Elderly 'Fear Ageism More Than Crime' | CARDI : Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland

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Older people are more worried about ageism and discrimination than they are of being the victim of crime, a new study shows.

Research among a group of people aged between 60 and 90 showed they felt the older generation were patronised or seen as a “burden” on society.

They also expressed a strong desire to remain active by working or volunteering, the report from thinktank Demos and Brunel University said.

One pensioner said: “I am sick of the portrayal of my age group by government reports and news.”

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Leadership Council of Aging Organizations Consensus Statement on Older Americans Act Reauthorization

Introduction by LCOA on its consensus recommendations:

The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the major federal discretionary funding source for home and community-based services for older adults. Programs supported through the OAA include home-delivered and congregate nutrition services, in-home supportive services, transportation, caregiver support, community service employment, the long-term care ombudsman program, services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons, and other supportive services. These programs provide vital support for those older adults who are at significant risk of losing their ability to remain in their own homes and communities, or who need support and protection in long-term care facilities.

In addition, OAA funds resource centers that support the work of the aging services network, these resource centers address a variety of needs, including access to benefits, elder justice, multigenerational service and volunteering, legal services, financial literacy, long-term care ombudsman training, and targeted services to minority and special populations in need.

To develop and implement the wide array of OAA services, a system of federal, state and local agencies and organizations, known as the Aging Network, was established. The core of the Aging Network is the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA), 56 State and Territorial Agencies on Aging (SUAs), 629 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), 246 Title VI Native American and Native Hawaiian aging programs, and more than 30,000 community-based service provider organizations. This critical aging infrastructure is the backbone of our nation’s home and community-based long-term services and supports system offering assistance to older adults. The Aging Network’s activities also benefit other populations such as people with disabilities and caregivers.

Supported by the OAA, the Aging Network has successfully served millions of older adults in the community and in long-term care facilities since 1965, and is positioned to assist the country’s growing aging population to remain healthy, active, and in their communities. With each reauthorization, the OAA has been adapted to meet the changing needs of this growing population, the changing role of family supports, and expanding research and technological advances, often with inadequate funding. Further, the Aging Network and its services have the potential to save the Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Administration programs billions of dollars each year by enabling older adults to stay in their homes and communities and out of hospitals and long-term care facilities.

This current reauthorization provides an opportunity to reassess the successes and shortcomings of the OAA’s ability to serve older Americans, particularly those with the greatest social and economic need. In these times of fiscal restraint, the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) offers in this document recommendations for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the OAA in its delivery of core services and how it interacts and coordinates with other federal programs that serve older adults.

In order to maximize effectiveness, community-based services provided through the Aging Network must be coordinated and integrated with the various federal health care services that older adults receive. In addition, they must work hand in glove with other programs at the state and federal levels such as the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), fraud prevention programs, Senior Corps and other programs promoting community service, transportation programs, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), the Adult Protective Services Program and other elder abuse-related programs.

The goal of the following LCAO recommendations is to authorize the AoA, the Assistant Secretary, and the programs and staff across the nation to fulfill their promise by giving them the tools, direction and flexibility to provide the services that the aging population of our nation demands. Our focus is on person and family-centered care with local flexibility to serve the needs of unique communities and sub-populations. LCAO’s recommended improvements do not require major changes to the OAA’s core services or eligibility requirements. LCAO strongly believes that increasing the authorized funding for all titles of the OAA is necessary; however, provision of adequate funding is just one of the ways that we propose to improve and expand services. Additionally, any new programs added to OAA should be given specific authorization levels.

With the population of older individuals expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, the aging network faces incredible challenges associated with the influx of older individuals into OAA programs. The LCAO, which has played a significant leadership role in past reauthorizations, is committed to a reauthorization that will strengthen the OAA for both the older adults currently receiving services and for the boomers who, in 2011, have begun turning 65 years of age.

We urge Congress to update and improve the Older Americans Act, while providing the funding needed for OAA programs to keep older Americans independent and productive, thereby saving federal and state government resources. Therefore, the LCAO makes the following recommendations to strengthen and enhance the OAA.

Full Document

Workers with Intellectual Disabilities Abused by Texas-Based Company for Years - Disability.gov

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against Hill Country Farms alleging the company subjected a group of 31 men with intellectual disabilities to severe abuse and discrimination for more than 20 years.

The complaint alleges that that the owners and staffers of Henry’s Turkey denied the workers lawful wages, paying them only $65 a month for full-time work; subjected them to abusive verbal and physical harassment; restricted their freedom of movement; and imposed other harsh terms and conditions of employment such as requiring them to live in deplorable and sub-standard living conditions, and failing to provide adequate medical care when needed.

Verbal abuses included frequently referring to the workers as “retarded,” “dumb ass” and “stupid.” Class members reported acts of physical abuse including hitting, kicking, at least one case of handcuffing, and forcing the workers with disabilities to carry heavy weights as punishment.

This conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA).

The lawsuit follows an EEOC Commission meeting held March 15, 2011 that explored the issue of discrimination on the basis of mental disabilities.

Posted by Diana Z. on Apr 7, 2011 10:09:00 AM in Civil Rights, Employment

Federal Agency Career Opportunities for People with Disabilities - Disability.gov

Bender Consulting Services has been retained by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to recruit, screen and direct candidates with disabilities to federal agencies for positions in the areas of accounting, budget analysis, contact representative, contracts, finance, human resources, information technology, administrative support and miscellaneous clerical positions.

Successful candidates will be placed on the OPM Shared List of People with Disabilities, a database of resumes currently being accessed by more than 400 agency representatives and available to hiring managers and human resource personnel government-wide.

Opportunities are available for applicants in locations throughout the United States.

Positions are available for applicants with disabilities who are early career through senior career levels. This is a great opportunity for college students with disabilities, including graduate students, and experienced career professionals to work for federal agencies.

In order to qualify, an applicant must be a U.S. Citizen and eligible for the Schedule A hiring authority.

Applicants should submit their resume to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference “Federal Career Opportunities” in the subject line. For more information, visit the Bender Consulting Services website at www.benderconsult.com.

Posted by Stephanie B on Apr 8, 2011 9:42:47 AM in Employment

Federal Agency Career Opportunities for People with Disabilities - Disability.gov

NCOA Launches One Away Campaign for Elder Economic Security; Releases National Poll on Struggles Facing Older Adults

Ken Schwartz, NCOA Director, Marketing & Communications, 202-600-3131, ken.schwartz@ncoa.org

Washington, D.C. (March 31, 2011) – More than 13 million older adults are considered economically insecure, living on just $21,780 a year or less. Every day, these seniors, and millions of Boomers, have to choose whether to pay for food, housing, utilities, or out-of-pocket for medication costs. They live one bad break, one accident, or one layoff away from economic disaster.

To spotlight their struggles—and call for change—the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is launching One Away, an innovative, national advocacy campaign that uses video to allow older adults to tell their own stories, in their own words. One Away videos and stories are available at OneAway.org.

“We are already receiving real stories of seniors who are struggling,” said Sandra Nathan, senior vice president for economic security at NCOA. “It’s clear that vulnerable older adults are in desperate need of help and want to be heard.”

National Poll Shows Depth of Problem

Almost two-thirds (63%) of adults aged 18+ said they or an older adult they know is struggling to make ends meet in today’s economy, according to the new One Away poll. A majority (62%) also knows that one out of three older adults relies on Social Security for over 90% of their income.

Commissioned by NCOA and conducted online in March 2011 by Harris Interactive, the One Away poll of 2,526 adults aged 18 and older also found that 80% of adults know that older workers who lose a job are more likely to face very long-term unemployment, up to 99 weeks or more.

In spite of this harsh reality, the House of Representatives recently passed legislation to cut funding by 64% for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), our nation’s only jobs program designed to help older Americans in need. The cut would result in the loss of over 83,000 jobs.

At the same time, some economic challenges facing older adults are less well known to the public:

Fewer than 1 out of 5 people (19%) are aware of the scale of senior credit card debt, which averages $10,000.


Only 34% are aware that people over age 65 make up the fastest-growing segment of the population seeking bankruptcy protection.


Almost three-quarters (72%) either underestimated or did not know that nearly 6 million seniors are at risk of going hungry every day.

“The struggles seniors are facing are all too often overlooked or dismissed,” said James Firman, president and CEO of NCOA. “This campaign is about elevating their voices, and we need Congress to catch up to the realities of their constituents and develop concrete solutions to make life better for our seniors.”

As part of the One Away campaign, NCOA has also published A Blueprint for Increasing the Economic Security of Older Adults: Reauthorizing the Older Americans Act. The report outlines specific recommendations to improve elders’ economic security through reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA), which is scheduled to occur this year.

Funding for the One Away campaign was provided by The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Working with Online Volunteers who have Disabilities |

from Service Leader.org

Online volunteering programs can allow for the greater participation of people who might find volunteering difficult or impossible because of a disability. This in turn allows organizations to benefit from the additional talent and resources of more volunteers, and allows agencies to further diversify their volunteer talent pool.

Just as building designs can help persons in wheelchairs to navigate doorways, there are ways to accommodate persons with disabilities to serve in virtual volunteering programs.

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Employment-Supportive Personal Assistance Services (E-PAS) Facilitate Employment of Persons with Serious Physical and Mental Disabilities - Disability.gov

By Raymond E. Glazier, Ph.D., Director of the Abt Associates Center for the Advancement of Rehabilitation and Disability Services and Member of the MA Work Without Limits Initiative in Disability.gov

Persons like me with serious physical, intellectual or psychiatric disabilities often can’t function productively in the workplace without some form of assistance. This is not to say that we can’t perform, quite capably, the essential functions of many jobs. Instead these, oftentimes, very simple accommodations (such as personal assistance services) help us go about our daily routines more efficiently.

What Are Employment-Supportive Personal Assistance Services (E-PAS)?

Personal assistance services (PAS) are defined as assistance with everyday tasks that a person would typically perform for him/herself, were it not for the disability (ODEP, 2006). These services can include in-home assistance with bathing, grooming and dressing to get ready for the workday. In the employment context, PAS does not include routinely performing the employee’s essential job functions.

Employment-Supportive Personal Assistance Services, or E-PAS, supports people with disabilities engaging in competitive employment. E-PAS can involve personal care services performed at a workplace – for example, help eating a meal, preparing for the workday and/or getting to and from the workplace. It may also encompass job coaching, which is not always thought of as PAS.

For a worker with quadriplegia, the assistance needs might include personal care tasks like feeding or toileting at the worksite, as well as help with traveling to and from the job and task-related assistance with copying documents and perhaps, filing and retrieving papers.

For an employee with cognitive limitations, needs might include assistance with organizing work tasks, becoming acclimated to a work schedule and learning one’s way around the workplace.

For a worker with serious mental health issues, there could be a need for cueing services like medication reminders, guidance in relating appropriately to co-workers or help with interacting with supervisors.

Medicaid as a PAS/E-PAS Funding Source

Most persons with significant disabilities are in no position to pay privately for PAS, and neither Medicare nor private health insurance will cover it – even for vital personal care needs like in-home assistance with transfers, bathing, toileting and dressing, not to mention cueing services for persons with mental health issues or workplace PAS services. The only funding sources for personal care PAS are Medicaid (which goes by different names in different states) and the Veterans Administration for those with military service-connected disabilities.

Medicaid is a joint federal-state health care program that funds services for eligible low-income/low resource individuals and families. While there is a federally mandated set of basic core services, eligibility rules and additional optional services vary from state to state. Coverage for personal care services is a state plan option that is offered by two thirds of states and does not always extend to cueing services (even though the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has reimbursed them for many years.)

Several states have explicit Medicaid E-PAS programs designed to facilitate competitive employment for persons with disabilities. California, Connecticut, Kansas, New Jersey, Nebraska and Wisconsin come to mind; Utah also has a remarkable E-PAS program targeting consumers with mental health issues.

Ordinarily, working individuals have incomes that put them over the usual income threshold for Medicaid eligibility. However, most states have a Medicaid Buy-In program that allows working persons with disabilities to become eligible for the broad array of Medicaid services by paying a monthly premium. Again, there is much variability state to state as to the minimum required work effort, services covered, premium rate structures, etc.

Other Types of E-PAS and Who Pays for What

Certain E-PAS items, like job coaching, are the province of the state operated, state/federally funded Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs, which also have income and asset limits for eligibility. The state VR programs have finite funding that limits the number of consumers they can serve in a given fiscal year. Therefore, the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) requires that they serve persons with ‘most significant disabilities’ first.

While Medicaid may cover travel to and from the workplace, as well as on-site personal care services like feeding and toileting needed during the workday, employers are required by Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended, to fund personal care services during work-related company travel. And importantly, ADA ‘reasonable accommodations’ required of employers also extend to task-related PAS with non-essential job functions like copying, mailing, filing, etc.

The following table summarizes the three main areas of E-PAS and who funds them. Obviously there are gray areas, and the distinctions between each category and responsible party are not always clear-cut.

Three Categories of Workplace PAS/Three Funding Sources
Medicaid-funded Personal Care PAS: Help getting to/from worksite, personal care (mobility, feeding, toileting) at the worksite, cueing services for those with serious mental health issues.	Employer Reasonable Accommodation PAS (per ADA): Task assistance, e.g., ASL inter-preter, filing help, scribe; personal care only for job-related travel.	Vocational Rehabilitation PAS: Job Coach (helps organize tasks and processes; advocates for worker)/Supportive Employment.

How to Identify E-PAS Resources Available to You

Your VR counselor or Club House are likely sources for assistance in determining your needed employment supports and how to obtain what E-PAS you require in order to achieve competitive employment.

You can also visit the websites of the Center for Personal Assistance Services, the Job Accommodation Network or Disability.gov to learn more about personal assistance services and other types of workplace accommodations.

Raymond E. Glazier, Ph.D., Director of the Abt Associates Center for the Advancement of Rehabilitation and Disability Services in Cambridge, MA receives in-home PAS through the MA Medicaid Buy-In; his employer provides additional service hours at the same wages for two of his home PAS workers to provide task-related E-PAS at the office.

National Council on Aging: Ask Congress to Protect Services for Vulnerable Seniors

Congress is currently proposing massive cuts in programs that provide jobs, affordable housing, and volunteer opportunities for older Americans.

Negotiations are now taking place on a historic budget-cutting bill that will likely be voted on the first week of April.

The House has already passed a bill that would:

• Cut the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) by 64%—eliminating jobs for more than 83,000 poor seniors in need of work and potentially shutting down the program in many communities across the nation.
• Eliminate funding for Senior Corps, “firing” more than 450,000 senior volunteers nationwide and denying vital services to vulnerable older adults, children, and their families in communities across the nation.
• Reduce by two-thirds Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly at a time when 1.3 million seniors have worst-case housing needs and increasing numbers are homeless.

Tell your Senators and Representative to reject cuts in jobs, housing, and volunteer programs for seniors!
Please use the sample letter below, edit it to put it in your own words, or make it even more powerful by adding a personal story about how an older adult you know is struggling to get a job or affordable housing or would be denied help or volunteer opportunities under Senior Corps.
Let your elected officials know that their constituents need help!

Recipients

• Your Senators
• Your Representative

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Challenges for Asia as It Grows Old - NYTimes.com

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By ALAN WHEATLEY | REUTERS

If demography is destiny, as the French philosopher Auguste Comte put it, then Asia faces daunting challenges in the coming decades.

Markets understandably track the rate and composition of gross domestic product to gauge short-term economic shifts. But it is changes to the underlying productive capacity of an economy that count in the long run. Swing factors include openness to outside capital and ideas as well as the quality of education and governance.

Another is the effect of population trends on the supply of labor and on savings and investment rates. Witness North Africa and the Middle East. One reason behind the turmoil engulfing the region is the failure of governments to address a youth bulge, spawning large cohorts of angry, unemployed young men.

With the notable exception of India, most Asian countries have the opposite problem. The region is growing old, as painfully illustrated by the March 11 earthquake in northeast Japan.
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Career Connection Series: Ready to Choose Work? You May Already Have a Ticket - Disability.gov

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By Dan O’Brien, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration
 
What is Ticket to Work?

Social Security’s Ticket to Work is a voluntary program that helps people with disabilities who want to work by providing them with free support services. If you are between the ages of 18 and 64 and are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you already qualify.

While you explore your work options or go back to school, the Ticket Program and special rules, called Work Incentives, help you stay in control of your healthcare and cash benefits. For example, cash benefits don’t stop until you earn a certain amount of money (this is called Substantial Gainful Activity or SGA). The goal is that one day you can be financially independent.

Learn how the Ticket to Work Program and Work Incentives might be right for you:
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AARP and National Urban League Report Looks At Prospects For African-American Older Workers As Economy Recovers

A report released by AARP and the National Urban League takes a look at the prospects for African-American older workers as the economy recovers.

The new report, prepared for the two organizations by the Urban Institute, examines the labor market experiences of African-American workers aged 50 and over. AARP and the National Urban League point out in the study that older African-Americans could be well-positioned to take advantage of job opportunities likely to emerge in the rejuvenated economy. The study projects that health care and social service sectors are likely to generate many new jobs in the years ahead.

“As the recovery speeds up, older African-Americans can help meet employment needs in both the private and public sectors,” said Deborah Russell, director of workforce issues at AARP. “The role of community colleges and the workforce development community will be crucial in helping mature workers fill eventual shortages in high growth industries. Training programs that keep workers’ skills up-to-date are critical to maximizing these opportunities.”

Older African-Americans already make a significant contribution to the economy – the 4.6 million aged 50 and over are 9.5 percent of the aged 50-plus labor force, as of January, 2011. According to the study, African-American older workers have contributed at least $160 billion in earnings to the economy.

In the context of these contributions, the great recession has been particularly devastating for African -American older workers. Frequently saddled with fewer resources than Americans over all, they have faced crushing burdens that include declining housing values, health care cost increases, reduced retirement savings, and high unemployment.

Russell and Dr. Valerie Rawlston Wilson of the National Urban League noted that the community college system provides training opportunities that might be particularly valuable to 50+ African-Americans in search of additional skills and credentials as they seek employment in the new economy.

“Retraining mature workers with a desire and need to remain in the workforce is one of the most constructive ways of addressing the economic challenges this cohort faces while also capitalizing on the tremendous wealth of experience they bring to the workplace,” said Dr. Wilson, vice president of research at the National Urban League Policy Institute. “Facilitating the path to entrepreneurship is also a way to build upon the knowledge and creative capacity of this population,” she said.

AARP, in conjunction with the National Urban League Policy Institute, will hold a forum on March 8, from 8:30 am – noon, in New York City (concourse level of AARP offices, 780 Third Avenue, Manhattan, that will focus on the findings of the study.

The report also focuses on current resources available to assist employers in assessing their needs in a multi-cultural, multi-generational economy. Those resources include AARP’s free online Workforce Assessment Tool (http://www.aarpworkforceassessment.org/us/index.cfm).

This unique planning resource, which already has been used by more than 1,500 companies, provides a snapshot of an organization’s workforce and demographics and the programs in place to leverage the talents and experience of its older workers.

For a copy of the full report, visit www.aarp.org/olderblackworkers. For more information, contact AARP Media Relations at 202-434-2560.

Why Employees Need Flexibility

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Content prepared by the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College

Employees report that they are more productive and more engaged in their work when there are able to balance the demands of work with other aspects of their lives. Improvements in physical and mental health are also associated with workplace flexibility. Below is evidence linking flexible work options to employee and family well-being.

Reducing Stress

Research shows that flexible work arrangements may reduce stress because employees working flexibly are more satisfied with their jobs, more satisfied with their lives, and experience better work-family balance. (21) Overall, employees who have a high work-life fit fare much better than employees who have moderate or low levels of work-life fit. They are more highly engaged and less likely to look for a new job in the next year, and they enjoy better overall health, better mental health, and lower levels of stress. (40)

Studies

Participation in formal arrangements that involve flextime promotes a sense among workers that they have the discretion to fit job-related responsibilities into their broader lives, and this discretion contributes to less stress and burnout. A study of more than 19,000 employees at nine distinct companies (in the pharmaceutical, technical, manufacturing, financial, and professional services sectors and in a university) showed that stress and burnout was lower among workers engaged in all types of workplace flexibility arrangements. (44) Similarly, a study of employees in a large multinational company found that greater levels of flexibility were associated with better health: that is, with less self-reported stress and strain, and better physical health. (16)
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Lawsuit Settled with Company for Unlawfully Refusing to Hire Applicant Who Participated in Drug Rehab Program - Disability.gov

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged Hussey Copper, Ltd. with refusing to hire an applicant because of his participation in a medically supervised drug rehabilitation program. Refusing to hire a qualified individual because of his or her disability, record of disability or because the employer perceives a person as having a disability, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. For examples of other civil rights enforcement actions visit http://www.disability.gov/civil_rights/enforcement_actions.

Posted by Diana Z. on Feb 14, 2011 2:23:36 PM in Civil Rights

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Older Men Gain Re-Employment, But at a Lower Wage

"Median hourly wages for reemployed men, age 50 to 61, are 20.1% lower on the new job than the old job and 35.6% lower on the new job for men age 62 or older," according to a 2011 analysis of SIPP data by the Urban Institute.

Urban Institute Report

Some New Hope for Older Workers

By Lisa Johnson Mandell,

There's more bad news for the more mature baby boomers. Once they've lost their jobs, older Americans are more likely than any other age group to remain out of work for 99 weeks or more. That's as calculated in a new report by the Congressional Research Service.

For unemployed adults ages 55 and over, 11.5 percent had spent almost the last two years looking for work, considerably higher than the figure of 6 percent among unemployed workers under age 35. Older adult unemployment is at a near-record high, double what it was when the recession began in December 2007. Among adults over 65, 6.9 percent were jobless in December 2010.

"It is urgent that we address the employment needs of millions of frustrated and often desperate older adults and boomers," said Sandra Y. Nathan, senior vice president of Economic Security at the National Council on Aging (NCOA), the leading nonprofit service and advocacy organization for older Americans. "Many have seen their savings and housing values badly eroded in the economic downturn and are living in or dangerously near poverty. For them, a job is a lifeline that can help them make ends meet and get them on a pathway to economic security."
Full Article

Fewer Workers Age 60 and Up Postponing Retirement

Image by Julie70 via Flickr
As the economy gradually recovers, some mature workers are feeling more comfortable about retiring now compared to last year at this time. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, 65 percent of workers age 60 plus said they are putting off retirement because they can't afford to retire financially; down from 72 percent who said the same last year. The nationwide survey was conducted among more than 500 U.S. workers age 60 and up between November 15 and December 2, 2010.

More than one-in-four (28 percent) mature workers age 60 plus plan to retire within the next two years, while 27 percent are planning to retire in three to four years, and 18 percent in the next five to six years. Sixteen percent estimate it will be seven years or more before they can stop working, while one-in-ten workers (10 percent) don't think they'll ever be able to retire.

The primary drivers for postponing retirement are financial restraints, as indicated by 65 percent of respondents, and the need for health insurance and other benefits, as indicated by 58 percent of respondents. However, mature workers are staying on board at their companies for a variety of other reasons, including:

* Enjoy their job (39 percent)
* Enjoy where they work (36 percent)
* Fear retirement may just be boring (26 percent)
* Enjoy feeling needed (14 percent)

"It's encouraging to see that more workers have the option to retire if they want to, but there are still some who want to keep working at their companies for a variety of reasons," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Twenty-two percent of workers age 60 and up that we surveyed said they have asked their employer to stay longer with the company, while 29 percent of companies said they are open to keeping workers on board a little longer.

Some Boomers 'Retire' to Jobs that Allow Them to Help Others - USATODAY.com

By Richard Wolf

After college, Pat Daly wanted to "save the world" by working with children, but the money wasn't there. So she went into investment banking, became a director of her firm and opened offices around the world, eventually earning in the "high six figures."

Along the way, Daly got involved in philanthropy, took a course in fundraising and began to volunteer. When her job at Credit Suisse was eliminated in 2008, she chose to pursue a second career — working with kids.

WHAT GENERATION ARE YOU? Take the quiz

MORE BOOMERS: Stories, photos, videos, graphics
Full Article

Social Security Administration Announces 2011 Work Incentives Webinar Series: Register Now for January 26th Webinar - Disability.gov

By Dan O’Brien, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration

I’m pleased to announce that the Social Security Administration is continuing its successful Work Incentives Webinar Series in 2011. The first webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, January 26 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. This 90-minute session will offer Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries – and their support advocates – information on the work incentives available to them, including the Ticket to Work Program.

If you’re thinking about employment but are concerned about how working may impact your benefits, then attend this webinar to learn more about work incentives, employment networks, protection and advocacy and who to talk to for more information about your specific needs.

The webinars will be offered the fourth Wednesday of every month, and we have some exciting topics in store for later in the year. Registering is easy – visit the Choose Work website or call 866-968-7842/TDD 866-833-2967.
Full Article

Peace Accord Reached Between Geriatrics and Palliative Care Professional Societies | GeriPal - Geriatrics and Palliative Care Blog

by: Wikileaks

Boards for the major professional societies for geriatrics (AGS) and hospice and palliative medicine (AAHPM) have reached an agreement on collaborative efforts. The agreement was drafted following a conference in New York.

Here is the joint statement:

BACKGROUND

The Geri-Pal Workgroup has focused its collaborative efforts between the disciplines of geriatrics and palliative medicine in the following five areas: Workforce, Research, Education, Policy and Membership Communication. The following summaries provide specific recommendations in each area for the AAHPM Board to consider.

Workforce
Due to the continued growth of advanced and serious illness among older adults, it is imperative that aggressive steps be taken to increase the workforce with training in advanced and complex illness care. It is likely that both for the field of geriatrics and palliative medicine that workforce will be inadequate to address population needs. The Geri-Pal workgroup recommends

1) ongoing dialogue between both specialties on ways to train mid-career physicians (since fellowship training won’t meet workforce need);

2) better understanding of current workforce issues in palliative medicine and geriatrics through incorporation of questions into the AGS annual workforce study (See appendix) and the proposed academic palliative medicine survey and communication of these findings to both organizations;

3) identification of areas of resistance to collaboration between both specialties;

4) delineation of unique and overlapping competencies for both specialties; and

5) support by both organizations/disciplines for Geriatric Academic Career Awards and Palliative Academic Career Awards.

Research
Very little research addresses advanced illness/multimorbidity/symptom management in older adults. Despite the large number of people affected, funding for these areas are also thin. The Geri-Pal workgroup recommends

1) joint advocacy for research in these areas;

2) increased communication to relevant stakeholders regarding the research vacuum in geri-pal research;

3) initiation of a joint strategic initiative to increase funding in these areas through State of the Art conferences, an Institute of Medicine conference for targeted topics, and interaction by the Geri-Pal workgroup and other AGS/AAHPM leaders with key research and policy stakeholders.

Education
Based on the identified overlap of shared goals in the care for older adults with advanced illness and a cross-over of more than 300 members, a pilot exercise to educate each organization’s membership during their Annual Meetings was viewed as successful. Both organizations completed the following activities in 2009/2010:

• an exhibit booth exchange allowing each organization to have a presence at the other’s annual conference;

• development of a pre-conference session offered at both the 2010 AGS conference and the 2011 AAHPM conference.

Based on high evaluation scores and good attendance for the pre-conferences and notable interest at the exhibit booths, continued inclusion of exhibit booths and sessions is being sought for the 2011 and 2012 annual meetings of AGS and AAHPM respectively. The AGS Annual Meeting Program Committee has considered this request and approved moving forward with a pre-conference at the AGS 2011 Annual Meeting. AAHPM will consider this for its 2012 planning committee meeting.

In addition, AGS and AAHPM have continued the exchange of products. AGS is providing Geriatrics at Your Fingertips to AAHPM at its member price and AAHPM is providing the Primer at the AAHPM member price during certain time periods throughout the year.

Policy
Given the important issues confronting providers working in geriatrics and palliative medicine, especially in the coming decade as health reform is implemented, it will be crucial to speak with one voice, synergistically, on matters relevant to medical care of persons of advance age, and those nearing the end of life. To that end, the Geri-Pal workgroup recommends to the leadership and membership of the AAHPM and AGS to:

1) Concur on matters of mutual clinical and policy import;

2) Share policy and advocacy initiatives regularly to highlight areas of mutual interest and emphasis;

3) Share “talking points” related to (2);

4) Prepare statements and political approaches to “hot button” issues, including but not limited to - rationing, health care reform, end of life care, Medicare cost-cutting initiatives, and

5) Share mechanisms of mobilizing membership to accomplish shared goals of the AAHPM and AGS.

Communication to memberships
To demonstrate the growing collaboration between the two fields of geriatrics and palliative medicine, the Geri-Pal workgroup recommends ongoing communicating to both organizations’ memberships regarding activities of the workgroup and two organizations that highlight this collaboration. The Geri-Pal workgroup recommends:

1) Regular updates in the AGS newsletter (sent quarterly), the AGS Week in Review (weekly), and the AAHPM newsletter (sent quarterly) and 

2) Development of a joint position statement and issue brief addressing the need for integration of geriatric and palliative medicine, the importance of funding the care provided, and the need for training programs that facilitate training at the intersection of the fields and are not barriers to training in both areas.

Workgroup members:
Chair, Christine Ritchie, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Bob Arnold, University of Pittsburgh
Jean Kutner, University of Colorado Denver HSC
Seth Landefeld, University of California at San Francisco
Bruce Leff, John Hopkins University
Wayne McCormick, University of Washington
Greg Sachs, Indiana University

RECOMMENDATION
The Membership and Communities SCC has reviewed the proposal as submitted by the Geri-Pal Workgroup and recommends ongoing collaboration between the disciplines of geriatrics and palliative medicine to focus on the areas/issues noted above.
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