Selected Topics - Ageing

• Academic Department for Old Age Psychiatry

Events

• School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW - Upcoming Events

Global policies and related documents

• Approaches to Comprehensive National Policies on Ageing: Government - NGO Cooperation
  United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 2004
• Madrid Political Declaration - UN declaration of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 2002
• Madrid International Plan of Action, 2002
  International Plan of Action on Ageing from the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 2002
• Policies for Healthy Ageing: An Overview
  "This [OECD] paper reviews policies in the area of healthy ageing. With the ageing of OECD countries' population over coming decades, maintaining health in old age will become increasingly important. Successful policies in this area can increase the potential labour force and the supply of non-market services to others. They can also delay the need for longer-term care for the elderly. A first section briefly defines what is meant by healthy ageing and discusses similar concepts – such as 'active ageing'. The paper then groups policies into four different types and within each, it describes the range of individual types of programmes that can be brought to bear to enhance improved health of the elderly. A key policy issue in this area concerns whether such programmes have a positive effect on health outcomes and whether they are cost effective."
• UN Principles for Older Persons
  These principles aim to ensure that priority attention will be given to the situation of older persons by addressing issues such as the independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment and dignity of older persons.

Reports, guidelines and projects

• Dementia in the Asia Pacific Region: the epidemic is here
  This report, commissioned by the Asia Pacific members of Alzheimer's Disease International looks at aspects of the dementia epidemic in the Asia Pacific region. It describes dementia and the identified risk factors for dementia; considers current burden of disease data and future projections; provides estimates/projections of dementia prevalence/incidence by country; considers economic and social impacts of dementia; describes cost-effective interventions and available policy frameworks and makes recommendations for action.
• Forecasting the Global Burden of Alzheimer's Disease
  This paper by Ron Brookmeyer, Elizabeth Johnson, Kathryn Ziegler-Graham and H. Michael Arrighi, published by Johns Hopkins University's Dept. of Biostatistics (Working Paper 130, 2007), concludes that modest advances in therapeutic and preventive strategies that lead to even small delays in Alzheimer’s onset and progression can significantly reduce the global burden of the disease.
• Frameworks of Integrated Care for the Elderly: A Systematic Review
  "…A literature review examines articles and papers that study comprehensive models of integrated or coordinated care. The author identified that some models of integrated health and social care can result in improved outcomes, client satisfaction and/or cost savings or cost-effectiveness. MacAdam identifies four frameworks with common interventions that must be structured to support each other. These key elements are: umbrella organizational structures to guide integration of strategic, managerial and service delivery levels; multidisciplinary case management for effective evaluation and planning of client needs; organized provider networks; and financial incentives to promote prevention, rehabilitation and the downward substitution of services, as well as to enable service integration and efficiency…."
• Global Demographic Change: Dimensions and Economic Significance
  This Working Paper by David E Bloom and David Canning is part of the Harvard Initiative for Global Health, Program on the Global Demography of Aging. It examines the potential effects of unusual demographic changes which have occurred in recent decades as the result of baby booms, reduced infant mortality rates and subsequent reductions in fertility in countries throughout the world.
• Health and Population Aging: A Multinational Comparison
  A paper by Gerard F. Anderson, PhD. and Peter S. Hussey (Johns Hopkins University) from October 1999
• Income-, education- and gender-related inequalities in out-of-pocket health-care payments for 65+ patients – a systematic review
  Background: In all OECD countries, there is a trend to increasing patients’ copayments in order to balance rising overall health-care costs. This systematic review focuses on inequalities concerning the amount of out-of-pocket payments (OOPP) associated with income, education or gender in the Elderly aged 65+. Methods: Based on an online search (PubMed), 29 studies providing information on OOPP of 65+ beneficiaries in relation to income, education and gender were reviewed. Results: Low-income individuals pay the highest OOPP in relation to their earnings. Prescription drugs account for the biggest share. A lower educational level is associated with higher OOPP for prescription drugs and a higher probability of insufficient insurance protection. Generally, women face higher OOPP due to their lower income and lower labour participation rate, as well as less employer-sponsored health-care. Conclusions: While most studies found educational and gender inequalities to be associated with income, there might also be effects induced solely by education; for example, an unhealthy lifestyle leading to higher payments for lower-educated people, or exclusively gender-induced effects, like sex-specific illnesses. Based on the considered studies, an explanation for inequalities in OOPP by these factors remains ambiguous. [author abstract] [International Journal for Equity in Health, August 2010, 9: 20]
• Longevity and the Quality of Life: A new challenge for public health in the Americas
  This issue of Revista Panamericana de Salud Publica Vol.17 no.5-6 May/June 2005 presents studies on the health and well-being of older adults and reports on initiatives that WHO and other agencies of the United Nations system and of the Inter-American System are carrying out.
• Population Aging and Economic Growthbr>"Between 2000 and 2050, the share of the population aged 60 and over is projected to increase in every country in the world; the same is true for the 80+ population in all but one country (Mali). Worldwide, the largest absolute increases are yet to come. Although labor force participation rates are projected to decline from 2000 to 2040 in most countries, due mainly to changes in their age distributions, labor force-to-population ratios will actually increase in most countries. This is because low fertility will cause lower youth dependency that is more than enough to offset the skewing of adults toward the older ages at which labor force participation is lower. The increase in labor-force-to-population ratios will be further magnified by increases in age-specific rates of female labor force participation associated with fertility declines. These factors suggest that economic growth will continue apace, notwithstanding the phenomenon of population aging."
• Protecting and Assisting Older People in Emergencies
  "This paper summarises the major policy and practice issues affecting humanitarian protection and assistance for older people, and recommends measures to ensure that older citizens caught up in humanitarian crises enjoy equal rights and a fair share of humanitarian resources, and are included in decision-making in programmes that affect their lives."
• Public Housing and Support Services for the Frail Elderly: A Guide for Housing Authorities and Their Collaborators
  "Co-published by the Milbank Memorial Fund and the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities in the US, this report translates into practical advice the experience of public housing authorities in creating housing with supportive health and social services for elders. It summarizes the experience of employees of these authorities and their collaborators in state and local public and nonprofit service agencies….."
• Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce
  The [US] Institute of Medicine charged the ad hoc Committee on the Future Health Care Workforce for Older Americans to determine the health care needs of Americans over 65 years of age and to assess those needs through an analysis of the forces that shape the health care workforce, including education and training, models of care, and public and private programs. The committee concludes that the definition of the health care workforce must be expanded to include everyone involved in a patient’s care: health care professionals, direct-care workers, informal caregivers (usually family and friends), and patients themselves. All of these individuals must have the essential data, knowledge, and tools to provide high-quality health care. The committee proposes a concurrent three-prong approach: (1) Enhance the geriatric competence of the entire workforce; (2) Increase the recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and caregivers; and (3) Improve the way care is delivered.
• The Future of Pensions and Healthcare in a Rapidly Ageing World: Scenarios to 2030
  This report identifies 3 global scenarios for 2030 and 2 sets of case studies from China and India. These scenarios are designed to challenge current thinking, create new insights, facilitate the debate between key decision-makers and provide momentum for action. New forms of collaboration between key stakeholders – individuals, financial institutions, healthcare providers, employers and governments – will be critical to finance the ongoing well-being of current and future generations in a sustainable manner. [publisher overview] [World Economic Forum – Davos, Switzerland, January 2011]
• The Price of Maturity
  "The world’s population will reach 7 billion this year and is projected to exceed 9 billion in 2050. But despite the overall increase, hidden behind these headline numbers are important changes in the age distribution of the population. In the rich industrial nations as well as some middle- and lower-income countries, populations will age as the proportion of elderly people within the mix rises dramatically. Surprisingly, this population aging is driven more by low fertility than by longer life." [Finance & Development, June 2011, Vol. 48, No. 2]

Educational resources

• Ageing Activities
  A website by the Centers for Disease Control (USA), offering access to databases, a longitudinal study on aging in the USA and to other resources
• GeroNet
  Health & Aging Resources for Higher Education - Sponsored by the California Geriatric Education Center (through a grant from the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration) and the State of California's Academic Geriatric Resource Program.
• LinkAge 2000
  "This web site was created to provide students (ages 12-18) from around the world with the opportunity to interactively learn about aging and older adults and to serve as a resource for teachers and educators who want to incorporate the study of aging into the curriculum. It aims to acquaint students with the science of geriatrics; to familiarize students and teachers with the major issues in gerontology; and to convey the social and cultural aspects of aging and growing old"
• Social Gerontology & The Aging Revolution
  "Generations now alive are among the first in history to be raised with the expectation of old age, forerunners of a longevity revolution that will be felt for centuries to come. Some twenty percentage of all humans who have ever lived past the age of 65 are now alive. Aging is not a singular process: we age biologically, psychologically, and sociologically, and the "aging experience" is determined by the unique interactions between these various clocks"
• UN International Year of Older Persons - 1999
  "The United Nations (UN) International Year of Older Persons was celebrated in recognition of humanity's demographic coming of age and the promise it holds for maturing attitudes and capabilities in social, economic, cultural and spiritual undertakings, not least for global peace and development in the next century"

Organisations and Networks

UN and multinational

• Global Action on Aging
  "An international organization that works to insure a good life for older persons world wide. It reports on older people's needs and potential and it brings together people of all generations to advocate"
• International Federation on Ageing
  "The Federation's aim is to advance the well-being of ageing persons around the world by providing a worldwide forum for the discussion of problems of ageing and preparation for retirement, promoting the exchange of information and experiences, fostering the development of associations that represent or serve the ageing, and facilitating and promoting cooperation among international organizations in the field of ageing"
• International Institute of Ageing
  A UN affiliated body established in 1987 engaged in age related education and training
• United Nations Programme on Ageing
  The mission of the United Nations (UN) Programme on Ageing is to facilitate and contribute to the creation of a society for all ages whereby "generations invest in one another and share in the fruits of that investment, guided by the twin principles of reciprocity and equity".

Government

Non Government

• Age and Opportunity
  Irish national agency promoting participation and acceptance of older persons in society
• Age Concern
  Age Concern is the UK's largest organisation working with and for older people. Its mission is to promote the well-being of all older people and to help make later life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience.
• Alzheimer's Australia
  "This is the website of the Alzheimer’s Association Australia, which represents at the national level the interests of its federation of State and Territory members on all matters relating to dementia and carer issues in Australia. Excellent ‘Help Sheets’ for carers (prepared by the Victorian branch) about many aspects of dementia and its management are available for downloading. There are also some well thought out policy documents and commentaries. You can also obtain information about how to contact your local branch, National and International conferences."
• American Society on Aging
  "For over 40 years, the American Society on Aging has been an active and effective resource for professionals in aging and aging-related fields who want to enhance their ability to promote the well-being of aging people and their families"
• Alzheimer Europe
  Alzheimer Europe is a non-profit organisation which aims to improve the care and treatment of Alzheimer patients through intensified collaboration between its member associations. In the longer term, AE is striving to become the coordination and information centre for all organisations working in this specific field, such as day care centres, sitting services, training centres for professionals and related organisations
• Carers Australia
  "Carers Australia provides a national voice for carers... - usually family members who provide support to children or adults who have a disability, mental illness, chronic condition or who are frail aged." The organisation "advocates for carers interests in the public arena,... networks and forms strategic partnerships with other organisations to achieve positive outcomes for carers, ...provides carers with information and education resources, ...undertakes community awareness raising activities and coordinating and facilitating joint work between the state and territory organisations on matters of national significance."
• Centre for Policy on Ageing
  An independent United Kingdom organisation aiming to formulate and promote social policies which will allow all older people to achieve the full potential of their later years
• ElderHostel
  "Elderhostel is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing extraordinary learning adventures for people 55 and over. From New Hampshire to New Zealand, South Africa to South Dakota, Elderhostel offers a world of educational opportunities"
• HelpAge International
  HelpAge International is a global network of not-for-profit organisations with a mission to work with, and for, disadvantaged older people worldwide to achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of their lives

Academic Institutions with particular focus in this area

• Aging Research Centre
  The primary goals of the ARC at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm University are to carry out and support high-quality aging research from a medical, psychological and social perspective;advance multidisciplinary efforts in research on aging; offer graduate students a high-quality education ;foster collaboration with aging researchers in Sweden and abroad; develop cross-links between available data sets; and direct the acquired knowledge into interventions.
• Dementia Services Development Centre
  The Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling, exists to extend and improve services for people with dementia and their carers in Scotland. The DSDC provides extensive information about dementia services and is involved in developing and disseminating research and good practice about services for people with dementia. The Centre has an extensive publications list and has a free mailing list for the six-monthly newsletter. It also provides a consultant support for the development of services.

Conference reports

Journals, Newsletters, Forums

• Age and Ageing
  An international journal publishing refereed original articles and commissioned reviews on geriatric medicine and gerontology. Its range includes research on ageing and clinical, epidemiological and psychological aspects of later life.
• Ageing Today
  The American Society on Aging's bimonthly newspaper covers developments in public policy, research, practice, media and programming in the field of aging.
• American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology
  This journal's focus is cardiovascular disease and problems in the elderly. Special sections include Images in Geriatric Cardiology, Observations on the Heart, Ethical Issues in the Management of Geriatric Cardiac Patients, Electrocardiology Teacher Analysis and Review and News from the Society of Geriatric Cardiology.

Bibliographies, Libraries

• AgingStats.Gov
  Website of the interagency forum on aging related statistics
• The National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (USA)
  "This site aims to advance research on aging by helping researchers to profit from the under-exploited potential of a broad range of datasets. NACDA acquires and preserves data relevant to gerontological research, processing as needed to promote effective research use, disseminates them to researchers, and facilitates their use. By preserving and making available the U.S.'s largest library of electronic data on aging, NACDA offers opportunities for secondary analysis on major issues of scientific and policy relevance"

Public health bookshops

• Public Health bookshop