TEACHING GERONTOLOGY Aug. 20, 2002 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx In this issue: - Demography of Aging - Course Outlines Available - Survey on Informal Caregiving - Late-life Creativity - Play the Social Security Game - Social Work and Aging - Medicare Managed Care - Statistical Sources - Late Bloomers - Books of Interest xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx DEMOGRAPHY OF AGING The Population Reference Bureau, has published a bulletin report on ELDERLY AMERICANS. To order call: (800) 877-9881 For a good overview of the demography of aging, look at "Elderly Americans," by Prof. Christine L. Himes (Population Bulletin, Vol. 56, No. 4, December 2001, Population Reference Bureau). For the full text version, visit: http://www.prb.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PRB/AboutPRB/Popula tion_Bulletin2/Elderly_Americans.htm ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ COURSE OUTLINES AVAILABLE Course Outline and Syllabus for "The Sociology of Aging" by Monika Deppen Wood are available at: http://crab.rutgers.edu/~deppen/syllabusF98.htm Course Outline and Syllabus for "Aging and Life Review" by E. Michael Brady are available at: http://www.usm.maine.edu/~mbrady/hrd558.htm ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ SURVEY ON INFORMAL CAREGIVING The Kaiser Family Foundation supported a national survey of over 1,000 informal caregivers to gain insight into the role of family and friends in caregiving. For a summary of the findings, and an article on "Medicaid's Role in Long-Term Care," visit: http://www.kff.org/content/2002/20020709/ ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ LATE LIFE CREATIVITY The 4th edition of CONCEPTS & CONTROVERSIES contains new material from Gene Cohen's inspiring book, THE CREATIVE AGE (1999). An interview with Dr. Gene Cohen, "The Creativity Equation," is available on the AARP website: http://www.aarp.org/mmaturity/mar_apr00/equation.html The debate "Does Creativity Decline With Age?" is Controversy 9 in AGING: CONCEPTS & CONTROVERSIES, highlighting opposing views of Harvey Lehman and Wayne Dennis. Details available at: http://www.pineforge.com/moody/creativity.htm ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ PLAY THE SOCIAL SECURITY GAME A great way for students to get into debates over privatizing Social Security is to play the "Social Security Game" offered by the Academy of Actuaries on their web site at www.actuary.org/socialsecurity. An attractive feature of this site is that students can "vote" on alternative policy proposals-- such as raising retirement age, taxing benefits, etc-- and then move their mouse over different sides of the screen and have competing arguments pop up right away. For a good website that promotes the liberal view on Social Security (i.e., against privatization) visit the site of the Campaign for America's Future: http://www.ourfuture.org/readarticle.asp?ID=595 For the conservative view on Social Security, see the Cato Institute's site: http://www.socialsecurity.org/ ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ SOCIAL WORK AND AGING Dr. Terry Singer's paper on "Structuring Education to Promote Understanding of Issues of Aging" is now available at: http://www.cswe.org/sage-sw/resrep/understandaging.htm For a Course Syllabus on "Group Work with Older Adults" visit: http://www.sonoma.edu/psychology/gerontology/servicelearning/sylla bus.html ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ MEDICARE MANAGED CARE Managed care gives bad service to older folks, right? They save money by skimping on care, don't they? Aren't these propositions you "know" to be true? Well, maybe not. Many older folks seem to like their managed care providers just fine. Their complaint is they can't get into the managed care programs covered by Medicare reimbursement. The fact is that lots of managed care programs are bailing out of Medicare. But the ones that continue to provide service under Medicare tend to give higher quality service than those that leave, according to new research from Johns Hopkins. A study appearing in the March, 2002 issue of MEDICAL CARE does not support the belief that higher quality performance increases the likelihood of high cost and lower profits for Medicare HMOs. As Mark Twain said, it isn't what we don't know, it's the things we know that ain't so that are the problem. For more details, see: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-02/jhub- mcp022602.php ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ STATISTICAL SOURCES A Listing of "Helpful General Aging Statistical and Demographic Resource Sites" is available at: http://www.uic.edu/ahp/OT/aging.htm Also see the AOA REPORT: "A Profile of Older Americans: 2001" (US Administration on Aging, December, 2001, HTML and .pdf format, 15p.). The Report provides the latest statistics on 13 key subject areas. It includes both narrative and statistical charts and is very accessible for students. Check it out at: http://www.aoa.gov/aoa/stats/profile/2001/default.htm FREE SLIDES. The U.S. Government has published a report on "Older Americans 2000: Key Indicators of Well-Being," available at no cost. This report covers 31 key indicators carefully selected to portray the lives of older Americans and their families. The report is available in PDF format and PowerPoint slides for Charts. Visit the website at: http://www.agingstats.gov/ ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ LATE BLOOMERS From Francis L. Battisti, Professor at the State University of New York, Broome Community College, Binghamton, New York, comes the following communication about his institution: "Within the Gerontology emphasis of the Associate in Science Program the student mix contains a wide variety of ages along with gerontology majors and students who just want to find out about the field. During the Fall 2001 semester, I decided to adopt SECRETS OF A LATE BLOOMER by Connie Goldman. This book was so well received by the students that I am now adopting the book for use in my "Introduction to Social Work" course. Each chapter [of LATE BLOOMER] introduces an individual story of taking the initiative to live one's life to the fullest. Each person is very real, confronted with a host of obstacles to move beyond their barriers of life. Each student is assigned to choose an individual's story and relate it to his or her own life experiences. They then orally report to the class what they have learned from the 'late bloomer' and how it can be a living guide for their own experiences." Comments from students include: "To read so many positive and encouraging stories makes me look to the future with excitement instead of fear and dread. I plan on giving a copy of the book to my parents." "I could relate to many of the people you wrote about, and your book changed some of the irrational views that I held about aging." ----------------------<<< >>>------------------------ BOOKS OF INTEREST INTERSECTIONS OF AGING: Readings in Social Gerontology by Elizabeth W. Markson and Lisa Ann Hollis-Sawyer (eds.), Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing Co. 2000. COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR OLDER ADULTS: Programs and Services in an Era of Change (2nd ed.) by R.R.Wacker, Karen Roberto, and L.E. Piper, L.E. (Sage/Pine Forge, 2002). 4th EDITION OF TEXTBOOK The 4th edition of AGING: CONCEPTS and CONTROVERSIES (Pine Forge Press, Sage Publications, 2002) is now available. The book presents gerontology through "great debates" around topics such as assisted suicide, privatizing Social Security, extension of the human lifespan, and the search for meaning in later life. Details about the new, fourth edition are available at http://www.pineforge.com/ Copies of AGING: CONCEPTS and CONTROVERSIES are available at no charge for college faculty to consider for course adoption. For questions about how to get review copies, call Sage Publications for Customer Care at 1-800-818-7243 (805-499-9774 outside the U.S.) or e-mail textbooks@sagepub.com. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx This electronic newsletter, edited by Harry (Rick) Moody, is published by the Institute for Human Values in Aging in cooperation with Pine Forge Press (Sage Publications). TEACHING GERONTOLOGY contains items of interest to improve the teaching of aging. To submit items or request subscription changes, contact teachgero@yahoo.com (c) Copyright 2002; all rights reserved. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx