News of the Week - 7/11/25
Observations About Some Things That Caught My Eye
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Astonished 102-year-old WWII veteran reacts to Emmy win.
One man recorded over 17,000 traditional folk songs to preserve the true sound of America.
People’s plans for senior living vary by generation, retirement status, urbanicity.
Many Falls Are Preventable. These Tips Can Help.
The plan to vaccinate all Americans, despite RFK Jr.
A new bedtime recall exercise may enhance memory in older adults with and without Alzheimer's disease.
Volunteers play live music to soothe stressed shelter animals.
New study uncovers three big factors for boosting physical activity among older adults.
Dual threats from Trump and GOP imperil nursing homes and their foreign-born workers.
Astonished 102-year-old WWII veteran reacts to Emmy win
CNN - After his interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour won an Emmy Award, D-Day veteran Jake Larson was amazed. Watch his reaction.
One man recorded over 17,000 traditional folk songs to preserve the true sound of America
Guinness World Records - Born in Austin, Texas in 1915, Alan Lomax (USA) grew up surrounded by music. His father was a folklorist – an expert who specializes in folklore and cultural practices. Alan was particularly gifted, enrolling in the University of Texas at Austin at age 15 and transferring to Harvard at 16.
To take a break from his studies, at 17 he joined his father on a work trip sponsored by the Library of Congress to collect folk songs around America. It was from this trip in 1934 that Alan’s legacy as an ethnomusicologist would blossom – over the course of his nearly 70-year career, he would document over 17,000 traditional songs.
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People’s plans for senior living vary by generation, retirement status, urbanicity
McKnight’s - Almost a fifth of respondents to a new survey said they expect to move to an independent living community (12%) or retirement home with professional caregivers (7%) once they retire. Fifty-three percent of overall participants in the 2025 Nationwide Retirement Institute Long-Term Care survey, however, said they plan to stay in their current home, either without (33%) or after (20%) renovations or major changes. Twenty-four percent said they plan to move to a smaller home, 10% said they will move in with family, and 3% said they will move in with friends.
Many Falls Are Preventable. These Tips Can Help
NYT - More than 14 million adults age 65 and over report falling every year in the United States, and the risk increases with age. In fact, falls are the primary cause of injury-related death among older adults in the United States, and they can result in broken hips, spinal fractures and traumatic brain injuries. But many falls can be prevented, said Dr. Gerald Pankratz, a geriatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That makes him “optimistic about this issue,” he said.
The plan to vaccinate all Americans, despite RFK Jr.
WAPO - The effort comes as the Trump administration has replaced members of the key federal vaccine advisory panel. (RFK Jr. is a danger to society!)
A new bedtime recall exercise may enhance memory in older adults with and without Alzheimer's disease
MedicalXPress - A straightforward nightly activity may act as a memory-boosting tool, a new study has revealed. Writing down just five events from the day significantly improved memory performance in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy older adults the following day.
Volunteers play live music to soothe stressed shelter animals
AP - Yuvi Agarwal founded the nonprofit Wild Tunes in 2023 to recruit musicians to play in shelters to calm stressed animals. This is awesome.
New study uncovers three big factors for boosting physical activity among older adults
McKnight’s - The researchers suggested health leaders layer broader fitness programs with upgrades — safer sidewalks, more green space and extra social events — that make it easier for every older adult to stay active.
Dual threats from Trump and GOP imperil nursing homes and their foreign-born workers
McKnight’s - The long-term health care industry is facing a double whammy from President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants and the GOP’s proposals to reduce Medicaid spending.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means waste of time.”
– JOHN LUBBOCK
