Minnesota Twins President Talks Aging and Major League Baseball With Changing Aging
It' spring training time, so Changing Aging sat down with Minnesota Twins President Dave St. Peter to talk a little baseball and a little aging:Q. You have fans of all ages at Twins games. Baseball is a sport that spans such interest across generations, moreso than other sports, why?More than any other sport, baseball is a game steeped in tradition, in numbers and in family. Baseball is a game that allows for conversation and in many cases provides a connection between parents, grandparents and children. For example, when we go on our Twins caravan, our off-season trip around the Upper Midwest, we have all ages come out to meet with our players and former Twins stars. There is just an incredible connection that is handed off and shared between generations.Q. Growing up in North Dakota, did you have any special older people in your life that you shared your love of the game with? There is no question that my grandparents had a huge impact on my love of the game. There never was a time that a game wasn’t on the radio or television at their place. Most importantly, I rarely played a game - from Little League to high school - when they didn’t take the time to attend and show support. I talked earlier about the connections that occur with baseball. I’m an example of that. Age was never a factor when my grandparents and I were around baseball. We were all Twins fans and loved talking baseball together.Q. Do you think the unprecedented aging of America, the age wave, is an opportunity for Major League Baseball?Based on baseball’s traditions, family friendly environment and affordability, I believe our game is uniquely positioned to make continued strides within a country that is growing older. One thing about baseball is it honors tradition and family connections. As long as we continue to effectively pass traditions between generations and give them a welcoming experience that people want to share, I think baseball will continue to be a great intergenerational experience. Here in the Upper Midwest, I think those connections are going to increase even more with our new outdoor ballpark, where you have older Twins fans sharing what it was like to go to an outdoor game with kids who have never seen an outdoor Major League baseball game. It will be neat.Q. Who are some of the seniors that the Twins turn to for their expertise? With the Twins, experience certainly starts at the top - considering our owner Carl Pohlad is 92 years old and remains one of the longest active owners in the game today. We also tap seniors, and long-time members of the Twins family, such as Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva for work in the community and on the field during spring training. If you’ve ever watched Tony and Harmon at spring training, you’ll always see them surrounded by large groups of people young and old. Again, it’s that shared intergenerational connection. Last year we lost one of our great partners, Hall of Fame announcer Herb Carneal. He was another great example of a person who connected with all ages and so effectively shared the tradition of baseball.Q. How do you want to be living when you’re 85? Will baseball play a role?I’m hoping I’ll be healthy and active at the age of 85. There is no question that baseball will play a role as I expect to be enjoying the game on multiple levels - probably as a fan - but no less passionate. And, I also know this: I’ll be sharing that love of the game and the Twins with my kids and hopefully theirs.
Aging and The Age Wave are Business Issues
DID YOU KNOW … …
Family caregivers comprise 13% of the workforce.
Source: Wagner, D. and Neal, M., “Working Caregivers: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for the Aging Network”. National Family Caregivers Support Program, Program Development Issues Briefs, Administration on Aging, DHHS, 2002.
59% of family caregivers who care for someone over the age of 18 either work or have worked while providing care. And 62% have had to make some adjustments to their work life, from reporting late to work to giving up work entirely.
Source: National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, Caregiving in the U.S., 2004.
37% of human resource directors did not feel that their organizations made a real and ongoing effort to inform employees of available assistance for managing work and family responsibilities.
Source: Galinsky, E. and Bond, J.T., The 1998 Business Work-Life Study. New York: Families and Work Institute, 1998.
Women average 14 years out of the paid labor force, primarily because of caregiving responsibilities.
Source: Maatz, Lisa, President’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security. Older Women’s League, August 2001.
American businesses can lose as much as $34 billion each year due to employees’ need to care for loved ones 50 years of age and older.
Source: Metlife Mature Market Institute and National Alliance for Caregiving, MetLife Caregiving Cost Study: Productivity Losses to U.S. Business, July 2006.
10% of employed family caregivers go from full-time to part-time jobs because of their caregiving responsibilities.
Source: National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, Caregiving in the U.S., 2004.
Thank you to the National Family Caregivers Association and other sources for providing these statistics.
Kaiser Survey Raises Question: Shouldn’t We Ask New Questions About Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Services?
In December of 07, Kaiser Family Foundation published results of a national survey on nursing homes and long-term care. Following are several topline findings, which aren’t surprising . . . we found similar thoughts in our age wave survey of baby boomers, but they point to a need to ask new questions as we face a U.S. silver tsunami:- 63% of Americans feel that nursing home quality has either stayed the same or gotten worse.- 86% say they are either very concerned or somewhat concerned about the quality of U.S. nursing home care.- 53% say they would prefer to receive care in their home if they are unable to care for themselves for an extended period of time, while 21% wanted to move in with family. Only 4% said a nursing home, while 17% said assisted living.It would be interesting to see if what people think when additional questions are asked, such as:- Would you like a high-quality place to rehabilitate from hip surgery if you didn’t have care available at home?- Would you like specialized memory care for a loved one if she or he had Alzheimer’s?- Would you like an aging services provider who served as your 'coordinator' and could help you navigate a variety of services based on your needs, rather than having to make 20 different calls for 5 different services? - Would you like technology that helps you maintain independence and social connections?When it comes to aging services in America, we need to ask new questions to get new answers.
Aging: It’s interesting how we look at things
It’s interesting how we look at things.
Some see dried, useless flowers that they’d discard. Others see a pretty bouquet that adds life to a room.Looking at older people: Some see decline. Others see great value.
It’s interesting how we look at things.
10 Leadership Traits for Building Greatness in Aging Services
What other leadership characteristics would you add for building greatness in aging services?1. Tackle tough problems. 2. Find meaning and purpose in your work.3. Collaborate, don’t isolate.4. Adapt quickly.5. Be accountable.6. Build trust. Be honest.7. Empower others to lead and to innovate.8. Be curious - continually.9. Keep growing.10. Think widely - see the big picture.
Redefining America’s Senior Centers
Say hello to new kinds of senior centers in America. Ecumen’s continuing care retirement community Parmly LifePointes and the residents of Chisago City, Minnesota had a vision - to create a wellness center that takes a proactive approach to aging. It’s a new kind of senior center. MinnPost.com wrote about Vitalize! Wellness Centre here. You can also watch a two-minute video about it here. The buzz is this: Almost seven in 10 of the fitness center’s 221 members aren’t Parmly residents. They’re people who live independently in this Twin Cities exurb. A few weeks a go an 80-something woman came in wanting to take swimming lessons. She had always wanted to learn how to swim … Living … . Learning … Growing … What a great way to grow old.
Can Older Workers Fill America’s Caregiving Gap?
Who will care for you or the one you love? Could it be older Americans? Could they help you stay more independent?In our Age Wave Study, most boomers said they aren’t going to retire, but they’re going to do something that they enjoy, that has purpose and keeps them connected to others. That could be working in aging services.Today about 20% of American adults needing care assistance are unable to find either paid or voluntary help, according to a 2006 study by the International Longevity Center-USA, a nonprofit research policy organization in New York City. According to the Center, demand for home health aides during the next decade is expected to increase by more than 50%.Can older workers fill this gap? Shari Roan in the L.A. Times shares a story today of Silverado Senior Living, a California-based company that provides hospice, home care and assisted living with a specialty in memory care, that is already turning to older care workers. At Silverado, 12% of its paid employees are over age 55. Many have flexible schedules that allow for extended time off if, for example, they want to travel or have health needs of their own.According to the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, seniors who have a caregiver have a five times better chance of remaining in their homes. Also, if you have a caregiver, you have human interaction, which is critical to living fully.
Will Prince Go to a Nursing Home for Rehab?
According to a British tabloid Prince (a 49-year-old who will soon be living fully after 50) is getting secret hip replacement surgery. Wonder if he’ll go to a nursing home for rehab.
New Senior Housing Development and Design
The design of senior housing is undergoing a number of changes. Below are two newer designs of several that recently received Merit Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). You can see the others there. You can also download our white paper 'A New Day and New Trends in Senior Housing Development'
This project by Hebrew SeniorLife is a slated to be completed next year and will be a multigenerational community with a K-8 school. This continuing care retirement communtiy is planned to include clustered cottages, 12-unit villa living, and two-story penthouse units served by elevators. Care services will be provided using “small house” principles.
This planned 30-story, 224 unit tower called Mirabella is part of the developing South Waterfront District in Portland, and offers an urban environment with a number of amenities within easy walking distance. a Portland Retirement Services community, it will provide all levels of senior care, including independent apartments, residential living, memory care, and nursing care.
Will Baby Boomers Become Seniors? Whatever They Become They’ll Be all over Technology
Will baby boomers always be known as boomers, or will they take on the moniker seniors' when they become 80, 90, 120 … . ? Hmmmmmm … . In our Age Wave Study, most boomers said they were fine with the term senior, but we didn’t ask them if they’d be called boomers or seniors … that would have been interesting … what do you want to be called when you’re in your 90s or 100s? - Mary Furlong, the entrepreneur who started the SeniorNet program, will be holding her informative 'What’s Next?' Boomer Business Summit in Washington, D.C. Several people have attended these in the past from Ecumen and have found it interesting. As a preview, here is a Q&A conference organizers did with Wall Street Journal technology columnist, Walt Mossberg: Q. What are the trends and products in personal technology that will assist the senior population with loss of vision, arthritic hands, etc?A. I think that speech recognition and text speech recognition are becoming more common and are more in demand. The industry is slowly beginning to respond to this need; however, it is not widespread. Cell phone companies have produced phones with larger buttons that are in greater demand today. For example, Verizon Wireless has a new phone aimed at seniors. The primary focus is on simplicity and clarity, and this is not just for seniors, this is what everyone wants. A cell phone trend that is aimed not just for seniors is the development of bigger and clearer phone screens.Q. Based on questions you receive from readers, what are the unmet needs that technology manufacturers need to pay attention to in order to address these needs?A. The primary unmet need within the technology industry is simplicity and readability across the board, for all age groups. All people care about is that their technology works. Manufacturers claim they are addressing this unmet need but they often have mixed agendas and priorities. They often add the latest feature before it is ready.Q. How important is design in creating products for the baby boomer population?A. Design is important for every population, from the college student to the retiree. Design in every sense of the word is crucial. Hardcore techies may not appreciate how things look, but themainstream population of all ages appreciates beautiful design. They want products to be both functional and attractive and fit into their lifestyle, home, car, office, etc. In the last 5-6 years, there has been a resurgence by Apple in the music and phone arenas on designing beautiful products. They know how to package together fantastic design with power.Q. What, in your view, are the most critical issues shaping technology as they relates to the boomer market?A. Baby boomers have the most money. They buy a lot of technology, web subscriptions, etc, so they are big spenders. As long as the technology products and services they want to buy have the right features and are at the right price, they will continue to buy these products and services.Q. What do you think will shape the national conversation about boomers this year?A. The major national agenda item will be about the generational transfer. A large cohort of the population will be reaching retirement age, which will have a tremendous impact in many facets of life in this country and around the world. There will be competition for resources and jobs, and elder care and healthcare issues will play a larger role in the future.