In this Issue
Chairman's Notes
It’s never been busier at the Center for the Future of Aging. We’re finalizing key reports and planning events in the US and abroad. We’re looking forward to new opportunities to engage and inform leaders in policy and business, making a case for long, healthy, productive, and purposeful lives. And we’re grateful for the support of our friends and collaborators. Below are a few highlights that we hope you’ll find of interest.
Featured Articles
Paul Irving Featured in HBR’s 10 Must Reads of 2020
Chairman Paul Irving’s articles “When No One Retires” and “The Longevity Opportunity” will be highlighted in this year’s edition of the Harvard Business Review’s 10 Must Reads of 2020. He makes a case for the economic value of older adults as consumers and contributors to the workforce of the future. The collection will be available everywhere books are sold in early October.
Nora Super and Raj Ahuja Publish “If It’s Good for the Heart, It’s Good for the Brain”
In advance of the release of our report, "Reducing the Cost and Risk of Dementia: Recommendations to Improve Brain Health and Decrease Disparities," Senior Director Nora Super and Associate Director Rajiv Ahuja published an article discussing how improving our heart health can also significantly improve our brain health.
Recent Events
Singapore
Paul Irving gave opening remarks on corporate culture and its role in promoting age diversity and inclusion at a September Roundtable on Living, Learning, and Earning Longer, hosted by AARP, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP, sat down with Paul Irving for a fireside chat during the Milken Institute Women Leaders in Finance Summit on September 18. Jenkins discussed the challenges of ageism, the importance of change, and the personal experiences that inform her leadership, success, and impact.
The Milken Institute Asia Summit featured public and private sessions focused on the links between healthy longevity and productivity. Participants included Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP; Kazumi Nishikawa, director, Healthcare Industries Division, Commerce & Service Industry Policy Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan; Fred Romijnsen, executive vice-president and global head of financial institutions, AEGON; and Yin Len Theng, deputy associate provost and acting executive director, Ageing Research Institute for Society and Education, President's Office, Nanyang Technological University.
The SCAN Foundation’s 2019 Master Plan for Aging Forum
The City of Berkeley is the winner of the 2019 Innovation Award presented by The SCAN Foundation at its recent forum, in collaboration with the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging. The Innovation Award recognizes California cities that are preparing "for the growth of their older adult populations, and embracing innovation opportunities." The criteria are based on the Milken Institute's Age-Forward 2030 research and three priority areas: 1) Age-forward economic development, 2) Age-inclusive 21st-century city design, and 3) Resilient networks for healthy aging.
The City of Berkeley was recognized as the winner for its exceptional efforts to improve the lives of older adults through the Berkeley Age-Friendly Continuum's action plan, released in January 2019. The Age-Friendly Continuum is a public/private partnership among government entities, community-based nonprofits, health-care providers, education institutions, and residents to ensure an integrated, person-centered, replicable continuum of support and services for older adults and people with disabilities.
Nora Super moderated a panel of city and county leaders from urban, rural, and suburban regions in California. Leaders from Berkeley, Butte County, Los Angeles, and West Sacramento shared their innovative approaches for addressing the needs and desires of their older adult residents. These local examples can provide an essential roadmap as California develops its Master Plan on Aging, scheduled for completion by October 2020.
ASU + GSV Summit
"Work is not just good for your wealth; it's good for your health as well." Hear more from Paul Irving about living and working longer in his panel at the Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV) annual ASU+GSV Summit earlier this year.
On the Horizon
The Milken Institute Future of Health Summit
The Center will feature several aging-related sessions during the 2019 Future of Health Summit, to be held October 28-30 at the Ritz-Carlton West End in Washington, DC. Sessions include "Turning Back Time: The Science of Aging," "The Future of Brain Health," and public and private sessions focused on our two forthcoming reports, "Age-Forward 2030" and "Reducing the Cost and Risk of Dementia: Recommendations to Improve Brain Health and Decrease Disparities."
We have several dynamic speakers lined up to join us, including Nir Barzilai, professor of medicine and genetics and director of the Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bechara Choucair, senior vice president and chief community health officer, Kaiser Permanente; Howard Fillit, founding executive director and chief science officer, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation; Shari Ling, deputy chief medical officer, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and Jeff Huber, president and CEO, Home Instead, Inc.
With our partners at the BrightFocus Foundation and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, we will screen the documentary, “Turning Point,” which highlights the challenges in the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Our Business Council and Academic and Policy Advisory Board will meet during the summit to discuss our latest initiatives around healthy longevity, including brain health, long-term care financing, and the relationship between health and productivity.
Age-Forward 2030
Building on the Center’s “Best Cities for Successful Aging” work and the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, as well as the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, the Center is presenting an ambitious vision for a better future of aging: Age-Forward 2030.
As part of this program, the Center developed a report with the guidance of nearly 150 subject matter experts on aging, public health, urban planning, and related issues. The “Age-Forward 2030” report focuses on three priority areas for city and community commitment and action:
-
Age-Forward Economic Development: How We Grow
-
Age-Inclusive 21st Century City Design: How We Build
-
Resilient Networks for Healthy Aging: How We Care
We plan to release the report during the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit.
Reducing the Cost and Risk of Dementia: Recommendations to Improve Brain Health and Decrease Disparities
We also have been busy working on our newest report, “Reducing the Cost and Risk of Dementia: Recommendations to Improve Brain Health and Decrease Disparities.” The new report builds upon the 2016 Milken Institute report, “The Price Women Pay for Dementia,” and provides new research regarding the importance of brain health to delay the onset of dementia, improve overall health, lower costs, and reduce disparities. We include a series of actionable recommendations, which were developed through a consensus-based process. The recommendations focus on ways to improve rates of early detection and diagnosis, increase opportunities for diverse participation in research, build a dementia-capable workforce, and establish services and policies that promote supportive communities and workplaces for people with dementia and their caregivers.
The Center would like to thank the sponsors, reviewers, and other stakeholders who helped make this report possible. We plan to release the report during the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit.
Long-Term Care Landscape Analysis
The aging of the baby boomers will double the number of Americans needing long-term care (LTC) to 27 million by 2050. And the costs associated with this care are staggering. Despite this need, public- and private-sector efforts to finance LTC over the past few decades have largely failed.
To address this challenge, the Center has launched a new project. In partnership with the Transamerica Institute, we have embarked on a landscape analysis to evaluate funding gaps and LTC market failures and assess innovative new delivery and funding models. We plan to share preliminary findings with our Business Council and Academic and Policy Advisors on October 28.
From our Board
Catherine Collinson, head of the nonprofit Transamerica Institute, has released her 19th Annual Transamerica Retirement survey.
Joe Coughlin, founder and Director of the MIT AgeLab, argued against the term “old age” and pervasive ageism is his latest article. In another article from the MIT team, they stress the importance of learning more about people aged 85+.
Will Dow, director of the Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging, University of California, Berkeley, hosted a September summit showcasing innovative research, interventions, and technology solutions that address neurodegenerative diseases.
Ric Edelman, chairman and co-founder of Edelman Financial Services, is hosting the Smart Money Retirement Expo in Washington DC on November 23. There will be discussions and presentations on retirement readiness and financial health.
Linda Fried, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, was named co-chair of the National Academy of Medicine Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity Commission. Laura Carstensen, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and our chairman, Paul Irving, also will serve on this important commission.
Scott Frisch, EVP and chief operating officer of AARP, made a case for a human-centered future of work in Stria News. AARP has also partnered with WEF and OECD on an upskilling and inclusive employment initiative called "Living, Learning, and Earning Longer."
Mike Hodin, CEO of the Global Coalition on Aging, organized the Silver Economy Forum in Helsinki, Finland, in July.
Bob Kramer’s National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, hosted its fall conference September 11–13 in Chicago.
Becca Levy, professor of public health (social and behavioral sciences) and psychology at Yale University, released a new study calculating the impact of ageism on health costs across the US, which total more than $63 billion each year. Levy is also serving as a principal investigator for the WHO’s campaign to address ageism; a new report looking at global perceptions on aging will be out soon.
Lisa Margeson, managing director and head of retirement client experience of Bank of America, recently released the 2019 Workplace Benefits Report.
Juvenescence and Jim Mellon have raised a total of $165 million in 18 months toward their efforts to develop therapeutics with the capacity to modify aging.
Pat Milligan and Mercer's Experienced Workforce team launched the Next Stage platform. Read their point of view paper and find out how employers can optimize their workforce performance by capturing the value of age and experience.