Family caregiver balancing act.

In a survey conducted by Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, 26 percent of North American family caregivers of older adults report that they felt a "workplace stigma" associated with elder caregiving. These 10 ways to feel more empowered at work could help give family caregivers hope for better balance and health: 1. … Continue reading Family caregiver balancing act.

Nutrition in healthy aging

The significant increase in average life expectancy is one of society’s great achievements which has been associated with a shift in the leading causes of illnesses from infectious to noncommunicable diseases.  It is well known that the percentage of populations categorized as elderly (e.g. 65 years and older) will increase dramatically in almost every country … Continue reading Nutrition in healthy aging

Can baby boomers use wearable techno-logy?

poor design decisions that fail to address the aging population's needs can undermine the technology's value. Older adults also tend to experience feelings of mistrust and frustration when using new devices, with the result that they often abandon otherwise worthwhile technology.

Defining Sedentary Behavior; An Emerging Global Public Health Priority

A worldwide network of scientists examining the links between sedentary lifestyles and health problems such as obesity and cardiovascular disease today announced a new dictionary of terms to support research into sedentary behaviour. The results of the 'terminology consensus project' led by the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute's (CHEO RI) Sedentary Behaviour Research … Continue reading Defining Sedentary Behavior; An Emerging Global Public Health Priority

Aging Sex Offenders: To Care; and How?

“The problem is that you’re talking about a project that’s uniquely difficult when it comes to structural needs and safety,” says Amy McCoy, a public-information officer with the Iowa Department of Human Services.

Gene Testing and Long-Term Care Insurance

Approximately 5.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, making up half of all nursing home residents, but very few people have been tested for it's specific gene. Last month, however, the gene testing company 23andMe started offering tests that reveal whether people carry the gene, while assessing their risks for developing certain conditions. Following the wave, … Continue reading Gene Testing and Long-Term Care Insurance

Your Spit Holds a Clue to Brain Health

Your spit may hold a clue to future brain health. Investigators at the Beaumont Research Institute, part of Beaumont Health in Michigan, are hopeful that their study involving small molecules in saliva will help identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease -- a neurologic condition predicted to reach epidemic proportions worldwide by 2050. Given … Continue reading Your Spit Holds a Clue to Brain Health

Getting Lost May Indicate Alzheimer’s

Losing your navigational skills or getting lost even though you are in a familiar setting may provide some of the first indications that Alzheimer’s disease could affect you in later life. This is a preliminary discovery of a remarkable long-term study being carried out by scientists who are searching to uncover how dementia first affects the brain. The Prevent project – based at Edinburgh University, though it involves several other UK research centres – is intended to detect signs of Alzheimer’s in people while they are still relatively young. Usually, the disease does not show its symptoms until individuals are in their 60s, by which time it has already done profound damage to the brain.

Growing Old, Serious Business

By Pam Hayle, Chair, Vital Aging Network May is Older Americans Month---a month set aside to celebrate the contributions of older adults to our society. When President Kennedy first celebrated older Americans by designating May 1963 as Senior Citizens Month, Kennedy encouraged all Americans to pay tribute to older people across the country. In 1980, … Continue reading Growing Old, Serious Business