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2020: The New Decade for Healthy Ageing

By Judy Martin, Chair, Global Ageing Network

The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an exciting and reflective time to evaluate where we are as an organisation and as a collaborative community/field.

To facilitate global communication, The Global Ageing Network’s (GAN’s) stated mission is to enhance the quality of life for ageing by connecting support care, housing, and service providers worldwide. Providers across the globe align internationally with common challenges and themes that shape their focus on service provision for the ageing.

GAN seeks to bring global ageing into sharp focus and facilitate networking for providers to learn from each other to shape informed and brighter outcomes for our ageing communities. The GAN membership stems from different geographic and socioeconomic areas and includes those from a gamut of providers in developed and developing countries with diverse cultural challenges.

Global ageing trends also challenge service delivery where there has been a distinct move away from previous models of institutional care to traditional social- and community-based care centred on small-scale housing and intergenerational profiles. GAN provides an oversight of global activity in ageing and is an important conduit for monitoring cultural ageing trends for global information dissemination.

What can we learn from each other to facilitate global care principles to enhance respect for our elders?

In this digital age, where there is an emphasis on information underpinned by data, it is also an age that will need careful attention to our need for human contact and interaction as     … people. It is the age that increasingly demands the need to share our humanity. With so much connectivity available, prevailing loneliness and isolation in our aged communities demands a new response. Human connectivity, touch, is power. GAN will aim to use the advantages of digital access to explore the new response and bring the global world of ageing closer. I will, GAN will, lead/serve from the centre to bring the global ageing network together and advance the interests of the world’s seniors.

Our focus for 2020 is to grow our membership across the globe to more effectively engage and enable providers, peak field associations, and suppliers to the field to support each other in the common cause -the global care profile of our elders. GAN is to be a conduit for an international exchange of information to best support our seniors to sustain healthy, active, and engaged lifestyles with dignity and respect.

In 2020, GAN will reach out to peak associations across the globe to expand our membership presence to serve local ageing populations underpinned by access to GANs research, forums, events, reports, and interactive member participation opportunities such as GAN’s expanding International Study Tour Leadership programs.

We encourage providers who are GAN members to reach out to colleagues and discuss the benefits of joining this rapidly expanding Global Ageing Network in the new decade for healthy ageing. We welcome new members.

We ARE the Global Ageing NETWORK, the world’s only network of ageing service providers. The Global Ageing Network has grown from an idea to a vibrant network spanning nearly 50 countries serving millions of people every day.

 

A Student’s Experience with the Ageing Field

By Randhika Aturaliya

I have been a Global Ageing Network intern since January and it has opened my eyes to the ageing field. Last month, I attended the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, and was excited to immerse myself in the field with thousands of ageing services leaders from around the country and world. 

I arrived on the first day of the conference on Sunday. I was greeted by the large convention center bustling with people in business suits, brandishing their LeadingAge conference name tags. This was my first conference and the number of people made me overwhelmed, but also incredibly excited. I wanted to learn what people all over the country were doing to support older adults in their community.

The first session I attended was on leadership. I was seated at a table with various executive directors from nursing homes and senior living communities, along with an intern from Israel. It was fascinating to hear their perspectives and the unique issues that they found in their communities and workplaces. The speaker explained the importance of addressing the needs of your teammates and establishing a support network of people to help you find the answers you don’t know. My eyes were opened to the collaborative nature of leadership. As a leader, you don’t have to be all-knowing, you have to be self-aware and dedicated to serving your staff and community. At our table, we discussed methods of promoting effective teamwork. The leaders at my table told stories of group bonding events they hosted and disruptors in their teams. 

After the session, I attended a networking lunch with the students in the LeadingAge Student Program and other aging professionals. The students I met were from all over the country — including Kentucky, Wisconsin, and California. Every student I met was motivated to get their foot in the door in the ageing industry. Most of the students I met were focused on the health care side of the ageing industry, which was interesting to learn since I am more focused on the public health perspective.

As I’ve learned more about the field, I’ve grown interested in governmental affairs, global health, and housing policy. The students I met worked in nursing homes and want to become administrators in training (AITs). I loved hearing about the diversity in experiences that people my age had. It made me feel like the next generation has fresh perspectives and ideas that can help benefit the field. 

I was thrilled to attend a session on affordable housing. My internship has opened my eyes to the issue of affordable housing for older adults who have limited incomes. It was an issue that I have never really considered until now and I really wanted to see how leaders in the field have tried to address this challenge. In the session, I learned about the Green House model, which is a group home where 6-10 older adults live together. This model facilitates meaningful relationships and independence, which is integral to the aging process.

Another session I enjoyed discussed issues impacting LGBT older adults. The speaker worked at SAGE, an organization dedicated to advocacy and services for LGBT elders. LGBT elders require a space for them to continue to explore their sexuality and gender identity. She told us a story of an older adult who’s daughter would paint his nails, do his makeup, and dress him up. The daughter found that a care worker would remove the makeup and nail polish and change her father’s clothes.

Attending this conference was an incredibly rewarding experience that made me excited for the future. I loved being surrounded by passionate and driven people who want to improve the lives of older adults. Every person I met at the conference was eager to talk to me and learn about my interests as a college student delving into this field.

Sustainable Development Goals and Aging

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The Stakeholder Group on Ageing (SGA) represents the voice of older persons in the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) include no poverty and zero hunger. SGA brings together global networks to discuss the issue of aging and the needs of older persons around the world.

Read more.

 

September Wisdom Talk Highlights Cameroon-based Organization

The Global Aging Network welcomed speakers Jack York, founder of It’s Never Too Late (iN2L), and Francis Njuakom Nchii, founder of CDTVA Cameroon, on Sept. 27 for the Wisdom Talk monthly series. CDTVA is an organization in Cameroon that promotes home care for elders at the grassroots level. Nchii is also involved with the Eldercare Cameroon Collaboration, which is a joint venture between WD International Consulting, iN2L, and CDVTA. The collaboration provides opportunities for donors to contribute to CDTVA as a village partner, adopt a specific activity, or to support the educational advancement of administrative staff, field staff, volunteers, and elder club leaders.

York began the Wisdom Talk by discussing how he met Nchii at a conference during the 2015 Global Ageing Network (formerly IAHSA)-ACSA Conference in Perth, Australia. Nchii asked for funding from the West at the conference and York was moved by Nchii’s speech. York provided Nchii with a $500 donation to help elders in Cameroon. This sparked the beginning of a fruitful connection between Nchii and York. A few months later, they traveled around the U.S. to fundraise together. All donors had the special experience of having a goat named after them.

Nchii noted that funding for elders in Africa is scarce and the government does not provide any support for seniors. Life in Africa for elders depends on the mercy of chance, and many elders who live in remote communities have become accustomed to the poverty in their lives. 85% of older adults have never been to school, and 95% of women are illiterate.

The intergenerational approach has been beneficial in connecting elders and children. Younger people typically leave the city in search of jobs. But by promoting the relationship between elders and children, grandparents can instill values in children and teach them skills. The burden of care often falls onto grandparents in Africa because many parents suffer from HIV, resources must be put in place to support both elders and grandchildren. Grandchildren who rely on elders for care often don’t have an opportunity for equal education.

Community health volunteers are also another effective approach to caring for elders in Africa. The volunteers live in the community and they don’t receive salaries. They carry out home visits in the homes of older adults – they chat with elders and help them with any tasks. The volunteers show the government that they are proud of their elders. They hope to promote respect for elders in their communities. The community health volunteers paid for buses for older adults so they could travel to the capital and meet with the Prime Minister and Parliament to discuss their concerns. 

We look forward to hearing more stories and ideas from this great international partnership in the future.

For more information about the Global Ageing Network “Wisdom Talk” series and to watch the live recording on Facebook, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/TheGlobalAgeingNetwork/videos/921852848168943/

A Generational Approach on Senior Living Workforce

Senior Housing News, with sponsorship from PointClickCare, recently published an e-book that looks at the senior living workforce and its impact across 5 generations: Traditionalist, baby boomers, Generation X, Generation Y (the millennial generation), and Generation Z. The millennial generation compromises the largest percentage of the workforce. Many businesses have focused their efforts on this generation, but it is important to consider the other generations and their values.

Traditionalists (1922-1943) make up 2% of the workforce and are known to be hardworking and reliable. Baby boomers (1944-1964) make up 25% of the workforce and are known for being independent and resourceful. Generation X (1965-1980) accounts for 33% of the workforce and is known for flexibility, tech-savviness, and an emphasis on work-life balance. Generation Y/Millennials (1981-1999) is goal-oriented and tend to change jobs frequently.

As stated by Joy Laudlick, director of clinical quality management for Senior Housing Companies, “each generation has its own demands and dislikes when it comes to the senior living workplace.” She incorporates various approaches for managing a multi-generational workforce. For Traditionalists, managers should reach out to see how they feel, use them to train newer staff, and partner with younger staff for technology training. For baby boomers, managers should ensure they have a visible career path, recognize their achievements, and show respect for their opinions/contributions. For Generation X, managers shouldn’t micromanage and should provide leadership opportunities. Managers of Generation Y/Millennials and Generation Z should provide constant feedback, focus on purpose rather than profit, and mentor them.

Further, Laudlick highlights the importance of technology and how it can be used to bridge the gap between different generations in the workforce. Older generations may be afraid and hesitant to use technology, but it is important to show them how intuitive and efficient technology can be. While millennials are accustomed to technology, they struggle with using the opportunities that technology provides to make their lives easier. Using technology as a way to connect the generations will facilitate the continuous evolution of the aged care workforce. Download the ebook.

PointClickCare sponsored The Global Ageing Network’s 2019 Workforce Summit. It brought together policymakers, researchers, for-profit and nonprofit international home care providers, educators, and consumer/worker groups to discuss key issues in the ageing services workforce. The summit placed a special emphasis on international training standards for front-line personal care assistants and their supervisors.

LeadingAge CAST to present at the Global Ageing Network Workforce Summit

It will bring together policymakers, researchers, for-profit and nonprofit international home care providers, educators, and consumer/worker groups to discuss key issues in the aging services workforce. The summit will place a special emphasis on international training standards for front line personal care assistants and their supervisors.

This summit will address key topics that are relevant to the aging services workforce globally, such as the following:

  • Recruitment and retention.
  • Building a pipeline of talent and adapting to a new generation of workers.
  • Healthy, safe, and engaging workplace cultures.
  • Innovative opportunities to fill gaps to meet increasing demand and decreasing supply.
  • Effective training including standards, cultural competency, and bridging cross-national differences.
  • Core competencies for frontline personal care workers and supervisors.

Discussions will consider research, practice, and policy challenges and opportunities, and they will draw on international perspectives and potential solutions.

LeadingAge CAST Presenters at the Workforce Summit

Katie Smith Sloan, president, and chief executive officer of LeadingAge and executive director of the Global Ageing Network, will welcome participants to the summit.

After an overview, panel discussions on models of training and education delivery for home-based care and long-term care will be held, as well as a panel on engagement and recruitment content. A session on the role of technology in the workforce will feature three speakers associated with CAST:

  • Sarah Bettencourt, chief people officer of LeadingAge Gold Partner with CAST Focus PointClickCare, which is sponsoring the summit.
  • Denise Rabidoux, former president and CEO of LeadingAge CAST Patron EHM Senior Solutions. Rabidoux is a former CAST Commissioner.
  • Majd Alwan, Ph.D., CAST executive director and senior vice president of technology at LeadingAge.

Robyn Stone, senior vice president of research at LeadingAge, along with PointClickCare’s Canadian General Manager Stuart Feldman and Director of Corporate Development Chris Beekman, will close the summit.

After the summit, a summary report and proposed action plan will be disseminated widely through the Ontario Long Term Care Association, as well as Global Ageing Network members and partners. Register today for the Workforce Summit.

About the Biennial Global Ageing Network Conference

The Biennial Global Ageing Network Conference is the leading international event for professionals and consumers of long-term care and aging services. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to hear about cutting-edge ideas from around the world. It also shares existing best practice programs that have tools, resources, policies, and procedures that can influence, impact, or initiate change across borders.

The Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) in partnership with the Global Ageing Network hosts the event, from Sept. 17-19, 2019. Conference delegates should expect to participate in interactive sessions, gain both inspirational ideas and practical tools, and forge new partnerships locally and abroad. Register today!

 

The 2019 Global Ageing Network Biennial Conference Ends!

Approaches to Age-friendly Housing

Numerous models of “age-friendly housing” are emerging around the world, including sharing housing, retrofitting homes, building new structures, supporting people to live at home, technology-enabled approaches, and policy incentives such as zoning. There is certainly not a “one-size-fits-all” approach, but we can all learn from these wonderful examples. Grantmakers in Aging has compiled a number of these approaches in a recent report.

In Porto, Portugal, and The Netherlands, students live in homes of older adults or in retirement homes, rent-free. They provide important companionship and a valuable intergenerational connection. In the U.S., Silvernest has a technology platform to match older adults and others who wish to share a home. In Barcelona, non-structural repairs are made to the homes of older adults to enhance safety, energy efficiency, and introduce assistive technologies. 80% of the over 10,000 people served by these modifications say that it has improved the quality of their lives.

The CAPABLE program is expanding in the U.S., addressing the needs of low-income adults related to mobility and aging in place by providing handyman services to improve safety and accessibility, as well as nursing and occupational therapy. Patients set their own functional goals, like safely bathing and getting upstairs, and they subsequently receive home renovations, like installing handrails. Research has shown that the program halved difficulties in function, reduced symptoms of depression, and improved motivation. Participants report 30% fewer difficulties with functional activities.

In Singapore, the government has built an apartment complex with “green features” such as rooftop community gardens, co-located services, and subsidized accessible apartments. Vietnam relies on community volunteers to do home visiting, housekeeping, and personal care. And Japan’s convenience stores offer well-regarded food options, onsite pharmacy services, and health services. “Drivers, who live in the neighborhoods where they work and know their customers, provide a valuable combination of food delivery and friendly visiting.”

Intergenerational housing is another housing option that allows older adults to combat loneliness. Intergenerational housing comprises of young and older residents, addressing housing issues to benefit seniors and youth. Intergenerational housing allows for interconnectedness with various age groups and allows young adults to care for older adults.

In order to incorporate age-friendly housing programs like intergenerational housing, incentives must be put in place. In Japan, the government Urban Renaissance Agency incentivizes multigenerational neighborhoods. A 20%, 5-year rent discount is given to families if they raise their kids near their grandparents. Another example of incentivizing an age-friendly model is the reduced rate or interest-free intergenerational family loans in Belgium. The loans are provided to families who want to make their home large enough to house 3 generations.

Another approach to promoting age-friendly housing is the incorporation of monitoring technology to help people age in the community. Some examples include in-home sensors to lower risk of falling, a technology designed for people with cognitive decline, and the use of data to recognize changes in behavior.

There are many more examples worthy of replication or adaptation. As the paper concludes, “these high-impact approaches make a difference in aging but also in social justice, community development, urban planning, education, children and youth, environment, and health care.”

Visiting Jeju Elders

by Geralyn Magan

Fostering Resilience through Collaboration

Many older people around the world face unique challenges as they try to build healthy and meaningful lives after experiencing trauma in their youth. But collaboration among professionals in the worldwide field of aging services could go a long way toward offering these elders needed support through proven models.

That’s the main message of a recent blog by Robyn Stone, senior vice president of research at LeadingAge and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston. The blog describes

Stone’s experiences during a recent trip to South Korea and Cambodia. Stone traveled to Yonsei University in Seoul to participate in a spring symposium on healthy and meaningful aging sponsored by the Global Ageing Network Korea. A few days later, she and other symposium participants took a 1-hour flight to visit with older adults living in Jeju, a pristine island located in the Korea Strait. Stone then visited friends in Cambodia before returning to the U.S.

Recovering from Trauma on Jeju Island

Stone’s blog begins by describing her encounters with older adults who lived through the suppression of an attempted uprising that resulted in the death of 60,000 residents of Jeju Island in the late 1940s. She reports being impressed both by the resilience of the elders who had lived through this trauma in their youth and by the creativity of the agencies that are now working hard to develop ways to support these elders.

“The island has made remarkable strides in moving beyond those events and claiming a new identity as a popular holiday destination for travelers from across Asia,” writes Stone. “Despite this progress, however, the trauma of the uprising and its aftermath still affects many older citizens who are now aging in the community.”

Stone heard similar stories about the effects of trauma when one of her Cambodian hosts expressed concerns about the well-being of his parents, who lived through the brutal genocide conducted by the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979.

“Fresh from my conversations with elders in Jeju, I understood those concerns,” writes Stone. “But I also shared with my friend the encouraging news that there are strategies being developed, implemented, and tested around the world that could help the elders about whom he is concerned.”

Those strategies include a model being implemented by Ibasho, a nonprofit organization that has helped to bolster the resilience of elders in Japan, the Philippines, and Nepal after major natural disasters.

“I don’t see why the model couldn’t be tailored to build resilience and foster health and meaning among elders in Jeju and Cambodia,” suggests Stone.

Global Collaboration

Stone’s trip to Asia helped her appreciate “the striking similarities among elders worldwide, and how those similarities create opportunities for professionals in the field of aging services to help one another support populations with unique needs.”

She concludes her blog by stressing how global collaboration could help elders around the world live healthy and meaningful lives, despite the trauma they have experienced.

“I really do think that global collaboration and action will help us […] support elders who are experiencing the effects of trauma but who are eager to exercise their resilience,” writes Stone.

 

2019 Global Ageing Network Excellence in Applied Research Winner!

Global Ageing Network Excellence in Applied Research

The Global Ageing Network Excellence in Applied Research recognizes research focused on understanding and/or solving challenges and needs in provider settings or that can influence service and supports. Research must demonstrate a commitment to “giving back” to the field by sharing research findings with peers.

The Integrace Institute is the nonprofit research and education arm of Integrace, a family of vibrant senior living communities in Maryland, recently affiliated with Acts Retirement-Life Communities. The Integrace Institute’s mission is to transform neurocognitive living through person-centered research, education, and partnerships. With over 20 years of expertise, the Integrace Institute serves Integrace’s communities by building an evidence-based platform for care practices and education. In addition, it partners with universities, technology, pharmaceutical companies, and other senior living organizations outside of Integrace to conduct community-based research studies, provide interactive learning experiences for professionals and caregivers, and consult with other organizations to build innovative models that support meaningful living. Recently, the Institute has shifted its focus to an internal investment in applied research that is shared with the greater community through internal and external learning opportunities.

One of the Institute’s research projects is the Effects of Personally Meaningful Music on Mood and Behavior in Individuals with Dementia study aimed to determine if personally-meaningful music is effective in improving mood and behavior, and if a person-centered approach to music-based interventions is feasible in individuals with dementia. This project took place from 2017-2019. Driven by inspiration from colleagues of Integrace, the study was designed around an operational challenge about what music is best to play for residents with dementia: a person’s personal preference or a staff selection of a genre or style of songs based on an individual’s generational identity. The Institute sought input from the Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine in 2017 to design a scientifically rigorous, person-centered methodology. Results are currently being shared with all stakeholders internally and externally through adult-centered learning opportunities. The research had unique approaches to design, engagement, and operational relevance in a provider setting prior to and during implementation. Due to our unique location and investment within a senior living community, partnership and engagement with staff was advantageous. They were the inspiration of the development of this question: what kind of music is appropriate to play in our setting? After the study team collected meaningful songs from each of the participants and their families, nursing staff’s music preferences were incorporated by having them choose the song. This may be the only music study has been designed with this as a control. Integrace’s approach to engagement was unique in that individuals who have dementia are not often offered choice in provider settings when a part of an intervention, and the engagement allowed for one-on-one communication and interaction in a private area. Nursing staff were also able to adapt to a time that suited the resident according to their natural rhythm in a person-centered manner while also using assent procedures to obtain permission prior to engaging with them in the study.

The results from the study were translated into practice internally amongst staff, throughout the greater community, and externally to providers and researchers in other long-term care settings. Internally, playlists and songs were shared with recreation and engagement staff to implement into resident daily routines, including small group activities and one-on-one engagement. Most Integrace residents and families consider music important and being able to visually see responses to a specific song has helped the staff see the benefits of this intervention in residents with dementia.

By translating this research into practice, one key discovery is that exposure to personally-meaningful music results in increased opportunities for meaningful living, engagement and independence for our residents living with dementia, as well as their families and our staff. As mentioned previously, Amazon Echos have been installed throughout Integrace, and residents are now encouraged to ask the Echo to play their personally-meaningful playlist, which includes the song used in the study and other artists and genres they personally enjoy, rather than just generic music from their era. Residents are benefitting from this new technology, regardless of the stage of their disease. Those who have experienced a decline in verbal communication as their disease has progressed have been able to react to the music and show emotion by smiling, tapping their feet or calling out in joy. Families have been empowered to listen to personally-meaningful music with their loved one and are using their playlists to travel back in time and recall fond memories together. Integrace colleagues have been using the Echos to listen to playlists during group activities, like preparing for meals, as well as portable Echos to play meaningful music for one-on-one activities of daily living, such as bathing or dressing, to reduce anxiety and stress for the residents. As we are uniquely positioned to be able to observe Integrace residents using the Observed Emotional Rating Scale, we have been able to monitor how incorporating personally-meaningful music into daily activities and engagement is continuing to generate an increase in expressions of emotion and general alertness in this population.

Integrace Institute will receive the Excellence in Applied Research Award at the 2019 Global Ageing Network/OLTCA Conference which takes place on September 18-20 in Toronto, ON, Canada