Retirement Living News

January 2010

HEADLINES  (Click on headline to read story)

• Florida Will Be The "Grayest" State in the Nation
• Nevada Losing Its Luster as a Retirement Destination
• Cellular Technology Helps Monitor Seniors with Dementia
• Motion Sensor Technology May Aid in Care of 
  Seniors as They Age
• Report Finds One-Third of U.S. Adult Population Plays 
  Caregiver Role in Household
• New Book: When the Time Comes

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NEWS STORIES

Florida Will Be The "Grayest" State in the Nation 

Since World War II Florida has attracted retirees looking to spend their golden years in the sun. An even grayer future in the Baby Boomer era is predicted by state economists and demographers. As a result there will be severe strains on public pensions and government services. 

By 2030, more than one in four state residents will be 65 or older -- or 26 percent, compared with 17 percent today, the University of Florida Bureau for Business and Economic Research says. Over the next two decades, researchers report, Florida's senior population will account for almost 60 percent of the state's population growth, and swell to more than 6 million. 

In recent weeks, state economists have been warning legislators that as Baby Boomers retire and not enough working-age residents take their place, they'll have to deal with the fallout. As one report put it, "Worker shortages will become the norm." 

Many will head to Florida, as they have been doing for decades. Drawn by affordable living, air-conditioned homes and planned communities, Florida's retiree population steadily surged over the past half-century, going from 8.6 percent of the population in 1950 to 17.6 percent in 2000. 

The numbers are set to balloon even more, reports the UF study, which was commissioned by the Legislature. Florida's current retiree population -- 3.3 million residents 65 or older -- will jump to 4.6 million in 2020 and 6.3 million in 2030, the study projects. That far outstrips the expected growth rate among working-age residents. 

"It's mostly due to the shift in the U.S. age structure, the aging of the Baby Boom generation, which was huge -- much larger than those born in the previous years or the following years," said Stan Smith, who leads the UF research department.

Amy Baker, the Legislature's chief economist, told lawmakers recently that the pool of workers for labor-oriented and high-skill jobs, from construction workers to engineers, will shrink. "As people exit the work force, they are not going to be fully replaced by new workers," she said. "That's going to be the first time we've ever faced that situation in Florida."
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Nevada Losing Its Luster as a Retirement Destination

Moody's Economy.com recently plotted the 50 states showing where they are on the path to economic recovery. Eleven are in actual recovery and 38 are seeing the recession moderate. The one state remaining -- Nevada -- is still considered to be in significant economic contraction, with no clear end in sight. At this economic inflection point in which the rest of the country appears to be entering recovery -- however tepid and uncertain -- Nevada still lags far behind. 

The Las Vegas Sun reports that officially 13.9 percent of Las Vegas residents are unemployed but that doesn't included an unknown number out of work for so long that they have stopped looking. Economists and local analysts say the reasons aren't very complicated. "Our economic growth was, frankly, unsustainable," says Elliott Parker, an economist at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Primarily, our economy was too focused on building stuff -- stuff no one wants or needs now. As Jeremy Aguero of the economic research firm Applied Analysis notes, 12.5 percent of our workforce is in construction (or was, anyway), more than double the national average of 5.5 percent. 

Although the housing inventory has declined due to brisk sales volume, prices won't be rising any time soon because another fresh batch of foreclosures comes on the market every month. Nevada reported 13,842 properties with foreclosure filings in October, down 26 percent from the previous month and 4 percent below the level reported in October 2008, according to the latest RealtyTrac® U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. One in every 80 Nevada housing units received a foreclosure filing in October, the highest state foreclosure rate in the nation. 

"Nevada saw a drop in foreclosure activity in October, though the state remained one of worst affected in the nation," said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. "One reason for the decline in foreclosures -- even as unemployment remains high -- is the state's mediation program, launched in July, which allows homeowners the option of going through mediation with lenders." 

In October, Nevada had the fifth highest foreclosure total. California maintained the top position reporting 85,420 properties with foreclosure filings in October. Florida came in number two, reporting 51,911 properties with foreclosure filings for the month. Illinois came in number three, reporting 19,946 properties with foreclosure filings for the month. Michigan took the number four slot, documenting 16,468 properties with foreclosure filings. 

The remaining states in the nation's top 10 for total foreclosure filings in October were Arizona (13,345), Georgia (12,468), Texas (11,798), Ohio (11,646) and New Jersey (7,435). Activity in the top five states accounted for 56 percent of all foreclosure filings in the nation for October.
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Cellular Technology Helps Monitor Seniors with Dementia

A new application of cellular technology now enables families and senior living facilities to track persons who may wander due to Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. It can also be used to find children who may wander due to autism or other diseases. As the number of seniors who need memory care services increases, technologies that enhance care strategies will continue to develop, experts say. 

Emfinders, a new technology company located in Frisco, Texas, has tapped the GSM (global system for mobile communication) cellular network to support a device called EmSeeQ ("Em" for emergency) that looks like a black watch without a face. It is placed on the user's wrist just like a watch. However, it is unlikely that a user can remove it since two hands are required to do so. In an effort not to agitate an individual who needs to wear one, the device remains silent and passive with no beeps or lights." 

Emfinder's EmSeeQ is an emergency response solution designed to work in conjunction with law enforcement officials and the 9-1-1 community to immediately help locate adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities and children who wander. For more information, go to the company's web site -- http://www.emfinders.com/
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Motion Sensor Technology May Aid in Care of Seniors as They Age

Researchers are using sensors in carpets, walls, and clothing to conduct long-term studies of seniors as they age, aiming to develop "tailored prevention measures" against potential falls and shed light on activity patterns and behaviors.

The National Institute on Aging has been funding this research project, conducted by the Oregon Health and Science University, since 2006. The study includes 230 volunteer seniors who still live in their homes; their mean age is 84. According to a report by The New York Times, each home is equipped with wireless sensors throughout the rooms and hallways. The sensors are linked to a personal computer, which is connected to the Internet, allowing a person's activity to be monitored steadily. The cost of the sensors is $200 or less per home. 

Activity patterns from the data can help identify ways to prevent falls, says Dr. Jeffrey Kaye, researcher and professor of neurology and biomedical engineering at the Oregon Health and Science University, according to the Times. "The motion sensors may show that a person with congestive heart failure, for example, is getting up from bed often at night to go to the bathroom. If the heart problem is under control, it may well be a good idea to reduce the dose of the person's diuretic, trading a little bit of ankle swelling for a good night's sleep -- and far less risk of falling." 

Researchers note that similar technologies are at work in senior care settings, but that earlier detection of potential risk factors is the goal of the current research. A similar project out of Ireland recently wrapped up after a two-year study of 600 people, ages 60 to 94. According to the Times, participants received detailed walking assessments, using sensor technology. Based on each person's data, researchers developed "customized exercise programs for specific muscles or changes in medication to eliminate dizziness." 

The technology-aided "targeted interventions," reduced falls by 30 percent in the study group, researchers found, compared with a similarly aged sampling of the population. 

To read The New York Times article, click here. 
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Report Finds One-Third of U.S. Adult Population Plays 
Caregiver Role in Household

Caregiving is still mostly a woman's job and many women are putting their career and financial futures on hold as they juggle part-time caregiving and full-time job requirements. This is the reality reported in Caregiving in the U.S. 2009, the most comprehensive examination to date of caregiving in America. The sweeping study of the legions of people caring for adults, the elderly and children with special needs reveals that 29% of the U.S. adult population, or 65.7 million people, are caregivers, including 31% of all households. These caregivers provide an average of 20 hours of care per week. 

The study was funded by the MetLife Foundation and conducted for the National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP by Mathew Greenwald & Associates. The study, based on interviews with 1,480 randomly chosen caregivers, was designed to replicate similar studies conducted in 2004 and 1997 and includes, for the first time, a sampling of those caring for children as well as those caring for adults over the age of 18. 

Among the findings: American caregivers are predominantly female (66%) and are an average of 48 years old. Most care for a relative (86%), most often a parent (36%). Seven in ten caregivers care for someone over age 50. One in seven caregivers provides care, over and above regular parenting, to a child with special needs (14%). Caregiving lasts an average of 4.6 years. 

The study also revealed that both caregivers of adults and their care recipients are now older than their counterparts were five years ago. Among caregivers of adults (ages 18 or older), the average age of the caregiver rose from 46 to 49. The change can be attributed to a decline among younger caregivers (those under the age of 50) and a shift upward among caregivers age 50 to 64. Among caregivers of adults, the average care recipient's age increased from 67 to 69, mainly because of an increase in the percentage age 75 or older (from 43% to 51%). 

The main reasons people need care are old age (12%), Alzheimer's disease (10%), mental/emotional illness (7%), cancer (7%), heart disease (5%) and stroke (5%). However, the list of illnesses/problems for which children need care is quite different. It is led by ADD/ADHD, autism, mental/emotional illness and developmental delay/mental retardation. Caregivers of children provide the most time-intensive care. Increasingly, the study reports, there is a use of prescription medication for adult care recipients. 

"Caregivers report they need help looking after their loved ones, but they also need help managing their own stress," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "Those surveyed suggested potential solutions for these challenges, including greater access to information resources, emergency response devices, transportation assistance, and respite services for caregivers."
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New Book: When the Time Comes

In When the Time Comes author Paula Span recounts the struggles and solutions that families encounter when dealing with aging parents. She reports that 34 million Americans provide care for a frail, aging family member. This number is likely to increase dramatically as the nation's 77 million Baby Boomers age. As a result, millions are and will be grappling with the question: how will we respond when a loved one grows too fragile to live alone? 

Span is a contributing writer for The Washington Post Magazine and teaches journalism at Columbia University. In her 288-page book she shares the stories of several families confronting this painful question of what to do when the time comes. She discusses a host of options ranging from multigenerational living or home care to assisted living, nursing facilities, or hospice. Rich with moving portraits, practical information and the comfort that comes from finding the best solution, the book offers insight and perspective on the pros and cons of various caregiving options. It helps the reader navigate and plan for the tough times so that we can better enjoy the happy ones. 

The book can be ordered through Amazon by clicking here. 
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