Feature Channels: Seniors

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News release research finds that one may live longer if he or she gets along with co-workers.

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Wealth, population size, race and age associate with the supply of hospice care available in a county, according to a study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management this month.

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The Einstein Aging Study, which examines both normal brain aging and the special challenges of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, has recently received a renewal grant of $11 million from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging to continue its work. Richard B. Lipton, M.D., the Lotti and Bernard Benson Faculty Scholar in Alzheimer’s Disease and professor and vice chair of The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, will continue to lead an interdisciplinary team of researchers and health care professionals working to discover dementia’s causes and potential therapies.

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The so-called “bad cholesterol” – low-density lipoprotein commonly called LDL – may not be so bad after all, shows a Texas A&M University study that casts new light on the cholesterol debate, particularly among adults who exercise.

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According to a new study, being overweight or obese during middle age may increase the risk of certain dementias. The research is published in the May 3, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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40 million Americans are 65 and older - Mother's Day gift ideas for the health compromised that keep on giving 24/7.

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MD Anderson nurse recommends health practitioners assess health literacy to overcome barrier to quality care.

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"On the Front Line of Change" was the theme of the recent conference of NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders), bringing together hundreds of nurses, nursing administrators, educators and other healthcare professionals whose shared passion and purpose is to improve the quality of care for hospitalized older adults. The conference's 400 + attendees heard from leading gerontology researchers and practitioners about current evidence-based practices to identify, prevent, reduce and manage the incidence of common geriatric syndromes and complications, and front line nurses shared their innovative program accomplishments. Christine M. Waszynski, MSN, Hartford Hospital's NICHE coordinator, and her colleagues described how implementing their dynamic NICHE program has improved care and outcomes for older patients and created a more engaged, energized and empowered nursing staff.

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A five-year study co-authored by a Temple University Fox School of Business professor has found that a national report card on nursing homes, which allows consumers to compare the quality of care provided by one facility to another, appears to motivate nursing homes to genuinely improve care.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Nursing offers the Geriatric Resource Nurse Continuing Education Program certificate program for nurses to looking to receive special education in geriatrics.

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A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that higher metabolic rates predict early natural mortality, indicating that higher energy turnover may accelerate aging in humans.

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According to research conducted at Rush University Medical Center, frequent social activity may help to prevent or delay cognitive decline in old age. The study has just been posted online in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

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Grinnell College sociologist and health psychologist available to discuss research on end of life care and the impact of chronic illness on relationships.

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Some seniors may need help getting around town, while others may need assistance getting around the house. Regardless of the degree of need, Geisinger Health System utilizes a systematic approach through its Geriatric Assessment Program to identify the medical and social needs of a geriatric patient to design a custom course of treatment to help seniors and their families successfully manage the aging process.

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1 Jeff D. Williamson, MD; 2) Hal H. Atkinson, MD; 3) Kaycee M. Sink, MD, MAS; 4) Kevin P. High, MD, MS; 5) Denise K. Houston, PhD, RD.

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Whether you are in your 20s, 40s, 80s or beyond, research shows that people who eat a balanced diet, don’t smoke, and exercise regularly lead longer, healthier lives. Making improvements to your lifestyle at any age can help you reduce your risk of chronic disease and improve your overall health.

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Researchers at the University of Kentucky are working on what could result in a diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease, based on biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid.

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Johns Hopkins Nursing researcher Laura Gitlin is working to help older African Americans learn about depression, reengage in valued activities, and "beat the blues."

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A mechanical engineering professor at Michigan Tech is studying how the aging knee degenerates, in hopes of finding ways to prevent painful osteoarthritis.

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As the nation’s population ages, so do the tens of thousands of caregivers for those stricken with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Experts say it’s just as important to take care of yourself as it is to give Alzheimer’s support to a loved one.

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Pioneering knee replacements at Hospital for Special Surgery have kept Lucille Horn active for more than 25 years, remaining intact through day-to-day wear and tear.

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In a five-year Language Across the Life Span Project funded by the National Institute on Aging, University of Kansas Distinguished Professor Susan Kemper has identified the aging brain’s slower processing speed as the prime candidate in typical communication problems of healthy older adults.

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Manage your stress levels may be key to slowing the aging process. This single factor helps control three vital hormones within our bodies that can either help us enjoy a long healthy life, or work against us. Reduce stress and you can reduce dangerous cortisol levels; watch dietary sugar and you will starve the body of insulin spikes; and control leptin release and you will reduce fat storage.

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and linked with heart disease in the very elderly, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

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Indiana U. experts discuss how to use a foam roller to reduce two common aches, why fitness facilities should keep an eye out for over-exercising, and why it's never too late to start strengthening core muscles -- and it's likely easier than most people think.

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National Health and Aging Trends Study will begin enrolling participants to examine how current and future aging populations can lead fuller, healthier lives.

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Older workers benefit most from a modest health behavior program when it combines a Web-based risk assessment with personal coaching, according to research conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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A natural hormone known to inhibit aging can also protect kidneys against renal fibrosis, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have demonstrated.

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A Kansas State University biochemist was one of the researchers on a collaborative project that took a combined computational and experimental approach to understand how protein p21 functions as a versatile regulator of cell division.

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The extent to which we move through our environments as we carry out our daily lives – from home to garden to workplace and beyond – has more significance than we might imagine. Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have discovered that our "life space" is intimately linked with cognitive function.

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An analysis of the essential mineral selenium by Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) suggests that adequate intake of essential mineral selenium may prevent age-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

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Examining how fruit flies genes respond to exercise may hold clues to help people stay healthier and more active into their advanced years. But first scientists had to figure out how to get a fly to exercise.

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The persistent fatigue that plagues one out of every three breast cancer survivors may be caused by one part of the autonomic nervous system running in overdrive, while the other part fails to slow it down.

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The meltdown of private pension plans, 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts during the recession demonstrates that Social Security is more essential than ever, says Merton C. Bernstein, LLB, the Walter D. Coles Professor Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Bernstein discussed the crucial role of Social Security in a report for the university’s Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy. According to Bernstein, Social Security is on course to provide full benefits to its expected beneficiaries through 2036 due to its multi-trillion dollar trust fund.

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Getting older doesn’t mean giving up muscle strength. Not only can adults fight the battle of strength and muscle loss that comes with age, but the Golden Years can be a time to get stronger, say experts at the University of Michigan Health System.

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Middle-aged adults with diabetes are much more likely to develop age-related conditions than their counterparts who don’t have diabetes, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

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Cornell University researchers are calling on their colleagues around the world to focus on how aging global populations will intersect with climate change and calls for environmental sustainability.

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For obese seniors, dieting and exercise together are more effective at improving physical performance and reducing frailty than either alone. Although weight loss alone and exercise alone improve physical function, neither is as effective as diet and exercise together, which improved physical performance in seniors by 21 percent.

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Basic Yellow 1, a dye used in neuroscience labs around the world, is a wonder drug for nematode worms. Thioflavin T extended lifespan in healthy worms by more than 50 percent and slowed the disease process in worms bred to mimic aspects of Alzheimer’s. The research could open new ways to intervene in aging and age-related disease.

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In this News Digest: 1) Summary of study being published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology March 28 finding that men in their seventies had prostate cancer screening nearly twice as often as men in their early fifties, who are more likely to benefit from prostate cancer detection and treatment; 2) Quote for attribution to Nicholas Vogelzang, MD, Member of ASCO’s Cancer Communications Committee and prostate cancer expert; 3) Links to additional information on Cancer.Net, ASCO’s patient website.

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An estimated 50 million adults in the United States suffer from arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one of the best ways to combat the onset of arthritis as well as to control pain and improve function is through exercise. Loyola Center for Fitness expert gives tips for getting started.

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As our population ages, a new program is being offered for nurses to gain advanced training in the special needs of geriatric patients.

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A UIC researcher reports in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society that victims of severe traumatic elder abuse are more likely to be female, suffer from a neurological or mental disorder, and to abuse drugs or alcohol.

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New research brings scientists one step closer to to isolating the mechanisms by which the brain compensates for disruptions and reroutes neural functioning – which could ultimately lead to treatments for cognitive impairments in humans caused by disease and aging.

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A new evidence review finds scant high-quality research on the best strategies for nursing homes hoping to ease the suffering of older patients through hospice care.

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In a study of more than 16,000 older adults, fatigue, cardiac conditions, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and psychiatric problems were more prevalent among those living in public housing.

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It may seem as if new developments to combat aging skin are being introduced faster than the speed of light. At the forefront of the research, dermatologists are underpinning these advancements, refining the basic understanding of how the skin ages in order to develop more effective non-invasive cosmetic procedures and products. Now, as an alternative to laser light – used successfully for years to make skin appear younger – dermatologists are investigating electricity.

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While dermatologists have used lasers successfully for years to treat common skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and aging skin, it now appears that even non-laser lights may provide some of the same benefits. In fact, lights of different colors are being used in several in-office and at-home therapies that offer consumers an alternative to more expensive laser treatments, but all may not be equally effective.

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People who have a stroke are more likely to be dependent if they are depressed, older or have other medical problems, according to a study published in the March 15, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Older people who receive Guided Care, a new form of primary care, use fewer expensive health services compared to older people who receive regular primary care.