A cochlear implant could be a viable solution for seniors whose needs cannot be met by even the most advanced hearing aids, reports Insurance News Net . The device substitutes for the cochlea by mimicking natural hearing, and it can help persons with moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears. Medicare covers the cost for most cochlear implants, while many insurance plans and usually Medicaid also offer coverage. According to research, 93 percent of cochlear implant recipients exhibited significantly improved speech understanding compared to their hearing aid. Cochlear implants are better than hearing aids in noisy environments for certain recipients, and can deliver more sound clarity, better speech understanding, less anxiety and depression rates, improved confidence and participation in social activities, and a generally enhanced quality of life.

A follow-up to the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) Memory and Cognition In Decreased hypertension (MIND) study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests aggressive blood pressure therapy could stave off memory decline in older adults, reports the Harvard Health Blog . Older adults with elevated blood pressure were given either standard treatment to lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) below 140 mm Hg, or intensive treatment to reduce SBP below 120 mm H. A subset of SPRINT MIND participants followed for two years after the study's termination had their memory and thinking abilities evaluated. Dementia risk was 17 percent lower in the intensive treatment cohort versus the standard treatment group. Meanwhile, the risk of mild cognitive impairment was 19 percent lower in the intensive treatment group.

Therapist and researcher Orii McDermott's groundbreaking investigation into how music affects people with dementia is the subject of the first episode of the new podcast series, "How Researchers Changed the World," reports EurekAlert . McDermott says her research into this phenomenon stemmed from her frustration in not fully understanding the experience of persons with dementia when she played music to them. This fueled her determination to help clinicians quantify this experience in order to improve the subjects' day-to-day lives. "Music is very much about connecting with people, connecting with the external world," McDermott notes. "How Researchers Changed the World" can be accessed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Android podcast providers, as well as through http://www.howresearchers.com .

A study by the Provision Living senior living community consortium sought to examine the similarities and differences in smartphone use between baby-boomer and millennial generations, reports Forbes . The results contradicted general assumptions, with boomers spending five hours a day on phones, almost equal to millennials' phone time. More surprising was the finding that millennials spend more time making old-fashioned phone calls to talk to peers and loved ones compared to boomers. Social media constitutes a significant portion of phone time for both generations, with Facebook being the most popular site, eating up more than an hour daily. This concerns mental health experts, who cite research suggesting connectivity to Facebook disrupts in-person connectivity, sleep, and even memory, while also potentially compounding depression and anxiety. However, generational differences are apparent in how boomers and millennials spend the remaining three or more hours daily on their phones. Texting consumes another hour each day for millennials, while boomers are on e-mail, news apps, and the Internet. Millennials also frequently use their smartphones to listen to music apps like Pandora and Spotify, along with various podcasts. However, Twitter and YouTube were the least-used forms of social media on smartphones across both cohorts.

In a statement , U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) said they are sponsoring the Bipartisan Senior Security Act of 2019 to better protect seniors from financial scams and abuse. They cited a report from the Senate Special Committee on Aging, estimating that older Americans lose about $3 billion annually to such exploitation. A separate Investor Protection Trust poll found about 7 million Americans have reported being victimized, yet only one in every 24 cases of senior exploitation is actually reported. The Senior Security Act would establish a Senior Investor Taskforce at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), whose job would include identifying challenges that senior investors deal with, including problems linked to financial exploitation and cognitive decline. The task force also would focus on areas in which senior investors would benefit from changes at the SEC or self-regulatory organizations, as well as coordinate, as appropriate, with other SEC agencies. In addition, the team would consult, as appropriate, with state securities and law enforcement authorities, state insurance regulators, and other federal agencies. The task force would be required to submit a biannual report to Congress that summarizes recent trends and innovations affecting the environment for senior investors, along with projects concentrating on senior investors and related industry practices. It also would report key observations, best practices, and areas in need of improvement that involve senior investors.

Eye shingles, or herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO), is a growing problem among seniors, reports Considerable . Research from the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center found eye shingles cases tripled among 21 million Americans between 2004 and 2016, with adults over 75 especially vulnerable. The Mayo Clinic says shingles is induced by the varicella-zoster virus behind chickenpox. After the pox subsides, HZO in nerve tissue can be triggered years later by stress or a weakened immune system. According to the Mayo Clinic, persons older than 50 should get the Shingrix vaccine to help prevent the disease and alleviate symptoms. A study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found corneal transplants that replace the HZO-affected tissue are another option.

Four University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) engineering undergraduates used the Sunrise of Boulder senior living community as a test-bed for a fall-preventing accessory for walkers, reports CU Boulder Today . The invention earned the researchers first prize at this year's New Venture Challenge, and the inventors have founded a start-up called Stride Tech to make their accessory more widely available. Their initial prototype, dubbed Smart Step, featured a set of hand grips that vibrated if a person applied too much weight on their assistive device. The next step was developing a sensor located near the base of a walker, gathering data on users' walking patterns, which care providers can use to help influence future health interventions. "We want to take this minimum viable product and then use the data we collect to create longer-term solutions," says co-developer Max Watrous.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) said their work should reclassify Alzheimer's disease, based on their conclusion that its progression is fueled by a specific form of two proteins, reports Gizmodo . The scientists contended these forms should be deemed prions, or potentially infectious proteins that self-replicate by turning their siblings into a misfolded version of themselves. One researcher, Nobel Prize recipient Stanley B. Prusiner, is renowned for establishing prions' causal role in an entire category of rare but universally fatal brain diseases. The UCSF team wants to expand the definition of prions to include amyloid, tau, and any other naturally produced proteins that can alter into a self-replicating form. "It's a very generic definition that can encompass all of these different disease-related proteins capable of propagating through a prion mechanism, but importantly, it also incorporates all of these functional prions we find in yeast and elsewhere," says UCSF Professor Carlo Condello. The researchers also aim to reframe how scientists conceptualize Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders closely associated with abnormal proteins, so they are classified as prion diseases to inform research that can be channeled into the formulation of successful treatments.

A study by MagnifyMoney.com found that the Phoenix metro area in Arizona ranks as the top retirement destination for U.S. seniors, reports KTAR News . Phoenix experienced a net migration of more than 7,000 seniors, trouncing second-place-holder Tampa, Fla., by more than 1,000 new people. Six of the 10 leading cities for retirees are in Florida, while Arizona and Florida together constituted 15 of the top 25 cities in the study. Both states were cited for retiree-friendly tax laws, in addition to pleasant weather and low living expenses. The largest influx of negative net migration was observed in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. New York City alone lost a whopping 15,376 seniors during the study period.

Across the United States, 33 percent of adults 65 and older say they are not Internet users, while nearly half who are users say they need assistance, reports TechCrunch . Online communication and connection can be especially valuable for seniors who are homebound, live far away from family, or have lost loved ones they depended on for social support. Seniors can use online tools to connect with friends and family through messaging platforms, video chat, and social media, even if physical visits are no longer possible. Technology also can help reduce the risks socially isolated seniors face, which include depression, cardiovascular disease, functional decline, and death. But doing so requires giving older adults digital skills. Jessica Fields with the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Vulnerable Populations writes that she works directly with isolated seniors to deliver low-cost Internet, tablets, and digital training via the Tech Allies program. She contends, "Tech Allies measurably improves older adults' use of technology and confidence in key digital skills. Programs like this, which embed technology training in existing community-based organizations, should be expanded, with increased funding prioritized at local, state, and federal levels and with greater involvement of technology companies and investors."