Collaborating to Create Elder Friendly Communities in New Hampshire: A Scan of the Current Landscape

The fact that the population of the United States is aging is no surprise; the demographic projections are well documented. There have never been as many older adults living as there are today, and this number will only increase. Northern New England is aging more rapidly than the rest of the country, with Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire having the oldest populations in term of median age (U.S. Census, 2014). New Hampshire is expected to be the fastest aging state in New England through 2030, with nearly one-third of its population being over the age of 65 (Norton, 2011). This phenomenon is anticipated to place substantial pressure on publicly-funded health programs and long-term services and supports in the Granite State. But the story of the aging of the population is not only about increased numbers. As longevity increases, the average age of the older population will see a dramatic increase. The number of persons over the age of 85 in the United States is expected to increase five-fold by 2040. As the possibility for functional limitations and disability increases with age, the need for long-term, formal, and informal supports is expected to increase as the number of older adults, particularly those over the age of 85 increases. In addition, women continue to live longer than men; on average, life expectancy for women is three years longer than for men. These factors create a complex picture of aging, which includes a growing population of older adults, a majority of whom will be women; and a growing number of those over the age of 85, who are more likely to require some type of assistance as they age. It is a mistake to look at our aging population in a singular way. Although we tend to make generalizations about older adults, as a group, they are more physiologically and socially diverse than any other age group (Brummel-Smith & Mosqueda, 2003). As we age, we become more and more diverse, as there are no two people who have had the same life experiences, shaping who we are over our lifetimes. The baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are likely to be the most diverse cohort of older adults we have seen to date, and it is likely that they will redefine our conception of age and aging. Older adults bring a diverse set of skills, talents, and knowledge that should be tapped as a significant natural resource to support a new and exciting vision of aging

Achieving Better Chronic Care at Lower Costs Across the Health Care Continuum for Older Americans

Outlines challenges to improving care for seniors, such as fragmentation of financing and care; promising models for infrastructure development, targeted care delivery improvements, and innovative payment methods; and resources in the 2010 reform act

Self-monitoring Practices, Attitudes, and Needs of Individuals with Bipolar Disorder: Implications for the Design of Technologies to Manage Mental Health

Objective To understand self-monitoring strategies used independently of clinical treatment by individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), in order to recommend technology design principles to support mental health management. Materials and Methods Participants with BD (N = 552) were recruited through the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the International Bipolar Foundation, and WeSearchTogether.org to complete a survey of closed- and open-ended questions. In this study, we focus on descriptive results and qualitative analyses. Results Individuals reported primarily self-monitoring items related to their bipolar disorder (mood, sleep, finances, exercise, and social interactions), with an increasing trend towards the use of digital tracking methods observed. Most participants reported having positive experiences with technology-based tracking because it enables self-reflection and agency regarding health management and also enhances lines of communication with treatment teams. Reported challenges stem from poor usability or difficulty interpreting self-tracked data. Discussion Two major implications for technology-based self-monitoring emerged from our results. First, technologies can be designed to be more condition-oriented, intuitive, and proactive. Second, more automated forms of digital symptom tracking and intervention are desired, and our results suggest the feasibility of detecting and predicting emotional states from patterns of technology usage. However, we also uncovered tension points, namely that technology designed to support mental health can also be a disruptor. Conclusion This study provides increased understanding of self-monitoring practices, attitudes, and needs of individuals with bipolar disorder. This knowledge bears implications for clinical researchers and practitioners seeking insight into how individuals independently self-manage their condition as well as for researchers designing monitoring technologies to support mental health management

Supporting Youth in Transition to Adulthood: Lessons Learned from Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

The Georgetown Public Policy Institute's Center for Juvenile Justice Reform and the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative collaborated to publish this paper that describes case assessment, case management, and other practices implemented in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. The practices highlighted have shown promise in improving outcomes for the transition-age population

Human Trafficking in Silcon Valley

Human trafficking has become one of the most lucrative criminal enterprises around the world. The magnitude of this crime is also significant at the local level, with California ranking as one of the nation's top four destination states for trafficked individuals. This report is a commissioned study of human trafficking in Silicon Valley. The findings presented in this report are intended to spark conversation, identify opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and further study, while also presenting a focused set of recommendations geared toward addressing this evolving problem. The study draws heavily on data gathered from community-based organizations located in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. A survey was completed by case managers at 11 of these organizations to capture information from case files on 232 trafficking victims who were served between 2011 and 2013. In-depth interviews were also conducted with 21 case managers at these same organizations. Key findings:More than 50 percent of victims were born in the U.S.Most of the victims in this study were femaleWhile commercial sexual exploitation was the most common form of trafficking, forced labor also was evident.Incidents of exploitation occurred to the same victum at multiple locatoinsVictims often turn to community-based organizations when they seek hel

Cohesion, commonality and creativity: youth work across borders

No abstract available