Profiling Dr. Jill Rasmussen
 In this
edition of IFA-eNews, we are pleased to introduce Dr. Jill Rasmussen, a community clinician and private consultant with special interests
in neurodegenerative and affective disorders, the psychoses, and women's health. Dr. Rasmussen is an excellent example of a person who has forged a path around her own interests and specialties. Her career background, as well as her specialist knowledge of drug development, psychiatry and neurology combined
with her role in primary care is very unique. There are not many independent consultants in the business for 15 years!
After more than 10 years as a senior executive in the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Rasmussen started to work as an independent consultant to
pharmaceutical companies, ultimately setting up her own business with her husband in 1994 called psi-napse. This move allowed her to work more directly with medical research and data, without the politics of the pharma industry. The main driver for her consultancy company
has always been to improve current therapies for psychiatric conditions and to
help find new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, with the focus on psychiatry and neurology. Her proven
experience developing strategies to bring drugs to the market place
successfully was key to psi napse's success.
Uniquely, Dr Rasmussen set out to combine consultancy with
primary care delivery rather than with a specialist or academic practice. After setting up
psi-napse, she retrained herself in primary care for 6 mths (due to being out of the clinic for longer than 10 yrs!). With her re-training complete, Dr Rasmussen has never looked back, and has continued to combine her interests in CNS
(psychiatry and neurology) and previous careers of expertise in drug
development with primary care. Her experience in psychiatry and neurology has enabled her to take up
numerous specialist positions in primary care as well, primarily around mental health and
learning disabilities. Her interests in mental health and LD have
led to particular involvement in the elderly with the challenges of both
mental health and neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Rasmussen has been involved with the International
Psychogeriatric Association (IPA), and has been involved with the
development of their 14th International Congress being held in Montreal
this September (details on this event below). She was attracted to the organization because
of what it stands for and because IPA is one of the few groups that
encourages contact between primary care and allied professionals. As a primary care physician
with interests in psychiatry and neurology, and also because of the fact that one
aspect of her business involved educational materials, she volunteered to help
write the Primary care section of the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of
Dementia Guidelines. This then led to a
greater involvement in IPA, and Joel Sadavoy (President of IPA from 2005 to
2007) asked her to chair the Corporate Strategy Committee. From there she was asked to serve as
Treasurer Elect 2007 -2009, a position she now holds. Dr. Rasmussen and the entire IPA Executive would hope to see you at the IPA Conference this September.
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Update from IFA 2010
Travel Bursary Programme Available for Delegates from Developing Countries
 We have good news for people who reside in developing countries who are interested in attending the IFA's 10th Global Conference on Ageing in Australia in May 2010! We recognize that overseas conferences can be a major and even prohibitive expense for some, and in response, IFA 2010 will be providing
financial assistance to selected delegates from developing countries to attend
the Conference! Any individual who is at least 18 years of age and from a developing country may apply for a conference bursary, with preference given to people making a presentation. This bursary may help cover all or part of your registration fees, economy airfare and accommodations. The deadline for this bursary is November 20th, 2009, so please visit here to find out how to apply. The IFA and COTA Victoria are committed to including a diversity of voices in Melbourne and we invite you to consider joining us!
Remember, registration and abstract submission for IFA 2010
is also open to all who would like to take part in the Conference Program. Be
sure to submit your abstract by 7 October 2009, and ensure your abstract responds to one of the five
stimulating themes of the Conference Program Framework: Climate Change, Social Inclusion, Human Rights, Resourcing Change, and Healthy Ageing.
To register, or for more information on
registration fees, accommodation, program and social events, please visit the Conference website
or make contact directly by email!
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The Demograhic
Prognosis for South Asia:
A Future of Rapid Ageing
 Dr. Ghazy
Mujahid and Prof. K.A.P. Siddhisena (on left and right, respectively) have co-prepared
an informative new report on population ageing in South Asia (a region that refers
to Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).  This report shows how, following
a late decline in fertility relative to other parts of the continent, much of South
Asia too is now set on a course of rapid ageing. Indeed, the region should see an increase of
about 350 million people above the age of 60 years by 2050, the most of any region within this time frame!
The report describes the current
situation of population ageing in the region and how it is expected to evolve over the next few decades. However, the report is more
than a statistical overview; Dr Mujahid and Prof. Siddhisena also explore the
implications for policies and programmes this ageing trend will have for governments.  The authors conclude the report with a set of recommendations on
what needs to be done to ensure that the increasing older population will have access
to active and healthy lives in which their freedoms and dignity are guaranteed.
This report on ageing trends in South Asia is the latest
(and sixth overall) in a series of papers on population ageing sponsored by the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Dr Mujahid was instrumental in establishing this series while working at
the UNFPA. A full version of this report
is available for download here.
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An Ageing Organization from
Central America
Introducing the
National Council on Ageing, Belize
 The
IFA always considers it an honour to profile organizations working in
developing countries or in sometimes under-reported parts of the world, and in
this edition of IFA eNews, we are pleased to feature the National Council on
Ageing, Belize. From its inception in
2003, the NCA has worked to systematically improve the situation of older
people in Belize. The NCA works
primarily as an advocating body to bring attention to public and political attention to the many issues related to growing older and to the concerns of older persons living in the country.
Among NCA's primary achievements have been the development of a National Plan of Action
for Older Persons and a complimentary Strategic Plan, based around 11 priority
areas. Also, during the past 6 years the NCA
has developed many programmes that have focused on highlighting the need for
change. This includes public awareness
campaigns (including a radio programme and a newsletter), the Golden Age Heroes
Awards (which honours older people who had been involved in the development of
their community but who have not been otherwise recognized), and in 2002-2003, conducting
the first ever Situational Analysis of Older Persons in Belize, with assistance
from HelpAge International and HelpAge Belize.
The NCA was instrumental in developing a Draft Older Persons Act for the
country, as no specific legislation is in place to protect older people. This draft Act is currently being reviewed by the
Solicitor General's office in Belize.
 That has been a
busy 6 years for this growing organization, and the NCA plans to remain active
and advance its mandate. Among its
immediate plans are developing an Active and Healthy Ageing Project - if
funded the NCA would create a Nutritional and Exercise programme targeting
rural and urban older persons countrywide. Another future initiative is the Disaster Relief and Management of Vulnerable Older Persons in Belize
City project, which seeks to establish a support network for older people
living in Belize City who are most vulnerable to hurricanes, and also for
people living in the poorer areas in substandard housing. In addition, the NCA will continue to support the VOICE
organization that it launched in 2007 as a voice for older people, from older
people themselves. For more information
about the National Council on Ageing, Belize, please visit their website here.
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Funding Opportunities from the Health Technology Exchange
The HTX Assessment and Implementation Program
The Health Technology Exchange (HTX), based in Toronto, has launched a new program to support the acquisition and testing of market-ready health technologies for Ontario hospitals. Through this program, HTX will facilitate access to Ontario's health care system by supporting the implementation of innovative technologies in
Ontario-based clinical institutions. The
long term goal is to support the uptake of developed innovative
health technologies within clinical institutions, and as well enhance
the export opportunities for the SMEs (small and medium enterprises) involved. The maximum funding under this program is $100,000, to be completed within a 12 month period.
HTX provides a suite of programs that fund Medical and Assistive
Technologies on a competitive basis and has supported more than $16 million towards R&D projects led by Ontario-based SMEs,
in partnership with publicly funded healthcare institutions. HTX will be accepting expressions of interest for this program up until September 11th, 2009. You can download the application guidelines from the HTX website, or for more information, please contact Mr. Norman Pyo, Director of Business Development and Investment.
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An Ageing World 2008
New Publication on Global Demographic Trends
In 2008, how many people globally joined the age group of 65
and above? Did you know that
it was 870,000 people each month? Did
you also know that although developed nations have higher percentages of their
population aged 65 years and above, that the majority of this age group (62%)
live in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America? OK, so these are
a couple of nice trivial facts, but they have actually been pulled from the early
pages of a highly detailed and comprehensive statistical analysis of
demographic ageing from all parts of the world.
In June 2009, a major study on global demographic ageing
trends commissioned by the United States' Departments of Health and Human
Services and Commerce was published. The
full report, entitled An Ageing World: 2008 - International Population Trends, offers
nearly 200 pages of extensively compiled and up-to-date figures, presenting a
fascinating overview of the worlds population.
This report focuses primarily on people 65 years old and
older. The central purpose of this report
is to look at past, current, and projected numbers, proportions, and growth
rates of older populations in an effort to contribute a consistent, systematic,
quantitative comparison of older populations in various countries. But don't mistake this report as a dull
read. There are dozens of graphs and
charts accompanied by easy to read descriptions. Anyone interested in gaining a global
perspective on ageing trends might like to start with this report. Please find the whole report here.
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 Latest developments on older people's rights within the UN
Human Rights system:
Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Council makes older people's
rights a priority
 At
the end of its third session on 7th August 2009 the newly established Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Council agreed to make the rights of older people
a new priority issue for its work. The Advisory Committee is made up of 18 nominated experts, and its role is to function as an independent think tank and provide the Human Rights Council with
evidence and recommendations on a range of human rights issues.
Advisory
Committee member Ms Chinsung Chung from Korea will present a working paper to the
Human Rights Council in June 2010 on the need to study older people's rights.
The paper will include practical recommendations on how to better protect and promote older people's rights.
This
move by the Advisory Committee adds to the growing attention being paid to older people's rights within the UN
system. The CEDAW Committee is currently working on a new general recommendation on older
women's rights and the Secretary General's report on the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing to the 2009 General
Assembly includes the suggestion that Member States consider new international
instruments (ie a convention and special rapporteur) to better promote and
protect older people's rights. More information can be found here. IFA and our partners and colleagues will continue to advocate for greater UN action in regard to this tremendously important rights issue.
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The
International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) 14th International Congress
The Path to Prevention - 1-5 September 2009, Montreal
 The
International Psychogeriatric Association invites you to attend their 14th International Congress, being held in Montreal, Canada from September 1-5 2009. EnThis event promises to be full of innovation and meaningful
conversations between experts and colleagues in examining what the future will
hold for the field of Psychogeriatrics. IPA's conferences are always
exceptional and unique in the field of geriatric mental health. This year's scientific program is designed to address
the needs and interests of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team that includes
physicians, scientists, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, social
workers and others, all who are committed to the elderly patient.
 The Path to Prevention's Programme is truly innovative, and is now available online!
Also, there are a number of cost-effective registration packages available here. Conference information is also available in French here.
For more information and to find out how to attend, please visit the conference website or contact the Congress PCO
to register your team.
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Experience Works: The
Mature Age Employment Challenge
New Report on Unemployment and Older People in Australia
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 Excerpt from Australia
News:
As both sides of politics urge young Australians to be realistic about their
job prospects in the face of rising jobless rates, a new report has found
unemployment in older Australians goes unnoticed. The study,
commissioned by National Seniors Australia, has found Australia is lagging
behind countries including the United States, Japan, and New Zealand when it comes
to employing older people. The study
found mature workers are often overlooked in jobless figures because unemployment
in their demographic is too often considered as early retirement. The National
Seniors report, called Experience Works - The Mature Age Employment Challenge,
says Australia loses almost $11 billion each year by not utilising the
experience of older Australians in the workforce.
National
Seniors Australia chief executive Michael O'Neill says Australia has built up a
history of age discrimination in the way older workers are considered and are
treated. "We've generally had a lack of public awareness or business
awareness around the contribution that older Australians make in the
workplace," he said "We're
seeing increasing recognition that older employees are more dedicated, they're
more loyal, they mentor well, they provide for a stable workforce. We miss out
on a large pool of talent there." Mr O'Neill says despite the fact
Australia is burdened with a rapidly ageing population and a much publicised
skills shortage, mature age employment has fallen off the agenda.
"For
more than a decade there has been an emphasis on younger people, school
leavers, university leavers, trainees, apprentices, which is important and we
need to ensure that younger people do have those opportunities," he said "But we
need equally to recognise that older Australians have an entitlement to work as
well and that we need to have those programs in place." Read the full report here...
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Save the Date! - Announcing ISG2010 - Vancouver
 From May 27-30, 2010, Simon Frasor Univesity in the
beautiful coastal city of Vancouver, Canada will host the 7th World
Conference of the International Society for Gerontechnology (ISG). This event will bring together people who
design, develop, prescribe, research and use technology that enhance the
functional capacity and quality of life of older adults. The perfect venue for
dialogue between engineers, ICT experts, computer scientists, gerontologists,
health and social care professionals, architects, social science researchers
and educators and others working in this multi-disciplinary field.
Key topics to
be discussed in Vancouver include: cutting-edge
innovations in: smart homes and smart materials, robotics, mobile and wireless
communication systems, online goods and services, computer games, and
applications of new technologies in health and social care. The latter include
management of chronic illness in the community and supporting people with
dementia living at home or in congregate settings. The conference will also address markets and business
issues including: Understanding the older consumer, developing effective
markets for care technology, connectedness
and the digital divide, and knowledge transfer from research into commercial
products.
For more information, please visit the Conference website here.
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News from the Retirees' Welfare Bureau of Zambia
Sensitizing the Country to Ageing
In the July 2009 edition of IFA eNews, we profiled a new member organization, the Retirees' Welfare Bureau of Zambia. This organization is doing some tremendous work in that country, and in this edition of IFA eNews we would like to take an opportunity to profile their latest project.
The Sensitization on Ageing and Retirement in Zambia is a collaborative project between number of public and private agencies to
create awareness and generate information on the major difficulties being
faced by retirees, aged persons and senior citizens. The premise of this project is that retirement
and ageing should be brought to the attention of the Zambian public
through deliberate sensitization programmes.
To improve the situation of older persons requires a holistic approach that includes long term sustainable programmes that empower them to contribute effectively to their societies and benefit from socio-economic, cultural and technological interventions. Elder abuse, poverty, HIV/AIDS, delayed benefits and
lacking legal protection were all factors that prompted the Retirees'
Welfare Bureau to work to sensitize the nation on various aspects of
retirement and ageing. This is by way of using various methods
including dissemination of information through print and electronic
media. Information campaigns are a critical element of this holistic approach, by way of using various methods including dissemination of information through print, electronic and, notably successful, radio media.
The sensitization programme was an eye opener in so far as the problems affecting retirees and senior citizens in the nation are concerned. However, the long term impact will be measured against indicators such as strengthened service delivery, greater legal protection, and greater community participation among older adults. For more information, download the full-text Sensitization Report here and the Summary of Outcomes here.
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Grandparents in Iran
New study on an under-researched subject
 Dr. Mohammad Taghi Sheykhi,
Associate Professor of Sociology at Al-Zahra University in Tehran is conducting a study on the situation of grandparents in Iran. Due in part to its comparatively young population, the needs and situation of older people in Iran is not fully understood or prioritized, and they lack sufficient protection and rights under the law. However, like many countries Iran has a growing older population (the number of people aged 65 years and above has almost doubled in the last 50 years!), and this scenario is creating
increasing challenges for Iran's social services, care system, social
security and pension system.
Dr. Sheykhi's study of grandparents
touches variables such as their age, quality of life, state of occupation, welfare,
insurance, safety, and level of education. For his research, Dr. Sheykhi has already conducted individual case studies of nearly 700 grandparents. Among his key findings are that the safety and quality of life of grandparents
in Iran is highly depend on their health status, personality traits, and even the ethno-cultural
backgrounds of those around them. To find out more about this study, and the situation of older people in Iran, please contact Dr. Sheykhi directly.
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Sincerely yours,
The International Federation on Ageing |
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IFA - eNews
Robotics specialist Prof. Yoshiyuki Sankai (
Sankai's HAL is a full-bodied
exoskeleton suit, designed to support the wearer in performing everyday
activities. It operates by sensing weak electrical impulses from muscles
via electrodes on the operator's skin and sending them to the onboard computer
which in turn analyzes them and activates corresponding servos of the suit,
mimicking the wearer's motions. The whole suit is powered by a 100-volt battery
attached to the operator's waist.
HAL is slated for production in October 2010, pending field
tests. In the meanwhile, Prof. Sankai will be one of the keynote speakers
at the 
