A Berlin Aging Study of 500 people 70 and older determined older men and women who help watch their grandchildren or provide support on some level as a caregiver have a lower risk of death over 20 years compared to seniors who do not, reports Fox 17 . Dr. Ronan Factora of the Cleveland Clinic cited the study's indications that physical caregiving rigors and the act of providing care for another likely play a role. "If providing care to grandchildren and others in need is one way that can actually reduce stress, then these activities should be of benefit to folks who are grandparents and provide this care to their grandkids," he suggested. Factora cautioned that providing care is a balancing act, warning that excessive caregiving can have a detrimental effect.

Drexel University College of Medicine Professor Robert Sataloff, along with University of Washington, Seattle Professor E. Patchen Dellinger and Parkchester Medical Services' David Weiss offer their views on the need for cognitive testing for aging doctors, reports Monthly Prescribing Reference . "There is no good system to assess physicians' competency, and there are no good data to guide us," Sataloff admits. He continues that "it seems as though hospital systems are beginning to use cognitive tests just because they exist, but there is no valid way to know how to use the results." Dellinger, meanwhile, notes that discussions have been conducted on "developing a program where physicians are tested beginning early in their career and then tested sequentially to see over time how their cognitive and physical performance compared with their own cognitive and physical performance in previous years." He stresses that "we don't want these tests to be burdensome to physicians who are already completing regular tests for MOC maintenance of certification, although these tests of cognitive and physical abilities are quite different." Weiss argues that hospitals need to monitor all physicians of any age and have quality measures and oversight implemented. "Clinicians should also take steps if they see that a colleague is beginning to show signs of age-related decline — but again, peer responsibility applies to any age," he recommends.

The Tampa Bay area has adopted a new national fitness program at all YMCAs to prevent falls among older adults, reports WFLA . EnhanceFitness helps older adults build strength and improve their capacity for independent living, via cardiovascular exercises, strength training, stretching, and balance regimens. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rates EnhanceFitness as especially safe and effective for older adults with arthritis. The YMCA is working with BayCare Health System to help refer persons who are at risk for falls into EnhanceFitness. Participants meet three times weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for an hour. More than 20 locations across Tampa Bay offer the program.

A study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease detailed the connection between multilingualism and dementia risk, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . The researchers examined 325 Roman Catholic nuns in the United States, including their brain health. They determined 6 percent of the nuns who spoke four or more languages developed dementia, versus 31 percent who spoke only one language. "Language is a complex ability of the human brain, and switching between different languages takes cognitive flexibility," said the University of Waterloo's Suzanne Tyas. "So it makes sense that the extra mental exercise multilinguals would get from speaking four or more languages might help their brains be in better shape than monolinguals." Assessments of the nuns' writing revealed that subjects who could best express their ideas on paper also had less dementia risk. "This study shows that while multilingualism may be important, we should also be looking further into other examples of linguistic ability," Tyas noted. "In addition, we need to know more about multilingualism and what aspects are important — such as the age when a language is first learned, how often each language is spoken, and how similar or different these languages are."

The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services announced that Nevada Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Director Kim Harney-Moore is alerting residents about a genetics testing company scam, reports Fox5Vegas . The department warned representatives of the company offer "free" genetics tests to Medicare beneficiaries, also called DNA screenings, cancer screenings, or hereditary testing. The firm claims the results will help recipients avoid diseases or find the right drugs via a cheek swab test and the person's Medicare number. Meanwhile, the U.S. Office of the Inspector General has issued a fraud alert recommending the public watch for anyone who offers free genetic tests and requests Medicare numbers. The Nevada department stated that company representatives go door-to-door or visit senior communities, senior housing, veterans events, health fairs, and other gathering places to persuade people to let them take a cheek swab. "These companies can steal people's medical identity and falsely bill Medicare, draining the system of needed funds," Kim Harney-Moore said. "Tests ordered under these circumstances are unnecessary and could lead to confusion about someone's health condition."

New technologies have hit the market to help seniors live longer and healthier lives, reports CNBC . Embodied Labs offers virtual reality (VR) headsets that provide simulations in which caregivers can assume the persona of a senior facing situations like macular degeneration, improving their empathy and healthcare delivery. Meanwhile, Intuition Robotics' ElliQ robot uses proactive cognitive artificial intelligence to initiate dialogue, so seniors maintain contact with family or loved ones, take medication, and stay connected with the outside world. Ageless Innovation's Joy for All robot companion pets look like real-life cats and puppies and use sensors to interact with seniors in realistic ways. For its part, Neuro Rehab VR delivers a machine learning-driven VR experience for seniors undergoing physical therapy following a stroke, brain, or spinal cord injury, or who are afflicted with neurodegenerative diseases — measuring their rehabilitative progress with scores and metrics over time. Toi Labs' True Loo toilet seat is equipped to identify users and analyze their excreta, to look for signs of potential health problems and alert senior living managers and their staff. Finally, the VitalTech cloud platform improves senior health and wellness through connected care through its VitalBand emergency voice call-out and fall-detection monitor.

A 2009 study published in Ear and Hearing found hearing loss of one decibel in people younger than 70 increases the odds of becoming severely lonely by 7 percent, recalls National Public Radio . Intensifying loneliness from hearing loss can trigger a flood of detrimental health effects, raising the risks of depression, dementia, and early death. However, most people who suffer from hearing loss do not know or do not want to know the extent of the problem, and these changes occur gradually and often earlier than anticipated. Moreover, few use hearing devices even when they are aware of hearing loss, likely due to costs, stigma, and potential technical challenges. A more recent 2018 study in JAMA Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery found untreated hearing loss raises the risk of dementia by 50 percent, depression by 40 percent, and falls by 30 percent over 10 years. Johns Hopkins University researchers have launched a randomized controlled trial to determine whether hearing treatment could prevent or slow cognitive decline, with its effect on loneliness a key area of focus.

Men and woman age 55 and older are leading Florida's growing use of medical cannabis, reports the Sarasota Herald-Tribune . Two years ago, the Florida State Legislature passed legislation approving the use of medical marijuana, and since then there has been an increase in reported use. "Seniors are a major segment," says senior marijuana advocate Robert Platshorn. "If you walk into a dispensary anywhere in the state, you will see that 70 to 80 percent of the people who buy are seniors." According to an article in WFTV , three of the top four Florida counties for medical marijuana use have median populations 53 and older. "They can get off many of their expensive meds, and that is very appealing to seniors," Platshorn notes. "The senior generation is my generation; we kind of invented marijuana the way it is known today."

A study in Nutritional Neuroscience associated a Mediterranean diet with reduced cognitive decline over five years among older adults in the United States, reports Medical Xpress . Participants who reported consuming a higher amount of foods associated with a Mediterranean diet — such as olive oil, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, whole grains, and red wine — had moderately lower rates of cognitive decline in terms of visual spatial organization and memory, attention, and global cognitive function. The researchers recommend future studies should consider possible connections between the diet, such as biological factors or general good health, as having a positive effect on cognitive function.

Scientists are redefining the search for Alzheimer's-treating drugs by refocusing from amyloid buildup in the brain to other pathways, reports the Associated Press . Alternatives under consideration include the brain's immune system and inflammation. Studies on the brain immune cells, or microglia, demonstrate that "they're much more active and play a much more significant role" in the health of neurons, said U.S. National Institute on Aging Director Richard Hodes. Meanwhile, David Holtzman at Washington University in St. Louis suggested microglia may play the crucial role in the toxicity of amyloid and tau proteins that leads to Alzheimer's. The discovery of different strains of herpes viruses in Alzheimer's-affected brain tissue also opens up new research avenues, with scientists in New York evaluating the drug valacyclovir's effect on people with mild Alzheimer's who exhibit herpes infection symptoms. Moreover, Cortexyme is enlisting early-stage participants to test a drug that targets potentially neuron-damaging substances produced by gingivitis bacteria, which also has been detected in Alzheimer's-riddled brains. Aggressive inflammation in the brains of people with dementia also hints at an immune system connection, with a number of drugs being investigated to regulate this effect.