The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has created a new guide for people who serve older adults on health and aging issues. The Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults includes background information on health literacy and strategies for communicating with older adults about health, as well as examples of health literacy best practices. HHS cites the following as important reasons to be aware of the health literacy needs of older adults:
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Health outcomes are related to health literacy.
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As many as 80 percent of older Americans have at least one chronic health condition. The more health conditions people have, the more they need to navigate the health care system and interpret complex health information.
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Literacy problems will not always be obvious to you. Some people hide their problem out of shame, or they may not recognize the difficulty they have with reading.
Click here to find out more and download the guide.
November 2, 2007
The Vital Aging Network (VAN) is a group based out of St. Paul, Minnesota. The organization is described as “individuals who are sharing our strengths to promote and support the self-sufficiency, community participation, and quality of life of older adults.” VAN holds monthly forums on topics ranging from creativity to caregiving to the cultural wisdom of elders.
This organization’s forums provide a model of best practice programming for older adults, and can be a great source for program ideas in your library. Check out the “Forum Summaries” page for an overview of their most recent workshops. Are there similar interest groups in your community geared towards older adults with whom you have partnered or collaborating with in the future? What has been your experience?
www.vital-aging-network.org
October 31, 2007
A recent LA Times article stated that “older people are many times happier in their older life.” Among other reasons, the report cites life experience, freedom of choices, and appreciation for the remaining years ahead. Finally, the article suggests that younger audiences can learn from older adults about happiness strategies.
Does this article suggest possibilities for intergenerational activities? If so, what are some models or ideas that may be successful?
Full Article: Emotionally, the Best May Be Yet to Come, LA Times - October 15, 2007
October 19, 2007
How can library programs and services address this and other issues that GLBT community members face as they age?
This New York Times article reports, “Elderly gay people[...] living in nursing homes or assisted-living centers or receiving home care, increasingly report that they have been disrespected, shunned or mistreated in ways that range from hurtful to deadly, even leading some to commit suicide.”
One response from the GLBT community has been to create retirement and assisted facilites specifically designed for GLBT older adults. A NY Times article on niche retirement communities noted, Retirement communities that cater to the elderly gay and lesbian population could prove to be one of the more popular niches in coming years.” A Seattle Times article reports on a a group of lesbian women have pioneered “a self-planned and affordable community for women — especially lesbians — who want to grow old together on their own terms.”
The New York Times article also provides the following links for more information on GLBT aging issues:
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: Aging
LGBT Aging Project
A Boston group that provides cultural competency trainings
October 12, 2007
A coordinator of volunteers in a city library raises several questions about her library’s homebound program where volunteers deliver books and other library material to homebound individuals. Input from others who have managed homebound services is much appreciated.
1. Do homebound patrons have to meet certain criteria to qualify for homebound services? How do we ensure the safety of the volunteer?
2. Does anyone one have guidelines for volunteers in terms of boundaries around entering the homes of homebound patrons?
3. Is an interview of volunteers mandatory? Are reference and background checks required?
4. As volunteer and homebound person begin to know each other better, the volunteer often develops the desire to help the homebound person. How are boundaries established for the library volunteer?
October 5, 2007
In 2006, the Lifelong Access Libraries Institute closed with a presentation by neurologist, Paul Nussbaum. The 2007 Institute hosted Richard Restak, neuropsychiatrist, as the final presenter. Both discussed the brain’s plasticity– the capacity to learn new things and the possibility of warding off the loss of cognitive vitality, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease.
Nussbaum saw the public library as “the health center for the mind,” pointing to the resources and services that libraries offer as opportunities for stimulation and challenge for the brain that can help older adults maintain sharpness.
Is there a case to be made for libraries making available the cognitive fitness software described in the attached article?
Calisthenics for the Older Mind, on the Home Computer
September 21, 2007
“According to the United States Census Bureau, 9 out of 10 Americans over 60, or 41.5 million people, stayed in the same home or in the same county between 1995 and 2000.”
This article includes a map showing which metro areas of the U.S. had the fastest growth in the “pre-senior” population fro 1990-2005–considered a key factor in determining where the senior population will grow the most, as boomers “age in place.”
What are the implications of ”graying in place” for library services in your community, including potential challenges and rewards?
article url: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/realestate/keymagazine/909Numbers-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
September 14, 2007
Welcome to the Lifelong Access Libraries Blog. We hope to make this blog a space for resources, articles, and discussion. You can stop by as you please or subscibe by RSS feed or e-mail using the links in the right sidebar. Please peruse the posts below and explore our Lifelong Access Libraries and Libraries for the Future websites for more information on our work.
September 5, 2007
Libraries for the Future (LFF) held its second annual Lifelong Access Libraries Leadership Institute on July 29 - August 31, 2007, in North Carolina. It was co-hosted by UNC’s School of Information and Library Science and the Institute on Aging.
The Institute’s purpose was to provide public librarians with comprehensive training in developing programming and services for Baby Boomers and older adults. Emphasis was placed on providing opportunities for active learning, creative exploration, and meaningful civic engagement for this age group.
The Institute included several compelling and thought-provoking sessions from experts in both the library and aging fields. For example, anthropologist and author Mary Catherine Bateson presented When Lifelong Learning becomes Active Wisdom, and the American Society of Aging’s Patrick Cullinane presented New Theories and Thoughts on Civic Engagement.
The 20 Institute participants (see photo below) were selected through a competitive application process earlier this year. They came from 14 different states, representing public libraries providing services to communities as small as Reading, Massachusetts, and as large as San Francisco.
I truly enjoyed the array of topics presented during the Institute, the thought-provoking presentation by the speakers, and the companionship of bright and friendly colleagues from across the country, said Institute participant Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer from New Jersey.
August 22, 2007
