News - 2006

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
USC Ranked Eighth-Most Wired College

USC was recently ranked the eighth most wired school by PC Magazine.  As part of the campus-wide Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) and Distance Learning (DL) initiatives, the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has added a state-of-the-art capture room and has undergone structural enhancements to the Davis Auditorium.  The renovations provide top-of-the-line equipment that will bolster the School’s pioneering online master's program and enrich the learning environment for students and instructors alike. More Information...

Monday, December 11, 2006
Restricting Calories Boosts Immune System

Leonard Davis Research Associate Professor Todd E. Morgan is featured in Washington Post Article on the benefits of the caloric restriction diet.
More Information...

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
'That's the way we were brought up'

Leonard Davis School Ph.d. student Daphna Gans was featured in a recent article from the Beaver County Times and Alleghany Times on baby boomers.  Gans was lead author on a study, which found that baby boomers are more likely to care for their aging parents than previous generations. More Information...

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Future Dean Leads Discussion at Andrus Gerontology Center

Gerald C. Davison, the dean designate of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, presented a lecture last week entitled, “Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations: A Think-Aloud Paradigm for the Assessment of Cognition and Emotion,” at the Andrus Gerontology Center. More Information...

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Dean Emeritus Dr. Edward Schneider Featured on KTLA; Speaks on Caring for Aging Parents and Grandparents

On December 5, Leonard Davis Dean Emeritus Dr. Edward Schneider appeared on
the KTLA 5 Morning Show for an interview, "How to Care for Your Aging Parents and Grandparents." Dr. Schneider stressed the importance of beginning talks with aging relatives early and discussed the important aspects of their end of life issues. To access the video, choose the "Features" Link and scroll down to "Dr. Ed Schneider: How to Care for Your Aging Parents and Grandparents." More Information...

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
’Tis the Season to Be Stressful

Two workshops at USC offer advice for family caregivers striving to ease the holiday blues. “Holidays can be stressful and chaotic for anyone, and even more so for the family caregiver,” said Shawn Herz, director of program development at the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center, who spoke at the workshops. “Whether caring for an elderly or impaired relative, spouse or friend, providing care from home, nearby or miles away, caregivers face many unique challenges.” More Information...

Thursday, November 30, 2006
Golden Oaks, but no Acorns

"Gentrification is just wiping out the affordable housing stock in many areas and making it impossible for many, who are not homeowners, to age in place," says Jon Pynoos, a professor at USC's Andrus Gerontology Center and the author of several books on challenges we all will face as we grow older.
More Information...

Thursday, November 30, 2006
New Experiences With Old Acquaintances
Young gerontology students move in with elders at the Kingsley Manor Care Center, where they strive to help.

Last year, when Julie Thomas moved into her new one-bedroom apartment, she was the youngest resident in the complex. That’s because the 22-year-old USC gerontology student moved into an adult care center.

The development did not bother her; it was a deal most graduate students could only dream of – free room and board. She soon was joined by Jineane Yonoshira and Steven Kwok, two other fortunate scholars from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Together, they are part of an informal arrangement made with the Kingsley Manor Care Center that houses gerontology grad students in exchange for 16 hours of work per week.
More Information...

Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Coming of Age: Valter Longo on his quest to advance the biomedical science of aging

Valter Longo came to the United States at age 16 from Genoa, Italy hoping to be a rock star. Luckily for the field of aging, fate led him down a different career path. Longo’s destiny changed at the renowned University of North Texas College of Music when the jazz performance major was asked to be the school’s bandleader. Whether it was the Mean Green marching outfit or too much gesturing – even for an Italian – he refused, knowing it could cost him his ‘rock reputation.’ After a few days of introspection, he decided to switch fields into a subject on the other side of the academic universe: biochemistry. More Information...

Wednesday, November 22, 2006
USC Davis School Makes Strong Showing at the Gerontological Society of America Convention in Dallas, Texas

The theme of this year’s Gerontological Society of America (GSA) annual convention was Education & the Gerontological Imagination, so it was fitting that USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology made a strong showing November 16-20 at the Adams Mark Hotel in Dallas, Texas.  More Information..

Thursday, November 16, 2006
Seminal article by two USC Leonard Davis School Ph.D.s helps define the field of gerontology

Gerontology is the study of aging and older people.  For the past hundred years, scientists have quarreled about whether or not gerontology is its own unique discipline or a subset of more traditional academic fields.  In this month’s issue of the journal The Gerontologist, two USC researchers attempt to put the debate to rest by arguing that gerontology is in fact its own discipline backed by established academic theories and accepted research models that allow the field to stand on its own. More Information...

Thursday, November 16, 2006
Aromatherapy and Caregiving: It makes good scents

Lavender enhances the healing power of the body.  Rose can be used for relaxation or as an antidepressant.  Frankincense is uplifting and can also be utilized as a disinfectant.

“The use of essential oils as an alternative or supplemental medical treatment is one of the fastest growing modalities in the country because people are tired of drugs,” said Linda Chollar, a holistic health practitioner who spoke recently to a group of about 25 people made up of faculty, staff and community members at the USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center.  Ms. Chollar was on hand to discuss the benefits of aromatherapy for adult caregivers. More Information...

Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Changing minds in Alzheimer's research
Scientists have moved away from plaque and tangles in the brain toward developing better treatments for the disease

THIS WEEK, major scientific and medical societies concerned with Alzheimer's disease are marking the central event in the evolution of this modern malady: the centennial of the case of Auguste D as presented by Dr. Alois Alzheimer at a medical conference in November 1906.

Something else will not be marked as loudly: the slow but gradual end of Alzheimer's as we know it — and the Americanization of dementia science... A number of promising experiments are underway, including the work of Greg Cole, a professor of medicine and neurology at UCLA, on the use of curcumin, a spice in curry powder, and its ability to retard dementia-linked changes in Alzheimer's-prone rats. USC has a number of experiments underway as well, many inspired by the pacesetting work of Caleb Finch, arguably the world's leading gerontological thinker. More Information...

Friday, November 3, 2006
David Barker Presents at Annual Esther and Isadore Kesten Memorial Lectureship

On Thursday, November 2, 2006, the USC Andrus Gerontology Center welcomed world renowned physician and researcher David Barker to discuss the developmental origins of aging.  The presentation was part of the 2006 Esther and Isadore Kesten Memorial Lectureship, an annual event in which a speaker hand-picked by gerontology faculty presents on a relevant issue in aging. More Information...

Thursday, November 2, 2006
Boomers Willing to Help Aging Parents

Adults demonstrate commitment toward parental caregiving, new study says, in spite of a historical decline in attitudes toward such care. More Information...

Wednesday, November 1, 2006
New Officers Announced for Student Gerontology Association

The Student Gerontology Association (SGA) has announced four new officers to serve as cabinet members for the 2007 spring and fall semesters. The new appointees are Laura Davis as alumni chair, Issac Shr as secretary, Valerie Flores as social chair, and Sean Sachdev as newsletter editor. Their collective goals as SGA representatives are to plan and carry out educational, philanthropic and social activities throughout the academic year.
More Information...

Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Davies Named to Board of Heart, Lung Institute

Kelvin J.A. Davies has been appointed to the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. More Information...

Wednesday, October 4, 2006
At Risk: A Link Between Poverty and a Telltale Protein
People living below the poverty line are more likely to have very high levels of C-reactive protein, a new study has found.

C-reactive protein is produced in response to injury or infection, but some people have chronically high levels of it. The study, published in the September issue of Brain, Behavior and Immunity, found no significant difference by socioeconomic status in those with moderate or high levels of C-reactive protein, but there was a significant difference in very high levels. More information...

Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Grandparents Play Role in Chinese Expansion
Elders in rural China care for grandchildren after the parents migrate to urban centers.

A new USC study has found that older parents living in three-generation households or with grandchildren in skipped-generation households in rural China have a more positive attitude than those living by themselves.

Stronger emotional bonds with children and the availability of remittance from their adult children living in urban centers help to explain the results.  More information...

Friday, September 29, 2006
Jerry Davison Introduced as New Dean of the
USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology

In an announcement made yesterday evening by Provost C.L. Max Nikias on behalf of President Steven B. Sample, Gerald C. Davison was named the new dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.  Dean Davison currently serves as interim dean of the USC School of Architecture, and as chair of the department of psychology in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, where he is a professor.  He will be the holder of the William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology.  More information...

Wednesday, September 27, 2006
USC Hosts Chinese Commission on Aging

On Monday, September 25, 2006, the School of Social Work hosted a group of nine officials from the China National Committee on Aging.  Its representatives are amongst the most powerful government figures with respect to aging in China. 

The morning began with a tour of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.  There, the visitors were welcomed by, Zhen Cong, a Chinese-speaking representative of the office of Professor Merril Silverstein, who conducts research on aging in China. More information...

Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Loved Ones Toast First Helen of Troy
Friends and family salute Doris T. Westcott, the woman who once represented USC at its most important events

A special commemorative event celebrating the life of Doris T. Westcott was held Sept. 8 at the USC Andrus Gerontology Center’s Stever Courtyard. Co-hosted by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the USC Rossier School of Education, the gala featured a tribute from nearly 100 friends and family members.

An outdoor meet and greet that featured images of her days as a USC undergraduate and her later years with family, friends and scholarship recipients was followed by a slide presentation in the Davis Auditorium and commemorative speeches. More information...

Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Protein Linked to Heart Disease More Prevalent iIn Low-Income People, Minorities and Women
Findings may help explain why the poor age faster, say USC and UCLA researchers

Poorer adults are more likely to have very high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a risk factor for heart disease, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Southern California.

The study published in the current issue of Brain, Behavior and Immunity finds that among adults with income levels at or below the poverty level 15.7 percent had very high levels of CRP, compared to only 9.1 percent of those in families above the poverty level. More information...

Monday, September 11, 2006
Reaching the Heart of the Matter
Older women are more at risk for heart disease than men and worse off than they were 10 years ago, researchers say

A new study finds that women in their 60s have as many risk factors for heart disease as men, and by their 70s have more, according to research led by a team of USC demographers. The findings, published in the current issue of the Journal of Women’s Health, reflect a change from previous decades when older men were at greater risk for heart disease. Instead this research shows over the last 10 years, older women are doing worse, while men are doing better.

“Women are no longer protected from heart disease risk relative to men,” said Eileen Crimmins, corresponding author and professor in the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. “Reports indicating that men are more likely to have more high-risk levels of blood pressure and cholesterol are no longer true in the U.S. population over 60 years of age.” More information...

Wednesday, September 6, 2006
USC Professor to Serve Smithsonian
Jon Pynoos, a longtime supporter of California artists, will work as a council member for the newly renovated museum

USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology professor Jon Pynoos has been chosen as one of four California representatives to serve as a councilor for the newly renovated Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Pynoos is one of 100 American business and community leaders invited to join the Smithsonian Council for American Art. More information...

Wednesday, August 31, 2006
Front Page News

USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology professor of neurobiology Caleb Finch Ph.D. and USC Leonard Davis School appointee Margaret Gatz, Ph.D. are featured in front-page New York Times story on genetics and longevity. More information...

Thursday, August 24, 2006
Imagine Yourself on a Sandy White Beach...
Amid soft music and the sound of splashing waves, caregivers take a serene walk toward a stress-free life at Gerontology Center.

The Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center (LACRC) recently offered a seminar on guided imagery at the USC Andrus Gerontology Center. A group of 25 community members, USC staff, faculty and students were on hand to experience the stress reduction technique. Shawna M. Charles, a certified life coach who uses guided imagery with individual clients and in group therapy sessions, led the discussion.

“Guided imagery helps you to redirect your energy,” Charles said. “It allows you to enter into your mind and calm down.” More information...

Thursday, August 17 , 2006
Local Chamber Honors Ethel Percy Andrus
The AARP founder and namesake of the university's Gerontology Center is recognized for her pioneering achievements as an administrator in Lincoln Heights.

The Lincoln Heights Chamber of Commerce posthumously honored Ethel Percy Andrus Aug. 11 at Town & Gown. Andrus' career accomplishments included founding the National Retired Teacher's Association (NRTA) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). She is the namesake of the USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, the research and services component of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The award, presented at the chamber's 90th anniversary celebration, was accepted by Jorge Lambrinos, director of the Roybal Institute for Applied Gerontology at USC. More information...

Tuesday, August 15 , 2006
Margaret Gatz, Ph.D. on Cognitive Fitness
USC College and USC Leonard Davis School appointee Margaret Gatz, Ph.D. is featured in a recent article from the Orlando Sentinel on reducing the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease through cognitive exercises.

The same generation that gave us granola, the running boom and Viagra is now focusing its fitness concerns on a new region -- the brain. As the first of the baby boomers celebrate their 60th birthdays, many are starting to worry about preserving not only their physical health but their mental agility, too. More information...

Monday July 31, 2006
Living Large and Healthy, but How Long Can it Go On?
Eileen Crimmins, Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology, was featured in a recent New York Times article on obesity levels and lifespan in the United States.

Longer life. Less disease. Less disability. The trends have continued for more than a century as humans have become bigger, stronger and healthier. But can they — will they — keep going? Or is there some countertrend, obesity or an overuse of medications, perhaps, that will turn the statistics around? The questions are serious, but, researchers say, for now there are no easy answers, only lessons in humility as, over and over again in recent years, scientists have seen their best predictions overthrown.

Life expectancy, for example, has been a real surprise, says Eileen M. Crimmins, a professor of gerontology and demographic research at the University of Southern California. “When I came of age as a professional, 25 years ago, basically the idea was three score years and 10 is what you get,” Dr. Crimmins said. Life span was “this rock, and you can’t touch it.” More information...

Wednesday July 26, 2006
Margaret Gatz Earns High Honor
The USC College psychiatrist, an expert in dementia, is recognized for her leadership and service in gerontology.

The Gerontological Society of America has selected USC College psychologist Margaret Gatz as the 2006 recipient of the Donald P. Kent Award. The annual honor is given to GSA members who demonstrate the highest standards for professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service and interpretation of the field to the larger society.

“I am deeply honored,” said Gatz, who also holds appointments in the USC Davis School of Gerontology and the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “I’ve always seen the GSA honors as being important in telling me something about the field of aging, and I’m humbled to be included among the names on the list of winners.”
More information...

Monday July 24, 2006
Building for the Future
The USC Davis School Announces New Renovations as Part of the University’s Distance Learning and Technology Enhanced Learning Initiatives

As part of the campus-wide Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) and Distance Learning (DL) initiatives, the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology is adding a state-of-the-art capture room and undergoing structural enhancements to the Davis Auditorium.  The renovations will provide top-of-the-line equipment that will bolster the School’s pioneering online Masters Program and enrich the learning environment for students and instructors alike.  Both facilities will be operational by the start of the fall 2006 semester. 

“This is a great opportunity for the School of Gerontology to take the lead on integrating the University’s new TEL and DL initiatives,” said Dr. John Walsh, Director of the USC Davis School.  "We were one of the first programs at USC to offer courses on-line and now it’s time to update them to meet the capabilities offered by new technologies.” More information...

Monday July 24, 2006
A Career in Universal Design: Executive Certificate in Home Modifications Graduate Nancy Makay on Launching Her Own Business

Nancy Makay is a universal design consultant.  Her customers are people who require home modifications in order to accommodate special living needs. Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, she started her company, Live with Ease: Universal Design Consulting, shortly after completing the online Executive Certificate program from the University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center in 2003. More information...

Friday July 14, 2006
New Report Finds Social Security Vital to the Economic Well-Being of Latino Elders

A new national research report authored by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Professor Kathleen H. Wilber and gerontology student Patricia A. Halliwell analyzes the economic life Latino elders will face in retirement. More information...

Thursday July 13, 2006
National Honors Society Salutes USC Gerontology Students

USC gerontology students have been recognized for their academic achievement and commitment to promoting scholarship, professionalism, friendship and services to the elderly.

The students were honored on Wednesday, May 10th, at an installation ceremony for Sigma Phi Omega, the national academic honor and professional society in gerontology. With the founding of the Alpha Alpha chapter in 1980, the USC Davis School was among the first gerontology programs in the country to start a chapter of Sigma Phi Omega. More information...

Monday June 19, 2006
Dean Zelinski Investigates Brain Fitness
Open enrollment continues for noninvasive approach to improving memory and auditory processing among seniors

A Bay Area study on the effects of "Brain Fitness Training," which has drawn participation from hundreds of adults aged 65 and older, is seeking additional participants. The study sponsor, Posit Science Corporation, translates neuroscience research into noninvasive computer-based training programs; designed to improve memory, listening and "thinking speed." The study, conducted in collaboration with Mayo Clinic and the University of Southern California, has reached the enrollment half-way mark.

"We all want the ability to stay sharp mentally as we age -- whether we want to understand the complexities of Medicare part D or just have a great conversation with our grandchildren," said Posit Science President and CEO Jeff Zimman. "Tools such as the Brain Fitness Program may enable individuals to sharpen their mental acuity and maintain control over their lifestyles." More information...

Monday June 12, 2006
Stepping Beyond Mainstream Medicine
USC gerontology professor writes a new book offering unbiased reports on alternative therapies ranging from red clover to glucosamine

When it comes to alternative medicine, many doctors and their patients have a “don’t ask and don’t tell” relationship, said Edward L. Schneider, an M.D. who is dean emeritus and professor of gerontology in the USC Davis School of Gerontology.
Doctors rarely question patients about taking nontraditional medicines, he said, and patients rarely volunteer the information for fear of alienating their physician.

One unhealthy consequence of this disconnect is harmful drug interactions, since “lots and lots” of alternative therapies can interfere with prescription medicines, Schneider said. More information...

Wednesday June 7, 2006
Two USC Davis School Doctoral Alums Get Tenure at California State University School

Debra Sheets, Ph.D., class of 1999 and Carl Renold, Ph.D., class of 1995, both received tenure from California State University, Northridge and California State University, Fullerton respectively this May. More information...

Wednesday May 31, 2006
Nurturing Respect
USC Andrus Gerontology Center Volunteers to be Featured in Forthcoming Book on Ageism

“Do wrinkles hurt?  Does someone have to feed you?  Why do old people smell funny? You’d be surprised at some of the things young people ask,” said Evelyn Washington, 72, a USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center Volunteer, who has been visiting fourth through 12th grade classrooms throughout Los Angeles for four years. 

Ms. Washington and her fellow Volunteers are part of a USC Andrus Gerontology Center project that began in 1991 entitled Ageism in Schools.  Ageism is a term that is used to describe negative stereotypes and prejudices towards the elderly.  Like racism or sexism, it is a learned behavior that is formed in early childhood development and – sadly – still very much alive in American society. more...

Wednesday May 31, 2006
The Princeton Review is Looking for Teachers

The Princeton Review is looking for SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT teachers. They need energetic, motivated people who have scored, or think they can score, in the 95% or above on the standardized test they want to teach. More information...

Wednesday May 24, 2006
Dealing with Dementia in Minority Populations

A conference on how to improve outreach strategies and assessment methods to a diverse population affected by dementia was held last Friday, May 19th in the USC Davis School auditorium.  Titled Ethnicity and Dementia: Outreach and Assessment, it was attended by over 100 people, most of whom were community-based health care professionals, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, social workers and psychologists who provide care to the elderly.  more...

Tuesday May 23, 2006
Doris Westcott Remembered

Doris Westcott, a legendary and beloved University of Southern California alumna, passed away on May 16, 2006.  She was 98 years-old. Ms. Westcott graduated from USC in 1930 and had the distinction of representing the school at important social functions as the university’s first (1929) and second (1930) Helen of Troy. 

She took great pride in upholding her responsibilities as a diplomat for the university.  In a 2001 interview for the Trojan Family Magazine, she remembered needing a costume for her debut as Helen at a gathering in Bovard Auditorium, “They took the green velvet draperies from Elizabeth von KleinSmid Residence Hall and made me a robe for the affair.”  more...

Tuesday May 23, 2006
USC Hosts Symposium on Cancer and Aging
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center bring top researchers together to focus on cancer prevention.

Imagine being able to take a drug that could prevent aging. This was one of the topics discussed at the recent Cancer and Aging Symposium co-hosted by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

While drugs to keep us – or more specifically our cells – young may be some ways off, the most promising development of the symposium was to bring together researchers who don’t have many opportunities to communicate with one another.

“Aging is the number one risk factor for cancer,” said co-organizer Valter Longo of the USC Davis School. “Yet cancer and aging researchers don’t usually work together or share ideas. We put together this meeting in an attempt to change that.” more...

Monday May 15, 2006
Dr. Phoebe Liebig Reports on Fulbright Activity in India

Dr. Phoebe Liebig never intended to be an “expert” on Indian gerontology, but after returning from a five week trip this spring for her second Fulbright Award in which she provided technical assistance and conducted research there, she accepts the role by default.

“With the globalization of aging as well as everything else, people seek me out when they want to talk about India,” said Dr. Liebig, who is retiring this August after 33 years at the USC Davis School. Full Story...

Thursday May 4, 2006
Dr. James Birren: A living legend in the field of gerontology returns to the USC Leonard Davis School to offer a course on autobiography writing

Dr. James Birren, the founding dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, will be returning to campus this summer to offer a course on autobiography writing. The Guided Autobiography Method (GAB), developed by Dr. Birren himself, helps individuals to recall, organize and share life experiences.  The program uses a combination of writings and group discussions to organize and put into words the details of participant’s lives.

“People that have lived a long life have a tremendous amount of stored information,” said Dr. Birren.  “Hearing other people’s stories primes your memories – evokes responses – people will say, ‘Oh, I remember something like that.’”  Full Story...

Thursday May 4, 2006
USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Ph.D. Chris Kelly Receives Teaching Position at University of Nebraska

When Dr. Chris Kelly was in grad school, spewing sports statistics and grinding out long hours, he left an indelible impression on his instructors at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. 

“He was enormously conscientious,” said Dr. Phoebe Liebig, associate professor of gerontology and public administration, who chaired his dissertation. “He worked very hard and was very meticulous.” When the news spread of his appointment as an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, it was received with enthusiasm by his former colleagues.  Full Story...

Wednesday April 19, 2006
The ABC’s of Aging: Dr. Donna Benton discusses the best ways to provide care for elders

“In the next twenty to twenty-five years, people will start to live into their hundreds and beyond with far more frequency,” said Dr. Benton, in her presentation Aging Parents 101: The ABC’s of Aging, held at USC’s Andrus Gerontology Center Auditorium on Thursday, April 14, 2006.  Her lecture was part of a free monthly discussion sponsored by the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center (LACRC) entitled Take Care Series.

About 60 people attended the discussion, from community members of all ages to USC faculty and staff, mostly curious to learn about available resources to help provide care for aging family members and friends.  “It gives participants a starting point to take care of their loved ones,” said Patricia Rivera, LACRC program specialist. Full Story...

Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Dr. Jon Pynoos Reports to USC faculty and students on the 2005 White House Conference on Aging

On Thursday, April 6, at the University of Southern California’s Hamovitch Research Center, The California Social Welfare Archives presented a synopsis of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA).  Held every ten years, the WHCoA took place from December 11 -14th in Washington D.C. 

Friday March 31, 2006
Leonard Davis School Ph. D. Candidate Receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania

When Dawn Alley was a young girl in Battle Ground, Indiana, a town with only two stoplights outside of nearby West Lafayette, she was bored in school. Classes were too easy for the eleven-year old wunderkind. After school, she would go to the nearby county nursing home where her grandmother was the manager, and spend time with the residents, who were mostly low-income. There she participated in group activities and, most importantly, got to know the people. The experience instilled a sense of respect for her elders and was a portent of things to come.  more...

Wednesday March 29, 2006
Lonely and Over 50? Check Your Blood Pressure

Loneliness in people over 50 greatly increases their risk of high blood pressure, researchers say in the latest study to underscore the health advantages of friends and family. The loneliest people studied had blood pressure readings as much as 30 points higher than those who weren't lonely, suggesting that loneliness can be as bad for the heart as being overweight or inactive, the researchers said. "The magnitude of this association is quite stunning," said University of Chicago scientist Louise Hawkley, the study's lead author. more...

Friday March 24, 2006
ASA Convention Exceeds Expectations

From March 16th through the 19th, at the Hilton and Marriott Hotels in Anaheim, CA, over ten delegates from USC attended the ASA/NCOA Conference.  Entitled Invest in Aging: Strengthening Families, Communities and Ourselves, the event brought together professionals in the field of aging to share ideas on local, statewide and national levels. Full Story...

Thursday March 16, 2006
Census Report Foresees No Crisis Over Aging Generation's Health

The next few decades will see an explosion in the percentage of Americans over the age of 65, but the economic and social impact of this baby boomer sunset may be gentler than had been feared because of a significant drop in the percentage of older people with disabilities, a new federal study has concluded.

Released yesterday, the United States Census Bureau's 243-page report on the aging population, among the largest and most comprehensive on the subject that the bureau has ever compiled, showed that today's older Americans are markedly different from previous generations. They are more prosperous, better educated and healthier, and those differences will only accelerate as the first boomers hit retirement age in 2011. more...

Tuesday March 14, 2006
Researchers Present Findings at AAAS

Three USC researchers presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the largest scientific conference of the year. Held Feb. 16-20 in St. Louis, Mo., the AAAS meeting gathered hundreds of leading scientists and journalists for symposia, lectures and news briefings.

Eileen Crimmins, professor in the USC Davis School of Gerontology and professor of sociology in USC College, joined an international panel of gerontologists to discuss anti-aging therapies. She downplayed concerns about the social and health-care costs of a longer-lived population. more...

Wednesday March 1, 2006
USC Honors Class of 2006

The University of Southern California 125 Anniversary theme, “Inventing the future,   honoring the past” will be poignant at the 123rd Commencement which will be held on Friday, May 12, 2006 at 9:00 a.m.

 The main ceremony will end at 10 a.m. and the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology satellite ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. in the Gerontology Courtyard. This year’s commencement speaker will be the 41st mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa. more...

Wednesday March 1, 2006
Extra Care or Extra Cost?

It may be impressive that nine specialists surround your recovery bed after you've survived a heart attack. But don't take that to necessarily mean you'll do better.

Expensive treatments for heart attack patients don't translate into longer life. Low-cost therapy sometimes has better results. more...

Monday February 27, 2006
Simplified Medicare Drug Plan Is Expected

The Medicare prescription drug plan, which has confounded millions of seniors, will be simpler to navigate in the future, a top Bush administration official predicted Wednesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said the number of private insurers offering the coverage was likely to drop, making it easier to compare coverage and pick a plan.

Although Leavitt did not give a reason, analysts said that a few large plans were attracting many of those eligible for the benefit, and that less successful insurers would probably drop out. "I am convinced the marketplace is going to simplify the program," he said. "My guess is we'll find fewer [insurers] that are providing it." In California, 47 such plans are offering coverage. more...

Monday February 27, 2006
New Survey on Stress Says Senior Citizens Barely Bothered

Americans engage in unhealthy behaviors such as comfort eating, poor diet choices, smoking and inactivity to help deal with stress, according to a new national survey released today. Most senior citizens don't have to worry, however, since the research shows they are the least likely to feel stressed.

Those age 65 and older, most of whom are now retired, report substantially lower levels of stress (32 percent some level of concern) than younger members of society. Among three younger age groups (age 18-29, 40-49, 50-64), 17 percent reported being very concerned about stress, but for those over 65 this high level of concern was only 11 percent. more...

Tuesday February 21, 2006
Older Men "Happy with Sex Lives"

Men in their 50s have more satisfying sex lives than men in their 30s, a survey suggests. A team from Norway and the US surveyed 1,185 men aged between 20 and 79, and found more problems with impotence and declining sex drive in older men. But despite this, men in their 50s reported similar levels of satisfaction with their sex lives as those in their 20s.

Researcher Professor Sophie Fossa, from the Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Trust in Oslo, said: "The results showed a very strong correlation between men getting older and reduced sexual functioning, but not between age and sexual satisfaction. more...

Monday February 20, 2006
Wedding Therapy Comforts Alzheimer's Couples

Patients at an Alzheimer's care centre in Edmonton are benefiting from a unique approach to stimulating their memories – wedding therapy. Staff at McConnell Place North say that re-enacting patients' wedding days sometimes helps them rekindle precious memories, even if just for a moment.

"They can touch, they can feel, they can taste and engage in proprioception – that feeling from the feedback you get from the soles of your feet when dancing," said Doris Milke, a senior researcher for Capital Care Group. more...

Friday February 17, 2006
New Test Measures Your Risk of Dying

There's a new test for baby boomers and their parents, and it's one where you definitely want a low score.The 12-question test measures risk of dying within four years, and the more points you get, the greater your risk. Created for people older than 50 by researchers at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the quiz is designed "to try to help doctors and families get a firmer sense for what the future may hold," to help plan health care accordingly, says lead author Dr. Sei Lee.

"We know that patients and families want more prognostic information from doctors," said Lee, who helped develop the test. "It's a very natural human question of, 'What's going to happen to me?'" more...

Tuesday February 14, 2006
Softshoe with senior citizens

Sunday night at USC, members of Phi Delta Theta and Kappa Alpha Theta traveled to Belmont Village retirement home in Hollywood in search of some senior valentines. Dressed in semi-formal attire, the Greeks visited the Belmont Village facilities to treat residents to an evening of hors d'oeuvres, conversation and dancing.

The Belmont Village dining room served as a makeshift dance hall and was decorated with a Valentine's Day theme of red balloons, heart-shaped mobiles and pink streamers. Volunteers and residents ate cheese and wine as they socialized and watched their friends dance. more...

Thursday February 10th, 2006
USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Professor Featured in New York Times Article on Residential Assisted Living Communities

Dr. Jon Pynoos, professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, was featured in a recent New York Times article entitled, "Aging at Home: For a Lucky Few, a Wish Come True." The story, which ran on Thursday, February 9, 2006, examined the brief history of the Beacon Hill Village, a nonprofit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts that was created by and for local residents determined to grow old in familiar surroundings.

Beacon Hill Village originated five years ago as the brainchild of a dozen civic-minded residents of the rustic 19th-century neighborhood. They wished to remain at their homes and independent from adult children when everyday activities such as household chores and transportation became too difficult.

The organization, which has benefited from advocates at the nearby Harvard Business School and other grants from wealthy members, now has 340 members ages 52 to 98, and an annual budget of $300,000. The yearly fee for members is $550 for an individual and $780 for a household, plus the additional cost of other services. But the question remains, writes author Jane Gross, whether or not similar, residential based, assisted living communities could flourish in lower income neighborhoods.

Leonard Davis School of Gerontology professor Jon Pynoos asserts that funding may be available for elderly communities in other, less affluent, areas through federal and state pilot programs that support seniors at home. He points to the United States Administration on Aging, which is currently paying for service coordinators at 60 "naturally occurring retirement communities," or NORCÕs. Even state Medicaid programs are giving vouchers to help purchase home care services, the article states, when Medicaid has historically been limited to nursing homes. more...

Thursday January 5, 2006
Early Infection Stunts Growth, Lifespan

USC gerontologists Crimmins and Finch offer findings based on health records of 18th- and 19th-century Europeans. High rates of childhood infection stunt growth and accelerate aging, according to a new analysis of 18th- and 19th-century public health records.

The study appeared in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors are Eileen Crimmins and Caleb Finch, professors with joint appointments in the USC School of Gerontology and the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. more...

Thursday January 5, 2006
New Glasses May Aid Aging Eyes

A San Diego banking firm is investing up to $32 million in Roanoke's PixelOptics Inc. to help the company develop auto-focus eyeglasses to remedy a form of farsightedness common among those 45 and older.

PixelOptics President Ron Blum said the investment by Boston Health Group Inc. in what he called the "transformational" technology behind the lens will help millions of people worldwide see better as they grow older and develop presbyopia. more...

Wednesday January 4, 2006
Food Industry Needs to Adapt to Aging

Big-box supermarkets, dimly lit restaurants, grocery packaging bearing tiny lettering -- these are but a few issues the food industry must begin addressing as the Canadian population ages.

"I don't think any of these industries are looking very far ahead to the greying of society," says Richard Loreto, who specializes in demographic trends in Canada and the U.S. and the implications for consumer products and services. He believes that's a weakness generally in all business sectors, where there is a dominance for short-term perspective, rather than long-term planning for the inevitable. more...

Tuesday January 3, 2006
Healthy Aging Common Among Seniors

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to what some may think, many adults can and do maintain good health into their late senior years, according to the results of a new study.

"Despite very serious illnesses that come with age, such as dementias, our study emphasizes that many Americans are aging well into their 80s and beyond and are enjoying healthy 'successful' aging," study author Dr. Kathleen A. Welsh-Bohmer, of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, told Reuters Health.

The current findings are based on data from the Cache County Memory Study, involving nearly all of the adults in that Utah county who were 65 years of age or older at the 1995 start of the study. more...

Stories from 2005 are available in the News Archive

LDS News Archives

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007

Return to Current News