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What's new: Unlocking the future: Closing the gap between consumer expectations and community offerings in senior living report.

Industry news

[YOURS TRULY] AI-powered "hyper-personalized" health coach launches

"The OpenAI Startup Fund and Thrive Global, San Francisco, announced in July the creation of a new company, Thrive AI Health, devoted exclusively to building an AI (artificial intelligence) health coach. The company’s mission is to use AI to democratize access to expert-level health coaching to improve health outcomes. This will also address growing health inequities by bringing the power of behavior change to the urgent challenge of chronic diseases."

[CUTTING EDGE] Evidence-based checklist helps older adults prep for surgery

"Patients 65 years and older account for more than 40% of all inpatient operations. To help these patients navigate the complexities of preparing for surgery, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has created a checklist for older surgical patients, families, and caregivers. "

[NOT SO SWEET HOME] Older adults in subsidized housing face health risks

"Of the estimated 58 million Americans over age 65, about three million live in publicly supported, reduced-cost housing, intended to make living situations safer, more stable and affordable for people with lower incomes, so that they have less stress and more money for what they need, including health care. But for many, life-long disadvantages and inequities still take a toll. "

[EQUAL FOOTING] Flexible artificial foot mimics human movement

"In July, the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) in Genoa introduced a motorless, flexible, waterproof prosthetic foot inspired by the anatomy of the human extremity. "

[CONSISTENT Zs] Irregular sleep patterns boost diabetes risk

"Getting consistent sleep could help stave off type 2 diabetes, new research suggests. A study led by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, analyzed sleep patterns over the course of seven nights and then followed participants for more than seven years. The researchers discovered that irregular sleep durations were associated with increased risk of diabetes, with individuals with the greatest irregular patterns having a 34% higher diabetes risk than their counterparts. The findings suggest the importance of regular sleep for diabetes prevention."

[DON'T GO] Canadian government supports aging at home

"A recent report from Canada's National Seniors Council (NSC) examining measures to support Canadians aging at home provides insights into the services, supports, strategies, and solutions that enable Canadian seniors to age at home on their terms and in good health. "

[STOP NOW!] Quitting smoking boosts life expectancy at any age

"Quitting smoking at any age will increase life expectancy, according to a new study. While quitting early will avoid most years otherwise lost due to smoking, even those who quit at ages 65 and above can meaningfully increase their life expectancy, the study authors write."

[CLUTTERED?] Hoarding disorder rising among older adults

"On July 2, US Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), chairman of the US Senate Special Committee on Aging, released an Aging Committee Majority Staff report shedding new light on the distressing effect that hoarding disorder has on older Americans and their communities. The report, entitled “The Consequences of Clutter: How Hoarding Disorder Affects America’s Older Adults, First Responders, and Their Communities,” details the results of an Aging Committee investigation into hoarding disorder, a condition that leads people to accumulate more objects than their homes can accommodate and affects as many as 14 million people in the United States, disproportionately older adults."

[GET MOBILE] Age-friendly mobility resources, tools released

"The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) recently released an Insights blog, Rethinking Mobility to Improve Care for Older Adults, and a toolkit with details on age-friendly mobility assessment tools."

[INTENSE!] Vigorous exercise may lower BP, preserve cognition

"People with high blood pressure have a higher risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia, but a recent suggests that engaging in vigorous physical activity more than once a week can lower that risk. "

[NO BENEFIT] Multivitamins don’t reduce risk of death

"An analysis of data from close to 400,000 healthy US adults followed for more than 20 years found no association between regular multivitamin use and lower risk of death, a recent study revealed."

[BLOODY RISK] Older adults continue inappropriate aspirin use

"Aspirin use remains high among older adults despite risks, highlighting urgent needs for clinicians to inquire about aspirin use and discuss potential benefits and risks, researchers say. Their survey representing about 150 million adults annually suggests that aspirin use for primary prevention of heart disease (heart disease among people who have never been diagnosed with heart problems) remains prevalent among older adults, contrary to recommendations from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. "

[SMOKING GUN?] Cannabis-related disorder rates increasing among older adults

"A new study documents increasing cannabis-related disorders among older adults in recent years, as an increasing number of US states and territories have enacted laws allowing adult medical and nonmedical use of marijuana (cannabis). "

[TOP SPAS] Vogue launches first global spa guide

"Vogue magazine has launched its first-ever global spa guide -- a compendium of the 100 best spas worldwide. “There is a lot out there in the world of wellness, and we have sorted the cryo from the cold plunge, the infrared treatment from the IV infusion,” write the guide editors. “If your path is a more holistic one, there’s something for you here, as well. Creating this guide has taken us to some very interesting places, and raised some questions that aren’t just about buffing your skin or toning your muscles, but what makes us truly feel our best.”"

[LIVE TO 100 ] Healthy lifestyle at every age linked to longevity

"Adhering to a healthy lifestyle appears to be important even at late ages, suggesting that plans to improve lifestyle behaviors among all older adults may play a key role in promoting healthy aging and longevity, a new study from China suggests."

Government of Canada funds 3,451 projects across Canada to make life better for Canadian seniors

" Canadians deserve to age with dignity. That comes down to choice, to affordability, to inclusion, and to community. The New Horizons for Seniors Program creates those opportunities for seniors to be more connected, supported and active members of their communities. "

Alzheimer's Association workshop publishes biology based criteria for diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer's Disease

"A workgroup convened by the Alzheimer's Association has published revised criteria for the diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer's disease that are based on the biology of the disease and reflect recent advancements in Alzheimer's research, diagnostics and treatment. The 2024 update includes an updated biomarker classification system that includes blood-based biomarkers (BBM) and a revised disease staging system."

New research identifies biomarkers that link alcohol use disorder and Alzheimer disease

"Researchers agree that alcohol use can produce global and regional tissue volume changes in the brain, and that excessive alcohol use is associated with dementia and cognitive decline. A new study has examined the relationship between Alzheimer disease – the most common type of dementia – and alcohol use disorder (AUD), discovering biomarkers that link the two. These results will be shared on Wednesday 26 June 2024 at the 47th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in Minneapolis, Minnesota."

Intake of ultra-processed foods linked with increased risk of death

"Processed meats and soft drinks show strongest association with increased mortality"

Rutgers Health researchers link tooth loss to increased obesity risk

"An analysis of medical records from 1,765 older adults shows that patients with at least 21 teeth were more likely to maintain a healthy body weight than patients with fewer teeth, according to a Rutgers Health study."

Bank statements reveal clues to excessive spending and cognitive decline

"Early memory loss has been linked to wealth loss, but research has mostly focused on investments. Four years ago, clinical geropsychologist Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., wondered what clues might be found in an older person’s financial decisions to indicate their vulnerability to financial victimization. Lichtenberg is director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University and a national expert in the financial exploitation of older adults. The results of his curiosity have now been published as “The WALLET Study: Financial Decision Making and Key Financial Behaviors Associated with Excess Spending” in the May 2024 issue of Clinical Gerontologist. "

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