The University of Michigan's (U-M) National Poll on Healthy Aging of 2,000 Americans estimated that prior to the COVID-19 crisis, one in seven adults ages 50 to 80 had difficulty getting enough food due to high costs or other obstacles, reports United Press International . Even higher numbers of blacks, Hispanics, and those not yet receiving Medicare faced food insecurity. Older poor people and those with less education also were more likely to have trouble getting food. Just 33 percent of these Americans were receiving government food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, while less than 2 percent of people over 60 received free meals at senior communities or from Meals on Wheels. Older adults with food insecurity also were three times more likely to say they were in poor health, and almost five times as likely to report having fair or poor mental health. "These data suggest an important opportunity, which is likely even more urgent now, to connect older adults with resources they may not know about, and to explore public policies that could improve access," said U-M Professor Cindy Leung.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association associated a sudden craving for sweet foods and poor table manners with the onset of frontotemporal (FTD) dementia, reports the International Business Times . Persons also may become rude or insensitive and act rashly or impulsively. They also appear to be subdued and incapable of empathy, while compulsive eating and drinking are additional symptoms. University of Sydney Professor Rebekah Ahmed's team used unique obesity research methods to measure sucrose preference and total intake in FTD. They also learned that altered eating behavior resulting from FTD is governed by complex brain networks and tends to affect people who are 45 to 65 years old. Researchers also found that an active physical and mental lifestyle can boost resilience to FTD, and their findings were consistent across participants with genetic profiles that make them susceptible to FTD.

A study by Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry Professor Blayne Welk and colleagues published in BJU International suggests that anticholinergic drugs for treating overactive bladder could elevate the risk of developing dementia, reports CTV News . The team looked at some 60,000 Ontarians with bladder leakage issues, and those who used anticholinergics rather than beta-3 agonists had a 20 percent higher risk of dementia. Welk recommended that people should consult with their doctors about treatment options, even though the risk of dementia is technically low. "It's important for physicians to be aware that there are alternative medications, and if a patient is concerned about that being a side effect of an overactive bladder medication, there are alternatives out there that can be tried first," he said.

New Jersey resident John Lynch was inspired by his father's death, which he could only attend remotely on FaceTime due to social distancing restrictions, to donate iPads so that seniors in similar situations can see their loved ones, reports CBS News . His Lunch with Lynch Foundation is collecting iPads for healthcare communities, and more than 60 iPads have been collected to date. The first 20 went to Cape May County Medical Center, with the rest to be circulated to senior care communities in Cape May County and hospitals across the United States. "Our families have told us how important it is and how much they really appreciate the opportunity to see their loved ones and talk to them," said Cape Regional Foundation Executive Director Tom Piratzky.

Assisted living communities are pleading for financial aid in combating COVID-19, with Virginia-based Sunrise Senior Living organizing a national letter-writing campaign to solicit federal funding, reports WTHR-TV . The campaign is asking residents, staffers, family members, and regular citizens to reach out to Congress and request money to protect seniors and those who staff the nation's assisted living communities. "When you speak of nursing homes and funding, assisted living should be part of that conversation," said Sunrise's Chandra Stradling. Sunrise has deployed measures like in-room-only dining, staff temperature screening, and social distancing, but fighting the coronavirus is an enormous and costly challenge. "We just feel as if assisted living maybe has gone unnoticed and we'd really like to be seen. We take care of the same vulnerable populations that nursing homes do," Stradling notes. Assisted living communities, unlike nursing homes, have not received federal aid for COVID-19 countermeasures. The letter-writing campaign requests funding for gowns and masks, virus testing, and financial support for staff.

A study in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity found that strong relationships encourage physical activity and positive health behaviors in older adults and should not be overlooked during social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Medical Xpress . Researchers at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa worked with international partners to examine 1,193 adults ages 65 to 74 in Albania, Brazil, and Colombia. They determined that individual and interpersonal factors were most strongly associated with meeting physical activity guidelines — and subjects with higher educational attainment, a strong relationship with a life partner, or a network of close friends were much more likely to be physically active on a regular basis. Meanwhile, female and depressed participants were less likely to engage in regular physical activity. Mental health challenges are likely to grow during the current crisis, but walking has been shown to protect against depression. "Older adults who experience social isolation are at greater risk of depression, cognitive decline, and other poor health outcomes," said University of Hawai'i Professor Catherine Pirkle. "We must find innovative ways to maintain connectedness and physical activity, while also following public health guidelines."

The Alzheimer's Society says that auditory hallucinations like knocking or footsteps can be an early indicator of Lewy body dementia, reports the Daily Express . Visual hallucinations, which often take the form of people or animals, are also a common early warning symptom. "They can last several minutes and may be distressing," the society warns. A 2019 study in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association also demonstrated that people with Alzheimer's disease or Lewy body dementia exhibit unique walking patterns that signal subtle distinctions between the two conditions. Those with Lewy body dementia change their walking steps more and have an asymmetric gait compared to those with Alzheimer's disease.

The University of Michigan-Flint (UM-Flint) has established a Center on Aging to support multidisciplinary research on understanding and resolving aging-related issues. The center will help faculty and students underwrite research and community outreach related to seniors and aging, and match researchers seeking new collaborations. "It's very apparent that the problems and issues related to aging require a multidisciplinary approach," said center director Allon Goldberg. "We need to all work together. Those within any of the university's schools and colleges can weigh in on the problems." Issues that could be explored with the help of the center include healthy living, senior fraud, age discrimination, cellular biology, educational opportunities, and healthcare access. The center also will help faculty and students further existing partnerships with area senior centers, aging agencies, and other community groups. This assistance may include funding for intervention programs, polls on local issues, and helping faculty find channels for other resources.

G. Michael Leader, president and CEO of Country Meadows Retirement Communities, writes in PennLive to urge his colleagues to "do the right thing." He says that simple, four-word philosophy is the moral compass his parents, Pa. Gov. George M. and Mary Jane Leader, instilled in him and used as their guide when founding Country Meadows. "I believe it's why our customers have placed their confidence in us," he remarked. "We've made every effort to stay ahead of this virus by acquiring as much personal protective equipment as available and re-training co-workers in its use and testing as much and as fast as we can with available tests." The company has also implemented a blanket co-worker testing program that goes beyond what has been advised, calling it a "necessary right step." Leader goes on to assert that energy should be channeled toward local, state, and federal government officials for more PPE and testing for senior living. "That's how they can do the right thing," he concluded.

A new workplace survey by Engine Insights for Smartsheet found that working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic is especially challenging for Generation Z and millennials, reports Forbes . Those two generations feel particularly less connected now than before the crisis. Meanwhile, 74 percent of Gen-Zers and 66 percent of millennials feel less informed about company goings-on versus 53 percent of Generation-X and 50 percent of baby boomers. Moreover, 48 percent of Gen-Zers and 46 percent of millennials say work-at-home restrictions have made communicating with co-workers difficult compared to 35 percent of Gen-Xers and 36 percent of boomers. In addition, more than 40 percent of Gen-Z and millennials find difficulty collecting the information they need to give status updates, compared to 33 percent for both Gen-X and boomers. Finally, a majority of older workers do not feel that video meetings, e-mail, and other remote communication technologies are distracting them from work as strongly as their younger counterparts.