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A Call to Transform Health and Long Term Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities

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What We’re Reading: April 8, 2019

April 8, 2019 by Claudia Paoletto

Disability Hierarchy is Real and It’s Holding Us Back | Meriah Nichols

Ed Roberts, one of the founders of the Disability Rights Movement in the United States, was a man who understood the importance of unity within the disability community. Ed Roberts knew that unless and until everyone across the disability spectrum – the deaf, blind, physically disabled, people with chronic and non-visible disabilities, the neuro-diverse, mentally ill, developmentally and intellectually disabled – could come together, we were going to go nowhere real fast.

Violence Against Older Americans on the Rise | U.S. News & World Report

Assaults and homicides against people 60 and older have surged in recent years – a worrisome trend as the U.S. population continues to age. Rates of violence against older people, particularly older men, have surged in recent years and could continue to rise, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

How America’s individualistic streak shaped design for disability | Curbed

It’s perhaps predictable, in a country subscribed to a mythos of rugged individualism, frontier spirit, and all manner of bootstrap-pulling, that the United States’ approach to disability rights is focused on the individual. But as art historian Bess Williamson argues in Accessible America: A History of Disability and Design, her new book examining the evolution of accessible product design, regulations, and public spaces, that focus on the individual is in many ways detrimental to the social safety net.

Tammy Duckworth Forced Airlines to Report When They Break Wheelchairs. Hers Ended Up on the List. | Mother Jones

In December, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) caught a flight back to Washington after surveying tornado damage in her home state only to discover that, for at least the third time in three years, the wheelchair she relies on had been broken while it was stowed in the plane’s hold during transit. The damage was relatively minor, but it still made the chair difficult to use. This is a common problem for people with disabilities, many of whom complain that their motorized wheelchairs and scooters are damaged in transit. But until recently, when Duckworth pushed through a rule forcing airlines to track and publicize when they break or damage assistive devices, how often this occurs has been unknown. Because of this rule, which recently took effect, the incident involving Duckworth’s wheelchair was disclosed last week when the first round of data was released by the Department of Transportation.

Old, Online, And Fed On Lies: How An Aging Population Will Reshape The Internet | Buzz Feed News

Older people play an outsized role in civic life. They also are more likely to be online targets for misinformation and hyperpartisan rhetoric.

AARP and AARP Foundation Submit Amicus Brief in Support of ACA and the Security It Provides Older Americans | Sierra Sun times

AARP and AARP Foundation filed an amicus brief on Monday with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit supporting the constitutionality of the prescription drugsPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and asking it to reverse the trial court’s December 2018 ruling in Texas v. United States. The brief argues that if the ACA is invalidated, millions of older Americans will be harmed, many will lose their health coverage, and the nation’s health system will be thrown into turmoil.

Ryan O’Connell Came Out of the Disability Closet. Now, He’s Changing the Conversation | Time

Ryan O’Connell likens his new show, Special, to an Ariana Grande song—which is to say, it’s pop. It’s not Stravinsky or Coltrane; it’s not, as he puts it, “some lo-fi mumblecore sh-t.” The semiautobiographical series he wrote and stars in, about an introverted millennial struggling to move out of his mom’s house and become a writer, is conventional. Most of its episodes have an A plot and a B plot. There’s a plucky protagonist and a lovable sidekick.

Special Olympics Uproar Draws Attention To Other Disability Program Cuts | Disabiltiy Scoop

Recent outcry over a proposal to end federal funding for Special Olympics is helping put the spotlight on other potentially devastating cuts to programs for people with disabilities, advocates say.

High school robotics team builds power wheelchair for 2-year-old boy | NBC News

Cillian Jackson was born with a genetic condition that makes getting around difficult. When his father reached out to the local high school’s robotics team, they jumped at the chance to help out by building a custom electric wheelchair.

Invisible Abuse: ABA and the things only autistic people can see | The Aspergian

If you want to upset a self-described Autism Mom, all you have to do is tell her that ABA is abusive. This argument breaks out on social media so many times every single day. Autism is an unusual condition because the community is so sharply divided. On one side you have the neurotypical parents and families of autistic children, and on the other you have the online community of adult autistic people, many of whom are parents to autistic children. The two sides disagree on virtually everything, but arguably the most contentious subject is Applied Behaviour Analysis Therapy.

Spurs to open Sensory Room in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day | NBC News 4 San Antonio

The San Antonio Spurs announced that they will open a new Sensory Room inside the AT&T Center in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day prior to the game vs. the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, April 2. The room, designed by nonprofit KultureCity, is located outside of Section 230 on the Balcony Level and will be an oasis for guests at any event in the AT&T Center with sensory needs or sensory-processing issues such as Autism, PTSD, dementia, or anxiety.

Protecting The Aging And Infirm From Financial Abuse: Practical Steps To Take Now | Forbes

People are aging and the incidence of elder financial abuse, and the permutations it can take are growing as well. There is lots of talk of these issues but what you need to do, for yourself if applicable or for loved ones that might be affected, is take action. There are a number of specific steps that might prove helpful and protective. First, let’s look at some of the many forms this exploitation can take.

Blind runner and guide dog team up for half-marathon | NBC News

When a genetic condition took Thomas Panek’s sight in his twenties, one of the things he really missed was running. This month, he will become the first blind runner to complete a half marathon with a canine companion.

Nearly Half of Older Americans Have No Retirement Savings | The Motley Fool

Since Social Security doesn’t provide enough income to sustain seniors by itself, it’s on working Americans to save for the future independently. But a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) paints a pretty bleak picture in this regard: As of 2016, only 52% of workers 55 and older were saving in a 401(k) or IRA. This means nearly half of older Americans are barreling toward retirement with no personal savings to speak of.

One Short, Brisk Walk a Day May Keep Arthritis at Bay | U.S. News & World Report

Less than 10 minutes a day of brisk walking can help prevent disability in people with arthritis pain in their knee, hip, ankle or foot, researchers report. Just one hour a week of brisk physical activity “is less than 10 minutes a day for people to maintain their independence. It’s very doable,” said lead study author Dorothy Dunlop. She’s a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

More Older Americans Using Marijuana to Treat Pain, Other Conditions | Voice of America

Retirement communities like Laguna Woods Village in Southern California often plan activities for their older adult members. One recent outing included eating a small lunch, playing bingo games…and buying their month’s supply of marijuana. “It’s like the ultimate senior experience,” said 76-year-old retiree Ron Atkin. He talked with Associated Press reporters in the back room of a marijuana store called Bud and Bloom in the California city of Santa Ana. Most American states have legalized the use of medical marijuana. And 10 of them — including California – permit people who are 21 and older to use the drug for non-medical purposes.

Where There’s Rarely a Doctor in the House: Assisted Living | The New York Times

The patient moved into a large assisted living facility in Raleigh, N.C., in 2003. She was younger than most residents, just 73, but her daughter thought it a safer option than remaining in her own home. The woman had been falling so frequently that “she was ending up in the emergency room almost every month,” said Dr. Shohreh Taavoni, the internist who became her primary care physician.

Insight: We need a plan to care for aging Californians | San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco has become better known for rising housing costs and homelessness than the innovation, beauty and diversity that make it special to those of us who call it home. Nearly every Bay Area community is feeling these challenges.

The Secrets of an Aging Athlete | Scientific American

Bestselling author and fitness guru Brad Kearns joins Get-Fit Guy, Brock Armstrong, to explain how we can stay fit now, and well into the future

The information and links provided here are a courtesy. The National Advisory Board does not necessarily endorse or share the views contained in any article, report or web site. No link provided here should be considered an endorsement of any opinion, product or service that may be offered in the article or at the linked-to site.

Filed Under: Affordable Care Act (ACA), Developmental Disabilities, Diversity, Employment, Health Insurance, Medicare & Medicaid, News, Nursing Homes, Social Activity, Technology, What We're Reading Tagged With: AARP, ACA, accessible travel, Assisted Living, Blind Runner, Cillian Jackson, disability design, disability hierarchy, Ed Roberts, Marijuana, retirement, Ryan O'Connell, San Antonio Spurs, Special, Special Olympics, Tammy Duckworth, Violence against older americans, World Autism Awareness Day

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The information and links provided here are a courtesy. The National Advisory Board does not necessarily endorse or share the views contained in any article, report or web site. No link provided here should be considered an endorsement of any opinion, product or service that may be offered in the article or at the linked-to site.
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