The new Elder Economic Security Standard Index (Elder Index) for California, developed at UCLA, shows that the Federal Poverty Line (FPL), used to determine income eligibility for most public programs, covers less than half of the basic costs experienced by adults age 65 and older in the state.
A doggie robot works about as well as a real pooch in making nursing home residents feel less lonely, a Saint Louis University study finds.
Although it's too soon to sound the death knell for the "senior moment," it appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new nationally representative study shows a downward trend in the rate of cognitive impairment among people aged 70 and older.
The age-related memory condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is more disruptive of day-to-day life and relationships than once believed, gerontology researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered.
Depression is sometimes viewed as a normal part of aging. It shouldn't be. Depression in the elderly can often be treated effectively, but when depressive symptoms arise, it can be challenging not to mistake them for symptoms of another medical disorder, reports the February 2008 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter.
The US Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing yesterday in Washington, DC, on older Americans and the significant barriers they face in exercising their right to vote. Jason Karlawish, MD, associate professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, testified before the Committee, citing results from a series of his studies examining voting rights for the elderly.
The annual number of Americans older than 65 newly diagnosed with diabetes increased by 23 percent between 1994 to 1995 and 2003 to 2004, according to a report in the January 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
For many elderly Americans, the day begins and ends with a dose of one or more prescription medications. However, some patients could be less likely to receive the wrong dosage or type of medications than others are, according to a recent study of more than 800,000 U.S. seniors.
Research suggests that for a significant number of older adults, measurable neuropsychological deficits appear to lead to poor decision-making and an increased vulnerability to fraud. The findings also suggest that these individuals may experience disproportionate aging of a brain region critical for decision-making.
For many older Americans, another candle on their birthday cake means another prescription in their medicine cabinet. In a review article, clinicians from Tufts University School of Medicine offer specific steps that physicians and other healthcare providers can take to avoid overuse, misuse, and underuse of medication in older adults.
Tufts University researchers have updated their Food Guide Pyramid for Older Adults to correspond with the USDA food pyramid, now known as MyPyramid. The Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults continues to emphasize a nutritionally adequate diet with specific emphasis on nutrient-dense food choices and the importance of fluid balance and regular physical activity for older adults.
Elderly adults at risk for physical disabilities are able to adhere to a regular program of moderate exercise for one year, a recent study of 213 men and women suggests. Improvements in physical function were greater in participants who reported 150 minutes or more per week of moderate intensity physical activity.
A new study by a NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center physician-scientist has an important message for the elderly: It's not too late to improve your health through diet and exercise, even if you've had an unhealthy lifestyle in the past!
Despite warnings of disaster tied to the impending retirement of the first wave of baby boomers, smart companies can actually benefit from this change in the workforce if they plan carefully, says a new report from The Conference Board.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report that older adults with diabetes and depression are half as likely to die over a 5-year period when they receive depression care management than depressed patients with diabetes who do not receive depression care management. The first known study to examine the relationship between diabetes and mortality in a depression intervention trial appears in the December issue of Diabetes Care.
Two new animal studies show for the first time that the deadly transformation of amyloid beta into plaques can be prevented through an interaction between amyloid beta and another protein called cystatin C.
How does an aging driver know when it's time to give up the keys? What can be done to maximize the safety of older drivers? These are just two of the questions to be studied by a team at the Trauma Epidemiology and Injury Prevention Research Center at (UCSD), School of Medicine and Medical Center.
Older adults often carry a deeply ingrained belief that inactive, sedentary lives are an inevitable part of aging. In a new UCLA study, researchers show that older adults who participated in a pilot test for a program aimed at changing this mindset became more physically active, increasing their walking levels by about 24 percent
People older than 60 with high blood pressure are less likely than other groups of patients to receive advice from their doctors about lifestyle modifications that can help lower their blood pressure, a study by UNC researchers concludes.
While patient education decision aids can help older women make better-informed decisions about whether to continue mammography screening, they do not influence whether the women will actually change their minds about having the test.
Using quality-of-care measurements developed by the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) project, UCLA researchers found that vulnerable elderly patients received only 65 percent of the tests and other diagnostic evaluations and treatments recommended for a variety of illnesses and conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.
According to a new review of research, exercise helps people stay steady on their feet in later years, when diminished balance can put older adults at risk for falls.
Older men with low levels of testosterone may have an increased long-term risk of death compared to men with normal testosterone, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Eating fewer refined carbohydrates may slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and ease the growing public health burden due to vision loss, report Tufts researchers. People who consumed the most refined carbohydrates were 17 percent more likely to develop blinding AMD than those who consumed the least.
Low birth weight children may be at a greater risk of stress-related health problems as adults, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).
According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more adults are keeping their natural teeth longer well beyond the age of 65. But changes in physical and mental functions could hamper some older adults from taking proper care of their teeth and gums, increasing the risk of dental disease that could complicate other health conditions.
While obesity has been shown to contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, being overweight in old age does not lead to memory problems, according to a study published September 19, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Men in late middle age with depressive symptoms are more likely to leave the labor force than men without such symptoms, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania. Retirement-age women are more likely to opt out completely if they suffer even mild symptoms of depression.
As the baby boomer generation faces retirement, there's heightened interest in the best ways to care for older adults and prolong their ability to live independently. A large managed-care program -- with more 15,000 U.S. enrollees -- aims to help the frail elderly maintain function and quality of life.
More than 90 percent of Americans age 65 and older now have prescription drug coverage, compared to more than 75 percent who were covered in 2004, according to a University of Michigan analysis. And poor seniors are as likely to have coverage as the rich.
While much of the medical world focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, a new study from the University of Michigan Health System finds that half of all seniors have a geriatric condition that can affect their ability to engage in activities of daily living as much as diseases can. Yet these conditions often aren't recognized or treated because they don't fall into the category of a disease.
For many people, hearing loss is part of aging. Hearing loss affects approximately one-third of people over age 65. Among people age 75 and older, 40 percent to 50 percent experience hearing loss.
Despite fears that the elderly and poor might be missing out on health information on the Internet, a new study shows that those most in need are bridging the telehealth gap.
Many older adults who cannot take care of the tasks of daily life such as eating and bathing are battling a multitude of health problems with little help from family or others in their community, according to a new study.
"The Emergency Preparedness Atlas" and "Nursing Homes in Public Health Emergencies" are intended to give community planners information about nursing homes and other health facilities they need to be prepared to provide assistance under emergency conditions in their communities.
Two-thirds of nursing home residents in a new study had no record of or reference to an eye examination in their medical charts, although more than half were visually impaired. UAB researchers examined 380 residents of 17 Birmingham-area nursing homes.
Though Indiana employers recognize that their workforce is getting older, few are taking concrete steps to manage the transition as the baby boom generation begins to reach retirement age, according to a new report from the University of Indianapolis' Center for Aging & Community. Qualities generally rated most valuable by employers are those associated with older workers.
Lesions commonly seen on MRI in the brains of older patients may be a sign of potentially more extensive injury to the brain tissue, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, NC.
Sure, you remember the way you could stretch a single into a double, smash an unstoppable serve over the net or fast-break for an easy two points. But let's face it, you also can remember televisions without remotes, rotary phones and gasoline lines. These tips can help you keep exercising without injury.
Research is increasingly showing that aging doesn't automatically result in a steady erosion of brain cells. Rather, older adults who work their brains can develop new connections between brain cells.
When is the right time to suggest parents or loved ones can no longer live safely on their own? Sometimes, the decision is forced by illness, an accident or other circumstances related to aging.
How often old people read a newspaper, play chess, or engage in other mentally stimulating activities is related to risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published June 27, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Despite previous research findings that showed negative health impacts on grandmothers who care for their grandchildren, new research shows caring for grandchildren generally does not have dramatic and widespread negative impacts on grandparents' health.
As a growing number of baby boomers retire, our society will have more older adults than ever before, so it is crucial to determine what predicts quality of life in older age. A joint study from the University of Alberta and University of Victoria, recently published in Research in Nursing & Health, has uncovered that there are predictors of quality of life for older adults.
Folate may protect cognition in seniors, but only with adequate levels of vitamin B12. In an epidemiological study, low B-vitamin status was associated with anemia and cognitive impairment. Low vitamin B12 status was especially linked to these conditions if seniors also had high folate in the blood.
Seniors aren't consuming enough vitamin K, notes a review, and studies should continue to examine non-dietary factors related to vitamin K status, like effects of estrogen on vitamin K metabolism. A separate study on vitamin K suggests it might serve as a biomarker of cardiovascular risk.
Build it, and they will walk. That's the message from a new study that suggests communities that make it easy for senior citizens to walk will end up with more active residents.
Following visits over the recent holidays, many of us may become concerned about the health or well being of our aging loved ones.
The surge of baby boomers now entering their 60s means more drivers on the road who may be impaired by dementia or other cognitive impairments. The Alzheimer's Disease Research Center of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has developed a workshop to train health care providers to identify potentially unsafe drivers with dementia.
A telephone-based program linking chronically ill older adults to home or community services significantly reduces mortality risk, according to a new study.
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