During the last three months, our Pass It On Network co-founder, Jan Hively, has attended excellent conferences sponsored by Pass It On Network partners in the U.S.: Sage-ing International in the Twin Cities (Minnesota), and Encore.org in Los Angeles.  She has also enjoyed some time in Hawaii with our two Pass It On Network liaisons, Cullen Hayashida and Carleen MacKay.  Cullen invited Jan to speak at a meeting of the Hawaii Family Caregivers Coalition in Honolulu. A fringe benefit was his tour of Oahu.

But our Co-Founder and International Coordinator, Moira Allan, has traveled still further! – to conferences in South Africa, Finland, and China.  When asked about issues that connected the locations they had visited, they have mentioned the following:

 

The Encore Summit brought together leaders from “Gen2Gen” organizations that sponsor intergenerational programs along with Encore Network organizations involving adults age 50+ finding purpose in Encore careers.  The creative energy being generated by multi-generational engagement is illustrated by U-MAC, a new multi-generational approach to Lifelong Learning directed by Kate Schaefers at the University of Minnesota:

 

University of MN Advanced Careers. Universities for the future must provide learning across the life course, as learners of all ages navigate realities driven by technology, economics, careers and life expectancy. University of Minnesota Advanced Careers (UMAC) is a social innovation, bringing multiple generations together to learn from one another and explore major challenges of our time. Over the course of an academic year, UMAC blends academics with hands-on community engagement and personal/career development. Through UMAC's structure, fellows explore encore careers and identify ways to use their skills for the greater good. https://cla.umn.edu/umac

 

People who want to reduce poverty and inequality in rural communities and urban neighborhoods are realizing that sustainable change requires comprehensive community planning. This sense of direction is illustrated by Africa Bridge in Tanzania and by the Reach Out program guided by Fifty and Beyond in South Africa.

 

Africa Bridge. Jan met Barry Childs, founder of Africa Bridge and Encore Purpose Prize winner, at the Encore Summit Conference, and was captivated by his integrated village development model proven to be successful in Barry’s home country of Tanzania. “Our mission is to improve the lives and futures of children made vulnerable by poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We rapidly realized that we could only do this by creating new village institutions to assist children and their families, and by strengthening the abilities of households to earn sustainable farm-based livelihoods.” Read more

 

Fifty and Beyond South Africa (FABSA) working with the SDGs. Moira Allan is enthusiastic about her meeting with the older adult founders of FABSA (Fifties and Beyond South Africa) and to learn about the impact they are having through Reach Out South Africa (ROSA), a comprehensive, multi-generational outreach program that focuses on the development of school-based family and community programs that support teachers and learners. FABSA promotes goals 1- 5, 8, and 16 of the United Nation's Sustainable Development (SDGs) goals that Jan Hively talks about in Pass It On’s current Blog. FABSA's broad-based intervention programs are guided by these seven goals. The ROSA Program, is just one example of how FABSA utilizes the skills and experience of retirees, keen to plough back and be of service to their communities. FABSA serves as a catalyst for galvanizing communities to be part of the societal change they desire, through homegrown solutions that get community members involved. FABSA believes in co-leadership between youth and adults, with the former leading from the front and the latter shepherding from the back. More about FABSA

 

The voice of the consumer is growing louder and self-management is integrated with the provision of services. This example of co-management from a long-term care home in Sweden illustrates the trend::

 

Tubbemoddelen: Participative management of nursing homes. The basic idea of Tubbemoddelen is to allow staff and residents in long-term care homes to manage the nursing homes together so that residents feel that it is their own home. This innovative bottom-up management model was originally set up in the nursing homes in Tjörn, Sweden, inspired by the vision of the Danish teacher Tyra Frank and following her motto, “As long as one is alive, one should live.” The genuinely participative management process includes nursing home residents at all levels in the planning and management of their own living conditions. Sweden is faced with a shortage of health professionals and nurses in certain regions, including Tjorn. The aim of Tubbemoddelen is to ensure a model that maximizes resident involvement to provide quality care with available staff. https://www.age-platform.eu/good-practice/tubbemoddelen-innovative-participative-management-model-swedish-nursing-homes

 

Dementia-Friendly Communities. The steadily expanding population of older adults dealing with Alzheimers/Dementia, either as care recipients or caregivers, has shifted the emphasis of Age Friendly Communities to embrace Dementia-Friendly Communities. Following her presentation about Positive Ageing at the Ramsey County Library in the Twin Cities, Jan had a chance to look at the resources offered by the Age/Dementia Friendly Community library. Look at these kits for Memory Caregivers:

Memory Minders: A Kit for Caregivers – of those with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or Memory Loss. Memory Minder Kits spark memories, create conversation, and provide positive and engaging interactions. Each kit contains: an interactive activity, a book with colorful illustrations, a cd with music, a Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia and book lists and tip sheets. Kits are prepared for three Activity Levels: High, Middle, and Low. There are also Kits specific to Lewy Body Dementia and for Children. The Kits can be checked out for three weeks and are renewable. For more detailed information, send an email to the Ramsey County, Minnesota, Librarian, Carol L. Jackson, [email protected]

 

Qingdao, China, an Urban Model for Long Term Care planning. A big challenge of longevity is the planning required to assure access to long-term care. China, the world’s most populous nation with the fastest ageing population, is experimenting with ways and means to handle the realities of this challenge. Moira Allan was invited to speak at the international conference on Long Term Care convened by Professor Hong Mi, doctoral supervisor of the School of Public Affairs and Director of the Institute for Population and Development studies at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. The conference title was: Policy and Practice: Active Ageing and Long-term Care – International Experience and Qingdao’s Development. See a selection of photos of Moira's just completed visit to Hangzhou and Qingdoa on our Pass It On Network Facebook page.

 

When I think about effective advocacy, I think about the process of “barnacling” described by a remarkably successful change agent, Donna Butts, the founding director of Generations United. Like tiny snails, barnacles grow and are firmly attached to the bottoms of ships that glide through the sea Donna said, “If we want something, we just make sure that our request is attached, like a barnacle, to every piece of relevant legislation that’s passing through.” Read more

 

This report concentrates on small innovative economies of 10 countries, each with fewer than 25 million people: Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Lebanon, Mauritius, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and Taiwan. Five best practices common to all were: policies were person oriented, bottom up, holistic, interdisciplinary and evidence-based. Read the executive summary or the whole report.

The People’s Association’s Wellness Program, launched 10 years ago, has already enrolled 500,000 older adults and is set to spread even further through the Residents’ Committee Centres, of which there are a total of 600 on the island. At the 10th anniversary celebration, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said that everyone had a part to play and seniors themselves have to take charge of their lives and keep themselves fiscally, mentally and socially active. View the video that illustrates two trends mentioned above – to comprehensive community planning and to self-empowerment of seniors.

Pass It On Network’s advisor, Wendy Mayhew, founder of the 50over50 awards, convened a round table discussion and Sherry Romanado, a Parliamentary Secretary with the Canadian Federal Government, attended. The following morning, she spoke about the event and Seniorpreneurs in the House of Commons. ”I didn't realize the impact the round table discussion would have, not only with Sherry but other organizations as well,” said Wendy. View video here.

Cites this article written by Robin McKie, published in The Guardian last month.

 

View video here.
 

Tom Holloway, editor of Signposts, invites inquiries from U3A members interested in furthering the movement in the Asia Pacific region.

L’Harmattan, a French publishing house, is supporting the launch of an International College for Seniors in France. The idea is to create a rallying point for the senior authors who have published works through L’Harmattan to further the goal of fostering human values by offering workshops, classes, and guides.

David Mark Oludare, Pass It On Network’s country liaison in Nigeria, launched the first branch of the University of the Third Age in Lagos in December and has plans to create 20 chapters in the city through his church network. The first course, held in December on Basic Health and Nutrition, was preceded by a presentation of the concept and plan for the University of the Third Age.

The Pass It On Network will go into its 6th year of existence by doing what we do best --- making connections. Here’s an example:

 

Next Mile is the name of a Finnish organization actively involved in second career planning. Pass It On’s co-founder and International coordinator, Moira Allan met the founders, Mikko Aalto and Antti Harjuoja, in Helsinki. She since has connected them with: Lynda Smith and her Plus 50 Skills platform in South Africa; Poul‑Eric Tindebaek’s 3rd Career program in Denmark; and Hans‑Kristjan Gudmundsson’s Warehouse of Opportunities, based in Iceland with a European-wide spread. That’s what we do… and the liaisons and partners take it from there!

 

January 11: 5th European Policy Seminar on Economic Exclusion in Old Age: Research and Policy of COST Action Reducing Old-Age Exclusion in Europe: Collaborations in Research and Policy – ROSEnet (CA 15122)

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