Landon Julson
Research Notes
May 22, 2013

1-   Crafts-Brander, Benjamin. "How to Involve Elderly Citizens." UCP. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2013. <http://ucpsarnet.iglooprojects.org/>.

    This article was more of a personal story from a man that explained that keeping the elderly involved is actually hard and is something that becomes a big issue later on in the line of life.  Another thesis question is when do we stop letting someone be active in the community or pull a plug on activities that they do?  It tells us what kind of mental things pop up in life without interaction of people. Depression is a big factor to the lack of social fulfillment.

    With the amount of aging and elderly people in the world today, it is important that we do all that we can to keep them as viable, productive members of society.  In the video lecture Dr. Richard Gitelson acknowledged the fact that there are many millions of baby boomers that are now hitting ages 60 and above.  Therefore, the problem of how to keep these aging citizens integrated in the community will become a bigger one in the next couple decades to come.  In light of the information on the pros and cons of nursing homes, the biggest issue affecting the lives of the elderly is isolation; isolation from their families, hobbies, and previous ways of life.  I experienced this firsthand during the brief time that my grandfather lived in an assisted-care facility; he suffered isolation partly because I became withdrawn and reluctant to even go in there; the patients who were experiencing senility, dementia, or just plain depression intimidated me.  This burden of guilt compounded on my family until we realized that we had made a bad decision, after which we removed my grandpa from the facility and took care of him at our own home.  I feel remorse and shame still today for what we put him through; placing him in a foreign environment that took away his independence and contact with his loved ones.
Even though Connie Aman Shryock of the Friendship Village defended current nursing home establishments and assured everyone that care for the elderly in these places has come leaps and bounds, the fact remains that anyone put in a home is automatically cut off from the main part of the community...it is only the degree of separation that varies.  I am an advocate of the use of nursing homes if it is the absolute last option possible, but there are many other options available that would give the elderly much more of the respect that they deserve.  CP can underscore the fact that the elderly are an extremely important part of the community, in the fact that they have a wealth of valuable knowledge and wisdom that can be beneficial to the younger generations.  Community psychologists could play an important role in reminding people of the value of keeping the elderly active in community affairs.  If people kept this in mind there could be more opportunities for integration of seniors into more community organizations, or chances for the elderly to come and guest speak at a school or public address.  In our culture where youth is worshipped and old age is downplayed, CP can and will be an important tool in maintaining community respect for the elderly.

2-   Orlovsky, Christina. "Technology Aims to Keep Elderly Safe in Independent Environments." Nursezone. N.p., 2008. Web. 22 May 2013. http://www.nursezone.com/.


Based on keeping elderly safe in an independent lifestyle these nurses and other contributors take a look through the lens that focuses on technology and figuring out exactly how to keep them safe as they grow old.  Lots of assisted living type facilities or apartment like places assisted with medical monitoring technologies.  In resultant this will hopefully keep them feeling more safe and allowing them to do more with their life at a comfortable pace.

Technology Aims to Keep Elderly Safe in Independent Environments
By Christina Orlovsky, contributor
For many senior citizens, growing older also means taking a step back toward a more dependent lifestyle and relying on children or caregivers to tend to their needs and ensure their safety. Thanks to new research at one Texas university, the next generation of elderly adults may be able to remain safely in their homes, cared for by a new wave of assistive technology.

Thanks to new research, the next generation of elderly adults may be able to remain safely in their homes, cared for by a new wave of assistive technology.
“There are clinical, safety and psychological reasons behind this research focus,” explained Fillia Makedon, department head and professor of computer science and engineering, and the director of the Human Centered Computing Laboratory (HERACLEIA) at the University of Texas, Arlington.
At HERACLEIA, Makedon, her colleagues and their students are developing tools to help seniors remain comfortably at home longer than ever before, with caregivers monitoring them remotely.
“Clinically, professional care today is fragmented and determined by visits to the hospital in order to respond to an emergency or for a planned visit,” she continued. “However the time of clinical assessment of the physical and behavioral status of an individual is extremely short. It doesn’t allow for a systemic evaluation of how, for example, the person responds to drug X under conditions Y or after an event Z. By incorporating sensors and other non-invasive monitoring technologies at certain locations at the patient’s home, one may be able to assess over days or longer how someone’s condition is evolving.”
At HERACLEIA, researchers work in a mock apartment equipped with monitoring technology, robotic tools, cameras and sensors. Highlights of the technology include computer vision methods, which identify human body activity, such as bending, walking, falling or jumping; a tracking system to localize movement; and brain imaging tools to correlate brain changes and connect them to behavioral patterns. Each of these fulfills the goal of protecting the safety of seniors in their home environment.
“The safety reasons behind the research are to monitor behavior in order to prevent falls and other elements of risk,” Makedon explained. “For example, one may identify a better rearrangement of furniture in one’s living space, depending on the pattern of accidents collected.”
The final critical element of the research is the psychological component of aging independently.
“We aim to keep an aged, disabled or any person needing nursing care at home as much as possible,” she continued. “There are psychological benefits to the family or the patient themselves, knowing that there is a ‘caring big brother,’ whether on site or remotely, watching out for them.”
Makedon emphasized that the goal of this assistive technology is not to replace human nursing but to assist it in a way that would be particularly beneficial to nursing professionals.
“Nurses are, like doctors, very busy practitioners who can devote only a fraction of their time to any given person; they cannot possibly have the time to collect valuable long-term information that would allow them to extract important features or changes or behavioral markers that can lead to improved caring,” she said.
“Assistive environments, like the mock HERACLEIA apartment we have in our lab, are test beds to develop new methods that would allow us in the future to improve the caring by nurses and find out, for example, when is the best time to administer a therapy; when is the most critical time that a person faces a given risk; where is the best location for rehabilitation in someone’s home; and how to best reorganize daily routines and train family caregivers to make nursing have more impact,” she concluded. “The same technologies developed for the home can also be developed for the hospital.”




3-   Johnson, Lori. "How Elders and Caregivers Can Take Advantage of Summer Weather." Agingcare.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2013. <http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/summer-activities-to-do-with-seniors-150881.htm>.

This was helpful to read since it was a positive based article about how to get the elderly outside and doing something fun and enjoying to them other than just sitting around doing nothing.  It gave some simple easy activities you can do to get them out and moving around.  These are mainly examples that would involve two people or so.  Also it talked about the good things that come out of getting them outside.  Very resourceful for me and will be used in my final writing.

Enjoying a breezy spring day or the warm summer temperatures don't have to be a distant memory for elders and caregivers. After being cooped up in the house for possibly months at a time, senior adults can breathe in the fresh air, even if they are experiencing mobility problems. It takes some advance planning and choosing an activity that won't seem like a chore, but it's worth getting out of the house, for you and your elderly parent.
The benefits of getting outside
A main advantage of heading outdoors, even for a short period of time, is being able to soak up the sunlight, which generates Vitamin D – necessary for the brain, bones and muscle function, says Dr. Michael Raab, a geriatrician with Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, Fla. Some doctors even prescribe sunlight as a source of Vitamin D, which research also finds can improve cognitive function.
Another key benefit is that being outside enables elders to socialize and interact with caregivers as well as other adults, children and animals.
Those activities can give people an extra spring in their step and rejuvenate them, says Christina Chartrand, vice president of training and staff development for Senior Helpers, an in-home senior care agency with offices in 40 states.
Raab adds: "Whatever you can do, it's going to be mentally uplifting."
Although caregivers may be aware of the benefits, sometimes it seems as if the obstacles, such as wheelchair access, bathroom access, frailty and fatigue, are too great to overcome the great outdoors.
Caregivers can start to prepare elders with mobility problems to take the steps to head outside. Your physician can suggest chair exercises to make them more stable and build their muscles, for example.
Even though the temperatures may be pleasant, Raab says it's also important to make sure an elderly family member stays well hydrated; if not, it can impact muscle function and blood pressure and lead to a dangerous situation.




4-    McGee, Susie. "Recreational Activities for the Elderly." Love to Know. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2013. <http://seniors.lovetoknow.com/Recreational_Activities_for_the_Elderly>.


Another useful article about how the elderly stay involved in our community.  How it impacts an older persons mental health and physical health in a positive way.  Giving two very simple ideas on how to get involved and examples for what to do and how to do them to keep the mind focused on the colorful part of life rather than a boring black and white mindset.


Recreational Activities for the Elderly
Recreational activities help keep the elderly active and healthy.By Susie McGee
Recreational activities for the elderly are essential for maintaining good physical and mental health. Recreational activities can be as simple as learning a new hobby, joining a book club, and meeting new people at a local senior center.
Ads by Google
Dementia Care Facility Quality Memory Care in Your Area. Call Today for a Free Consultation. AlzheimersLocator.com
Getting Involved
Senior citizens are often unfamiliar with all of the senior services that are available to them. For many, the idea of recreational activities for the elderly focuses primarily upon those who reside in retirement homes.
However, many elderly are happy to discover that there is an abundance of recreational activities in their area. Sometimes, the hardest part of getting involved is just getting started. The following tips will point you in the right direction as you begin a search for recreational activities for the elderly.
Recreation Centers - Many seniors mistakenly believe that local recreation centers cater only to the young. Team sports and clubs are the core function of community centers, but many centers offer activities for senior citizens as well. Call or visit your local recreation center to find out what they have to offer. Invite a friend to go with you, too!
Senior Centers - If you haven't checked out your local senior center, what are you waiting for? Senior centers typically organize and manage a variety of recreational activities for the elderly, including arts and crafts, cultural activities, exercise programs, and even day trips to other places in your area.
Church Groups - Today, most churches recognize the need to cater to the social aspect of their members, and many congregations have active senior citizens' groups. These groups go out to dinner, meet at each other's homes, plan fun outings, and just enjoy fellowship together. If your church doesn't have a senior citizens' group, talk to a couple of your friends, the elders and/or deacons of your church, and other interested parties to see if you can get one started.
Volunteering
Sometimes, senior citizens are hesitant to involve themselves in group activities for a variety of reasons. They may not be comfortable meeting new people or learning a new hobby. Sometimes, the elderly just simply need to be needed. What better way to meet this need than to participate in a volunteer program? There are many areas in your community that need the services and talents that you have to offer.
Schools - The Foster Grandparent Volunteer Association and the Grandparents Association offer the elderly an opportunity to give back to the community by serving as volunteers in local schools. Volunteers work as aids to the teachers, coordinating school parties, working with disabled children, and providing love and support to school children. For many of these children, this may be the only contact they have with senior citizens, and these volunteer organizations are blessings for everyone involved.
Community Centers - Many community centers offer after-school care and summer programs. These organizations are typically in desperate need of volunteers who are willing to devote their time to youngsters in need of love and guidance. Check with your local community center for information.
Bridges Volunteer Program - The Bridges Volunteer Program is a wonderful service that coordinates elderly volunteers to work in the classroom as tutors in one-on-one situations with children.

5-   "Activities for the Elderly: 5 Tips on Keeping Seniors Active and Healthy." Elder Care Cafe. N.p., 9 Feb. 2011. Web. 22 May 2013. <http://www.eldercarecafe.net/>.

This article gives you good hints and ideas on how to spark up a conversation pointed towards what they like to do from the past and ideas on how keeping them involved with their own personal needs is something to think about.  That’s another possible thesis question or point, how do you shape an event around a single persons personality? Something to keep in mind when regarding these issues.


Activities for the Elderly: 5 Tips on Keeping Seniors Active and Healthy
February 9th, 2011 · No Comments
As a blogger and webmaster of a site that specializes in any topic, it is sometimes good to go outside to hear what others have to say on your topic. We at Elder Care Cafe like to share this platform with those who have direct knowledge of most any aspect of elder care and aging.  Today’s post was written by someone who has been in the health care industry for over ten years and also has an elderly mother who benefits from his knowledge and experience. This article was written by Steven Watson, PhD. You can read more about him in the resource box at the end of this article.
The quality of life for many seniors suffers because they don’t remain active. While it’s true that the elderly do slow down and have limitations to what they can do, it is inaccurate to think that they can’t continue to exercise and take part in the world around them. There are many activities for the elderly that can help them remain active and interested in life.
Here are 5 tips for motivating seniors to remain as active as possible.
 Find Out What They Enjoyed Doing in the Past – Seniors are no different than anyone else in that they will be much more likely to do things they enjoy. Find out what an elderly person did in the past to exercise or remain active and encourage her to do it in some fashion. For example, if a senior used to hike, suggest that she walk in safe places even if it’s to go from the mailbox and back. If she was very social-enjoying activities with groups of people-encourage her to go to the senior center or join a senior’s club.
 Don’t Set Seniors Up for Failure – It’s very important to start slow with activities for the elderly to build proficiency and confidence, especially if the elderly person has been inactive for a time. For example, if the chosen activity is to walk, then start by walking around the block or just to the street and back (depending on capabilities) and then gradually increase the distance over time.
 Set up a Support System – Isolation is a major issue with the elderly and, if left alone to do her activity, she probably won’t continue to do it. Stay involved during the initial stages of the new activity or exercise to provide encouragement and support and to ensure that it is being done correctly and safely. Once the new activity routine has been established, it may not be necessary to be there while it is being performed. However, at least call the elderly person to see if she performed the activity and then offer praise to reinforce it. Also, activities are almost always more enjoyable when done with others, so encourage the senior to do the activity with a group of other seniors.
 Expand the Options by Providing Transportation – Not all activities for the elderly can be done effectively in the home and may require transportation to other locations such as a senior center, YMCA, etc. Try to provide transportation assistance so that the elderly person can travel to where worthwhile activities are taking place. If transportation can’t be provided directly, there are often community transportation options for the disabled and elderly that can be considered.
 Spend the Time to Change the Senior’s Mindset about Activity and Exercise – Don’t assume that the elderly person will embrace the opportunity to be active and to exercise. Many seniors have fallen or had accidents of some kind and are concerned if not frightened about becoming more active. Make sure the senior understands just how important it is to take part in activities for good health and vitality. It might also help to tell her how important it is to YOU that she tries to be as active as possible. People want to know that others care about them!
These are a few tips to consider when encouraging seniors to participate in activities for the elderly. Also, make sure the elderly person has gotten the advice of a physician before beginning any type of activity or exercise.
If you have an elderly friend or loved one or know someone who does, check out this useful web site at http://www.keepseniorsactive.com to find out more about how to help seniors remain active, healthy, and safe.
Steven Watson, PhD has been a small business owner for over 12 years and a manager for 18 years. He owned a home health agency that specialized in care for the elderly for 10 years and currently owns a copywriting and resume company in the Tallahassee, FL area. Steven has an 86-year old mother and has a special interest in informing others about how to keep elderly parents or friends safe and healthy.