Council representatives and housing bosses attended an event to mark the completion of a new state of housing development by Lancashire’s New Progress Housing Association this week.

The development, which has taken just over a year to complete, will provide much needed accommodation for people aged over 55 in the village of Hutton. The eight high quality bungalows are now available for affordable rent or for shared ownership and the first tenants are expected to move in next month.

New Progress Housing Association, a leading provider of affordable housing in the North West of England, worked with construction partner Edenfield Homes Ltd. on the project. The Housing Corporation and South Ribble Borough Council provided capital grant to part fund the development.

Each property offers the option of a direct link to New Progress Housing Association’s Telecare service. Telecare provides emergency assistance and a call out service 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It helps maintain independent living with assistive technology such as personal alarms, flood and fire detectors, fall detectors and automated lighting.

The decision to provide housing for rent and shared ownership on the site was based on local housing needs as identified by South Ribble Borough Council. Priority has been given to local applicants.

Representatives of New Progress Housing Association, Progress Housing Group, South Ribble Borough Council, Hutton Parish Council, Lancashire County Council, Edenfield Homes, and the Housing Corporation attended the event.

Bernie Keenan, Managing Director of New Progress Housing Association, said: ‘We would like to thank all our partners who were involved in getting this fantastic scheme to completion, particularly the Borough and Parish Councils who had vision and imagination to make this scheme work.

Researchers say vigorous exercise in the elderly can prevent aging related disability. And it doesn’t take a lot of time!

Newswise — Healthy seniors who are physically active and exercise for more than 60 minutes each week can lessen their chances of disability as they age, finds a new long-term study.

“This study contributes to the large body of scientific evidence supporting the importance of continuing to be physical active over one’s life,” said lead author Bonnie Bruce, of the division of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University Department of Medicine.

The study appears in the July issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

The researchers looked at 805 adults between the ages 50 and 72 at enrollment and followed for them for 13 years, from 1989 to 2002. Each year, participants answered survey questions about their overall health and vitality and rated themselves on their ability (or inability) to do tasks such as dressing, eating and reaching. Responses fell on a scale from 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (unable to do).

Participants also reported their level of activity and were considered “active” if they exercised vigorously — for example, running, brisk walking, swimming, biking and hiking — more than 60 minutes per week, or “inactive” if 60 minutes or less per week.

The researchers then grouped them as normal-weight active, normal-weight inactive, overweight active or overweight inactive, with BMI determining their weight group.

The normal-weight physically active seniors reported an average of 303 minutes of exercise per week, compared with an average of 16 minutes for normal-weight inactive seniors. On the other hand, overweight seniors who were physically active reported an average of 251 minutes per week, compared with 12 minutes for the overweight inactive seniors.

After 13 years, the overweight active seniors (average disability score 0.14) had significantly less disability than the overweight inactive (average disability score 0.19) and normal-weight inactive seniors (average disability score 0.22) seniors.

The researchers concluded that being physically active, regardless of body weight, helped lessen disability. Bruce said that public health efforts that promote physically active lifestyles among seniors may be more feasible than those that emphasize body weight to remain healthy.

Brian Martinson, Ph.D., senior investigator at HealthPartners Research Foundation in Minneapolis, agreed that “it’s better to be active than inactive,” but said it’s often difficult for physicians without specific training to motivate patients to think of the long-term health benefits of exercise and activity.

“Physicians should focus some discussions on the health benefits of physical activity because they have the most influence over their patients’ behavior,” he said. “However, I’m not sure how motivating the health benefits are to people. Most people, unfortunately, exercise because they want to look good in a dress or suit or want to look good for a high school reunion. The aim of decreasing disability long-term may not be enough of a motivator.”

The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly journal of the American Public Health Association. Visit www.apha.org for more information.

Bruce B, Fries J, Hubert H. Mitigation of disability development in healthy overweight and normal-weight seniors through regular vigorous activity: a 13-year study. Am J Public Health 98(7), 2008.

Many arthritis sufferers just ‘gut through it’ accepting that limited mobility is part of their lot in life. It turns out that use of the the familiar and most common of assistive technology devices, the simple walking cane, can actually alleviate symptoms and progression of the problem at least 20% of the time. Reuters Health reports:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults with knee arthritis may be able to reduce some of the load on their knee joint by walking with a cane, a new study suggests.

Australian researchers found that when they had 20 knee arthritis patients walk with a cane, it lessened the force on the inner side of the knee joint with each step.

All of the study participants were older than 50 and suffering from medial knee osteoarthritis — a common form of arthritis that affects the side of the joint closer to the midline of the body.

The findings suggest that the majority of people with this type of knee arthritis can reduce the “load” on the inner knee by using a cane, senior researcher Dr. Rana S. Hinman told Reuters Health.

In theory, this could slow the progression of the arthritis, though that is not yet proven, said Hinman, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne School of Physiotherapy.

“This may have implications for a reduced risk of disease progression over time,” she said, “but research is needed to determine whether this really is the case.”

Hinman and her colleagues report the findings in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

The study included 40 men and women with painful medial knee arthritis. The researchers used a six-camera motion analysis system to closely study each patient’s gait as he or she walked — both barefoot and while wearing comfortable shoes.

Half of the study participants also had their gait analyzed while using a cane on the side opposite of the painful knee.

In general, Hinman’s team found, the cane reduced the force on the inner knee.

On the other hand, walking while wearing shoes put more stress on the joint than walking barefoot did.

It’s not clear why shoes had this effect, according to the researchers. And since walking around barefoot is not practical, at least outside of home, no one is recommending that knee arthritis sufferers try it.

Instead, more studies are needed to see what types of shoes are best for people with medial knee arthritis, Hinman and her colleagues say.

In the meantime, it is a good idea for women with the condition to avoid high heels, Hinman noted, since they are likely to increase the force on the inner knee. She added that shoe inserts called laterally- wedged insoles — which are angled to be higher on the outer edge of the foot — can also reduce the force on the inner side of the knee.

However, Hinman said, studies have not yet conclusively shown that the insoles actually improve knee arthritis symptoms.

SOURCE: Arthritis Care & Research, May 15, 2008.

Input devices, software, and output devices are assistive technologies that can improve the lifestyle of mobility impaired individuals. MSN has a very basic article up describing the basis of these technologies and their use to a non-techy audience. It isn’t earth shattering news, but if you’re thinking of trying to explain to grandma how DragonDictate is going to be able to help her remember to take her medicines or turn on the television or lamp, it might be of some help.

This interesting little gizmo, worn around the waist and upper thigh, is being developed by Honda to assist the elderly and other people with weakened leg muscles to walk more easily. The device will be demoed at the International Trade Fair on Barrier Free Equipments & Rehabilitation for the Elderly & the Disabled (BARRIER FREE 2008) which will be held at Intex Osaka, Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27, 2008.

Honda began research of a walking assist device in 1999 with a goal to provide more people with the joy of mobility. Currently, the device has entered into the feasibility stage.

The cooperative control technology utilized for this device is a unique Honda innovation achieved through the cumulative study of human walking just as the research and development of technologies was conducted for Honda’s advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO. Applying cooperative control based on the information obtained from hip angle sensors, the motors provide optimal assistance based on a command from the control CPU. With this assist, the user’s stride will be lengthened compared to the user’s normal stride without the device and therefore the ease of walking is achieved.

The compact design of the device was achieved with flat brushless motors and a control system developed by Honda. In addition, a simple design to be worn with a belt around the hip and thigh was employed to help achieve overall weight as light as approximately 2.8kg. As a result, the device reduces the user’s load and can be fit to different body shapes.

Reuters reports, via i4u, that Japanese researchers at Nissan (the auto maker) are developing a special assistive technology suit specifically geared toward helping senior citizens overcome the mobility impacting vagaries of age: frailness, weakened eyesight, slowed reflexes, and stiff joints. The company is aware of a non-elder market as well, and intends to develop for the disabled consecutively with their efforts toward providing improved eldercare.

Carmaker Nissan Motor is using a specialized driver’s suit and goggles to simulate the bad balance, stiff joints, weaker eyesight and extra five kilograms (11lbs) that may accompany senior citizenry.

Associate chief designer Etsuhiro Watanabe says the suit’s weight and constriction help in determining functionality and accessibility within cars by putting young designers not only in the minds of the mobility-challenged, but also in their bodies.

“Difficulty in walking, back pains, trouble in lifting arms — we wanted to consider assorted infirmities,” said Watanabe of the concept known as universal design.

“You lose the freedom you’re accustomed to, and while you can move, there are limitations, such as turning the steering wheel or switching on the blinker.”

Universal design is not just for the elderly, as larger drivers with space and mobility concerns also look for greater access and share of the road.

Senior Spectrum Online introduces us to a new assistive technology site geared toward helping aging Californians stay independent longer. Consultation and assistance regarding finding and using assistive technology vendors and solutions providers is provided free of charge by AT Network.

Microsoft has a small, but growing, business unit dedicated to robotics. Continuing the recent business trend of anticipating the needs of baby boomers, one of the product lines being incubated in the robotics department is an assistive technology called the uBot. The uBot is meant to navigate a home, enabling people with limited mobility to maintain an independent homelife, longer. While it is currently being thought of as an aide for the elderly, clearly it will have further general use amongst any segment of the population suffering from mobility challenges.

The uBot-5 is a two-wheeled, dynamically stable robot with two arms and a rotating trunk.Click to view larger image. Designed to move easily through a human home environment and could someday be used for elder care. Patrick Deegan and Bryan J. Thibodeau, graduate students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, used Microsoft’s Robotics Studio software to develop uBot-5. Using the attached display screen, someone could see what the robot sees, someday enabling a doctor or relative to check in on a senior citizen who is living with the aid robot. The uBot-5 can pick itself up off the floor, maintain its balance as it moves its two arms and learn from its experiences.

Computerworld has pictures.

Oprah.com has a fabulous feature on caring for aging parents. Extensive and thought provoking, and ultimately, uplifting. The key, say experts, is to get ahead of the 8-ball and stay there. Don’t deny what will happen, and plan for the eventualities while they are still just that.

If you’re caring for an elderly parent—or parents—and your own children at the same time, you’re probably overwhelmed, overworked, overscheduled and exhausted. You’re also part of a growing cultural phenomenon known as the “sandwich generation.”

As today’s parents have children later in life, it often means that their child-rearing and other family responsibilities collide head-on with the growing needs of aging parents.

According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), 44 percent of Americans between the ages of 45 and 55 are “sandwiched” between aging parents or in-laws and their own children under the age of 21. Most of them have both elder care responsibilities and children still living at home.

But whether you’re solidly in the middle of the “sandwich” trying to cope or looking down the road at decisions that loom ahead, there are steps you can take now to avoid being torn between competing demands. The first step, experts say, is to be researching, asking questions and laying the groundwork for what’s to come.

The AARP, along with several other agencies, have been examining assistive technology as a way to help aging baby boomers retain their independence.

Older adults want to use technology so they can age safely in their home. Family caregivers agree believing technology can ease some of the challenges of caregiving. Concerns such as cost to install and maintain equipment remain barriers for people 65-plus and for caregivers. These are the conclusions of two new reports, one from AARP and the other from the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA).

The AARP Foundation commissioned this report which examined the attitudes of people 65-plus and caregivers towards technology and found that both groups are concerned about costs. The study identified a willingness to try technology like home security services, sensors to detect falls and devices to regulate temperature, lights and appliances. But cost remains a factor with seventy-five percent of caregivers and eighty percent of those 65-plus willing to pay $50.00 or less per month for the service.

“The ground is fertile for the use of caregiving technology to flourish,” said Elinor Ginzler, AARP Sr. Vice President for Livable Communities. “Almost nine in ten older Americans want to be able to stay in their own homes and they are willing to use technology that can help them do that. Cost, however, is the elephant in the room-how to pay remains a big obstacle.”

There is also a conflicting perspective between caregivers and those likely to need care. People 65-plus report a high willingness to use technology, but more than eight in ten caregivers believe they would have some, or a great deal of difficulty convincing those they care for to adopt technology. Large majorities of both caregivers and potential care recipients believe technology would make them feel safer, give them more personal peace of mind and provide peace of mind for families and friends.