Table of contents
Colin Milner, CEO
International Council on Active Aging
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Mood-changing drugs can cause falls. A meta-analysis of 22 studies involving 79,081 participants 60 years and older examined falls history and nine drug classes. The use of sedatives and hypnotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines (depressants) were significantly associated with the risk of falling in older adults. These drugs are used to treat anxiety and other mood disorders and as sleep aids. Background provided by the Canadian researchers stated that one in seven people ages 80 or older filled at least one antidepressant prescription in 2006.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(21)1952-1960 (November 23, 2009)
More intense exercise protects men from stroke. Among 3,298 people at an average age of 69 who were followed for 9.1 years, there were 238 strokes. Men who participated in moderate-to-heavy intensity activities (jogging, tennis, swimming) were 63% less likely to have a stroke than people with no physical activity. There was no reduction in risk for women who took part in moderate-to-heavy intensity exercise. The amount of calories burned and engaging in any activity were not associated with stroke risk.
SOURCE: Neurology, 73:1774-1779 (November 24, 2009)
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Baked fish and tofu may lower heart disease risk. Boiled or baked fish (fish have omega-3 fatty acids) for men and tofu for women reduced the risk of heart disease over 11.9 years among 82,243 men and 103,884 women of African-American, Caucasian, Japanese, Native Hawaiian and Latino descent who were ages 45-75 years old with no history of heart disease. Overall, men who ate about 3.3 grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids had a 23% lower risk of cardiac death compared to those who ate 0.8 grams daily.
SOURCE: American Heart Association, Scientific Sessions 2009 (November 17, 2009)
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Announcement: Special issue on residential design for people with neurodisability
A special issue of “NeuroRehabilitation: An International Journal” is devoted to residential design for persons with neurodisability (for example, brain injury or nervous system disorders from stroke, diseases such as cerebral palsy, a traumatic incident and other causes). Because the authors and publishers believe the topic area is important, all the articles are free in the public domain. Aimed at architects, designers and remodelers for group residences as well as individual’s homes, the articles cover trends in group living design, modifications, lighting, smart homes and other topics.
SOURCE: NeuroRehabilitation, 25(3) (2009)
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Besides wearing pedometers, environment affects walking
Walking is so frequently recommended as a low-impact physical activity for aging adults that it is the first example of endurance given in the ACSM Position Stand: Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults. The statement recommends 150-300 minutes/week of moderate-intensity endurance exercise. Two studies from Australia demonstrate the interaction of environment with walking habits.
PEDOMETERS: The results of the three-month Step-by-Step trial, originally reported in 2007, showed that among 369 inactive adults ages 30-65 years, minutes of walking significantly increased among both those who received a self-help walking program and those who received the program plus pedometers.
In a new release of data, people rated characteristics of their walking environment, such as aesthetics, lighting, traffic, crime and hills, which were categorized as “high” or “low.” People who had a “low” perception of environmental aesthetics and streetlights were less likely to walk than those with a “high” perception of these factors. However, people with a “low” perception of aesthetics were significantly more likely to increase walking time if they used the self-help program plus pedometers. They were also more willing to walk regularly. The authors observed that “some environmental barriers for walking can be overcome by motivational aids.”
CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS: Representing seven culturally diverse groups living in a city, 333 people 60 years and older were interviewed about physical activity. Just under half (47%) reported walking at least 150 minutes/week. Gender and cultural groups overall did not affect walking habits beyond women reporting walking in malls and men reporting walking along trails.
People who walked 150 minutes or more each week generally said they walked for health and fitness, felt their walking routes were more pleasurable and safe, used walking trails and sought social interactions.
SOURCES: Annals of Behavioral Medicine, online first (October 6, 2009) and Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, in press (October 14, 2009)
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Aging women happier with positive relationships
As women age, they are more likely to be alone because of widowhood, divorce and being single. Noting that previous research has focused on spouses in traditional gender roles, a research team wanted to expand that framework to include women in different types of relationships, such as women who were dating but not currently married.
STUDY: At six seniors centers in Montreal, 257 women, average age 77 years old, completed questionnaires asking about their personal relationships, leisure activities and health. The respondents were widowed (42%), married (33%), remarried (5%), divorced (4%) and single with a partner (3%). Two-thirds (66.1%) of the women lived alone and 75.9% ate a meal at the seniors center.
FINDINGS: Leisure activities and strength activities were significantly associated with better self-reported health. The number of leisure activities and income level had a positive and significant effect on self-reported health. The number of leisure activities was also related to women feeling their lives were full of interesting things. Relationship quality was related to mental health indicators of spirit, happiness and an interesting life. Eating a meal at the seniors center was significantly related to having more chronic conditions.
COMMENT: The authors recommended that because of the changes in family structures in recent years, further research needs to explore life quality for people in “intimate relationships” beyond traditional marriage. They also suggested that “therapeutic interventions should...be based on attempts to strengthen and encourage the use of various forms of leisure activities as mediators against stressful life situations, especially among aging Baby Boomers as well as those who are infirm.”
SOURCE: Health Care for Women International, 30:1073-1092 (2009)
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CCRC definition expands to reflect current practices
A continuing care retirement community (CCRC) offers residents a range of social and medical services dependent on their needs (ICAA Knowledge Center).
Traditionally, CCRC retirement communities offered separate independent living, assisted living and nursing care buildings or sections of buildings, which required residents to move from one to another when their care needs changed. More recently, some CCRCs have chosen to bring the services to the residents by, for example, providing assistance or nursing options to people who remain in their original independent living units. This approach allows residents to stay in their homes while still accessing the CCRC’s services.
Other CCRCs provide all the same levels of care, but not necessarily on campus. They may provide these at a sister community, a partnering hospital or through an arrangement with a contracted provider. An emerging concept is the CCRC-without-walls, where services are provided to people living off-campus in the larger community.
SURVEY: Since there is no consistent definition of continuing care retirement communities, the authors of a new report used the definition of CCRCs as “age-restricted properties that include a combination of independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing services (or independent living and skilled nursing) available to residents all on one campus or ‘seamlessly’ available through partnerships or contractual agreements with properties adjacent to or in otherwise close proximity to these communities.”
FINDINGS: There are approximately 1,861 CCRCs in the United States with just over half (53%) composed of 100-300 living units. Half have a faith-based affiliation. There is a trend towards for-profit status for CCRCs under development (30%) compared to communities that are already operating (18%).
COMMENT: Earlier estimates of the number of CCRCs ranged between 2,100-2,600. “The reduction in the number of CCRCs does not reflect any change in the CCRC model or mission, but rather a more accurate representation of the CCRC universe,” research specialist Jeffrey Girardi told ICAA Research Review. “We posit that the projection of 2,600 CCRCs may have been inaccurate...[and] the actual number of CCRCs in the senior living universe falls somewhere between 1,900-2,100.”
SOURCE: Ziegler Capital Markets, Z-News (November 9, 2009)
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Muscle strength lowers risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s
Physical activity, along with intellectual and social activities, is recommended to help prevent cognitive decline, the loss of thinking skills, memory or other mental functions (JAMA). Whereas forgetting words is common in older adults, a decline in thinking skills sufficient to interfere with daily activity becomes dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
STUDY: A group of 970 older adults (average age 80.3) who did not have dementia were evaluated through 21 tests of cognitive function, neurologic exams and measurements of muscle strength in 11 muscle groups. A composite muscle strength score was determined based on the measurements. Muscle strength scores ranged from -1.6 to 3.3 units. Over an average of 3.6 years, 138 people developed Alzheimer’s disease.
FINDINGS: Each unit of increase in muscle strength was associated with an approximate 43% decrease in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Muscle strength also was associated with a decreased risk of mild cognitive impairment and a slower rate of cognitive decline.
COMMENT: “Our findings suggest that impaired muscle strength precedes the development of cognitive impairment in aging, and may be an early clinical marker,” said Patricia Boyle, PhD. “However, decreased strength may not be a true risk factor. Rather, loss of muscle strength may be the result of an underlying disease process that also leads to cognitive decline and clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s.”
SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, 66(11):1339-1344 (November 9, 2009)
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ICAA News: Use industry research to plan programs
The year may be winding down, but wellness directors are gearing up for new and updated activities and programs to launch with the new year. When developing wellness programs, you can rely on the reports prepared by ICAA from industry surveys. Reports cover wellness program attributes, wellness center development and renovation trends and equipment purchases.
MORE: International Council on Active Aging, ICAA Research
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Disclaimer
ICAA Research Review shares knowledge and information. The newsletter is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not medical advice. The ICAA encourages you to make health and business decisions based upon your own research and in partnership with a qualified professional.
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