Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • As Michigan ages, one woman has made it her mission to train family caregivers

    After taking care of her own parents, Paula Duren started “boot camp” sessions for caregivers to share available resources, tips for self-care, and support. Drawing on her experience as a psychologist, Duren started the nonprofit Universal Dementia Caregivers to build and run the workshops, which have moved to zoom sessions because of the COVID-19. The all-day sessions provide information ranging from financial advice to how to access state and local services to stress-reduction tips. The overarching message throughout is that caregivers must take care of themselves to take care of their loved ones.

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  • Sanbornton Connect(s) seniors aging in place

    Sanbornton Connect is a local information exchange and social network for aging residents who share advice about meeting the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of living out their years independently in their own homes. The network started just before the pandemic, but quickly filled a vacuum left by the community's shutdown. Three dozen residents gather monthly on Zoom to trade tips and hear from experts. The goal is to provide personal connections in a sparsely populated town, and in a way that helps people plan before they're in a crisis as their health declines.

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  • Michigan caregivers got a $2 hourly boost in COVID. Should it be permanent?

    The Michigan state legislature temporarily boosted the pay of direct caregivers working with seniors and people that have disabilities by $2 an hour in recognition of their essential and sometimes risky services during the coronavirus pandemic. With about half of direct caregivers living at or near poverty, the pay bump was temporarily renewed at the slightly higher rate of $2.25 an hour, but it is set to expire again in September 2021. The governor has proposed making permanent a pay raise of $2 an hour, which helps the caregivers meet their own basic needs a little better.

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  • The Perks of Roommates With a 50-Year Age Difference

    Intergenerational home sharing is a mutually beneficial option for seniors and young people. There are about 60 programs, run by cities, nonprofits, and platforms in the style of Airbnb, that connect seniors and young people for cohabitation. Seniors benefit by being able to stay in their homes, collect income, and have someone to help with social isolation and household chores. Young people benefit from access to affordable housing options in high-cost areas and engaging in rich relationship building. Home sharing services are facing legal challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic made cohabiting more risky.

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  • Bringing knowledge and comfort to the classroom

    Some preschool classes in Missoula County are integrating grandparents into their classroom routines. The grandparent usually helps provide a source of academic and emotional comfort for students, while also teaching them how to navigate relationships with senior adults. The grandparent, who is usually a volunteer, also receives a small stipend in exchange for their services. The Foster Grandparent Program, which had been in operation for the last 50 years, had partnered with federal agencies in the past, but is currently operated by Missoula Aging Services.

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  • With An Election On The Horizon, Older Adults Get Help Spotting Fake News

    Senior centers in Maryland are offering media literacy courses to discuss fact-checking and how to spot fake news stories online. A recent study by researchers at Princeton and NYU found that Facebook users over 65 are seven times more likely to post articles from fake news websites as are adults under 29, so digital literacy classes provide tools to help identify fake news sites. Many participants report feeling empowered by the class because they did not grow up online. Despite the interest, these courses are more difficult to integrate widely in senior centers than they would be in a school setting.

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  • Trials for Hope is making groceries accessible to senior citizens with free farmers markets

    Trials for Hope, in conjunction with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, is a nonprofit that provides free farmers markets to underprivileged senior citizens. Trials for Hope receives 10,000 pounds of food in donations to distribute via their network of markets every month, as well as 500 toiletry bags. The organization is now eight years old and has already made a difference in many residents' lives.

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  • How the U.K. is fighting the loneliness epidemic

    Lonliness is a huge health risk in senior citizens. To address this, the U.K. is killing two birds with one stone by assigning mail carriers a couple of seniors to check in on once a week. Mail carriers already know the area well and are easily recognizable, so regular conversations with residents were a logical next step. The carriers conduct surveys every week in order to gain quantitative data to inform their practices, and the program continues to be a success with the senior citizens served.

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  • Part of an age-friendly city: advocacy training for elders - The Bay State Banner

    The Boston Senior Civic Academy teaches older adults how to stay informed about and involved in local politics, covering issues from financial insecurity to dementia-friendly city planning. The program, which serves elders across the city and is part of a world-wide push to create elder-friendly cities, invites older adults to take an active role in politics and advocacy, and gives them the tools to do so.

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  • Steps toward age-friendliness in West Sacramento

    As part of a larger effort to make the city of West Sacramento more friendly to their aging population, an on-demand ride-sharing app was developed to make transportation more accessible for seniors who cannot easily use public transportation. The response has been overwhelming, and the project will soon be able to support itself financially. The city is also using another app to help connect seniors with volunteer opportunities that make use of their skills, which was something else they learned was desired by doing focus groups.

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