Own a Dog? You Just May Live Longer!

                                                               
                         
                                                                   

So, this is me with my doggie, Missy! She keeps me moving! She makes me smile, even laugh when

I don't feel like it! She is there when I am sad, mad, sick or injured. Giving unconditional love! Teaching me every day how to be better, to be more like her!

Dog ownership associated with longer life, especially among heart attack and stroke survivors

Date:

October 8, 2019

Source:

American Heart Association

Summary:

Dog ownership was associated with a 33% lower risk of early death for heart attack survivors living alone and 27% reduced risk of early death for stroke survivors living alone, compared to people who did not own a dog. Dog ownership was associated with a 24% reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 31% lower risk of death by heart attack or stroke compared to non-owners.

Portuguese water dog. Owning a dog may be associated with having a longer life.

Credit: Copyright Michele Hogan

Dog ownership may be associated with longer life and better cardiovascular outcomes, especially for heart attack and stroke survivors who live alone, according to a new study and a separate meta-analysis published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association.

"The findings in these two well-done studies and analyses build upon prior studies and the conclusions of the 2013 AHA Scientific Statement 'Pet Ownership and Cardiovascular Risk' that dog ownership is associated with reductions in factors that contribute to cardiac risk and to cardiovascular events," said Glenn N. Levine, M.D., chair of the writing group of the American Heart Association's scientific statement on pet ownership. "Further, these two studies provide good, quality data indicating dog ownership is associated with reduced cardiac and all-cause mortality. While these non-randomized studies cannot 'prove' that adopting or owning a dog directly leads to reduced mortality, these robust findings are certainly at least suggestive of this."

Given previous research demonstrating how social isolation and lack of physical activity can negatively impact patients, researchers in both the study and meta-analysis sought to determine how dog ownership affected health outcomes. Prior studies have shown that dog ownership alleviates social isolation, improves physical activity and even lowers blood pressure -- leading researchers to believe dog owners could potentially have better cardiovascular outcomes compared to non-owners.

Dog ownership and survival after a major cardiovascular event

Researchers in this study compared the health outcomes of dog owners and non-owners after a heart attack or stroke using health data provided by the Swedish National Patient Register. Patients studied were Swedish residents ages 40-85 who experienced heart attack or ischemic stroke from 2001-2012.

Compared to people who did not own a dog, researchers found that for dog owners:

The risk of death for heart attack patients living alone after hospitalization was 33% lower, and 15% lower for those living with a partner or child.

The risk of death for stroke patients living alone after hospitalization was 27% lower and 12% lower for those living with a partner or child.

In the study, nearly 182,000 people were recorded to have had a heart attack, with almost 6% being dog owners, and nearly 155,000 people were recorded to have had an ischemic stroke, with almost 5% being dog owners. Dog ownership was confirmed by data from the Swedish Board of Agriculture (registration of dog ownership has been mandatory since 2001) and the Swedish Kennel Club (all pedigree dogs have been registered since 1889).

The lower risk of death associated with dog ownership could be explained by an increase in physical activity and the decreased depression and loneliness, both of which have been connected to dog ownership in previous studies.

"We know that social isolation is a strong risk factor for worse health outcomes and premature death. Previous studies have indicated that dog owners experience less social isolation and have more interaction with other people," said Tove Fall, D. V. M., professor at Uppsala University in Sweden. "Furthermore, keeping a dog is a good motivation for physical activity, which is an important factor in rehabilitation and mental health."

While this study draws from a large sample, potential misclassifications of dog ownership in couples living together, death of a dog and change of ownership could have affected the outcomes of the study.

"The results of this study suggest positive effects of dog ownership for patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke. However, more research is needed to confirm a causal relationship and giving recommendations about prescribing dogs for prevention. Moreover, from an animal welfare perspective, dogs should only be acquired by people who feel they have the capacity and knowledge to give the pet a good life."

Co-authors of the study are Mwenya Mubanga, M.D., M.P.H.; Liisa Byberg, Ph.D.; Agneta Egenvall, V.M.D., Ph.D.; Erik Ingelsson, MD, Ph.D. and Tove Fall, V.M.D., Ph.D. Agria Research Foundation and the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS), grant number 2013-1673 funded the study.

Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Researchers reviewed patient data of over 3.8 million people taken from 10 separate studies for a composite meta-analysis study. Of the 10 studies reviewed, nine included comparison of all-cause mortality outcomes for dog owners and non-owners, and four compared cardiovascular outcomes for dog owners and non-owners.

Researchers found that compared to non-owners, dog owners experienced a:

24% reduced risk of all-cause mortality;

65% reduced risk of mortality after heart attack; and

31% reduced risk of mortality due to cardiovascular-related issues.

"Having a dog was associated with increased physical exercise, lower blood pressure levels and better cholesterol profile in previous reports," said Caroline Kramer, M.D. Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and an Endocrinologist and Clinician scientist at Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes at Mount Sinai Hospital, part of Sinai Health System. "As such, the findings that people who owned dogs lived longer and their risk for cardiovascular death was also lower are somewhat expected."

Studies deemed eligible for analysis included those conducted among adults age 18 or older, original data from an original prospective study, evaluated dog ownership at the beginning of the study and reported all-cause or cardiovascular mortality of patients. Studies were excluded if they were retrospective, did not provide an absolute number of events that occurred and reported non-fatal cardiovascular events.

"Our findings suggest that having a dog is associated with longer life. Our analyses did not account for confounders such as better fitness or an overall healthier lifestyle that could be associated with dog ownership. The results, however, were very positive," said Dr. Kramer. "The next step on this topic would be an interventional study to evaluate cardiovascular outcomes after adopting a dog and the social and psychological benefits of dog ownership. As a dog owner myself, I can say that adopting Romeo (the author's miniature Schnauzer) has increased my steps and physical activity each day, and he has filled my daily routine with joy and unconditional love."

Story Source:

Materials provided by American Heart Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Mwenya Mubanga, Liisa Byberg, Agneta Egenvall, Erik Ingelsson, Tove Fall. Dog Ownership and Survival After a Major Cardiovascular Event. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 2019; 12 (10) DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.118.005342

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American Heart Association. "Dog ownership associated with longer life, especially among heart attack and stroke survivors." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 October 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191008083121.htm>.

Memory Lane, Virtual "Reality"

                                         


This morning a conversation with a friend turned down memory lane. I talked about going to my grandparents' house every Sunday when I was growing up. We would make the 70 mile trip after going to church.

My mom was an only child, her mom (Grandma Burns) was sick even before I was born. My grandfather (Grandpa Burns) was able to take care of her during the week. My parents would go grocery shopping for the week and bring KFC dinner home.

My younger sister and I would dust and vacuum, my older sister would help our mom change the bedding and do laundry. In the summer, my brothers would mow the lawn and do other outside work. When we were done, we sat on the couch, with our hands folded, until it was time to leave.

We would go to my dad's parents' house. My grandma would fix Sunday dinner, my aunts, uncles and cousins were all there. The kids across the street would come over and all of us would play outside.

Grandpa Burns had a heart attack and died when I was in 6th grade, Grandma Burns came to live with us. She had Parkinson's and was very frail, walking through the house, rocking in her rocking chair. She could never be still. I remember her right hand constantly, her mouth a clicking sound over and over. I can still hear her say, "Oh Bob..Oh Bob, why did you leave me?" (my grandfather's name)

Grandma Burns would sit in her rocking chair in the afternoon, waiting for my younger sister to get off the school bus. My sister would sit with her, tell her about her day and sometimes read to her. Grandma would have a spark in her eyes and smile.

My older sister would come home on weekends from college, where she was going to be a nurse. Grandma had long, beautiful hair. My sister would help with the extra care our grandmother needed.

My mom would hang laundry outside, grandma loved going out with her. One day, grandma fell and broke her arm. The hospital kept her for observation. Grandma died the next day from pneumonia.

My mother broke down at the cemetery. She kept sobbing, "I'm all alone." I didn't understand what she meant, how could she say she was alone. Losing my mother years later, I could understand. There is no other feeling like losing your mother.

Now that I am in my 60's, thinking back to those times, it really doesn't feel that long ago. I can put myself back there, seeing it as a child and now, as an older adult.

I don't know how my parents did what they did, and take care of 6 kids. I don't know how my mom was so strong, taking care of everyone, the house, laundry, everything.

Our family was very dysfunctional, yet the house was always clean, laundry done, never went hungry, my dad always worked hard. He worked just as hard at home as he did working for General Electric.

It was a different time, families always have had issues, yet it was assumed that when it came to being there for each other, they were... Every family is dysfunctional...

Social media has had a lot of positives, reuniting families and friends. Helping people to keep in touch. A support system for many people who are alone, lonely, sad, going through loss.

It has also caused a disconnect. "Reality" is now virtual. Texting has taken the place of a phone call or visit.

So much is out there, not tangible. Less visits, less physical contact, emails, texts, have taken the place of a personal letter. Ordering online is convenient, still, that personal touch is missing.

Sending a photo by text is awesome. Sending a message is great. Yet, hearing someone's voice is priceless.

I can't imagine my mom ordering groceries to be delivered once a week to her parents' and a hot meal. As hard as it was for my parents, I'm sure those weekly visits meant the world to my grandparents.

Yes, everyone's busy, life is hectic, that is nothing new.

We need "be there" for people we love.

Nothing can replace reaching out and actually touching someone.

Focus: Youthful Look or Healthy, Mind, and Body Spirit?

                                               

I find myself going through "growing pains." I find myself dealing with the "battle of the bulge." Coping with "love handles" that I hate. I think I've lost weight, only to find it's just "rearranged" itself.

My closet and drawers are divided into, "fits now," "may get back into," "hope to get into again", "Big time" and "fat chance."

It's really a struggle. When I was younger, I never had to worry about my weight. With age, nothing's the same. It doesn't help to be bombarded with media signals that I should want to look 20 years younger, and what I should buy to achieve that look.

I don't want to look 20 years younger. I just want to feel good about myself, be healthy and not be self conscious about what I look like.

Our society focuses on youth ... Me, well, I am focusing on a healthy mind, body and spirit. How about you?

Moving? Should You Buy or Rent?

                                                                   

By Jane Bryant Quinn, AARP Bulletin

To rent or buy again? That is the question retirees face when it comes to real estate and downsizing.
It's zero hour. You've decided to sell your house and move to something smaller or to another town. As a homeowner, you naturally think of buying again — a house or maybe a condo. But should you? Maybe you should rent instead.

Ownership is solidly entrenched among retirees. They weren't even shaken by the real estate collapse. From the peak of the housing bubble in 2006 to the present, the rate of homeownership for people 65 and up has held steady at about 80 percent, the Census Bureau reports. It runs to over 90 percent among married couples in which one person is 65 or older.

For those 55 to 64, however, it's another story. The portion who own the place where they live has dropped to 76 percent, compared with 81 percent in 2006. Some in this age group switched to renting because they couldn't manage a mortgage anymore. Others, however, rent by choice.


That leads to the question of how to dispose of the proceeds when you sell a house. You can use part or all of it to buy another house or condo, with or without a mortgage. That pot of money is now tied up. You could tap it at some point in the future, by taking a home equity loan or reverse mortgage, but that probably isn't your plan.

Read Complete Article

Press Release Study: Medicaid work requirements and health savings accounts may impact people’s coverage, access to care

                                         

                                               Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health


                                              Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
For immediate release: June 20, 2018

Boston, MA – Current experimental approaches in Medicaid programs—including requirements to pay premiums, contribute to health savings accounts, or to work—may lead to unintended consequences for patient coverage and access, such as confusing beneficiaries or dissuading some people from enrolling, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study will be published online June 20, 2018 in Health Affairs.

“There’s been a lot of recent research showing that expanding Medicaid leads to improved access to care and better quality of care—which suggests that any expansion will be better for public health than not expanding,” said Benjamin Sommers, associate professor of health policy and economics at Harvard Chan School and lead author of the study. “But our findings suggest that some of the benefits of expanding Medicaid may be at least partially compromised by some of the current innovations in use.”

Under the Trump Administration, which has prioritized increased flexibility for state Medicaid programs, some states have been experimenting with new approaches. Most recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved proposals from Kentucky, Arkansas, and Indiana for the first-ever work requirements in Medicaid, and other states, including Kansas, have expressed interest in following suit.

The researchers sought to assess views about new Medicaid approaches in three Midwestern states with different policies: Ohio, which has a traditional Medicaid expansion without premiums and with minimal cost-sharing; Indiana, which expanded Medicaid coverage in 2015 but which requires enrollees to pay premiums and contribute to health savings accounts; and Kansas, which did not expand Medicaid and where only very poor parents and disabled adults are eligible.

The researchers conducted a telephone survey in late 2017 of 2,739 low-income adults in the three states. The survey gathered respondents’ views on health insurance, access to and quality of care, financial well-being, experiences with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health savings accounts, work requirements, and private vs. public insurance coverage.

The study found:
In 2017, health insurance coverage rates were significantly higher in the Medicaid expansion states (Ohio and Indiana) than in the non-expansion state (Kansas).
Cost-related barriers to care were more common in Indiana than in Ohio. Indiana’s health savings accounts were confusing for many enrollees, with nearly 40% saying they had never even heard of the required accounts and only 36% making regular required payments—meaning that two-thirds of beneficiaries were at risk of losing benefits or coverage for non-payment.
In Kansas, 77% of low-income individuals said they supported Medicaid expansion. Although Kansas is considering work requirements for its Medicaid program, most potential enrollees in the state were either already working or had a disability that prevented them from working. Only 11% of potential enrollees said they would be more likely to seek work if required to do so by Medicaid.


“For both work requirements and health savings accounts, the policies may operate as intended for modest numbers of Medicaid beneficiaries who understand or react to the incentives. But there’s a real risk that even greater numbers of low-income adults will be adversely affected because they don’t understand the new policies, can’t afford them, or get tied up in administrative complexity. For these reasons, it’s critical that there be ongoing independent monitoring of these approaches,” Sommers said.

Other Harvard Chan School co-authors of the study included Carrie Fry, Robert Blendon, and Arnold Epstein.

Funding for the study came from the Commonwealth Fund and the REACH Healthcare Foundation.

“New Approaches in Medicaid: Work Requirements, Health Savings Accounts, and Health Care Access,” Benjamin D. Sommers, Carrie E. Fry, Robert J. Blendon, Arnold M. Epstein,Health Affairs, online June 20, 2018, doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0331

Visit the Harvard Chan School website 

World Health Organization Mental health of older adults

                                                                   

                                                                 

WHO News

12 December 2017

Key facts

Globally, the population is ageing rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double, from 12% to 22%.
Mental health and well-being are as important in older age as at any other time of life.
Mental and neurological disorders among older adults account for 6.6% of the total disability (DALYs) for this age group.
Approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder.
Older adults, those aged 60 or above, make important contributions to society as family members, volunteers and as active participants in the workforce. While most have good mental health, many older adults are at risk of developing mental disorders, neurological disorders or substance use problems as well as other health conditions such as diabetes, hearing loss, and osteoarthritis. Furthermore, as people age, they are more likely to experience several conditions at the same time.
The problem
The world’s population is ageing rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's older adults is estimated to almost double from about 12% to 22%. In absolute terms, this is an expected increase from 900 million to 2 billion people over the age of 60. Older people face special physical and mental health challenges which need to be recognized.

Over 20% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder (excluding headache disorders) and 6.6% of all disability (disability adjusted life years-DALYs) among people over 60 years is attributed to mental and neurological disorders. These disorders in older people account for 17.4% of Years Lived with Disability (YLDs). The most common mental and neurological disorders in this age group are dementia and depression, which affect approximately 5% and 7% of the world’s older population, respectively. Anxiety disorders affect 3.8% of the older population, substance use problems affect almost 1% and around a quarter of deaths from self-harm are among people aged 60 or above. Substance abuse problems among older people are often overlooked or misdiagnosed.

Mental health problems are under-identified by health-care professionals and older people themselves, and the stigma surrounding these conditions makes people reluctant to seek help.

Risk factors for mental health problems among older adults
There may be multiple risk factors for mental health problems at any point in life. Older people may experience life stressors common to all people, but also stressors that are more common in later life, like a significant ongoing loss in capacities and a decline in functional ability. For example, older adults may experience reduced mobility, chronic pain, frailty or other health problems, for which they require some form of long-term care. In addition, older people are more likely to experience events such as bereavement, or a drop in socioeconomic status with retirement. All of these stressors can result in isolation, loneliness or psychological distress in older people, for which they may require long-term care.

Mental health has an impact on physical health and vice versa. For example, older adults with physical health conditions such as heart disease have higher rates of depression than those who are healthy. Additionally, untreated depression in an older person with heart disease can negatively affect its outcome.

Older adults are also vulnerable to elder abuse - including physical, verbal, psychological, financial and sexual abuse; abandonment; neglect; and serious losses of dignity and respect. Current evidence suggests that 1 in 6 older people experience elder abuse. Elder abuse can lead not only to physical injuries, but also to serious, sometimes long-lasting psychological consequences, including depression and anxiety.

Dementia and depression among older people as public health issues
Dementia
Dementia is a syndrome, usually of a chronic or progressive nature, in which there is deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities. It mainly affects older people, although it is not a normal part of ageing.

It is estimated that 50 million people worldwide are living with dementia with nearly 60% living in low- and middle-income countries. The total number of people with dementia is projected to increase to 82 million in 2030 and 152 million in 2050.

There are significant social and economic issues in terms of the direct costs of medical, social and informal care associated with dementia. Moreover, physical, emotional and economic pressures can cause great stress to families and carers. Support is needed from the health, social, financial and legal systems for both people with dementia and their carers.

Depression
Depression can cause great suffering and leads to impaired functioning in daily life. Unipolar depression occurs in 7% of the general older population and it accounts for 5.7% of YLDs among those over 60 years old. Depression is both underdiagnosed and undertreated in primary care settings. Symptoms are often overlooked and untreated because they co-occur with other problems encountered by older adults.

Older people with depressive symptoms have poorer functioning compared to those with chronic medical conditions such as lung disease, hypertension or diabetes. Depression also increases the perception of poor health, the utilization of health care services and costs.

Treatment and care strategies to address mental health needs of older people
It is important to prepare health providers and societies to meet the specific needs of older populations, including:

training for health professionals in providing care for older people;
preventing and managing age-associated chronic diseases including mental, neurological and substance use disorders;
designing sustainable policies on long-term and palliative care; and
developing age-friendly services and settings.
Health promotion
The mental health of older adults can be improved through promoting Active and Healthy Ageing. Mental health-specific health promotion for older adults involves creating living conditions and environments that support wellbeing and allow people to lead a healthy life. Promoting mental health depends largely on strategies to ensure that older people have the necessary resources to meet their needs, such as:

providing security and freedom;
adequate housing through supportive housing policy;
social support for older people and their caregivers;
health and social programmes targeted at vulnerable groups such as those who live alone and rural populations or who suffer from a chronic or relapsing mental or physical illness;
programmes to prevent and deal with elder abuse; and
community development programmes.
Interventions
Prompt recognition and treatment of mental, neurological and substance use disorders in older adults is essential. Both psychosocial interventions and medicines are recommended.

There is no medication currently available to cure dementia but much can be done to support and improve the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers and families, such as:

early diagnosis, in order to promote early and optimal management;
optimizing physical and mental health, functional ability and well-being;
identifying and treating accompanying physical illness;
detecting and managing challenging behaviour; and
providing information and long-term support to carers.
Mental health care in the community
Good general health and social care is important for promoting older people's health, preventing disease and managing chronic illnesses. Training all health providers in working with issues and disorders related to ageing is therefore important. Effective, community-level primary mental health care for older people is crucial. It is equally important to focus on the long-term care of older adults suffering from mental disorders, as well as to provide caregivers with education, training and support.

An appropriate and supportive legislative environment based on internationally accepted human rights standards is required to ensure the highest quality of services to people with mental illness and their caregivers.

WHO response
WHO supports governments in the goal of strengthening and promoting mental health in older adults and to integrate effective strategies into policies and plans. The Global strategy and action plan on ageing and health was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2016. One of the objectives of this global strategy is to align the health systems to the needs of older populations, for mental as well as physical health. Key actions include: orienting health systems around intrinsic capacity and functional ability, developing and ensuring affordable access to quality older person-centred and integrated clinical care, and ensuring a sustainable and appropriately trained, deployed, and managed health workforce.

The Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan for 2013-2020 is a commitment by all WHO Member States to take specific actions to promote mental well-being, prevent mental disorders, provide care, enhance recovery, promote human rights and reduce the mortality, morbidity and disability for persons with mental disorders including in older adults. It focuses on 4 key objectives to:

strengthen effective leadership and governance for mental health;
provide comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings;
implement strategies for promotion and prevention in mental health; and
strengthen information systems, evidence and research for mental health.
Depression, psychoses, suicide, epilepsy, dementia and substance use disorders are included in the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) that aims to improve care for mental, neurological and substance use disorders through providing guidance and tools to develop health services in resource-poor areas. The mhGAP package consists of interventions for prevention and management for each of these priority conditions in non-specialized health settings including in those for older people.

WHO recognizes dementia as a public health challenge and published the report, Dementia: a public health priority, to advocate for action at international and national levels. WHO organized the First Ministerial Conference on Global Action Against Dementia in March 2015, which fostered awareness of the public health and economic challenges posed by dementia, a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of Member States and stakeholders, and led to a “Call for Action” supported by the conference participants.

In May 2017, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025. The Plan provides a comprehensive blueprint for action – for policy-makers, international, regional and national partners, and WHO – in areas such as, increasing awareness of dementia and establishing dementia-friendly initiatives; reducing the risk of dementia; diagnosis, treatment and care; research and innovation; and support for dementia carers. It aims to improve the lives of people with dementia, their carers and families, while decreasing the impact of dementia on individuals, communities and countries. As part of the efforts to operationalize the Plan, an international surveillance platform, the Global Dementia Observatory, has been established for policy-makers and researchers to facilitate monitoring and sharing of information on dementia policies, service delivery, epidemiology and research.

Science News Probiotics can protect the skeletons of older women

                                             

June 21, 2018

Source:

University of Gothenburg

 Summary:

Researchers have demonstrated that probiotics, dietary supplements with health-promoting bacteria, can be used to affect the human skeleton. Among older women who received probiotics, bone loss was halved compared to women who received only a placebo. The research opens the door to a new way to prevent fractures among the elderly.

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FULL STORY

For the first time in the world, researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have demonstrated that probiotics, dietary supplements with health-promoting bacteria, can be used to affect the human skeleton. Among older women who received probiotics, bone loss was halved compared to women who received only a placebo. The research opens the door to a new way to prevent fractures among the elderly.

Brittleness of the bones, or osteoporosis, is characterized by porous and weak bones, which can cause them to break even when subjected to low loads, such as a fall from standing height. The proportion of the population with osteoporosis increases with age, and a majority of women over 80 years of age have the disease.

"Today there are effective medications administered to treat osteoporosis, but because bone fragility is rarely detected before the first fracture, there is a pressing need for preventive treatments," says Mattias Lorentzon, who is a chief physician and professor of geriatrics at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

This is the first time that researchers have shown that it is possible to cut age-related bone loss in elderly women in half if they receive health-promoting bacteria, known as probiotics.

Read Full Article

sciencedaily.com

New Research Results! Reversing cognitive impairments in mice with dementia

                                           
                                                               

Date:

June 8, 2018

Source:

Temple University Health System

Summary:

Reversing memory deficits and impairments in spatial learning is a major goal in dementia research. A lack of knowledge about cellular pathways critical to the development of dementia has prevented significant clinical advance. Researchers are breaking through that barrier. They show, for the first time in an animal model, that a drug can reverse tau pathology -- the second-most important lesion in the brain in patients with Alzheimer's.

The following report is from Science Daily

Reversing memory deficits and impairments in spatial learning is a major goal in the field of dementia research. A lack of knowledge about cellular pathways critical to the development of dementia, however, has stood in the way of significant clinical advance. But now, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) are breaking through that barrier. They show, for the first time in an animal model, that tau pathology -- the second-most important lesion in the brain in patients with Alzheimer's disease -- can be reversed by a drug.

"We show that we can intervene after disease is established and pharmacologically rescue mice that have tau-induced memory deficits," explained senior investigator Domenico Praticò, MD, Scott Richards North Star Foundation Chair for Alzheimer's Research, Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology, and Director of the Alzheimer's Center at Temple at LKSOM. The study, published online in the journal Molecular Neurobiology, raises new hope for human patients affected by dementia.

The researchers landed on their breakthrough after discovering that inflammatory molecules known as leukotrienes are deregulated in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. In experiments in animals, they found that the leukotriene pathway plays an especially important role in the later stages of disease.

"At the onset of dementia, leukotrienes attempt to protect nerve cells, but over the long term, they cause damage," Dr. Praticò said. "Having discovered this, we wanted to know whether blocking leukotrienes could reverse the damage, whether we could do something to fix memory and learning impairments in mice having already abundant tau pathology."

To recapitulate the clinical situation of dementia in humans, in which patients are already symptomatic by the time they are diagnosed, Dr. Praticò and colleagues used specially engineered tau transgenic mice, which develop tau pathology -- characterized by neurofibrillary tangles, disrupted synapses (the junctions between neurons that allow them to communicate with one another), and declines in memory and learning ability -- as they age. When the animals were 12 months old, the equivalent of age 60 in humans, they were treated with zileuton, a drug that inhibits leukotriene formation by blocking the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme.

After 16 weeks of treatment, animals were administered maze tests to assess their working memory and their spatial learning memory. Compared with untreated animals, tau mice that had received zileuton performed significantly better on the tests. Their superior performance suggested a successful reversal of memory deficiency.

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It's Time to Play! Senior Play Grounds!

                                                             

                                                           

                                                                            Fit After Fifty



 Playgrounds for older people? Wouldn't that be awesome? If only..well, in many places, it is actually a reality!

I miss swinging on a swing set, laughing as you went down the curly chute slide, the bouncy horse, merry-go-round, a simple place to just have fun!
We need a simple place, just to have fun! "Fitness Centers" are fun..to a point. Most feel too structured.
You need to be able to feel like you're going to have fun, and know it when you do!

goric.com:

"We are all lucky to live in an age of expansive play. Adult playgrounds and similar facilities are available throughout the U.S. for most anyone’s enjoyment and benefit. Each one serves as evidence that playgrounds, parks, and even businesses are increasingly paying attention to the kid inside us all.

Most of these spaces go well beyond promoting child’s play for adults. The adult playgrounds highlighted below facilitate both creative and challenging activities that can help us stay in shape mentally and physically."

medicarefaq.com

Benefits of Senior Playgrounds

The health and life benefits that seniors can reap from playgrounds designed for their needs of course includes all the cardiovascular and wellness benefits associated with any type of exercise. But there are specific advantages associated with the machines and equipment commonly found in these parks, such as:
Improved balance that prevents falls. Falls are one of the main contributing factors for seniors entering assisted living and care facilities.
Increased flexibility and range of motion to make it easier for seniors to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), such as independent bathing and dressing. Inability to perform ADLs is a major reason that seniors stop living independently.
Encourages seniors to exercise outdoors which has been found to be more beneficial than solely indoor activity.
Has been found to increase socialization. Many of the playgrounds are designed with social interaction in mind. Increased socialization and physical activity have been shown to improve mood, decrease depression and slow cognitive decline.
Turns exercise into play rather than work. This is not a benefit to be overlooked. Many of us associate exercise with boredom, drudgery and possibly pain. Changing that association to having fun playing with friends and peers is powerful and can encourage more consistent activity.
Why Specifically “Senior” Playgrounds
Some may question the need for senior focused outdoor activity areas when weight rooms and gyms abound, but senior playgrounds have some advantages as well over traditional exercise spaces such as gyms.

Seniors may be less likely to join gyms out of fear of feeling out of place or self-conscious. “Gym intimidation” is a real phenomenon and can be intensified in some gyms that are geared to younger clientele.

Also, gyms and other indoor fitness centers such as the YMCA have costly monthly membership fees and many require annual contracts. These expenses can be an insurmountable barrier to exercise for many seniors on fixed incomes, as is the case for a large percentage of senior women. Senior playgrounds located in municipal parks can provide a free, welcoming space that could encourage more seniors to remain active.

For seniors to gain maximum benefit from activity while remaining safe, the activity and equipment must be focused on their health and safety needs. Upper body exercises become more important as we age to maintain back and arm strength.

Gaps on such equipment as rope bridges must be designed with a senior’s stride (larger than a child’s but smaller than a young adult’s) in mind. All equipment must be sturdily built and include steady handrails to assuage seniors’ fully justified fear of falls.

Senior focused playgrounds don’t necessarily have to be seniors only. While some countries like Spain and Germany build exclusive senior parks due to their aging populations, others are building multi generational parks where seniors and kids can play simultaneously.

KaBOOM! a nonprofit organization that builds playgrounds in under served and low-income areas has begun to focus on building multi generational playgrounds. These playgrounds can be ideal in urban locations where space is at a premium and where many seniors may be the primary caregivers of their grandchildren.

Where are Senior Playgrounds in the United States

Until recently in the United States, most senior playgrounds have been built within gated senior communities or associated with senior centers. In addition to nonprofits like KaBOOM!, for profit companies such as Must Have Play and Play by Design are moving to expand senior playgrounds into community parks.

Florida has several senior or multi generational playgrounds in Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, but they are also starting to pop up in Georgia and Texas. As more seniors hear about and try senior playgrounds, hopefully more organizations and Parks departments will take notice and the playgrounds will become more widespread.

Today’s seniors are looking to stay active and independent as long as possible. Senior playgrounds can be another way to make exercise more fun, more accessible and more effective for more seniors."



If you’re a senior that’s currently enrolled in Medicare and need additional healthcare coverage for you medical bills we can help! Some plans include a membership to the popular fitness program SilverSneakers! More Info

Fun Indoor Senior Games

   
                                                 Senior Indoor Games 

                                                 

What do seniors like to do? What do you like to do? When I was a kid I loved board games. So why not now?

Well, let's start with what we like to do as far as inside activities.



Taking a look online, there are some games that seem like fun.
Well, let's start with what we like to do as far as inside activities.

Senior Moments Game

Play the game that challenges you to find your lost keys! Designed with the silver set in mind, this board game is just as fun for you youngsters in middle age and below. It tests your memory in all kinds of ways. For example, you're given a series of things to remember. Try these colors: sky blue, sunshine yellow, espresso brown, cotton white, mold green. As the game progresses, you'll need to remember these. Game comes with 48 Senior Moments cards, 8 Lost Key cards, 2 game booklets, a game board, colored markers and a die. Now, give us three of those colors from your list. Not as easy as it sounded, is it? For 2 to 8 players.
Material: Cardstock, paper, plastic
Type of Game: Party games
Playing Time: 30 Minutes or Less
Includes: Game board, cards, markers, game pieces, dice, instructions 2-8 players

You can take a look at it here and even order it

Here's a simple, fun game that makes you get up and move, just a little bit.

Carnival Table Tennis Ball Toss

Step right up to big fun and toss the plastic balls to rack up points! Use this toss game as a carnival game or use it in the classroom as a math game. Don't forget to stock up on carnival prizes and rewards for your game champs on our site! Includes cardboard game and 4 plastic 2" balls. (5 pcs. per unit) 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" x 4". Simple assembly required.

Learn more Here

Women Over 60 Staying Healthy: Exercise

                                            Women Over 60 Staying Healthy : Exercise 
                                                                   

Women over 60 who exercise for at least 30 minutes three times per week have the heart, lungs, and muscles of a woman ten years younger. The kind of exercise that you do depends on what effect you want to see. Stretching promotes flexibility, makes movement easier, and decreases the risk of muscle injury; strength training promotes muscle strength and builds up bones; endurance exercises strengthen the heart and improve overall fitness. The best workouts will combine all three types of exercise.

Each time your foot hits the ground you apply a stress to your bones, which respond by maintaining or sometimes increasing their strength, which can be measured in terms of increased bone mineral density (BMD). The higher the impact of the activity contact, the greater the benefit to your bones. This is why weight-bearing exercises that include running or jumping are of greater benefit to your bone health than gentler weight-bearing exercises such as walking.
These exercises encourage mobility and preserve muscle strength and tone.  Try to do each set at least 10 times a day.

Source:

Check out their website for more women's health info!

Women Fitness

Coping When Adult Children Shut You Out

                                                         

       


Ideas for coping when your adult child cuts you out of their life.

Allow yourself to grieve – – this is a shocking loss.
Don’t try to pretend all is well, but along with (or after) crying, being angry, etc., begin to take action toward making yourself (your feelings) and your life (how you spend your time) better.
Think of other hard things you’ve gotten through, and tell yourself you CAN and WILL get through this too.coping when an adult child is estranged
Accept that your future is different than you expected … and accept the uncertainty that goes with an adult child’s estrangement. Then allow yourself to believe you can have a good future, even though your path has taken a twist.
Get involved in new things, old things that make you happy … activities you can enjoy. See Lila’s story.
Catch yourself in the act of feeling bad about what you can’t change, and stop the negative thoughts. Shift your perspective.
If you can’t figure out what happened, make a decision to give up asking why. Or settle on an answer for the moment (i.e., he’s following his wife to save his marriage, there’s some other problem you don’t know about, there’s mental illness of some sort, an addiction, etc and so on … whatever fits). Let it go. Some things just can’t be understood.
Focus on the good relationships, and the good parts of your life — and multiply them.
Don’t worry about the judgment of other people, and forgive them for it. But also protect yourself from people who are hurtful to you.
Find activities that fulfill your need to give and receive (love, help, generosity, kindness, etc).

**I found these suggestions on rejectedparents.net The article is very good, just click the link to read it.

Through the Ages

             
                                                                         

Teens and older adults have a few things in common.

Both usually don't like the way they look. Both are self conscious about the way we look. Teens may have acne, their bodies are going through changes. Older people, their bodies are changing, they see lines on their faces, we don't like what;s happening to our bodies.

 Both are facing their unknown futures. For teens, fear of adulthood, they may be pulled one way by their parents, friends, other people they love. For older people, it may be their fear of death, fear of the unknown. Family, friends, people that are no longer in your life.

There's an adjustment for older women. I don't feel like a woman in her 60's. I never really thought much about aging in my early 50's. I realized in my mid 50's the way other people saw me had changed.

We are constantly hit with advertising about aging, from magical lotions, facial treatments, to make you look years younger, of course the hair dyes to cover your gray, to medical remedies, drugs that have more possible side effects than benefits.

Our society sends out messages that aging is a bad thing, instead of the fact that it is a natural process. Who wants to be around a negative reminder of your own future? After all, we live in the land of denial.

All the ads we are bombarded with focus youth, staying young, instead of our health and the importance of it.  I think it all sinks into our subconscious.. it is not just ads. It has become a cultural attitude.

Our final destination is ignored. When younger people look at us, I really believe we are a reminder of their own mortality.

Maybe I have it wrong. What are your thoughts?

#Grannydumping

                                                     #Grannydumping
                                                                   
                                                 

      #Grannydumping : A secretive practice called "dumping" that illegally evicts elderly residents from nursing homes. 

I wrote an article in our newspaper that we own in Western North Carolina and I wanted to share it here. Granny dumping is a nationwide problem. It is important and needs to be stopped. Below is the article written today by me.

*My personal opinion is that the elderly are disrespected in our society. Maybe they're a reminder of where those are younger are going. Maybe it's just easier for us to ignore the elderly by shoving them into "homes" that they will be "cared for" and it eases guilt. Whatever the reason, or reasons, we need to figure it out. The elderly have paid their dues. It is not their choice to become vulnerable, it happens to everyone who lives that long. Just as children need to be protected and not ignore, so do the elderly. 

Granny Dumping is nothing new. It has gone on for decades. Once in awhile, a story of an elderly person getting dumped will hit the news. People do get mad, we throw up our hands and say how terrible it it. This shouldn't happen! And when the next story becomes news, we do it again. It makes us feel better, which I guess makes us feel we did something. But we really don't do anything.  Below is an article from 2014. I could go back to the 1990's, I am sure there are stories for as long as nursing homes and hospitals have existed.*

Experts: 'Dumping' Of Nursing Home Residents Happens More Frequently

State Officials Don't Track Violations

Monday, May 19, 2014, 8:00am by Mike Simonson 

A secretive practice called “dumping” that illegally evicts elderly residents from nursing homes might be happening more often than previously thought.

Nursing home resident Greg Lundholm said St. Francis in the Park in Superior has its good points, but it’s still a nursing home. He needs 24-hour care so this is his life. What he insists on is it be his choice to stay there.

“I figure it’s my decision, my right. Just because I’m here, I don’t give myself up, my rights and everything. They don’t get thrown away,” Lundholm said.

State and federal nursing home regulations are supposed to safeguard against illegal evictions, a practice called dumping. But John Hendrick, state Elder Law Center chief counsel, said he's seeing more and more cases of dumping. The reason? Money.

“Both on the state and federal level, the Medical Assistance program has been tightened up, the financial incentives are to use the beds for people who can privately pay because the Medical Assistance payment is substantially less,” Hendrick said.

Hendrick said some homes will use reasons other than financial, like unruly behavior or mental illness, as an excuse to kick out a resident. But this practice is so secretive that the state doesn’t track violations.

“A lot of nursing home regulation is done somewhat privately, and even though it should be a public record, increasingly those records are not available," he said. "It does make it difficult and it does make it difficult for family members that are trying to get legal recourse after something happens."

Not only are records often unavailable, but Hendrick said that a national report says for every case of dumping reported, 20 cases go unreported.

**Read full article on wpr.org

The following article is on Forbes.com Nov 2, 2017 

Carolyn Rosenblatt , CONTRIBUTOR

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

If you have an aging loved one who ever has to go to a nursing home, beware of a nasty practice in which some of these facilities engage. Some elders among us are low income and receive Medicaid. Some live in nursing homes, as they need full time care. It may not affect your own family, but certainly could affect an elder you know. Medicaid recipients are vulnerable and can be subject to terrible treatment, including being kicked out of a home just because they have to get temporary treatment at a hospital. It is disgusting to think that a nursing home will not only violate the law in refusing to allow its own resident back into the home after going to a hospital, but it will callously separate spouses by doing so. Neither has the luxury of choice. One spouse can stay while the other gets the boot?

AARP Foundation

Nursing Home evicted Ms. Single

That's what happened to eighty-two year old Gloria Single who lived at Pioneer House, a nursing home that accepts Medicaid residents. She and her husband lived there together until she went to a hospital, expecting to return to Pioneer after she was released from the hospital. Instead, after she was medically cleared to return, Pioneer House refused to let her come home, thereby cruelly separating her from her husband. She now is staying in another home, still hoping to be with her husband again.

Ms. Single would have been voiceless but for the advocacy of AARP Foundation, the affiliated charity of AARP. According to Foundation attorney Kelly Bagby who, with other lawyers, represents Ms. Single in a case against the nursing home, Ms. Singleton has a clear legal right to return to the place where she lived, and the nursing home's practice of dumping her is a growing trend, according to attorney Bagby, who has repeatedly faced this issue. The law prohibits it and the law is ignored. The lawsuit alleges that she is a victim of a corporate policy of evicting low-income residents to make room for more lucrative Medicare or private pay residents. In other words, they dump Medicaid people so they can make more money on other residents who are paid by better sources than Medicaid.

Says another of Ms. Single's attorneys, Matthew Borden of BraunHagey & Borden, "Everyone deserves to spend their last days with their loved ones". In the Single case, the hypocrisy of Pioneer's corporate website advertising is startling. It says that the owner, RHF Foundation's "concern for the whole person includes residents, their families and staff and RHF strives to be fair in all relationships". In their case, concern seems to be directed solely toward the bottom line, not the resident and her family. Pioneer claims to be part of a faith-based organization.

Just to be clear, the term "nursing home" refers to rehab facilities, long term care facilities where skilled care is available, and places where people are often sent for therapy of various kinds after the person has been treated in a hospital. If your own aging loved one is ever mistreated, threatened with being evicted or dumped from a nursing home, know that he or she has rights that can be enforced. The place to start is with the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman. The ombudsman is assigned the task of being the liaison between the facility and the resident or resident's family. The ombudsman individually does not have the power to enforce the law nor represent a resident but can communicate with those involved and work on solutions. Ms. Singleton's eviction went from the ombudsman to California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, a consumer advocacy nonprofit organization, to the attorneys who now represent her.

Our low income, most vulnerable aging loved ones can seek justice, though it will take family members, ombudsmen, and other advocates to get them to the capable attorneys willing to take up their causes. The attorneys at AARP Foundation work vigorously to enforce their rights. The plight of those who live in these homes long term is not always visible to the public. Mistreatment may be concealed unless someone steps in to speak for them and the right organizations lead to the right lawyers to demand accountability by these nursing homes. An impaired elder like Ms. Single cannot speak up and stand up for herself. Nursing homes get away with dumping residents like her.

Ms. Single was treated worse than some people treat their dogs and cats. Having worked in nursing homes myself, I was appalled to learn of this callous practice. It is our hope for her here at AgingParents.com that justice will be done and she can be reunited with her husband before it is too late.

Carolyn Rosenblatt, RN, Elder Law Attorney, Healthy aging and protecting our elders, AgingParents.com, AgingInvestor.com

Read full article on Forbes.com