Age Wave Implications

Social networks support seniors and caregivers

Ron Moore — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:15:46 +0000

Millions of patients and caregivers are being served in creative ways. Clearly, technology is the enabler of this new trend.

It is interesting what consumers are attracted to. The idea of "community" and the old adages that "misery loves company" and "birds of a feather flock together" certainly come to mind when you think about the popularity of these social network sites with certain "themes."

Click here to read the full article at Health-IT World.

You might want to check out some of the sites listed in the article to see what kinds of things are developing. At this point, most are for consumers, but one site is strictly for professionals (doctors).

Who should pay for assistive technology? It is a matter of perspective.

Ronald Moore — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:52:52 +0000

The use of technology to support an aging population is gaining wide acceptance in some venues but meets resistance in many others. "Resistance" is often spelled "M.O.N.E.Y". Everybody wants the benefits of the evolving technology, but not everyone is willing, or able, to pay for it.

Employers often provide assitive technologies to workers with disabilities and those who are facing age-related difficulties with sight, hearing, mobility and other physical impairments. In these instances, the employer usually pays for the technology, tools and training. (see article below)

On the other hand, an incredible amount of technology exist, and continues to be developed, to help seniors and their caregivers live better, longer, more productive and less stressful lives - yet, who is willing, or able, to pay for it is less clear.

Some argue that it should be the user. Some think that other beneficiaries of the technology - such as family caregivers - should pay. Others, still, think that certain technologies such as remote medical monitoring and technologies that can arguably help reduce medical costs should be paid for by health insurance companies and other organizations with a stake in reducing our nations health care costs.

What do you think? Start here to learn more about what already exist, and to begin seeing the possibilities - and obstacles - to widespread use of adaptive technology.

New Forum Shows Companies How to Leverage Accessibility Strategies and Techniques to Reach Mature Market and People With Disabilities

Last Update: 10:51 AM ET Jan 29, 2007

ORLANDO, FL, Jan 29, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — On January 25-26, the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) hosted its first Leadership Forum on Accessibility at the Caribe Royale Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The forum, led by IBM, AOL, Canon, Adobe and others, provided a unique opportunity for business leaders to explore implications, advantages, and specific strategies for integrating accessibility across their enterprises. More than 60 accessibility leaders attended from major corporations within the Insurance, Retail, Banking/Financial Services, Pharmaceutical, Travel and Information Technology industries to discuss the business case for accessibility and its associated technologies, and share best practices.

Strategic decisions surrounding access for people with disabilities, the aging workforce, and worker shortages are a key consideration for large corporations. With 78 million baby boomers and 54 million people with disabilities in the U.S. and 600 million people with disabilities worldwide, corporations also have a need to reach new customers and deliver accessible products and services to this important and growing market. An accessibility strategy is critical to success with these challenges.

According to David Dikter, executive director of ATIA, the genesis of the forum developed from clear market direction and need. "The 155 million people in the United States that could benefit from accessibility solutions are an enormous, and largely untapped, market that companies want and need to serve. Many of our corporate partners are actively working to do just that by integrating accessibility techniques and technologies that will help keep them competitive over the long term. ATIA wanted to leverage their experiences to help other companies create their own accessibility strategies," he said.

Full article in PDF format available here

But, preacher, I can’t hear you!!!

Ron Moore — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:41:43 +0000

Age related accessibility issues in the church

Ron Moore — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:32:46 +0000

Health and technology converge via E-Prescriptions

Ronald Moore — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 23:21:31 +0000

Is it a good thing?

Read the article from iHealthBeat here

Most Texans Predict Positive Impact from E-Prescriptions
January 23, 2007

Nearly three out of four Texas residents believe that electronic prescriptions will have a positive impact on the health care they receive, according to a survey by Zogby International.

Fourteen percent of respondents predicted that use of e-prescriptions would have a negative impact on the health care they receive, while 8% predicted no impact.

The survey, which was commissioned by Dell, also found that 43% of respondents said health IT would lead to major improvement, while 18% of respondents predicted a minor improvement. Thirty-three percent of respondents predicted that health IT would "somewhat improve" health care quality.

Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents said the health care system in Texas needs reform and 21% said the system needs minor changes. Fifteen percent of respondents said the Texas health care system should be kept basically the same.

Results are based on an online survey of 1,040 adults in Texas between Dec. 8, 2006, and Dec. 11, 2006. To read the summary of survey, click here.

Source: Zogby International.

First “Age Bias Index” Tracks Changing Perceptions

Ron Moore — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 20:14:15 +0000

New RetirementJobs.com research shows employers are three-times more optimistic than employees about a decline of age bias in the future

Last Update: 8:00 AM ET Jan 29, 2007

Click here to read full article on the MarketWatch website

WELLESLEY, Mass., Jan 29, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) — As part of its mission to make age-friendly workplaces the norm, RetirementJobs.com,( www.retirementjobs.com), the Web’s leading career destination for people aged 50+, today announced the first Workplace Age Bias Index(C), to serve as a barometer by which changes in the status and perceptions of age bias among employers, employees, and the general population may be measured.

The creation of the Age Bias Index was driven by a demand to track how changing perceptions of age bias may influence behavior of employers, workers, retirees, job seekers, and enforcement organizations. Age bias will be an important issue in the midst of anticipated developments that economists have forecasted for the future of the United States over the next 20 years:

To read full article in PDF format, click here

Sandwich Generation Faces Delayed Retirement

Ron Moore — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:43:28 +0000

RETIREMENT LIVING : Support squeeze

Tips for coping when care for parents, children means delaying retirement

By Andrea Coombes, MarketWatch

Last Update: 6:25 PM ET Jan 28, 2007

Click here to read full article on MarketWatch website

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — The good news is baby boomers aren’t as selfish as the "Me Generation" label attributed to them might suggest. The bad news is their generosity might force them to work well into their retirement years, according to a new survey of working Americans.

About one in five workers 45 and older provide financial support to a parent, according to the survey of about 5,400 adults conducted by Brightwork Partners for Putnam Investments.

And a fair portion of boomers are supporting their adult children: Almost one-third of working Americans 45 and older with a grown child over age 25 pay rent or provide housing for that child, the survey found. Meanwhile, 45% of middle-age workers with grown children provide financial support of about $2,500 a year on average.

For complete article in pdf format, click here

Electronic Records Could Increase Costs, Decrease Quality

Ronald Moore — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:40:42 +0000

To continue the discussion from the other day, here’s another perspective on the same issue from CaliforniaHealthline.com’s Opinionmakers section:

Bringing electronic health records "to the current broken health care system could increase costs, decrease quality and push the practice of medicine further away from human interaction," Dr. Michael Wilkes, professor of medicine at the University of California-Davis, writes in a Sacramento Bee opinion piece.

"Admittedly, other industries have seen large cost savings from computerization, but health care is different," Wilkes writes. He notes that "each hospital system and doctor’s office today has a unique [EHR] that stands completely on its own and won’t talk to another’s computers." He added that there "is no push for cooperation" among vendors.

It is "entirely reasonable to expect" health IT, such as electronic reminders, to improve quality, according to Wilkes. However, res! earch h as shown that physicians ignore 75% of electronic reminders, he writes.

In addition, electronic documentation "has a potential for electronic forgery and dishonesty that allows for increased billing and quick note production but may do nothing to improve patient care," according to Wilkes.

Wilkes concludes, "Before we spend more money on these electronic holy grails, let’s first look for data showing that in the real world they can achieve important goals other than simply improved billing" (Wilkes, Sacramento Bee, 1/20).

Source article here: http://www.californiahealthline.org/index.cfm?action=dspItem&itemID=129852&changedID=129758

Future retirees may be on their own to purchase health insurance

Ron Moore — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:23:37 +0000

President Bush’s plan to offer tax deductions to Americans who buy health insurance may or may not fly. But already there are millions of Americans grouped by names such as pre-Medicare eligible or "near elderly" who must grapple or will soon have to grapple with the issue of buying their own health insurance.

The Convergence of the Aging Workforce

Ronald Moore — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 03:16:48 +0000

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