The Real Life Design Kitchen that is designed and built for persons of all ages and abilities can be seen on NBC's family drama Providence; it will be aired this Friday, Feb. 1, 2002 at 8 pm Pacific Time. The accessible kitchen is a model design based on the principles of Universal Design and epitomizes technology enabled independence especially for people with disabilities.

The kitchen was designed by Mary Jo Peterson, who is a certified kitchen/bath designer with expertise on integrating universal design principles into home designs. The kitchen features many accessible products from various manufacturers namely GE Appliances and others including Accessible Designs Adjustable, Harris Communications, Just Manufacturing, and Rev-A-Shelf.

Some notable accessible components in this kitchen are: cut-out space under the cook top that allows sitting and wheelchair access, spring-loaded shelf inside wall cabinet that can be lowered and locked in place to minimize reaching, mechanical height-adjustable sink for users of varying height and it also has shallow depth providing ample knee space for seated users, a pull-out cutting board that offers lower work surface, refrigerator with lever handles for easy opening and wider door swing to 150 degree making access easier for wheelchair users. All accessible features in the kitchen are subtle, but offer great convenience by minimizing reaching or back straining without the look of an institution.

This removable kitchen is currently on loan to NBC network, but organizations that wish to help advertise and showcase Real Life Design Kitchen are encouraged to contact the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification at 213-740-1364; or email homemods@usc.edu.

A residential home in Virginia last spring was transformed into a research lab that served as a testing "smart home" to monitor its resident's health and behavior. The project organized by the Medical Automation Research Center in Charlottesville begins by fastening the house with motion sensors in every corner to ensure adequate supervision of a person's lifestyle. Targeted group is those suffering from chronic conditions like Alzheimer's, of which the progression of illness is so gradual that the person or relatives are often not aware of. This is not the first model of "smart home", which is an ongoing technology adventure that is still in much debate.

A common concern is loss of privacy, as individuals are living under constant vigilance, with blinking red lights from numerous motion sensors. Jim Humphries who is the resident agreeing to undergo the new project expressed it only takes a few days to become adjusted to the new environment, and soon the presence of technology are overlooked.

However, another challenge that still requires much regulation and cooperative effort among providers of smart home technology is the ethical issue of accessibility to the results obtained. The massive amount of data will be the focus of many market research companies that want to market certain products. The center assures that no information will be released or published until all identity of the person and community are made anonymous.

The project intends to incorporate more advanced technology that will monitor more details of the resident's health. Examples are toilet sensors that can conduct urine analysis and a kitchen console that can scan all food labels to keep track of dietary intake. Then eventually, the center hopes to pack all the features into a small, user-friendly system that anyone can install in their homes. Currently, the system estimates to cost about $300, but the additional regulator service that oversees the information received would cost separately.

For more information on the project, visit the Medical Automation Research Center website at http://marc.med.virginia.edu/.

Produced by the National Legal Training Project from the AARP Foundation under a grant from American Administration on Aging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), this new online training module serves to educate consumers and as a quick reference for professionals and advocates on Medicare programs.

The easy access, free online module includes organized sections of information on Medicare, such as eligibility and enrollment, part A hospital insurance, part B supplementary insurance, payment of claims, appeals process, Medicare + Choice, and other miscellaneous issues. Each section also includes helpful advocacy tips, notes of scenarios applicable to the subject section, as well as links to reference code of regulation and major articles.

The content is user-friendly, and educational to individuals who are unfamiliar with the programs, as specific jargons or terms are highlighted and clickable to link to their definitions. Moreover, the module offers a self-test that includes various case studies and questions to ensure thorough understanding of how Medicare may apply to realistic situations. Answers to the test are also included.

The annotated bibliography is also well organized into sections like legal and policy materials, articles, publications, newsletters, and audiovisual materials. Each item includes detailed listing of ordering, costs, and contact information, so persons can conveniently obtain related resources. Individuals can download free sample forms, and flow charts from appendix section that also includes state specific information.

Click on comprehensive Medicare Training Module to begin the interactive module. The National Training Project encourages feedback on the new module; visitors may email comments and suggestions to ntp@aarp.org, or visit their website for more information http://www.aarp.org/ntltrpro/modules.html.

Chicago Fitness Plus is the nation's largest government-sponsored senior exercise program, offering comprehensive activities on fitness, wellness, and health education. The program is sponsored by the Chicago Department on Aging to provide accessible exercise programs throughout the community to Chicago senior residents age 60 and older.

Recognized as one of the 15 finalists in Innovations in American Government Award, the program received a $20,000 grant. The program was recognized not only for its diverse activities ranging from yoga to strength training, it is also awarded for other laudable qualities. Through its cable TV shows and video, Chicago Fitness Plus is accessible to seniors who are homebound with mobility impairments. Moreover, it is affordable to low-income seniors who would otherwise unable to afford health club-type fitness programs.

Began in 1995, the program has 7000 participants a year, and the majority have expressed they feel an overall improvement in health. The fitness centers are located in various senior centers with modern equipments and personal trainers. Other cardiovascular activities such as aerobic classes are offered throughout accessible facilities in the community, like in church halls, and in housing developments.

The award program was founded by the Ford foundation to distinguish excellent and innovative programs in the public sector. Administered by the Institute for Government Innovations at Harvard University and the Council for Excellence in Government, the competition will continue to encourage and promote pioneering efforts. For more information on the Innovations in Government Program, visit their website at http://www.innovations.harvard.edu.

(Source of article is taken from Administration on Aging website at www.aoa.gov.)

The Labor/HHS/Education Appropriation Bill for the Fiscal Year 2002 was recently passed by both houses of Congress, which grants National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), among many other Long Term Care and health programs, a $141 million funding, a generous $16 million increase from prior year's grant.

NFCSP was established by the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000, developed by the Administration on Aging of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program requires local community service providers to make available five basic services to family caregivers, including information to caregivers about available services; assistance to caregivers in gaining access to supportive services; individual counseling and support groups; respite care to allow caregivers temporary relief from responsibilities; and limited supplemental services to fulfill caregivers' duties.

Eligible recipient of these services include family caregivers of older adults, as well as grandparents and relative caregivers of children under age 18. Services are available to caregivers of older Native Americans too, under the Native American Caregiver Support Program that was also established under the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000.

For NFCSP information on a specific state, caregivers should contact the State Unit on Aging available for access online at http://www.aoa.gov/aoa/pages/states.html.

Organized by the committee of international conference for universal design in Japan 2002, this international conference is calling for presentation proposals from around the world. From November 30 to December 4, 2002, the conference will be held in Yokohama, as the first international conference in Universal Design held in Japan, and the organizing committee in Japan is fully committed to promote UD on a worldwide level. There is promising progress in Japan in the field of UD and many successful examples that are unfamiliar to the rest of the country or to the world, so the organization will use this opportunity to create an international networking opportunity, involving more Asian participants and discover underrepresented groups.

Professionals and specialists as well as interested individuals from Europe, America, Asia and other countries are encouraged to attend, to support global UD development. Through the conference, the committee hopes to facilitate more information exchange between organizations of various countries and more cooperation to advocate the importance of UD.

The tentative deadlines of presentation proposals are as follows:
End of March 2002 - abstract submission
End of July 2002 - full paper submission
End of September 2002 - revised paper submission.

The event will take place at the Pacifico Yokohama International Convention Center and Yokohama Grand InterContinental Hotel, Yokohama, Japan. For information update, visit the website at http://www.ud2002.org ; call Sotetsu Agency, Inc./ Pacific Convention, Inc. at 45-450-7003; or email info@ud2002.org.

A recent article in BusinessWeek titled "Making a House Safe for Seniors" by Ellen Hoffman draws new consideration to home safety for older adults. The article highlights some major concern for areas of the home that can benefit residents of all ages, such as in the bathroom and kitchen. The concerns stem from the growing number of retirees, as baby boomers age and most of them prefer to "age in place" in their existing homes, avoiding potential institutionalization.

The suggested alterations in the bathroom reminds residents to think beyond what is commonly known, like adding grab bars by the bathtub and shower stalls. The article quotes Dr. Jon Pynoos, the director of National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification in Los Angeles, expressing that installing grab bars in the bathroom to necessary areas "is just common sense." Other recommended changes include using handheld showers and adding non-slip strips to the bottom of shower or bathtub.

In the kitchen, the article offers suggestions that prevent accidents like using stoves with controls in the front to avoid reaching across the burners, and lowering counter tops to limit standing time during food preparation. Other economic alterations include lowering cabinet heights and adding sliding drawers inside cabinets to limit reaching and bending.

There are also other simple recommendations to prevent accidents like tripping or fall around the home, by adjusting light fixtures to maintain well-lit work spaces and securing loose electrical cords and wires against the walls. The article reminds readers that a home does not require major drastic or expensive alterations to be safe without the nursing home-look, and these simple, economic changes are beneficial to persons of all ages.

(Source of article is taken from "Making a Housing Safe for Seniors" by Ellen Hoffman from BusinessWeek Online.)