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March 2010 Edition
New Resources From the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
Other News
News From The AGS Foundation For Health In Aging
AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Publishes Easy-to-Read "Tip Sheet" on Safe Sex, Sexual Health in Later Life
More older adults are sexually active, and are enjoying sex more, according to several recently published studies. Unfortunately, additional studies have also found that growing numbers of older adults are being diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In light of these trends, the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) recently published a new "tip sheet" for older adults, "Safe (and Enjoyable!) Sex for Seniors". The tip sheet offers older people advice on avoiding STDs, information about sexual difficulties such as erectile dysfunction, and tips on discussing such problems with healthcare providers.
The tip sheet is just one in the FHA's series of health tip sheets for older people. These are posted on Aging in the Know, the Foundation's comprehensive public education website. The tip sheets and all other information on the site can be printed and shared at no cost.
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American and British Geriatrics Societies Release New Falls Prevention Guidelines
The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) recently released new falls prevention guidelines for healthcare providers. Roughly a third of Americans 65 and older fall each year, and 10 to 20 percent of those who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries that limit their mobility and threaten their independence. Fall-related injuries are one of the leading causes of death for older Americans, accounting for more than 10,000 deaths annually.
The online guidelines update an earlier set that the AGS, BGS, and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons published in 2001. They take into account research concerning falls risk assessment, and interventions that can lower risks of falls, conducted over the last nine years.
In light of these new guidelines, the Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) has updated its public education materials about falls and falls prevention. They include:
All of these materials can be downloaded, printed, and shared at no cost.
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Become a Fan! The FHA Now Has a Facebook Page
AGS Foundation for Health in Aging is getting word out in a new way - it now has a Facebook page. We hope you'll become one of our Facebook fans!
With more than 250 million active Facebook users worldwide -- and the fastest growing demographic of users aged 35 and older -- Facebook is another vehicle for sharing information about elder health and healthcare.
If you're already "on Facebook," sign in now and search for the Foundation for Health in Aging. Then "fan" us and invite your friends to do so as well.
Not on Facebook? Get your Facebook account today. It's a great way to keep in touch with friends and family, reconnect with old colleagues - and there's now the added benefit of being able to "fan" the Foundation for Health in Aging.
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Other News
Family Caregiver Alliance Launches Online Clearinghouse on Caregiving
The Family Caregiver Alliance's National Center on Caregiving recently launched the Innovations Clearinghouse on Family Caregiving, an online resource that provides professionals, family caregivers and policy makers with information about caregiving and helps them develop caregiver-friendly initiatives and legislation, and create caregiver support programs and services.
"The Innovations Clearinghouse on Family Caregiving (offers) practical tools and resources as well as real-time interaction with professionals, online networking and learning opportunities and so much more," says Kathleen Kelly, the Alliance's Executive Director. The clearinghouse is the newest feature on the Alliance's award-winning website. The free website is home to a wealth of caregiving advice, newsletters, fact sheets, research reports, policy updates and discussion groups.
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New Multimedia Website Helps Older Adults and Others with Chronic Illnesses
To help meet the needs of older adults and others with heart disease, diabetes, and chronic pain, the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center recently launched a new National Institutes of Health-funded website. The site, New Approaches to Chronic Disease, includes up-to-date information about these chronic health problems -- in text, audio slide and Flash animation format -- from experts in the field. The site, in English and Spanish, also offers advice to help those with chronic illnesses cope, manage stress, and stay as healthy as possible.
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Free English/Spanish DVD and Booklet Offer Information on Safe Use of Blood Thinner Medications
Blood thinners can help prevent blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes, but they can also cause serious health problems if not used properly. A new, free DVD, "Staying Active and Healthy with Blood Thinners", helps those using the medications do so safely. Available in Spanish and English, the 10-minute DVD and accompanying booklet, Blood Thinner Pills: Your Guide to Using Them Safely, explain why healthcare providers prescribe blood thinners; how they work; foods, medicines and activities to avoid while taking them; and when to seek help. Roughly 2 million Americans begin blood thinner therapy yearly, according to the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which produced the DVD and booklet.
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Site Helps Seniors, Others, Make the Most of Their Healthcare
The US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has launched a new website designed to help seniors and others optimize the healthcare they get by getting involved and asking questions.
The website includes lists of questions to ask in various situations, such as when considering surgery or choosing a hospital, and videos demonstrating how to ask questions effectively. The website includes additional advice on enhancing the quality and safety of care.
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www.4070talk.com
It's often difficult for older adults and their grown-up children to broach and discuss important topics that arise in later life, such as balancing independence and safety, managing money, and end-of-life issues. The goal of www.4070talk.com, a web-based guide, is to make it easier.
The idea behind the "40" and the "70" in the web address is this: If you're 40-something, it's time to start discussing these and related issues with your parents (who are likely in their 70s); and, if you're in your 70s, it's time to talk with your (likely) 40ish children.
This "40-70 Rule" and the website are the brainchildren of Paul and Lori Hogan, founders of Home Instead Senior Care, a US-based network of franchises specializing in providing non-medical, in-home care that helps seniors age in place. The couple, also authors of Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions, created the online guide with the help of Jake Harwood, PhD, a professor of communication and former director of the graduate program in gerontology at the University of Arizona.
The guide offers communication tips, and suggested conversation starters for common family scenarios, such as those that arise when it's not clear whether an older parent can still drive carefully, or when an adult child doesn't want to sit down to talk about the living will his parents are drafting. It also includes a survey parents and adult children can use to assess their "parent-child conversation style" and communication advice tailored to differencing styles.
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Information about Life after Cancer Now at NIHSeniorHealth.gov
Older adults make up about 60 percent of cancer survivors. While surviving cancer brings joy and relief, survivors can face new issues as a result of physical and emotional changes related to the disease and to treatment. Life after Cancer, the newest section on National Institutes of Health's senior website -- www.nihseniorhealth.gov -- explains what changes to expect and what follow-up care is necessary. The section also provides helpful coping tips and other health and wellness information for older adults who have survived cancer. The American Geriatrics Society reviews the www.nihseniorhealth.gov website content for accuracy before it goes out to the public.
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