In the April Newsletter
Chairman's Note
Friends,
The year is moving quickly, and change is in the air. The prospect of a return to normal—even a new normal—is energizing. While the threats of COVID-19 continue, increasing vaccine access and financial supports offer bridges to a brighter future.
But as we return to work and school, family gatherings and meetings, shops and social connections, we must not forget the lessons of the pandemic. The past year has been a harsh reminder that our aging population is at elevated risk from infectious and chronic diseases. Isolation and loneliness threaten the well-being of old and young. Ageism infects our workplaces, health systems, and culture. Millions of our neighbors are financially insecure.
Communities of color, subjected to long-standing injustices and inequities, face particular dangers. Gaps in long-term care have become ever more apparent. To address these challenges, our Center is releasing two new reports this spring: "Better Brain Health through Equity" and "New Approaches to Long-Term Care Access for Middle-Income Households." Both reports are calls to confront urgent needs.
Despite all, we are optimistic. COVID-19 has been a wake-up call. Scientific research and innovation are rapidly advancing. Communities and businesses are responding to public needs. Intergenerational programs are flourishing. Social innovations and new models of living, learning, and working offer the promise of beneficial change.
These dynamic conditions underlie our mission and motivate our work to promote healthy longevity and financial wellness. With the collaboration of our staff, board, and program partners, we are making progress.
Thank you for your support. We wish you and your families health, happiness, and the opportunity for purposeful engagement in the months ahead.
Paul Irving
Featured News
Better Brain Health through Equity
Informed by a roundtable and working group with cross-sector leaders, the Milken Institute Alliance to Improve Dementia Care put forward recommendations and guidance to reduce the inequitable impacts of dementia on African Americans and Latinos.
New Approaches to Long-Term Care Access for Middle-Income Households
The Center partnered with the Milken Institute Innovative Finance team to conduct a Financial Innovations Lab® that analyzed the most significant barriers to meeting the long-term care needs of middle-income Americans. The Lab identified three of the most promising areas for increased financing and delivery opportunities: Medicare expansion solutions, technology solutions, and public and private long-term care insurance solutions. The report lays out the barriers plaguing the current market and a road map for implementing our recommendations. The Center thanks the Transamerica Institute and Genworth for their financial support of this project.
COVID-19 and the Future of Aging
In partnership with PBS' Next Avenue, 20 experts from the Center's Advisory Board shared their perspectives on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in a new interview series. The interviews focused on a wide range of challenges and opportunities, including advancing research, adopting technologies, tackling ageism, and promoting intergenerational connection.
Could California's Master Plan for Aging Set the Bar for the Rest of the Country?
Now that California's Master Plan for Aging has been released, Richard Eisenberg of Next Avenue is tracking its influence, and Paul Irving hopes it creates "an example and a precedent that other states will follow."
10 Steps to Reform and Improve Nursing Homes
The AARP Bulletin spoke with more than three dozen experts, including Senior Director Nora Super, and reported on 10 ways that America's long-term care industry should evolve. Super recommends extending access to home care services by reauthorizing the Money Follows the Person Medicaid program.
Looking Forward Podcast with Paul Irving
Paul Irving and Jeff Ostroff discuss increasing health span, tackling ageism, and recognizing older adults' resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Multigenerational Workplaces and the Future of Retirement
Paul Irving spoke to MarketWatch about the importance of a multigenerational workplace, "with the changing nature of the economy to a technology economy, so many things are being displaced. The one thing that may be hardest to displace is wisdom."
Irving was also featured in a MarketWatch article about encore careers.
Investing in America's Future: 2021 Policy Priorities and Solutions
Read about the Institute's work to advance non-partisan policy solutions that not only address our current circumstances but also ensure that all Americans participate equitably in the post-COVID recovery.
Recent Events
Alliance to Improve Dementia Care Member Meetings
Our multi-sector coalition of 60+ organizations comes together once a month to share and amplify solutions and promising innovations. In the last three months, we have discussed the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council recommendations, brain health disparities in African American and Latino individuals, the 2020 Update to the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) Plan, the NYU BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence, and building workforce capacity to improve detection and diagnosis of dementia. For more information about the Alliance to Improve Dementia Care, contact Rajiv Ahuja at [email protected].
Arlington Area Agency on Aging: Community Engagement Forum
Center Director Lauren Dunning detailed four critical areas for action revealed by the pandemic and the potential for silver linings, including opportunities at the community level.
"Caring for the Caregiver: Are We Doing Enough?" Panel at SXSW
Professional and family caregivers are the foundation of home-based care for older adults, children, and individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions. Diane Ty, director of the Alliance to Improve Dementia Care, joined Steering Committee Member Jisella Dolan, chief global advocacy officer of Home Instead, to speak about our work to elevate and celebrate caregiving.
Building Dementia-Friendly Communities in the Asia Pacific—Japan Center for International Exchange Webinar
Rajiv Ahuja joined a panel of experts from Indonesia, Japan, and the United States to share insights on how the global community can work hand-in-hand to promote dementia-friendly communities.
On the Horizon
Living Longer and Healthier: Blue Zones and Aging in the US and Japan
Join Lauren Dunning on April 15 for a webinar to examine the lessons the US and Japan offer each other to realize longer and healthier lives.
Building Workforce Capacity to Improve Detection and Diagnosis of Dementia
Based on insights from an Alliance to Improve Dementia Care roundtable and working group, co-authors Diane Ty and Associate Mac McDermott plan a May release of the Alliance's recommendations to 1) promote timely detection of cognitive impairment in primary care settings; 2) drive awareness and education for health-care professionals and consumers; and 3) broaden access and interprofessional coordination in detection, diagnosis, and care delivery.
Future of Retirement
On April 21, Nora Super will join Jean Chatzky for a Facebook Live session to talk about how to prepare for and the choices that affect a physically and financially healthy retirement.
In May, the Center will host a roundtable to begin a multi-sectoral assessment about the state of retirement in the US. This initiative will aim to understand the connections among financial wellness, work, health, education, purpose, and other factors. Our objective is to define a course to enhance retirement for the current generation of older adults and the generations that follow.
Scaling Dementia Payment and Collaborative Care Models
In early June, the Alliance to Improve Dementia Care will host a roundtable to explore alternative payment models to support evidence-based, collaborative care models. These models would target community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries living with dementia and education and support programs for unpaid caregivers.
Future of Health Summit
The Institute will convene its annual Future of Health Summit virtually this year on June 22-23. Diverse leaders from a wide range of public and private institutions will participate. Tune in to the livestream to join the conversations.
From Our Board
- Freddy Abnousi's team at Facebook is working on a smartwatch focused on health.
- Richard Ashworth spoke about the need for a data-driven approach to address older adults' needs and preferences throughout the pandemic.
- Arthur Bilger discusses "The Future of Employment" with Bloomberg QuickTake.
- Elizabeth Blackburn serves in the newly launched Bakar Aging Research Institute at UCSF.
- Henry Cisneros co-authored a report with William Fulton and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research that describes "A Bottom-Up Infrastructure Strategy for American Renewal."
- Nanette Cocero has been hard at work rolling out Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.
- Pinchas Cohen's new study opens new avenues for research on how to treat muscle-wasting conditions.
- Catherine Collinson spoke about saving for retirement as early as possible. Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies' survey results show that only 26 percent of young adult workers think they are on course to achieve their retirement income needs.
- Ric Edelman's proposal to ensure retirement security is gaining visibility and traction. Learn more about his "Retirement Security for Everyone” (RISE) plan.
- Ruth Finkelstein published a report that advocates for investment in technology for aging well in New York City.
- Marc Freedman and Trent Stamp's essay, "Overcoming Age Segregation," kicks off the "Meeting the Multigenerational Moment" essay series in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.
- Linda Fried led a team of researchers to gain a better understanding of physical frailty.
- Terry Fulmer discussed opportunities for Congress and the new administration to better support caregiving and caregivers.
- Lynn Goldman moderated a panel of medical experts addressing questions and misconceptions about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.
- Bob Kramer wrote about five developments vital for repairing and renewing the senior living industry after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Jim Mellon discussed longevity, nutrition, biotech, and sustainability with Master Investor.
- Penny Pennington has been examining the impact of COVID on Edward Jones clients' financial resiliency, and their surveys find nearly half feel able to recover quickly. The firm's research with Ken Dychtwald's Age Wave encourages conversations about "the four pillars of the new retirement."
- Phil Pizzo published an article in JAMA about the guidance physicians should offer that would allow "individuals at all stages of the life cycle to optimally align life span with healthspan, compressing morbidity and sustaining high functionality through the arc of life."
- AARP has been hard at work on many fronts, including helping older adults thrive in the digital world, joining with OATS (Older Adults Technology Services), and launching a Virtual Community Center.
- The Annenberg Foundation and Wallis Annenberg GenSpace are partnering with Mickey Fine Pharmacy for a COVID-19 vaccination center that will prioritize vaccinations for older adults.
- A recent MIT AgeLab survey, sponsored by Bank of America, reveals consumer attitudes regarding AI and assesses how much they understand this growing technology. Read about the key findings.