Presentation on Control Beliefs

This is a presentation I came across recently about control beliefs. It reviews Seligman's shock treatment of dogs and Rodin / Langer's work about control in nursing homes. I'm a neophyte when it comes to psychology and found this presentation, even without its accompanying text / speech, to explain a bit more about control beliefs.

Personal Control Beliefs

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Dancing Under the Gallows

This documentary short features a remarkable piano player. I don't want to ruin the things that are revealed, so I'll avoid further details except to say that the film is about Alice Herz-Sommer. Here's the link to the movie's website.

Must See: Ken Dychtwald's Keynote Address at the 2010 ASA/NCOA Conference

Ken Dychtwald covers so much important territory in this keynote address at the June, 2010 American Society on Aging / National Council on Aging joint conference. If you're interested in being alive over the next century, regardless of how you feel about aging, older adults or anything else, you have a vested interest in this speech. Dychtwald is an engaging speaker and this 15 minutes flies by.

New Book on the Anti-Aging Industry: Selling the Fountain of Youth

I'm very excited to get my hands on a copy of Selling the Fountain of Youth and see what Arlene Weintraub has to contribute to the subject of the anti-aging industry. I'm not so concerned about the idea of pursuing beauty from a healthful perspective. I don't think it's wrong to want to maintain health and a healthy appearance throughout life, but a line does get crossed where people seem to confuse "health" with "youth." If we don't have the experience of watching the generations in front of us age naturally, how can we embrace our own aging process?

Youth Knows No Pain: A Look at the Anti-Aging Beauty Industry

This documentary, Youth Knows No Pain, examines our fear of aging from the perspective of the 60 billion dollar a year anti-aging beauty industry.

Promo

I haven't had the chance to see the documentary in full, but am eagerly awaiting the chance! One of the facts revealed in the film was how much money the filmmaker spent on just dying the gray out of her hair, which seems financially untenable! I have a friend with early gray hair who is considering foregoing her $200 / month hair coloring costs and letting it all go grey. On the one hand, I celebrate this idea of embracing her true beauty (she's one who is fortunate to have a gorgeous grey!). The trick is that, unlike a woman in her 20's with grey hair who will be perceived as and treated as a uniquely young woman with silver hair, my friend is in her mid-thirties and will instantly age "up" into her 40's. The concern I have about this is that, after reading numerous studies about how our self-perception shifts with the way others treat us, the biases that are directed at older women, and the physiological outcomes of our internalized ageism, her self-concept may be altered in a way that could impact her healthful aging process. I know it seems like a stretch, an exaggeration of the potential physical harms of ageism, but who knows where these micro-inequities start and what true impact they have?

Electric Chairs - A Short Film

This is a charming short film from a series on Hulu called "The Art of Seduction." The film is entitled "Electric Chairs," and it turns an eye on elder romance and connection.

Movie: Silverstreaks

In the spirit of full disclosure - I have no interest in running, especially not in running marathons. Having said that, however, this upcoming documentary on older women marathon runners looks very inspiring. The site doesn't disclose when or where the film will be released. I think it's a short piece. Perhaps I'm becoming pleasantly jaded about aging, but while it's impressive anyone completes a marathon, I'm not blown away by the fact that women over the age of 65 have done it. To me, 65 seems the new 45.

Check out the trailer at Silver Streaks the Movie.

Dr. Butler's Death in the News

I'm following the reports of Dr. Butler's passing in the news. It's early still, but there are some very nice missives being released about him. I like this one by Richard Peck, a former editor of Geriatrics magazine. Peck is apt in his description of Dr. Butler as "smooth" and "gentlemanly," and the word "bemused" certainly captures some of his character. The piece also captures some of the broader elements I sense about Dr. Butler's work - that it is now and always has been ahead of its time and will only truly be appreciated down the road. Here are two wonderful nuggets from the piece:

What impressed me a great deal was the "drop everything and do it" attitude these distinguished people displayed when the smooth, gentlemanly Butler requested their participation in Geriatrics projects and panel discussions. He was clearly held in universal high regard within the worldwide geriatrics community.

and 

For the past several years Dr. Butler headed up the International Center on Longevity and continued to explore new territories of aging-related issues that will someday be commonplace to all of us.
It will be another decade or two, I'm sure, before his achievements register upon us in full.

Here are some of the other pieces that have shown up on the Internet so far:

The statement "On the Passing of Dr. Robert N. Butler," by the Director of the New York State Office for the Aging speaks to some of Dr. Butler's accomplishments, as does the third version of the AP article.

More News Coverage: 
Here are some more articles that appeared shortly after Dr. Butler's death.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/health/research/07butler.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/06/AR2010070605125.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-robert-butler-20100707,0,6726206.story

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-best-life/2010/07/07/seniors-owe-robert-butler-many-thanks.html

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2002134,00.html?xid=rss-health

http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20100708/gerontology-pioneer-robert-n-butler-expires-83-id-10119849.html


http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/the_passing_of_dr_robert_butler.php

On the Death of Dr. Robert N. Butler

We have all lost an ally this week, all of us who are aging that is, whether we be five or one hundred and five. 

I was stunned and saddened today to learn that Dr. Robert N. Butler died on July 4th. Just writing that seems implausible to me.

Two weeks ago I was in New York City interviewing Dr. Butler for a video biography project. We reviewed much of his life and work and touched on many topics, including death and illness. I don't know if he knew then how sick he was, but he didn't let on about it. He was gracious and warm, funny and poised. He was exactly as I would have expected such a great and prominent man to be - almost noble in his demeanor. I was initially drawn to the idea of doing a video biography with Dr. Butler because of the incalculable impression he has made upon the landscape of gerontology and geriatrics. It was wonderful to discover that, beyond his career achievements, he was also a genuine gentleman with a gracious perspective on the world. He was a tremendous humanitarian whose life's work fought against the pernicious impact of ageism, and he still had his sights set on so much more to do. He was in the midst of two significant new projects which I hope will be continued in honor of his work.

My thoughts and prayers go to Dr. Butler's family, friends and colleagues.

Hospital Delirium - More than Just Scary

The New York Times published this truly disturbing article about hospital patients suffering from delirium. The majority of delirium sufferers are older adults. The condition is very serious, as recent studies indicate that there are long-term effects, even death, that result from the condition.

The NYT article touches on some well known and relatively fixable aspects that contribute to the condition: that older adults react differently to medications, that most doctors don't know how to properly prescribe for the metabolism of an older adult, eg.

It seems quaint, but even something as basic as the presence of a candy striper - someone willing to come around and talk to hospitalized patients, stimulate their minds and give them basic interactions can help.

I had no idea that there was even such a thing hospital delirium. Truly stunning, and it makes me all the more committed to this kind of work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/21/science/21delirium.html

Older Adults Riding Bicycles

I've been working on a project related to law, ethics and older drivers. The research has led me to look at alternative transportation methods, but, funny enough... it never occurred to me to consider an elder cyclists' program. It just goes to show you how automobile-centric my mind is!!!

This program looks fantastic! I especially like how they note that even people with fall-risks can exercise AND transport this way because the tricycles are well balanced. Talk about liberation!

The 91 Year Old Yoga Teacher and Dancer

We should all be so lucky!
http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/04/12/n_cmr_92_year_old_yoga.cnnmoney/

Documentary on Ageism and Employment

I am in awe at Patricia Sahertian's moxy. Her ability to see a problem and tackle it, head on, is so inspiring. After being impacted by ageism in the workplace, she decided to make a movie about it. The resulting documentary, Cut Back: facing ageism, has been posted in its entirety on YouTube. Talk about doing a mitzvah!

Here's the first installment of this excellent documentary:

Ageism and Unemployment

It appears that the problem of being old and unemployed is starting to get its due. There may once have been a time when it was possible to retire tidily and in a timely fashion and never experience age discrimination in the workforce. In addition, the commonality of corporate pensions would have taken the pinch out of a forced retirement --- it wasn't a layoff with a few months' severance, but an income stream for life. Therefore, the phenomenon of ageism and employment appeared to be more of an exception than the rule and would have carried a tremendous stigma ("He really wasn't functioning on the same level anymore," "She just couldn't take the hint and retire..."). Considering that most of the rule-makers and policy setters in our country come from this ilk - the college educated, white-collar job-set, the relative invisibility of age discrimination in the corporate world insured that there was a lack of appreciation for the problem in general... until now. Because of the economic downturn and the timing as it relates to the anticipated retirement of aging boomers... the problem is much more evident.

I'm not sure if it's just that my awareness is now heightened, or that, because of the conditions of the moment (lots of people approaching retirement age with wiped out retirement savings and high numbers of joblessness), but the issue seems to be coming up a lot more in the media. 

Just today, I noted it in this article on local homeless services:

"These people are desperate," O'Mara said. "They've paid taxes all their lives; they've never not been able to work. They don't qualify for much of the aid that's available because they have too many assets. But what do all these assets matter when you're 50 years old and you can't find a job?"

Who is Paul Hewitt?

After popping up a few posts that note Paul S. Hewitt, I thought I'd take a peek to see who he is and what he's up to today. Seems like someone with a specific agenda. Here's his bio from an organization he sits on the board of, the Youth Entitlements Summit (Yes):

Paul S. Hewitt (Executive Director)

Paul S. Hewitt is Executive Director of Americans for Generational Equity. His governmental service includes: Assistant Director of the Education, Workforce and Income Security division of the Governmental Accountability Office (2004-2006), Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Social Security Administration (2003-2004); and Professional Staff Member and Executive Director of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations (1981-1985). He began his career in 1979 as a presidential management intern. In addition, he served as Program Director of the Global Aging Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (1996-2003); Executive Director of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (1990-1996); and President and Executive Director of the original Americans for Generational Equity (1985-1989).

Aging Demography and Contemporary Superpowers

This December, 2003 Nova interview with Paul Hewitt, the then-deputy commissioner for policy at the Social Security Administration gives some fascinating insight to developing global demographic changes. It begins by illuminating what's going on in Japan, presently the world's oldest nation. This recap is great because it spells out why there's an age shift, what factors contribute specifically to Japan's age situation and some long-term implications.

Japan is currently the "oldest" country in the world. In 1950, it was one of the "youngest" countries in the world; it had a median age of 22. Now its median age is 41, and by 2025 it will be approaching 50. What's happened in Japan is a combination of low immigration and birthrates that are more than one third below the "replacement level"—that is, the number of births a society needs to have enough children to replace the people who die.

As a consequence, you get a demographic structure where there are fewer and fewer children as a percentage of the total population, and the median age rises. And, of course, the senior population in Japan is also soaring, because the Japanese enjoy the highest life expectancy in the world.

The interview then goes on to discuss global ramifications, economic, political and environmental. Here are some highlights:

The demographic shift is now set in concrete. It's coming, and it's going to change everything. For one thing, we're going to see the decline of Europe and Japan as economic and political powers. They will become cauldrons of permanent economic and fiscal crisis. Anybody who's looked at the news over the past year knows that it's been a period of constant pension reform in these countries. We have entered what is going to be a constant cycle now, a constant drumbeat of reforms.

These fiscal crises have geopolitical consequences. Europe already is too broke to help govern the state of the world, to do many things that vital and powerful countries do. This financial crisis will become more consequential for America for as far into the future as we can project, because we know that our key trading partners, for all intents and purposes, are finished as economic and military powers.

Wow, he's certainly confident in his assessment. What does he have, a crystal ball? Nope, just the fairly immutable factors of demography -- they can't foresee significant disasters like hurricanes, plagues or wars, but... other than those outliers, the numbers are fairly consistent and set in stone, giving a prognosticator a great foundation from which to expound.

Japanese Ingenuity Applied to Aging Crisis

I don't normally think of the developing demographic shift as an impending crisis. I believe in humanity's ability to adapt. That's Darwin's original credo, after all, isn't it? Evolve or die?

However, some countries are poised for more significant troubles than others. Japan, for instance, has low birth rates, nominal immigration and long life expectancy. All of these factors add up to make it the "oldest" country in the world right now, with the median age of 44.2 years (the United States' median age is presently 36.7 years, but that will probably shift once the latest census information is released). The United States isn't nearly as challenged as this - if anything, our immigration policies contribute to other nation's difficulties in retaining their younger citizens. At some point, I believe, traditionally closed nations like Japan will have to cave and open their borders. In the meantime, we can look to Japan's innovations as possible ways to help our own aging society.

This little article on Japan's robotic farming suits gives insight into a number of elements of Japanese society - its aging labor force, its agrarian ties and its innovation.

Old People in Fairy Tales

Gray Heroes by Jane Yolen

I have always loved Jane Yolen's work. I find it especially appreciable now that I'm studying gerontology. Of course she would have edited a work specializing in multi-cultural stories about elder heroes.

It's unimaginable to me that this would be out of print, but apparently it is (that's a sarcastic tone I'm using there - I've studied enough on ageism to understand that many beautiful works relating to older people are undervalued).

I'm definitely putting this on my wish list for my birthday. I can see how it would be invaluable to examine the representation of old people in fairy tales, as fairy tales represent so many archetypes, which inform our subconscious cultural attitudes (such as ageism).

What do you think?

NY Times Article on Long-Term Care Hospitals

The New York Times recently had an article about "long term care" hospitals, and the way in which patients are chronically under-served, yet the industry itself is poorly overseen.

I think it's important to be discerning about the information that's shared. For example, the article states:

Long-term care hospitals also had a higher incidence of bedsores and infections than regular hospitals in 2006, the most recent year for which federal data is available.

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on tv, but I would think this higher incidence makes sense - infections are very common in situations where someone is on a ventilator, iv line or tube feeding, and the risks of infection go up significantly as time passes. Thus, it makes sense to a layperson like me that a long-term care hospital fielding patients with iv's, ventilators and feeding tubes for extended periods, rather than regular, short-term hospitals, would have more infections. (for more info on ICU infections and the easy fix to avoiding them, read this amazing article in the New Yorker)

Despite my reservation about some of the facts, the most basic information in the long-term care hospital article makes a compelling case, especially when you look at the money shifting and how the hospitals are gaming the system.

I keep coming back to the same solution to so many problems... It seems that before meaningful, liberating, paradigm-shifting, lasting humanitarian change can happen in the world, we must abolish corporate personhood.