Reducing Older Adults' Suicidal Thoughts

A new study, one of the largest treatment studies ever conducted, found that a team-based approach to treating depression in primary care might significantly reduce suicidal thoughts in older adults. Those who received collaborative treatment were half as likely as those who did not to report suicidal thoughts, even up to 12 months after the end of treatment.  Along with reducing suicidal thoughts, other significant outcomes were reported for those receiving the collaborative treatment, including improved physical functioning and reduction in arthritis pain. For more information on this study, visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?

ref=0002-8614.

Older Men Seek Less Help with Depression

Older adult men are at increased risk of suicide as compared with older women, and stereotypes of being the “strong, silent type,” along with the social stigma, are some of the reasons why older men are less likely to receive help with depression, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis.  This is one of the first studies ever to identify depressed older men as less likely to receive treatment for their depression.  For more information, visit http://ajgponline.org.

The Future: A Shortage of Geriatricians

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (September 2006)

A recently published study cites that there are too few medical students entering the field of geriatric medicine.  This decline leaves the growing older adult population without physicians who specialize in their care. Currently there are fewer than 7,000 practicing geriatricians in the U.S., which equates to one geriatrician for every 5,000 patients.  For more information on this study, visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0002-8614.

Lack of Home-Based Caregivers for Boomers

USA Today (September 2006)

A new report from the International Longevity Center – USA and the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education says many Baby Boomers may be scrambling to find home-based help in the future.  Study authors cautioned that when home-based caregivers are unavailable they will need or be forced to go without care and may require placement in a nursing home.  There already exists a shortage of caregivers in the U.S., and the shortage is projected to increase as the population includes more and more older adults.

Doctors Receive Little Geriatric Care Training

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (September 2006)

"Most internal medicine doctors only have 4-6 weeks of instruction in geriatric care." About 40% of internal medicine visits are made by older adults, and a new study found that many internal medicine physicians receive little training in geriatric medicine.  A survey of more than 200 directors of three-year internal medicine residency programs showed that most had four to six weeks of instruction in geriatric care.  The study authors noted that many internal medicine educators are continuing to improve their training for residents.  For more information on this survey, visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0002-8614.

Weight Loss May Signal Alzheimer's

New research found that an acceleration of weight loss in older adults could signal the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease.  Study participants were followed for an average of six years, and those who developed Alzheimer’s lost twice as much weight than those who did not.  Although weight loss may be too minor a sign to assist doctors in diagnosing Alzheimer’s, researchers say it helps clinicians understand the disease better.  For more information, visit http://archneur.ama-assn.org.

Memory Complaints May Foreshadow Alzheimer's

Neurology (September 2006)

"Memory loss complaints need to be closely monitored, even when older adults score well on cognitive tests."Older adults who scored well on cognitive tests despite complaining of memory problems showed signs of early dementia in their MRI scans, according to researchers at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire.  The study involved 120 older adults ages 60 to 90, and the results highlighted the need to evaluate and closely monitor older adults who complain of memory loss.  For more information, visit http://www.neurology.org/current.shtml.

Emergency Care Guidance for Dementia Residents

A new guide is available for nursing staff who care for people with dementia during emergencies, such as the pandemic flu.  A coalition of care providers and consumer groups released The Dementia Care Training Guide, which acts as a companion to previous work completed by the coalition, offering resources for health professionals, business leaders, and others.  The training document is available at http://www.ahca.org/flu/pandemic_dementia_care.pdf.

Dementia Diseases to Become Big Threat in Asia

"By 2050, the number of new dementia cases in Asia is projected to top 19 million."A new report commissioned by Alzheimer’s Disease International found that dementia-based illnesses like Alzheimer’s may soon overtake heart disease and cancer as the biggest health threat in the Asia Pacific region.  By 2050, the number of new dementia cases in Asia is projected to top 19 million; currently there are 4.3 million cases per year.  To combat this rising problem, the report recommends making sure dementia and Alzheimer’s become a health care priority, developing cost-effective interventions, and ensuring that policy and practicality work together.   To read the full story, visit http://www.channelnewsasia.com.

Communities Not Ready for Older Adults

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (September 2006)

A new study of U.S. towns and counties found that only 46% are looking at strategies to deal with aging America.  The report The Maturing of America: Getting Communities on Track for an Aging Population revealed that with Baby Boomers beginning to turn 60 this year, many are rapidly approaching retirement age.  The study assessed what types of services and programs are available to them across the country.  The report is available at http://www.n4a.org/pdf/MOAFinalReport.pdf.

Older Adult Workers at All-Time U.S. High

"It's harder for young job seekers to gain employment as the number of older adult workers grows rapidly." According to a study of U.S. government labor data, workers over age 55 number 24.6 million, and a quarter of those workers are 65 and older.  Analysts believe it is harder for younger job seekers to gain employment as the number of older adult workers is growing faster than any other age group.  It is likely to mean that soon, more than one in four retirees will still be working, which has not been the case since 1951.  For more information on this study, visit http://www.reutershealth.com.

Life Events Impact Women's Cardio Health

A new study found that divorce harms the cardiovascular health of women; however, men’s cardiovascular health seems unaffected.  Researchers found that the ill effects were largely due to economic consequences and emotional distress.  After eight years of tracking more than 9,400 men and women between the ages of 51 and 61, researchers found that divorced women were more likely to develop heart disease during the course of the study period than married women.  For more information, visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0022-2445.

Older Adults Lack Health Literacy

New research from the National Center for Education Statistics found that the majority of adults need help understanding basic health instructions.  While most adults exhibited an intermediate level of health literacy, experts warn many health instructions are written in a way that is foreign to how people think and talk, and insurers, drug manufacturers, and health care professionals should improve their communications so consumers can better understand them.  To access the report, visit http://nces.ed.gov.

Preventable Bath Falls Common

"Researchers hope that health care professionals will advocate bathroom safety for older adults."New research from the University of Michigan Health System found that older adults experience difficulty getting in and out of the bathtub or shower, even when safety features have been installed.  Researchers videotaped people ages 60 and older who demonstrated (while fully clothed) how they normally climb in and out of the shower or bathtub. One-third of the 89 participants in the study had difficulty, such as plopping onto a tub seat or hitting the side of the tub or the shower threshold with their legs.  This study highlights how easily older adults can fall and fracture bones while attempting activities of daily living, and researchers hope to inspire health care professionals to become involved in advocating bathroom safety for older adults.  For more information, visit http://www.med.umich.edu.

Cellular Death Contributes to Aging Process

Two new research studies have found that aging is not only impacted by simple wear and tear of the body, but also cellular decline is programmed into the body’s genes and contributes to the physics of aging. Scientists posit that as cells age, a gene helps them to protect against cancer but loses the ability to divide.  When cells cannot divide, they die off, and this suggests that cellular decline is designed to safeguard against becoming defective.  As one researcher explained, cells do not wear out; they shut down to avoid becoming cancer cells.  For more information on these studies, visit http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html.

Childless Women's Risk of Poorer Health

Women who never have children run the risk of earlier death and poorer health later in life according to a study from the Economic and Social Research Council.  Not only childless women but also mothers of five or more children, teenage mothers, and mothers who have children with less than an 18-month gap between births all have higher risks of death and poor health later in life.  The findings were derived from data of women born from 1911 onwards in the U.K. and U.S.

Medication Costs for Older Adults Rise

American Association for Retired Persons (September 2006)

"A brand-name sleep drug prescribed for older adults had the highest price increase during the first half of 2006." Prices for the most commonly prescribed drugs to people ages 50 and older have increased in the past year by an average of 6.3%, according to an American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) survey.   Sleep aid Ambien® was the brand-name prescription drug with the highest price increase (13.3%) during the first six months of 2006.  For more information, visit http://www.aarp.org.

First-Ever Grandparent's Cost Index

Life Services Network Week's News (September 2006)

The first annual Grandparent’s Cost Index,™ compiled by Liberty Reverse Mortgage, calculates what it costs for a grandparent to do activities with their grandchildren. “To compile our index, we chose 26 representative cities across the U.S. and used typical events, such as a trip to the zoo or going to the movies and buying the soda and popcorn, and then we looked at what that would cost in these select areas,” said Pete Engelken, president and CEO of Liberty Reverse Mortgage. “From that, we put together a snapshot of how much it costs to be a grandparent these days. We do know it is not an inexpensive proposition. We intend to replicate the index each year to see how grandparents are faring.”  The overall most expensive city in which to be a grandparent was Coral Gables, Florida; others included Philadelphia and San Diego. More reasonably priced cities for grandparenting were Fresno, California, and Las Vegas.