Internet Exercise

1. The American Geriatrics Society (http://www.americangeriatrics.org) is an organization that works to address the needs of the United States' aging population. In part because the AGS has promoted "health in aging," the White House has declared September the Month of Health in Aging.

Go to the AGS website and click on the heading Current News & Features. Next, click on "White House Declares September Month of Health in Aging." After reading the news release, answer the following questions:

1. What, specifically, did President Clinton's proclamation call for?
2. What was the larger goal of his proclamation?

2. One of the leading agencies in the study of aging is the National Institute on Aging (http://www.nih.gov/nia/), whose purpose is to understand the nature of aging and extend the healthy, active period of life.

On the NIA's homepage, click on the News & Events heading, then on Press Releases. Select the subject Aging, general, and browse through the NIA's press releases on that subject. Click on "Well-Being Improves for Most Older People, but not for All New Federal Report Says – 8/10/00." After reading this document, answer the following question:

1. What does this press release tell us about the number of older Americans in the United States?

Now click on the Back button to return to Press Releases. Scroll down the page until you see the press release "New Census Report Shows Exponential Growth in Number of Centenarians – 6/16/99." Read this document and answer the following questions:

2. What does this press release tell us about the race/ethnicity, gender, and education of centenarians?
3. Where do most centenarians live, according to the census?

3. The Administration on Aging (http://www.aoa.gov/) offers many services, one of which is the National Aging Information Center (NAIC). From the homepage of the Administration on Aging, click on "Nat'l Info. Center," then on "Web Resources." Scroll down the page to Age Discrimination and click on "Ageism." Read the "Aging Internet Information Note: Ageism," and answer the following questions:

1. What is the definition of ageism according to the NAIC?
2. What efforts have been made to combat ageism, and by whom?

Now click on the "Back" button to return to Web Resources. Scroll down the page and click on "Workforce and Aging." Read "Aging Internet Information Notes: Workforce and Aging," and answer the remaining question:

3. Does age discrimination appear to be a major issue? Why or why not?

4. The National Center for Women and Aging (http://www.heller.brandeis.edu/national/ind.html) offers many articles and press releases about the special concerns women face as they age. From the homepage, click on "Center Press Releases." Scroll down the page and click on the article, "U.S. Funds New Center to Combat the Gaping Gender Gap in Financial Preparedness for Retirement." Read the article and answer the following questions:

1. What does POWER stand for?
2. What does POWER want to achieve?
3. How will POWER help older women?