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Higher education associated with later onset of Alzheimer's-related accelerated cognitive decline

Exercising the brain by learning and thinking is known to improve cognition. Now a new study by Stony Brook University researchers reveals that higher education is associated with later onset of Alzheimer's-related accelerated cognitive declines.

23 May 2019

How to find and use new federal ratings for rehab services at nursing homes

For the first time, the federal government is shining a spotlight on the quality of rehabilitation care at nursing homes — services used by nearly 2 million older adults each year.

16 May 2019

How Obamacare, Medicare and ‘Medicare for All’ muddy the campaign trail

The health care debate has Democrats on Capitol Hill and the presidential campaign trail facing renewed pressure to make clear where they stand: Are they for "Medicare for All"? Or will they take up the push to protect the Affordable Care Act?

13 May 2019

Psychologists find link between working memory and sleep, age, depressed mood

A team of psychologists has found strong associations between working memory -- a fundamental building block of a functioning mind -- and three health-related factors: sleep, age, and depressed mood.

12 May 2019

Optimism, wisdom and loneliness associated with physical, mental functioning of older persons

Ten thousand Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. By 2029, the entire generation born between 1946 and 1964 will be at least that old. What happens next concerns millions of Americans.

8 May 2019

Electroconvulsive therapy appears to fight depression by 'rebooting' certain brain networks

Electroconvulsive therapy helps people with severe depression by "pushing the reset button" on brain networks involved in creating a mental picture, according to recent Baycrest findings.

7 May 2019

UNC School of Medicine initiative providing unique care to dementia patients

The Dementia Friendly Hospital Initiative will reach a total of 3,900 employees in four hospitals across North Carolina to raise awareness of how patients with dementia experience care, and to meet their unique needs with strategic and compassionate treatment.

2 May 2019

Hospitals chafe under Medicare’s new payment rule for off-campus clinics

Eric Lewis' plans for expansion have derailed. As chief executive officer of Olympic Medical Center, he oversees efforts to provide care to roughly 75,000 people in Clallam County, in the isolated, rural northwestern corner of Washington state.

26 Apr 2019

Researchers seek sage advice of elders on aging issues

Rachel O'Conor booted up her slides and began posing questions to six older adults sitting around a table: How should primary care physicians support patients and caregivers after a diagnosis of dementia? And what stands in the way of getting adequate support?

25 Apr 2019

In 10 years, half of middle-income elders won’t be able to afford housing, medical care

In 10 years, more than half of middle-income Americans age 75 or older will not be able to afford to pay for yearly assisted living rent or medical expenses, according to a study published Wednesday in Health Affairs.

24 Apr 2019

UTA engineering students build treadmill that can be used by athletes in wheelchairs

The eight-time national champion UTA Movin' Mavs might be getting even better soon, thanks to some ingenuity among mechanical engineering students.

23 Apr 2019

Falling for telephone scams could be an early sign of dementia

The United States Department of Justice says that annually around $3 billion is defrauded from seniors. Many of these tricksters use the telephone for their scams. What would not dupe a person with normal mental faculties often takes in seniors. A new study shows that elderly with mild cognitive impairment or early signs of dementia often fall prey to these telephone scams.

16 Apr 2019

Making smarter decisions about where to recover after hospitalization

Every year, nearly 2 million people on Medicare — most of them older adults — go to a skilled nursing facility to recover after a hospitalization. But choosing the facility can be daunting, according to an emerging body of research.

11 Apr 2019

New evidence of impulsive behavior in nonsuicidal self-injury

Are young adults who harm themselves more at risk for suicide? New research suggests there could be a connection under specific conditions associated with negative emotions.

11 Apr 2019

Economic ripples: Hospital closure hurts a town’s ability to attract retirees

When a rural community loses its hospital, health care becomes harder to come by in an instant. But a hospital closure also shocks a small town’s economy. It shuts down one of its largest employers.

10 Apr 2019

Mental health care for elderly comes into focus

According to a new study self-harm is becoming a major health issue among the elderly. This is bringing into focus the issue of mental health among the elderly. The results of the study titled, “Self-harm in older adults: systematic review,” were published in the latest issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

10 Apr 2019

Lethal plans: When seniors turn to suicide in long-term care

When Larry Anders moved into the Bay at Burlington nursing home in late 2017, he wasn't supposed to be there long. At 77, the stoic Wisconsin machinist had just endured the death of his wife of 51 years and a grim new diagnosis: throat cancer, stage 4.

9 Apr 2019