“A system begging for transformation” and other important reports

Image from Tokyo Contemporary Art Gallery

From Isolation to Integration: Recommendations to Improve Quality in Long-term Care was released this month by the National Commission for Quality Long-term Care. The report says that “like the health care system, the long-term care system begs for transformation” and recommends bipartisan approaches for national reform.

New population health statistics and trends for older adults are now available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The full report, "Health, United States, 2007, With Chart book on Trends in the Health of Americans, " was published by the National Center for Health Statistics Press (December 2007).

Finally, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College has released a number of fascinating working papers on economic conditions and circumstances relevant to older people:

1. Capital income flows and the relative well-being of America’s aged population
2. Why are companies freezing their pensions?
3. The impact of late-career health and employment shocks on Social Security and other wealth
4. Health insurance and the labor supply decisions of older workers
   
5. The effect of economic conditions on the employment of workers nearing retirement age

Thanks to James Schmidlkoffer, Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources, Office on Aging, Wisconsin DHFS, for this information.