Fat Facts
At this time, it is estimated that 17.5 percent of the older generation are clinically obese and 16 percent have a type of diabetes. In contrast, it is estimated that by 2030, one-third of the Baby Boomers will be obese and 25 percent will live with diabetes.
A heart that has to beat with 20 to 30 extra pounds of weight works much harder than a heart without that burden.
Read more here.
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What Do People Who Need Care Want?
The Foundation for the Future of Aging reports that the major priorities for consumers who need care are to:
- Receive care in the least restrictive setting possible
- Maintain autonomy and independence
- Direct their own care
Click here for more info.
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Greetings!
Times, they are a-changin. With the boomer generation consistently in the spotlight and analysts tripping over themselves in the race to forecast effects on everything from health care to retirement to housing, there is a plethora of interesting and noteworthy trends.
These trends are not merely affecting us here in the U.S., but across the world as well, with governments increasingly paying attention to the cry for more affordable health care and the lower costs and benefits that care in the home provides. Take a look at some of the recently researched reports and studies, and arm yourself with information to prepare for "tomorrow".
As always, we send this newsletter in a spirit of sharing and community. We hope you will find the included news informative and beneficial.
Thank you,
The Team at Freedom Eldercare
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Boomer Housing Trends May Surprise You
 By 2010, homeowners and renters 55 and older will make up one-quarter of the U.S. population. MetLife Mature Market Institute has released findings from a survey of this group and found:
- The top reason boomers move is to live close to family.
- Many boomers are not downsizing, but want a higher quality, larger home.
- Many want to stay in their jobs longer, so proximity to the office is still a big priority.
- The number of people ages 55 and up who work at home is rising.
- Most boomers are happy in their current homes and neighborhoods.
- Active-adult communities are attracting buyers who are under 60 and still working.
- Older homeowners are more likely to buy homes - especially new ones. They make up 30 percent of the custom home market.
Access the full report here.
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Home Care Taking Over Canadian Health Care Market
 The Canadian Healthcare Association recently released a paper that outlines the four main reasons in-home care services are growing in popularity so rapidly in Canada:
- Canada has a rapidly aging population. Statistics Canada reports that today about 13 percent of the population is 65 or older. That number is forecast to grow to 25 percent over the next 20 years.
- People prefer to get care in their own homes, and research shows people tend to heal more quickly when at home versus a hospital or healthcare setting.
- Technology now allows nurses and caregivers to accomplish more, like measuring vital signs remotely.
- All governments, as they try to contain their healthcare budgets, are beginning to realize that care in the home comes at a lower cost.
To read the full report or just an executive summary in PDF form, click here.
Click here for more information on the Canadian Healthcare Association and their work in home care.
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5-minute Quiz Determines Alzheimer's
 A new 5-minute test that can detect Alzheimer's disease at an early stage was created by researchers at the Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England. Called "Test Your Memory," or TYM, the test is comprised of ten simple tasks that test verbal fluency, recall, the ability to copy a sentence, naming, calculation, and semantic knowledge. According to a report in the British Medical Journal, TYM is more accurate than other traditional methods used to diagnose Alzheimer's. In a recent study, the TYM quiz was able to detect 93 percent of patients with Alzheimer's disease, while the standard method found only 52 percent of Alzheimer's cases. Experts say the test is a "powerful and valid" diagnostic tool.
Read more about the test here.
Take the TYM test here, and view the scoring sheet here.
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