint, and bone involvement. "I want to develop intervention strategies," said Thurmon Lockhart, an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering who is also affiliated with Virginia Tech's Center for Gerontology. "For example, after our modeling helps us understand the mechanics of falling, we might be able to develop special shoes, strength training routines or environmental and flooring designs that will help prevent falls among the elderly." For more information, including tips for preventing falls, go to http://www.research.vt.edu/resmag/sc2003/whyfall.htm back to top IMPROVING DIGITAL HOMES Networked homes are growing in popularity, largely because of a surge in broadband adoption, the development of more user-friendly technology, and a shift to more entertainment-oriented PCs along with the introduction of more PC-like consumer electronics. Networking a home extensively, however, is expensive; and incompatible standards, along with the mire of wires or wireless software codes, present obstacles to widespread implementation. Nokia, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and other companies founded the Digital Home Working Group in June to deploy guidelines to establish interoperability between networked devices. According to recent interviews conducted by Business Week, digital home residents explained that their desire for technology depends on its ease of use and how it empowers the user. The growth of DVDs is spurring consumers to upgrade their living room technology to create a more movie theater-like experience; cable and satellite companies and content suppliers are supplementing this experience with on-demand movies and games delivered via the internet; and PC makers think that "entertainment PCs" will re-energize sales. Another trend poised to affect the move toward the digital home is e-health, where high-tech gadgets and network connections are being tested and used for assisted living. Certain e-health applications may show up in the bathroom, such as toilets that measure sugar levels in urine and then transmit the data to physicians over the internet. For more information go to http://www.businessweek.com/ and search the archives using keywords "digital homes," the full article must be purchased. back to top NEW RESOURCE ON ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY A comprehensive directory of assistive technology manufacturers will soon be available. The directory will list hundreds of AT products from the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. It will feature products benefiting the sensory and mobility impaired along with summaries of federal legislation passed on disability issues and Supreme Court decisions on disability within the last 30 years. "Assistive technology is advancing employment, communal, transportation and educational opportunities worldwide for people with disabilities. These products equalize opportunities for hundreds of millions of people around the world,' says John M. Williams, the author of the directory. Assistive Technology News and the CTC (Concurrent Technologies Corporation's Foundation) are publishing the directory jointly. It will be available on-line via password, on CD, and in print format. The price is $149 for the online version, and $99 in CD or print format. The web data and CD will be updated every six months. A large print version is also available. For more information visit ATNBook-Howard-sCut1.doc to read the press release, or call the CTC Foundation at 202-312-2913 to pre-order a copy. back to top BOARD RECOMMENDS ELIMINATION OF NURSING HOMES Ever shrinking government budgets and other market forces are making it nearly impossible to support the traditional nursing home, according to George Potaracke, executive director of the Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care. "The traditional nursing home we've known for years will either change and become a true rehab center or it won't exist at all," said Potracke. "Those that will need true long-term support will be living in smaller group homes, supportive apartment arrangements or at home," he said. In a letter to Governor Jim Doyle and legislators he wrote, "It would appear that the zenith of this form of residential long-term care has been reached." In the case that the board's recommendations are adopted, people will be encouraged to use in-home medical services and other alternatives to nursing home care. Medicaid payments for long-term residential care at private nursing homes may be cut, and only those who are able to pay the expense of nursing homes themselves will be able to live in the types of nursing homes with which we are now familiar. A newly created Council for Long Term Care Reform is expected to gauge the appropriateness of such a change. For more information visit http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/jul03/155903.asp?format=print back to top TELECOMMUTING ENABLES DISABLED TO WORK Telecommuting is an important aid to disabled workers who struggle with a commute. Full time, part time, or over periods when the need arises, telecommuting is on the rise and expected to continue as more disabled workers gain entry into the workforce and the baby boomers age. Under President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published a fact sheet earlier this year. The sheet describes situations where allowing disabled workers to work from home could be considered a reasonable accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act. This fact sheet can be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/telework.html. An estimated 7 percent of employed people with disabilities currently work 20 hours or more a week from home, compared with 4.1 percent in 1997, according to Douglas Kruse, professor of human resource management at Rutgers University. Kruse estimates that 10 years from now at least 10 percent of workers with disabilities will be telecommuting, possibly as much as 20 percent, he said, "depending on technological development and the success of efforts to increase the employment of people with disabilities, since many of those who are not currently employed will find this type of work attractive." For more information, read the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/20/business/ back to top NEW AARP STUDY INVESTIGATES TELEMARKETING FRAUD "Off the Hook," a new AARP study found that telemarketing fraud is grossly underreported among older victims. Those who are properly counseled after a fraud incident, however, are less likely to fall victim to this practice again. "The interviews show there is no 'typical' victim, and no single best way to intervene," said Sally Hurme, campaign consultant with AARP Consumer Protection. "Some professionals acknowledge they are struggling to help those most frequently victimized." Communicating with victims in a factual, non-judgmental approach that exposes the telemarketers' tricks, rather than the victim's weakness, is most productive according to the professionals. In one portion of the study, AARP found that 73 percent of investment fraud victims did not acknowledge having lost money, and only half of lottery fraud victims reported recent losses. The findings came from the recent study, which examined telemarketing fraud victimization and tested interventions designed to prevent further losses. The study offered some precautions that consumers can take to avoid becoming a victim of telemarketing fraud: - End all unwanted calls quickly;
- Never give your personal information to an unfamiliar caller;
- Do not invest or make a donation with unknown callers;
- If you believe you are a victim of fraud, report it immediately
For a full report of "Off the Hook," visit http://research.aarp.org/consume/d17812_fraud.html. back to top | 
