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CAREGIVING IN AMERICA is a monthly magazine published by Minnesota publisher Kay Sauck, premiered in December 2009 to address the needs and concerns of the 50 million caregivers of family and friends. 

The magazine and website, www.CaregivingInAmerica.com, will draw on a stable of experts in health and aging and two organizations devoted to caregiver support: the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving and the Aging with Dignity organization.

Suppose you are at a busy playground and you hear an 11-year-old using language he didn't learn on Sesame Street. There are plenty of other adults around, but, apparently, not this child's parents. Do you intervene? Does anyone?

WSU sociologist Christine Horne is pretty sure the answer is, "It depends." Many factors might go into your decision, but the key variable isn't how offensive the language is, it's who else is around.

Horne develops her theory that people sanction because they want to look good to others.

Further, her research indicates that the more cohesive or interdependent the group, the more likely people are to sanction bad behavior.

So, in the playground scenario, Horne's theory suggests that if you are at the park by yourself or with a rough group of characters with similar vocabularies, you might not get involved. But, if you are at the park with a group of like-minded friends, you are much more likely to take a stand. It's not just that your friends will back you up, but also that they will think well of you and the social ties between you will be strengthened.

• Why did the Chinese enforce the cultural norm of foot binding for centuries, even though it produced no tangible benefits and much pain and anguish?
  
• Why did Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet sign the 1988 International Convention Against Torture, the very agreement that allowed him to be arrested and prosecuted a decade later?
  
• Even more dramatic, why would the Norse in Greenland in the 1400s perish as a civilization rather than break a cultural norm against eating certain kinds of seafood?

According to her theory, people will act in ways that damage their personal interests if it means their ties to a particular social group will be strengthened. And, she suggests, one of the best ways to strengthen your ties to a particular group is to help enforce the norms of that group by punishing outliers.

In the experiments, Horne manipulated the "cost" of punishing other people, the "reward" for punishing, and the interdependence of the group. When the social rewards were high, people were likely to punish.

In addition to presenting the experimental evidence, Horne uses her theory to explore issues as diverse as the enforcement of fidelity, political correctness, Amish rejection of Social Security, and education policy.

Source:  "The Rewards of Punishment: A Relational Theory of Norm Enforcement," Horne's book in which she  discusses her theory of norms enforcement with multiple real world examples, presents data from laboratory experiments that test the theory, and then explores the implications for developing effective public policy.

Newswise, Inc.

Some say that violence is part of the American psyche...but it doesn't have to be.  We need practical solutions for our stress, aggression and communication habits.  There ARE better solutions than violence.

Violence between couples is usually the result of a calculated decision-making process and the partner inflicting violence will do so only as long as the price to be paid is not too high.

Loss of Control Differs at Home and Work

This is the conclusion of a new study by Dr. Eila Perkis at the University of Haifa. "The violent partner might conceive his or her behavior as a 'loss of control', but the same individual, unsurprisingly, would not lose control in this way with a boss or friends," she explains.

Law-abiding, Normal People...Outside!

In this new study, carried out at the University of Haifa's School of Social Work, Dr. Perkis examined intimate violence based on the fact that in most cases the offending partner is a law-abiding individual living a normative life outside of the family unit. Dr. Perkis says that in most cases the couple continues living together and sustaining a shared family unit, so it is important that we learn to understand the dynamics of such partnerships in order to treat them.

Family Dynamics of Intimate Violence

First Dr. Perkis divided intimate violence into four levels of severity:

1. verbal aggression;
   
2. threats of physical aggression;
   
3. moderate physical aggression; and
   
4. severe physical aggression
   

Verbal Violence Escalates

"These four levels follow one another in an escalating sequence; someone who uses verbal violence might well move on over time to threatening physical attack, and from there it is only downhill towards acting on the threat," she explains. Dr. Perkis warns however, that the results of this study should not be correlated to cases of murder, since the dynamics between couples in such cases are different and such offenses are not included in the chain of violent acts being examined.

Solving Conflicts

The researcher found that acting on each type of violence is calculated, such that the violence constitutes a tool for solving conflict between the partners.

"Neither of the couple sits down and plans when he or she will swear or lash out at the other, but there is a sort of silent agreement standing between the two on what limits of violent behavior are 'ok', where the red line is drawn, and where behavior beyond that could be dangerous," she explains.

She adds that when speaking of one-sided physical violence, most often carried out by men, the violent side understands that for a slap, say, he will not pay a very heavy price, but for harsher violence that is not included in the 'normative' dynamic between them, he might well have to pay a higher price and will therefore keep himself from such behavior. 

Leaving or Reporting the Incident...Is a Heavy Price to Pay!

"A 'heavy price' could be the partner's leaving or reporting the incident to the police or the workplace. As such, it can be said that violent behavior is not the result of loss of control and both sides are aware of where the red line is drawn, even if such an agreement has never been spoken between them," she says.

Better Tools for Solving Conflict

According to Dr. Perkis, it is important to point out that use of violence is not a normative behavior; it is illegal, and of course, immoral. Therefore, it is only the violent partner who is culpable for the act. Nevertheless, once we understand that violence is being used as a tool for solving conflict between a couple that is interested in staying together, we can help them subdue such behavior by providing them with better tools to cope with the source of tension and conflict in their lives together.

"In couples therapy for partners who express the wish to stay together, therapy must be focused on identifying illegitimate motives, such as nonnormative tactics for solving conflict, and assisting the couple in acknowledging their ability to convert destructive patterns into effective ones and ultimately to run their lives better," the researcher concludes.

Solutions:

• Identify illegitimate motives
• Tactics for solving conflicts
• Ability to change destructive patterns into effective ones
• Run lives better
  

According to the AARP, the lowest cost reverse mortgages are public loans.

The least expensive reverse mortgages are the ones offered by state or local governments. But these "public sector" loans generally can be used for only a specific purpose, like home repairs. Many are only available to persons with low to moderate incomes. But the low cost can make these loans very attractive.

Energy Efficiency and Weatherization

Remodeling projects or home maintenance projects of significant sizes, such as major plumbing upgrades, or energy efficient window replacement or a new roof, can warrant using equity in your home.   These major home renovations can improve the quality of life for a senior at the same time they reduce monthly energy bills and improve the value of the home. 

Deferred Payment Loans (DPLs)

Many local and some state government agencies offer "deferred payment loans" (DPLs) for repairing or improving your home. This type of reverse mortgage gives you a one-time, lump sum advance. No repayment is required for as long as you live in your home.

Property Tax Deferral (PTD)

Some state and local government agencies offer "property tax deferral" (PTD) loans. This type of public sector reverse mortgage generally provides annual loan advances that can be used only to pay your property taxes. No repayment is required for as long as you live in your home.

According to a 2007 AARP study, some type of PTD program is available in parts or all of the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

AARP does not endorse any reverse mortgage lender or product -- so do your homework and ask a trusted financal advisor for help in analyzing your situation and the reverse mortgages available to you.

Read more at AARP about Low-Cost Public Loans

NAHC takes the lead on addressing housing crisis
The NAHC board, during its October meeting, approved a policy of encouraging cooperative homeownership as a better way to deal with large-scale single-family foreclosure disasters. Properly established membership cooperatives have a good record of acquiring, owning and operating distressed properties, including single-family homes, on a continuing and more affordable basis.

"A Cooperative Solution," by the NAHC legislative committee
Established in 1960, NAHC and its 10 regional associations provide education, inspiration and service to housing cooperatives with well over a million families. NAHC's Board of Directors at its September 2008 meeting unanimously supported a cooperative approach to affordable housing ownership and preservation of individually owned houses faced with foreclosures.

Basic premises: Housing cooperatives provide cooperative homeownership at significantly lower cost, especially for families of low and moderate income.

Membership in NAHC offers networking, technical assistance, legislative representation, education, cooperative information and much more for the housing cooperative community. 

National Association of Housing Cooperatives
1614 King St.,
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 549-5201

The leading housing and community development advocate for the provision of adequate and affordable housing and strong, viable communities for all Americans particularly those for low - and moderate- incomes.

 

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National Association of Housing Cooperatives
1614 King St.,
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 549-5201

The leading housing and community development advocate for the provision of adequate and affordable housing and strong, viable communities for all Americans particularly those for low - and moderate- incomes. 

NAHC Resources section offers library of cooperative housing information
Our FAQ section offers answers from our experts, the Glossary of Terms page contains definitions for commonly used cooperative terms, and our Resources for Professionals section contains a number of useful sources. These are just a few of the gems of information available from our continually expanding Resources section.

Documents to help with cooperative management:

Cooperatives: A Housing Alternative for Rural America
Service Report 45. 32 pgs. 1995. Tracey Kennedy, Andrew Jermolowicz, Mary Ann Lambert, John Reilly and Beverly Rotan
USDA Rural Development 

Keys to Successful Cooperative Housing
Service Report 44. 12 pgs. 1995. Tracey Kennedy, Andrew Jermolowicz, Mary Ann Lambert, John Reilly, and Beverly Rotan
USDA Rural Development 

RESOURCE LIST:
http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/

Co-op Net -- Co-opNet, is an electronic mailing list run by the Southampton Co-op Network to promote co-ops and co-operation, and to encourage constructive and diverse discussion on co-operative and related issues.

Cooperative-bus -- An e-mail discussion group for cooperative managers, volunteers and members worldwide. Sponsored by the UW Center for Cooperatives. If your subscription efforts fail please email mgrinnell@wisc.edu with your name and email address where you want your mail sent along with instructions to add you to the coop bus listserv manually.

Regional Community Economic Development
This group will seek to discuss and work to foster, faciltate, educate, and develop regional cooperative community development corporations (i.e. socialist or cooperative communitarian business entities)


 
WeOwn.net
A robust source of information about Housing Cooperatives (Massachusetts) or any other type of affordable, resident controlled multi-family housing.  This site is filled with practical information about resident controlled housing coops .  For example:  Ownership Models, Legal Documents, Board issues and policies,

Ownership Models
o LE Coops
o LE Condos
o RC Rentals
o Mutual Housing
o Gen Partnerships
o CoHousing
o Land Trusts
o Syndication


Housing Cooperatives in and around Chicago is a federation of organizations (co-ops, condominiums, and resident management companies)  dedicated to the development of more and better housing for low to moderate-income families in Chicago through the expansion of mutual housing models. The Network offers established mutual housing organizations the advantages of scale, pooled resources and expert information such as start-up advice and legal directions

Over the last decade technology has created a whole new world - but it has largely been  geared to the young. Computer games. Camera phones. Reality TV.  But technology always seeks new market niches, especially those with scale -- and the Baby Boomer generation is bringing about that marketing nirvana.  Boomers love technology...and they are going to need practical applications of technology to help them live independently and cost effectively.

Technology is both helpful and fun -- "It's fun."  "And challenging,"

Leaders in the aging services field say introducing new technology is much more than a smart business move. They call it a must.

• Touch‐screen computers
• Software to test - and polish -  mental skills.

      Example:  The program by Dakim called (m)Power "It helps us keep our brains active."

Andrew Carle, nationally known for coining the term "nana technology" to identify innovations that improve seniors' quality of life. "They're not optional. They're mandatory," says Carle, who managed hospitals and senior housing before joining the faculty at George Mason University, where he directs a program in assisted living/senior housing administration.

Technologies that help provide care and well‐being will be essential as people live longer and a huge baby boom generation - those born between 1946 and 1964 - edges into retirement and later life, he says.

By 2030, 1 of every 5 people in the United States will be 65 or older, compared to 12 percent in that age group now.

And by 2050, there will be more than a million people over age 100.

"We have to have technology to help seniors live independently, or to allow one's caregiver to be as productive as three or four are today," he says. "Or we're not going to have enough professional caregivers."

Eric Dishman, general manager for health, research and innovation for the California‐based Intel Corp., backs up Carle's theory.

Dr. Michael Magee, son of a house‐call‐making doctor and director of the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, frames the challenge this way: "how to increase services for three times (3X)  as many seniors while reducing health‐care costs."

Technology is at the core of the solution, say Dishman and Magee in a video created for the Center for Aging Services Technology (CAST). In "Transforming an Aging Nation" (www.agingtech.org/index.aspx) and a companion video on the Web site, they share a look at one of many ways technology can bring efficiency to aging services.

The "new caregiver model"

What are some of these assistive technologies for seniors?

• Online games of solitaire and poker help seniors exercise their minds.
• A high‐tech watch reminds you to take  medications,
• Sensors turn off the burners on the stove if forgotten.
• Medical information is digitally recorded so any doctor has immediate access to it.
• A "reality family TV" monitor in the home allows two‐way communication with family members

Specific Senior Health Care Technologies Marry Information and Access

Health care always benefits from good information -- easily accessible at the right time.  And technology is capturing that information and making it readily available.

A Portable Health Profile on a miniature CD and tiny flash drive made by Critical Access  stores all sorts of medical records including X‐rays.

Many diabetics now carry cell phones that can analyze a strip of blood within seconds and send results to their doctors' offices.

Intel is researching how new technology can bring three pieces together: cell phones, inexpensive sensors that capture biological data and the infrastructure of health care.

Good decision‐making requires good information.

In Ecumen's senior housing communities, technology reduces doctor visits with a device called Invivi Soft Pulse that uses electromagnetic frequencies to minimize the pain of wounds from injuries or skin breakdown - a common condition as people age ‐‐ and help them heal.

A system called CareTracker makes recordkeeping and other "paperwork" more efficient, freeing up additional time for nurses and aides to deal directly with residents.

"Magic floors," are being developed in which sensors in a layer of carpet can track footstep patterns and detect changes in a person's gait that warn of potential falls.

Plastic pill cases are being designed to remind people when to take their pills. Sensors on a pill bottle alert someone that they are taking the wrong pill or taking a pill at the wrong time.

Ecumen residents barely notice the seven pocket‐flashlight sized motion sensors tucked in seven strategic places in residents' kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom to monitor  movement in the apartment. They're at the heart of a system called QuietCare  to detect longer‐than‐normal time spent in bed or the bathroom, which can signal something is wrong.

Technology for Seniors Goes Beyond Physical Health

Internet entrepreneurs are "dabbling in" a new twist on Web sites popular with teenagers. Sites like Eons, Razoom, Multiply and Boomertown help older adults stay connected from anywhere.

ABOUT the reference author:  Kay Harvey writes for Eldr Magazine and reports on aging, demographics, gender and psychology for the online newspaper MinnPost.com.

According to the Boomer Project, marketing researchers who specialize in Boomer needs and solutions, Boomers over the age of 50 have special approaches and needs in life.

Boomers were the first raised in front of a television set, during the Cold War. Famous people died before their eyes and these memories are hard to shake!  JFK. RFK, MLK.  These celebrities are so much a part of their culture that they are known by acronyms!

78 million Boomers have been the driving engine of the American consumer economy since coming of age in the 1970s.  That means that ONE out of THREE adults over 21 in the US is a Baby Boomer.

• 70% of the nation's net worth is in Boomer hands.
• They control half of all the household discretionary income.
• They spend $2 trillion annually on consumer goods and services.

By 2010, the Boomer Project predicts that adults 45 and older will outspend younger adults by $1 trillion.

The age segment of 50-65 will grow in size by 70% over the next 15 years. No other age segment will grow more than 10% over that same period.

What do Boomers Want?

Boomers reject any and all age related labels to describe themselves.  No seniors.  No "mature".   They still believe in a generation gap -- and want nothing to do with their parents or previous generation of seniors.  50-year-olds are a separate group.

Boomers at 50 see themselves some 12 years younger than they are!  They don't associate themselves with any imagery connected with being "old."  They do acknowledge "middle age".  And Boomers at 50 expect to live 35 more years -- they keep moving the "hill".  They are active, vibrant and full of life.  Treat them otherwise and you'll lose them!

They still try new things, new brands, new experiences.  They aren't set in their ways. They also may not respond to messages wrapped n a nostalgic theme...their hill has yet to be climbed!

Boomers are transforming what it means to look your age. They don't mind looking "about 40", but they are going to grow older slowly, on their terms. 

Boomers' demographics are different, too.  88% have been married, 41% of those have been divorced. 12% never married...and that's about double the prior generation's rate.  So toss aside the "traditional family" concept for the new rules of single, single parent, step parent, divorced -- anything but traditional.

83% have had children but 34% are now empty nesters.  And empty nesters want to shop, travel, dine and be entertained where there aren't many kids. They redecorate their homes and take more vacations. They spend more on products for themselves and less on family items.  37% of Boomer parents are grandparents.  They spend more annually on gifts for their grandkids than their predecessors. They're passionate about their grandchildren!

The urgency to get the most out of life while they're still healthy and wealthy will drive more and more decisions after the age of 50, especially decisions about travel and vacations.

Boomers change their diet due to a medical condition.  30% have survived a major illness and they adjust. At first they will appreciate it when their needs are accommodated. They they'll expect it. They want services that are not age-based.

Marketers have dropped "senior" terminology for a long list of euphemisms:  mature adults, active adults, golden years, third agers, etc.  But Boomers themselves want NO SUCH TERMS.  Including the term "Boomers" itself.

The challenge is to create new terms and words to describe this new version of the Boomer generation. Terms shouldn't have anything to do with age or growing old. Terms need to address continuing development and be forward lookng. Boomers are still climbing life's adventures!

Some terms that have been seen (but are not fully accepted anywhere) include:  The Bridge Years, The Giving Years, Free-tirement, Second 50 Years, Re-stage, and Shifting Gears.

Decisions probably won't come until about 2011, when the first Boomers reach 65.  Don't be surprised if "senior" comes back into fashion by then.

What do Boomers Really Want?

They want more time.  Time to accomplish something.  So they want servics to replace more physical requirements such as home maintenance, cleaning, lawn care, packing and moving services, etc.

Boomers want the "Fountain of Health" more than the "Fountain of Youth".  They want to FEEL younger and healthier.  Health clubs and spas can offer vibrant, healthy and vital.

With 20-30 years of "leisure time" to fill, Boomers look for new experiences and things to do -- dining, travel, at-home entertainment, sports and all things enjoyable.

Boomers are more about "experiences" than "things".  Mini-storage will stop being a growth industry as Boomers pare down on physical belongings and accumulate life experiences. Classes will go over better than the "stuff" involved in hobbies.

Life is cyclical -- they are returning to school, relocating, have new kids, downsize, new careers and so on.  Traditional trajectories don't fit. You can't judge where a Boomer is in their life style.  They could be starting over again!

Boomers don't plan to retire.  87% either will keep working or aren't sure yet if they'll keep working.  And with the economic downturn, that probably means more will keep working.  Or even being entrepreneurs.  That means they will spend money o work cloths, they look for jobs, and training.  And they value being active.

Boomers want special treatment because they think they deserve it, or have earned it.  Not because they're now old. 

The "Me Generation" follows their inner motivations more than the crowd.  They don't care about keeping up with the Joneses...hardly. They worry about what they're getting out of life and what they should be giving back.  Their inner drive leads them to appropriateness and relevance for them rather than popularity.  They don't want what's "for everyone", they want what's "for you".

Boomers are past "becoming someone" and are more about "being someone."  Motivations are more self-directed and self-driven.  Now they do what they want to do, they're more tolerant of different lifestyles and choices.  Including sex.  Boomer sexual identities continue to drive behavior for the children of the sixties. Sexual innuendos that are a wink and a nod with an honest acknowledgment that Boomers don't have perfect bodies makes sense to them.

Boomers want lifelong learning.  Their quest is to keep learning about themselves and their world.  Classes at community colleges, edutainment vacations, and the business of learning will be huge over the next two decades.

Boomers don't want to look back, they want to still find something with meaning to do -- learning, working and volunteering.  They are still on a mission. They change their focus to broader circles of engagement -- positive social purposes, creativity, building a legacy -- all as part of the process of "being someone."   They will support civic or humanitarian efforts to make the world a better place.  They'll do it.

This attitude of looking forward makes Boomers more like younger adults than seniors.  Boomers worry about finances and work/career to the same degree as younger adults. But they aren't worried about their health or age (yet) like seniors.  They also say they still have much to accomplish in their lives -- 89% can identify major ambitions or dreams!


Many Boomers are sandwiched between caring for their aging parents (the "real" seniors) and their kids.   Half of Boomers over 45 have kids under 18 living at home.  34% care for a parent.   TIME becomes their most precious commodity.

Boomer men are getting in touch with their feminine side...and Boomer women are becoming more masculine.  It's normal.  Society is becoming more androgynous and sex identity less important. Even Carl Jung observed this trend over age.  Gender cues are less important for Boomers.

Boomers value their local community -- and don't want to move to Florida or Arizona.  Home improvement, home repair, home maintenance services, home decor, home renovations, and all things to re-feather the nest will be big business over the next ten years.

Boomers don't want "assisted living" facilities they saw their aging parents in.  They will spend on longterm care insurance, home care options, live-in nursing -- anything that helps them age in their homes.

Find more information and consulting for the business side of the Boomer tide at the Boomer Project.

The living standards of U.S. households are traditionally measured by income.

This report takes a different approach.

Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)

It measures living standards in terms of extended measures of well-being of households tracked in the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to help deepen our knowledge about household conditions in ways not captured by money alone.

Some aspects of well-being, such as fear of crime or quality of local public services, may be only loosely connected with money. Other measures are more closely related to income but can also be effected by factors such as the cost of living, age, disability status, and sudden changes in circumstances.

Extended measures of well-being provide a more complete and detailed picture of household living conditions in the United States than income alone provides.

Well-being Metrics

The U.S. Census Bureau tracks extended measures of well-being in the SIPP.2.  The SIPP's "Extended Measures of Well-Being" topical module, on which this report is based, covers five broad domains:

(1) appliances and electronic goods, such as possession of refrigerators, landline and cellular telephones, and computers;

(2) housing conditions, including level of satisfaction with overall home repair, adequate living space, and sufficient privacy;

(3) neighborhood conditions and community services, such as: road conditions and the presence of abandoned buildings; satisfactory police, fire, and medical services; and attitudes towards local schools;

(4) meeting basic needs, including the ability to pay bills in full, to avoid eviction, and to have sufficient food; and

(5) the expectation of help, should need arise, from friends, family, and the community. For this report, extended measures of well-being are used to describe living conditions in the United States for the time period 1992-2003.