News of the Week
Observations About Some Things That Caught My Eye
Older adults’ failure to plan is an opportunity for senior living operators
McKnight’s - Older adults say they want to age in place, but very few have done much to prepare to do so, according to a new survey. That lack of planning, however, may present an opportunity for senior living providers.
A new National Poll on Healthy Aging — Older Adults’ Preparedness to Age in Place — reveals that not only have older adults failed to plan for aging in place, but a sizable percentage might have a difficult time paying for in-home help.
Observation - this is the yang to the ying story I posted last week. Yes we all want to age in place but are we physically, financially and emotionally prepared for it?
Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Needed Care, Federal Report Finds
New York Times - Every year, tens of thousands of people enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans are denied necessary care that should be covered under the program, federal investigators concluded in a report published on Thursday.
The investigators urged Medicare officials to strengthen oversight of these private insurance plans, which provide benefits to 28 million older Americans, and called for increased enforcement against plans with a pattern of inappropriate denials.
Observation - Turning 65 last month, I opted for traditional Medicare, a supplement and a prescription drug plan to cover my bases. I have worked in the Medicare Advantage arena and sadly this report mirrors what I have seen. Simply you get what you pay for. Buyer beware. Worth the extra money to go the route my wife and I did if you can.
Older Adults Produce More ‘Love Hormone’ Than Younger People, Leading To Greater Life Satisfaction
CBS - Older adults tend to be more satisfied with life than younger people and a new study may help explain why. It has something to do with the so-called “love hormone.”
Oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone,” is a brain chemical that tends to reduce anxiety and promote empathy and social bonding. Researchers in California asked 103 adults between the ages of 18 and 99 to watch an emotional video and then measured their oxytocin levels.
They found that those over 65 had the largest increases in oxytocin. They also found that those with larger oxytocin responses had a greater sense of satisfaction with life, donated more to charity, and demonstrated higher levels of empathy and gratitude.
ALZHEIMER’S MAY BE CAUSED BY CELL PHONES, SCIENTISTS SAY
Neoscope - Turns out our cell phones may have something to do with Alzheimer’s, according to a new study published in the journal Current Alzheimer Research.
According to a press release on the research, most scientists agree that Alzheimer’s is caused by excess calcium buildup in the brain. And pulsed electronically generated electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted from cell phones, the study says, may be causing or worsening that calcium buildup.
The press release used even stronger language.
“Very young people who are exposed to cell phone or Wi-Fi radiation for many hours per day may develop digital dementia,” it said.
Observation - who’s going to put down their phones first?
Canadian doctors are prescribing free passes to national parks to treat patients
CNN - Much has been said about the healing power of nature. Now, some medical professionals in Canada are increasingly prescribing it.
Doctors are instructing their patients to wander park trails, feel the crunch of leaves beneath their feet and breathe in fresh air. It’s part of BC Parks Foundation’s growing PaRX program, which intends to improve people’s mental and physical health by connecting them with nature.
As of February 2022, more than 4,000 licensed healthcare professionals, including nurses, doctors and psychologists, had subscribed to the PaRx program.
PaRX has already changed the way many Canadian medical professionals and their patients think about nature, Lem said. But the program still has a long way to go.
“When medical schools start teaching nature, prescribing and recommending nature as just important as a healthy diet and lifestyle, I’ll know we’re getting there,” she said.
Observation - this is a form of social prescribing. This needs to be a part of every health plan.
What’s the ideal number of sleep hours for older adults? Study says 7
McKnight’s - Seven hours of nightly sleep may be the sweet spot for optimal cognitive health in older adults, according to the results of a large study using patient data from the United Kingdom Biobank.
The study, in the journal Nature Aging, analyzed data from approximately 500,000 adults aged 38 to 73 years old. Participants were queried about their sleep habits and mental health and also received cognitive testing. Nearly 40,000 had received brain scans and had recorded genetic data.
How music is providing a lifeline to seniors in care during the pandemic
CBC - Since the start of the pandemic, Concerts in Care has arranged some 145 live Zoom concerts and further offers 35 recorded concerts, reaching audiences in Ontario communities where professional musicians are often harder to come by, such as Cornwall, Peterborough and Thunder Bay.
Going forward, Concerts in Care plans to continue a combination of in-person and online programming, allowing the organization to be flexible in delivering high-quality performances to seniors.
"Hybrid is here to stay," said Chandler, noting that by providing their concerts in new and virtual formats, the group is further diversifying its audience.
"While our seniors are isolated in their rooms or on their floors again, we will do everything we can to get the music to them," she said.
Observation - Hybrid is HERE TO STAY! www.sagestream.live
Most Antibiotics Prescribed to Older Adults Are Unnecessary
Everyday Health - Three in four antibiotics prescriptions for patients 65 and older aren’t needed, a recent study found.
Particularly for elderly patients, the stakes of these unnecessary prescriptions are high. “In older adults, inappropriate prescribing in primary care is associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, including emergency hospital attendances and admissions, adverse drug events, and poorer quality of life.”
Observation - Yikes. I feel like Lucy when she says “It’s run by a big eastern syndicate you know.” Yeah we know.
100-year-old man sets record for longest career at one company
CBS - Many people hold several jobs throughout their life. Some loyal employees hold jobs for decades. But one man in Brazil has stayed at one company longer than anyone in the world – literally. Walter Orthmann, 100, set the Guinness World Record for working at the same company for 84 years and nine days.
Orthmann's career started when he was just 15 years old. He got a job at Industrias Renaux S.A in 1938, working as a shipping assistant at the textile company.
The cell phone and sleep info are both interesting. Thank you for bringing them to our attention.