Civic Ventures' Encore Profiles Elder Care Expo Founder

[25 February 2008 - Encore] ELDER CARE ANGUISH: Trying Experience Turns Into Second Career ... Frustration with patching together care for her aging mother prompted one baby boomer to start a second job bringing together elder-care resources in one venue. Julie Groshens, 52, of St. Paul, Minn., was bewildered when the elaborate support system she helped set up for her elderly mother failed. Although Groshens has 10 siblings to help as caretakers and a doctor, lawyer and geriatric social worker in the family, her mother broke her hip three times, had to move several times, suffered medical problems and experienced sudden memory loss. More

Creativity and Aging White Paper Released by Americans for the Arts; Authored by Elder Care Expo Co-Founder

[20 February 2008 - Americans for the Arts] Americans for the Arts has just released a white paper on creativity and aging, "Think and Be Heard: Creativity, Aging and Community Engagement" (PDF). Elder Care Expos Partner Steven Dahlberg wrote this report as a follow up to the 2007 National Arts Forum Series, which is supported by the MetLife Foundation. "Arts and aging is neither just about art, nor just about aging. Rather, it is about creativity and positive engagement -- that is, creativity as both a goal and a process for shaping the self and society. ... It is through such creative thinking and self-expression that people connect with others and shape the world. Such a work of art is a lifelong process," writes Dahlberg. Please distribute and share this white paper -- and share your feedback online about this topic, as well.

Minnesota Boomer Launches Elder Care Event to Help Others Find Answers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Steve Dahlberg
Elder Care Expos, LLC
info@choosingeldercare.com
(651) 204-0266

Overwhelmed by Trying to Care for Aging Parents, Minnesota Boomer Launches Elder Care Event to Help Others

St. Paul, Minn., February 21, 2008 -- Good intentions only get baby boomers so far in trying to care for their aging parents. No matter how hard one tries to get the best care possible for a loved one, it's still easy to get overwhelmed, frustrated, angry and disappointed in the process.

One Minnesota baby boomer seemed to have an ideal combination of resources to care for her aging mother -- 10 siblings as caretakers; a doctor, a lawyer and a geriatric social worker in the family; and multiple housing options from which to choose. Even with these resources and a carefully considered plan, this was not enough. Her mother experienced three broken hips (including two in one week), staffing issues that added to medical problems, continual shifts in housing to address changing care needs, medication complications, and sudden memory problems. The greatest frustrations and struggles though, have resulted from the bureaucracy of the elder care system, which culminated in a letter sent from the government telling the family members their mother was dead (she wasn't).

Julie Groshens wondered how families get through the maze of elder care options without a social-worker sibling to guide them. Nearly everyday, she heard similar stories from colleagues, friends and family. So Groshens decided to form Elder Care Expos, LLC, a Minnesota-based company that produces elder-care resource events for the public.

On May 9 and 10, Groshens and her two partners will launch the Elder Care Expo 2008 in St. Paul, Minn. The expo will be held in the Education Building at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

"Elder Care Expo brings together many of the answers people like us are searching for -- in one place," says Groshens. "This kind of event is desperately needed. We hear stories everyday from people as young as twenty-something who are caring for aging and sick parents. Yet they feel like they are alone in facing these challenges and are stressed out about the endless options. They just don't know where to start finding help.

"Tickets are only $8 per person for attending the expo and more than 90 educational sessions. We have deliberately kept the ticket price low so that those struggling with these issues can get the help they need in an affordable and accessible way," says Groshens.

Nationally, nearly 34 million caregivers provide help to persons age 50 and older. Elder Care Expo 2008 is designed to help the more than half-million Minnesota caregivers make more-informed care choices. "We are really encouraging family members to bring at least one other person with them, even a friend," says Groshens. "Having someone else to share ideas with creates a stronger support network. Plus, it gets us boomers talking about these questions for our own future."

The expo will showcase leading Minnesota vendors that provide products and services to help people make better elder care decisions. Current sponsors include Augustana Care Corporation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and ACCRA Care Corp. As the Official Radio Sponsor, WCCO Radio will help Minnesotans explore the key challenges they are facing related to elder care.

Elder Care Expo 2008 features trusted resources about aging from the State of Minnesota, county agencies, community aging organizations and elder care experts. More than 90 information-packed educational sessions will focus on topics such as elder care basics; understanding insurance, financial and legal issues; navigating home healthcare issues; identifying and choosing the right housing; exploring Medicare Part D choices; and many other important issues. In addition, participants can receive a free long-term care consultation and leave the expo with a plan.

Find more information about attending, sponsoring or exhibiting at Elder Care Expo 2008 by visiting http://www.choosingeldercare.com/ or by calling (651) 204-0266. Expo tickets are $8 per person and can be purchased online or at the door.

About Elder Care Expo:
Elder Care Expo 2008 is produced by a team with more than 50 years of experience in consumer events, educational programming and gerontology. In addition, they have personally been involved with hospice volunteer work and caregiving to older family members, while raising children. Today, one in five adults is responsible for managing some aspect of the finances and/or healthcare of a family member who is 65 or older, and approximately 80 percent of home-care services are provided by family caregivers. Elder Care Expo is Minnesota's first-ever educational event designed to bring together government agencies, nonprofits and private organizations under one roof and with one simple goal: helping baby boomers, their parents and seniors plan for and find solutions for their elder care challenges. Elder Care Expos, LLC, also publishes the Choosing Elder Care blog at http://www.choosingeldercare.com/blog .

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Retention Strategies: How Employers Can Support Working Caregivers

[AARP] Addressing caregiver support issues in the workplace is not just a benevolent response; it's smart business. It is reported that companies reap a $3-$14 return on every $1 they spend on eldercare benefits. Today's Baby Boomers may well be called "the Eldercare Generation." As more employees remain in the labor force and their parents live longer, businesses have begun stepping up to help overwhelmed workers better balance their professional and family responsibilities. Companies are finding eldercare help to be timely "insurance." That is because both employers and employees benefit when workers have options that make caregiving more manageable. No wonder eldercare benefits and flexible work arrangements are fast becoming a potent recruiting and retention tool. More

Aging of America to force changes in the workplace

[15 February 2008 - News-Gazette] America's population is aging, and the nation's employers need to deal with it, a Naperville consultant says. The baby-boomer generation is beginning to retire, and that ultimately will leave the United States with a deficit of younger workers, Bill Forssander said at a Champaign County Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday at Urbana's Holiday Inn. Between 2002 and 2012, the U.S. population 55 and older is expected to grow by 49 percent, while the population under 55 is projected to grow only 5 percent, he said. The main reason: a huge drop in the birth rate over the last half-century that stands to leave not only the United States, but also Canada, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and China, short of workers. Two workers are expected to exit the work force for every person entering it, he said. As a result, employers must figure new ways to attract and retain older workers, said Forssander, the founder and president of Coda Consulting Group. That means helping older employees stay current with new technologies and building a reputation for their companies of being truly multigenerational, he said. Forssander said older workers tend to have "more balanced" emotional circuitry, though it sometimes takes them longer to process things. That's why judges, counselors and senior diplomats tend to be older people, he said. At the same time, employers must remember that today's workplace has four generations in it, each with different values, preferences and approaches. More

Talking To Your Parents About Aging

[15 February 2008 - WCCO TV - Minneapolis] As we get older, so do our parents and right now a lot of baby boomers are dealing with a difficult problem. They are trying to take care of their aging parents and in many cases are having trouble talking to them about important issues. There can be a real communication problem, especially when the adult child has to help that parent deal with sensitive issues like health problems or money matters. That's why the folks with Home Instead Senior Care invested time and money into research on the matter. They came up with expert advice on how people in their 40s can help their aging parents adjust to life-changing events, including the death of a spouse, memory loss or the inability to drive safely. That advice was just published in a free booklet called the 40-70 Rule, and they want people to take advantage of it. More

Caregivers Staying Connected

[15 February 2008 - AARP] New gadgets, both simple and advanced, can extend an independent life at home for the aged or ailing. They also help long-distance caregivers stay connected to their loved ones. Need help getting your caregiving house in order? Here are some tips to get you started. More

More Brain Research Suggests 'Use It Or Lose It'

[12 February 2008 - ScienceDaily] Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) scientists have found another important clue to why nerve cells die in neurodegenerative diseases, based on studies of the developing brain. Neuroscientists at The University of Queensland have just published findings, which add more weight to the "use it or lose it" model for brain function. QBI's Dr Elizabeth Coulson said a baby's brain generates roughly double the number of nerve cells it needs to function; with those cells that receive both chemical and electrical stimuli surviving, and the remaining cells dying. In research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Dr Coulson and her colleagues have identified a crucial step in the cell-death process. More

2008 Minnesota Age & Disability Odyssey Conference - Save the Date

[13 February 2008 - University of Minnesota Aging Education] The Odyssey Conference, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, The Minnesota Board on Aging, and the Aging and Disability Services Divisions of DHS, will again host the Age and Disabilities Odyssey on August 18-20 in Duluth at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC). Their website http://www.mnaging.org/odyssey/index.htm is under construction but please visit it often for additions and updates to learn what's new, to register yourself, or to submit a workshop proposal. The workshop proposal information will be available to submit a proposal on February 15. Questions about the Odyssey may be sent to DHS.Odysseyconference@state.mn.us.

The sandwich generation: Cash squeeze for couples who have ageing parents AND young children

[12 February 2008 - Daily Mail - UK] Couples with young children and ageing parents are battling to cope with record financial responsibilities, according to a report. Millions face a never-ending cycle of financial struggle, researchers found. They are squeezed between two layers of a "sandwich" - their children and their parents. Many will spend so much looking after the young and the old that they are left with little or nothing for themselves and can expect a bleak financial future. Norwich Union interviewed more than 1,000 working adults about their personal lives for the report, which is published today. The findings throw a worrying spotlight on a generation with too many responsibilities and too little money to cope with them. More

What is Alzheimer's, Anyway?

[1 February 2008 - Human Values in Aging Newsletter] What's the difference between Alzheimer's Disease and normal brain aging? That provocative question is addressed in the new book THE MYTH OF ALZHEIMER'S: What You Aren't Being Told about Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis (St. Martin's Press, 2008), by Peter Whitehouse, M.D. and Daniel George. More about this ground-breaking book. See also the film "Almost Home" inspired by the work of Tom Kitwood, pioneering advocate for "person-first" care of dementia, as well as the Eden Alternative approach. More on the film and related activities. See also THE MAGIC TAPE RECORDER, by Joyce Simard, is a book intended to help children understand cognitive challenges of aging. More