U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) has introduced the Senior Security Act, developed in association with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), to set up a task force at the Securities and Exchange Commission to protect seniors from financial exploitation, reports KVOA . The goal of the legislation is to examine and identify challenges confronting senior investors via the task force, which in consultation with other government officials will disclose its findings to Capitol Hill and recommend any regulatory or statutory amendments every two years. Within two years of the bill's enactment, the Government Accountability Office will analyze and report on economic losses stemming from financial exploitation of seniors. The new bill adds to Sinema's earlier efforts in last year's passage of the Senior Safe Act, which allows financial institutions to work with law enforcement to curb financial abuse of older men and women.

Falls are the leading cause of accidental death for Floridians 55 and older, reports the Daytona Beach News-Journal . According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 3,000 adults over the age of 55 died from falls in Florida in 2017, and 50 percent of those deaths were among adults older than 85. Halifax Health's Chantal Cote said most of those deaths are from complications following falls. The International Osteoporosis Foundation estimated that up to 20 percent of individuals die in the first year following hip fractures, mostly due to pre-existing medical conditions. The mortality risk also is higher for at least five years after an injury-causing fall. Other fall-related injuries that seniors can suffer include head trauma, internal and external bleeding, and wrist and shoulder fractures. Cote noted falls in seniors most often happen in the bathroom or on the stairs.

A study from United Income found although millions of Americans continue working past retirement age to meet financial needs, many stay employed for other reasons, according to Forbes . Many are maintaining their health through exercise, healthy diets, and staying active, which may play into their continued employment for the physical and mental benefits work can offer. "Of Americans aged 65 or older and working or looking for work, 78 percent report being in good health or better, up from 73 percent in 1997 and 69 percent in 1985," United Income notes. "As a result, more retirement-age people can work: 77 percent feel no limitations in the kind of work they can do, compared with 71 percent in 1997." A link between education and extended life spans also may contribute, as the report states, "The share of adults that are 65 years or older and working that have at least a college degree increased from 25 percent in 1985 to 53 percent in 2019. This pushed up the average real income of retirement-age workers by 63 percent during this time period, from $48,000 to $78,000." Furthermore, older workers may be less concerned with career goals than to simply keep working, making them more flexible about the jobs they are willing to accept. "Researchers have documented arrangements such as part-time work, bridge jobs, and phased retirement that make the path to full retirement less abrupt," the report concludes.

A study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine tracked 918 older adults with prediabetes for 12 years, finding that most remained stable or returned to normal blood sugar levels, while only one-third developed diabetes or died, reports EurekAlert . Twenty-two percent of prediabetic individuals 60 and older reverted to normal blood sugar levels, 13 percent developed diabetes, and 23 percent died. Reduced systolic blood pressure, lack of heart disease, and weight loss were associated with a higher probability of reverting from prediabetes to normal blood sugar levels, while obesity expedited progression to diabetes. "Despite numerous studies focusing on prediabetes in the younger population, this is the first study describing the natural history of prediabetes in the older population," noted Ying Shang at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. "The results of our study suggest that even in old age, reverting back from prediabetes to a normal blood sugar level is possible with effective weight management and blood pressure control."

West Virginia University's (WVU) Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute led a first-of-its-kind experimental trial to treat people suffering from early-stage Alzheimer's with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided ultrasound, reports the Epoch Times . The researchers conducted the process with a subject who lay flat in an MRI machine wearing a special helmet for three hours per session. The ultrasound delivered highly focused energy waves to the hippocampus, while micro bubbles were simultaneously injected into the subject's bloodstream and through vessels near the hippocampus. "These micro bubbles start oscillating, and they open up the blood-brain barrier," says WVU's Ali R. Rezai. This barrier remained open for a record 36 hours. "The goal of the technology is to open up the blood-brain barrier using ultrasound and allow the plaques, hopefully, to be reduced and allow the clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's to be improved as well," Rezai notes. The researchers think this technique may slow Alzheimer's progression, trigger the brain's immune system, reduce plaque deposition, and mitigate symptoms.

A survey from Innova Market Insights found American baby boomers are reducing their sugar intake at a higher rate than their younger peers, reports Considerable . Fifty percent of boomers are purchasing more reduced-sugar products, while 40 percent are cutting their overall consumption of sweets. Innova also noted 76 percent of boomers worldwide had made moves to consume less sugar in the past year versus an average 68 percent for all demographics. This coincides with mounting evidence that excessive sugar consumption increases the rate of obesity and its attendant maladies in older adults. A recent Emory University study published in JAMA Network Open estimated that daily consumption of more than one glass of fruit juice or sugary beverage correlates with elevated mortality among Americans 45 and older.

A study by the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) found hospital emergency room (ER) visits are more likely to cost more on average than a decade ago, reports USA Today . The average visit cost $1,389 in 2017 — a 176 percent jump over 10 years, not including additional charges such as blood tests, IVs, or drugs. Each hospital ER visit is gauged on a scale of 1 to 5 to assess medical complexity and the amount a consumer will be billed. The difference in the code assigned to a visit could cost a consumer far more for simply entering the hospital. A decade ago, 17 percent of hospital visits were charged the most expensive code, which climbed to 27 percent of visits in 2017. The average cost for the most expensive code grew from $754 in 2008 to $1,895 in 2017. Hospitals also hiked billings for the second most expensive code, but they billed the three least expensive codes less frequently compared to 10 years ago. Revisions to billing practices have coincided with hospitals' transition to electronic health records systems, which might prompt staff to better record care and support the use of more expensive codes, concluded HCCI researcher John Hargraves.

New research cited by the Associated Press shows fatal falls have nearly tripled in older Americans in recent years, increasing to more than 25,000 deaths annually. A separate study offers further proof that programs focusing on improving muscle strength and balance can help achieve better fall prevention. Both studies were published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association . "Deaths from falls may have increased because older people are living longer, living longer independently, and are living longer with chronic conditions," commented Elizabeth Burns, a study co-author and health scientist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's injury center. She further noted that some medications also make older men and women prone to falls. The new research included 16 years of U.S. vital statistics data on adults aged 75. Fatal falls rose from 8,600 in 2000 to 25,190 in 2016. Separate CDC data show they climbed even higher in 2017, to nearly 26,440 fatal falls in Americans 75 and older. "The results echo studies of fatal fall trends in the Netherlands and other European countries," concluded the AP.

Axios is reporting that family members, especially spouses, are providing a lot of end-of-life care right now with little or no support. According to the latest Health Affairs study , nearly 15 million Americans act as unpaid caregivers for older patients, with spouses often going it alone. The research also shows that 55 percent of spouses who are married to someone with a disability and who's not living in a senior care home serve as solo caregivers. Among those who had help, a majority got it from their children instead of trained professionals. Furthermore, solo caregivers averaged more than 40 hours a week providing such care. Axios uncovered one silver lining. Among people whose spouse had recently passed away, people who had been solo caregivers at the end of their spouse's life were no more prone to depression than people who had assistance.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board's sixth annual survey of household economics determined about 44 percent of Americans said their retirement savings are not on the right trajectory, while 36 percent said they are, reports InvestmentNews . Twenty-five percent said they have no retirement savings or pension whatsoever, while 13 percent of Americans 60 and older have no savings. A common factor was a dearth of financial knowledge and discomfort in making investment decisions. Roughly 25 percent of retirees were forced into retirement due to a lack of available employment, while a greater number cited poor health. To save for retirement, Americans can choose between a 401(k), 403(b), Keogh, or other account through an employer. About 40 percent own assets outside of a retirement account. Over 30 percent are funding an IRA or Roth IRA, and slightly more than 20 percent own a defined-benefit pension via an employer. Last year, close to half of retirees were younger than 62, while 20 percent retired between 62 and 64 years of age.