A study published in Cell Host & Microbe notes as people age, their B cells and the antibodies they secrete acquire fewer mutations that would offer flexible protection against the flu virus, reports Infection Control Today . "The major implication is that when a newly circulating influenza virus infects seniors, they don't have quite the right tool to fight it because their antibodies are not as protective," says the University of Chicago's Patrick Wilson. "Our findings could be used by the vaccine community to make better vaccines and improve protection of the senior population." B cells from seniors basically have a rigid B-cell repertoire and are absent recent adaptations that would allow the evolution of B cells to divergent flu strains. In addition, antibodies from seniors are less potent and less capable of shielding against the virus, because they only target conserved proteins and structures of the virus, with fewer mutations that would enable effective responses against evolving viral strains. Antibodies from younger persons are better able to identify recently mutated flu virus molecules. Still, the researchers maintained that vaccination remains the best way to protect seniors from flu infection.

Bipartisan legislation headed for passage in the Virginia General Assembly may help protect senior Virginians and other vulnerable adults against financial fraud, by further empowering financial institutions to combat this exploitation, reports WTVR . "We're all getting older, there are more of us and we've got to watch out for each other," said Del. David Toscano (D-Va.). "This bill helps encourage banking institutions to do that." The House and Senate bills would allow financial institutions to "refuse to execute a transaction, delay a transaction, or refuse to disburse funds" if the institutions have a good-faith conviction that the "transaction or disbursement may involve, facilitate, result in, or contribute to the financial exploitation of an adult." Toscano noted that sometimes, seniors are exploited by some relative or caregiver by taking them to the bank and removing cash from their accounts. Once the cash is removed, it's hard to get it back. So this gives lending institutions some more teeth to make sure that they're not giving away the money of folks who are being exploited and can essentially stop it before it happens." The proposal also would grant immunity to an institution's staff from civil or criminal liability for denying the processing of transactions or for reporting suspicious financial activity, provided such actions are followed with due cause.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) has been commended by the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA) for signing an executive order establishing the Governor's Task Force on Caregiving, according to the Wheeler Report . The group will be responsible for identifying strategies to attract and retain a strong direct care workforce, supporting families giving care to loved ones, evaluating compensation and fringe benefits for paid caregivers, and devising a plan to deploy recruitment and retention programs to grow the provider base. "The workforce crisis continues to be a significant concern for our members," noted WALA Chief Executive Michael Pochowski. "We greatly appreciate Governor Evers taking this important step of creating this task force." Wisconsin continues to suffer a caregiver shortage in long-term care programs, with a 2018 report estimating that one in five direct caregiver positions in Wisconsin's nursing and assisted living communities are vacant. Meanwhile, the demand for caregivers continues to expand as the state's senior population increases. More than 90,400 Wisconsin residents live in long-term care and residential care communities, a 23 percent gain over the past 15 years.

A Mayo Clinic study published recently in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association found Hispanic-Americans with Alzheimer's tend to live much longer than other ethnoracial groups, reports Medical Xpress . From the examination of 1,625 brain tissue samples, the researchers determined Hispanic-Americans live an average of 12 years with the disease from the time of symptom onset versus nine years for non-Hispanic whites and eight years for African-Americans. The team compared the presence, site, and composition of Alzheimer's-related protein clumps in tissue samples from the Florida Autopsied Multi-Ethnic cohort. The researchers unearthed subtle differences among the ethnoracial groups in terms of clump severity, but no differences in brain weight. Hispanic-Americans were slightly less likely to exhibit the APOE E4 gene variant thought to increase Alzheimer's risk. The team also discovered distinctions in the distribution throughout the brain of specific Alzheimer's proteins, and the presence of concurrent neurodegenerative processes. In addition, compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans had fewer years of education, which is coincident with other Alzheimer's risk factors like lower socioeconomic advantage and more incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Virginia-based Runk & Pratt Senior Living Communities is developing Snoezelen rooms, or therapeutic spaces for people with dementia and Alzheimer's, reports WSET . "This room creates a sense of calm for that resident, where loved ones are able to sit down and visit with them for 45 minutes to hour sessions, and for a family member that's very comforting," says Runk & Pratt Creative Director Chris Runk. The company has installed a Snoezelen room at the Pearls of Life at Liberty Ridge community, which is the third room set up for such treatment. All of the room's elements are designed to relax the occupant in the hope of temporarily easing their suffering. "We have documented proof at our other buildings, where the rooms have been in place a little longer, that the drugs that are prescribed by the doctors have been cut down 40 to 60 percent because they're in a state of calmness," Runk notes. The Snoezelen room also includes interactive displays to help stimulate the mind.

Adept hiring managers and recruiters balance the skills and experiences each generation of employees brings to the organization or team, and work to encourage and understand the difficulties and obstacles that may come up, reports ClearanceJobs . Recurring complaints from baby boomers about millennial co-workers typically revolve around what they perceive as an inflated sense of entitlement, a lack of focus, and poor verbal and written communication skills. However, these complaints are more likely the result of a lack of understanding and a response to perceived threats from younger co-workers, rooted in fears of losing control, and possibly their job, to younger generations. Boomers are particularly annoyed by texting in the workplace by millennials, along with a lack of focus and restlessness. The fact remains that Gen Xers and millennials have changed the workforce for the better through expanded telework programs, more flexible schedules, and leave policies, with boomers as well as younger employees reaping those benefits. Ensuring a mutually beneficial intergenerational workforce requires older workers demonstrating confident leadership to younger employees, and mentoring them while giving them autonomy and freedom to work in their own way and space.

Home equity could be the answer to many American retirees' financial woes, and some experts are advising the preservation of reverse mortgages, reports HousingWire . "It's very clear that for most middle-income people, their house is their largest asset," says Alicia Munnell with Boston College's Center for Retirement Research. "In the past, they really haven't touched this asset in retirement, but we are in an environment where Social Security is providing lower replacement rates, and 401(k) plans have modest balances, and the time will come when the only way people will be able to maintain their standard of living will be to tap their home equity." The Urban Institute's Laurie Goodman concurs, noting almost 37 percent of older homeowners are concerned about their finances post-retirement, while many are sitting on over $3 trillion in housing equity. She also cites an Urban Institute study estimating that 920,580 U.S. households headed by someone older than 65 have an annual income at or below $20,000 and a liquid net worth at or below $50,000, while also having at least $100,000 in home equity. "All together, these less than 1 million households have $208 billion in home equity they could be using," Goodman concludes. Mainstreaming reverse mortgages requires overcoming consumer misconceptions and the loan's high cost and complexity.

The University of Michigan's Dr. Julie Rosenthal offers tips to prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD), reports U.S. News & World Report . Regular vision checkups are a start. Also helpful is eating significant amounts of leafy greens, which contain high levels of antioxidant vitamins that help protect against cellular damage from free radicals, which can contribute to eye disease. People with a first-degree relative with AMD are at an elevated risk of developing the disease, and Rosenthal says persons with a family history of AMD should watch for potential symptoms like difficulty recognizing faces, struggling to adapt to low light, and seeing straight lines that appear wavy. Smokers can cut their chances of AMD by quitting, while people with poor diets should consider a high multivitamin regimen. Rosenthal further suggests special supplements called AREDS "can decrease your risk of getting the more severe forms of AMD." Wearing sunglasses with ultraviolet and blue light protection when outside can prevent retinal damage, and healthy blood pressure and weight also can shield against AMD. Rosenthal also recommends using an Amsler grid to check for vision problems related to macular damage.

Scientists are exploring a potential connection between hormonal changes related to menopause and the development of Alzheimer's in women, reports the Wall Street Journal . Studies indicate that when estrogen production slows during menopause, the brain's metabolism appears to decelerate. Estrogen shields the female brain from aging and stimulates neural activity, and it also may help prevent accrual of clusters of plaques linked to Alzheimer's. An examination of women in their 50s who underwent hormone replacement therapy to mitigate menopause determined estrogen therapy lowered the risk of death related to heart disease and breast cancer. "The jury is still out and we're still trying to sort out all of the current data, whether hormone replacement therapy will help prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease or even put women at risk," notes University of Southern California Professor Howard Hodis. A 2017 study published in Neurology analyzed the brain activity of 42 healthy 40- to 60-year-old women and 18 men of a similar age via positron-emission tomography, and found perimenopausal women had a 15 percent to 20 percent reduction in brain metabolism versus men. Postmenopausal women had more than 30 percent reduction, and exhibited emergent Alzheimer's plaques in the brain.

A study published in PNAS found people with one type of early-onset dementia may have completely lost the ability to daydream, reports New Atlas . The researchers compared 37 cognitively healthy controls with 24 participants with Alzheimer's and 37 with frontotemporal dementia. The third condition typically starts manifesting in the late 40s, and is characterized by the progressive death of spindle neurons in the frontal and/or temporal lobes. "Individuals with frontotemporal dementia become very rigid in their thinking," notes University of Sydney Professor Muireann Irish. "They are unable to visualize alternatives, to think of solutions to problems, or to deviate from their everyday routines. In previous work, we have shown that their ability to remember the past and to imagine the future is severely compromised." Using visual stimuli, the researchers determined the healthy older adults engaged extensively in mind wandering, while those with frontotemporal dementia were completely tethered to the stimulus before them. "When asked what they were thinking about, they either reported 'Nothing' or that they were thinking only about the stimulus itself," Irish says. Meanwhile, participants with Alzheimer's reported the same volume of mind wandering as the healthy controls. The implication is the neuronal damage that occurs in frontotemporal dementia appears to correlate with the brain networks that govern introspective thought.