Connecting Our Global Community
How to care for the increasing number of aging seniors is not just a concern of the U.S., but a global one as well. In the U.S., the age-65-and-older population grew 18 percent between 2000 and 2011 to 41.4 million senior citizens, according to a recent Administration on Aging report. By 2015, people aged 50 and older will represent 45% of the U.S. population, according to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). China expects the 65 and older demographic will grow to 220 million people by the year 2020. Like the U.S., China is at a critical point determining how to appropriately manage the aging services and related issues of long-term care and housing.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Morningside Ministries, Alvin Loewenberg and V.P. of Corporate Training Maria Wellisch presented on mmLearn.org, a program of Morningside Ministries that helps connect people in over 90 countries on geriatric issues. This innovative and unique program provides free online video training for family caregivers, pastoral care providers and healthcare professionals caring for older adults. As more and more people age, the need for online training to meet the needs of caregivers is growing.
“Speaking to senior care professionals at an international conference of this stature gives us an opportunity to impact the quality of care for seniors on an even bigger global scale,” Loewenberg said. “We’re excited about extending the reach of this great resource and enhancing the lives of many more recipients and providers of care, no matter where on the planet they happen to be.”
In 2007, the mmLearn.org library began with 15 videos available for downloading, Wellisch said. Today the video library contains more than 300 titles on a wide array of topics, from how to work with those suffering from dementia and how to transfer someone from a wheelchair to a shower chair and back again, to signs of depression in the elderly.
The videos are available for free viewing via the Internet (www.mmLearn.org) on virtually any computer, smart phone or mobile device. mmLearn.org also provides frequent live webcast presentations that are fully interactive with the remote audience.
“More than 90 percent of elder care worldwide takes place in the home, not in a senior care facility,” said Wellisch, Vice President of Corporate Education at Morningside. “We decided in 2007 to do something about helping the millions of both non-professional and professional caregivers who simply do not have access to as much training and information as they need.”
