Celebrating the Diverse Roles of Grandparents Follow us on Twitter @HGSWI
When most people think of grandparents they think of the insight, advice and stories they share with their grandchildren. But the roles grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren can vary immensely. From maintaining long distance relationships, to raising grandchildren on their own, every grandparent’s experience is different. National Grandparents Day, which was held on September 9th, celebrates grandparents in the United States and raises awareness about how they can advocate for policies that will benefit the next generation. This edition of Ripples is focused on providing information and resources for grandparents and their loved ones. For more information visit our homepage.
Newest Cohort of Hartford Doctoral Fellows Enter the Job Market
The Hartford Doctoral Fellows Program prepares the next generation of social-work innovators and leaders for faculty positions in CSWE-accredited institutions, and the latest cohort of fellows have entered the job market. If you’re looking to fill such a position, please give serious consideration to this talented pool of individuals. For more information and access to the fellows’ CVs check out GSWI.org.
Picture Yourself Doing Something Grand for Grandparents Day 2012
Imagine if millions of older adults used their voices to advocate on behalf of America's future: our children and youth. That's precisely what Generations United envisions come September. Using Grandparents Day (September 9) as a call to action, they are launching Do Something Grand, a full week of intergenerational activism. Join them in reaching out to decision makers to begin one of the most important dialogues in our history: addressing the many challenges facing future generations--from literacy to health and wellness to financial stability. Click here to learn more. They also invite you to become a Grand Face Grand Voice on behalf of America's children and youth. Visit their website to pledge your support.
National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
The AIDS Institute is hosting the 5th annual National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD), observed on September 18, 2012. National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day focuses on the challenging issues facing the aging population with regards to HIV prevention, testing, care, and treatment. In addition, there is an increased need for prevention, research and data targeting the aging population, medical understanding of the aging process and its impact on HIV/AIDS. To download the NHAAAD 2012 Took Kit for resource materials on activities and ways organizations and individuals can become involved, go to the AIDS Institute’s NHAAAD web page.
GSA’s 65th Annual Scientific Meeting
Register today for GSA’s 65th Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place November 14-18, 2012 in San Diego, CA. GSA’s scientific program is one of the most respected of its kind. This year’s theme is “Charting New Frontiers in Aging.” Charting implies connections — within and across disciplines, professions, individuals, cohorts, generations, systems, environments, cultures and nations. By charting connections, we move beyond our personal insights and investigations to achieve a deeper and more meaningful understanding of aging and its implications. Save the date for San Diego! For more details, and to register, visit www.geron.org/2012.
Featured Video: Time Out for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
If you cannot see the video, click here.
More Grandparents are contributing to grandchildrens’ college funds
According to a new MetLife survey an increasing number of grandparents are helping grandchildren financially, but the survey also notes that, that support is not sustainable. To learn more about the financial habits of grandparents in regards to their grandchildren and the impact it has on them financially click here to read more about MetLife's survey findings.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Study Finds Child Care Assistance Growing
Sixty percent of grandparents served as caregivers to their grandchildren over a ten-year period, and of that group, a whopping seventy percent offered care for two years or more. These statistics are derived from a new study by the University of Chicago based on a National Institute on Aging survey of more than 13,000 people age 50 and older. To learn more about the impact this is having, read this article from the Huffington Post.
President Obama Recognizes Grandparents Day
President Obama has signed a proclaimation recognizing the importance of grandparents and the role they play in strengthening families and enriching lives. To read the Whitehouse press release click here.
New resources for grandparents
ZERO TO THREE's newest set of resources offers grandparents tools and information for nurturing their young grandchildren's development and for sharing the care with their adult children. Specifically designed for grandparents, the resources provide information on a range of topics, including child development from birth, sharing caregiving responsibilities with adult children, and supporting a grandchild through separation. The series entitled "On Your Lap, In Your Heart" offer resources in Spanish and is free to download. Click here for more information.
AARP Foundation GrandCare Support Locator
The GrandCare Support Locator connects grandparents with national, state and local groups, programs, resources and services that support grandparents or other relative caregivers as well as grandparents facing visitation issues. To check out the GrandCare support locator,click here.
Older Americans 2012: Key Indicators of Well-Being.
The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics was established in 1986 to improve the quality and utility of federal data on aging. "Older Americans 2012: Key Indicators of Well-Being" was prepared by 15 federal agencies, including the U.S. EPA, will be released this week. You may access the chartbook electronically at:www.agingstats.gov
Online Database Allows Access to Nursing Home Inspections Nursing Home Inspect is a new online database that allows the public to search and analyze reports of nursing home inspections. The reports are from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which began offering them online in July. ProPublica, an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest, created an application that makes it easier for people to access the data within the reports. People can search by keywords, city, and nursing home name, and can search across all reports at once. ProPublica reports that the CMS database covers nearly 118,000 deficiencies at 14,565 homes since January 2011 and that future inspection reports added by CMS also will be added to the Nursing Home Inspect tool as they become available. To access the reports from ProPublica click here.
Facts and Figures About Social Security from the Social Security Administration (SSA) Fast Facts & Figures answers the most frequently asked questions about the programs the SSA administers. It highlights basic program data for the Social Security (retirement, survivors, and disability) and Supplemental Security Income programs. Most of the data come from the Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin, which contains more than 240 detailed tables. To read the report click here.
Coalition Of 3,000 Organizations Urges Congress To Avoid Sequestration
A coalition of almost 3,000 organizations signed on to a letter to Congress earlier this month asking leaders to avoid cuts to nondefense discretionary (NDD) cuts that would potentially be implemented in January 2013. The coalition notes that a wide range of organizations signed on to the letter, with advocates from health, education, law enforcement, science, housing, workforce, transportation and faith communities urging Congress to take a more balanced approach. Spending on NDD accounted for 4.3% of the US Gross Domestic Product in 2011, but under the Budget Control Act, this spending would be cut to 2.8% by 2021. Advocates explain that these cuts would ultimately mean fewer teachers, drug and food inspectors, fewer first responders, and fewer scientific innovations. Sixty delegates from the various organizations are serving in the "NDD Summit" and will help coordinate an education effort aimed at the public and policymakers. The content of the letter is one page, and the remaining 62 pages list state and national organizations that signed onto the letter. For more information, visit: Letter to Congress from 3,000 Advocacy Organizations
State ID Laws Restrict Older Americans
Over the past 18 months, state legislatures around the country have passed laws requiring voters to present government-issued IDs before they can cast a ballot. Some of the battles over the new requirements have moved from statehouses to courthouses. Proponents of the laws say they are needed to fight voter fraud. Opponents say there is little evidence of voter impersonation. They say the laws not only raise unnecessary obstacles to exercising constitutional rights, but also disproportionately hamper certain segments of the population, including older voters. To learn more click here.
State Reports Regarding Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security Released
Social Security Works and the Strengthen Social Security Coalition (www.strengthensocialsecurity.org) released 51 state reports (partnering with Alliance for Retired Americans and many other organizations to celebrate the 47th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid (July 30) and the 77th anniversary of the signing of the Social Security Act (August 14) . All the reports are available at http://strengthensocialsecurity.org/statereports2012.They include discussions of how each of these programs work for a state's population and economy, with special focus on the benefits for such groups as children, communities of color, women and the like. Also, they include at least one story about the importance of these programs to someone who lives in the state. Additionally, the appendices include much data broken out by state, congressional district and counties.
Ripples, an e-newsletter, is designed to keep interested deans and directors, faculty members, students, practitioners and others informed about the work of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI).Please note that the information contained in Ripples comes from a variety of sources, including aging listservs, and social work and aging newsletters. In order to get this information to subscribers as quickly as possible, there is little to no additional verification of work or research of resources.
We welcome your feedback and encourage you to contribute any story ideas, stories, resources, news and other content to subsequent issues of the newsletter. To make a contribution, please contact us via email at gswi@geron.org.
For archived issues of Ripples, please click here.
