NY lawmakers OK "Peter Falk's Law" for death notification

Legislation in New York named after the late actor Peter Falk aims to ensure that the relatives of people in guardianship are notified when their loved one dies.

ALBANY, N.Y. - Legislation in New York named after the late actor Peter Falk aims to ensure that the relatives of people in guardianship are notified when their loved one dies.

The Post-Standard of Syracuse reports (http://bit.ly/25Yvrze ) that the bill would change state guardianship law to require the identification of those loved ones who need to be notified about a person's death or burial. The identification would occur when the guardian is appointed.

Falk, the star of the television detective show Columbo, died in 2011. His children did not learn about his funeral arrangements, however, because they were not notified by Falk's second wife, who had been appointed his guardian.

The bill passed the Senate Tuesday after passing the Assembly earlier this month. It now heads to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Full Article & Source:
NY lawmakers OK "Peter Falk's Law" for death notification

NC Nursing Home Resident Suffers Stage IV Bedsore Due to Proper Treatment Delayed

GOLDEN LIVING CENTER – GREENVILLE

LOCATED: 2910 MACGREGOR DOWNS, GREENVILLE, NC 27834

GOLDEN LIVING CENTER – GREENVILLE was cited by the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES for the following deficiencies:

PLEASE NOTE: The following text is only a portion of the full report/survey submitted by DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES. The full report/survey can be found here.

FACILITY FAILED TO GIVE RESIDENTS PROPER TREATMENT TO PREVENT NEW BED (PRESSURE) SORES OR HEAL EXISTING BED SORES.

LEVEL OF HARM –ACTUAL HARM
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY**
Based on observation, physician interview, physician assistant interview, staff interview, and record review the facility failed to avoid delays in obtaining an order to test for [MEDICAL CONDITION] (C. diff), in changing pressure sore treatments for wounds which were not healing, in providing protein supplementation to promote healing, in scheduling a consult with the wound clinic for debridement, in re-culturing for [DIAGNOSES REDACTED], and in addressing leakage around a rectal tube for 1 of 2 sampled residents (Resident #346) reviewed for pressure ulcers.

Before the facility provided Resident #346 with wound clinic consultation/debridement on 01/15/16 the resident’s sacral pressure ulcer deteriorated from a stage I to a stage IV pressure ulcer, and the resident’s gluteal crease/buttock deep tissue injury (DTI) opened and deteriorated/enlarged into two stage III pressure ulcers to the bilateral buttocks.

At 1:57 PM on 01/29/16 the DON reported she observed all wounds greater than a stage II weekly even though it might not be with the Treatment Nurse. She stated there was a quick decline in Resident #346’s wounds. According to the DON, zinc barrier cream to the edges and surrounding tissue of stage III and IV wounds would be appropriate, but if there was slough in the wound bed, she would expect there to be a [MEDICATION NAME] agent used on it. She stated even though she observed Resident #346’s wounds she had not observed the Treatment Nurse perform wound care on the resident. The DON also commented even though it was unusual to find DTIs to the buttocks, they could form anywhere. The DON reported she could not explain why it took so long to collect a stool sample and check for [DIAGNOSES REDACTED] or why a stool re-culture was not collected as ordered on [DATE]. She commented the referral was made to the wound clinic because Resident #346’s wounds were not healing. She remarked when a physician order [REDACTED]. She stated she was not notified that there was any trouble getting the resident an appointment at the wound clinic. The DON reported every wound was different so it could be two days to two weeks before changing treatments if wounds were not healing. According to the DON, she was not notified that the rectal tube was leaking/seeping until 01/27/16 when the surveyor was making her wound treatment observation.

Personal Note from NHA-Advocates: NHAA shares with all the families of loved ones who are confined to nursing homes the pain and anguish of putting them in the care of someone else. We expect our loved ones to be treated with dignity and honor in the homes we place them. We cannot emphasize enough to family members of nursing home residents; frequent visits are essential to our loved ones’ well-being and safety. This nursing home and many others across the country are cited for abuse and neglect.

Full Article & Source:

RESIDENT SUFFERS STAGE IV BEDSORE DUE TO PROPER TREATMENT DELAYED

See Also:
Nursing Home Abuse Advocates

Texas Denies Medicaid Coverage for an Autism Therapy

Photo by Braulio De La Cruz

Like many parents of children with autism, Braulio De La Cruz sought an expensive therapy called applied behavioral analysis — or ABA – when his son Noah Leonardo was diagnosed last year.

Noah, now 3 years old, qualifies for Medicaid coverage because he had been approved for Social Security’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, and his neurologist sent paperwork to get the state to cover the therapy. But Medicaid officials rejected the request. Braulio De La Cruz appealed the decision, but that effort hit a major roadblock last fall when the state suddenly said the Medicaid program would not cover behavioral therapy.

Now De La Cruz and other parents — who say their children with autism are legally entitled to such treatment — are butting heads with Texas officials. And without Medicaid coverage, they must either forgo the therapy or find a way to pay for individual insurance plans that help pick up the costs.

De La Cruz has turned to an individual Humana plan to cover his son’s therapy. But it costs him $198 a month, a small fortune when he is watching expenses closely while preparing to go back to school to study nursing. And the cost goes beyond just the premium.

"The most difficult part is the deductible," he said. "It’s $6,500 – it’s pretty outrageous that you have to pay that before anything is covered.”

In addition, the effects of the Texas rejection of ABA coverage were compounded for many families by a controversial state decision to cut back on Medicaid payments for other home-based therapy services for children, including many that youngsters with autism might use.

Representatives for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission declined to comment for this story, except to say that Texas, like other states, is reviewing guidance from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on this issue. Texas Sens. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, chair of the Senate's Health and Human Services Committee; Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, vice chair of that committee; and Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, also declined to comment.

Dan Unumb, executive director of the Legal Resource Center at Autism Speaks, a national advocacy group for families, said if federal officials don't weigh in, Texas families may have to turn to litigation to convince the state not to resist covering behavioral analysis. De La Cruz says he is considering a suit if the state doesn’t change it course.

“I don’t know if they’ll continue to draw a line in the sand, and I don’t know what steps CMS may be taking,” Unumb says. “My sense is that there’s many layers to things in Texas.”

A Federal Directive

In 2014, CMS advised states that they must cover medically necessary care for Medicaid-eligible children with autism up to age 21. Advocates say that includes therapies a doctor deems necessary for a child, including behavioral analysis, which uses positive reinforcement to encourage behavioral modification and can run from $60 to $150 an hour.

Some states – California, Virginia and Maine, for example – needed very little prodding to put policies in place. Others, including Ohio and Florida, did so only after being hit with court suits.

But Texas responded slowly. One of the advocates at the center of the debate is Shylo Bundy. When her daughter, who also qualified for Medicaid through the SSI program, was diagnosed with autism at 15 months of age, the toddler’s doctor prescribed 30 to 40 hours a week of behavioral therapy.

Medicaid officials denied the coverage. Bundy, an attorney, immediately put her law skills to work, spending months appealing, making phone calls and contacting legislators until she eventually got the state to reverse the decision. Bundy and her husband have traded off not working so that someone can be home to take care of their daughter. (Continue Reading)

Full Article & Source:
Texas Denies Medicaid Coverage for an Autism Therapy

Opening Our Eyes to Elder Abuse

Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and Next Avenue joins in the effort to shine a light on this pervasive problem. 

An estimated 5 million older Americans are abused, neglected or exploited every year, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse. That’s a conservative number, the organization says: for every one case that’s reported, as many as 23 are not.

“Elder mistreatment is a serious public health issue, and merits the same level of response as child abuse or domestic abuse,” says Terry Fulmer, Ph.D., president of  The John A. Hartford Foundation and a researcher and authority on elder mistreatment and abuse, in a statement last week.

She urged all of us to increase our vigilance.

“In particular, health care, emergency services, social service, and law enforcement professionals, who are on the front lines, should use every interaction with an older person to screen for possible mistreatment,” she says. “One simple yet powerful way to do this is by asking the question: ‘Are you safe at home?’

That’s especially important with older adults who may be cognitively impaired or rarely outside of the presence of a potential abuser, Fulmer says.

Manifestations of Abuse

Elder abuse comes in many forms, including physical, psychological, financial and sexual abuse.

Last month, Next Avenue published a series on abuse in the guardianship and conservatorship systems, finding that, despite decades of efforts, pernicious patterns have endured.

As the boomer population ages, the numbers of people affected by guardianship and conservatorship will rise tremendously, experts predict. With the stroke of a judge’s pen, an older adult can see his or her most basic rights stripped away. A family member or even a stranger appointed by the court will decide where they will live, how their money will be spent, what health care they will get, when they will go out and whom they are allowed to see.

Educating Ourselves

We urge everyone to learn about elder abuse and know the signs that someone may be being abused. 

We also urge the presidential candidates to recognize World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and offer their ideas on how to address the disturbing reality many older adults live with every day.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is organized by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations.

Full Article & Source:
Opening Our Eyes to Elder Abuse

New law requires guardians to have guide

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine praised a new law that will put the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Guardianship Guide into the hands of all guardians overseeing adult and minor wards in the state.

House Bill 50, approved by the Ohio General Assembly last month, was signed into law by Governor John Kasich on Monday.

The law requires clerks of Ohio’s probate courts to give new and current guardians a copy of the guardianship guide, which was created by Attorney General DeWine in 2014 to reduce confusion surrounding guardianship in Ohio so that individuals are better equipped to serve as guardians or protect relatives under guardianship.

“The role of a guardian is very complex, which is why we created the Ohio Guardianship Guide,” DeWine said. “Those placed in guardianship are especially vulnerable and deserve quality care, and this manual helps guardians fully understand their roles and responsibilities.”

“Thanks to House Bill 50, all guardians will receive a copy of this guide in an effort to help protect Ohio’s families,” he added.

A copy of the Ohio Guardianship Guide can be found on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.

The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville) and Rep. Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City), also raises the maximum age for foster care and adoption assistance to age 21.

Full Article & Source:
New law requires guardians to have guide

Pennsylvania Stands United Against Elder Abuse

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack joined Secretary of Aging Teresa Osborne, and Deputy Secretary of Banking and Securities Brian LaForme in a World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event in the Capitol calling on all Pennsylvanians to stand united with communities around the globe to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

They were joined by Representative Hennessey, Majority Chair of the House Aging and Older Adults Services Committee; Karen Buck, Executive Director of the SeniorLAW Center; and Liana Walters, Executive Director of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee on behalf of Senator Art Haywood; along with protective service investigators from counties throughout the commonwealth who were recognized for the critical role they play in protecting older Pennsylvanians in their local community from all types of abuse.

"Elder abuse is a global societal issue which impacts the health and human rights of millions of older adults around the world," said Lieutenant Governor Stack. "Preventing elder abuse must not only be a part of the national conversation about how we care for older Americans, but it must also be a part of the commonwealth's plan to support and protect older Pennsylvanians." 

"Older Pennsylvanians have worked hard to raise their families, build our communities and defend our country in times of crisis," said Secretary of Aging Teresa Osborne.  "For their many contributions, they deserve to have access to a protective service system that is equipped with the tools needed to keep them safe from harm and neglect."

Elder abuse can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, abandonment, and self-neglect. Signs of abuse can include unexplained bruises, burns or broken bones, lack of basic hygiene, access to adequate food, clean or appropriate clothing, unexplained weight loss, social isolation, changes in banking habits, or giving away assets without an apparent reason.

Anyone can report elder abuse by calling the 24-hour statewide elder abuse hotline at 1-800-490-8505, or by contacting their local Area Agency on Aging. Pennsylvania law protects those who report suspected abuse from retaliation and civil or criminal liability; all calls are free and confidential.

Last year, over 22,000 cases of suspected abuse and neglect were reported to the Department of Aging's protective services program, which works with investigators from the state's 52 Area Agencies on Aging to protect older Pennsylvanians. Protective services are mandated by the Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA), which safeguards the rights of older adults.

For more information on how to prevent and report elder abuse, visit www.aging.pa.gov

Full Article & Source:
Pennsylvania Stands United Against Elder Abuse

Judges find accounting irregularities, prompting review at Public Guardian.

 Monterey County resident James Green is what’s known as a “dependent adult,” someone with a medical condition along the lines of dementia or Alzheimer’s that renders him unable to handle his own needs. He is under the care of the Monterey County Public Guardian’s Office, the agency tasked with caring for those adults who through mental illness or medical issues are unable to care for themselves. Many of these people have no families, or families who are unable or unwilling to step up. The deputy public guardians tasked with looking after Green and those like him are supposed to ensure the client receives adequate medical care, food and shelter, and that nobody’s mistreating or taking advantage of them.

Green’s case was one of several recently flagged by a pair of Monterey County Superior Court judges who are questioning whether the Public Guardian’s office is doing its job, or just failing to do the strict accounting and paperwork required as a routine part of the job.

It’s resulted in an internal investigation at the Public Guardian’s office in which cases are being examined, accounting practices questioned and new checks and balances are being put into place.

In Green’s case, Judge Efren Iglesia issued an order on April 15 noting the Public Guardian had made errors in requesting fees. But he also noted the Public Guardian had only spent 4.5 hours on Green’s case over a two-year period.

One insider tells me 4.5 hours isn’t enough time to deal with Green’s bills, much less make sure he has proper care.

“The court wonders if the conservatee has been visited at all,” Iglesia wrote, “and finds this is not acceptable.”

Iglesia ordered more frequent visits, and plans to review the case in six months to make sure that’s happening.

But what launched the internal investigation began in February, when Judge Thomas Wills issued an order in the case of Richard Stanley Fleming, a successful agriculture inspector who was stricken by dementia and became unable to care for his own needs. Fleming was placed under conservatorship in 2005. Because Fleming had financial resources, the Public Guardian billed his estate for its time. (If he didn’t have resources, the office would charge a nominal fee at taxpayer expense.)

Fleming died in 2011. His case was still under review when Wills noted the accounting from Fleming’s deputy public guardian was seriously inaccurate.

What happened, apparently, is the deputy assigned to Fleming copied and pasted months of time records, typos included, as if they were new. There’s no implication of nefarious intent – just serious sloppiness that, at least in part, the Public Guardian attributes to a confusing change in software.

“The court finds this is a very serious matter,” Wills wrote. He ordered the Public Guardian to show why it shouldn’t have to return fees in the Fleming case.

Wills ordered that hearing to take place on May 13. Monterey County Director of Health Ray Bullick, who also acts as chief public guardian, filed a declaration and agreed to waive attorney and guardian fees in the Fleming case totaling $5,235.

Bullick revealed the Public Guardian’s office had launched the investigation, including an audit of time entries of all deputies. Each deputy carries upwards of 100 cases; the audit sampled 20 clients per deputy. Based on the audit results, Bullick said he was confident the accounting of other deputies happened properly.

Wills asked questions, listened attentively and then asked Bullick and Deputy County Counsel Cathleen Giovannini if they had their pencils ready.

Then he rattled off the names and numbers of five other cases, including Green’s, court investigators found that contained similar accounting errors.

Bullick tells me, “It’s basically a great reminder that as public fiduciaries, we need to have absolute accountability,” he said.

James Green, Iglesia noted, is unable to fill out a voter registration card. For those like him under guardianship, that accountability is the most important thing of all.

Full Article & Source:
Judges find accounting irregularities, prompting review at Public Guardian.

U.S. Attorney's Office announces new elder-abuse task force

 FRANKFORT, Ky. —The U.S. Attorney's Office unveiled a new task force Wednesday to protect seniors.

The announcement builds on the Kentucky attorney general's reporting of and protection from abuse.

The new effort will give prosecutors the opportunity to go after the strictest penalty for abusers.

"We are seeing a hidden epidemic," said John Kuhn Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.

To combat the exploitation of seniors, Kuhn announced the Elder Justice Task Force in Frankfort on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Kentucky will be one of only 10 states with such a task force consisting of agencies like the inspector general, FBI and Health and Human Services, as well as the Attorney General's and U.S. Attorney's offices.

It's about more than just opening lines of communication.

"I'm greatly looking forward to it, because they may get information that's more of a civil case nature where we can bring that hammer down," Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear said.

"Because we all have different tools. The state can bring, for example, recoupment actions, but they don't have a tool like the false claims act like the feds have," Kuhn said.

In March, Beshear expanded the elder-abuse hotline, taking calls around the clock.

Since that time, 65 cases have been or are being vetted, compared to just 56 all of last year.

He also instituted a scam alert email and texting system.

With more than 12,500 elder abuse and exploitation calls last year to adult protection services alone, the attorney general says more must be done.

"So what people can expect out of this partnership is that we will better protect and there will be greater consequences than we've ever seen," Beshear said.

Former Gov. Steve Beshear pushed through pieces of legislation during his time in office regarding abuse.

Andy Beshear said he intends to the same in the future, trying to close any legal loopholes.

To report elder abuse, call 1-877-ABUSE-TIP or text the words "KYOAG Scam" to GOV311.

To sign up for scam alerts through the Attorney General's Office click here.

Full Article, Video & Source:
U.S. Attorney's Office announces new elder-abuse task force

Betting on Older Workers

Some organizations are recognizing the business benefits of attracting and retaining older workers, and are going out of their ways to hire and engage them, and make use of all they bring.

 Leaving her native Michigan was a nerve-wracking proposition for Peggy Wilson. She loved her job as executive assistant to the dean of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. But her husband had accepted a new position that required the couple to move to Richmond, Va.

It was the early 1980s, and the country was in the midst of a deep recession, so Wilson resigned herself to accepting any suitable job that became available.

On March 1, 1983, Wilson assumed the position of executive assistant to the executive director at St. John's Hospital, a small drug and rehabilitation facility run by Marriottsville, Md.-based Bon Secours Health System Inc. Within five years, she had worked her way up to director of human resources, but the hospital closed due to insurance-reimbursement issues after that, once again leaving her without a job.

Having grown to love the business of healthcare, Wilson accepted a position in the marketing department at St. Mary's Hospital, another Bon Secours facility in Richmond. Soon after, she moved into the organization's foundation office, handling community relations, including groundbreakings and grand openings of new facilities. Thirty-three years later, Wilson is still there, serving as director of donor relations and special events for the Bon Secours Richmond Health Care Foundation. She loves her job and, at age 69, has no immediate plans to retire.

Wilson is hardly an anomaly. More than one-third of Bon Secours' 22,000 employees are 50 and older, and 244 of them are over 70. The not-for-profit Catholic health system has earned a place on the AARP "Best Employers for Workers over 50" list every year since 2003, and its leaders have shared best practices on the subject of working past the traditional retirement age with the National Governors Association, the World Aging Conference and others.

In June 2015, Jim Godwin, vice president of human resources for Bon Secours Virginia Health System, testified at a U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, examining the challenges and opportunities facing older Americans. He spoke about the importance of attracting and retaining older workers, and shared the stories of 89-year-old Virginia Abbott, who came to work for Bon Secours at age 60, and 81-year-old Nettie Coleman who, after nearly six decades with the health system, still works part-time, conducting physicals, drawing blood, and helping new employees. According to Godwin, Coleman "tried retirement for a few months, but her respect and her passion for her work drew her back."

Bon Secours is far from the only organization with an ample supply of older workers, but it's still woefully in the minority -- a problem compounded by demographics and a reluctance by employers to recognize the bottom-line benefits of this particular sector, says Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor professor of management and director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Indeed, demographic trends and survey data point to a definite graying of the workforce with no signs of letting up. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 55-and-older age group is the fastest-growing segment of the workforce. By 2020, the BLS projects, these seasoned individuals will make up roughly 29 percent of the population with a labor-force participation rate of 43 percent. By 2024, BLS projects, that group will comprise 24.8 percent of the civilian labor force, compared to 21.7 in 2014. Meanwhile, a 2015 Federal Reserve study finds 27 percent of Americans plan to "keep working as long as possible," while another 12 percent say they don't plan to retire at all.

"We tend to think this phenomenon of the aging of the population is a blip in the pyramid due to the baby boomers, but it's a global phenomenon that's not going away," says Ruth Finkelstein, assistant professor of health policy and management and associate director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University in New York. "Those employers [that] recognize this incredibly skilled, experienced, resourceful and dedicated [segment of the] workforce will be better equipped to deal" with future workforce demographics in general.

Given that older employees will comprise an increasing share of the workforce, employers must find new and innovative ways to retain and engage them, put their vast knowledge and expertise to good use, and help them prepare to make a graceful exit when the time is right. A few savvy employers have taken significant steps in that direction.

Exception-al Employers

While Bon Secours and other companies have been recognized for their efforts to keep older employees engaged in the workforce, they are the exception rather than the norm, Cappelli reiterates. In large part, he says, that's because companies are so focused on younger workers, they've become oblivious to what older workers bring to the table.

"Employers and HR people are so fixated on the question of millennials and how to court them that they are ignoring this other, bigger group of folks who actually are better suited to what they say they want, which are skills and experience, the right work attitude and the ability to communicate with people," says Cappelli, also co-author, with Bill Novelli, of Managing the Older Worker: How to Prepare for the New Organizational Order. "Older workers have all those things."

That fact hasn't escaped management at CVS Health, which endeavors to recruit and retain 50-plus-year-old colleagues through its mature-work program titled "Talent is Ageless." Currently, 24 percent of its workforce falls into that age bracket. Since the mid-2000s, the Woonsocket, R.I.-based drugstore chain has run a successful "snowbirds" program, giving pharmacists who spend winters in Florida and other Southern states the opportunity to temporarily work in a CVS pharmacy close to their winter home.

Such programs are intended to help retain highly experienced staff, who "play an integral role in the culture at CVS Health," says David Casey, vice president of workforce strategies and chief diversity officer. However, they are also part of a calculated strategy to staff CVS stores with employees who mirror their increasingly older customer base.

"We are committed to having a workforce that reflects the diversity of our customers," says Casey. "As we see the baby boomer generation age, having staff in our stores [who] can personally relate to these customers is a differentiator for us."

According to Godwin, it's not a coincidence that nearly half of AARP's list of "Top Employers for People over 50" have the word "health" or "hospital" in their names. A vast and growing aging populace, coupled with a shortage of qualified workers, particularly in the nursing field, have created a situation in which holding on to more seasoned employees isn't just about accommodating workers, it's about survival.

"It's a matter of necessity in order to be able to staff my hospitals properly," says Godwin.

With Age Comes Wisdom

Organizations are not merely turning to older employees out of desperation, but for the deep breadth of knowledge and expertise several decades in the workforce have given them.

"One of the biggest and most enduring reasons companies want to hold on to certain older workers is they have institutional knowledge that is very difficult to train [for in] someone," says Tay McNamara, co-director of the Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College. "They know how to get things done, they know what channels to go through, and they seem to have this magic way with people because they've built up relationships over time."

Nowhere is that more evident than at the Bethesda, Md.-based National Institutes of Health, where 52 percent of the organization's nearly 19,000 employees are over 50. Its oldest employee is a 95-year-old biomedical researcher with a 70-plus-year tenure. Although the federal government allows early retirement after 25 years of service, just 6 percent of NIH staff choose to retire in their first or second year of eligibility. According to Beth Chandler, director of the workforce-relations division in the office of human resources, NIH staff "stay on well past eligibility," typically by "about six or seven years." That's good news for an organization in which people truly are the experts at what they do.

"We have some people who are so specialized, they may be the only person who does X, Y, or Z," says Chandler. "Across NIH, we've been working toward a better knowledge-management program, seeking to understand what they do, why they do it so well, and how they do it, so we can prepare for when they may depart."

Some of that preparation comes in the form of formal and informal mentoring through which senior employees not only impart their specialized knowledge and expertise to younger colleagues, but also demonstrate "being a professional in a professional environment," says Chandler.

At NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, more than one-third of its 17,000-person workforce is age 55 or older. Nearly 1,000 of them have been there at least a quarter-century and some are approaching a half-century with the academic medical center. The opportunity to draw upon their experience is not only key to educating the next generation of healthcare workers, it's a critical part of keeping older employees engaged, says Nancy Sanchez, senior vice president and vice dean of human resources and organizational development and learning.

"They are an important part of the workforce and we want to make them feel as though they are a valued member of the workforce by giving them opportunities to impart their knowledge to those who are new to the profession," says Sanchez. "Oftentimes, not only do they have the experience, but they have a level of maturity that sets a great example for how to deal with circumstances that may not be textbook."   (Continue Reading)

Full Article & Source:
Betting on Older Workers