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Japanese Business Competes for Country’s Silver Lining

aadmin — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:40:11 +0000

Japan is launching grey-friendly digital devices and diversions for its evolving mature population. A recession-mired economy, Japan has developed a formula for growth: adapt productivity to a market with disposable incomes, anxious for innovative goods and services.

By 2060, more than 40% of the population is expected to be over the age of 65, according to a January 2012 BBC News article. Due to a falling birth rate and near-zero immigration, Japan is undergoing a net population loss. It has the highest life expectancies in the world at 81.25 years.

Japanese smartphone businesses are gearing their product line to this demographic upheaval. To make up ground on iPhone – NTT DoCoMo – a domestic electronic company – has focused on the aging population which finds Apple – and other smartphones – too difficult to learn and operate.

DoCoMo has manufactured express designed phones with voice-recognition software to win over Japan’s fastest-growing market share – the elderly. A special DoCoMo app permits users to utilize voice recognition for their phones, a popular selling point with aging Japanese who find difficulties with keypads.

Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute in Tokyo told Bloomberg Businessweek in late June, 2012: “Growth for a consumer business in the coming decade relies on cultivating the elderly market.” He added, “They tend to be affluent and loose on their purse strings.”

The surplus prosperous elderly is a result of Japan’s seniority-based society which pays excessively high salaries to older workers whose careers conclude with generous pensions.

Taito Corporation, an international gaming company, is keeping up in a predominantly youthful market, shifting its attention to the 55+ demographic. The inventor of Space Invaders opened 130 Hello Taito centers across Japan, in the hopes of capturing the emerging grey society. The gaming arcades feature bright lighting, free blankets, and tea to lure elderly gamers.

Chieko Kofuji, 76, is a big fan of a Hello Taito center in Kamaeri, a suburb of Japan. “I would grow senile if I stayed at home all by myself,” Ms. Kofuji, a widow, told The Australian, in a July, 2012 article. “But I can forget everything while I am here playing games.” The average player spends almost $25.00 USD a day.

Taito spokeswoman Ayako Ikuta told The Australian, “The older customers prefer relatively simple games over racing car or martial arts games.” She added, “You still need to use your hands and your fingers and it’s a good way of keeping mentally active too.”

The grey market is an economy booster throughout a recessionary period. A New York Times article from December, 2009, detailed the rise of the country’s older demographic.

The tourism industry is creating special tour packages, shoring up services for the aged, who have time and money. Elderly people often confirm travel dates in advance and are agreeable to requests for travel date changes.

Food is another flourishing industry in the country’s maturing community. Elderly consumers commonly choose fish over meat. Older Japanese drink more tea than other beverages, a trend benefitting the country’s top tea producers.

Japan’s fastest growing silver lined trade is nursing care and its allied industries. Challenges to entering the emerging field are found in shortages of trained staff and low work satisfaction. Regardless, competition is expected to be fierce with so much money at stake.

Summary

Japan is a harbinger to international maturing societies. As a rapidly aging developed society, 40% of the population will turn over 65 by 2060. Mired in recession, the country’s businesses are gearing products and services to an older demographic with time and money. Japanese elders are a silver lining, opening a market for specialized commodities, including: easier smartphones, grey gaming arcades, select travel packages, dietary preferences, and an expansion in health care. Competitive businesses in Japan can capitalize on this unique, aging consumer base.

Afterthought

The sheer number of the elderly will force the economy to forfeit production for younger demographics in favor of aged-down innovations. Japan’s aging society may become a dystopian socio-economic projection for other developed countries, sacrificing profits for a growing silver-lined market.

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Can you tell this retirement home is 'eco-friendly?'

aadmin — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:28:56 +0000

From the outside, this retirement community doesn’t look any different than you might expect. But this community is unique; it is certified as environmentally-friendly.

The Atria Tamalpais Creek, in Novato, California, about 30 miles north of San Francisco, is a certified eco-friendly retirement community. In April 2011, it received a LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) recognizing its efforts to make the facility a leader in this field.

“Although the renovations required to become LEED-certified were a significant investment in both time and money, it was a worthwhile investment,” said John Zikmund, the retirement community’s executive director.

The trend of retirement communities becoming eco-friendly retirement communities, or simply “green” homes, as they are often called, is recent.

One factor that has helped propel environmentalism to the forefront of collective consciousness is the increasing public interest in greenhouse gas emissions over the last decade, helped in part by increased media attention on the topic of climate change, and the blockbuster film from former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth.

In this documentary, Al Gore repeatedly stresses to viewers that the obligation to address climate change and global warming is a moral and ethical one.

“Future generations may well have occasion to ask themselves, “What were our parents thinking? Why didn't they wake up when they had a chance?” We have to hear that question from them, now,” he tells viewers with an impassioned tone.

But according to Nate Kredich of the U.S. Green Building Council, which certifies all environmentally-friendly buildings in the United States, the motivation for most senior living communities is less morally-based, and a lot more practical.

“Logically, our senior citizens are the ones most concerned about the benefits that green homes deliver; namely, saving money from energy efficiency, and living in a healthy home,” he said.

Jeanne Ghiorze, a resident at Tamalpais Creek, said she liked how the environmentally-conscious community she lives in will have a positive impact on future generations.

“Having lived in Marin County for 50 years, I’m excited about Atria’s eco-friendly landscaping and energy efficiency,” Ghiorze said. “It’s nice to know that the beautiful community I enjoy will impact future generations.”

Indeed, the cost of utilities is on the increase, according to the study “Rising Electricity Costs: A Challenge For Consumers, Regulators, And Utilities,” from Lousiana-based Entergy. According to this report, the average cost of fossil fuels nearly doubled from 2002 to 2005, making the cost of hydro and utilities increase as well.

"Consumers now face a tough reality on electricity," Mark Cooper of the Consumer Federation of America, told USA Today during the 2008 economic crisis, when he explained that more people are finding that simply paying for electricity was stretching their budget.

Zikmund of Atria said their “multi-million dollar renovation” started with replacing 140,000 incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency alternatives, in all of their Atria communities, as well as their corporate office. He said that as a result of this one action, 37 million kWh of electricity was saved- the emissions-equivalent of taking about six thousand cars off the road.

He said some of the next steps taken to make the Atria Tamalpais Creek community eco-friendly was replacing the carpet and paint with more environmental alternatives, as well as new heating and cooling systems, creating additional green space around the facility, and updating their recycling programs. Zikmund said some of the results of this renovation included a 30 per cent cut in their water usage, as well as re-using hundreds of tons of waste that would have otherwise ended up at a landfill.

Nate Kredich of the U.S. Green Building Council said when a senior living community says it has made a commitment to become environmentally-friendly and hopes to become LEED-certified, everything is verified to ensure that they have met the proper standards.

“LEED requires that each home is individually inspected and tested by a qualified third party who can verify that the green measures were actually incorporated in the home,” Kredich said. “For a resident, it provides a level of trust: Their home isn’t green because the builder says it is, but because an impartial third party verified it is.”

Dan Austin says he knows firsthand how everything is verified.

Austin, who is General Manager of Haines Assisted Living in Haines, Alaska, says it took six years from predevelopment to becoming LEED certified. But he’s quick to point out that while LEED certification may not be an overnight process, he has increased the quality of life for his residents.

“Our mission was to build the healthiest, most comfortable environment for our residents,” he said.

Austin added that especially in a small town such as Haines, which has a population of less than 2,000, energy savings were also a major reason they decided to pursue LEED certification.

“Alaska has the highest energy costs in the country and the economic viability of a small project like this in an isolated rural area demands the highest energy and maintenance efficiencies over time.”

He added that while most residents do not know most of the details about the certification, or what changes were made to make Haines Assisted Living an environmentally-friendly assisted living community, they do see improvement in the quality of the campus. And while he says becoming environmentally-friendly was easily worth it, Haines Assisted Living remains the only community in Alaska to have gained LEED certification.

“Most developers have yet to realize the long-term benefit to the economic viability of the project,” Austin said. He also said environmentally-friendly initiatives are often marketed to the building developers, but they may not necessarily be the owners who make the financial decisions on a day-to-day basis, or are responsible for major operating costs.

For many communities, a private developer builds the campus, and a non-profit association or a religious organization owns the facility, and is in charge of operations.

Despite the challenges, both Dan Austin and John Zikmund say they don’t regret at all becoming green retirement communities. They both say their residents are happier, they are helping the environment, and they are saving money in the process. And for Atria, the LEED process hasn’t ended yet: they are seeking additional certifications for three existing communities, and one that is under construction.

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Scammers invent new ways to defraud seniors

aadmin — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:34:21 +0000

Imagine you’re sitting at home on your computer. All of a sudden your e-mail pops up, and it’s from your grandson. “Hi Grandma,” the e-mail starts. He tells you that he’s in a mess. He’s in some legal trouble, perhaps due to drunken driving or an unpaid ticket, and he needs money to get out of jail and to get home safely, and he can’t tell his parents. He needs you to wire him two or three thousand dollars to help get him home. You would do that for your grandchild, wouldn’t you?

The only problem? The e-mail is a complete stranger, not your grandson, and you’ve just lost thousands of dollars to a scammer.

Thousands of seniors receive this kind of e-mail every year, and thousands more receive phone calls from people claiming to be friends and family members in distress. In fact, this type of scam is so popular, it even has a name: “The Grandparent Scam,” and a recent FBI report says that this is a fairly new swindle, having first received reports of it only in 2008.

For protection from these scams, anti-fraud groups, as well as organizations such as the FBI advise people to verify everything if possible, and to avoid giving out personal information.

But no anti-fraud system is perfect, and ultimately the best way to avoid being a scammer’s next target isn’t just prevention; it’s education.

Over the last few years, as the number of seniors online has continued to grow, scammers have invented new ways of preying on the elderly, using the Internet as a way to cheat more people. And while an understandable response could be to simply avoid the Internet, anti-fraud experts say it’s not that simple.

“We’re all on some social media site, whether we like it or not,” said Constable Paul Proulx, Manager of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Anti-Fraud Centre.. “So it’s nice to Google ourselves once in a while.”

Proulx said many seniors who are wary of being scammed online shy away from social media networks, but that doesn’t solve the problem, because their information is likely online in some capacity, such as a photo album on one of their grandchildren’s Facebook accounts which has a photo of their grandparent. That information can help scammers and fraudsters learn the name of the grandchildren, where they live, and how old they are, and using that information, it becomes easy to impersonate them.

According to Chantez Bailey of the National Crime Prevention Council, scams against seniors are nothing new, but because scammers are always developing as new technologies become popular, seniors need to learn how to accommodate new technologies as well.

The best way, then, for seniors to protect themselves from online scams, especially the ‘Grandparent Scam,’ is to follow a few rules, according to Bailey:

1/ Never give away your credit card number to someone who called you on the phone. Only give it away if you called them.

2/ If you think you are being scammed by someone posing as your grandchild, confirm the details with their parent to see if the story lines up.

3/ Don’t make any purchases or investments based on an unsolicited telephone call. Consult a lawyer of an expert who can sniff out the details for you.

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E-Readers Blast into Older Adult Space

aadmin — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:31:06 +0000

E-reading is on the rise with older adults. A Pew Internet report released in early April, 2012, showed older adults are embracing e-reading. Twenty three percent of adults 50 to 64 and 17 per cent of 65+ adults read an e-book in the past twelve months.

Jim Barry, Media Spokesman, for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) feels the Pew Internet stats are right on target. “They are not surprising and the trend will grow,” said Barry. “E-readers are a great benefit for older adults who like to travel and read a lot.”

PORTRAIT OF E-BOOK READERS

Tablets versus e-readers for older adults

Barry perceives several advantages of e-readers for older adults over tablets – IPad, Galaxy Tab, or Motorola Xoom. E-readers’ e-ink and e-paper mimic print on page. E-readers have a better battery life than tablets, are easier to read in sunlight and are better priced. Also, their print size can be adjusted.

According to Barry, the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) of tablets causes more reflection and may result in reading problems for older readers. As well, they are more expensive. He confirmed Pew Internet’s findings; e-readers are preferred by older people and will be a growing demographic.

E-readers are easier to use than tablets, are highly portable, and are available cross-country in libraries with staff instruction. For people who read only books and newspapers, e-readers are the best choice.

Retirement is accompanied by the inevitability of moving, Barry noted. De-cluttering is exhausting and books constitute a big part of the process. E-readers don’t need to be packed up and moved.

Jerry Severns, Marketing Manager of It's Never 2 Late, a creative Denver firm specializing in assistive technology for aging adults, believes the growth of e-readers will mirror the development in the public realm. "A large portion of 65+ will move there," said Severns. "Baby Boomers will advance as they have with other technology, like laptops, smartphones."

Daniel Ger, Vice President of Retirement Life Communities, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, remarked that retirement communities exhibit a clear trend towards transforming technology. “Many residents have swapped paper books for Kindle readers and are instantly downloading best sellers to read and discuss at book clubs. Kindles offer easy, light, and portable access to any book. With eight selectable text sizes, they present a customizable experience for relaxed reading to seniors."

Fifty Plus adults have become a large market for e-readers and the Sixty Plus demographic is growing. They are switching over to e-readers in favor of paper books. In the United States, older people dominate the discretionary purchase market. E-readers, especially The Kindles, are being acquired by mature and upper class consumers.

E-readers offer an excellent opportunity for older adults to get started operating new technology. “With a little practice, seniors can understand high-tech,” states Chris Bint, Executive Director of the Elder Technology Assistance Group (ETAG), near Toronto, Ontario. At ETAG, e-books are accessible and inexpensive, evolving into personal libraries for seniors. Older adults look to ETAG for assistance for loading up and customizing e-books. They learn to integrate with libraries – a cost-cutter and stress eliminator – no renewals of overdue fines. Basic questions to ETAG from seniors about e-readers include: setting up an account with a credit card, making purchases, customization and basic workings.

Bint outlined an innovative advantage of e-books for seniors. Older couples can share and read identical books on separate devices with a single purchase on a joint account. The process can be valuable in a situation where readers need to access special fonts on separate readers.

The ETAG Executive Director notes that the limited functionality of e-readers can be an advantage for older adults. Electronic readers focus on a few functions compared to tablets that can encompass many hundreds of operations and apps. “The benefit of e-readers is accessibility,” said Bint. “There are a limited number of controls to learn. Options, like font size, are more focused for e-readers than tablets.”

An e-reader’s advantage is the zoom function, its ability to display only a few words on a page. Generally, tablets do not have this feature. Bint echoed Barry’s statement on the battery life of e-readers. With limited processing, the e-reader's battery life is up to 4 times better than the tablet’s back-lit screen and other functions.

In line with Barry’s statement on the tablet’s LCD display, Bint said the glass finish emanates more reflection. “The e-readers’ matte finish is superior for outside reading, “Bint said. “Reading in the park would be difficult for tablets because of reflection, but fine for e-readers.” The limited functionality of e-readers is part of the appeal of e-readers for older adults. “They focus on doing one thing well.”

E-BOOKS VERSUS BOOKS

The Pew Internet Study issued general trends about books versus e-books.

Books are still far-and-away preferable for reading to a child. Books have a significant lead for sharing with other people. The tendency between the two is almost even for reading in bed. E-books start to pull away for offering a selection of books to choose from. E-books lead by more than three times for traveling/commuting. E-books outrank books by four times for ability to get a book quickly.

Demographic Findings

The report found that older adults significantly follow current events compared to younger people. But those ages 18-29 are more likely to read for research purposes. Oldest readers are the most avid book consumers. Adults 50 to 64 responded that they have read 18 books in 2011; adults 65+ had read 23 books. Kindles are the most popular type of e-reading device and are owned by 62% of respondents. Another 22% own a Nook, making it the second most popular type. In addition, a large number of consumers read content on a cell phone.

Summary

E-readers and e-books have found a niche market with Baby Boomers and Older Adults. Their market price is lower than tablets. E-readers are easier to navigate and effortlessly fulfill a specific function devoid of manifold apps. The simplicity of e-ink and e-paper mimic print on page without tablet glare. E-readers and e-books have established a foothold within retirement residences, senior centers and libraries. According to The Pew Internet Study, their presence in the Baby Boomer and senior demographic will grow.

Graphics sourced from Pew Internet: The Rise of e-reading - Released April 4, 2012.

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Gay Pride Month is cause to celebrate for LGBT seniors

aadmin — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:18:59 +0000

It’s no longer news that North America’s population is aging. In the United States, the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple by 2050, and in Canada, the two fastest-growing age brackets are those 60-64, and then aged 100 and over.

But hidden within those growing numbers is significant diversity. According to some estimates, there are as many as three million Americans over the age of 50 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT). And that number could double in less than 20 years.

And today, even when the even though the retirement living industry is booming with niche communities, including those geared towards golf fans, art aficionados, and even those looking for a university-type experience, there are still major gaps.

For these three million LGBT Baby Boomers and seniors in the United States, there are only a total of five retirement homes specifically marketed to the gay and lesbian market.

Eric Harrison, Executive Director of GLEH (Gay & Lesbian Senior Housing), a developer of affordable communities aimed at LGBT seniors, told RetirementHomes.com in an interview that one of the major reasons for the shortage of housing options for older gays and lesbians is partly maintained by inequality of benefits afforded to them.

“LGBT seniors face the harsh reality that same-sex partners cannot receive Social Security survivor benefits; basic rights and hospital visitation are regularly denied to them, tax laws discriminate against same-sex partners, and Medicaid regulations do not protect the assets and homes of same-sex partners when their partner enters a nursing home or long-term care facility,” Harrison said.

Despite the challenges, Harrison said he believes the landscape is changing, thanks to increased lobbying efforts and efforts to address the problem on the part of the Obama White House.

Serena Worthington with SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders), an organization which promotes the causes of gay and lesbian seniors, said the situation is improving, but that LGBT seniors, like others, aren’t looking for special treatment, and are just looking for a comfortable environment for their retirement years.

“They lived through a lifetime of oppression,” she told RetirementHomes.com. “This generation is not coming in with a big rainbow flag pinned to their lapels.”

One community under construction in Santa Rosa, about 60 miles north of San Francisco, is Fountaingrove Lodge, a self-described ‘LGBT Retirement Community.’

With an open date scheduled for the summer of 2013, Fountaingrove Lodge expects to eventually house close to 150 seniors, split among independent living, assisted living, as well as memory care, according to Molly Gallaher, the VP of operations for Oakmont Senior Living, the developer of Fountaingrove.

Gallaher said while Fountaingrove will host all the regular amenities of a luxury retirement community – including a wine cave, wellness center, and pet park – the LGBT focus will primarily come through staff sensitivity training, as well as LGBT-focused excursions and activities.

And it appears that the local LGBT community has noticed: one year before it’s expected opening, Gallaher said about 97.5% of those who plan to move into Fountaingrove are members of the LGBT community.

Despite the challenges of gay and lesbian seniors have faced, and still continue to face, in gaining acceptance among their peers, Fountaingrove Lodge appears to be the latest sign in a changing landscape. As Serena Worthington said, “gay and lesbian seniors will not be willing to go back into the closet.”

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Five tips for an eco-friendly retirement

aadmin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:08:25 +0000

On April 22, a billion people - one in seven humans - will celebrate Earth Day 2012, according to organizers. Events around the world will include cleanups, rallies and gatherings, all aimed at making the planet a cleaner, more sustainable place.

If you’re a Baby Boomer or senior – or will soon become one – here are five tips you can use to make the most of Earth Day, and to help ensure your retirement years are also environmentally-friendly:

1/ Look for environmentally-friendly retirement communities

Independent and Assisted Living Retirement Communities can be customized to be energy-efficient by installing low-flow toilets, energy-efficient light bulbs, eco-friendly heating and cooling systems, and even paints and carpet. If you are looking to make your retirement environmentally-friendly, make sure to ask the retirement community if they use any energy-efficient appliances and utilities. Many environmentally-friendly communities are LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), so it’s worth asking whether the location you are considering has been certified.

2/ Find retirement communities close to your friends and family

For many people, long-distance travel is no fun. Traveling can be expensive and tiring, and hurtful to the environment. Try to retire in a place close to your friends and/or family, where you don’t need to take long flights every Thanksgiving or Christmas. Instead, you can be in the same city as your loved ones, and save the gasoline and pollution. Flying across the country on a commercial jetliner uses as much gasoline as driving alone in a medium-sized car, so flying less often helps reduce your environmental impact.

3/ Find retirement communities which are near excellent public transit systems

If you have places to go - the grocery store, the bank, the health center, or a coffee shop with friends - switching to public transportation can significantly decrease your carbon footprint. It can also save a lot of money, especially with cities and towns across the United States offering discounts for older passengers. Relying on public transit is a no-brainer in some cities, and in other places it’s a recipe for disaster, so research is needed before making any big moving decision.

4/ Consider an exotic retirement destination

If your retirement dream is to move away from the city, then for most, living close to family might not be the best option for you. Instead, consider something a little more exotic such as Thailand as your retirement destination; it can radically diminish your environmental impact. In many locales across Southeast Asia, you can walk everywhere you need to go, food is often produced locally, and there are even opportunities to live in eco-friendly huts in the rainforest.

5/ Grow your own vegetables

When busy with a career or raising children – or both – grocery shopping can be an inconvenient afterthought. But for Baby Boomers whose careers are slowing down, or retirees with extra time to spare, growing your own produce in the communal garden will help the environment keep pesticides out of the soil. With less reliance on your local grocery store, you will also make fewer trips there, saving you gasoline and money. Find out if your local retirement community has a garden where you can grow vegetables.

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Baby Boomers Confront the Caregiving Challenge

aadmin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:55:16 +0000

Caregivers come from every walk of life and 29% the American population, or 65 million people, are engaged in providing care for another person. Conferences and special events continue to be held to spotlight the increasing predicament of Caregivers and the psychological and financial costs on their lives.

Last summer, The MetLife Mature Market Institute® published a comprehensive research paper on Caregivers – The MetLife Study of Caregiving Cost to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for the Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents. The Mature Market Institute - MMI - produced the report in conjunction with the National Alliance for Caregiving and the Center for Long Term Care Research and Policy at New York Medical College.

The study analyzes data from the 2008 panel of the National Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and is a relevant review of Caregivers and those who depend on them.

Table 1: Who Are the Caregivers?

RetirementHomes.com spoke with two experts in the Caregiving field to assess the MMI report.

Denise Brown, certified professional coach, founder of Caregiving.com, and author of four books for family caregivers.
Bart Mindszenthy, co-author of Parenting Your Parents: Support Strategies for Meeting the Challenge of Aging in the Family (Dundurn Press, 2nd Revised) and founder of mycarejourney.com.

Double jeopardy is a familiar situation for millions of giving and compassionate people who may be managing three lives simultaneously: their children, a parent and their own. They are the ‘sandwiched generation’ – assisting their children through university and maintaining the health of aging parents. Our experts identified with the main problem: how do the Caregivers care for themselves?

Denise Brown remarked, "How does today’s family caregiver have money to pay for their future care?" Caregivers, she said, are 'tapped out' because of the costs of caregiving, the loss of wages because of time spent caregiving, and the impact of a recession. "For many family caregivers, the greatest sacrifice is the security of their own future."

Bart Mindszenthy said, "Those 40 to 60 year olds are more frequently finding that sons and daughters are moving back home for a while." He categorized it as either a post-college job hunting period, or maybe a failed marriage or lost job. "Whatever the reason, they’re back for a period of time and they will need some measure of support."

"Meanwhile," he continued, "those parents are now caring for their own aging parents, so they're in a bind.” Mindszenthy calls them 'the Shoulder Generation’, shouldering responsibilities, in some way helping both their grown children and their aging parents.

The 65 million caregivers in the US represent a tripling over the past 15 years. The Boomer Generation is the largest in North American history, and it has fallen on them to care for their parents who are living longer and want to age in place. What does it say about the character of Baby Boomers who provide these services to their parents and the older generation who rely on them?

"Baby boomers are activists," said Brown. "They step in to improve a situation, to solve a problem." She added that they work on behalf of aging parents, to ensure their parents receive quality care and to provide quality of life.

Mindszenthy remarked that Boomers are "the last loyal generation.” They have ethics and values. "That makes us more sensitive of people’s needs, and more patient and tolerant overall."

According to Brown, societal reasons are at play: "Health care providers do what they can to reduce costs,” she said, “but hospitals are discharging patients sooner and with greater care needs.” She proposes that the costs of long-term care are rising, which means aging relatives may have to rely more and more on family members for help. “Their budget limits how much help they can hire or if they can move to an assisted living facility or nursing home."

According to the report: “The total estimated aggregate lost wages, pension, and Social Security benefits of these caregivers of parents is nearly $3 trillion.”

Results from The MetLife study confirm that daughters are more likely to provide basic care and sons are more likely to provide financial assistance. The study states: “Women who provide care often reduce their hours worked as a result of the burden of caregiving”.

Mindszenthy considered the results were due to 'stereotypical role play'. "Women do the caring. Women are more emotional, intuitive, and sensitive." Men”, he said “do banking and errands.” More men are assuming increasing roles in caring for the elderly, "but it’s still a woman’s world."

Brown's thoughts were similar. "Women feel comfortable in a caregiving situation," she responded. "What's hardest about a caregiving situation? It's managing the emotions - the guilt, the anger, the resentment.” She describes caregiving as an emotional roller coaster. "It may be that women are more comfortable on that roller coaster of emotions than men". Men, she feels may find it easier to be involved with the less emotional tasks, paying the bills and managing the money.

But the MMI report also stated: “For all working caregivers, it is not unusual also to report missed opportunities for promotions, business travel, relocation, and education as workplace effects of providing care. Overall, both current wages and retirement income can suffer as a result.”

From the report: “Caregiving responsibilities may have a dramatic economic impact on both men and women through lost wages due to either reduced hours worked or leaving the labor force early and diminished Social Security benefits or private pensions.”

The MetLife Study found that 50+ adult children who work and provide care to a parent are more likely to have fair or poor health than those who do not provide care to their parents.

Figure 7: Percent of Workers in Fair or Poor Health, by Caregiving Status and Gender

The motivation? Mindszenthy said that 50+ adult children from safe, sound homes with caring parents are more likely to be active caregivers to their aging parents without feeling compelled. "They just do." he remarked. "It’s part of their paradigm of what a family is all about. And this pattern is even more pronounced in cultures such as Asians and southern Europeans."

Brown held similar ideas: "Most family caregivers feel a responsibility to an aging relative," she replied. "Some do it out of love, some as a way to give back to a parent. Some step up to provide care simply because they couldn't live with themselves if they didn't."

An important focus of the Study was on "opportunity costs” of caring for parents, including health effects, and psychosocial and behavioral impacts, such as depression or chronic disease.

Brown considered the very real possibilities of caregiving depression. "Family caregivers can feel like they grieve over and over,” she said. In Coping When Retiring Also Means Caregiving, a February 2, 2010 article for RetirementHomes.com, Brown writes: “The dream of your retirement day was something like a best friend. That retirement dream was awesome." To offset failed expectations, Brown recommends: "Create a caregiving mission statement. Your mission statement reflects your caregiving goals and your caregiving personality. It will serve as a reminder of what you can and cannot do as a family caregiver, as well as what’s most important to you and to your care recipient."

Brown pointed to the American Journal of Epidemiology publication, April 2009: ‘Caregiving Intensity and Change in Physical Functioning Over a 2-Year Period: Results of the Caregiver-Study of Osteoporotic Fractures’ (Oxford Journals) which posits:

"Caregivers consistently report higher levels of stress than noncaregivers do. According to theories of stress and health caregivers should have higher rates of health decline because of chronic stress. Furthermore, health decline should be greater among caregivers who perform more caregiving activities (i.e., high-intensity caregivers) because they are more stressed as a result of spending more time caregiving, caring for persons with more debilitating illnesses that require more care, or trying to balance caregiving and other responsibilities."

The publication confirmed the plight of Caregivers in terms of health and illness.

Mindszenthy referred to 'numerous studies' that reveal family caregivers pay a price for their caregiving: financially, psychologically, physically, and emotionally. "In fact," he said "family caregivers who spend a lot of time giving care tend to die younger." He estimated the actual price Caregivers pay is determined by their makeup. "However, there is no doubt, that the stress of caregiving and the mental and emotional pressures, along with the perpetual sense of guilt that too many experience, all add up to more instances of depression and other illnesses.”

What can caregivers do to avoid depression or chronic disease?

Brown says, “Reach out to other family caregivers, either through a support group in the community or one online. When you connect with others in a similar situation, you lessen the loneliness."

She also recommends taking regular walks and journaling. She also advised that caregivers understand their limits and find help, through social service organizations, home care agencies, friends, neighbors and family members.

Mindszenthy encouraged that caregivers build in ‘me time’, away from caregiving, work, and other family demands. "Caregivers need to ensure they get enough sleep and physical exercise. Read books and watch movies to turn off the mind from its regular processing."

Despite the overall dark picture, Caregivers maintain strong beliefs and steadfast ethical standards. They are willing to sacrifice their personal lives to help aging loved ones. With proper lifestyles they can maintain a sense of well-being, against the odds. Caregivers are a brave, dutiful, generation. Within an aging society, they are on the front lines of America’s health care.

Afterthoughts

The study’s Executive Summary states: “Nearly 10 million adult children over the age of 50 care for their aging parents. These family caregivers are themselves aging as well as providing care at a time when they also need to be planning and saving for their own retirement.” Perhaps an agenda behind the study is an alert to plan and save for retirement, developing a position paper by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, NY, and positive reinforcement from an insurance company about Caregiver retirement funds. Caregivers are offering care at a time when they need to plan and set aside for their own retirement, a key message for an insurance company.

The MMI’s respondents are all at least age 50. It admits to being non-reflective of “the entire spectrum of caregiving.” Also, the study’s only focus is on caring for a parent. Assistance to “a spouse, grandparent, sibling child with special needs, or other relative or friend, is not included.”

Similar to a lot of studies, Met Life plays it safe and provides comprehensive data without enough analysis. Readers – caregivers – who are in greatest need of the information must read between the lines. More interpretation, as provided by complex news stories would have been beneficial. Ultimately, MMI is a study in numbers, not impact. There’s no solution from the public/private sector to head off the Caregiver tsunami.

Can technology lessen the Caregiver burden? The MetLife study didn't address the growing number of e-enabled devices that could be of assistance. Baby Boomers are heavily engaged with mobile devices such as iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.

In early 2011, The Wall Street Journal reported more than 8,700 apps can supplement caregiving responsibilities. Functions include medication management, such as alerting the user about times for different pills to be taken, to storing medical records and keeping information organized. Another app acts as a GPS when a caregiver has it downloaded on his or her own phone.

A 2010 eMarketer report predicted growth in Smartphones by older adults because of these apps, which could lead to more independent lifestyles.

In a March 2008 article, Elinor Ginzler, AARP Sr. Vice President for Livable Communities, wrote "the ground is fertile for the use of caregiving technology to flourish." She continued, "Almost nine in ten older Americans want to be able to stay in their own homes and they are willing to use technology that can help them do that. Cost, however, is the elephant in the room-how to pay remains a big obstacle."

And in an April 2011 AARP Press Release, More Older Americans Aware and Open to Caregiving Technology, Jody Holtzman, AARP Senior Vice President for Thought Leadership wrote: “Home safety, monitoring, and communications technology are coming of age at a key time for a new generation caring for their loved ones.”

He added, “This could be the first generation of caregivers for whom technology could provide seamless access to communications and real time information about how well their loved ones are doing as they continue to live on their own."

The PERS (Personal Emergency Response System) phenomenon could hold out tech-enabled possibilities for caregivers to remotely monitor their parents when they've fallen. But tech savante Laurie Orlov writes none of these devices prevents a fall, which – according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention – is experienced by one-third of those aged 65+ each year – and is the leading cause of injury death among older adults. (Aging in Place Technology Watch: Can innovation push limits of traditional PERS, December 2010).

The MetLife Study fails to clarify the myriad of legal issues faced by caregivers who must be clear on critical legal documents for future planning: a Will, Power of Attorney and Advance Medical Directive – a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. A consultation with a lawyer is advised.

On many occasions, the study resorts to the ‘not in the scope of our study’ justification. Despite these limitations, The MetLife Study of Caregiving Cost to Working Caregivers is an excellent and comprehensive report – required reading for all Caregivers.

Table 1: Who Are the Caregivers? and Figure 7: Percent of Workers in Fair or Poor Health, by Caregiving Status and Gender are sourced from Caregivers – The MetLife Study of Caregiving Cost to Working Caregivers.

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More retirement communities are going 'green'

aadmin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:06:20 +0000

The coldest months of winter are approaching, and when the weather gets colder, more heat is used to heat homes, apartments and senior living communities. For many senior living communities, utility bills during the winter months can be a significant expense.

But high utility costs can be avoided. Retirement communities can save money and invest in their own infrastructure by investing in becoming environmentally-friendly. Being environmentally-friendly will help retirement communities use less energy. And that will save them money.

Using data provided by Gray is Green, an environmental advocacy organization for seniors, here are four communities across the United States who have invested in energy-efficient projects, and are seeing significant savings as a result:

Kendal at Hanover, a continuing care retirement community in Hanover, New Hampshire, invested $12,000 in their energy efforts. This investment in becoming environmentally friendly has lowered Kendal’s utility bill by 8.5%, resulting in annual savings of $136,000.

Plymouth Harbor, an independent living community in Sarasota, Florida, changed their ceiling lights in the hallways from standard light bulbs, and replaced them with Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) and LED light bulbs. These changes are saving Plymouth Harbor about $44,000 per year. Plymouth Harbor also invested in low-flow efficient toilets in their remodeled units, and this change is saving the community about $45,000 annually.

The Hudson Senior Center, a senior day program facility located in Hudson, Massachusetts, renovated their building to make it more energy-efficient. They installed motion sensors in the interior and exterior of the building to ensure lights only turn on when they are needed. The Hudson Senior Center also installed energy-efficient windows, low-flow toilets aimed at saving water, as well as connecting the central power grid to the office of their Director, so all electricity can be shut down in a particular room if it is completely empty. These savings have meant a 26% decrease in utility usage, saving the Hudson Senior Center about $150,000 ever year.

Friends Homes, a non-profit continuing care retirement community in Guilford, North Carolina, is another example of a senior living community which has invested in becoming environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient. Some of the projects undertaken by Friends Homes include installing a solar hot water system on the roof, consisting of 157 separate panels. This change is expected to save Friends Homes about $150,000 per year.

As recently reported by the U.S. Green Building Council, environmentally-friendly buildings do not need to be brand-new buildings. Rather, they simply need to have changes made to make them more energy-efficient. Communities and buildings of any size can be renovated; nothing is too large a job. According to the report, New York City’s Empire State building recently became environmentally-certified, and the building will save more than four million dollars in energy costs every year.

Energy can be saved in any retirement community, and when communities are more energy-efficient, not only are they helping the environment, but they are saving thousands of dollars in the process.

This research article is written by RetirementHomes.com, using data provided by Gray is Green

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