The Center for Social Gerontology
2307 Shelby
Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 tel: 734 665-1126 fax: 734 665-2071
tcsg@tcsg.org
WHAT'S NEW
AT TCSG?
Daily News
Updates on Legal Services & Elder Rights Developments To access, click here
Daily Updates
on Smoke-Free Environments News To
access, click here
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN:
TCSG's 2009 Adult Guardianship / Family Caregiver Mediation Training October
1-3, 2009 in Ann Arbor, Michigan 
Registration is now open for The Center for Social Gerontology
(TCSG)‘s Adult Guardianship / Family Caregiver Mediation Training, to be held
this year from Thursday, October 1 through Saturday, October 3, 2009 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
This three-day advanced training is designed for
trained, experienced mediators who wish to expand their practice to include
mediation of issues or disputes that arise when guardianship over an adult is
being considered, and/or when elders and their families are confronted with
extremely difficult decisions regarding the care of a vulnerable family member
which can easily lead to family conflict. The training is also of value to
judges, court administrators, and others considering or involved in
establishing adult guardianship / Conservatorship mediation programs in their
states or local jurisdictions, and a limited number of spots are reserved for
these professionals.
Trainers will be Penelope A. Hommel, Co-Director of
The Center for Social Gerontology, Inc.; Robert J. Rhudy, Consulting Attorney
for The Center for Social Gerontology, Inc. and President & Executive
Director of Senior Mediation and Decision-Making, Inc.; and Carolyn J. Rodis,
Mediator, Trainer, and Director of Training of Senior Mediation and
Decision-Making, Inc.
For
more detailed information and to download the 2009 Registration Form, please
click above or here.
Information last updated July 2, 2009.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Elder Mediation Annotated Resource Library Released
The Center for Social Gerontology is pleased to announce
the release of the annotated bibliography on elder mediation. The
bibliography's purpose is to provide a comprehensive listing and brief
description of the universe of existing materials including books, manuals,
reports, articles, video, online information, and more on the development,
provision, and evaluation of elder mediation. For more information please click
here.
TCSG's Unofficial Compilation of the OAA as amended in 2006
The Older Americans Act was amended during the fall of
2006 by the enactment of HR 6197. As of February 2007, an official compilation
of the Act as amended had still not been printed. To assist a variety of
organizations who would find it useful to have a complete version of the OAA
which includes the amendments adopted by Congress in 2006, The Center for
Social Gerontology put together an unofficial compilation of the changes to the
Older Americans Act. For convenience in downloading the documents, we put each
Title of the OAA in a separate pdf file as well as including a complete,
unofficial compilation with a table of contents. To view the OAA Unofficial Compilation,
click here.
Smoke-free Apartment web site wins
"Standard of Excellence" award in 2004 Internet Advertising
Competition Awards
The national Web Marketing Association announced on
September 16th their 2004 Internet Advertising Competition Awards which honor
excellence in online advertising and recognize the individuals and
organizations responsible for the award-winning Internet advertising. We at The
Center for Social Gerontology, Inc. (TCSG) are delighted to announce that our
MISmokefreeApartment.org Internet web site has been selected to receive a
"Standard of Excellence" award in this year's competition. This
social marketing web site, together with the radio ads, billboard designs, and
post card mailers -- all designed to encourage landlords to adopt smoke-free
policies in their buildings and to assist tenants in seeking smoke-free
apartments -- were all made possible under TCSG's Smoke-Free Environments Law
Project, which is now in its 5th year of funding from the Tobacco Section of
the Michigan Department of Community Health. Kudos go to Brogan & Partners
-- the media and convergence marketing agency -- with whom we contracted to
develop this exciting new smoke-free environments campaign and who did such an
outstanding job with and for us. We're delighted with the web site, ads and the
whole smoke-free apartments initiative -- and the award is very nice also. In
coming months, the smoke-free apartment initiative will be rolled out in five
areas of Michigan -- all of the counties in the Upper Peninsula, and the
counties of Genesee, Ingham, Ogemaw, and Washtenaw -- where we will be working
closely with the Tobacco Reduction Coalitions and the local health departments
and, hopefully, the local apartment associations to significantly increase the
number of apartment buildings which have smoke-free policies. You can visit the web site by clicking here. To view Brogan's
presentation of the site on their web site -- where you can also hear the radio
ads if you have the right software -- click here.
mismokefreeapartment.org Web site &
Campaign to Promote Smoke-Free Apartments
TCSG's Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (SFELP) has
created a major new initiative to promote the adoption of smoke-free policies
in apartment buildings. The centerpiece of the smoke-free apartment campaign is
the mismokefreeapartment.org web site, which has two major sections -- one
targeted to landlords, and one to tenants. In addition to the web site, the
smoke-free apartment campaign will utilize two humorous radio ads, billboards,
postcard mailings to landlords, and technical assistance from SFELP for both
landlords and tenants. The campaign will be conducted this coming year in
Michigan. However, the information on the web site is useful for persons
throughout the United States. The web site is one of the most comprehensive on
this subject on the Internet. The site includes information on: the legal right
of landlords to adopt total smoke-free policies in their apartment buildings;
legal remedies available to tenants to assert their rights to smoke-free
apartment environments; the economic reasons for landlords to adopt smoke-free
policies; a PowerPoint presentation to assist landlords in going smoke-free, as
well as tips on how to do so; info on the dangers of secondhand smoke; links to
HUD and Michigan Attorney General opinions stating that such smoke-free
policies are legal; and much more. To access the site, click here. To access a press release
describing the campaign, click here.
Brochures online for "Considering
Mediation" in Situations in Which Guardianship is Being Considered for
Older Persons OR Caregivers for Older Persons are Facing Difficult Decisions
The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG) has for over
a decade been pioneering the use of mediation in cases in which guardianship is
being considered for older persons. In the past few years, TCSG has broadened
the use of mediation to include cases in which caregivers for older persons are
encountering difficulties in making decisions with and for older persons,
particularly when a number of family members are involved. During the past two
years, TCSG has worked with colleagues in Michigan, Georgia and Vermont on
pilot projects using mediation in caregiver situations, under a grant from the federal Administration on
Aging. As a part of the latter project, TCSG has prepared two brochures for use
in these projects to assist families and professionals in understanding when
and how mediation might be used in these situations. The brochures also provide
useful information for persons interested in considering establishing similar
programs in other geographic locations. The brochures are titled: Considering
Guardianship for Someone You Care About? Consider Mediation and Caring for an Older Person and Facing Difficult
Decisions? Consider Mediation. The
two brochures are now available for viewing online, each in pdf format, on
TCSG's Mediation & Aging site
by clicking here
PowerPoint: Smoking Policies in
Long-Term Care & Residential Facilities Serving Older Persons
On October 17 & 20, 2003, Jim Bergman, J.D.,
Co-Director of The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG), gave presentations at
the National Aging & Law Conference and at the Annual Conference of the
National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) in Washington, D.C.
on Smoking Policies in Long-Term Care & Residential Facilities Serving
Older Persons. This 36-slide
PowerPoint presentation discussed: how all truth passes through 3 stages,
including concerning smoke-free policies; the health dangers of secondhand smoke;
sources of research on secondhand smoke; whether smoke-free policies should be
different in residential settings than in other workplaces and public places;
the fire dangers of smoking in long-term care and elderly housing facilities;
what federal and state laws -- including the Americans with Disabilities Act
and the Fair Housing Act -- say about smoking in nursing homes, assisted living
facilities and apartments; what JCAHO accreditation standards say about smoking
in long-term care facilities; TCSG's model smoking policies in nursing homes,
assisted living facilities, and elderly housing; online resources for more
information on this topic; and the findings of TCSG's national survey of
smoking policies in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Click here to directly access
the presentation and adapt it for your use. To go to the Smoking Policies in
Facilities Serving Older Persons section
of TCSG's site where you can access the PowerPoint presentation and also access
model smoke-free policies and related materials, click here.
PowerPoint: Tobacco's
Impact on Senior Citizens
On August 27, 2003, Cliff Douglas -- President of the
Board of The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG) and a consulting attorney for
TCSG's Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (as well as an internationally-known
authority on tobacco and secondhand smoke issues) -- gave a presentation titled
Tobacco's Impact on Seniors at a
conference sponsored by the Tobacco Reduction Action Coalition in Oakland
County, Michigan. The conference was titled "The Costs of Secondhand Smoke
to the Individual, Business and the Community." In this 55-slide
PowerPoint presentation, Cliff provided an excellent description of the health
consequences of smoking and secondhand smoke on older persons. The presentation
provides a wide assortment of slides and data, including some classic slides
such as the 7 tobacco company executives swearing before Congress that tobacco
is not addictive and the classic swimming pool slide demonstrating that secondhand
smoke does not stay within boundaries. Click here to directly access
the PowerPoint presentation and adapt it for your use. To go to the Smoking
Policies in Facilities Serving Older Persons section of TCSG's site where you can access the PowerPoint presentation
and also access model smoke-free policies and related materials, click here.
PowerPoint: Selecting a
Title IIIB Legal Provider
TCSG is very pleased to announce that we have added a
new section to the State Legal Services Development section of our web site. This new section and service
provides a PowerPoint presentation which can be downloaded, adapted and used to
meet your needs. The first PowerPoint we are making available in this format is
titled Selecting a Title IIIB Legal Provider and was prepared by Natalie Thomas, Esq., the Georgia
Legal Services Developer, for a speech delivered to Area Agency on Aging
directors and staff to assist them in understanding and implementing the
requirements of the Older Americans Act regarding the selection of the
"best entity" as their Title IIIB legal provider. The 15-slide
PowerPoint presentation can be accessed directly by clicking here to go to
the State Legal Services Development section of the TCSG site and scrolling
down to the section titled PowerPoint Presentation on Selecting a Title IIIB
Legal Provider or you can go directly
to the PowerPoint presentation by clicking here.
TCSG places
"PowerPoint Presentations on Smoke-Free Environments Issues" on web
site
The Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (SFELP) of The
Center for Social Gerontology is delighted to announce that our web site has
added a new section titled PowerPoint Presentations on Smoke-Free
Environments Issues. Increasingly,
policymakers and supporters of smoke-free environments are using PowerPoint
presentations to assist in discussing various issues related to secondhand
smoke and smoke-free environments laws and policies. In this new section of the
SFELP web site, we are making PowerPoint presentations on smoke-free
environments issues available for viewing and downloading. Our intention is to,
over time, compile a large number of such presentations -- each with its own
special purposes and information -- so that policymakers and supporters of
smoke-free environments can utilize these existing slide presentations as they
are or can adapt them to meet the needs of the person downloading them.
Hopefully, this collection of PowerPoint presentations will save users the time
of having to start from square one in preparing their own PowerPoint
presentations. To go to the site, click here.
TCSG Issues Model
Smoke-Free Policies for Facilities Serving Older Persons
We at The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG) are
very pleased to announce that we have completed a major project, funded by the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which focused on examining smoking policies in
four types of facilities serving older persons -- Senior Centers, Adult Day
Care Centers, Nursing Homes, and Assisted Living Facilities. We are now releasing -- online -- a set of model
smoke-free policies applicable to each of these four types of facilities. These
policies are available by going to the section of our web site titled Smoking
Policies in Facilities Serving Older Persons. On the site, you will find a description of the
policies and links to each of the model policies, which are in html format so
that they can be downloaded and adapted easily. We have also placed on the site
the JCAHO standard dealing with smoking in long-term care facilities, since
this is a very important document. There are also links to a variety of other
materials and sites with information relevant to this topic. These policies
were prepared after wide circulation of drafts, and after careful review of
research on both the health hazards of secondhand smoke (a Group A carcinogen,
i.e., a known cancer-causing agent in humans) and after review of the stringent
JCAHO standard. We also carefully analyzed the data on the fire hazards of
smoking in residential settings, including in long-term care facilities. We
also gave careful attention to the legal rights issues associated with these
types of policies -- rights of both nonsmokers and smokers -- and the balancing
act which must be dealt with. The results of these analyzes and reviews are
reflected in the model policies. To go to the site, click here.
TCSG Publishes Major
Report: "Evaluation of Mediation as a Means of Resolving Adult
Guardianship Cases"
On November 19, 2001, The Center for Social
Gerontology (TCSG) published a major report which describes the use of
mediation in cases in which guardianship over older persons was being pursued.
TCSG, in the early 1990s, pioneered the use of mediation as a non-adversarial
means of addressing the complex personal, financial and related issues which
often precipitate the filing of petitions for guardianship of older persons by
family members, friends or private guardianship organizations. The new TCSG
study found that mediation appeared to be effective in helping disputing
parties reach agreements in three-quarters of the cases in which it was used.
Further, older persons, family members, program administrators and mediators
were found to believe that mediation in these adult guardianship cases was
effective in finding better or more satisfactory resolutions such as fewer
guardianships, limited rather than full guardianships, or less restrictive
alternatives to guardianship. The approximately 140 page report presents the
conclusions reached in a study by TCSG of adult guardianship mediation in Ohio,
Florida, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. The report, funded by a grant from the State
Justice Institute (SJI), presents a detailed description of adult guardianship
mediation programs in these four states, followed by a summary of the results
of a participant survey performed at two of the sites, and ends with a
discussion of the conclusions and recommendations reached as a result of the
study. Printed copies of the full study are available for a fee by contacting
TCSG at 734 665-1126 or at tcsg@tscg.org. A copy of the press release
describing the study can be downloaded by clicking here. A
copy of the full report, in pdf format, may be downloaded by clicking here.
Smoking Cessation & the Elderly Best
Practice Publications & Programs
The Center for Social Gerontology has compiled a list
of publications and/or program descriptions which are particularly germane for
smoking cessation and the elderly. When possible, we have included a link to
the full publication or the abstract, click here.
Smoking Cessation Links
TCSG has compiled two lists of links. The first list
is geared towards smokers who would like to become nicotine-free. The second
list is geared towards health care providers and policymakers who are
interested in smoking cessation. Both lists of links can be accessed by
clicking here.
Smoking Cessation & Older Persons Brochure
TCSG has designed a smoking cessation brochure which
targets older adults. Organizations which would find this brochure useful, are
welcome to download it, print it out, and distribute it. To view the Smoking
Cessation & Older Persons Brochure, click here.
Bibliography of Smoking Cessation Articles Concerning Older
Adults
This bibliography, prepared by The Center for Social
Gerontology in July, 2001, presents a comprehensive, albeit not
all-encompassing, list of recent articles on smoking cessation and nicotine
reduction concerning older adults, including minority older adults. Most of the
articles in this listing were published after 1996 because TCSG's Bibliography
of Tobacco and the Elderly Articles which
can be accessed here, incldues
a section on "Smoking Cessation," which lists articles on this topic
largely published between the late 1980s and 1996. TCSG has produced this
bibliography in the hope that it will assist others in conducting further
research on smoking cessation and nicotine reduction targeted to older adults,
and that it will encourage others to establish smoking cessation and nicotine
reduction programs which focus on older adults. To view the entire bibliography
of smoking cessation articles concerning older adults click here.
Nationwide and Statewide Smoking Cessation Hotlines
A list of national hotlines as well as statewide
cessation helplines has been compiled. Many of the statewide hotlines are
available only to residents of that state, and for most of them, access to the
number is available only when calling from a phone number in that state. To
view the Smoking Cessation Hotlines, click here.
TCSG's Unofficial Compilation of the OAA as amended in 2000
The Older Americans Act was amended during the fall of
2000 by the enactment of HR 782. As of March 2001, an official compilation of
the Act as amended had still not been printed. To assist a variety of
organizations who would find it useful to have a complete version of the OAA
which includes the amendments adopted by Congress in 2000, The Center for
Social Gerontology put together an unofficial compilation of the changes to the
Older Americans Act. For convenience in downloading the documents, we put each
Title of the OAA in a separate pdf file. To view the OAA Unofficial
Compilation, click here.
Older Americans Act Reauthorization Web Site
TCSG has created a web site on the Reauthorization
of the Older Americans Act (OAA) which
provides, in one place, comprehensive information on and access to materials
concerning the OAA, the reauthorization of the OAA during the 106th Congress
(1999-2000), and information particularly related to legal assistance to
vulnerable older Americans, elder rights advocacy, and the role of Legal
Services Developers under the OAA. This site is divided into the following main
sections: Updates on OAA Reauthorization Developments; TCSG and Related
Statements on OAA Reauthorization; Administration on Aging site on OAA
Reauthorization; Link to HR 782 - the OAA Reauthorization Legislation; the OAA
- Current Law & History of Key Changes Related to Elder Rights and Legal
Assistance to Older Americans; and, Links to related sites and information.
Click here.
Smoke-Free Environments Law Project & Web Site
The Smoke-Free Environments Law Project of The Center for Social Gerontology announces a new,
comprehensive web site which provides current information about environmental
tobacco smoke (ETS) and the legal and liability issues related to ETS in the
workplace, in public places, and in certain residential settings. Among the
information on the site are concise analyses of key laws related to smoke-free
environments, including: Americans with Disabilities Act; Michigan's Clean
Indoor Air Act; Worker's Compensation laws; and laws concerning ETS in
apartments and condominiums. Click here.
March, 2000 Best Practice Notes Online
The latest issue of TCSG's Best Practice Notes on the
Delivery of Legal Assistance to Older Persons is now online. This issue features a comprehensive
article on "Outcome Measures for Title IIIB Legal Assistance
Programs" and discusses how outcome measures or performance outcomes can
complement traditional reporting. Outcome measures have great potential for
providing very useful information on the impact of legal assistance on the most
needy older persons. Click here to read the issue.
December 1999 Best Practice NotesOnline
This issue of TCSG's Best Practice Notes on the
Delivery of Legal Assistance to Older Persons is now online. This issue focuses entirely on Legal Services
Developers and their crucial role in the Aging Network, and includes and
in-depth look at the position as well as the results of a survey of Ombudsmen
and Developers conducted by Natalie Thomas, the Georgia LSD. Click here to read the issue.
Tobacco and Aging List-Serve
TCSG has created an international, interactive list-serve
on tobacco and older persons. Issues covered include: secondhand smoke, smoking
cessation, tobacco settlement funds, health effects, legal and public policy
matters, and others. To sign up, contact TCSG / SFELP by clicking here.
Tobacco and Minorities
The information provided on this site pertains to
tobacco use by and its effects on old and young adults from communities of
color in the United States. Because people in communities of color have been
specially targeted by the tobacco industry, with the resultant suffering and
death from tobacco-related diseases, we have included information on legal
remedies now being pursued to redress these wrongful acts by the tobacco industry
-- specifically lawsuits and legislative action related to the recent state
tobacco settlements. Information on the
page will be updated regularly.
Tobacco Settlement Funds: State Updates
The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG) provides
regularly updated information on what is happening in states regarding the
almost $250 billion the tobacco industry must pay to the states over the next
25 years as a result of the settlements they have signed to resolve Medicaid
lawsuits filed by the states. The information, largely from news reports,
mainly focuses on how the tobacco settlement funds are being directed toward
aging programs and tobacco control programs. To view, click here.
TCSG Releases New Guardianship Mediation Video
TCSG has released Adult
Guardianship Mediation: An Introduction. This new 30-minute video presents
a demonstration of a guardianship mediation, using actors to portray family
members. Narrated by Academy of Family Mediators Past President Zena Zumeta,
the video introduces viewers to mediation and its application in guardianship
disputes.
TCSG's National Center for Tobacco-Free Older Person's
Website
We've posted a wealth of information on tobacco and
the elderly on this site. Go to our Tobacco and the
Elderly page to learn more
As always, we're glad you visited. Like nearly all of
the web sites you visit, we are constantly "under construction."
Nevertheless, we already have a lot of great information up, and will be adding
more frequently! We see this site as a means to get you:
·
timely information on
developments in aging issues;
·
current and past issues
of all or our newsletters and regular publications;
·
information on TCSG
activities;
·
access to TCSG manuals
and publications;
·
information on who we
are and how you can reach us.
We also would like
to hear what you would like to see on this site. Email requests or suggestions
to: tcsg@tcsg.org
The Center for Social Gerontology, Inc.
2307 Shelby Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Tel: (734) 665-1126 Fax: (734) 665-2071
Email: tcsg@tcsg.org