Health psychologist Roger McIntosh writes in Next Avenue that self-quarantine or isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic can have serious repercussions on the physical and mental health of older adults. "Behavioral research widely supports the observation that socially isolated older adults have lower T-cells counts and higher levels of inflammation than their socially integrated counterparts," he explains. "More frequent engagement in meaningful social interactions enhances immune function by lowering the suppressive effect of stress on immune resilience." The burden on isolated seniors is compounded by their generally greater reliance on instructive/support services, large group formats, and committed space for exercise, recreation, and physical therapy. Furthermore, McIntosh cites the well-documented benefits of fresh air and sunlight on immune system function. Meanwhile, he refers to a review in The Lancet analyzing self-quarantined populations worldwide, which "suggests social isolation during an epidemic has negative psychosocial consequences, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger." As for solutions, McIntosh suggests interactions between families and residents of long-term care communities through telecommunication technology for virtual visits when in-person visits are not permitted. "These same applications can be used to provide fitness and life coaching for the isolated, as well as facilitating telemedicine to ensure older patients maintain some standard of care," he writes.

Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) writes in an editorial published by The Hill that the coronavirus has disproportionately targeted senior men and women. As a result, she is calling for the U.S. government to do more for this demographic. The ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, Granger stresses that great emphasis must be placed on getting resources to help these vulnerable Americans. She writes, "I have worked closely with Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) in a bipartisan way to ensure that stimulus money was provided for just these types of situations. Yet it is now obvious that in administering some of these programs, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not acted quickly enough." She applauds the Trump administration for doing a good job of prioritizing nursing communities early in the pandemic so that they received sorely needed personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies. The problem is many of the nation's seniors reside in senior living communities where they don't require full-time nursing care and can live at a more affordable rate. According to Granger, "these facilities have still not been prioritized by HHS for financial relief. They have not been prioritized for PPE, or for testing supplies, and I fear once a vaccine is approved, they will continue to be overlooked."

University of Southern California (USC) researchers are soliciting volunteers 50 years and up with no memory loss to participate in a study on Alzheimer's disease prevention, reports KNX 1070 . The Alzheimer Prevention Trials Web study is promoted as "a first-of-its-kind online study that detects if people experience memory loss over time and need early intervention, and matches them with the right Alzheimer's study, as quickly as possible." Volunteers will undergo free memory tests online every three months to watch for memory changes over time. If changes are noticed, volunteers may be invited to in-person assessments to determine eligibility for additional Alzheimer's studies. Fourteen percent of Californians — over 5.6 million — are 65 and older, giving the Golden State one of the largest populations of people with Alzheimer's disease — projected at 690,000. USC researchers forecast that number will jump by 21 percent to 840,000 in the next five years.

A study presented late last week at a meeting of the Alzheimer's Association suggests that young adults who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk for dementia in later life, according to U.S. News & World Report . The investigators examined more than 5,100 older adults participating in two long-term studies. Women who were overweight between 20 and 49 years of age had nearly twice the risk of dementia after age 70, while older men and women who were obese in those earlier years saw their risk increase by 150 percent. Columbia University Professor Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri cautioned that these findings do not prove that excess weight induces dementia, but said "our study does suggest that adult life obesity is an important risk factor for dementia." For each study, the researchers used a computer model to map each participant's lifetime body mass index (BMI), broken down by early adulthood (ages 20 to 49), middle age (ages 50 to 69), and late life (ages 70 to 89). The association between BMI and dementia risk differed by gender and age, as being overweight or obese in middle age did not appear to affect women's dementia risk. Yet men who were overweight during midlife saw their dementia risk rise 50 percent after age 70, while men with middle-aged obesity had twice the risk. Men who were overweight during early adulthood apparently had no elevated dementia risk, while women did.

Experts forecast that after the COVID-19 crisis, older Americans — especially Medicare beneficiaries — will routinely have medical appointments through telehealth and geriatricians will be highly sought after, reports Next Avenue . McKinsey & Company Health Care Systems and Services said while just 11 percent of U.S. consumers used telehealth last year, 46 percent have in recent months. While lockdowns have been a major driver, a key factor has been Medicare rule changes covering telehealth for people 65 and up. Due to the pandemic, beneficiaries can now receive telehealth in any location, including their homes, and Medicare can pay doctors the same rate for remote visits as for in-person visits. Private Medicare Advantage plans also now offer the latest telehealth technology as part of their basic benefit. "It's hard to imagine merely reverting to the way things were before," said U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma. The pandemic also is boosting the prospects for geriatricians, creating heightened awareness of the need for the services they provide. "I think the pandemic put the spotlight on older adults, which will likely increase the number of people going into the field," said health care consultant Robert Sullivan.

Assisted living communities in Texas are taking steps to address residents' loneliness during the pandemic, reports NewsWest 9 . Among them is Manor Park in Midlands where residents currently have the options of FaceTime and Skype sessions with loved ones, window visits, social events, staff visits, and more. "We wanted to make sure that the residents here have every avenue of talking to their loved ones," said Manor Park administrator Rodney Berzoza. Some community members, like Manor Park's chaplain, are required to fulfill multiple roles. The community said it will allow additional pastors, ministers, and spiritual mentors to visit as the pandemic decelerates. "If we see that an individual is struggling, we can quickly communicate that to our chaplain and make sure that our residents are getting the appropriate attention that they need," Berzoza said.

With the market power of the 65-and-older set growing along with their population, more businesses are offering walkers, canes, and other assistive products that combine function with style, reports the Wall Street Journal . Industrial designer Patricia Moore says the baby boomer generation is using its spending sway to move away from poor aesthetics, in line with a shift in design among academic circles. Former Apple designer Don Norman says older consumers most often desire devices that do not look like something a frail, invalid person would use. Ipsos research found that 82 percent of consumers older than 55 said their preferred retail brand is out of touch with their aesthetic needs, and Segment International founder Brian McMahon says increasing Internet literacy among seniors is driving them toward more accommodating brands. For example, Danish designer byACRE is making carbon-based rollators — walkers with wheels — as a sleek and lighter alternative to heavy aluminum walkers sold in mobility shops. Anders Berggreen, CEO of byACRE, says his company is benefiting from greater senior Internet use, as well as purchases by end users rather than by their children or caregivers. Moore says the interest in more aesthetically-pleasing senior devices is long overdue. "The real work is yet to be done, but it is being done . . . because we have this new generation of sensitive thinkers who are using head and heart to make a difference," she explains.

A study in JAMA Network Open found older adults who develop post-surgical brain dysfunction spend more time in the hospital and are less likely to be sent home, reports United Press International . The researchers looked at data on nearly 2.4 million Medicare beneficiaries who had surgery between January 2013 and December 2016, average age 75 years. Slightly less than 45,000 were diagnosed with post-operative neurocognitive dysfunction (PND), and those with the condition remained hospitalized for an average of about six days — two more than those without the complication. Only 22 percent of those with PND were sent home following recovery, versus 40 percent of those without PND. Ten percent of those with PND patients died within one year of surgery, compared to 4.4 percent of those without PND. Seniors who have delirium during recovery from an operation are hospitalized for up to two days longer and, when they are sent home, up to 78 percent are sent to a rehabilitation or skilled nursing community. This can lead to more than $17,000 in extra healthcare costs. "Many factors drive this, including older age, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer health, risk factors not amenable to quick change," explained Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's M. Dustin Boone.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has vetoed state Senate legislation which would have imperiled the health of Michigan's nursing community residents and other COVID-19-positive patients, reports WILX 10 . She dismissed the bill as "nothing more than a political game that would relocate vulnerable seniors without any requirement for consent, doctor's approval, or notification to patients and their families." Michigan Senior Advocates Council Chairperson Linda Cook MacDonald expressed her organization's support for Whitmer's veto. "This legislation puts seniors at greater risk by failing to provide the enhanced and qualified staffing needed for their protection," she declared. Separately, Whitmer has established the Michigan Nursing Homes COVID-19 Preparedness Task Force within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in anticipation of a second wave of infections. Its mission is to analyze data on COVID-19 risks and threats in nursing communities; provide recommendations to the governor on improving data quality; and issue periodic reports on its findings and recommendations. The task force is scheduled to publish its initial report on Aug. 31.

University of Virginia (UVA) students are distributing second-hand devices to older adults to help prevent unnecessary coronavirus exposure as part of the TeleHealth Access for Seniors program, reports the Cavalier Daily . Founded by four students this past March, the program enlists volunteers to collect devices family, friends, businesses, and schools no longer use and donate them to local hospitals and clinics. Rising third-year college students Rachana Subbanna, Anika Iyer, and Tanvi Nallanagula joined the Virginia team last month. "Our three main goals are prevention, connection, and education," Iyer said. "We want to prevent complications from chronic conditions or exposure to COVID-19 by enabling senior citizens to access devices and telehealth resources. We also want to help seniors connect with family and friends virtually as they practice social distancing, as well as offer educational tools as they learn to use their devices." The UVA team partnered with the Charlottesville Free Clinic and, after three weeks of seeking donations, delivered some 25 devices to underinsured and uninsured seniors in the Charlottesville community. "The pandemic is not going away anytime soon," Iyer said. "So we will just keep expanding and recruiting more volunteers in more states, because even a little bit of work — preventing a now potentially life-threatening trip to the doctor's office — can make a difference in the lives of older Americans suffering from chronic conditions."