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Estimating Adults Living with Intellectual Disabilities in America - Our Experts Look at the Numbers
A new study conducted by faculty researchers at the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University shows the prevalence of intellectual disability (ID) in adults. But looking at childhood survey data of those with ID, conclusions can be drawn on how many adults have intellectual disability. The study was conducted by Teal Benevides, PhD, assistant professor in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University, Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in IPPH and the Department of Health Management, Economics and Policy, Jennifer Jaremski, research associate in IPPH, and Michael McKee, PhD, associate professor at the University of Michigan. The study estimates the number of adults living with ID is .95% or 9.5 per 1,000 adults between the ages of 21 and 41. “Intellectual disability is diagnosed in childhood,” said Benevides. “It needs to be diagnosed early. It’s not something that just happens in adulthood. So relying on the estimate that’s from childhood surveys is a good start. It’s just aging estimates up based off the current population of the U.S. So I do feel pretty confident that we can base future projections off in the absence of better epidemiological evaluations of prevalence.” She added it’s important to realize a lot of people with ID are now out of high school and age out of educational services to support them at the age of 21. They may fall through the cracks during the transition to adulthood and may not be receiving the services they need. “Many adults with ID are going to require services and support. They’re likely going to require housing support, employment support and many of them are food insecure,” Benevides said. “I think policymakers at both the state and federal level need to know about this because regardless of whether or not our policymakers support Medicaid expansion, many people with ID are also going to need adequate healthcare coverage because the vast majority of people with intellectual disability are not employed.” Not just that, many of those with ID are more likely to experience disparities in housing, employment, education, poverty and more. Biplab Datta and Teal Benevides In Georgia, Benevides said there is a waitlist of 7,000 people looking for Medicaid services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and there’s just not enough resources available to assist those with ID. Another concern is that people with ID have the same life span and those who may prove care, such as parents or guardians, don’t know what will happen to their older children with ID when they aren’t around or are unable to assist them. “What alarms me is we don’t have sufficient services and supports for adults. We just don’t have them,” she said. “When people ask for services, support and resources, there’s no place to point them to unless they are children.” Biplab Datta, PhD, is an assistant professor in Institute of Public and Preventive Health and in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Augusta University. Teal Benevides, PhD, OTR/L is an associate professor and the Director of Faculty Development, Institute of Public and Preventive Health Both experts are available to speak about this important research - simply click on either expert's icon to arrange an interview and time to talk today.
(WILMINGTON, Del. – December 1, 2023) ChristianaCare is investing $1 million in local nonprofit organizations to improve health for communities in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Announced during a special event Thursday at Ezion Fair Baptist Church in Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood, the funding was given to 19 nonprofits through ChristianaCare’s Community Investment Fund. The fund supports partnerships to build the collective capacity of communities to address social, behavioral and environmental factors that impact health. “In order to improve health equity and accelerate progress in addressing the social drivers of health, we need partners,” said Bettina Tweardy Riveros, chief public affairs officer and chief health equity officer at ChristianaCare. “While ChristianaCare provides excellent health care, we also understand that we are not the experts on every social driver of health. And that’s why we are committed to strengthening these organizations and enhancing their ability to make a positive impact. Together, we are creating health in the neighborhoods and communities we serve.” As an anchor institution in the community, ChristianaCare invests in community health improvement programs as a core component of its community benefit activities. To date, ChristianaCare has provided more than $4 million to 52 community organizations through its Community Investment Fund, which was established in 2019. This year’s awardees received funding to support community health improvement initiatives in high-need communities to address a diverse array of health-related needs, including safe housing, access to nutritious food – and even climate change, which the White House recently highlighted as a social driver of health. One of the organizations that received a grant is Delaware Humanities, which provides educational and cultural opportunities to help Delawareans gain a deeper understanding of human identity. The Wilmington, Del.-headquartered nonprofit will use its grant to develop environmental justice toolkits designed to inspire, facilitate and guide conversations about the importance of environmental issues in Delaware. “Major focus areas at our organization include health and environment, which impact human behavior and our collective sense of well-being,” said Michele Anstine, executive director of Delaware Humanities. “ChristianaCare’s grant will help us empower our communities so they can more truly understand the deep connection between health and their environment and its profound impact on the human experience.” Good Neighbors Home Repair, headquartered in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, received a grant to expand its free home repair services to houses for low-income households, making their homes safer, healthier and more livable. “Many of the houses that we repair belong to people who are coming home after a hospital discharge,” said Brad Dunn, advancement director for Good Neighbors Home Repair. “They often are returning to homes with broken handrails and misshapen steps but are unable to pay for repairs because they live on fixed incomes. We are deeply appreciative that ChristianaCare is supporting our efforts to provide services that keep our clients safe, healthy and at home.” Recipients were selected based on the quality of their proposals and implementation plans, and on the alignment of their proposals with the key priorities of ChristianaCare’s Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Implementation Plan. The funded initiatives will be implemented throughout the upcoming year. The 19 latest Community Investment Fund recipients are: AIDS Delaware. Bayside Community Network, Inc. Children & Families First. Cornerstone West CDC. Deep Roots, Inc. Delaware 211. Delaware Center for Justice. Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Delaware Humanities. Delaware Interfaith Power & Light. Good Neighbors Home Repair. Green Beret Project. Healthy Food for Healthy Kids. Project New Start. Saint Patrick'’s Center. Sussex County Habitat for Humanity. The Resurrection Center. YMCA of Delaware. YWCA Delaware.
Looking back at challenges pet owners faced after Maui's devastating wildfires
The deadly wildfires that ravaged Maui in August left thousands of people homeless. Many of them had companion animals – in fact, an estimated 3,000 pets were still missing more than a week later. Sarah DeYoung, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice and core faculty with the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware, is an expert on evacuation decision-making for people with companion animals and what happens to pets after disasters. DeYoung, who conducted research in Hawaii after the 2018 lava flows on Big Island, can discuss various aspects related to evacuation and care of pets after last month's wildfires. In a piece published by The Conversation last month, she discussed: What happens to pets after a catastrophic fire: Time is always a major factor in an owner's ability to save their pet when disaster strikes. The rush might also cause owners to forget carriers or leashes. Extra challenges with disasters on an island: Islands have limited space for the boarding and care of displaced animals. Nearly all of Hawaii’s animal shelters were already at full capacity due to the state’s pet overpopulation. Long-term problems for animal recovery: People sometimes surrender their pets after disasters because they can’t find temporary housing that allows dogs or cats, or due to breed restrictions. A wave of animal surrenders causes already full shelters to become overcrowded. DeYoung is available for interviews. To contact her, simply click on the contact button on her profile.
It's déjà vu all over again. Less than a year after Hurricane Ian brought floods and destruction to Florida towns off the Gulf of Mexico, another storm, Hurricane Idalia, is expected to strengthen significantly ahead of its expected landfall on Wednesday. Experts from the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center can talk about a variety of topics, including preparedness, sea-level rise, managed retreat, evacuations and recovery, as they relate to the latest hurricane to hit the Sunshine State. A.R. Siders: Expert on sea level rise and managed retreat – the concept of planned community movement away from coastlines and flood-prone areas. She can discuss the impact of the expected storm surge and what can be done in the future to prepare and avoid costly and deadly ramifications from the resulting flooding. Tricia Wachtendorf: Evacuation decision-making, disaster response and coordination, disaster relief (donations) and logistics, volunteer and emergent efforts, social vulnerability. Jennifer Horney: Environmental impacts of disasters and potential public health impacts for chronic and infectious diseases. Sarah DeYoung: Pets in emergencies, infant feeding in disasters and decision-making in evacuation. Jennifer Trivedi: Challenges for people with disabilities during disaster, cultural issues and long-term recovery. Joe Trainor: Post-storm housing decisions and insurance. To schedule an interview with any of these experts, simply click on their profile and send them a message.
Aston University and asbestos consultancy to use AI to improve social housing maintenance
• Aston University and Thames Laboratories enter 30-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership • Will use machine-learning and AI to create a maintenance prioritisation system • Collaboration will reduce costs, emissions, enhance productivity and improve residents' satisfaction. Aston University is teaming up with asbestos consultancy, Thames Laboratories (TL) to improve efficiency of social housing repairs. There are over 1,600 registered social housing providers in England, managing in excess of 4.4 million homes. Each of these properties requires statutory inspections to check gas, asbestos and water hygiene, in addition to general upkeep. However, there is not currently a scheduling system available that offers integration between key maintenance and safety contractors, resulting in additional site visits and increased travel costs and re-work. Aston University computer scientists will use machine-learning and AI to create a maintenance prioritisation system that will centralise job requests and automatically allocate them to the relevant contractors. The collaboration is through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) - a collaboration between a business, an academic partner and a highly-qualified researcher, known as a KTP associate. This partnership builds on the outcomes of TL’s first collaboration with Aston University, by expanding the system developed for the company’s in-house use - which directs its field staff to jobs. The project team will improve the system developed during the current KTP to enable it to interact with client and contractor systems, by combining an input data processing unit, enhanced optimisation algorithms, customer enhancements and third-party add-ons into a single dynamic system. The Aston University team will be led by Aniko Ekart, professor of artificial intelligence. She said: “It is a privilege to be involved in the creation of this system, which will select the best contractor for each job based on their skill set, availability and location and be reactive to changing priorities of jobs." TL, based in Fenstanton, just outside Cambridge, provides asbestos consultancy, project management and training to businesses, local authorities, social housing and education facilities, using a fleet of mobile engineers across the UK. John Richards, managing director at Thames Laboratories, said: “This partnership will allow us to adopt the latest research and expertise from a world-leading academic institute to develop an original solution to improving the efficiency of social housing repairs, maintenance and improvements to better meet the needs of social housing residents.” Professor Ekart will be joined by Dr Alina Patelli as academic supervisor. Dr Patelli brings experience of software development in the commercial sector as well as expertise in applying optimisation techniques with focus on urban systems. She said: “This is a great opportunity to enhance state-of-the-art optimisation and machine learning in order to fit the needs of the commercial sector and deliver meaningful impact to Thames Laboratories.”
COP27 should be turning point to switch from heating homes with fossil fuels Professor Patricia Thornley, was a presenter at COP26 in Glasgow She believes one year on there’s not enough progress to cut emissions from homes. One of the UK’s leading bioenergy experts has said COP27 should be a turning point to help UK consumers switch from heating their homes with fossil fuels. Professor Patricia Thornley, director of Aston University’s Energy and Bioproducts Institute (EBRI), was a presenter at COP26 in Glasgow last year. She leads the UK’s national bioenergy research programme, SUPERGEN Bioenergy hub. Her research focuses on assessing the sustainability of bioenergy and low carbon fuels. Professor Thornley believes that one year on, not enough has been done to encourage the public to cut down on the emissions their homes produce. The UK has the oldest housing stock among developed countries, with 8.5 million homes being at least 60 years old. That is despite COP26’s reaffirmation of the Paris Agreement goal of moving away from fossil fuels, and the call for stronger national action plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. She has welcomed initiatives to help some UK industries move towards net zero, but believes householders are not getting the same support, for example with help to insulate their homes more effectively. She said: “Responses to the energy crisis in which we find ourselves have been mixed. “Government initiatives such as funding feasibility studies for hydrogen from bioenergy (turning biomass into hydrogen whilst separating and capturing the carbon portion of the biomass) and other technologies are promising.” Professor Thornley adds: “The recent price hikes in petrol and natural gas highlight the extent to which the UK relies on fossil fuels. “Unlike some areas of industry, domestic consumers have been treated differently, and recent help with energy costs is arguably subsidising us to keep emitting carbon dioxide. “A more forward-thinking approach would have been to invest in tackling the root cause of the problem by addressing home insulation.” Professor Thornley is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and recently gave evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee about the use of sustainable timber in the UK as an alternative fossil fuel.
Everyone is keeping a close eye on the economy. Whether on a global scale or at the kitchen table - it's a topic that is at the top of everybody's mind these day. Simon Medcalfe, PhD is the Cree Walker Chair in the Hull College of Business at Augusta University and resident expert on the economy, and he shared his thoughts on where the economy stands as the final months of the year approach. Q: The Gross Domestic Product report was up, what should we take out of that? “The GDP was interesting because it was actually up. The first two quarters were negative growth, so the economy had shrank. This time, the growth figure came in at 2.6%, but closer reading suggested it was actually a worse reading then the negative readings we had because consumer spending by firms was essentially flat. The growth was seen in net exports or government spending or things like. Consumers were kind of pulling back a little, which is why earnings were a little lower as well.” Q: The economy needs to slow down a little, doesn’t it? “I mean, yes, if you’re thinking about the Fed, that’s what they are worried about right now, inflation, because the economy is so incredibly hot, particularly with regards to prices. They’re raising interest rates with the aim at slowing down the economy. Unemployment is historically very, very low, if not at record levels in different places, so we could probably sustain a little slowing of the economy without impacting the labor market too much and try to get this general inflation under control.” Q: The economy could use a little unemployment, it’s that kind of counter intuitive? “Some unemployment is not bad. Economist use to suggest in the long run, the natural rate of unemployment is about 5-6%. Now we have unemployment in the 2-3% range in places. We have a little bit of wiggle room to see that increase.” Q: What's the difference between frictional and structural unemployment? "Economist talk about frictional unemployment and structural unemployment. Frictional unemployment is more of a job match or job search problem. So it’s a lack of information. Structural unemployment is because of the changing nature of industry within an economy. An example being people working in textile manufacturing and it’s hard for them to go straight into computer science coding because they don’t have the skills. This is more long term than frictional and in some cases can be quite detrimental to regions and people.” Q: The Fed is likely to raise interest rate by .75%, are there signs of this slowing down? “I think they’ll start slowing that down over time, but I think their projection is about 4.6% and we’re like 3.25% now. They’re looking at all the economic indicators. Not looking at any one or two, but everything. They’re looking at inflation, and have different measure of that. They’re look at the breakdown of inflation like how much of it is due to the war in Ukraine, and what areas of the economy it may be impacting. They’re looking at the labor market, definitely looking at manufacturing output, etc. The one thing they don’t generally look at is financial markets. They would look at the housing market though and different sectors of the real economy, not the financial economy.” Dr. Simon Medcalfe is a highly regarded economics expert in the Hull College of Business at Augusta University. Medcalfe is available to speak with media regarding the economy and its outlook – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Expert Sources for Federal Reserve interest rate increase: UCI faculty members available to comment
On June 15, the Federal Reserve announced its largest interest rate hike in 28 years to try to regain control over elevated consumer prices. The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point – the biggest increase since 1994 – following a quarter-point jump in March and a half-point increase in May. “We’re strongly committed to bringing inflation back down and we’re moving expeditiously to do so,” said Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Eric Swanson – professor of economics. Swanson’s research focuses on monetary policy, interest rates and the effects on economy, including output, unemployment and inflation. Swanson previously worked at the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco from 1998-2014 as an economist and research advisor. Email: eric.swanson@uci.edu Aaron James – professor of philosophy. James co-authored the book Money from Nothing: Or, Why We Should Stop Worrying About Debt and Learn to Love the Federal Reserve, which explains the nature of money and a number of alternatives the Federal Reserve can legally employ to curb inflation other than increasing interest rates. Email: aaron.james@uci.edu Jack Liebersohn – assistant professor of economics. Liebersohn’s research focuses on banking, banking risk taking, mortgages and the housing market and he can speak to how increasing the Federal Reserve interest rate affects any of those elements of the economy. Email: cjlieber@uci.edu Christopher Schwarz – associate professor of finance and faculty director of the Center for Investment and Wealth Management. Schwarz can discuss how far the Federal Reserve will have to go and its impact on the economy and financial markets moving forward. Email: cschwarz@uci.edu Media Contact: Cara Capuano, Communications Officer, UCI | 949-501-9192 | ccapuano@uci.edu
The economy may be slowing - but remains strong according to Georgia Southern expert
Georgia Southern’s Economic Monitor Q1 reports regional economy slows, retains strength Georgia Southern University’s latest Economic Monitor, which reflects Q1 2022, reports that growth in the Savannah metro economy moderated during the opening quarter of the year. “The broadest indicators of economic activity — overall regional employment and electricity sales to residential, industrial and commercial users — continue to signal strength,” stated Michael Toma, Ph.D., Georgia Southern’s Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Economics. “After good performance in the fourth quarter, there was a mild pull-back during the first quarter in tourism and port activity. In general, the regional economy maintained its forward momentum, but slowed its rate of acceleration. Toma also noted that the Savannah metro economy will grow approximately 2% through the remainder of 2022, noticeably slower as compared to the rebound year of 2021. The economic future is somewhat murkier now as inflation surges, the Federal Reserve tightens, and global energy and commodities markets remain rocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said. Overall Strength, but Some Sectoral Weakness The business index for the Savannah metro economy increased 1.3% in the opening quarter of 2022, roughly half the pace of the previous quarter. The index of current economic activity increased to 207.3 from 204.7. The index was buoyed by solid employment growth of 1.6% during the quarter and electricity sales growth of 2.1%. Indicators of port activity, tourism and retail sales slowed during the quarter. Metro Savannah employers added 3,100 jobs pushing total regional employment to 197,500 — more than 5,000 jobs and 3% higher than the pre-pandemic peak of 192,100 in the fourth quarter of 2019. The Georgia Department of Labor recently completed its annual benchmarking process for employment in which the monthly payroll survey data is benchmarked against headcount data. Total employment data did not change significantly but business and professional industry services were revised downward while the information sector, including the film and entertainment industry, was revised upward substantially. A full media release detailing key indicators such as Employment Trends, Housing Market, and that Slowing Regional Growth Expected is attached. About the Indicators The Economic Monitor provides a continuously updated quarterly snapshot of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area economy, including Bryan, Chatham and Effingham counties in Georgia. The coincident index measures the current economic heartbeat of the region. The leading index is designed to provide a short-term forecast of the region’s economic activity in the upcoming six to nine months. Looking to know more - then let us help. The Economic Monitor is available by email and at the Center’s website. If you would like to receive the Monitor by email send a ‘subscribe’ message to CBAER@georgiasouthern.edu. For more information or to arrange an interview - simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Is the housing bubble about to burst? Ask our expert about the state and stability of the market
With interest rates on the rise, inflation increasing and home prices out of reach for many, Americans are worried about their financial future. Media now covering the U.S. housing market are seeing signs that the bubble might be ready to burst. With a potential recession looming, some people are looking back to the last housing collapse with trepidation. But economists note that the ingredients causing the 2008 global financial crisis aren't there this time. This is an important issue, and one that will impact millions of Americans. If you’re a reporter interested in covering this topic, let the experts at Florida Atlantic University help with your coverage and questions. Ken H. Johnson, Ph.D., an economist and associate dean in FAU’s College of Business, is available to speak to the media. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview and time.
