Tag: Grace Mandel
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The Promises and Pitfalls of Global Health Volunteering
Hoping to Help: The Promises and Pitfalls of Global Health Volunteering, written by Judith N. Lasker, shines light on healthcare-based volunteering in developing contexts. While it does not explicitly focus on aging, this book poses a bold and poignant question: Does international medical volunteering really help patients? Developing countries struggle…
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Alone Together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other
Sherry Turkle is a professor at MIT who views artificial intelligence and technology through a sociological and psychological lens. In the first half of her most recent book, Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less from Each Other, Turkle addresses the impact of technology on older adults. Technology…
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Effects of Dance on Health-Related Quality of Life
With the weather getting warmer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, many Brazilians are getting ready to get out and dance in celebration! One dance group in particular, Arte Par Dancar, has been garnering a lot of media attention for their dance moves… and for their age. Apart from being fun, dance…
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A Brief Highlight of Older Athletes at the Summer Olympic Games
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are almost here. Starting next week, athletes from around the world will perform amazing feats including older Olympians who are generally not reported in traditional media. Older athletes have always participated in the games. For example, Brazil’s 2016 Olympic qualifying tournaments had…
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The Impact of the Chavez Government on Pensions and Health Systems
This is Part 2 of a two-part series on Venezuela’s economic crisis. In Part 1, the main focus was food shortages. In Part 2, pension programs and health systems are emphasized. On the surface, the status of older adults in Venezuelan society should have been secure. The Chavez government had expanded…
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Venezuela’s Economic Crisis Puts Older Populations-At-Risk
This article is the first part of a two-part series on Venezuela’s ongoing economic crisis. Click here to read Part 2. Venezuela is in the midst of an economic collapse. Oil prices have plummeted and the bolivar (Venezuelan currency) has dropped in value compared to the U.S. dollar. The situation…
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The Flu in Focus: Epidemiology, History and Research of Global Influenza
I live in Baltimore, USA and it has been getting cold here. The nippy winds have been turning my nose red and when I come inside, I always need to have a tissue handy. With the cold weather, there is a looming fear of the flu. Even if it is…
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Battling Beauty Stereotypes in Brazil’s Older Women
If you have ever watched a Brazilian telenovela, you might notice that older women look unrealistically younger than the characters they portray, with the help of botox or other “medical miracles”. Older women in Brazil face pressure to look young, not gain weight, and maintain top physical appearance. As women…
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Employment Prospects Among Older Adults in South America
Many adults eagerly look forward to their “Golden Years” and one of the key features of this period is retirement. It is easy to imagine golf courses, beaches and time to catch up on reading lists. In reality, many older adults continue to work after age 65. The entirety of…
Global Health Aging 