Although Social Security beneficiaries could experience a bigger cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) next year if current economic trends persist, inflation will determine how much further the money will go, according to CNBC . In its first official estimate for 2022, the Senior Citizens League estimated a potential 4.7 percent bump to benefits starting January 2022. This year, the bump was only 1.3 percent. Mary Johnson at the League said the current estimate is based on a 12-month average inflation forecast using data through April. "A lot will depend on if inflation holds until COLA is announced and then whether inflation starts slowly coming back down again, so that by January of 2022 it's lower than it is today," she noted. Analysis by the League of consumer price data through May showed that Social Security recipients have lost buying power, which Johnson said "could grow deeper in 2021" if current inflation trends continue.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fully vaccinated adults can safely resume indoor or outdoor activities without masks or distancing, in gatherings large or small, reports National Public Radio . CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the new policy is based on recent real-world Israeli and American studies on people who have been vaccinated. She added that the federal mask mandate on public transit remains in effect for everyone, vaccinated or not, including on buses, trains, airplanes, and in stations and airports. But fully vaccinated people can resume domestic travel without having to get tested before or after, with no need to self-quarantine; nor must they quarantine following a known exposure provided they are asymptomatic. The updated guidance for fully vaccinated people is inapplicable to healthcare settings, which have their own separate policy. Walensky stated that unvaccinated people "remain at risk" of sickness and death, and should remain masked and compliant with physical distancing.

A study by Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Age Wave that asked people over 55 to define a life well-lived found career to be of relatively low importance, reports MarketWatch . Just 27 percent cited career success and 10 percent cited wealth, while only 3 percent felt being well-known/famous was paramount. According to the survey, having loving family and friends was the nearly universal defining factor, with 94 percent naming it, followed by 75 percent listing "making a positive impact on society." Moreover, people's answers to key questions were relatively consistent across the wealth spectrum. For instance, 70 percent of respondents with investible assets of $5 million or greater said the memories shared with loved ones is what they most want to be remembered for, as did 71 percent of those with investible assets of $50,000 or less. Meanwhile, only 18 percent of respondents 55 and older have prepared the three critical documents that everyone needs — a will, a healthcare directive, and a durable power of attorney. "The advantages of thorough preparation, are significant for people at all income levels," the study stated. "They include more control over both your legacy and your late-life arrangements, including medical treatments and costs, as well as more financial security for yourself and your heirs."

Researchers have sought to characterize the use of anticoagulants as prophylaxis against stroke in nursing home residents with atrial fibrillation (AF) and dementia, according to JAMA Internal Medicine. Preventing stroke is particularly important in this population, as advanced dementia already deeply impairs cognition, restricts self-care abilities, and limits life expectancy. Analysis of Medicare data spanning October through December 2020 identified 15,217 nursing community residents with AF and advanced dementia, approximately one-third of whom were still receiving anticoagulant therapy during the last six months of life. Trouble swallowing, weight loss, and pressure ulcers — all indicators of high short-term mortality — were strongly associated with greater odds of anticoagulant use as, surprisingly, was greater bleeding risk. "These findings underscore the fact that, while practical guidelines contain a well-defined threshold for starting anticoagulation for AF, there is no clear standard for stopping it," the study authors concluded. "Our work points to the need for high-quality data to inform decision-making about anticoagulation in this population."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is launching Still Going Strong, a national campaign focusing on ways older adults age 65 and older can avoid injury, reports the Oakdale Leader . The effort is raising awareness about the leading causes of unintentional injuries and deaths in seniors, and will encourage older adults to continue engaging in their favorite hobbies and activities while alerting them and their caregivers to strategies they can follow to prevent serious injuries. "We know that injuries and deaths from falls and motor vehicle crashes are increasing in older adults," said Debra Houry, director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. "We hope Still Going Strong will help inform our audience about simple steps they can do to prevent injuries and their lasting effects." Among those steps is consulting with their healthcare providers about preventing falls and car crashes, removing throw rugs to make their home safer, and constantly wearing a seat belt while driving or riding in a vehicle.

The retirement rate rose during the pandemic, according to the Current Population Survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cited by the New York Times . Seventeen percent of Americans age 55 to 64 were retired in the 12 months ending March 2021, up from 16.8 percent in the previous two years. The retirement rate for people 65 to 74 was 65.6 percent versus 64 percent in the year before the pandemic. Job losses, business closings, and increased COVID-19 risk for older workers are seen as contributing to this trend. Some older workers were in a better position financially to retire due to rising home prices and stock market values. The rise in retirement during the pandemic is small relative to the longer-term decline in retirement rates.

WKYC-TV reports that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that the state will lift its COVID-19 health orders effective on June 2, with the exception of those in nursing and assisted living communities. Measures being removed include facial covering protocols, social distancing guidelines, and capacity limits for indoor and outdoor events. Ohio is currently averaging less than 200 COVID-19 cases per week in nursing communities, and as of May 12 nearly 78 percent of Ohioans who are 65 and older have been vaccinated. DeWine said the three-week timeline will allow any Ohioan who has yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to get inoculated. DeWine also announced promotional opportunities to incentivize vaccination, including a weekly drawing for adult Ohioans who have received at least one dose of the vaccine with a prize of up to $1 million.

The New Jersey Department of Health on Wednesday issued new guidance for state nursing communities that will expand day-to-day activities for residents who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, reports NJ.com . If all residents engaged in a group activity or communal dining are fully vaccinated, they may waive physical distancing and wearing a mask. Across the state, 82 percent of long-term care residents and 58 percent of staff are now fully immunized, according to the state's COVID-19 database. "With cases in New Jersey on the decline, vaccinations increasing and a reduction in outbreaks at these communities, the health department is taking steps to lessen restrictions for vaccinated residents and expanded services to residents in these communities," declared State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. "Our hope is that resuming these activities will help support the mental and physical well-being of residents."

HealthTech Magazine reports that residents arriving at communities for older adults are skewing younger, from about 78 years old a few years ago to about 72 today, according to Gale Morgan at Mather, an operator of "Life Plan" communities in Illinois and Arizona. These younger residents expect the communities to offer amenities that reflect their technological savvy and reliance. Early last year, Mather initiated a smart home pilot program at its Splendido development at Rancho Vistoso in Tucson. The group gave five of the community's nearly-finished villas a floor-to-ceiling overhaul using tech from Apple and Google, which mirrors a larger trend in the senior living industry. Many communities are deploying diverse technologies to boost connections among residents and staff — including mobile devices, smart speakers and assistants, and wearables — and enable self-reliance and a better overall living experience. "I think most aging-services providers are keenly aware that their customers have become more comfortable with technology," said Majd Alwan at the LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies.

A Swedish study published in Neurology suggests that chronic kidney disease may elevate the risk of dementia, reports Newsmax Health . "Even a mild reduction in kidney function has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and infections, and there is growing evidence of a relationship between the kidneys and the brain," said Hong Xu at the Karolinska Institute. Xu's team analyzed health data from nearly 330,000 older people in Stockholm, none of whom had dementia, kidney transplants, or dialysis when the study began. Over an average five-year follow-up, 6 percent were diagnosed with dementia, and the rate of dementia increased as kidney function declined. Dementia rates were over four times higher among those with a kidney filtration rate below 30 mL per minute, versus those with a normal filtration rate of 90 to 104 mL per minute. Compared to people with normal kidney function, those with filtration rates of 30 to 59 mL per minute had a 71 percent higher dementia risk, while individuals with filtration rates below 30 mL had a 162 percent higher risk. A faster decline in kidney filtration rates also was affiliated with a greater risk of dementia diagnosis. "With no effective treatments to slow or prevent dementia, it is important to identify possible modifiable risk factors," Xu said.