Leisure World's World is Changing
Some age-restricted communities have just awful names. Looks like Leisure World, which used to be all the rage in new-fangled senior housing communities is due for an identity update.
Leisure World began in 1960 as one of the country's first planned retirement communities. Several more were built in California. Now about 100 Leisure World residents are lobbying to get rid of the name Leisure World, saying it doesn't reflect who they are.
"The reason I believe that now is the time is because we are going to be getting a new demographic retiring, so-called boomers, and they don't want to be in anything that smacks of inactivity or retirement," said Anne Seifert, president of the Where We Live club, in the Orange County Register. "The 60-years-old people are (the new) 30."
The club is holding a community forum about the name update proposal on April 23 and May 14. The group is suggesting Leisure World be changed to Seal Beach Pointe, Seal Beach Highlands or Seal Beach Meadows.
"It's not very pleasant to say, 'I live here' and then you're the butt of the joke," she said. "The name no longer fits the residents who are here. Today's 60-plus residents are active in sports, volunteer and many have encore jobs," Seifert said.
Aging is Changing at Leisure World and in America.
Happiness' Impact on How We Age
Are you happy? After reading this you might want to smile more.
Thanks to Rita Watson, an associate fellow at Yale's Ezra Stiles College. She recently highlighted several scientific investigations on happiness. They bode well for how we age:
- The European Heart Journal recently published the findings of Dr. Karina Davidson of Columbia University Medical Center. Her team followed 1,739 people for 10 years participating in the Nova Scotia Health Survey. Their findings: Happier people are less likely to develop heart disease than crabby ones.
- A study at the University of Kentucky involved 124 first-year law students tracked over four years. The findings, in the March Psychological Science, noted that in each individual, optimism was reflected by strong cell-mediated immunity. Just as our bodies send cells to fight infection when we have a cut or wound, optimism helps us stay healthy.
- Alzheimer's prevention was reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry recently, with a study of 951 "community-dwelling older persons without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project in areas around Chicago. Dr. Patricia Boyle and her team found that those who had a greater purpose in life had a reduced risk of Alzheimer's and milder cognitive impairment
Johnny Cash's Last Video - The Power of Stories, Aging and Experience
Stories connect. Stories engage. Everyone has a story. And those stories get richer with age, as demonstrated in Johnny Cash's final music video.
LGBT Elders' Challenges Highlighted in Outing Age
Outing Age 2010 shines spotlight on challenges facing millions of LGBT people as they age. Despite recent advances, this report documents widespread discrimination encountered by LGBT elders, and offers substantive policy recommendations. You can download the whole report here.
Grow Old if You Want to Get Better at Solving Conflict
New University of Michigan research indicates what most in senior services already knew, our elder are indeed wise — especially in knowing how to deal with conflicts and accepting life's uncertainties and change. Read more about the study.
10 Senior Housing Trends for the Next 10 Years
What will be the 10 big senior housing development trends in the next 10 years? Here's a look.
Tiger Woods and Nike Aren't Honoring Tiger's Dad, They're Using Him
Yuck! This Nike Tiger Woods ad is completely creepy. Nike and Tiger aren't honoring Tiger's dead dad; they're using him. Check it out. What do you think?
Here's the 30-second ad that features the voice of Earl Woods, Tiger's father who died in 2006. The commercial aired on ESPN and the Golf Channel on the eve of Woods' return to competitive golf in Thursday's opening round of the Masters. Nike clearly used this simply to create buzz - it's purposely a very limited run ad - that's getting bloggers like us at Changing Aging to write about it. In fact: Nike is paying to promote it on YouTube.
Tiger . . . honor your dad . . .stop shilling . . . sleep at home . . . play with your kids . . . and hit the ball straight.
The CLASS Act and Health Care Reform - Let the Design Begin
The CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports) is now officially part of America's future after President Obama signed the health care reform bill. And in the coming months and next two years we are going to hear a lot more about it. It will be the world's first public voluntary long-term care insurance plan. You can read the full text of the bill here.
Thanks to everyone who advocated for this legislation, including members of Ecumen's Changing Aging advocacy network.
What happens next? . . . .
Now that President signed the bill, attention turns to the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This is where full implementation of The CLASS Act and the marketing/communications strategy to roll it out to America will be developed. Based on information we've heard, sign up for The CLASS Act likely won't begin until 2012.
At some point in our human and American evolution, we'll all have long-term care coverage. Another step in history is unfolding with passage of The CLASS Act . . . .
Following are other posts on The CLASS Act: New Old Age Blog (N.Y. Times), Future of Aging Blog, National Public Radio, Caring for Our Parents. Also, here's a perspective from a person in the long-term care insurance industry who opposes the CLASS Act.
Alzheimer's Housing and a Tale of Two Cities
Can't help but be struck by this contrast:
In Woodbury, Minnesota, several parents of young children are scared of people with Alzheimer's living near them and are opposing Alzheimer's housing. In Duluth, Minnesota, meanwhile, Ecumen at Lakeshore, which includes memory care housing, may be welcoming a children's day care later this year if the fundraising works out.
Birth Classes and Death Classes
Three years ago my wife and I had a baby. Prior to our son entering our lives, we attended a number of "New Beginning" classes with other parents-to-be at United Hospital in Saint Paul. I might be wrong in this, but I seem to recall our insurance paid for these. United Hospital's teachers did a fantastic job of preparing us for our baby's birth.
With all the resources we put in health care toward birth and beginnings, should we be doing the same with death and endings? Would people find benefit in having classes to prepare for their inevitable end? Or would no one show up because death is simply not something people want to deal with before its time?