Annual Editions: Aging, 27/e

Annual Editions: Aging, 27e

Preface

Correlation Guide

Topic Guide

UNIT The Phenomenon of AgingHealthy Aging in the 22nd Century, Marta M. Keane, The Futurist, September/October 2012The author suggests that in the future, older adults will live longer and use more technology. Each component of health is examined as well as how these components will be manifested in the year 2100. New positive societal views on aging are suggested.Demography Is Not Destiny: The Challenges and Opportunities of Global Population Aging, Peter Uhlenberg, Generations, Spring 2013This article offers a brief explanation of why populations around the world are growing older, compares patterns of population aging in three countries to illustrate the diversity that exists, and provides a foundation for thinking about a future where older people are more numerous than children.America's Old Getting Older: 90-Somethings Triple in Number since 1980, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, November 18, 2011The article examines the increasing numbers and percentage of the population living into their 90s and older. It also presents the reasons for this increase in longevity as well as the problems confronted by the older population.Will You Live to Be 100?, Thomas Perls and Margery Hutter Silver, Basic Books, 1999After completing a study of 150 centenarians, these Harvard Medical School researchers developed a quiz to help calculate one's estimated life expectancy.Long Live . . . Us, Mark Bennett, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, March 27, 2011The author points out how much life expectancy in the United States had increased by the year 2009 and how much difference there was in the life expectancy of men in comparison to women. The article presents reasons for the increasing life expectancy of the U.S. population as well as the reasons why women have a longer life expectancy than men.How to Live to 100, Kimberly Palmer, U.S. News & World Report, September 24, 2012This article provides insight into why some people live healthy lives, while other experience chronic disease. While explanations of science and luck are explored, aspects of financial health are considered.UNIT The Quality of Later LifeAge-Proof Your Brain: 10 Easy Ways to Stay Sharp Forever, Beth Howard, AARP The Magazine, February/March 2012This article points out the 10 steps people can take to direct their lives and activities to reduce any risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.The U-bend of Life: Why, Beyond Middle Age, People Get Happier as They Get Older, The Economist, December 18, 2010The article on the U-bend of life points out why older people are happier than younger people once they pass through the middle years. The most unhappy people are seen as those in their 40s and 50s. After these middle years, the happiness and life satisfaction of the individual rise as their age increases. The possible reasons why this change in outlook occurs in later life are explored.Poll: Obesity Hits More Boomers in U.S., Terre Haute Tribune-Star, July 19, 2011The baby boomers born between 1946 and 1965 are now approaching and gradually moving into their retirement years. The current boomers are more obese than earlier generations of older people.Age and Gender Effects on the Assessment of Spirituality and Religious Sentiments (ASPIRES) Scale: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, I. Tucker Brown et al., Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, May 2013This article suggests that spirituality and religiousness are an important part of life across the lifespan. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that while the expression of spirituality and religious sentiments varies across age and gender, the fundamental meaning of these constructs remain the same.UNIT Societal Attitudes towards Old AgeWe Need to Fight Age Bias, Jack Gross, AARP Bulletin, September 2010When the Farm Bureau Financial Group in Iowa merged with the Kansas Farm Bureau, all claims employees were offered a buyout or a demotion. Jack Gross was 54 and demoted after 13 years of performing this job. He sued the company for age discrimination. The article discusses the results of this case as it went to a federal jury, an 8th circuit court jury, and the U.S. Supreme Court.Friendships, Family Relationships Get Better with Age Thanks to Forgiveness, Stereotypes, Amy Patterson Neubert, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, July 20, 2010The author points out how adults who are older perceive the quality of their marriages, friendships, and relationships with children and siblings. Furthermore, she examines whether adults who are older are more or less confrontational in difficult interpersonal situations.How Old Do You Feel Inside?: The Key to Staying Healthy and Living Longer Is Deciding You're Not Old and Decrepit, Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Chicago Tribune, October 12, 2011The article points out that how people who are older feel internally about themselves and their capabilities determines a great deal about their behavior and approach to aging. The author discusses the advantages to men and women over 50 who have more positive self-perceptions of aging in terms of their health and behavior.Attitudes towards Caring for Older People: Findings and Recommendations for Practice, Angela Kydd, Deidre Wild, Sara Nelson, Nursing Older People, May 2013The article investigates the attitudes of health-care professionals toward working with older people and their perception of how other professionals perceive their work in gerontology. The author suggests that attitudes toward the care of older people as a recognized specialty have remained unchanged between the years 1999 through 2009.Health Disparities among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Older Adults: Results from a Population-Based Study, Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen et al., American Journal of Public Health, October 2013The author points out the need for tailored interventions to address health disparities among lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults. Furthermore, there is also a need for ongoing research across the life course to better understand health disparities by sexual orientation and age.UNIT Problems and Potentials of AgingTime Trends of Incidence of Age-Associated Diseases in the U.S. Elderly Population: Medicare-Based Analysis, Igor Akushevich et al., Age and Aging, March 12, 2013This study points out the increases, decreases, and stability in incidence rates among major diseases that affect the U.S. elderly population. The major increases in incidence rates occurred among renal disease, melanoma, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and lung cancer patients.Never Have a Heart Attack, Gina Kolata, AARP The Magazine, January/February 2010The author points out the risk factors that are most likely to cause a person to have a heart attack. She then outlines and discusses the six steps that an individual can take to significantly reduce the chance of ever having a heart attack.The Worst Place to Be If You're Sick, Katharine Greider, AARP Bulletin, March 2012The author notes the number of people who die in the hospital each year from preventable medical mistakes. Furthermore, a report on the results of a study of Medicare patients in hospitals found that the hospital staff did not report a very large number of the mistakes causing harm to patients. The article includes the current methods of identifying and reporting hospital mistakes as well as Medicare's step of restricting payment for the entire cost associated with 10 hospital-acquired conditions.Poll: Upbeat Baby Boomers Say They're Not Old Yet, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, July 21, 2011The article examines the current baby boomers who are now approaching the retirement years to determine their view of aging, what age they consider to be the start of old age, and how they view their forthcoming retirement years.The Effect of Exercise on Affective and Self-Efficacy Responses in Older and Younger Women, Fiona Barnett, Journal of Physical Activity & Health, January 2013This article examines the effect of acute bouts of moderate-intensity exercise of older and younger women on self-efficacy and affective response. The author suggests that because physical exhaustion, positive engagement, and tranquility are a function of age, older women may have had a more positive exercise experience than younger women.Cognitive Assessment in the Practice of Medicine: Dealing with the Aging Physician, Tania Haddad, Physician Executive Journal, July/August 2013Should there be a mandatory retirement age in medicine? The Institute of Ongoing Professional Performance Evaluations (OPPE) with balanced and impartial monitoring of all physicians will hopefully allow for questions of competency to be addressed by an established system that engenders decreased stigma to the individual.Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, Yaso Shan, Primary Health Care, July 2013This article reviews the evidence and theories of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), outlines risk factors and treatment options, and examines ethical dilemmas that nurses and patients face. The author suggests that questions regarding best care options will continue to dominate research arenas until sufficient progress can be made on the very nature of the disease.UNIT Retirement: American Dream or Dilemma?Will Baby Boomers Phase into Retirement? Julie I. Tacchino, Journal of Financial Services Professionals, May 2013This article addresses phased retirement and why it can be beneficial to both employees and employers. A phased retirement is a variety of employment arrangements that allow retirees to continue working at reduced workloads while gradually shifting from full-time work to full-time retirement.Live for Today, Save for Tomorrow, Carla A. Fried, AARP The Magazine, December 2011/January 2012The author presents the advantages to individuals of continuing to work in their 60s and beyond their anticipated retirement age. She points out that the longer you work in the 60s and 70s, the less you have to have saved for retirement prior to that time. Moreover, she observes that the more years you delay retiring and drawing from your accumulated retirement funds, the more your retirement savings will grow.Do-It-Yourself Financial Freedom, Jane Bryant Quinn, AARP Bulletin, April 2010The author lists and describes 12 easy steps that a person needs to take throughout his or her life to ensure an adequate income.Top 25 Social Security Questions, Stan Hinden, AARP Bulletin, December 2010The article addresses the numerous questions and answers that the public has concerning the Social Security program. Many are concerned about their qualifications for receiving the program's benefits, the best time to start withdrawing funds from the program, and what characteristics and qualifications will bring them the greatest returns. The author discusses these and a host of other questions.UNIT The Experience of DyingA Longitudinal Analysis of Social Engagement in Late-Life Widowhood, Linda M. Isherwood, Debra S. King, and Mary A. Luszcz, International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 2012The article examines the extent to which social engagement contributes to the adjustment of bereaved family members following the death of a spouse. Frequency of phone contacts with children and participation in social activities were examined to see whether their frequency increased or decreased for widows following the death of their spouse.End-of-Life Concerns and Care Preferences: Congruence among Terminally Ill Elders and Their Family Caregivers, Daniel S. Gardner and Betty J. Kramer, Omega, 2009/2010The authors examine end-of-life concerns and care preferences of terminally ill older people and their family caregivers.The Myriad Strategies for Seeking Control in the Dying Process, Tracy A. Schroepfer, Hyunjin Noh, and Melinda Kavanaugh, The Gerontologist, December 2009The authors examined the control strategies and means used by people to maintain control of their lives during the final stages of life. The authors highlight the importance of terminally ill older people having the opportunity to exercise control of the dying process.Six Steps to Help Seniors Make the CPR/DNR Decision, Viki Kind, CSA Journal, 2012This article suggests that there are six steps on the decision-making spectrum that will assist older adults in writing their advance health-care directives. These are decisions that should be made prior to experiencing a medical crisis regarding the choice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or the request of do not resuscitate (DNR)."Affordable" Death in the United States: An Action Plan Based on Lessons Learned from the Nursing Economic$ Special Issue, Christine T. Kovner, Edward Lusk, and Nellie M. Selander, Nursing Economic$, May/June 2012An eight-point action plan is proposed for lowering costs associated with end-of-life health care in the United States, as well as improving the quality of life experienced by patient and their families. The two major features of the action plan include the expansion of hospice and palliative care and the increased use of advance directives.Palliative Care: A Paradigm of Care Responsive to the Demands for Health Care Reform in America, Deborah Witt Sherman and Jooyoung Cheon, Nursing Economic$, May/June 2012Palliative care and hospice care are part of a continuum of care; palliative care is provided at any time during the illness trajectory, while hospice is offered at end of life. This article points out that palliative care is an economic imperative in reducing the cost of health care and the promotion of quality of life.Palliative Care: Impact on Quality and Cost, Jessica D. Squazzo, Healthcare Executive Magazine, January/February 2013This article suggests that palliative care can the improve quality of care, communication, and coordination for critical patients and has the potential to reduce the reliance on emergency rooms. Palliative care is a unique, team-oriented approach.UNIT Living Environment in Later LifeDesign and Technologies for Healthy Aging, Claudia B. Rébola and Jon Sanford, Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, March 2011This editorial discusses the initiative of the Georgia Institute of Technology's Design and Technology for Healthy Aging (DATHA) coalition to encourage providers, researchers, and industry to address three key questions relating to problems in the community, to solutions through design and technology, and to moving those solutions to the marketplace.A Little Help Can Go a Long Way: "Aging in Place" Requires Good Luck, Support Network, David Crary, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, November 21, 2011The author points out what services are necessary for people to be able to age in place and remain in their current home. Moreover, he identifies the percent of the population that would prefer to remain in their current home indefinitely even though for some this may not be possible.Happy Together, Sally Abrahms, AARP Bulletin, April 2011The author points out that as the baby boomers reach their retirement age, they are dismayed by the thought of moving into assisted living or nursing home facilities. The common denominator of emerging and still to be created models of residential senior citizen communities are the desires for common interests, values, and resources where neighbors know and care about one another and assist one another during the aging process. The article presents various neighborhoods and communities that are emerging for senior residents.City Governments and Aging in Place: Community Design, Transportation, and Housing Innovation Adoption, Amanda J. Lehning, The Gerontologist, June 2012The article discusses what characteristics of community design, housing, and transportation innovations city government could adopt that would benefit adults who are older and want to continue living in the city.The Real Social Network, Martha Thomas, AARP The Magazine, May/June 2011The author describes an emerging neighborhood concept for the residence of older persons, called villages. The article outlines and describes in detail the advantages of living in one of the villages emerging across the country for senior citizens.UNIT Social Policies, Programs, and Services for Older AmericansEnd-of-Life Care in the United States: Current Reality and Future Promise: A Policy Review, Lisa A. Giovanni, Nursing Economic$, May/June 2012This article examines the present state of end-of-life care with consideration of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the impact on end-of-life practices and policies in the U.S. The author concludes that based on current health-care policy, end-of-life care is neither recognized nor endorsed in current policies.Let's Restore the Middle Class, A. Barry Rand, AARP Bulletin, October 2011The article points out how the incomes and style of life of the last generation of the middle class have been pulled down by stagnant wages that have not met family burdens associated with child care and aging parents. The autho
r presents the middle class's diverse means of coping with their loss of income and meeting their basic human needs. A four-part strategy for restoring prosperity to the middle class and improving the overall economy is described.Social Security: Fears vs. Facts: What Social Security Critics Keep Getting Wrong, Liz Weston, AARP The Magazine, July/August 2011The article addresses the myths that exist in the minds of much of the U.S. public regarding the solvency and future of the Social Security program. The author attempts to dispel these fears that exist for many in the United States regarding the future of the program.Social Security Heading for Insolvency Even Faster: Trust Funds Could Run Dry in about 2 Decades, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, April 24, 2012The article identifies the years when the insolvency of the Social Security and Medicare hospital insurance fund will occur at their current rate of expenditures. It presents the effects that the insolvency of these programs will have on the economy and the lifestyle of older Americans. The article discusses the fact that lawmakers are not addressing any program changes to correct these problems.Medicare May Soon Take New Shape, Robert Pear, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, April 13, 2011The author discusses ways to shore up medical care services and to reduce costs. He presents the different views of Republicans and Democrats regarding what is the best way to carry this out.Time for a Tune-Up, Jonathan Peterson, AARP Bulletin, June 2012The author believes that in 21 years, Social Security will be able to pay only three-fourths of its promised benefits. The author outlines 10 options now on the policy table in Washington to avoid any future shortfall in Social Security funds available to the public.Protect Social Security, A. Barry Rand, AARP Bulletin, July/August 2010The author points out where the income for a person at age 65 and older comes from and what percentage of this income Social Security provides. He also notes that the Social Security program is financially solvent and has not contributed anything to the federal deficit. He outlines what basic principles should be followed to protect and guarantee Social Security benefits for future retiring persons and recipients of the various programs.Retooling Medicare?, Patricia Barry, AARP Bulletin, June 2012The article points out that politicians are eyeing Medicare as a spending program that is ripe for cuts to reduce the national deficit. Moreover, Medicare looms as a key battleground issue in the 2012 election. Politicians view older Americans as a large group of voters who see Medicare as being in their best interest. The author presents proposed ways of saving Medicare that legislators are likely to discuss during the 2012 election campaigns and beyond.