12/29/2012 – How Can Astronauts In Space Contribute To Aging Research?

The Canadian Space Institute (CSA) recently teamed up with the Institute of Aging, a branch of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, to see what the medical issues faced by astronauts can tell us about the aging process. The two groups pooled resources and knowledge during a workshop in June, and hope to develop an international program as well, according to Dr. Nicole Buckley, Chief Scientist for Life Sciences at the CSA.

Read the full article at The New York Times.

12/28/2012 – United States Lags in Alzheimer’s Support

This month, the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging released a report examining how five nations — the United States, Australia, France, Japan and Britain — are responding to growing numbers of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Every country has a strategy, but some are much further ahead than others. Notably, France began addressing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in 2001 and is in the midst of carrying out its third national plan.

Read the full article at The New York Times.

12/24/2012 – Staying Independent in Old Age, With a Little Help

When asked, 80 to 90 percent of older people say they want to remain in their own homes as long as possible. Yet remaining in one’s home indefinitely is not always the best choice, even if it is financially feasible. As life draws near a close, many older adults need more care than can be provided safely at home. Simply finding reputable home health aides can be a nightmare, and family members often are forced to fill gaps in even the best caregiving plans.

The challenge is all the more difficult when no one has thought through the options before a serious illness or injury makes it impossible for elders to return home without full-time help.

Read the full article at The New York Times.

12/24/2012 – Fudging the Facts, for Peace of Mind

A large national study showed an increased incidence of general anxiety disorder beginning after age 55, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness notes that, like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder tends to worsen in old age. Factors contributing to the prevalence and severity of anxiety disorders in the elderly include a host of concomitant medical problems that interact with anxiety in a complicated way.

Read the full article at The New York Times.

12/20/2012 – Boomers and Millenneals Feel a Need to Care for Each Other

A new study by the Pew Research Center suggests that not only is there no Boomer-Millenneal war, but rather the two generations feel a duty to care for each other.

The vast majority of 18- to 29-year-olds polled — 84 per cent — said adult children have a responsibility to provide financial assistance to an elderly parent if he or she needs it.

Read the full article at The New York Times.

12/20/2012 – Scientists in Hong Kong map initial anti-aging formula

Scientists in Hong Kong appear to have mapped out a formula that can delay the aging process in mice, a discovery they hope to replicate in people.

Their finding, published in the December issue of Cell Metabolism, builds on their work in 2005 which shed light on premature aging, or progeria, a rare genetic disease that affects one in four million babies.

Read the full article at Reuters.

12/18/2012 – Astronaut study holds promise for the elderly here on Earth

Soft bones. A risk of fainting. Hardened arteries.

These conditions are risks for any space traveler, but they’re also problems facing many seniors living on Earth.

To accelerate scientists’ understanding of how the body ages, Canada’s leading space and health agencies are pooling money and researchers, and plan to showcase the results of the research internationally.

Read the full article at NBC News.

12/19/2012 – Older People Become What They Think, Study Shows

When stereotypes are negative — when seniors are convinced becoming old means becoming useless, helpless or devalued — they are less likely to seek preventive medical care and die earlier, and more likely to suffer memory loss and poor physical functioning, a growing body of research shows.

Read the full article at The New York Times.

12/17/2012 – In the Middle: Why Elderly Couples Fight

George and Gracie (let’s call them that because using their real names would make them even unhappier than they already appear to be) are in their 80s and have been married for more than 65 years. Until recently they seemed to ride the waves that are inevitable in any marriage that spans nearly seven decades; through good and bad, they were partners and best friends.

Read the full article at The New York Times.

12/17/2012 – New Car Features May Keep Older Drivers Out Of The Big Yellow Taxi

Sharon Berlin, a research analyst with AAA, says research shows older drivers are more likely to wear seat belts. They’re less likely to drink and drive. And, yes, they drive slower.

“In reality, what we know is that older drivers are actually among the safest drivers on the roads,” Berlin says.

Read/listen to the full story at National Public Radio.