This section
reviews literature, research and helpful resources pertaining
to older adults as well as emerging intergenerational issues.
Vital aging
addresses issues of lifelong learning and maintaining civic
engagement. It also touches upon topics concerning seniors
and health such as long-term care and the financial aspects
of providing health care to the aging population.
Intergenerational
issues arise in multi-generational family situations such
as grandparents raising grandchildren and also in fostering
relationships between the young and the old.
Center on Aging
The Center on Aging (CoA), housed in the School of Public Health, enjoys active participation from more than 60 faculty and staff from a wide range of schools and departments across the University (including the Medical School, School of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Kinesiology, Humphrey Institute, School of Social Work, Minnesota Extension Service, College of Education, and various departments in the College of Liberal Arts).
Informal
Kinship Care in Minnesota: A Pilot Study
This report was completed
in 2003 for the Minnesota Kinship Care Association (MKCA) by University
researchers Priscilla Gibson and Terry Lum. It focuses on the experience
of kinship caregivers in the state of Minnesota aged 60 and over, who
were providing primary caregiving to young relatives or non-related
children of close friends through informal arrangements that were initially
made among family members. The areas selected for examination were caregiving
arrangements, services utilized, services needed, knowledge about services,
concerns, feelings about caregiving, quality of life of caregivers and
the grandchildren in care, and demographic information.
The
Vital Aging Network
The Vital
Aging Network (VAN) provides an informal forum for individuals
and organizations, who may have different priorities, to share
information, build partnerships and work collaboratively.
Their common purpose, expressed through the Vital Aging Network,
is to promote self-sufficiency, community participation and
quality of life for and with seniors through education, advocacy
and leadership development.
Intergenerational
Learning Including Grandparenting
Intergenerational
programs and policies involve the transfer of resources and
care across age groups. This site is part of the larger Vital
Aging Network’s (VAN) website. It includes links, on
the left side, to other intergenerational topics such as programs
for intergenerational education, grandparenting and genealogy
as well as a general listing of local and national intergenerational
programs and organizations.
Vital
Aging Network Education Resources
This listing
of both University of Minnesota and general education resources
is part of the larger Vital Aging Network’s (VAN) website.
Vital
Statistics
A
Pioneer Press article discusses the Vital Aging Network
and the vital aging movement.
The
Center for Nursing Research on Elders (CNRE)
Located
within the University of Minnesota's School of Nursing, the
Center for Nursing Research on Elders (CNRE) focuses on strengthening
and expanding nursing research on health promotion, symptom
management, health restoration, and care delivery for elders.
The Center also facilitates career development, fosters collaborative
efforts among faculty, students, and the community related
to gerontological nursing research, and promotes research
dissemination to local, national, and international audiences.
Elder
Learning Institute
The Elder
Learning Insitute, ELI, offers active life-long learning to
people of retirement age. It is one of more than 250 peer-led
educational programs affiliated with colleges and universities
across the United States.
Studies
About Grandparents and Grandchildren
A short
paper discussing findings about family relationships specifically
in terms of the role grandparents play, written by Extension
sociologist Sue Meyers.
Adaptation
and Age-Related Expectations of Older Gay and Lesbian Adults
Faculty
at the School of Social Work, U of MN, researched concerns
and worries about aging for gay and lesbian adults.
Gay
and Lesbian Aging
As today's
gay men and lesbians become a more openly recognized part
of the group referred to as "older adults," they
will become more assertive about having their needs met by
traditional social service agencies and programs. This short
paper explores ideas and studies about this topic.
Creativity
and Productivity: Not Age-Specific Characteristics
Current
research indicates that there is even more heterogeneity within
the older adult population than is true of other age groups.
This short paper by Extention sociologist Sue Meyers, highlights
the fact that a range of more than 40 years of life experience,
cognitive, biological, emotional and social differences exist
within the category of the elderly.
Exploratory
Older Adult Developmental Transitions
This paper
is an attempt to identify some of the complex relationships
in key transitions in the later years of life. Some of these
transitions are work related; others are family related; still
others are looking at historical and societal perspectives
encompassing centuries. Written by Extension sociologist,
Sue Meyers.
Economic
Well-Being of Non-Institutionalized Elderly with Functional
Limitations
The projected
increase in need for long term care and the resulting costs
for the elderly, their families, state and federal governments
and service providers reinforce the need to examine the interplay
of health care demands on economic well-being of this subgroup
of elderly.
Grandparents & Kin
Raising Children
According
to the 1994 US Census Bureau, over 800,000 grandparents are
responsible for raising their grandchildren. This short paper
discusses some resources for families facing obstacles unique
to their family situation.
U
of MN, School of Public Health, Health Services Research & Policy
Publication, 1986-2003
A listing
of published, health related articles, some of which address
senior issues such as long-term care, nursing home issues,
and quality of care.
Intergenerational
Links to
four articles on intergenerational issues.
Youth
& Family Development Concept paper, "Vital Aging",
October 2000
Between
now and 2030, Minnesota will experience the most profound
age shift in its history. This short paper explores the trends
and ideas on how Extension can define a significant educational
role across all capacity areas to support this major demographic
shift and the fundamental, broad-ranging changes that will
result.
