Fifty-one colleges and universities worldwide are currently members of the Age-Friendly University Global Network, up from zero eight years ago, reports Next Avenue . "How age-friendly is interpreted on every campus is different from university to university," notes network project coordinator Christine O'Kelly. "We're not prescriptive." To join the network, a school only has to endorse 10 principles inspired by the World Health Organization and AARP's age-friendly cities movement. Adopting all 10 principles is not obligatory. These principles include: encouraging the participation of older adults in all the core activities of the university, including educational and research programs; recognizing the range of educational needs of older adults — from those who were early school-leavers through to those who wish to pursue Master's or Ph.D qualifications; promoting intergenerational learning to facilitate the reciprocal sharing of expertise between students of all ages; and widening access to online educational opportunities for older adults to ensure a diversity of routes to participation. The idea is to avoid envisioning age-friendly as a silo with, for example, just one campus program for older students or one for midlife adults. Older faculty and staff, alumni, donors, and community residents also should be factored in. For the University of Manitoba's program, older adults function as "citizen scientists" and collect data via apps, taking photos of "elements on campus that are supports or barriers to being age-friendly," says Manitoba Center on Aging Director Michelle Porter.

A new study by Brigham and Women's Hospital published in JAMA Internal Medicine measured the association between total daily steps and long-term health outcomes, reports the Harvard Gazette . The researchers evaluated the results over an average of more than four years for older women who had measured their steps for a full week. As little as 4,400 steps a day was significantly associated with lower risk of death among this group, versus 2,700 daily steps. Mortality risk continued to fall with more steps taken, leveling off at about 7,500 daily steps. "We find that even a modest increase in steps taken is tied to significantly lower mortality in older women," said Brigham and Women's Hospital's I-Min Lee. "Our study adds to a growing understanding of the importance of physical activity for health, clarifies the number of steps related to lower mortality, and amplifies the message 'step more.' Even a little more is helpful."

A study from the University of Bergen published in Science Advances determined the bacteria that causes gingivitis may eventually infiltrate the brain, and a protein generated by this bacteria kills nerve cells to induce gradual memory loss, reports SlashGear . The implication is that the bacteria may play a key role in triggering the development of Alzheimer's, as well as accelerate the disease's progression. The researchers suggest brushing and flossing teeth can help prevent this outcome. This study is the first to identify DNA evidence for gingivitis-related bacteria spreading from the mouth to the brain, where damaging enzymes are produced. Of the 53 people with Alzheimer's included in the research, 96 percent exhibited the harmful protein.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announced that as part of its commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, ACL and federal partners will host a webinar on June 7, showcasing new senior justice tools and innovations. Scheduled speakers include Julie Schoen, deputy director of the National Center on Elder Abuse. Also attending will be Tami Sieckman, outreach coordinator for the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Office for the Financial Protection of Older Americans, and Department of Justice Senior Counsel for Elder Justice Susan C. Lynch. Alan E. Sorcher with the SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is slated to appear as well, along with Security Administration Public Affairs Specialist Lydia E. Chévere. Additional speakers will include World Elder Abuse Awareness Day architect and senior justice advocate Elizabeth Podnieks, and ACL's Aiesha Gurley-Parry at the Department of Health and Human Services.

A study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found older adults with impaired vision are more susceptible to perceived discrimination, which in turn is linked to poorer emotional well-being, reports Medical Xpress . Analysis of data from 7,677 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging determined participants with poor vision had greater odds of reporting perceived discrimination compared to those with good eyesight. Participants self-reporting both poor eyesight and discrimination also had higher chances of depressive symptoms, loneliness, and lower quality of life and life satisfaction versus those reporting only poor eyesight and no discrimination. "Action to address discrimination may help mitigate the increased risk of poor well-being in this population," the researchers concluded.

A Gallup poll cites healthcare costs as the leading financial challenge for most U.S. families, and the most likely top issue for older Americans, reports The Hill . Twenty-five percent of adults between 50 and 64, and 23 percent of adults 65 and older, named healthcare expenses their overriding financial problem. "Even in generally good economic times, Americans still face significant personal financial challenges," Gallup noted. "Foremost among these are healthcare costs, which have been a consistent concern over time but currently stand above all other concerns. As such, healthcare will likely continue to be a major focus in national elections, including the 2020 presidential election."

"U.S. companies racing to tap artificial intelligence (AI) and other high-tech tools face a shortage of workers at home," states the Wall Street Journal . As a result, employers are taking a closer look at skilled digital workers outside the United States even though the process of applying for H-1B visas for such hires is very complex. H-1B visas have an annual cap of 85,000, and approval rates have declined to 75 percent from 92 percent in 2016. According to CompTIA, U.S. job postings for AI positions alone soared 159 percent over the last year as the pace of digital growth across all industries is creating demand faster than typical education paths can create a supply of skilled employees. Consequently, U.S. companies are considering alternatives for sourcing talent, like tech boot camps, while looking into the feasibility of getting employees from abroad.

Health Affairs reports that caregiving in the last years of life may be associated with increased depression and an array of negative health outcomes for surviving spouses, many of whom are in declining health themselves. A team of five researchers, including article co-authors Katherin A. Ornstein and Jennifer L. Wolff, hypothesize that spouses who were the only caregivers (paid or unpaid) who provided assistance with a spouse's self-care or household activities would experience greater levels of depression after bereavement than supported spouses would. Using information from the Health and Retirement Study, they found that 55 percent of the spouses of community-dwelling married people with disability were solo caregivers. "Solo caregiving was even common among people who cared for spouses with dementia and those with adult children living close by," they write. Fortunately, a number of state and federal policy proposals are aiming to systematically recognize and assess caregivers. But further innovations in care delivery and reimbursement are needed to adequately support seriously ill older men and women and their caregivers.

A U.K. review of 22 studies published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found yoga can boost muscle strength and balance and improve mental wellbeing in older adults, reports The Tribune . Programs varied in length from one to seven months, and sessions ranged from 30 to 90 minutes. "A large proportion of older adults are inactive, and do not meet the balance and muscle strengthening recommendations set by government and international health organizations," noted the University of Edinburgh's Divya Sivaramakrishnan. "Based on this study, we can conclude that yoga has great potential to improve important physical and psychological outcomes in older adults. Yoga is a gentle activity that can be modified to suit those with age-related conditions and diseases." Yoga was found to improve lower body strength, lower body flexibility, and depression compared to other activities.

A study published in the Journals of Gerontology: Series A suggests older adults who fall usually suffer these falls under well-lit conditions, reports Physician's Weekly . The researchers analyzed data from weekly online surveys of older adults to learn variables contributing to 371 falls reported over a four-year span. Most falls were at home and in the bedroom. "Older people generally fall in their common rooms and in situations that seem unlikely for the simple reason that they spend too much time at home (the more you walk, the less you fall, paradoxically; balance, strength, and body awareness are better with more activity)," read a statement by Antoine Piau of Oregon Health & Science University. Four out of five falls occurred in well-lit areas. "Falls at home may also be common because people in their everyday activities are doing more than one thing at a time without being attentive to their environment such as walking down stairs while carrying a box or phone," Piau added. Nearly 90 percent of falls were due to people losing their balance, with almost 66 percent caused by a slip or trip. Eight percent of falls ultimately reduced the subjects' walking ability.