The mission of the Mobility Division is to focus on challenges to physical movement across the life span. The goals of the Division are first, to address fundamental issues by supporting research in areas ranging from biology to the design of the built environment and second, to help translate the fruits of that research into products and policies that sustain or enhance mobility or develop accommodations for those individuals with limited mobility.
CURRENT PROJECTS
THE SCIENCE OF SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR
Since July of 2010, we have been exploring the hypothesis that extended periods of sitting may have negative health consequences separate and distinct from lack of exercise. From February – April 2013, our faculty team designed and implemented a pilot study on the effects of sitting in the workplace and the ability to alter sitting behavior. The pilot is a partnership with Blue Shield of California and Faculty Affiliates Cathy Heaney (Psychology and Medicine) and William Haskell. The pilot study was conducted at a Blue Shield Call Center in El Dorado Hills, CA. Eighteen individuals participated in the study over an twelve week period. Participants were provided with furniture that allowed them to change freely between sitting and standing. They were counseled to stand at least 10 minutes out of every hour. The employees were asked to wear a digital monitoring device that recorded when they were sitting and when they stood. Importantly, the employees wore these devices 24 hours a day for each monitoring period to see if people who stood more at work would adjust their behavior at home and sit more there.
The results of the study were quite positive. The study was able to influence employees to stand an hour more per day on average by only changing the furniture. The employees felt good about standing more often and productivity did not suffer. The promise of verifying these gains with a broader population is leading the research team to design further studies to identify the best ways to motivate employees to maintain their gains and meet standing time goals. If the results of the follow-on are similarly positive, it could lead to a long-term study on the health effects of sitting in the workplace with a goal of identifying national workplace sitting health guidelines.
SARCOPENIA
Translated literally from Greek as “poverty of the flesh,” sarcopenia refers to age-related loss of muscle mass. Sarcopenia is a critical component, along with osteoporosis, of frailty syndrome. The Center convened a faculty workshop in January, 2013 to explore measures that might be taken to delay the onset of sarcopenia, slow its progression, and provide accommodation for those already afflicted. In particular, the goal of the session was to mobilize the Stanford research community around this topic, determine where Stanford could make the biggest impact, and build a research team. The workshop was attended by eight Stanford faculty representing six disciplines. The outcome was a commitment to explore two projects:
• The field of Sports Medicine has developed a host of techniques to help athletes “return to play” as quickly as possible. The Center has launched a collaboration with Dr. Gordon Matheson, Director of Stanford Sports Medicine, to apply these interventions on chronic disease in the aging population.
• There have been several studies investigating measurement of sarcopenia, but very little work on how the progression of the disease translates directly to personal function. There is significant interest among the faculty to explore this link so that interventions could be targeted to improve the lives of individuals better, rather than focusing on medical measurements.
STANFORD CONFERENCE ON SPINAL CORD INJURY – REGENERATION, REPAIR AND RESTORATION OF FUNCTION
As a part of building the Center’s collaborations with Stanford faculty in the medical school, Ken Smith assisted in the organization and facilitation of the School’s Spinal Cord Injury conference on November 16 and 17, 2012. This meeting brought together top researchers from Stanford, other major academic institutions, government, and non-profits to examine the potential for treatment of spinal cord injuries through stem cell-based treatments. In particular, the conference addressed the possibility of treating chronic injuries, a new paradigm for the field. Such treatment of existing disability has potential application to treating the chronic diseases of an aging population. Ken and the Center team also assisted the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in the creation of a more general conference that occurred the same week.
AGING IN PLACE
“HOMES FOR AN AGING AMERICA: PRIORITIES FOR FEDERAL RESEARCH AND ACTION” – CONFERENCE IN DECEMBER 2012
In December of 2012, Jane Hickie led a conference of experts to consider housing and neighborhood initiatives to better support aging in place. Presentations on demographic projections and an index of vulnerability framed the challenge of unprecedented numbers of older Americans, most of whom have health, mobility or financial vulnerabilities. Discussions followed, on issues of federal housing standards, the supply of suitable housing, and home financing. Following presentations on local indicator systems and GIS mapping techniques, the discussions focused on neighborhood supports for aging in place.
In conclusion, the participants discussed priorities for federal action in the standards, supply and financing of housing and neighborhood supports. They also discussed a research focus on the costs and benefits of home construction and modification on health care spending. Read more >>
INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGING IN PLACE
The Center, together with the University of Michigan School of Social Work and with funding from the Met Life Mature Markets Institute, has developed a practical and easy to use indicator system to measure the ability of a community to enable sustainable aging in place. The indicator system is outlined in a paper published by the Met Life Mature Markets Institute in February 2013.
Read the paper >>
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, HEALTH SERVICES, AND THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF AN AGING POPULATION
Building on the research agenda developed at our December 2012 housing conference, we launched a new project on spatial mapping of housing and services for an aging population. Under the direction of Jane Hickie, the project uses Geographic Information Systems to investigate and communicate the spatial interrelationships of older populations, housing, health and social support. The project was designed to focus on the following topics:
- Where older people live and how their socioeconomic characteristics vary within particular spatial boundaries;
- Placement of the spatial distribution of Americans over 65 within the context of social services that they might utilize;
- The geographic proximity of older parents and adult children;
- The affordability of traditional housing, the availability of subsidized units for the elderly, and the spatial distribution of the elderly population that is eligible for Medicaid.
The project team completed a literature review and developed a mapping methodology that can be used for investigating the spatial distribution and demographic characteristics of the older population in small geographic areas, such as census tracts and neighborhoods. We have also worked with representatives from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to extend their annual housing survey to include variables relevant for understanding the built environment and housing needs of the older population. We are currently investigating possible collaborations with others regarding the use of spatial mapping to develop implications for health, housing, and successful aging. One promising collaboration would be with a group that has developed the California Neighborhoods Data System, an integrated data base that includes detailed geo-coded health data and geo-coded information about the built environment, including schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and all businesses by industry. Our January 2014 project report will review gaps in the literature and identify possible areas for further research that build on the interdisciplinary expertise of the project team and others at Stanford.
The Center previous work in this area include “New Realities of an Older America/Challenges, Changes and Questions” (SCL, 2010), and Independent for Life/Homes and Neighborhoods for an Aging Population (UT Press, 2012). The faculty leader for this project is David B. Grusky, Director of the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality. In addition to Jane Hickie and Adele Hayutin, the research team includes Claudia Engel, Academic Technology Specialist with Stanford Libraries and Lecturer at the Department of Anthropology and Yana Kucheva, PhD, Department of Sociology.
AUGMENTING VEHICLES FOR THE OLDER DRIVER
The Center has teamed with the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS) to initiate a new discussion about the increasingly autonomous vehicle. While fully self-driving cars are still 15-20 years away, auto manufacturers are equipping cars with increasing numbers of features that decrease the cognitive and physical demands on the driver. Self-parking and lane drift indicators are examples of the first wave of these features. Such augmentations are especially helpful to older drivers, who represent an increasing market share for manufacturers. We plan to develop a launch conference in the Winter of 2014 to bring together auto experts with aging researchers.
CENTER ON LONGEVITY INAUGURAL DESIGN CHALLENGE
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a new competition aimed at encouraging students to design products and services to improve the lives of older adults. The challenge topic is chosen in collaboration with aging service providers and investors, who identify the most pressing needs. Finalists will be given the opportunity to present their designs and discuss possible further collaborations with interested industry partners.
This year’s challenge will focus on designing new solutions that will keep individuals with cognitive impairment independent for as long as possible. This challenge is not just about direct care-giving and support for disease. It is about quality of life, personal independence, and helping people experience the best parts of life for as long as possible. Solutions may take the form of new products, services, or programs. They may apply directly to the person experiencing dementia or to the family and caregivers that provide support. Visit the Challenge website >>