A study published in the Journal of Aging and Health determined that the eight-week Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program is effective in improving muscle strength, dynamic balance, flexibility, and sleep quality among senior participants, reports KTVO . University of Missouri (MU) Professor Kelsey Weitzel said many senior communities are being mandated to implement evidence-based lifestyle programs, and the study was necessary to keep the training regimen in places that are already using the program throughout Missouri. Program participants improved in seven markers used to evaluate strength and flexibility, lowering the risk for falls and associated healthcare costs. Researchers tracked 60 sedentary adults older than 60 as they completed the training, and the program can encourage healthy lifestyle modifications. "Many of our participants reported that after completing the program, they were more confident to go out and do other activities," said MU's Breanne Baker. "Prior to the study, these were all sedentary people, but after engaging in the eight-week program, they were doing other things that the other groups were not, like walking the dog and gardening."

Online banking is gaining favor among American baby boomers because of the pandemic, reports Time . Fidelity National Information Services noted a 200 percent leap in new mobile banking registrations in April, while U.S. banking data firm Novantas observed a 50 percent plunge in branch bank traffic in the same month. The pandemic has been a trigger for boomers to rapidly adopt online banking and other financial services. It began with this demographic using digital services from brick-and-mortar banks for the first time, and banks both large and small are experiencing this transition. When engaging with bank tellers was no longer an option this year, online banking forced a major shift in routine, including the uptake of Venmo and similar peer-to-peer payment applications. "Everything boomers did in person they're now doing online or even on mobile," says Allie Fleder with SimplyWise, a retirement and Social Security resource. Early Warning's Donna Turner cautions that isolation, elevated levels of anxiety, and a dearth of normally-available goods and services are a perfect medium for fraud, and seniors are "more susceptible" to such scams. On the other hand, Older Adults Technology Services Executive Director Tom Kamber said the pandemic has "created anxiety and dislocation, but it's also driving people to use new tools."

The Pikeville, Ky.-based Cedar Creek Assisted Living community held unique festivities for residents last week in honor of Assisted Living Week and to offer love and support, reports the Appalachian News Express . Executive Director Jessica Thacker said the community celebrates National Assisted Living Week each year by holding fun activities and themed days for residents. "This year, we've had to really think outside the box because of COVID and social distancing," she explained. "We kind of like to make it our own and cater it to our residents and things that they like. To me, it's just an extra week when we can show them extra special events. It's a very tiring week for our staff, but it's worth every second of it." For the last day of the celebration, Cedar Creek staff organized small carnival games for residents in the dining area while maintaining social distancing. The event also had cotton candy, popcorn, a photo booth, and an outside dunking booth, where residents could dunk staff.

Silverado was recently certified as a Great Place to Work for a third consecutive year by the Great Place to Work Institute, an independent research and consulting firm. The certification process explored more than 60 elements including trust and company culture, and considered survey responses from associates in Silverado's Memory Care Communities, Hospice locations, and Home Office. Ninety-three percent of Silverado's staff agreed that "My work has special meaning: 'This is not just a job.'" Ninety percent said "I feel good about the ways we contribute to the community." "Being recognized as a Great Place to Work for the third year in a row is an amazing honor, particularly considering that it is based on the feedback provided by teams that have been on the frontlines of providing care to our residents and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Loren Shook, President, CEO and Chairman. "Our 2,100 associates are all ambassadors of Silverado's culture, and in a time as challenging as this, it is humbling to receive national recognition that acknowledges our compassionate and rewarding environment." Learn more here .

A new study from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) researchers published in Neurology suggests selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may reduce production of a key protein found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . "I certainly wouldn't argue that people should convince themselves that they should start taking SSRIs for this reason," said Penn State's Yvette Sheline. Still, this may give those already taking SSRIs more confidence in those medications. Sheline and her team considered how escitalopram affected levels of the protein amyloid in the spinal fluid of healthy adults 50 and older. Participants were not symptomatic of dementia or serious depression, and past research had revealed decreased levels of the protein in younger adults who took the drug. Following two to eight weeks of treatment, participants who took escitalopram had 9.4 percent less spinal fluid amyloid than those who took a placebo. Sheline said it is probable that people who took the drug longer would exhibit a larger cumulative effect.

Assisted living communities in El Paso, Texas, are preparing to expand services and general visitations during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports KFOX TV . State Gov. Greg Abbott has permitted intermediate care communities to admit essential caregivers and general visitation, starting Thursday. Residents can designate two essential family caregivers to be allowed in, according to officials with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Caregivers can be family members, friends, or another individual, but only one person is allowed at a time while visiting residents' rooms. The VibraLife community in El Paso said it is preparing to allow admission for caretakers and general visitation. "The person will have to comply with training from communities and also with . . . COVID-19 testing," said VibraLife Assisted Living Director Dania Diaz. She added that communities can gradually expand visitation on their own schedule depending on when they receive authorization from the state.

A new study from Finland in the Journals of Gerontology Series A found that today's older people have noticeably higher physical and cognitive capacities than previous generations, reports Fast Company . Hundreds of Finlanders aged 75 to 80 years old took a battery of physical and cognitive tests 30 years ago, which were retaken in 2017-2018 with Finlanders in the same age range. In the modern cohort, their walking speeds were 0.2 to 0.4 meters per second faster than the earlier group's, while their grip strengths were 5 percent to 25 percent stronger. The modern group's knee extension strengths were 20 percent to 47 percent higher than the earlier group, and they also exhibited better verbal fluency, reasoning, and working memory. The researchers theorize that the improved performances is likely fueled by either slowed aging or higher peak abilities in middle age, which results in higher functioning in later years. "The results suggest that our understanding of older age is old-fashioned," concluded University of Jyväskylä Professor Taina Rantanen. "More years are added to midlife, and not so much to the utmost end of life."

A study in Diabetes Care suggests the type 2 diabetes drug metformin could also help reduce cognitive decline among older adults, reports Mental Daily . "The objective . . . was to determine the association of metformin use with incident dementia and cognitive decline over six years in diabetes compared with those not receiving metformin and those without diabetes," said the Australian researchers. Generally, the medication lowered risk of dementia by slowing cognitive decline. "Older people with diabetes receiving metformin have slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk," the researchers concluded. "Large randomized studies in people with and without diabetes will determine whether these associations can be attributed to metformin."

GrandPad has launched an e-commerce website to offer individuals and families more options for purchasing the product for themselves or a loved one, including directly through the company, reports the Orange County Breeze . "Families who are interested in buying GrandPad for a loved one during the upcoming holiday season, or simply to remain connected during flu season and continued COVID-19 concerns, can still do so through our distribution partners like Consumer Cellular and TechSilver, but now they can also purchase direct through GrandPad in a few simple steps," said GrandPad CEO Scott Lien. Among the GrandPad platform's features is built-in LTE, a closed network for more security, secure Internet browsing, video and voice calling, easy-to-use voice-enabled texting and e-mailing, and family photo and video sharing. Other GrandPad offerings include curated entertainment content and brain games, streaming radio, transportation by Lyft app, and 24-hour personal support.

A U.S. National Institute on Aging -funded study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology suggests that obesity may tie into a higher risk for developing dementia. Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for dementia, as it generally can be offset via lifestyle changes like diet and exercise. Investigators examined a group of participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging who were at least 50 years old when enrolled. Baseline measurements, including body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, were recorded upon enrollment, and participants were followed up on average 11 years later to determine whether they had developed dementia. Those with a BMI corresponding with overweight or obese were more likely to develop dementia, correlating with previous findings indicating that obesity is a risk factor. The researchers also learned that abdominal obesity at baseline is a risk factor that impacts women more than men, while the connection between obesity and dementia was independent of whether a person was a smoker, had hypertension or diabetes, or carried the APOE e4 gene — a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.