Jump to main content.

U.S. EPA Aging Initiative List Serve November 2010

  1. Announcements and Webinars
  2. News, Research, Reports and Presentations
  3. New Resources and Opportunities
  4. Building Healthy Communities - Sustainable Communities
  5. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
  6. Intergenerational Activities
  7. EPA Funding Opportunities
  8. Other Funding Opportunities
  9. 2010 Calendar of Events & Meetings
  10. 2011 Calendar of Events & Meetings

 

I. Announcements and Webinars

Veterans Day 2010: Nov. 11 Data from the U.S. Census,
2009 American Community Survey
Veterans Day originated as "Armistice Day" on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors living military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation. A national ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

21.9 million: The number of military veterans in the United States in 2009. Female Veterans: 1.5 million—The number of female veterans in 2009.

Race and Hispanic Origin: 2.3 million—The number of black veterans in 2009. Additionally, 1.1 million veterans were Hispanic; 258,000 were Asian; 153,000 were American Indian or Alaska Native; 30,000 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 17.7 million were non-Hispanic white. (The numbers for blacks, Asians, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, and non-Hispanic whites cover only those reporting a single race.)

When They Served: 9 million—The number of veterans 65 and older in 2009, represented 41% of all veterans. 1.7 million veterans were younger than 35 years of age.

On the Job: 9.8 million—Number of veterans 18 to 64 in the labor force in 2009.

Disabilities. 5.5 million—Number of veterans with a disability in 2009.

For more information.

The increase in the proportion of men age 85 and over who are veterans is striking. According to the Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics 2010 chartbook, the number of men age 85 and over who are veterans is projected to increase from 400,000 in 2000 to almost 1.2 million by 2010. The proportion of men age 85 and over who are veterans is projected to increase from 33 percent in 2000 to 66 percent in 2010.
For more information.

National Caregivers Month 2010
A Proclamation
By the President of the United States

Every day, family members, friends, neighbors, and concerned individuals across America provide essential attention and assistance to their loved ones. Many individuals in need of care — including children, elders, and persons with disabilities — would have difficulty remaining safely in their homes and community without the support of their relatives and caregivers.

Caregivers often look after multiple generations of family members. Their efforts are vital to the quality of life of countless American seniors, bringing comfort and friendship to these treasured citizens. However, this labor of love can result in physical, psychological, and financial hardship for caregivers, and research suggests they often put their own health and well-being at risk while assisting loved ones. Through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, individuals can help their loved ones remain comfortably in the home and receive assistance with their caregiving responsibilities. This program provides information, assistance, counseling, training, support groups, and respite care for caregivers across our country.

My Administration's Middle Class Task Force, led by Vice President Joe Biden, has made supporting family caregivers a priority, and we are working to assist caregivers as they juggle work, filial, and financial responsibilities. We made important progress with this year's Affordable Care Act, and because of this landmark legislation, Americans will be able to take advantage of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Program. This voluntary insurance program will help individuals with long-term care needs to maintain independent living, as well as compensate family caregivers for their devoted work.

Our businesses and companies can also contribute to families' ability to care for their loved ones in need. By offering flexible work arrangements and paid leave when caregiving duties require employees to miss work, employers can enable workers with caregiver responsibilities to balance work and family obligations more easily. Such efforts impact countless lives across our Nation, easing concerns and contributing to the well-being of individuals and families as they go about their daily lives.

During National Family Caregivers Month, we honor the millions of Americans who give endlessly of themselves to provide for the health and well-being of a beloved family member. Through their countless hours of service to their families and communities, they are a shining example of our Nation's great capacity to care for each other.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2010 as National Family Caregivers Month. I encourage all Americans to pay tribute to those who provide care for their family members, friends, and neighbors in need.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
Read more...

Annual M. Powell Lawton Conference on Urban Aging
On November 8th Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), the area agency on aging for the City of Philadelphia, will sponsor its annual M. Powell Lawton Conference on Urban Aging. This year the theme is "Laying the Foundation for an Age-friendly Philadelphia." The conference is designed to highlight the effort that PCA is making with partners in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to encourage changes to the social and physical environments to benefit not only older adults but everyone who lives in the city. The program for the conference, like the "Age-friendly Philadelphia" effort in general, is built on:

PCA will release a white paper on "Age-friendly Philadelphia" in early 2011 based in part on the presentations at the conference. The full schedule can be found here. For more information, and to purchase tickets, please contact Allen Glicksman, PhD, Director of Research and Evaluation, aglicksman@pcaphl.org, 215-765-9000x5063 or Kate Clark, MPA, Planner, kclark@pcaphl.org, 215-765-9000x5072.

Environmental and Policy Change for Healthy Aging Conference Series
Creating Aging-Friendly Communities has announced a conference series called "Environmental & Policy Change for Healthy Aging" offered by the CDC Healthy Aging Research Network from September 2010 through January 2011. There will be online presentations, webinars, and resources. To sign up today, please read more...

Top of page

 

II. News, Research, Reports and Presentations

Research Priorities for Assessing Health Effects from the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill - A Letter Report
Institute of Medicine, Sub Unit: Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Board on Health Sciences Policy

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, spilling millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf before it was successfully capped in mid-July. It is as yet uncertain how the spill itself and the use of chemical dispersants to remove the oil will affect the health of clean-up workers, residents, and visitors in the Gulf region. Research is vital to understanding the impact of oil spills on human health, mitigating their effects, and preventing health problems from occurring now and during any future disasters. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asked the IOM to provide advice on research priorities in assessing the health effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The IOM recommends that HHS focus on five main areas of research:

Read more...

The Effect of Light Rail Transit on Body Mass Index and Physical Activity
MacDonald JM, Stokes RJ, Cohen DA, Kofner A, Ridgeway GK.
Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104-6286, USA. johnmm@sas.upenn.edu Am J Prev Med. 2010 Aug;39(2):105-12.

Abstract: The built environment can constrain or facilitate physical activity. Most studies of the health consequences of the built environment face problems of selection bias associated with confounding effects of residential choice and transportation decisions.

Purpose: To examine the cross-sectional associations between objective and perceived measures of the built environment; BMI; obesity (BMI>30 kg/m(2)); and meeting weekly recommended physical activity (RPA) levels through walking and vigorous exercise. To assess the effect of using light rail transit (LRT) system on BMI, obesity, and weekly RPA levels.

Methods: Data were collected on individuals before (July 2006-February 2007) and after (March 2008-July 2008) completion of an LRT system in Charlotte NC. BMI, obesity, and physical activity levels were calculated for a comparison of these factors pre- and post-LRT construction. A propensity score weighting approach adjusted for differences in baseline characteristics among LRT and non-LRT users. Data were analyzed in 2009.

Results: More-positive perceptions of one's neighborhood at baseline were associated with a -0.36 (p<0.05) lower BMI; 15% lower odds (95% CI=0.77, 0.94) of obesity; 9% higher odds (95% CI=0.99, 1.20) of meeting weekly RPA through walking; and 11% higher odds (95% CI=1.01, 1.22) of meeting RPA levels of vigorous exercise. The use of LRT to commute to work was associated with an average -1.18 reduction in BMI (p<0.05) and an 81% reduced odds (95% CI=0.04, 0.92) of becoming obese over time.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that improving neighborhood environments and increasing the public's use of LRT systems could provide improvements in health outcomes for millions of individuals.

Read more the Effect of Light Rail Transit on Body Mass Index and Physical Activity.

Top of page

 

III. New Resources and Opportunities

The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging
The National Resource Center on to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Aging is the country's first and only technical assistance resource center aimed at improving the quality of services and LGBT older adults. Established in 2010 through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging provides training, technical assistance and educational resources to aging providers, LGBT organizations and LGBT older adults.

For more information about the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.

New website on Pets and Seniors
By Christine Hoffman

The Philadelphia Corporation on Aging has launched a website dedicated to the importance of pet ownership in later life...and yes- pets do have environmental impacts. Physically, pet dander and allergens can affect some people, particularly those with a respiratory illness like COPD. Socially, pets can encourage a more active life-style (i.e. dog walking) and connectedness with neighbors (both those with and without pets). This new website provides many kinds of information that can assist older persons (and anyone helping them) in the care and enjoyment of their companion animal(s). The site informs the community about pet-related programs that senior citizens can utilize, along with helpful tips to address challenges that may occur when owning a pet later in life. Most of the information is relevant to seniors anywhere - though some details, like local rescue operations, only apply to residents of the Philadelphia area.

http://www.phillypetsandseniors.org/  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

Nationalities Service Center
By Tara Swartzendruber-Landis, Program Director Senior Center

The Nationalities Service Center, (NSC) was designed with a unique mission back in the mid-80's, to provide socialization and home cooked meals for immigrant and refugee seniors from around the world. NSC's history of culturally and linguistically competent services leave us uniquely situated to serve Philadelphia's increasingly diverse group of seniors. With this garden project NSC will have the opportunity to engage younger people, volunteers, and community members in a manner that improves a decaying urban neighborhood and gives individuals access to locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Many of the Center's members were agricultural workers in their countries of origin. Since moving to the U.S, many did not have access to places to grow food and use their skills and expertise from prior agrarian work. This garden empowers members to actively participate in planting decisions, what is planted in the garden and offered for congregate meal menus. The NSC garden contains a diverse mix of plants, herbs, and vegetables from all over Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Eastern Europe, as well as the Southern U.S. and our own Pennsylvania native plants, selected by the Center's members. This diverse garden has generated a broad array of foods to choose from at congregate meal sites.

Four Primary Goals for the NSC Community Garden:

  1. Create a green space for local wildlife including birds, bees, and insects. Careful attention has been paid in the planning stage to planting native plants surrounding the garden and throughout the beds to attract complementary wildlife to improve the garden as well as enhance the local environment. Rain barrels are used to capture rainwater. The Center makes use of large compost bins for Congregate Meal waste as well as plant material from the garden. NSC will also be reducing its carbon footprint by minimizing the amount of miles that our produce will need to travel in order to reach our congregate meal kitchen. The food will be grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides and companion planting as well as organic pest control will be used to minimize pest damage to crops.
  2. Create three different gardens: for Senior Center meals, for members to have their own plots, and for other local non-profits, neighbors, or community partners to grow their own vegetables and fruits.
  3. Empower elders to be garden caregivers throughout the growing season.
    Provide elders with a say in what is grown in the garden and prepared as meals in their homes. Engage older adults in meaningful volunteer roles as teachers (passing along their knowledge and experience as agricultural workers).
  4. Encourage elders to develop more healthy lifestyles: Eat better, get more exercise, and spend time socializing with others.

For more information please contact Tara Swartzendruber-Landis, tarasl@nscphila.org or at (215)324-7554. The Nationalities Service Center.

Top of page

 

IV. Building Healthy Communities - Sustainable Communities

Save the Date: 10th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
Registration is now open for the 10th annual conference of New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities. Take in some southern charm in Charlotte, NC February 3-5, 2011. Join planner, public health professionals and elected local government officials from across the country who are working together to find innovative ways to finance smart growth, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, expand transportation and housing for all Americans and meet the needs of a growing aging population.

Registration  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

New Partner Home Page  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

Top of page

 

V. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

Best Management Practices for Unused Pharmaceuticals at Health Care Facilities - Draft for Public Comment
Pharmaceuticals are being discovered in our nation's waters at very low concentrations. While the sources of these pharmaceuticals may be numerous, EPA has been studying unused pharmaceutical disposal practices at health care facilities. This study was prompted by the concern that potentially large amounts of pharmaceuticals are being flushed or disposed of down the drain, ultimately ending up in rivers, streams and coastal waters.

The EPA has drafted a guidance document for health care facilities, which describes:

The guidance is targeted at hospitals, medical clinics, doctors' offices, long-term care facilities and veterinary facilities. EPA expects that this document will help reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals that are discharged to water bodies. EPA has visited many facilities and consulted with organizations in the health care industry, as well as federal, state and local government agencies. EPA continues to solicit recommendations from a wide range of stakeholders and welcomes comments on the draft document. We plan to publish a final version of the document in late 2010.

Public Comments: Please send comments on the draft guidance by November 8, 2010 to unusedpharms@epa.gov or in writing to: Meghan Hessenauer at 202-566-1040 or hessenauer.meghan@epa.gov

For more information.

Top of page

 

VI. Intergenerational Activities

2010 Rachel Carson IPoetry, Essay, Photography and Dance Contest
Winners of this year's Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder contest will be announced later this month. Check back soon If you want to check to see which intergenerational entries received the largest number of votes from the public. We believe that each entry is special because of each creative piece was a team effort and focused on nature. Read more...

Top of page

 

VII. EPA Funding Opportunities

Fall 2011 EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships For Undergraduate Environmental Study
EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results program, is offering Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) undergraduate fellowships for bachelor level students in environmental fields of study. The fellowship provides up to $19,700 per academic year of support and up to $9,500 of support for a three-month summer internship.
Deadline: December 9, 2010, read more...

8th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3)
The U.S. EPA, as part of the P3 Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Awards program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of economic prosperity, protection of the planet, and improved quality of life for its people-- people, prosperity, and the planet - the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.
Deadline: December 22, 2010, read more...

Environmental Education Grants
The Grants Program sponsored by EPA's Office of Environmental Education (OEE), Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education, supports environmental education projects that enhance the public's awareness, knowledge, and skills to help people make informed decisions that affect environmental quality. EPA awards grants each year based on funding appropriated by Congress. Annual funding for the program ranges between $2 and $3 million. Most grants will be in the $15,000 to $25,000 range.

2011 Environmental Education Grants
EPA is currently working on the Requests for Proposals for the 2011 Environmental Education Grant Program. Please sign up by clicking the blue button to the right to be electronically notified when the RFPs are available. Read more...

Top of page

 

VIII. Other Funding Opportunities

National Institutes of Health
Deepwater Horizon Disaster Research Consortia: Health Impacts and Community Resiliency (U19)

The NIH solicits applications to:

  1. examine impacts of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster on health, illness and quality of life for the general population residing in the Gulf coast region; and
  2. increase the scientific evidence base needed to strengthen the resiliency of vulnerable populations along the Gulf coast to prepare for and recover from the effects of the DWH and similar disasters.

In addition to the potential for exposure to oil, dispersants and other chemical mixtures, residents in the Gulf region are experiencing economic hardship, job loss, resettlements and other forms of psychological distress which may all adversely impact health and quality of life.

The intent of this RFA is to create one or more community-based participatory research consortia of university-community partnerships to address health issues of concern to the residents of the Gulf States affected by the DWH disaster and to enhance capacity to respond to potential future disasters and prevent or minimize adverse health effects arising from them.

By developing multi-project programs of basic and applied research, that may include population and associated laboratory-based research projects, it is anticipated that the interplay and impact of multiple stressors on human health and well-being and potential underlying mechanisms will be better understood. In addition, findings will establish the evidence base needed to inform recovery and to develop strategies to prevent illness and promote the health and well-being of populations in this and future man-made or natural disasters.

Letter of Intent Due: December 21, 2010

Application Deadline: January 21, 2011, read more...

Effects of the Social Environment on Health: Measurement, Methods and Mechanisms (R01)
This FOA, issued as part of the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet), solicits Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions/organizations that propose to investigate structural, behavioral, sociocultural, environmental, cognitive, emotional, and/or biological mechanisms through which the social environment affects health outcomes.

To address this objective, applicants should propose research studies that will:

  1. deepen our understanding of which aspects of social environments affect health outcomes for women and men at different stages of the lifecourse and in different social, economic, geographic, racial and ethnic sub-populations;
  2. lead to a clearer understanding of mechanisms through which social environments have such effects; or
  3. improve measurement methods and/or contribute to advances in analytic methods used in the study of social environments and health. Mechanism of Support.

This FOA will utilize the R01 award mechanism. Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. The NIH will commit approximately $5 million to this funding initiative in 2011, allowing the support of 8-9 new R01 applications, for a total of approximately $24 million over the next 5 years.

Deadline: January 6, 2011, read more...

Climate Change and Health: Assessing and Modeling Population Vulnerability to Climate Change (R21)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement is issued by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with participation from the following NIH components: FIC, NCI, NCMHD NHLBI, NIA, NIBIB, NICHD, NLM and OBSSR. It encourages research applications to examine the differential risk factors of populations that lead to or are associated with increased vulnerability to exposures, diseases and other adverse health outcomes related to climate change. Applications may involve either applied research studies that address specific hypotheses about risk factors or population characteristics associated with increased vulnerability, or research projects to develop general models or methods for identifying and characterizing population vulnerability to climate change.

The ultimate goal of this research program is to help inform climate change adaptation and public health interventions to reduce current and future vulnerability of various populations to the health effects of climate change.

Applications are anticipated to involve a multidisciplinary research team, including experts in health sciences and climatology as well as geography, modeling, statistics, demography, and social and behavioral sciences as appropriate. In addition, partnerships with community-based or advocacy organizations, public health officials, urban planners and others are encouraged.

Deadline: May 24, 2012, read more...

Top of page

 

IX. 2010 Calendar of Events & Meetings

November 2010

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting
November 6-10, 2010
Denver, CO
http://www.apha.org/meetings/highlights/  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

Gerontological Society of America
November 19-23, 2010
New Orleans, LA
http://www.geron.org/Annual%20Meeting  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

December 2010

International Council on Active Aging Conference
December 2-4, 2010
San Diego, CA
http://www.icaa.cc/convention/overview.htm  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

Call For Abstracts

n4a 2011 Call for Presentations
Deadline: December 3, 2010
http://www.n4a.org/training-events/annual-conference/?fa=call_sessions  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

 

Top of page

 

X. 2011 Calendar of Events & Meetings

February, 2011

American Heart Disease Awareness Month
http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/american-heart-month.html  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

New Partners for Smart Growth Annual Conference
February 3-5, 2011
Charlotte, NC
http://www.newpartners.org/  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

Great Backyard Bird Count
Feb 18-21, 2011
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/  Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

Top of page

 

 

Aging Initiative Home

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.