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

Building an Aging Advocacy Network: Findings from the New Hampshire Senior Leadership Series

Public policy related to senior issues has not kept pace with the changes called for by an aging population. Advocacy is an important part of the policy landscape as it promotes a united effort to create change and encourage legislative action. Effective advocacy helps inform and educate policy makers, allows individuals to have their voices heard, builds stronger communities, and allows people to live more fulfilling lives. However, policy makers are inundated with causes to support, and it is easy for certain populations or causes to be lost in this process. This has been especially true for advocacy efforts around the needs of an aging population. At the legislative level, the older adult advocacy network is disjointed, underrepresented, and drowned out by groups that have stronger, moreformidable advocacy networks. The lack of a strong grassroots advocacy network for older adults is of growing concern as our population ages. This is a particularly important issue in New Hampshire as we are one of the oldest states in the nation (US Census, 2014). This paper examines the lack of advocacy for senior issues in the Granite State and explores strategies that can be employed to grow grass-roots leadership among older adults. The New Hampshire Senior Leadership Series, a program that provides support and training in advocacy and leadership skills, is highlighted as a promising practice to address this need. The series educates seniors in leadership skills necessary to advocate for legislative and policy changes that promote healthy aging, livable communities, and options to allow seniors to live and age in the communities of their choice. In order to ensure that New Hampshire residents have access to services and supports as they age, advocacy and leadership is a critical need. To determine the value of the Senior Leadership Series, a survey was developed and distributed to all Senior Leadership Series graduates. The survey aimed to determine how effective the series was at preparing participants to be community leaders and advocates

Adolescents, Graduated Autonomy, and Genetic Testing

Autonomy takes many shapes. The concept of “graduated autonomy” is conceived as comprising several unique features: (1) it is incremental, (2) it is proportional, and (3) it is related to the telos of the life stage during which it occurs. This paper focuses on graduated autonomy in the context of genetic testing during adolescence. Questions can be raised about other life stages as well, and some of these questions will be addressed by discussing a possible fourth characteristic of graduated autonomy, that is, its elasticity. Further scholarship and analysis is needed to refine the concept of graduated autonomy and examine its applications

A Comparison of Chemical Composition & Fermentation Patterns of Alternative Silages to Whole Plant Corn Silage

A comparison of the relationship of fermentation to chemical composition was made for forages which were wilted and ensiled at 35 to 45 percent dry matter. Trial I consisted of three forages ensiled in October, 1981: interseeded soybeans and grain sorghum. whole plant corn with added anhydrous ammonia, and whole plant corn with shelled corn added at a rate of 150 kg/t of fresh forage. Trial II consisted of two forages ensiled in 1982: interseeded soybeans and pearlmillet, and wheat. Temperatures of fermentation were collected, and chemical composition during the first 25 days of fermentation analyzed. Production data were also collected in Trial I. The cash expenses and yields do not indicate a significant advantage to either crop in this study in terms of yields and return over variables. In terms of plant nutrient content there was an advantage for soybean/grain sorgum silage in protein yield of 854 kilograms per hectare as compared to whole plant corn silage. Temperature data collected on the forages in Trial I covered 57 days from October 8 through December 4. The maximum recorded temperatures for soybean/grain sorghum, corn silage with added anhydrous ammonia and the corn silage control were 37, 37, and 24 degrees Celcius. achieved by day 11, 4, and 11 of ensilement respectively. The rapid temperature increase for material treated with anhydrous ammonia confirmed previous reports. Small fluctuations occurred in silage temperatures but these were not correlated to ambient temperature. Temperatures declined very slowly in all forages, with the lowest reading for silages by day 57 recorded at 19 C for soybean/grain sorghum silage. Ambient temperature was not reached in the ensiled mass during the 57 day period in which data were recorded. The soybean/pearlmillet ensiled in Trial II quickly reached a high peak temperature of 44 C at 4 days of ensilement, gradually decreasing over a 57 day period to 35 degrees on October 19. The silage did not reach a desireable pH. Initial forage pH was high, 7.4, dropped rapidly to 5.1 on day 5, but did not decline further in succeeding samples. Samples were low in lactic acid and high in acetic acid content. Initial buffering capacities for both of the soybean mixture forages were considerably higher than the other forage materials. Buffering capacities at day 0 for whole plant corn, whole plant corn treated with anhydrous ammonia, soybean/grain sorghum, soybean/pearlmillet and wheat forages IA ere 19.4, 20.0, 35.3, 35.3. 38.6 and 22.2 milliequivalents/100 g of dry matter respectively. Increases in buffering capacities during fermentation were smaller for soybean/grain sorgum and soybean/pearlmillet . Buffering capacity increases for the forages were 133.5, 290.5, 69.1, 64.2 and 87.4%. High ammonia nitrogen levels were found in samples of whole plant corn silage with added anhydrous ammonia obtained on days 10 and 20 of ensilement. These contained .282 and .351% ammonia-nitrogen and tested 18.0 and 20.1% crude protein. The increase in buffering capacity which occurrs with addition of anhydrous ammonia was confirmed by the higher acetic acid and pH levels, with corresponding decreases in lactic acid from samples taken days 10 and 25. Crude protein levels were 17.9 and 17.4 percent while the other samples contained only 10-12% crude protein. It appeared that application of anhydrous ammonia was not uniform throughout the silage. Where high concentrations of ammonia occurred fermentation was prolonged as indicated by excessive amounts of lactic and acetic acids and a high pH in these samples. Values for L(+) lactic acid ranged from .2 to .523 in fresh forage to 5.66% of dry matter on day 25. Concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen in the other silages ranged from .061 to .131%. The low buffering capacity of whole plant corn silage was reflected by normal concentrations of lactate and acetate but a more acidic pH when compared to the other forages. Lactic and acetic acid production for soybean/grain sorghum silage was similar to that of the corn silage control. Corn silage pH was lower, however, throughout fermentation and reached a stable pH by day 5 of fermentation. The wheat silage went through a gradual fermentation with low lactic acid production, and an intermediary ending pH of 4.0. Fermentation was essentially complete by day 10 in all silages as indicated by pH, buffering capacity, and lactic acid production: however, there was a tendency for buffering capacity and acetic acid content to increase in all of the ensiled materials throughout the 25 day collection period

Life Interrupted: The Experience of Informal Caregivers of Aging Family Members

While publicly-funded long-term care services have traditionally focused on institutionally-based care, informal family caregivers provide 80% of all long-term care in the US (Thompson 2004). This caregiving is physically and mentally demanding, unpaid, and often performed while the caregiver is balancing work and family responsibilities. With stress process theory (Pearlin 1989) as a guide, this research utilizes a mixed methods approach to study the relationships between the objective demands of caregiving, caregiver burden, and caregiver mental and physical well-being; whether burden mediates these relationships; how caregivers experience the demands of caregiving as stressful; and how they utilize coping strategies to manage these stressors. The study sample consisted of 418 caregiver and care recipient dyads enrolled in the NH Family Caregiver Support Program. Quantitative data were derived from structured social survey data collected on both caregivers and care recipients, first upon entry into the program and again at six months. Qualitative data were derived from semi-structured interviews with 20 caregivers. Findings from the study indicate that burden is significantly related to caregiving well-being and, in fact, mediates the relationship between caregiving demands and caregiver well-being. In addition, employment is found to be directly related to lower depressive symptoms, and increased age is directly related to lower caregiver burden. Flexible and supportive employers are important in order for caregivers to manage the competing roles of employment and caregiving. Coping strategies utilized by caregivers include efforts to positively frame or change the meaning of the caregiving experience, efforts to change the caregiving situation itself, and seeking and utilizing social supports and resources. Informal, unpaid, family caregivers are the under-recognized cornerstone of the long-term care system in the United States. From both a social and fiscal policy perspective, it is critical that policy makers prioritize supports to these informal, family caregivers

Clustering and Micro-immiscibility in Alcohol-Water Mixtures: Evidence from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We have investigated the hydrogen-bonded structures in liquid methanol and a 7:3 mole fraction aqueous solution using classical Molecular Dynamics simulations at 298K and ambient pressure. We find that, in contrast to recent predictions from X-ray emission studies, the hydrogen-bonded structure in liquid methanol is dominated by chain and small ring structures. In the methanol-rich solution, we find evidence of micro-immiscibility, supporting recent conclusions derived from neutron diffraction data.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Letter to Jack Bissett regarding donation by SEAALL, June 16, 2006

A letter from Claire Germain and Susan Fox thanking Jack Bissett and SEAALL for a donation to the AALL Scholarship Fund and the Centennial Fund