Yale researchers found a close association between “acute hospitalizations”, meaning those for short-term treatment, and the development and progression of disability among older adults at the end of life. A release from the university notes that the findings may have profound implications for medical decision-making for older people and those who care for them. The… Continue reading Short-Term Hospital Stays Linked to Development of Disability in Last Year of Life
Category: Senior Health
Aging is part of the cycle of life. Senior living can be full of health, growth, and well-being. Learn more about senior health and key health issues here.
Childless Boomers at Risk of Becoming “Elder Orphans”
With an aging Baby Boomer population and increasing numbers of childless and unmarried seniors, nearly one-quarter of Americans over age 65 are currently or at risk to become “elder orphans,” a vulnerable group requiring greater awareness and advocacy efforts, according to new research by a North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) geriatrician and palliative care physician.… Continue reading Childless Boomers at Risk of Becoming “Elder Orphans”
Choosing Wisely Campaign: Revised List of Topics to Talk About with Older Adults
On April 23rd 2015, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) released updates to several of its recommendations for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation’s Choosing Wisely® campaign, which raises professional and public awareness about treatments and tests to question and discuss because they may lack efficacy or cause potential harm. The AGS’s updates reflect… Continue reading Choosing Wisely Campaign: Revised List of Topics to Talk About with Older Adults
Majority of Older Adults Are Willing to Be Screened by Telephone for Dementia
Nearly two-thirds of older adults were willing to undergo telephone screening for dementia, according to study from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis. Willingness to be screened by phone did not differ by sex, age or race. The study was published in May 2015 in the Journal of… Continue reading Majority of Older Adults Are Willing to Be Screened by Telephone for Dementia
Bundles of DNA Could Lead to Treatment for Age-Related Diseases
A study tying the aging process to the deterioration of tightly packaged bundles of cellular DNA could lead to methods of preventing and treating age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, as detailed April 30, 2015, in Science. In the study, scientists at the Salk Institute and the Chinese Academy of Science found… Continue reading Bundles of DNA Could Lead to Treatment for Age-Related Diseases
Choosing the Right Adaptive Vehicle
Having freedom and your independence is critical to maintaining a healthy attitude toward life. The ability to drive is usually at the top of the list when it comes to overcoming mobility challenges. There are multiple options for adaptive vehicle equipment on the market. Selecting the appropriate features and modifications can be a tough task… Continue reading Choosing the Right Adaptive Vehicle
Can Natural Aging Ever Be Reversed?
Researchers have discovered a link between DNA damage, cellular “senescence” and premature aging. The finding could lead to treatments that counteract some of the effects of progeria, conditions that cause premature aging. Eventually, even the effects of natural aging could be forestalled. The study, from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, was published in the… Continue reading Can Natural Aging Ever Be Reversed?
High-Dose Flu Vaccine: Is It Always Better?
People over 65 are often offered a standard vaccine or a high-dose version. But a new study has found that the higher dosage is effective only for people 85 and older. A new study from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found that for those between age 65 and 84, the standard vaccine works just… Continue reading High-Dose Flu Vaccine: Is It Always Better?
Housework Has Both Physical and Mental Benefits
Housework has both emotional and physical benefits for older adults, according to new findings by a Case Western Reserve University school of nursing researcher. “House cleaning kept them up and moving,” said Kathy D. Wright, PhD, RN, CNS, a postdoctoral KL2 Scholar at the university’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. “A clean environment is… Continue reading Housework Has Both Physical and Mental Benefits
Brain Changes as We Age May Be Doing Us Good
As we age, the physical make up of our brains changes. This development includes changes in neural processing in grey matter, but also in the deterioration of structural connections in the brain that allow communication between distinct brain regions so the brain is able to work as a well-wired network system. Researchers at the Lifelong… Continue reading Brain Changes as We Age May Be Doing Us Good
Standardizing Criteria for Age-Related Muscle Loss
The term “sarcopenia”, from the Greek “sarco” meaning flesh and “penia” meaning deficiency, is most often used to describe age-related loss in muscle mass and strength, and it is commonly considered analogous to osteoporosis. Yet unlike osteoporosis, which can be diagnosed based on widely accepted clinical criteria, sarcopenia is not recognized as a clinical condition… Continue reading Standardizing Criteria for Age-Related Muscle Loss
Risky Procedure May Not Benefit Nursing-Home Patients
Revascularization procedures, designed to preserve limbs, benefit only a few U.S. nursing home residents, according to new research. Investigators from the University of California San Francisco published the finding in JAMA Internal Medicine. They said that even those patients who survived gained little, if any, function. “Our findings can inform conversations among physicians, patients and… Continue reading Risky Procedure May Not Benefit Nursing-Home Patients
Patient Directives May Change in Intensive Care Unit
Although more and more people have set clear limits on how much life-sustaining therapy they want, intensive-care units across the U.S. vary widely in how they manage the care of those patients. The pre-existing limits include authorizing do-not-resuscitate orders, and prohibiting treatments such as feeding tubes or dialysis. The research, from investigators at the Perelman… Continue reading Patient Directives May Change in Intensive Care Unit
America’s Aging Population Will Need More Neurosurgeons
By 2030, chronic subdural hemorrhage (SDH) – also know as subdural hematoma or brain bleeds — will be the most common adult brain condition requiring neurosurgical intervention in the U.S., according to a study conducted by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City and published March 20th 2015 online in the Journal… Continue reading America’s Aging Population Will Need More Neurosurgeons
Scientists Discover New Aging Pathway
Scientists have identified a new molecular pathway to aging, and they say that the process can be manipulated to revitalize old blood. According to a news release from the University of California Berkeley, the researchers found that blood stem cells’ ability to repair damage caused by inappropriate protein folding in the mitochondria, a cell’s energy… Continue reading Scientists Discover New Aging Pathway
Trust Grows as People Get Older
Instead of being grumpy and suspicious, people may actually grow more trusting with age, according to new researchers. That development can be beneficial to well-being. “When we think of old age, we often think of decline and loss,” said study co-author Claudia Haase, an assistant professor of Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern University’s… Continue reading Trust Grows as People Get Older
Cochlear Implants Improve Speech Perception & Cognitive Function
Cochlear implantation was associated with improved speech perception and cognitive function in adults 65 years or older with profound hearing loss, according to a report published online in March 2015 by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. A release from the publisher notes that hearing impairment is associated with cognitive decline. In cases of severe to… Continue reading Cochlear Implants Improve Speech Perception & Cognitive Function
Sixteen Anti-Aging Tips
Aging is a natural process. However, there are measures that we can take to delay the process of aging and to ensure we age gracefully. 1. Incorporate anti-aging regimens in your daily routine. This could include use of antioxidants, exfoliating cleansers and sunscreen. 2. Eat right. This includes consumption of fruits and vegetables that are… Continue reading Sixteen Anti-Aging Tips