The Link E-Newsletter - July 2017

WEEK OF JULY 7, 2017

Save the date(s)! The Iowa Department on Aging is pleased to announce that it has scheduled the next events in its 2017 Dialogue on Aging Series for later this fall. Iowa State University and the University of Iowa will provide the feature presentations for "Technology in Aging: Improving the Quality of Life and Care for Older Iowans" in Bettendorf on Sept. 13 and Creston on Oct. 25: https://www.iowaaging.gov/news-resources/articles/save-date-2017-dialogue-aging-series-continues-fall
A new report, conducted by medicaresupplement.com, recently ranked Iowa the #2 state in the nation for the healthiest states for seniors: https://www.medicaresupplement.com/content/senior-state-health-rankings
On June 19, Lance Robertson was nominated as Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Robertson served as Oklahoma's Director of Aging Services and co-founded the Gerontology Institute at Oklahoma State University. He is a past president of the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/06/19/president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-personnel-key

According to a new U.C. Berkeley study, individuals with dementia may actually die sooner if their family caregivers are mentally stressed: http://news.berkeley.edu/2017/06/26/caregiver-mentalstress/
On June 21, the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau held a webinar on corporate responses to rising eldercare demands. Featured speakers included Drew Holzapfel, ReACT Convener; Grace Protos, New York’s regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau; and Jack Kupferman, the President of Gray Panthers NYC Network: http://respectcaregivers.org/?p=828

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) is conducting an online survey now through July 21 to learn more about the access of older adults and persons with disabilities to oral health services. Specifically, NASUAD is seeking more information about the gaps, barriers and challenges that older adults and people with disabilities face when they seek oral health services, as well as successes, promising practices and other information regarding dental supports for individuals in these population groups: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3637988/Oral-Health-I-R-A
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published an article about sun safety and the importance of protecting yourself year-round, not just during the summer months: https://www.cdc.gov/features/uv-radiation-safety/index.html
A recent National Council on Aging (NCOA) blog post describes why LGBT older adults run a higher risk for cancer, mental health issues and cardiovascular diseases: https://www.ncoa.org/blog/top-3-health-issues-lgbt-seniors/

NCOA’s Falls Prevention Awareness Day (FPAD) 2016 was the biggest ever, reaching more than 102 million people through media, education, risk screenings, advocacy activities and referrals to community-based programs. Read the 2016 Summary to get ideas for this year’s event on Sept. 22: https://www.ncoa.org/resources/falls-prevention-awareness-day-2016-compendium-state-national-activities/

According to a new National Consumer Law Center report, Pushed into Poverty: How Student Loan Collections Threaten the Financial Security of Older Americans, the federal government's draconian student loan collection policies increasingly force older adults into poverty by seizing Social Security benefits to repay defaulted student loans: http://www.nclc.org/images/pdf/student_loans/student-loan-collections-threaten-fin-sec.pdf