Forty years after Stonewall

Frank Rich, in this New York Times op-ed piece, gives a concise history of the Stonewall riots that launched the gay rights movement.

"Gay Americans aren't just another political special interest group. They are Americans who are actively discriminated against by federal law."

Taking President Obama to task, Rich quotes Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black: "There's a perception in Washington that you can throw a little bit of partial equality to gay people and that gay people will be satisfied with that."

But, the march of activism with continue for full civil rights in all states AND the federal government.

New Alzheimer's Disease research center in Wisconsin

In its summer 2009 newsletter, the South Central Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association describes a new Alzheimer's Disease research center for Wisconsin, located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Funded by grants from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Health, the center will focus on " novel diagnostic tests and potential therapies for the preventions of [Alzheimer's Disease] at a stage when patients have no clinical symptoms (preclinical stage)."

In other news, the HBO series, The Alzheimer's Project, is now available online. The website includes the videos, details about the project, and other resourses.

Zen as a dimension of healthcare (reform)

The L.A. Times reported recently that Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City offers Zen chaplains for expanded spiritual care of its patients and employees.

According to the American Hospital Assn., about 68% of public hospitals have a chaplaincy program. But few have Buddhist monks, and none compares with the program at Beth Israel -- where more than 20 Buddhist chaplains and chaplains-in-training offer bedside meditation, interdenominational prayers and other assistance to pregnant women, dying cancer patients and even stressed hospital workers.

. . .

Advocates say the availability of alternative treatments is crucial at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to pay for healthcare. Instead of relying on drugs and hospitalization, the Zen center encourages stress- and pain-relief through meditation, breathing exercises or simple conversation. Even if such methods cannot provide a cure, they can make patients more comfortable. And the Zen chaplains are able to spend more time with patients, time that busy doctors and nurses often cannot spare.

Congress takes on long-term care insurance

The New York Times' blog, "The New Old Age, " posted this entry about the current congressional discussion about long-term care insurance. The issue has many facets, including consumer protection, financial soundness, and the variables of the marketplace.

Consumers must balance premium affordability with the types of services they may want, the daily benefit amount, the length of coverage and other options, such as inflation protection. But personal needs and the marketplace can change in the decades between purchasing and using a policy, [the executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation] said.

The uncertainty of guessing what care will be needed in the future and at what cost is a huge challenge for consumers. Nevertheless, Congress and insurance companies are trying to work together to provide options and incentives, given the growing pressures on the Medicaid system and Medicaid's tough asset spend-down requirements.

Aging better

A recent story in the Washington Post tells of a 50-year-long health study known as the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The study has spanned decades for some participants, giving the researchers glimpses into long-term effects of aging.

Since 1958, a total of more than 1,400 volunteers have agreed to regularly undergo in-depth physicals and momory and other screenings conducted by the study's physicians. The resulting data span more than half a century and are a gold mine for researches interested in the aging process.

In addition to studying aspects of physical health,

[the] researchers were able to disprove the long-held belief that people get crankier as they age. Using data collected from the study's participants, they found that personaity traits don't generally change much after age 30: People who were cranky at 27 were likely to be cranky at 87.

(I love that data!)

The director of the study hopes the data and insights continue well into the future: "The definition of being old is changing; it breaking apart. [People] want to live well, no matter what their age."

Recently, Money magazine ran a story, "Rethinking your Estate Plan." It offers basic information and considerations, especially in light of the current economic environment and tax code.

You don't have to be a millionaire to worry about leaving a smaller legacy than you'd hoped - if you can leave one at all. According to estimates by the Federal Reserve, average household net worth dropped nearly 23% from a survey period starting in May 2007 to October 2008. That happened just as many Americans began feeling more pressure to help their kids who are struggling in this rotten economy.

To counter the uncertainty of the economy and build some reassurance in the future, the article suggests looking at charitable giving, estate tax consequences, how your plan to distribute your estate, whether a trust is a suitable option, and the frequency of reviewing and updating your plan.

By way of self-serving note: the article suggests you work with an attorney and "contact your attorney every three years or so and ask whether your plan needs updating."