International Longevity Center-USA

March 2008

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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!

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Subscribe to the ILC Update and the ILC Policy Report to receive our research updates and longevity news.

ILC-USA, Dr. Butler Featured in Barbara Walters Special

The ILC-USA spent over a year working with ABC News in preparation for their upcoming special Live to be 150...Can You Do It?, April 1 at 10pm ET. Barbara Walters and her team, lead by producer Rob Wallace, researched cutting-edge scientific developments to understand how we age and what to do about it. The special "goes beyond the nips and tucks, botox and exercise to the cutting edge of science," says Walters. "The hour is filled with the medical and emotional advances that will hopefully enable us to live longer."

The special includes an interview conducted by Walters with Dr. Robert Butler. S. Jay Olshansky, professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago and senior associate at the ILC-USA is also featured. Make sure to tune in!

The Longevity Revolution in the Media

Dr. Robert Butler's new book The Longevity Revolution: The Benefits and Challenges of Living a Long Life (PublicAffairs) has been receiving national media attention.

A national media tour was kicked off March 6 on The Diane Rehm show on NPR. Dr. Butler spent an hour talking in-depth about aging issues and fielding calls from listeners. You can listen to the full interview on our website.

Dr. Butler has also been featured on Martha Stewart Radio, the New York Post, Newsday and the Dallas Morning News. Upcoming coverage includes an opinion piece and Q&A in the April addition of AARP Bulletin and a featured interview in the Spring edition of new magazine AgingWell.

Haven't purchased your book? Order using this link to Barnes & Noble.com and five percent of the proceeds will be donated to the International Longevity Center-USA. Visit www.thelongevityrevolution.com for a book excerpt, upcoming events & media appearances and reviews of the book.

2007 Annual Report: Who Cares?

We are in the middle of a revolution: the longevity revolution. A new generation of older Americans is forming. Yet, with each year we gain in life, society falls further behind in preparation. Who Cares? The answer is central to the mission of the ILC-USA and is the theme of our 2007 annual report.

Along with reviewing our yearly highlights, our annual report profiles six leading advocates for aging issues. Dr. Marie Bernard, Hugh Downs, Jane Fonda, Bill Novelli, Lawrence Schmieding and Dr. Phyllis Zee all work tirelessly to bring focus and clarity to issues of aging and longevity. Truly, they care, and we commend them for it.

We hope you will also join in our mission to help society navigate the often stormy waters of the longevity revolution. Help can come in many forms. For the true answer to the question "Who cares?" must be found in the larger community. The longevity revolution has arrived and we're paying attention. Are you?

Hot Topics: McCain, Politics & Ageism

Is Senator John McCain too old to run for office? Do Americans become more conservative as they age? Are age-related jokes knee slappers or low blows? These are some the questions being discussed on the Ageism In America blog on the ILC-USA website.

How old is too old to run for U.S. office? The majority (66%) of blog readers said age doesn't matter as much as health. Dr. Butler, recently quoted in the Boston Globe says we should think about individual function not age. But he adds, "We do want to be sensible when entrusting the leadership of our country that they're mentally as well as physically healthy."

Join the conversation. Visit the Ageism In America blog!

Last Call! Age Boom Applications Due April 15

Applications will be accepted until April 15 for the ILC-USA's 9th Annual Age Boom Academy, to be held at our headquarters in New York City June 1-6. 2008. The Academy is an intensive week-long seminar designed to deepen journalists' understanding of how the aging of the world's population is affecting politics, the economy, and just about every other aspect of their beats.

Gearing up for the presidential elections, the 2008 program will be themed "Politics of Aging and Longevity." Special emphasis will be placed on the discussion of timely public policy concerns such as Social Security, Medicare, the older voter, health care reform, human rights and more.

Recent Publications

All publications are available through the ILC-USA website. Visit the publications section of our website to download an electronic version or purchase a hard copy.

Developing National In-Home Caregiver Training Standards

The Caregiving Project for Older Americans gathered a blue-ribbon panel of experts in aging and caregiving in 2007 to examine existing caregiver training programs and explore the development of national training standards for in-home caregivers. This report incorporates discussion by the assembled experts on the topic of paid in-home caregiver training standards including related topics such as curricula, accreditation, certification, career ladder, and caregiver support.