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 IFA - eNews
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It is hard to imagine that it is the
middle of July already, and the International Forum on Ageing in
Place and Age Friendly Cities in Akita is fast approaching. There
are still places available for delegates who wish to register, but
you must do so quickly. Please visit the IFA website here for more
information about registration. The IFA and FOIFA Japan are also
still accepting abstracts for this event. You can submit an abstract here.
Remember, this forum will be an
exciting opportunity for exchange around the exciting and progressive themes of ageing in place and age friendly cities. The Forum will feature such keynote
speakers as Dr. John Beard, Director, Department of Ageing and Life Course World Health Organization; Mr. Chen Chuansu, President, China National Committee on Ageing; and Mr. Tsukasa Yoyoshima, Director of Public Health and Welfare Division at the Akita City Bureau.
Register today and join us in Akita this October!
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Age Ventures India
Development and Partnership Opportunities in an Emerging Market There are 80 million older people in India, of whom 30 million are isolated, lonely and socially underprivileged. Solution are needed, and for the last 30 years Help Age India (HAI) has been at the forefront of elder issues, advocating for and seeking solutions for various segments of the elderly, notably the poor. HAI is a charitable organization specially focused on victims of isolation, neglect, abuse and poverty among the elderly. HAI runs various programs like mobile medical units, supporting old age homes, running day care centers, rehabilitating aged patients of leprosy, tuberculosis and cancer, and many other areas around the country.
Age Ventures India (AVI) is a new charitable Trust formed with the support of Help Age India. AVI has been specially created to address issues and concerns of those segments of the elderly population which Help Age India is unable to address under its mandate and vast multitude scope of work. Over the past decade HAI has been constantly receiving feedback from families of middle income elderly, highlighting a critical need for integrated housing and care for elderly. With rapid demographic and migratory shifts in India's population in recent decades, a high percentage of older people are left to manage their homes by themselves at a time when they may need their children the most. The need for housing inspired Help Age India to establish Age Ventures India to address the loneliness, safety, medical and social care needs of the elderly by building Senior Living Habitats across the country. Find out more about AVI and its activities here.
Age Ventures India is committed to the development of partnerships with organizations experienced with the development, financing and operations of retirement and care facilities. If you are interested in the opportunities that could result from a relationship with Age Ventures India please contact Mr. Arun Gupta (+91 9810184065) or Pankaj Mehrotra (+91 9899339999). |
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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2009 (June 15)
Organizations and Individuals Across the World mark this Important Day
June 15 this year was the 4th annual
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEEAD). The IFA joined with many
other groups, organizations and individuals from all around the world
in recognizing this important day. As part of this year's programming, reports on elder abuse prevention activities from a number of countries have been collected and compiled - access them here - and we invite
you to investigate what is happening in your region. In this edition of IFA-eNews, we
will briefly highlight the activities that two of our members, Age-in-Action (South Africa) and the Silver Innings Foundation (India), undertook to mark
WEEAD.
 Age-in-Action is an organization that works to improve the
living conditions of older people in South Africa, and to educate
them on their rights. For WEEAD 2009, Age-in-Action set out to raise
awarenesson the issue, to recognize elder abuse, and take direct action against it. Under its leadership, over 10 000 older persons across the country
participated in a series of peaceful demonstrations and exhibitions
to draw attention to the issue and show their abhorrence to all forms
of abuse. Memorandums were handed to public officials in hopes that
greater political attention will be paid to elder abuse and that
stricter punishment for abusers be enforced.
In India, the Silver Innings Foundation
commemorated a World Elder Abuse Awareness Week, in which a series of
events were staged to raise awareness and sensitize both the
government and civil society to elder abuse and by doing so ensuring better responses to the
mistreatment of older people in India. Specific events included an
essay competition on the topic "Elder Abuse: the Role of Civil
Society and Government", special lectures on the issue, and
intergenerational activities in many locations. A full summary of events in India can be accessed here.
The Madrid International Plan of Action
adopted by all countries in 2002 clearly recognizes the importance of
addressing and preventing the abuse and neglect of older adults. The
IFA invites in advance all our members, colleagues and readers to
mark the fifth World Elder Abuse Awareness Day next June. For more
information on WEEAD 2009, please visit here.
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In the next edition of IFA-eNews:
Update on IFAs 10th Global Conference on Ageing
Update from the Health Technology Exchange
News from the MD Foundation
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The Rights of Older Persons' Explored
Report of the Expert Group Meeting in May 2009
From
May 5 to 7 2009, the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of the
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) convened an
expert group meeting to exchange views on the theme of the 'Rights of Older
Persons' in Bonn, Germany. The purpose of this meeting
was to generate independent expert opinions in preparation for a report to
be submitted by the UN Secretary General on the rights of older persons to the
64th Session of the General Assembly. The IFA was represented at this meeting by
President Irene Hoskins.
This meeting was the first of its kind to be organized by
the UN to discuss the state of rights of older persons around the world,
explore how they could be better protected, and understand how the principles
concerning rights set out in the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing could be
better implemented. 5 sessions were held
over the course of the 3 days, each addressing a specific theme regarding
rights from which a set of recommendations were agreed upon by delegates.
The sessions focused primarily on the absence of legal
protection, the gaps between law and the implementation of law, and the lack of a
consistent international legal framework protecting the rights of older
people. Specific recommendations resulting
from this meeting call on governments to create national standards within their
own countries, support the creation of comprehensive convention on the rights
of older persons, and to include rights within the Millennium Development Goals
review process. A full report of the Expert Group Meeting, including
all recommendations, an annotated agenda, and a list of participants, is now available online here.
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IFA 10th Global Conference on Ageing
Registration and Abstract Submission is Open
 Registration for the
International Federation on Ageing 10th Global Conference is opening this month! Individual registration includes access to all sessions, official documentation, catering and entry to the
Conference Welcome Reception. You will also have the opportunity to join
fellow conference-goers on an exciting 'Night on the Town', or dine in the scenic
streets of Melbourne
aboard a colonial travelling tram car restaurant! A range of accommodation
options are available for your price range, as
well as a variety of specially selected tours and sightseeing expeditions to ensure that you can experience all that Melbourne
has to offer!
The International
Federation on Ageing 10th Global Conference (IFA 2010) would also like to remind you that abstract submission is now open! We are inviting submission from all backgrounds that address one of the five key themes of the Conference Program Framework, and
with a focus on driving change:
- Climate Change
- Social Inclusion
- Human Rights
- Resourcing Change
- Healthy Ageing
Session types include
oral paper presentations, poster presentations, symposia and workshops. Please visit us online for more information or to submit an abstract.
The International
Federation on Ageing and Council on the Ageing, Victoria,
look forward to welcoming you to Melbourne,
Australia, for
this stimulating international event. For more information, please visit our website or contact us here.
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The Senior Government Officials Meeting 2010
"Social Inclusion for an Ageing
Population"
On the 3rd of May 2010, coinciding
with the IFA's 10th Global Conference on Ageing, the IFA will again host a
meeting of senior government officials from across the globe. The theme for this
meeting will be Social Inclusion for an Ageing Population. Over the
past three decades, social inclusion has been moving stealthily from the pages
of social and economic theory texts to the agendas of many organizations and
desks of policy developers first in Europe, then Oceania and now North America. This progress has ultimately catapulted
social inclusion to the forefront of political platforms and international
discussions. Although social
inclusion's origins trace back to conventional social exclusion, social
inequality and poverty frameworks, its meanings are new and distinct. According
to the Laidlaw Foundation, a Toronto
(Canada) based social justice agency, social
inclusion is a multi-dimensional concept that broadens goals of poverty
reduction to goals that call for equal opportunity, strengthening capability and
increasing participation. Therefore, social inclusion not only encompasses
income poverty and inequality but also physical, social, economic, human asset,
social asset and political involvement dimensions.
The purpose of the Senior Officials
Meeting is to provide a forum for senior government officials and Ministers to
examine current trends in policy and practice as they relate to Social Inclusion
in the face of increasing population ageing. The meeting programme will be based on
mutual interest of the participants, and designed to promote dialogue and
interaction among delegates - some of whom may represent countries who are well
advanced, others from countries who have not yet been able to tackle the
problem. Governments are creating socially inclusive societies through a range
of initiatives focused towards older people. The planned Senior Government Officials
meeting will provide the opportunity for government officials to showcase
programs, policy, leading practice and to hear first hand how other governments
are responding to similar issues issue.
Government Officials and others interested in this meeting should email Mr. Greg Shaw to
register interest early. More information on past Senior Officials Meetings is available on the IFA website here. |
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The Age Friendly Cities Project
A Status Report from the Province of Quebec
 The Age Friendly Cities
program (AFC) was launched in 2007 by WHO with the goal of creating
supportive environments for older adults by initiating
policies, services, programs and surroundings that enable healthy
aging in the settings where older people live, work, learn, recreate
and worship. The Québec Government decided to implement the AFC
program in the province, beginning with a five year pilot-project (2008-2013) in
six cities of various sizes and a regional area of 22 remote
and rural communities (for a total of 28 communities). The Québec program includes
committments of resources that will enable communities to introduce
significant programs and activities that facilitate active ageing among older residents. The project is based on a
collaborative and participatory approach (a "bottom-up approach") between
a team of researchers at the Research Centre on Aging (Université de
Sherbrooke), the Senior's Secretariat (Ministère de la famille et
des aînés) and a steering committee in each community (which includes
seniors among its members). The five-year program is divided in three stages:
- Stage 1: an
in-depth diagnostic of the situation (done in year 1);
- Stage 2: an
elaborated plan of action including specific activities, person or
organisation responsible for each activity and indicators (to be
completed at the middle of year 2) and, finally;
- Stage 3:
implementation phase of the activities (from year 2 to 5).
The Québec initiative also includes an
original evaluation proceedure to measure the progress of the various actions taking place in the
different milieus, and to appraise the outcomes of theses experiences
by looking at different sources (actors, organizations, public
policies, etc). Based on the logic model, there is a needs assessment
evaluation in phase one (the diagnostic), an implementation
evaluation in phases 2 and 3 (the plan of action and its
implementation), and finally, an effect evaluation at the end of the
project (in year 5). These evaluations are based on different types of
indicators; while some are identical to all projects, others are
specific to each project in respect of the unique situation of the
communities. While
the implementation evaluation is done in partnership between all the
partners, the impact evaluation is done solely by the researchers.
At the end of the project, in 2013, it
was expected that a guide to help all Québec cities to become more age friendly would be launched. But, due to the success of the ongoing
project, many cities asked for more immediate support to implement AFC.
In 2009, the Ministry of Family and seniors affairs has decided to
launch a new program to support communities that wish
to implement AFC. Many, if not all cities of Québec
can now aim at becoming AFC!
This AFC experience reflects
positive aspects of a collaborative approach between political and
administrative engagement (both provincial and municipal),
action-research and community building!
For more information and to keep informed of the results of AFC, please visit Age Friendly Communities online.
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Profile of an IFA Member:
Introducing the Retirees' Welfare
Bureau of Zambia
It is estimated that nearly 600,000 of Zambia's 11 million citizens are aged 60 years and above. But growing old in Zambia is not easy, with chronic poverty (as much as 70
percent of the country is considered to be living on
less than $1 a day), loss of dignity, recognition, marginalization,
neglect common among older people, while government interventions have not considered improving
the living standards of older persons as a priority. These conditions of poverty have also been compounded by the
HIV/AIDS pandemic which has brought added responsibility on older persons to not only care for the sick, but also to care for their
grandchildren who are left orphaned and vulnerable when their parents die prematurely.
 Inspired by a commitment to improving the lives of older Zambians, Geoffrey Chiyesu
founded the Retirees' Welfare Bureau of Zambia (RWBZ) in August 1997. The organization
was mandated by the Government of the Republic of Zambia
to serve as an umbrella body to lobby and champion the human dignity of older persons in
the country. The core aims of RWBZ are to advocate and
regulate the human rights of older persons; spearhead programmes that prepare
Zambians for old age era; lobby government on the formulation of the National
Policy on Ageing; conduct research on aspects of ageing; establish projects
that advance the health status of Older persons such as Geriatric Family Care
Units and promote programmes on Intergenerational Solidarity and Longevity.
 Currently, the RWBZ is working with the Zambian Government to ensure that a National Policy on Ageing
is ratified by Cabinet. In addition, the RWBZ is involved in educating the nation on the rights of older people, and the negative social and economic
challenges currently experienced by older persons. From February to June 2009, RWBZ conducted a radio information campaign to inform the
nation of the challenges affecting older persons including the distribution of retirement benefits, old age and health, preparations for retirement, and the impact of HIV/AIDS. This Sensitization Programme was conducted
in both English and local Zambian languages. The RWBZ is also running programmes to mitigate
the effects of HIV/AIDS brought on the lifestyles of Older persons, such as educational sponsorship programmes for children under the care of their
grandparents.
While there have been successes, the RWBZ is interested in strengthening its programming and invites both financial as well as technical support to ensure that effective interventions are undertaken.
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Being Connected Helps Ensure Good Health
The Latest Column for Harmony magazine from Dr. Jane Barratt
 In her June editorial for Harmony Magazine, IFA Secretary General Dr. Jane Barratt examines connection, being part of a community, and family caregiving, and their importance for maintaining good personal health among older adults. Drawing on numerous examples, Dr Barratt argues that "social connectedness is fundamental to wellbeing", with demonstrable links between positive personal health and human interaction.
 Social connectedness goes beyond face to face interaction. Using a recent study conducted by the Government of New Zealand, where social connectedness among older people is measured in terms of five indicators (including telephone and internet access, trust, and social contracts between generations) as a framework, Dr Barratt highlights a number of key success stories of older people feeling connected. You can read the full article in full text here.
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"Ageing is not 'Lost Youth', but a new stage of Opportunity and Strength"
Introducing the Silver Innings Foundation
 New IFA member
the Silver Innings Foundation (SIF), based in Mumbai, India, is an
organization dedicated to senior citizens and their families. The SIF
operates with a vision for an 'elder-friendly world in which ageing
becomes a positive, rewarding experience', and is guided by a mission to
'uphold and secure the rights of elderly and actively work towards
improving their quality of life by networking, advocating and
researching elderly issues and providing a wide range of services
according to their needs.'
The Silver Innings Foundation drafted 10 organizational 'Commandments',
breaking down the 10 objectives in greater detail. You can read the Commandments in full text here.
Silver Innings provides a range of services, from consultancy, to workshops, counseling, and operating camps and events to support older people, their families, and people who work for and care for them. Silver Innings maintains a website with extensive information on the legal, health, financial and relationship aspects of ageing; please visit their website here.
They also publish a monthly magazine - Harmony Magazine -
covering a range of ageing issues, and the IFA's own Secretary
General Dr Jane Barratt is a regular columnist.
For more information, to get involved or become a member of the Silver Innings Foundation, download the organizational brochure here.
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Meeting the Oldest Man in America
Mr Walter Bruening of Great Falls, Montana
 As the only American who still remembers the Presidency of Grover Cleveland in the United States, Mr Walter Bruening of Montana - currently 112 years of age - has a wealth of knowledge and insight which he is
more than willing to share. Unfortunately, in attempting to bring Mr Bruening's
remarkable story to the public, CBS News committed a number of
unfortunate gaffs by including negative stereotypes of older people within their otherwise interesting report. Watch the 3 minute interview here. The interviewer expresses surprise that Mr Bruening' memory and ability to hold a conversation remains strong, and amazement that he still actively takes his scooter on rides outside. Though perhaps unintentional, the interviewer's stereotyped commentary nonetheless distracts from the real story.
While IFA is disappointed that still today major news agencies choose to run human interest stories on older people without thoroughly vetting them for stereotypes and negative connotations, we do not wish to overlook the achievements of this fascinating person. We invite you to watch the video and hear the story of a man and his remarkable life. Mr. Bruening even shares a few tips on proper diet and some keys to longevity toward the end of the interview...
The IFA is also interested to know what you think about this video. Do you agree that the stereotypes are a distraction, or perhaps you feel they are not a problem? What are your thoughts on how older people are presented in the popular media today? Let us know by email.
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New NGO
Established in the Republic of Adjara,
Georgia
Introducing 'Deserving Old Age'
 In response to increasing attitudes of disregard,
neglect and abuse, a group of ageing women from Georgia have taken action by
founding Deserving Old Age (DOA), a non-governmental organization that works to
ensure women have a dignified and fulfilling life in old age. DOA's objectives
include securing psychosocial and medical care for elderly women, promoting
integration of elderly women within society, and lobbying for other issues and
concerns significant to ageing women of Georgia.
 Shortly after its
founding in April 2009, DOA members and volunteers conducted a thorough survey
of 950 older women over 80 years old within the Kobuleti region of Adjara, Georgia.
Through this survey a database of elderly women and their socio-demographic
characteristics was created and will serve as a tool to monitor the status of
older women. Also, several services have
been established to provide support to elderly women, including an anonymous
hotline that provides older women subject to abuse with free legal and
psychological counseling, a Volunteers' Club that provides assistance to
unattached older women living in poverty as well as a club for women age 90 and
older that serves to connect women, provide them with free medical and social
services and honour their lives.
 DOA organizers
aim to create a social and healthcare centre where their initiatives may be
further carried out by an interdisciplinary team of professionals, community members,
older women and volunteers. This centre
would also act as an intergenerational meeting place, where older women may
impart their stories of courage, struggle against political repression and
survival to youth. Information regarding the rights of older women will also be
disseminated at the centre through various mediums in order to raise awareness
among older women and the public.
The work DOA
organizers are undertaking engages a deeply marginalized population and works
to foster community ties not only in Adjara,
Georgia, but
internationally. If you are interested in supporting DOA's initiatives,
projects and members or for more information, please refer to their website, or directly contact Nana Kalandadze, DOA Coordinator.
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Apartments for Life in Australia
Lessons from The Humintas Foundation in the Netherlands
 The Humanitas Foundation of Rotterdam,
the Netherlands, is renowned for its innovative Apartments for Life model of housing and care for older people. The key feature of this model is that it offers older people a chance to
remain in their own home - in this case an apartment - throughout
older age and to avoid having to move home when their health declines
and they require additional care, thus challenging the widely held belief
that a move to a nursing home was an inevitable part of ageing.
Under the leadership of Dr Hans Becker, the first Apartments for Life
complex opened in the mid 1990s, and today there are more than 15
Apartments for Life complexes in Rotterdam with several thousand
older people as residents.
 The Benevolent Society of Australia decided that the
Humanitas model could provide a new option in the housing, support
and care of older people in New South Wales, and invited Dr Becker (seen below)
to Sydney for a series of meetings and seminars in 2008.  As a
result of the consultations, the Benevolent Society has developed a
detailed proposal for an Apartments for Life project in
Australia to be located at Bondi in east Sydney. The proposed
Australian community would feature carefully planned apartments
surrounding a communal square, with events and activities, as well as
a range of services accessible to all residents. The full proposal can be accessed here.
More information about the Benevolent Society of Australia is available here, and here for the Humanitas Foundation.
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Sincerely yours,
The International Federation on Ageing |
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