Posted by Ken Accardi on Wed, Jun 30, 2010 @ 04:56 AM
Recently published research in the June edition of Current Directions in Psychological Science concludes that Older Adults have better relationships with friends and their family. The study, conducted by Purdue University shares the following:
- Older Adults can better regulate their emotions and become upset less
- Older adults report better marriages and more supportive friendships
- There is a perception that older people have less time in a relationship, and therefore wish to make that remaining time as pleasant as possible
More than attitude, it's about how all people interact, according to report author Karen Fingerman, professor of Gerontology, Developmental and Family Studies. Picking up on this point, a concern is raised when the older person becomes less able to communicate effectively on their own. If they desire to remain independent, there are solutions that assist with this task, such as home monitoring and Ankota's FamilyConnect. FamilyConnect is a simple software product that allows care givers to report information to family members of someone under their care. More information is available at our FamilyConnect page.
We're thrilled with the results of the research showing that Older Adults enjoy better relationships and we're glad that we can assist in the process.
Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of care outside the hospital. Today Ankota services home health, private duty care, DME Delivery, RT, Physical Therapy and Home Infusion organizations, and is interested in helping to efficiently manage other forms of care. To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact Ankota.
Posted by Ken Accardi on Mon, Jun 28, 2010 @ 08:45 AM
Scientists in Denmark recently published a report in The Lancet indicating that half of babies born today in the developed world will live past 100 years of age. There was a good deal of coverage of the report and you can choose your favorite news source below for more complete coverage.
I find this research to be extremely thought provoking. Here are the top questions that come to mind for me:
- How long will people be able to work if they live 100 years? My understanding is that the retirement at age 65 was established at a time when average US live expectancy was 72.
- Does a longer life mean a longer healthy and productive life? Will a 90 year old person in 100 years have a comparable life to a 65 year old person today from the perspective of mobility, vision, etc.?
- How will healthcare be paid for? We've all seen projections about how Medicare will run out of money in the not too distant future. What will this mean?
- Will we be able to cure Alheimer's by then? So far the cure to Alzheimer's has been elusive, but this projection would seem to raise the urgency to find a cure
- Will this trend continue? Will the babies born in 100 years live to age 125?
If nothing else, this should convince us that we need to keep the innovation coming in the delivery of care. Maybe it will stimulate our imaginations and accelerate our progress.
Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of care outside the hospital. Today Ankota services home health, private duty care, DME Delivery, RT, Physical Therapy and Home Infusion organizations, and is interested in helping to efficiently manage other forms of care. To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact Ankota.
Posted by Ken Accardi on Wed, May 12, 2010 @ 09:50 PM
Looking at the population demographics in the US, everyone in Home Care, Hospice, Private Duty Care and the associated specialty services are taking notice. When we look at the fact that Baby Boomers will start reaching age 65 at a rate of 8,000 per day next year, we recognize that there will be a hugely growing need for home care services.
But when we look at world statistics, the numbers are mind-numbing. In a Census Bureau report entitled "An Aging World: 2008," the population of seniors over age 65 is estimated at 508 Million. By 2040, that number will climb to 1.3 billion - Yikes! The full report is available here.
What also changes, however, is the mix of ages. The first two subtitles in the report are:
- Older people soon to outnumber young children, and
-
World's Older Population Increasing 870,000 Each Month
If you don't choose to read the full report, consider looking over the following Q&A (from the report) below:
Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of care outside the hospital. Today Ankota services home health, private duty care, DME Delivery and Home Infusion organizations, and is interested in helping to efficiently manage other forms of care. To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact Ankota.
Posted by Amy Accardi on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 03:42 PM
As home care and private duty care professionals, we continue in our celebration of Older American's Month as introduced in a recent post available here.
The contributions of older Americans are not only in the past. Older Americans are living longer and are more active than ever before. With the aging of the baby boomer generation-the largest in our nation's history-America's senior population is expected to number 71.5 million by 2030.
While keeping the growing population of older Americans healthy and active will increase the demand for senior services, what is remarkable is the extent to which older Americans themselves are supporting each other. As the new generations of seniors become better educated and more financially secure than their predecessors, they are spending more time making significant contributions in their communities through civic and volunteer opportunities.
Seniors can sometimes feel that they are a burden when they ask a 
friend or family for help, but often have no trouble reaching out to someone their own age. In fact, older Americans are a core component of service delivery to seniors. They volunteer at group meal sites and deliver food to homebound seniors; they act as escorts and provide transportation for older adults who cannot drive; they help seniors with home repair, shopping and errands; and they provide vital counseling, information and referral services. Their energy and commitment reminds all Americans-not just senior citizens and their caregivers-to do their part to enhance the quality of life for older generations.
Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of care outside the hospital. Today Ankota services home health, private duty care, DME Delivery and Home Infusion organizations, and is interested in helping to efficiently manage other forms of care. To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact Ankota.
Posted by Amy Accardi on Tue, May 04, 2010 @ 06:49 PM
May is Older American's Month, giving the home healthcare and private duty care 
industries a special reason to celebrate our beloved patients and clients. In a tradition dating back to May 1963, Older American's Month, honors the legacies and ongoing contributions of older Americans and supports them as they enter the next stage in life.
This year's Older Americans Month theme-Age Strong! Live Long!-recognizes the diversity and vitality of today's older Americans who span three generations. They have lived through wars and hard times, as well as periods of unprecedented prosperity. They pioneered new technologies in medicine, communications, and industry while spearheading a cultural revolution that won equal rights for minorities, women, and disabled Americans.
One such older American who is worthy of celebration is Alice Thomas. At age 79, Alice completed law school at the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, CA back in December and will receive her law school degree at graduation ceremonies this month. She plans to practice elder law. You can read the full story, courtesy of the AARP Bulletin, by clicking on the picture below.
These remarkable achievements demonstrate the strength and character of older Americans, and underscore the debt of gratitude we owe to the generations that have given our society so much. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging by visiting http://www.eldercare.gov or calling 1-800-677-1116 to find out what you can do to strengthen services for older Americans, this month and all year round.
Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of care outside the hospital. Today Ankota services home health, private duty care, DME Delivery and Home Infusion organizations, and is interested in helping to efficiently manage other forms of care. To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact Ankota.
Posted by Ken Accardi on Wed, Feb 03, 2010 @ 10:30 AM
According to a December 10th article published by NielsenWire, the number of seniors using the web grew by 6 million between 2004 and 2009, and their favorite sites are Google, Facebook and YouTube. Seniors make up 8.2% of unique visitors to social networking sites (like facebook and blogs). By comparison, teenagers make up 8.3%. Click on the banner below for the full article.
Where do Seniors Go on the Web?
The following table shows the top 10 online destinations for US seniors.
What do Seniors Do on the Web?
Seniors average 58 hours per month on the web. Here's how they spend that time.
At Ankota, this helps us validate that seniors are willing and able to use the web. Ankota offers web screens for patients to see their calendar for care, set up alerts (e.g., medication reminders), and to interact with their care givers by marking their care items as complete. We are also able to provide information to remote family members about how their loved ones in care are doing. For more information about Ankota's Home Care Software, please contact us.