A study in the Journal of Applied Gerontology determined that physically active U.S. veterans are more likely to fall but less likely to suffer injury, versus inactive older adults who did not serve in the military, according to U.S. News & World Report . The authors analyzed 2006-2015 data from almost 12,000 vets and nearly 37,000 others. Vets had 11 percent more falls that did not result in injuries, but 28 percent fewer falls compared to non-veterans. Although the risk of falling rose more with age for vets than for others, physical activity shielded hem more from non-injury falls. "The inference is that being active puts you at more risk for a fall, but if you are more active/in shape, the fall is more likely to be a minor one and not a serious one resulting in injury," said University of Michigan Professor Geoffrey Hoffman. He explained that such research is vital due to the need to identify a suitable balance between activity and fall risk as people get older — and one possibility is that when a person is active, a fall presents less risk because that person is in better shape, even when being more active marginally elevates the risk of a nonserious fall. "A good trade-off can be made: more activity and independence at the cost of some more minor falls," Hoffman concluded. "It's up to each older individual with the input of family caregivers to weigh those trade-offs."

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault and others who work for the team and parent company Comcast Spectacor are helping isolated seniors during the coronavirus pandemic, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . Through the Flyers Phone-Linemates program, participants make weekly phone calls to senior community residents, keeping them connected to the world. Forty people associated with the Flyers have made calls to these seniors. "It's very rewarding to be able to use this time to help others and hopefully brighten their day," Vigneault said. "With everyone at risk and much of the public in self-quarantine, this has also affected senior citizens particularly hard — especially the ones in assisted-care homes." The program currently serves seniors at the Mildred Shor Inn at the Abramson Senior Care Center in North Wales, Montgomery County. Valerie Camillo with the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center said a planned expansion includes having Flyers Phone-Linemates call other senior communities in the area.

To help socially isolated senior Floridians with Alzheimer's disease and dementia cope with the COVID-19 quarantine, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs announced that it will provide them with therapeutic robotic pets, reports CNN . Research indicates that robotic pets have similar positive effects to traditional pet therapy, and have a high rate of success in decreasing social isolation for older adults. "We know social isolation disproportionately affects older adults, and COVID-19 has required people with dementia and their caregivers to remain alone for extended periods of time," said Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Richard Produm. "We look forward to delivering these therapeutic robotic pets to those who will benefit from their companionship." The robotic pets were developed by Ageless Innovation, which is committed to creating fun and engaging products geared toward older adults. The Department of Elder Affairs will distribute 375 robotic pets to isolated Florida seniors, while Ageless Innovation also has teamed with the Association on Aging in New York to distribute up to 11,100 robots to vulnerable seniors in that state.

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing an East Syracuse research center in New York to virtually run clinical trials, including one linking Alzheimer's to type 2 diabetes, reports WSYR-TV . Scientists think people with elevated blood sugar may produce harmful substances that eventually cause inflammation and cell damage, which could lead to memory loss in the brain. "What we're looking at with this clinical trial is kind of a neuro-protective approach to Alzheimer's disease," said Lisa Sonneborn at Clarity Clinical Research. "This treatment and this investigational drug is looking at trying to create a protection for the brain against that." The researchers are screening people online so they can attend in-person clinical visits later. The goal of the trial is to determine if the drug can block a specific receptor that the investigators believe could lead to the development of Alzheimer's.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is joing with the the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging (NCMHA) to offer National Older Adults Mental Health Awareness Day 2020 on May 7. The goal is to foster a thoughtful discussion on ways to prevent social isolation and promote mental health during the pandemic era. Suicide, depression, anxiety, and problems with alcohol and medications are issues that older men and women face. National Older Adults Mental Health Awareness Day 2020 will feature remarks from Lance Robertson, ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging, and Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. Additionally, it will share the latest information on social isolation and loneliness from Dr. Dilip Jeste, University of California San Diego Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry.

A survey of 1,039 U.S. seniors by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found that 55 percent have had disruptions in medical care in the first month of social distancing for the coronavirus pandemic, reports HealthLeaders Media . In addition, 39 percent of respondents canceled or delayed non-essential medical treatment, 32 percent canceled primary or preventive care, and 15 percent canceled essential treatment. Respondents are mainly concerned about interruptions in their care regime, versus other issues like remaining physically active, support for daily living, and finding mental stimulation. Of the 21 percent of respondents who used telehealth since the start of the pandemic, 49 percent said it was about the same as an in-person visit. Just 4 percent rated it "much worse." "The first month of social distancing in America . . . created a situation where many older adults are not getting the care they need to manage serious health conditions," said SCAN Foundation CEO Bruce Chernof. "As our nation grapples with when and how to reopen, the healthcare system will reckon with unaddressed medical needs and learn how to maximize new protocols to care for older adults with complex needs in flexible, person-centered ways."

In partnership with the state of California, United Airlines has enlisted employees grounded by coronavirus restrictions to chat with senior Californians during the lockdown, reports Travel and Leisure . Some 300 United Airlines employees from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose have been assigned to make weekly wellness calls in collaboration with the Listos California campaign and the California Department of Aging. "Our shared purpose at United is connecting people and uniting the world, and during these unprecedented times that has never been more important," announced United Airlines' California President Janet Lamkin. "We are profoundly grateful to all of our compassionate employees who will be using their experience and training to bring some much-needed comfort to our state's most vulnerable residents during these difficult times."

Chinese drugmaker Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin clinical trials in the United States for its experimental Alzheimer's drug oligomannate, reports Bloomberg . The company reportedly aims to enroll more than 2,000 participants with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's across North America, Europe, and Asia — as well as file for FDA approval to sell the drug by 2025 after the trial ends. The start of the trial may be pushed back by the coronavirus pandemic, but Shanghai Green Valley's Li Jinhe doubts that this will affect its long-term timeline. The oligomannate trial will last a year, during which neither investigators nor participants will know who has been administered the drug or who has received a placebo, in order to avoid bias when interpreting results. Oligomannate is designed to readjust the human body's gut microbiome, which Green Valley says ultimately reduces neuron inflammation in the brain and slows the progression of Alzheimer's. "Good results coming out of the drug trials in China have boosted our confidence," said Li. "We believe it will eventually be launched globally to benefit more patients."

A study published in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology found that use of five or more prescription medications before initiation of IV chemotherapy is associated with higher rates of inpatient hospitalizations among older adults with cancer, reports Healio . The researchers looked at subjects 65 and older diagnosed with lung, breast, or prostate cancer. Those with lung cancer took a median 11 medications in the six months before chemotherapy, followed by a median 10 medications among men with prostate cancer and a median nine medications among those with breast cancer. Men with prostate cancer who took between five and nine medications before chemotherapy, compared with fewer than five, had a 42 percent higher rate of hospitalization — whereas those who took between 10 and 14 medications had a 75 percent higher rate and those who took 15 or more had a 114 percent higher rate. The rate of hospitalization among those with lung cancer was 36 percent higher among those who took between five and nine medications, 49 percent higher among those who took between 10 and 14 medications, and 82 percent higher among those who took 15 or more medications, versus those who took less than five medications. People with breast cancer who took between five and nine medications before chemotherapy had a 17 percent higher rate of hospitalization compared with those who took less than five — whereas those who took between 10 and 14 had a 61 percent higher rate, while those who took 15 or more had a 101 percent higher rate.

Baby boomers have found a new path to retirement through "Internet entrepreneurism," reports Forbes . A recent study estimated that nearly one in five people who remain working past age 65 are self-employed, excluding independent contractors. "Many boomers . . . have a lifetime of knowledge and experience that they want to share with others," said Online Trainers Federation founder Dave Smith. Boomers have elected to start a new business at an age when their parents were retired and their grandparents were past their life expectancy, and their growing familiarity and comfort with the Internet is making it surprisingly easy to start such businesses online. Be-At-Ease Solutions founder Beate Probst said this is partly due to the fact that "the technology is available to reach people all over the world with little investment but so much life experience and information." Smith added that profitable companies can be run directly from social platforms. "A 'relational' digital world has made it easy for experts to sell their expertise," he explained. "The older population is full of expertise, so they are perfect candidates to monetize their knowledge through an online business."