Working After Age 65 (Research, Video 2:02)

Here’s a question for you. If you asked most of your retired older adult friends how many would return to the workforce, what percentage do you think would say they would? Would you say 10%, 30% or 50%? According to the American Working Conditions Survey (AWCS) with findings from research conducted by investigators at RAND Corporation, Harvard Medical School and UCLA, more than half of retirees (56%) said they would return to work under the right conditions. Were you surprised? Of these retirees, there were 40% non-college graduates and 60% college graduates. Actually, nearly 40% of those who were previously retired have already returned to the workforce after finding opportunities they considered to be the right conditions for meeting their personal financial needs and/or for workplace satisfaction.

Returning to the workforce, is not always easy for older adults who may be judged based on ageist views of those who do the hiring and make unfair assumptions about older adults’ physical abilities, technology skills, and flexibility in trying new approaches. As a former school principal, I, along with members of our local school interview committee, interviewed potential staff members of various ages. We had no problem hiring teachers over 50 who were qualified and who brought an enhanced level of maturity and experience to a position. Several of them had stopped working to raise families and were looking forward to fulfilling their love for teaching. Some of them mentioned that they felt they had been overlooked at previous job interviews because of their age, even though that was not stated to them outright because of laws. Personally, I have found most of these older adults returning to work to be excellent.

Why do many older adults want to continue working into their 70’s and even their 80’s? The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 22% of adults 65 and older will still be in the workforce by 2024. This video shares more insights about these upcoming concerns.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Mardi Gras Activities: Older Adult Seniors, Video 2:04

Growing up in New Orleans, I loved the magical season of Mardi Gras. Parades created wonderful memories for me. The excitement of swimming in an ocean of festivity, the buoyancy from living fantastic fantasies thrilled my senses. They connected me with the same wave of wonderment flowing through every child who ever lived on this planet. I store my memories in a marvelous, mental, treasure chest painted with purple, green, and gold brush strokes, the official colors of Mardi Gras. All grown up, I still smile when I look inside.

Many older adults will be smiling during Mardi Gras season this year and in the future. No matter where they live, people in cities across America love participating annually in this popular celebration. Mardi Gras day, known also as “Fat Tuesday,” falls on the day before the Christian season of Lent starts. Older adults celebrating this world-famous Carnival season often have parties and small parades. They can enjoy Mardi Gras activities explained at How to Celebrate Mardi Gras at Your Senior Facility.

Mardi Gras parades are not held on just one day. In New Orleans, street parades attracting thousands of local residents and curious tourists occur daily. It's a season with numerous parades, balls, and parties starting on January 6th. Parades are held during the day and at night until the biggest celebration on Mardi Gras Day, which can fall on any Tuesday between February 3rd and March 9th. These are upcoming Mardi Gras dates:

March 5, 2019
February 25, 2020
February 16, 2021
March 1, 2022
February 21, 2023
February 13, 2024
March 4, 2025
February 17, 2026
February 9, 2027

February 29, 2028

March 5, 2030

February 25, 2031,

February 10, 2032

March 1, 2033

February 21, 2034

February 6, 2035

February 26, 2036

February 17, 2037

March 9, 2038

February 22, 2039

February 14, 2040

March 5, 2041

February 18, 2042

February 10, 2043

March 1, 2044

February 21, 2045

February 6, 2046

February 26, 2047

February 18, 2048

March 2, 2049

February 22, 2050

Through the years, I have featured older adults celebrating Mardi Gras in various cities. Join residents in the Mardi Gras celebration video below. Hosted by the Osprey Lodge Assisted Living & Memory Care senior community in Tavares, Florida, the party has already started! Have some punch! As they say in New Orleans, “Laissez le bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll!”

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Older Adult Sex Lives (Senior Sex Research, Video 4:07)

What percentage of older adults between the ages of 65-80 do you think are sexually active? Would you say 20%, 40%, 60% or 80%? If you said 40%, you would be correct. In addition, nearly 2% of individuals in that age range have a romantic partner and 54% are sexually active. Some may find that surprising. This information resulted from research done by the National Poll on Healthy Aging sponsored by AARP and Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan academic medical center. The survey included responses from 1,002 people from ages 65 to 80.

Other older adult sexual information from the survey revealed that, although 62% of responders said they would consult a doctor if they were having a problem with their sexual health, only 17 % had done so in the previous two years. When sexual matters were discussed, patients, not the doctors, usually initiated the discussion. Healthcare providers should be more vigilant about initiating sexual health discussions with their older adult patients. Sexual intimacy is all part of patient-centered care and improving quality of life.

What do older adults have to say about their own sex lives? In this video clip  from the Jimmy Kimmel Live television show, older adults share their sex secrets at the LA Farmers Market. (Oh, the roads I must travel in the interest of research!)

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Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Patients in a Vegetative (Unresponsive Wakefulness) State: Nurse-Family Research, Video 5:43

Some people are uncomfortable referring to another human being as being in a vegetative state. That is probably why more doctors and neuroscientists prefer to call this state of consciousness an unresponsive wakefulness syndrome. A patient in this state experiences a disorder of consciousness in which severe brain damage is experienced.

About 50% of persons who are in this state one month after traumatic brain injury eventually recover consciousness. They are likely to have a slow course of recovery and usually have some ongoing cognitive and physical impairments and disabilities. In this state, the person is still unconscious, breathing, and able to feel pain.

Family and healthcare caregivers have important roles to play with these patients, especially when the patient is allowed to go home. In this research study on nurses, family caregivers and vegetative patients, 14 patients and caregivers participated. Data were gathered using face-to-face in-depth interviews at discharge time and during home care, helping families in providing care, and supporting them during care process.

Research concluded that nurses can play an effective role in improving the caregivers' well-being by considering the importance of training at discharge time and during home care, helping families in providing care, and support during the care process.

This video shares the story of Juan Torres, who was declared to be in a permanent unresponsive wakefulness syndrome state. What makes his story so special is that he surprised everyone one day and woke up. He even remembered what had happened while he was not awake.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Bullying, Loneliness, Mortality in Older Adult Senior Communities (Research, Bullying Link)

Solitude can be a good friend at any age for those who have learned to embrace its opportunities. Loneliness, on the other hand, is another story. While every age experiences some level of loneliness, older adults are often assumed to experience loneliness more as their peers die. People often imagine older adults living at home alone in a house where they have few visitors or other forms of engaging contact while life happens. They also may not make the connection that ongoing loneliness can negatively impact health, particularly in the form of depression, a risk factor for other serious healthcare issues.

Ironically, older adult housing communities are often viewed as solutions to the loneliness problems of those living alone at home. But aging in place at home can be a good thing when all the caregiving, social, security and enrichment pieces are in place. These same factors should also be in place in excellent housing communities. Sometimes they aren’t available in either location.

While few studies have examined the effects of loneliness and social isolation on older adult health, this study, which included a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older adults with a follow-up period of up to 20 years, did. Results show that effects of loneliness and social isolation interact with each other: The higher the social isolation, the larger the effect of loneliness on mortality. The higher the loneliness, the larger the effect of social isolation.

Preventing social isolation in older adult communities includes important components involving mental, spiritual, and physical stimulation provided by various experiences such as exercise and other classes, entertainment, clubs, trips, games, movies, dining experiences, etc. This buffet of well-rounded choices from which residents decide how to live their daily lives should be grounded in an institutional culture supporting each resident’s right to be treated with equality and respect at all times.

I could not end this post without addressing bullying, an under-reported and too often unaddressed problem in many older adult communities. Bullying often plays a role in older adults isolating themselves to avoid contact with bullies who target them or others. Being excluded from seating in dining areas, movie theater rooms, etc., to which they are entitled on a first-come, first-served basis, as well as verbal, mental, and physical abuse are all forms of bullying. No one should have to age while being mistreated regularly by selfish neighbors who justify their actions that negatively impact victims' health. Studies indicate that one in five older adults are bullied. Senior communities must have ongoing assessment, implementation, monitoring, and staff inservice training supporting equality and respect in the culture of their communities. 

You can read my post on bullying, which includes detailed examples, solutions, and a brief video explaining some of the legal and legislative senior bullying issues here: 
https://hospiceandnursinghomes.blogspot.com/2018/07/bullying-in-older-adult-communities.html

Bullying in older adult senior communities continues to escalate. More information and solutions can be found at this AARP site: https://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2018/bullying-senior-housing.html.

Frances Shani Parker
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog