A study in Neurology of more than 1.1 million women in the United Kingdom found obesity in middle age raised the risk of a dementia diagnosis 15 years later by 21 percent compared with women with a healthy weight, according to U.S. News & World Report . The researchers followed about one out of every four women born in Britain between 1935 and 1950, who were dementia-free and 56 years old on average at the beginning. At that time, about 2.1 percent of obese women were diagnosed with dementia, versus 1.6 percent of normal-weight women. The researchers uncovered no significant associations between physical inactivity or inadequate low-calorie diets and dementia. Low calorie intake and inactivity were associated with higher dementia risk in the study's first decade, but this connection eventually became insignificant as time went on. "The short-term links between dementia, inactivity, and low calorie intake are likely to be the result of the earliest signs of the disease, before symptoms start to show," said the University of Oxford's Sarah Floud. Northwell Health's Gayatri Devi is confident that an obese person who loses weight in midlife improves their odds of avoiding dementia. "I think there is never not a good time to improve general physical and cardiovascular health, improve brain health, and reduce risk for Alzheimer's," she noted.

National Health Service England National Clinical Director for Dementia and Professor Alistair Burns suggests programs repeated on TV and familiar songs can help people with dementia stimulate emotional memory and maintain brain activity, reports BBC News . Burns says Christmas can be particularly difficult for people with dementia, due to increased social engagements and bigger numbers of guests in the house. "Gathering the family round to watch a much-loved classic film, thumb through an old photo album, play a family game, or even sing along to a favorite carol can bring people together and help everybody feel part of the fun," he notes. According to experts, the emotional details of a beloved film or song remain entrenched in our minds and rekindling them makes people feel more connected with others, which is vital for both people with dementia and their friends and loved ones. "Whether it's an old song they used to enjoy or a classic Christmas film, reminiscing can be beneficial to someone with dementia — it can help to maintain their self-esteem, confidence, and sense of self, as well as improve social interactions with others," adds Alzheimer's Society COO Kathryn Smith. "However, every person with dementia is different, so it's important to listen and accommodate your loved one's unique needs and wishes."

Experts warn chronic loneliness can have serious health consequences for seniors, elevating their risk for high blood pressure, cognitive impairment, and even early death, reports WHOTV . The Prairie Vista Village senior living community in Altoona, Iowa, calls loneliness a serious issue, and the community provides activities to try to encourage daily socialization. "We do a lot of activities here within our community that the family members can come here and do . . . like Christmas dinner with senior residents," said Prairie Vista Marketing Director Makenzie Appleton. "We had our Christmas party, holiday open house that they were able to attend." Although holidays are an important time to consider such things, Appleton warns that loneliness affects seniors year-round.

Two agencies in Akron, Ohio, have teamed up to offer behavioral health services to seniors, reports the Beacon Journal . The nonprofit Blick Center is partnering with the Vantage Aging social service agency, under which the former will transition to and provide behavioral health services to older adults within the latter's location starting March 1. "Vantage has decades of experience in the treatment of older adults, including a very successful Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program," said Blick Executive Director Karin Lopper-Orr. "This relationship will allow Blick to expand its services, intensifying the positive impact in the lives of those we serve. By continuing operations within Vantage, existing clients will receive more case management and experience a seamless transition." Vantage Aging CEO Ted Watko hopes the partnership will address a lack of funding for behavioral health and other sustainability challenges. Vantage Aging will continue to offer wraparound programs, such as paid job training for adults 55 and up via the Senior Community Service Employment Program.

New five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau outline the growth of older populations across the states, according to U.S. News & World Report . Nearly one in five Floridians was 65 and older from 2014 to 2018, making Florida the top state in terms of older adult numbers, although that demographic is not expanding as fast as in other states. Each state witnessed growth in its older population from the 2009 to 2013 five-year estimates to the latest estimates. The three states with the largest increases are in New England, while North Dakota and Utah have had only small changes in their older populations compared to major swells in young populations.

A study in Neurology found a blood plasma associated with inflammation could be an early warning signal for certain types of dementia, reports Medical News Today . The researchers explored the connection between sCD14, an inflammatory marker in blood, and incident dementia. "In addition to biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease i.e., amyloid and tau, biomarkers of inflammation and neuronal injury may help improve the prediction of clinical dementia," suggested Matthew Pase with the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health. The researchers were particularly intrigued by the potential to assess dementia risk in advance by using cost-effective blood-based biomarkers to clear a path for intervention ahead of disease development. The team examined more than 4,700 participants from two community studies: the average age in one study was 69, and 72 in the other. The researchers quantified the plasma sCD14 in participants' blood upfront in both studies, and performed brain magnetic resonance imaging scans to assess the subjects over time. Higher sCD14 concentrations were associated with brain injury and aging, along with cognitive decline. "As we measured sCD14 in blood, it would be of interest to examine the extent to which blood sCD14 mirrors inflammation in the brain," Pase said.

In New Mexico, the Bernalillo County Department of Health Services has partnered with the State's Aging and Long Term Services Department to adopt 17 seniors this Christmas, KOB-TV 4 reports. Many of the seniors asked not for new clothes or the latest high-tech gadgets, but for such necessities as toiletries and pet food so they can use their disposable income on gifts for their loved ones. Bernice Dorroh was key in helping to plan a recent party at the Rio Bravo Senior Center in preparation for the seniors' holiday surprises. She remarks, "That little bit of help helps everyone getting somebody else they wish they could get a little bit more than what they can give."

Within the $1.4 trillion budget deal that Capitol Hill lawmakers sent to President Trump late last week is a $30 million increase in funding for senior nutrition, reports WBUR-TV . The bipartisan deal allocated an additional $15 million to both congregate and home-delivered meals. That brings the total funding for senior nutrition under the Older Americans Act to $936.8 million. Advocates lament that is still not sufficient to meet the needs of over nine million seniors at risk of going hungry in the United States. Meals on Wheels, the network of local delivery programs that turn those federal dollars into hot and frozen meals, serves approximately 220 million meals to more than two million seniors annually. Over 5,000 independently-operated programs nationwide bring meals directly to seniors' doorsteps. But those programs are serving 21 million fewer seniors than they were 14 years ago. When adjusting for inflation, nutrition services under the Older Americans Act have actually dropped by 8 percent since 2001, an AARP report calculates.

Hackensack University Medical Center's Manisha Parulekar suggests ways to help people with dementia deal with stress during the holiday season, reports CBS New York . She recommends keeping family gatherings small so they are less overwhelming. Guests should be made aware that someone in the house has dementia. "Let others know about the cognitive impairment so the relatives or the other family members who are making the arrangements do count that in when they are making those plans," Parulekar advises. This is key when it comes to serving food and alcohol at parties. "It can interfere with medications," Parulekar cautions. Finally, some people with dementia tend to wander, and people can lose track of them at holiday parties — so it makes sense to set the alarm on the front door.

Yahoo! Finance columnist Jordan Rosenfeld details some of the trends we should expect to see in the job market of 2020. For one, the fastest-growing demographic within the labor force will be boomers. He cites recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data in reporting almost 20 percent of Americans ages 65 and older were employed or actively looking for work this past year — an increase from just 10 percent in 1985. For older adults looking to start a new job, Rosenfeld urges them to focus on their experience when interviewing, not their age. "The benefit of extra years is extra time in the workforce, which often brings patience, understanding, and flexibility," he writes. "Talk those qualities up." Rosenfeld expects businesses to continue hiring more diverse candidates in the new year. After all, creating a diverse workplace is not just the right thing to do, research shows it's also the wise thing to do. A Boston Consulting Group study found that diversity can improve a company's bottom line by as much as 19 percent. Other predictions include: company culture will reign over cash, recruiters will use social media more, and more employers will offer remote work.