Our Blog

May is Older Americans Month

The theme for Older Americans Month this year is Never Too Old to Play to learn more about this theme and what it means please visit http://olderamericansmonth.org/

 To find out what events might be taking place in your area, contact your County Office on Aging by visiting http://www.njfoundationforaging.org/services.html to find the websites and phone numbers for your county office or call 1-877-222-3737 to be connected to the office in your county.

 To kick off Older American’s Month, May’s episode of Aging Insights is all about the County Office on Aging and their services. NJFA’s Program Manager, Melissa Chalker hosts this episode which features three executive directors of NJ’s County Offices on Aging. Our guests are, Joanne Fetzko of Somerset County, Lorraine Joewono of Bergen County and Jane Maloney of Ocean County. In this episode our three guests tell us about the history of the County Offices on Aging and the services they provide to the community. In addition to addressing the community needs through the core services and what Lorraine labeled, “wrap around” services, many offices have expanded to a new model called ADRC, or Aging and Disabled Resource Connection which makes many of the services available to disabled individuals.

Aging Insights is available to public access stations. The show can also be seen on NJFA’s YouTube channel, http://ping.fm/UJr1r

Are you a Boomer who feels squished like a sandwich?

If so, you aren’t alone. Many people in the boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) have now been referred to as the Sandwich Generation. That is because this generation that thought their middle years would be full of free time with plenty of time to plan what to do with their retirement benefits is facing a very different reality. Due to the recession, some young adults have had to put off college, or have had difficulty finding a job after completing college. So, for some boomers, they have adult children that have come home and aging parents that may need extra help.

On top of the possibility that some boomers may have lost some of their investments they were relying on for retirement, they also may be spending extra money to help their children get on their feet. Meanwhile their aging parents have also felt the effects of the recession.

This has resulted in two or three generations of a family living under one roof. There are various scenarios, out of work adult children move in with parents due to job loss, sometimes with young adults (college or post-college) in tow. Or young adults come back from college and need to live with mom and dad or even grandpa and grandma. Sometimes the older adult is in need of help so it may work out for both the young adult and the grandparent who needs assistance.

 It’s a fact that is backed up by serious stats, between 2007 and 2009 multigenerational households shot up more than 10 percent, from 46.5 million to 51.4 million. According to the Pew Research Center, that is the largest number of Americans living that way in modern history. Even as the economy recovers, those numbers probably won’t chance much as people are still finding a need to live under one roof.

Sometimes it is due to finances, sometimes it is also due to need for more hands on care. Adult children and grandchildren are finding themselves in caregiver roles more often as the older generation lives longer than it used to. They may have left a job to move in with their parent or grandparent or had them move into their house. Even if mom or dad live in a long term care setting boomers and their children will find that they are juggling their work life, family life, and financial problems all while caring for an elder.

Multigenerational households can be a blessing in disguise. Maybe it means that the child or grandchild doesn’t have to worry about childcare because grandma or grandpa is there. It could mean getting to spend time with a loved one in their last years, providing care for them while you gain comfort in knowing you took care of them they way they did you. Or just the simple fact that saving money by all being together means fewer rent or mortgage payments, utilities, etc. Not to mention sharing cooking and cleaning duties. So while the economy may have hurt your savings, it may just have brought your family together.

 NPR has recently begun a series on this topic called “Family Matters” you can read more facts and hear the stories of three families at http://www.npr.org/2012/04/17/150365158/one-roof-three-generations-many-decisions

 The lesson to be learned? Talk about your plans for the future with your family, many of the families in the stories state this is not where they expected to end up, but we all age and we can all become ill at anytime, so talk to your family and be prepared for what you might do when and if the time comes.

NJFA 14th Annual Conference- Hot Topics- June 14, 2012

NJFA is proud to be hosting our annual conference for the 14th year. We work hard every year to bring new and pertinent topics to the professionals who attend. And this year is no different.

We will feature a session about hoarding that is going to look at the ethical and clinical aspects of the condition. Our panel includes Steven Majewski and Mary Anne Ross of COPSA, Barbara Goodman a moving specialist and Kelli Dixon at the Ocean County Board of Social Services. Together they’ll inform the audience as to what hoarding is, what is looks like, how it affects different aspects of a client’s life and they’ll also share real life stories and possible solutions.

We’ll also be exploring some legal issues that are currently affecting seniors. Gwen Orlowski of Legal Services of NJ, Elizabeth Speidel of the Office of the Institutionalized Elderly and Judy Millner of Jewish Family and Children Services will take the audience through some examples of legal issues that seniors are facing in the area of health care. We know Medicare can be a complex web to untangle, these presenters will give the attendees new information to help guide their clients through the system.

These are just two sessions that will be offered at our day-long conference on Thursday June 14, 2012. The day will also feature two keynote speakers, one discussing affordable housing over breakfast and they second discussing “second adulthood” over lunch. Stay tuned to this blog for more details.

Visit our website at www.njfoundationforaging.org/events.html to view the online brochure and register. Questions? Call us at 609-421-0206 or email questions to mchalker@njfoundationforaging.org

To Smart Phone or not to Smart Phone?

Some of you may have even struggled with the idea of a cell phone at all. You may have laughed at how many young people relied on them. You probably hated it when you finally caved and got a cell phone. Now, you see all your kids, grandkids and maybe even some friends with an i phone, droid or other smart phone.

What can a smart phone really do for you? What’s the purpose? Isn’t a phone just for making phone calls? First it was texting, then email and now apps?? What the heck is an app?

An app, short for application, is a program you order through your smart phone, they can be games, sports or news information and even recipes.

Being the first one to have something new, or being “in the know” can be a badge of honor. So don’t be surprised if friends and relatives want to show you what great apps they’ve downloaded.

 Here are some stats from AgeWave about Boomers and products

• On average, most baby boomers are asked for product or service recommendations about 90 times per year.

• Nearly 90 percent of boomers who were asked to give advice gave it to their fellow boomers.

• Practically all boomers consider their family and friends to be their most trusted sources of information

So, you can see that once a few boomers get their hands on a smart phone and start accessing apps, you’ll be hearing about it and may soon find yourself with one too. Apps are sometimes free or sometimes come with a one-time small fee of anywhere from $1.99 to $5.99 and up. Apps can also be used on i pads or other tablet devices.

Here are 8 free apps that we heard just had to be downloaded unless you want to be considered uncool:

• Dropbox—Dropbox lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. You load it on your computer and your smartphone then you never email yourself a file again. It’s easy to use and easy to set up.

• Flixster– Read reviews, get customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about movies. You can find the theaters, get show times, and watch trailers. It’s fast, visual and easy to use.

• Words with Friends—this app is a takeoff of Scrabble. Play with friends or strangers via your smart phone or tablet. Build words for points, see who scores the highest. Very good to keep your mind engaged.

• Whitepages— Use this free, easy to use app from your smartphone. Find, people, businesses and reverse phone lookups from those unknown numbers that show up on your phone.

• Zite—Users select categories of magazines that interest them. Then as you read articles on certain subjects. Zite sends you more articles on those subjects. You have options to email the articles to others or save them later to read on your iPad.

• The Weather Channel—More than 200 meteorologists provide interactive and hour by hour weather imagery. Great for planning outdoor activities, car washes or snow shoveling.

• WebMD—first aid information, symptom checkers, drugs and treatments, information on various conditions and local health listings. There are also many videos on treatments and common conditions like bad backs, fevers, diabetes signs. An excellent app for Boomers and Seniors.

 • Flashlight—So easy and so helpful. With a single touch your phone turns into a valuable flashlight that can be used to find your keys or read a menu.

Register Online! NJFA’s 14th Annual Conference

Register Online! NJFA’s 14th Annual Conference

 NJFA’s 14th Annual Conference, “Addressing the Needs of Diverse Populations” will be held on Thursday June 14th at the Crowne Plaza Monroe.

 And you can register online at https://secure.americanweb.net/njfoundationforaging/

 In addition to our two keynote speakers, Linda Couch of the National Low Income Housing Coalition and Suzanne Braun Levine nationally recognized author, we have a full day of great sessions!

 To read more about our keynote speakers, see our blog post from 3/12/12 http://blog.njfoundationforaging.org/?p=183

 The various breakout sessions are offered in both the morning and the afternoon. Topics range from managing chronic disease, to addressing the needs of LGBT seniors. NJFA has found many qualified panelists to share with you new data, evidence based practices, and practical solutions. Attendees can chose to attend a session on hoarding and learn how to identify it, what the ethical implications are and learn some solutions. Or, they can chose to attend a session where they’ll learn about new and innovative ways for seniors to stay active through the Move Today program.

 Want to know more? See our brochure online at: http://www.njfoundationforaging.org/NJFAConfBro_web.pdf

 Registration will begin at 8 am with a continental breakfast and after two keynotes and morning and afternoon breakout sessions, you’ll be on the road home by 3 pm!

You can register on our website, via email or by fax (609-421-2006)

 Questions? Give us a call at 609-421-0206 or visit www.njfoundationforaging.org