The Rhode Island Department Of Health (RIDOH) announced that long-term care and assisted living communities can resume visits on July 8, as long as they comply with strict infection control measures to keep residents, staff, and family members safe, reports What's Up Newp . RIDOH in June published guidance to communities on developing safe visitation plans, and about two weeks ago permitted them to restart communal dining and communal activities. Communities that do not have visitation plans ready and approved by Wednesday must implement a standard Visitation Plan for Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Residences developed by RIDOH. The plan stipulates that visits be limited to only those essential to the resident's physical and emotional well-being and care, and scheduled in advance. Visits also will only be allowed for 30-minute increments, while communities must actively screen everyone for fever and symptoms of COVID-19 before admission. Moreover, communities need to keep a daily log with names and contact information for all visitors, and outdoor visits are preferred, with indoor visits limited to the resident's room or other area specifically designated for visits. No matter where visits take place, visitors must maintain a six-foot distance from staff and residents and wear a cloth face covering. Finally, all visitors must perform hand hygiene upon entry or to the outside visitation area, or before entering the resident's room.

A study in Diabetes Care suggests that doctors could predict the five- and 10-year life expectancy of older adults with diabetes by analyzing their health history, reports United Press International . The researchers listed 37 factors associated with, or suspected to impact, risk for death in diabetic older adults with "high predictive validity." They were accurately able to identify those who would die within five years, within 10 years, or more than 10 years later. "Our results identify multiple common conditions that can easily be identified in clinical practice and assist clinicians in shared decision-making with patients," said the VA Boston Healthcare System's Paul Conlin. Key factors that influence diabetes treatment objectives include co-existing health conditions like severe mental illness or cancer, along with diabetes complications such as chronic kidney disease and heart failure. The researchers said the final predictive models highlight the importance of several individual and condition-specific characteristics that might inform clinicians and patients about life expectancy. For instance, the benefits of reducing blood sugar can take several years to manifest, and may not be worth it for older adults with limited life expectancy due to other health problems. "Our goal was to use the best available information to inform decision-making in setting glucose control targets," said Conlin.

Encore Creativity for Older Adults is a choral organization providing adults 55 and older with a creative outlet and the opportunity to make new friends, reports the Epoch Times . Encore is the largest choral organization for adults 55 and over in the United States, and it counts roughly 1,400 singers in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and New York. Encore currently hosts 22 different choruses, including one for those with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. With live rehearsals cancelled since March 12, Encore is offering a virtual summer course called Encore University, which will hold rehearsals and music classes. The organization also has set up a virtual Encore University Summer School for those 55 and older, with classes and rehearsals held via Zoom. "We have empowered these people to do their best, and we have empowered these people to look forward to life," said Encore founder Jeanne Kelly. "They come in and they're happy. Our singers are just happy."

The Victorian Senior Care assisted-living community operator in North Carolina applied social media to match residents at its 14 communities with pen pals looking to make friends from all over the world, reports CNN . Since this program began last week, residents have received mail and packages from all over the world, including Germany, countries in Africa, and New Zealand. Anyone can send mail to residents, and visitors can click through images on Victorian Senior Care's Facebook page to choose a pen pal, with their addresses in the captions. For anyone having difficulty choosing, the main office is collecting themed packages for distribution to the appropriate residents. Victorian Senior Care COO Meredith Seals requests that senders write on the envelope what the theme is, like sports, veteran, dog, or crafts.

Studies indicate that singing songs and listening to music can provide relief from stress, anxiety, and agitation for people with Alzheimer's and dementia, and patriotic music on the Fourth of July has a similar effect, reports WPEC CBS 12 . Patriotic music on Independence Day creates validation of different events and traditions, reminders of cultural identities and values, and connects people emotionally and physically. It can help make it easier for those with Alzheimer's and dementia to recollect people, places, and things they may have forgotten. They may start clapping their hands, swaying to the beat, or singing lyrics. Music also can be beneficial for caregivers and supporting family by lightening the mood.

A study in Nature Medicine led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers examined tau proteins as a factor in variance of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) progression in different people, reports News-Medical . The researchers examined samples from 32 persons diagnosed with "typical AD" while living, which was confirmed postmortem. The age at diagnosis and the rate of AD progression differed significantly among this cohort. The team also performed an in-depth characterization of the molecular features of tau proteins within subjects' brains, and discovered "striking" variation in the presence of phosphorylated tau oligomers that are linked to greater tau spread and worse disease. Different modifications were connected to different degrees of severity and progression rate, and led to variable recognition by antibodies that are under consideration for the therapeutic targeting of tau proteins in AD and associated disorders. "We speculate that there are different molecular 'drivers' of Alzheimer's progression, with each patient having their own set of these," said Bradley Hyman at the Massachusetts General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease. "This is similar to what we see in cancer, where there are several types of lung or breast cancer, for example, and the treatment depends on the particular molecular drivers in the patient's tumor."

New data from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) listed five chronic diseases — hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, anemia, and diabetes — that make seniors especially vulnerable for hospitalization with COVID-19, reports MoneyTalksNews . CMS said more than 325,000 Original Medicare beneficiaries were diagnosed with COVID-19 between Jan. 1 and May 16, with 111,000 hospitalized. The breakdown of hospitalized beneficiaries with the five listed diseases was 79 percent with hypertension, 60 percent with hyperlipidemia, 50 percent with chronic kidney disease, 50 percent with anemia, and 50 percent with diabetes. Of the beneficiaries who went into the hospital, 28 percent died there and 27 percent were discharged to their homes, while 21 percent were transferred to skilled nursing communities or other healthcare settings. CMS added that COVID-19 hospitalization rates are especially high for black and Hispanic beneficiaries, beneficiaries 85 or older, and those enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.

An electronic sports (esports) center catering exclusively to seniors will open in the Japanese city of Kobe on July 2, reports DOT Esports . ISR Esports will only accept people 60 and older, including those who have never played a video game. Participants will first be introduced to basic gaming experiences, and then play what ISR Esports described as "full-blown esports titles." The center said it will comply with protection and prevention guidelines regarding the coronavirus, as those 65 years and older are at higher risk of infection. Game Centers have become quite popular among Japan's older population, with arcades becoming a gathering place for seniors who felt lonely and isolated. Meanwhile, an AARP study estimated that there were almost 51 million American gamers older than 50 last year, playing an average of five hours a week.

A study by University of Virginia Professor Bradley Gelfand is investigating the connection between exercise and the prevention of macular degeneration in older Americans, reports CBS 19 . Gelfand looked at groups of people who engaged in exercise and those who did not. "What we found was that, essentially, with any of the subjects with access to exercise saw a benefit, irrespective of how much they exercised," said Gelfand. He hopes that proper research and funding could lead to a curative treatment for macular degeneration that does not require exercise. Among the possibilities being considered is a medication that delivers the effect of exercising without actually having to work out.

A study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine 2020 Annual Meeting determined that high-impact strength training could boost bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, reports Medscape . The researchers examined 101 postmenopausal women, and learned that BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck regions and functional performance measures was significantly improved in 49 participants randomized to high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) for eight months, compared to 52 randomized to low-intensity training. Three years later the team reassessed 23 participants in the HiRIT group. They found that lumbar spine and femoral neck BMT was significantly better in that population who continued HiRIT in the 16 who did not. However, the women who discontinued HiRIT after eight months maintained the BMT gains they had realized three years earlier. "The takeaway here is that this type of exercise appears to be a highly effective therapy to reduce risk of osteoporotic fracture, since it improves bone mass," said Griffith University School of Allied Health Sciences Professor Belinda Beck.