News of the Week
Observations About Some Things That Caught My Eye
Traveling with older loved ones? Keep these tips in mind.
WAPO - Mature travelers are itching to get back out and travel again. According to AARP’s 2022 Travel Trends report, 66 percent of people over age 70 anticipate traveling this year. Many are looking to spend time with family.
Observation - I defy anyone to undertake the trip my wife and I had when we took my mom, her mom and dad to Vegas. Wheelchairs, walkers, smoker….ah yes…what was I thinking? Actually, it is one of our best memories.
Boosting Brain Function in Later Life Through Singing
Neuroscience News - Ask anyone in a choir why they enjoy it, and they will tell you about the euphoric effects singing has on their mental health. A team of neuroscientists and clinical psychologists based at the University of Helsinki (Finland) believe these benefits could extend to improving brain function and treating aphasia.
Their results indicate that as we age, the brain networks involved in singing undergo fewer changes than those that process speech, suggesting that singing is more widespread in the brain and more resilient to aging.
Observation - well I would be preaching to the choir wouldn't I?!
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Your walking speed could indicate dementia
CNN - A slower walk as you age has always been a warning sign of increasing frailty that could lead to falls and other disabilities, experts say. Emerging research in small groups of elderly subjects has also found that a slower gait from year to year may be an early sign of cognitive decline.
But not all signs of cognitive decline predict later dementia -- only 10% to 20% of people age 65 or older with mild cognitive impairment or MCI develop dementia over the next year, according to the National Institute on Aging. "In many cases, the symptoms of MCI may stay the same or even improve.
Social isolation: The underrated senior health risk
McKnight’s - One positive from the pandemic fallout is that it underscored and raised awareness among caregivers, residents and their families about the importance of identifying and helping senior living community members deal with social isolation.
“The pandemic brought to light mental health issues in a way that nothing else ever has,” said Jean Fortgang, NP-C, ACHPN, and associate director of the UnitedHealthcare® Assisted Living Plan.
It also fueled innovative — and oftentimes very simple — new programs that have the potential to drive long-term improvements in behavioral health care in senior living communities.
Observation - the use of tablets was cited in this article. Obviously Sage Stream can be broadcast across all types of platforms to help alleviate social isolation.
Coffee Drinking Linked to Lower Mortality Risk, New Study Finds
NYT - The research found that those who drank moderate amounts of coffee, even with a little sugar, were up to 30 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who didn’t drink coffee.
Some inspiration!
At 99, iconic producer Norman Lear doesn't want to quit working. Can work help us all live longer?
CNN - American producer, writer and director Norman Lear, creator of such iconic 1970s television characters as the bigoted blowhard Archie Bunker in the sitcom "All in the Family," turns 100 in July.
On Thursday, at an early celebration for Lear at the Life Itself conference, a health and wellness event presented in partnership with CNN, he told the audience his secrets to living to a ripe old age: Lox and bagels, the love of his family, laughter and a life of invigorating work.
Observation - good article especially about stress and how stress is not necessarily a bad thing. There is positive stress when you realize that the stress is coming from doing things that you enjoy and are successful at doing. Like me playing music, I stress over getting booked but it’s a good stress because when I perform it is the life-blood of what I do.
83-year-old Japanese man on verge of becoming oldest person to sail solo across the Pacific
CNN - Sailing solo across the world's largest ocean once is enough of an achievement. But 83-year-old Japanese ocean adventurer Kenichi Horie has done it multiple times.
On Saturday, June 4, he is due to set a record by becoming the world's oldest solo yachtsman to sail non-stop across the Pacific Ocean.
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