CDC: Alzheimer's, Dementia Rate Expected to Double by 2060
THE SHARE OF AMERICANS with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is expected to more than double by 2060 as people increasingly survive into older adulthood, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 5 million older adults had Alzheimer’s or a related dementia in 2014, and by 2060 that figure is expected to rise to 13.9 million, or about 3.3 percent of the U.S. population, according to the report, which evaluated health claims
Daily Aspirin Doesn’t Appear to Prolong Healthy Life for Older Adults
IF YOU'RE AN ADULT IN your late 60s or 70s who's physically healthy, mentally sharp and trying to stay that way, taking a daily low-dose aspirin probably won't help that much, new research shows. Until now, there hasn't been much guidance for healthy older people trying to weigh the possible preventive effects of aspirin against its known increased risks of bleeding. On Sept. 16, findings from a large new study on preventive aspirin use appeared in the New England Journal of
New Bill Would Allow Health Savings Account Use for Home Care Services
A new bill introduced in the House of Representatives would make it possible for patients to use a health savings account (HSA) for home care services. The bill —H.R. 6813 or the Homecare for Seniors Act— was introduced Sept. 13 and is sponsored by U.S. Representatives Sam Johnson, R-Texas, and John Larson, D-Connecticut. It would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow tax-free distributions from HSAs to cover qualified home care services. The term qualified home ca
An Improvement in Access to Home Health Care Services May Help Millions
The home health care sector is the fastest growing service industry in the country. The market is anticipated to be worth more than $13.5 billion by 2024. There are numerous factors driving this market growth, not the least of which is a growing aging population in the United States. The baby boomer generation -those born between 1946 in 1964- are now retiring. As people get older they often have a tendency to require more assistance and healthcare services. Remaining home as
How Can Seniors Know Who’s About to Take Care of Them at Home?
Michael was 73 and widowed when he found himself in the hospital having suffered a stroke. Listening to his doctor report the news and then finding some family surrounding him (having flown in from other regions around the country) it was difficult for him to accept. He never imagined requiring help just getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, or taking a shower. Yet, this was the new reality facing him. His doctor was optimistic Michael would be able to return to some sem
What Are the Signs Your Aging Parents Need Help?
EVERY YEAR AT THIS time, Paula Falk receives an influx of calls from adult children concerned about the decline of their elderly parents. “They visited at the holidays and saw the reality of their parents’ situation, which is much different than what Mom or Dad had been describing on the phone,” says Falk, director of caregiving services at the Friendship Centers in Sarasota, Florida. It’s a nonprofit comprehensive senior center that caters to one of the country’s largest ret
What Are the Secrets to Aging Well?
NUMBERS ARE IMPORTANT to Jan Sirota, a retired investment banker who lives in Sarasota, Florida. Sirota just celebrated 11 years of marriage, he cycles 40 miles per day, mentors four high school students and races cars 150 miles per hour in High Performance Driver Education events. The number that doesn’t seem to matter? His age. “I’m 75, and it’s irrelevant to me,” Sirota says. “There’s no reason to say that I’ll slow down because I’m getting older.” Many older adults do slo
Macular Degeneration: Managing This Vision Condition
HELYN GUERRY, 88, OF Houston, looks around her room but struggles to make out the objects directly in front of her. Macular degeneration, a common eye condition among older adults, seriously blurs her central vision. Driving is no longer possible for Guerry. Fortunately, she has a support system in place. "I have a grandson who's very near and dear, and he comes once a day," she says. He helps her catch up with paperwork and takes her to the grocery store because she can't re
Dementia increases the risk of falling.
Research shows that people with dementia have a significantly higher risk of falling than people who don't have the cognitive disorder, says Alexa Rohach, a physical therapist at Providence Saint John's Health Center's Performance Therapy in Santa Monica, California. Dementia isn't a specific disease, but a general term covering a range of symptoms, such as memory loss or "a decline in other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activi
Sleep Help for Seniors
It’s often assumed that the elderly have different sleep needs than younger adults, but in truth, sleep needs don’t change in adulthood. At any age, those precious 7-9 hours per night are still what’s required to be rested and ready for the day. But just because older adults need the same amount of sleep doesn’t mean that they don’t face unique challenges in getting it. A study by the National Sleep Foundation found that 44% of older people have symptoms of insomnia more than
