Current News and Research from the Institute on Aging!

Needs, Costs, and Funding Alternatives for Transportation Services for Older Adults and People with Disabilities in Oregon

Portland State University's Institute on Aging and Center for Transportation Studies, along with the Population Research Center, were contracted by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), via the Association of Counties, to project the transportation needs and associated costs for elders and people with disabilities from now to 2030. The study also identified and assessed the feasibility of funding alternatives to address the needs identified. Conducted by a multidisciplinary team of faculty and graduate students, the project was guided by a work group whose membership consisted of ODOT and Department of Human Services (DHS) employees and other stakeholders, and by a steering committee composed of various other stakeholders. Both groups provided feedback, ensured the interests of affected parties were addressed, and provided a forum for public input. There also was a public comment period.

Existing sources of information were used, including census data, studies identified through an extensive review of the literature, statewide reports such as the Oregon DHS report on the Future of Long Term Care, locally adopted transportation plans, and ODOT public transit operations data. Once the use of and costs pertaining to existing transit service were established, the gap between the current level of service delivery and unmet needs for service was determined, and cost projections were made based on both, using an inflation factor determined in concert with the advisory groups. The findings and policy implications of the study are described, along with future research needs.

Click here for an Executive Summary of the Findings.

Click here to see the full report.

Aging Matters, Locally and Globally

The College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University is pleased to announce a new program of its Institute on Aging that will influence how communities think about ensuring quality of life for older adults both here and internationally. Aging Matters, Locally and Globally includes two components:

Local Initiative: create a clearinghouse of innovative models for affordable housing with personal care services in supportive neighborhood environments in the U.S.

Global Initiative: address policies and services for older adults in developing countries.

The two parts of the initiative share the goal of creating a new vision of gerontology that is actively engaged in addressing issues that matter to older adults with limited economic and social resources. As the gap between financial resources and insurance coverage widens for the middle class, these challenges will grow.

A $1 million gift to Portland State's Institute on Aging from Keren Brown Wilson and Michael DeShane will jump-start the Aging Matters initiative. The donors, both PSU alumni, have devoted their lives to helping people with limited means age with dignity. Wilson is founder of the Jesse F. Richardson Foundation, which advocates for quality housing and long-term care for elders, locally and in Central America. DeShane leads Concepts in Community Living, an innovative assisted living consulting and management firm.

"Keren and I have always been concerned with the issues of providing housing and services to the poor," DeShane says. "Throughout our academic and professional careers we've seen too many well-intentioned efforts fail due to lack of a clear understanding of issues confronting the poor and disabled in urban settings. We hope the Aging Matters initiative can generate a concerted and long-term effort resulting in a better understanding of the issues and difficulties encompassed in providing effective services to low-income urban aged in the U.S. and in developing countries."

For more information contact Margaret B. Neal, Director, Institute on Aging, nealm@pdx.edu.

The Institute on Aging congratulates Dr. Keren Brown Wilson for receiving the 2008 Women of Achievement award from the Governor's Commission on Women. Her dedication to creating policies and programs that improve the lives of low income older adults is an inspiration to us all.

The World Health Organization's Age-Friendly Cities Project in Portland, Oregon: Summary of Findings

The Institute on Aging and the School of Community Health at Portland State University collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) on its "Age-Friendly Cities Project." This unfunded project was designed to identify specific indicators of an age-friendly city, with 33 cities in 22 countries participating from around the world. Portland was the only U.S. city involved in collecting data on the project.

The protocol, including research design, focus group scripts, and the analysis plan, was prescribed by the WHO and focused on the following areas: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, community support and health services.

Researchers at the IOA have been disseminating the findings through a series of meetings with participants, community members, city and county officials, and Portland's City Club. Future research is planed.

To view Portland's Summary of Findings (printed with support from AARP), click here.

To learn more about the larger World Health Organization study, including brochures, checklists, and their report, Global Age-Friendly Cities: A Guide, go to: www.who.int/ageing/age_friendly_cities/en/index.html.

To purchase a video or audio CD of Dr. Margaret Neal and Bill Novelli's speeches at the Portland City Club on October 5th regarding age-friendly cities, click here.

To review media coverage from the OPB News, click here.

To review media coverage from the Oregonian, click here.

To view Portland's full report to the World Health Organization, click here.

To view the College of Urban & Public Affairs multidisciplinary report for Metro regarding age-related shifts in housing and transportation demand, click here.

Oregon Geriatric Education Center Consortium Receives Funding!

The Oregon Geriatric Education Center (OGEC), a consortium of three Oregon educational institutions - Oregon Health & Science University (through its Schools of Nursing, Medicine and Dentistry), Portland State University (through its Institute on Aging), and Oregon State University (through its Program in Gerontology and Cooperative Extension Service) - has once again received funding from the Public Health Service's Health Resources and Services Administration. The OGEC was first established in 1989. The OGEC's mission is better health for older Oregonians through education of health professionals and care providers, with a particular emphasis on underserved rural communities.

There is an unprecedented demand for health care providers for our aging population, and there is a health professional workforce shortage, especially in care settings that serve older adults and in rural communities. Inadequate geriatric preparation of existing health professionals is a well-documented challenge, as well.

The OGEC will fulfill its mission through initiatives and activities designed to achieve five major objectives: (a) improve the training of health professionals in geriatrics; (b) develop and disseminate curricula relating to the treatment of the health problems of the elderly; (c) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in geriatrics; (d) ) support continuing education of health professionals who provide geriatric care; and (e) provide students with clinical training in geriatrics in nursing homes, hospitals, ambulatory care centers, and senior centers.

The OGEC will improve health for older adults in Oregon by increasing geriatric education of health professionals throughout the state. On an annual basis, we will reach almost 300 health professional students and over 1000 practitioners and faculty through an array of curricular enhancements and continuing education innovations.

The director of the OGEC is Heather M. Young, Ph.D., G.N.P., F.A.A.N., School of Nursing, Oregon Health & Science University. IOA director, Margaret B. Neal, Ph.D., is co-director of the OGEC, along with Sally Bowman, Ph.D., Family Development Specialist for the Oregon State University Extension Service. Funding for the project runs through August 2010.