Agape Long Term Care

A book from National Institute on Aging

Book

Caregiving is one of the most loving jobs in the world.  Since no one wants to be a Caregiver, they do it because they love someone and want to help them.  So much so, that they give up their own lives to give them physical, emotional, and financial aid.  As someone said, “They’re giving the medals to the wrong people.” 

To better understand the often thankless job of Caregiving, I would like to recommend a book that the founders of Home Instead Senior Care wrote.  It is Stages of Senior Care by Paul and Lori Hogan.  I consider it a must read for anyone involved in Caregiving.  It accurately and in much detail, describes the progression that one experiences in needing some sort of care at various levels on function loss.  Here is a podcast on the book and more information:

http://www.stagesofseniorcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Stages_of_Senior_Care_Podcast.mp3

http://www.stagesofseniorcare.com/resources/

Please look into this excellent book.

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Biannual AAPR study.

Downloaded from www.4070talk.com, this informative booklet gives information on how to have “the conversation” with aging parents

THE GRAYING OF THE GREAT POWERS by Richard Jackson and Neil Howe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keiY4wriYHM.

Order the book at:

http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_pubs/task,view/id,4453/type,2/.

This report investigates how “global aging” — as the demographic transformation is often called — will reshape the geopolitical landscape through the first half of the 21st century. From the perspective of today’s developed nations, the report addresses questions like the following:

• How will demographic change reshape the relative influence and power exercised by the world’s nations and alliances?

• How will it affect the performance of national economies, the mood of national electorates, and the effectiveness of national defense strategies?

• Will rising retirement and health care costs crowd out spending on national defense and international affairs?

• Will today’s developed countries come to depend on the surplus savings of rising developing nations to keep them afloat financially — and if so, how can we expect these new suppliers of capital to use their newly acquired leverage?

• Will armed forces experience chronic manpower shortages as the number of youth declines and tight civilian labor markets make military careers less attractive?

• Will the resources available to pursue geopolitical goals be further constrained by the changing temperament of risk-averse older voters?

• Will demographically declining societies be less willing to risk scarce young people in war, and will this accelerate the substitution of military technology for manpower? (pps. 9-10)

Major Findings: The Demographic Transformation

• The world is entering a demographic transformation of unprecedented dimensions. . . .

• The coming transformation is both certain and lasting. There is almost no chance that it will not happen — or that it will be reversed in our lifetime. . . .

• The regions of the world will become more unalike before they become more alike. . . .

• In the developed world, the transformation will have sweeping economic, social, and political consequences that could undermine the ability of the United States and its traditional allies to maintain security. . . .

• In the developing world, the transformation will give rise to dangerous new security threats. . . .

Major Findings: The Geopolitical Implications

• The population and GDP of the developed world will shrink steadily as a share of the world totals. In tandem, the global influence of the developed world will likely decline. . . .

• The population and GDP of the United States, due to its relatively high fertility and immigration rates, will expand steadily as a share of the developed world totals. In tandem, the influence of the United States within the developed world will likely rise. . . .

• Most nations in sub-Saharan Africa, and some nations in the Muslim world — including Afghanistan, Iraq, the Palestinian Territories, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen — will possess a large ongoing “youth bulges” that could render them chronically unstable until at least the 2030s. . . .

• Many nations in North Africa, the Middle East, South and East Asia, and the former Soviet bloc — including China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia — are now experiencing rapid or extreme demographic change that could either push them toward civil collapse or (in reaction) “neo-authoritarianism.” . . .

• The threat of ethnic and religious conflict will continue to be a growing security challenge in both the developing and developed worlds. . . .

• Throughout the world, the 2020s will likely emerge as a decade of maximum geopolitical danger. . . .

• The aging developed countries will face chronic shortages in young adult manpower — posing challenges both for their economies and their security forces. . . .

• An aging developed world may struggle to remain culturally attractive and politically relevant to younger societies. (pps. 1-4) . . .

A Framework for Policy Action

Demographic Policy

• Help women balance jobs and children…

• Reward families are having children…

• Improve the economic prospects of young families…

• Leverage immigration more effectively…

Economic Policy

• Reduce the projected cost of old-age benefits…

• Increase funded retirement savings…

• Encourage longer work lives…

• Enable more young people to work…

• Maximize the advantages of trade…

• Raise national savings…

Diplomacy and Strategic Alliances

• Expand the developed-world club…

• Prepare for a larger US role…

• Invest in development assistance…

• Remain vigilant to the threat of neo-authoritarianism…

• Preserve and enhance soft power…

Defense Posture and Military Strategy

• Prepare for growing casualty aversion…

• Substitute military technology for manpower…

• Substitute nonnative for native manpower…

• Create “service alliances” with loyal developing countries…

• Adapt weapons, training, and force structure… (pps. 197-201)

This is a book of questions for the person to document his last wishes and identify and locate their assets and possessions.� It is available as a download and people pay what they think it is worth.

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