International Longevity Center-USA June 2008
What's New? Check out the latest stories from the ILC-USA website Getting Enough Sleep? Is 80 the New 50? Ask the Doctor: The Dangers of Overindulging Age as an issue in politics Join the Conversation Count Your Steps! ILC-USA Pedometer The ILC Step Counter, a beeper-sized pedometer, is the easiest way to keep track of every step you take. It is the perfect motivational tool to help you increase your daily activity. Visit the ILC-Shop to purchase yours today!		Age Boom Academy Explores the Politics of Aging Twelve journalists joined the ILC-USA in June for the week-long Age Boom Academy, sponsored by The New York Times Company Foundation. Social Security, Medicare, elder abuse, the older voter, health care reform and dozens of other age-related topics were discussed by top experts in the field. "The media doesn't cover aging because there's no conflict," the journalists was told by Richard Wald, former network executive at NBC and ABC and now with Columbia University School of Journalism. Wald encouraged the journalists to dig deeper. "Oddly enough, this is a philosophical question, not a pragmatic question," he said. "Of what good to you is the thing itself? Why is being older good for you? If you can find the people who are interested in that answer, you will have done something of more lasting value." Peter G. Peterson, former Secretary of Commerce and author of the provocative book Gray Dawn: How the Coming Age Wave Will Transform America -- and the World, outlined the goals of his new foundation including the United States crisis of, in his words, "unsustainable entitlement benefits." Speakers also Robert Binstock (Case Western), Greg Anrig (Century Foundation), Theodore Marmor (Yale), Daniel Perry (Alliance for Aging Research), John Rother (AARP), and Trudy Lieberman (CUNY). Legendary journalists Carl Bernstein also spoke. Next year will mark the 10th Anniversary of the Age Boom Academy. Special plans are already underway to commemorate the event. Congratulations to the 2008 Age Boom graduates: Ashton Applewhite, Freelancer Kim Dixon, Reuters Allison Drury, Yahoo! Health John Leland, The New York Times Jane Norman, The Des Moines Register Jordan Rau, Los Angeles Times Matt Sedensky, Associated Press Nancy Stancill, The Charlotte Observer Jim Toedtman, AARP Bulletin Phil Vaughn, New Hampshire Public Television Maribel Villalva, El Paso Times Peter Wong, Statesman Journal
New Directions for Philanthropy in an Aging Society The ILC-USA was pleased to host a seminar for foundation representatives and other philanthropists on June 19 entitled "New Directions for Philanthropy in an Aging Society." Sponsored by the AARP Foundation, the format was a dialogue between our president, Dr. Robert Butler and Ami Dar, the founder of Action Without Borders- Idealist.org, an international nonprofit resource organization. Following the dialogue was a group discussion on how social networking plays a role in the field of aging and especially with regard to technology implications in the caregiving arena. The overall consensus from participants was that the field of aging and related research is severely underfunded and that many Boomers who have the financial potential to engage in philanthropy are living in denial that they, themselves, are aging. Participants attended from MetLife, the Philanthropic Group, Amie's Place Foundation, Tuttle Fund, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Brookdale Foundation, New York Life Foundation, Grantmakers in Aging, the ILC-USA and AARP. The New York Times Features ILC-USA Brief: Growing Older, Staying Strong Jane Brody's Personal Health column in June 24th edition of The New York Times included an excerpt from the 2003 ILC-USA Issue Brief, Growing Older, Straying Strong: Preventing Sarcopenia Through Strength Training. The article, entitled "Fit, Not Frail: Exercise as a Tonic for Aging", quotes author of the the issue brief, Michael J.Hewitt, Ph.D., research director for exercise science at Canyon Ranch Health Resort. Growing Older, Staying Stronger recommends that older people can stave off the muscle-wasting condition known as sarcopenia by working out as little as twice a week. The New York Times article was a favorite among readers. As of today it is still "most emailed" article on the nytimes.com website, four days following its publication. Download a free copy of the issue brief on the ILC-USA website. ILC-USA Hosts First Open House What goes on in the building on East 86th Street with the stained glass windows and the mysterious acronym "ILC" on the front awning? Our neighbors wanted to know. Since the ILC-USA does not provide direct service, we often do not have an opportunity to engage our immediate community. On June 19, the ILC-USA hosted its first Open House, opening its doors to guests invited from a 5-block radius to introduce the International Longevity Center's latest research findings, including overviews of our World Cities Project, The Caregiving Project for Older Americans, Ageism In America project, and the Sleep & Healthy Aging project among others. Following a catered reception on our first floor patio, attendees were treated to a demonstration with Dr. Yang Yang from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master of the Chinese art of Taiji and Qigong and expert in the health benefits of these practices to maintain balance and strength for older adults. The Longevity Revolution Reviewed in New England Journal of Medicine Praise keeps rolling in for The Longevity Revolution: The Benefits & Challenges of Living a Long Life by ILC-USA president and CEO, Dr. Robert Butler. The latest review came from The New England Journal of Medicine, written by Leonid Gavrilov, Ph.D. and Natalia Gavrilova, Ph.D., of the Center on Aging, NORC/University of Chicago. "This book has the potential to change the future of this country for the better if its ideas reach members of Congress and other representatives of the U.S. government," says NEJM. "The general public and medical experts will also benefit from reading this book because it provides a broad overview of upcoming health care problems as well as possible solutions." Access to the full article can be obtained with a free trial to NEJM Online.   Top Ten Legal Issues in Aging Noted elder law attorney Daniel G. Fish presented the Top Ten Legal Issues in Aging at a brown bag lunch hosted by the ILC-USA in late May. Mr. Fish is a partner of Daniel G. Fish, LLC, where he practices in the areas of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Guardianship and Trust Law. He was formerly Senior Staff Attorney of the Institute on Law and Rights of Older Adults of the Brookdale Center on Aging of Hunter College. What are the top legal issues facing our aging society, according to Mr. Fish? Grandparent's visitation rights United States Supreme Court decision on minimum wage and overtime for home care workers Eviction from assisted living Self-dealing by agents under power of attorney Disputes over burial decisions Conflict between health care proxy and living will German Restitution payments and Medicaid Right to choose nursing home Placement from hospital Lessons from the Brooke Astor guardianship Attacks on the elderly as hate crimes Mr. Fish is a regular columnist for the New York Law Journal on Elder Law issues. His latest article is entitled Attacks on Elderly Elevated to Hate Crimes (subscription needed).

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