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By Kelli M. Donley With posters, pins and pickets in hand, senior citizens began arriving by the busload, pouring into the small park in front of the state Capitol building in Phoenix. Gathering to have their voices heard, more than 500 seniors participated in the annual Senior Action Day. As participants filled the outdoor auditorium, Gov. Janet Napolitano spoke about the necessity of balancing the budget to provide better services to seniors. State legislators walked through the crowd, speaking with constituents as well. The event also included several dozen booths promoting everything from hearing aids to the local chapter of the AARP, massage tables and senior dance entertainment troupes. Seniors participating said their biggest concern was lowering prescription drug costs. Report Highlights Changes Needed to Improve Rural Senior Care WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Association and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) have partnered to release a new report, Setting the PACE for Rural Elder Care: A Framework for Action. The report gives long-term care providers in rural areas a blueprint for changes that should be made to improve services. According to PACE officials, a disproportionate number of seniors live in rural areas -- comprising 18 percent of the rural population. Programs offered by PACE service those age 55 or older who meet criteria for needing nursing home care. "Many rural communities have the ability to operate effective and beneficial PACE programs," says NRHA executive director Steve Wilhide, MSW, MPH. "We need to work to ensure they receive adequate funding to help them get started and the flexibility they will need to successfully adapt the program model to various rural settings." While adapting the traditional urban PACE program to meet the needs of rural seniors, officials say a high level of collaboration among healthcare providers will be needed. For more information, visit: www.npaonline.org. Assisted Living Facility Uses 'Grannie Mae' Funding MONROE, N. J. -- Officials at Castle Senior Living at Forsgate in Monroe, N.J., have used a new "Grannie Mae" program designed to secure loans for families interested in paying for assisted living. "With Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements declining and care costs rising, more families are faced with the dilemma of supporting increasing care needs without disturbing the living conditions with which residents have become accustomed," says Dawn Cox, director of sales and marketing for Castle Senior Living's management company. The program allows for up to five adults to pool resources to acquire a loan, reportedly allowing greater flexibility for those who need to move an elder into an assisted living facility, but do not have the necessary down payment. Castle Senior Living at Forsgate is the only assisted living facility in New Jersey offering the program, which is sponsored by ElderLife Financial. For more information, call: 609-409-7525. Designer Receives Award for Eden Alternative Logo APPLETON, Wis. -- Dana Racine, a graphic designer with the Hoffman Corporation, has received a Gold ADDY Award, recognizing excellence in advertising, for a logo created for Eden Alternative. "It was intriguing to capture the spirit of the new logo since the Eden Alternative approach to care for the elderly and the Hoffman Corporation's focus on senior living facilities work so well together," Racine says. Racine is now entered in the next level of the ADDY competition. For more information, visit: www.hoffman.net Kaiser Permanente Introduces First Managed Care Alzheimer's Program CHICAGO -- Officials from Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest non-profit health maintenance organization, have designed the first managed care program to meet the needs of those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. "The Kaiser Permanente dementia care program is a twenty-first century model for the nation's healthcare system," says Sheldon Goldberg, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "This exhaustive collaboration underscores the growing realization within the field that we face an epidemic that will require an unprecedented marshalling of combined resources. The Alzheimer's Association is committed to leading that charge." The program includes evidence-based guidelines, models of care, tools for care and other resources. For more information, visit: www.kaiserpermanente.org/newsroom Loss of Cognitive Skills in 90s Not Definite ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found although many fear dementia will set in once they reach their 90s, the conclusion is not accurate. The study, published in a recent issue of Neurology shows that many seniors age 90 or older retain their memory and are not afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. "Just because you are in your 90s does not mean you'll be living in a nursing home or developing dementia," says Bradley Boeve, MD, Mayo Clinic neurologist and lead author. "While there may be some decline in cognitive performance with age, dementia or Alzheimer's disease are not inevitable in all those living well beyond 90 years of age." The researchers performed neuropsychometric testing, functional assessments and comprehensive neurologic evaluations with 111 residents of Rochester, Minn., ages 90-99. The participants are active in the Mayo Oldest Old Study, which is funded by the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging. "At least half of these people looked pretty normal," says Boeve. "In fact, some performed in the superior range on cognitive tests even when compared with much younger individuals." For more information, visit: www.mayohealth.org.
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