A Rush University study in Nutrients suggests eating strawberries may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's dementia among older adults, reports The Packer . The researchers examined 295 people 58 to 98 years old and without dementia between 2004 and 2018. The investigators pointed to a potential association between disease symptoms and more oxidative stress and inflammation. Strawberries seem to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, possibly because of their high flavonoid and vitamin C content — and animal studies have shown strawberries enhance neuronal function, cognition, and some motor outcomes. Strawberry consumption among participants ranged from zero to two servings a week. The researchers determined that for every serving boost in strawberry intake, there was a 24 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia. Participants who ate one or more servings of strawberries a week had a 34 percent overall reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia in comparison with those consuming none or less than once a month.

A study from Amsterdam University Medical Centers in the Annals of Family Medicine details how dizziness in older adults in a primary care setting can inform decision-making by physicians, reports HCPLive . Distinct dizziness subtypes had a higher mortality risk while others correlated with varying severity of dizziness-related impairment. Researchers identified 417 beneficiaries 65 or older with dizziness that persisted for at least two weeks between June 2006 through 2008. Presyncope was the most common dizziness subtype, followed by vertigo, disequilibrium, and other dizziness. Fifty-two percent of subjects had one subtype, 32.9 percent had two, and 11.2 percent had three, with cardiovascular disease and peripheral vestibular disease the most common causes. Vertigo was linked to a lower 10-year mortality risk compared to persons with other subtypes, while dizziness from peripheral vestibular disease also was associated with a reduced risk of mortality versus dizziness from cardiovascular disease. At the 10-year follow-up's conclusion, 47.7 percent of the cohort had experienced significant dizziness-related impairment, and 26 percent suffered substantial dizziness-related impairment at every measurement. "Substantial dizziness-related impairment in older patients with dizziness 10 years later is high, and indicates that current treatment strategies by family physicians may be suboptimal," the researchers noted.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has recommended that seniors and people with chronic and underlying conditions should avoid church and other large gatherings because they face a "much higher risk of adverse consequences from exposure to coronavirus," reports 11Alive . Kemp encouraged all families in the state to discuss "how they're going to protect their grandparents, how they're going to protect their loved ones with health conditions, and come up with a game plan for getting them what they need." Kemp is immediately putting nonessential travel on hold and evoking telework policies for most state employees. "This arrangement will prevent substantial disruption of service to our constituents and mitigate risk," he declared. "We will be sending out guidance to all agency leaders to ensure that they have the right plans in place for implementation."

The state of Massachusetts is restricting visitors to nursing and senior care communities to protect older adults at greater risk for coronavirus, reports the Boston Herald . Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel issued an order on Wednesday requiring active screening of all visitors and measures to bar them under certain conditions. "It's particularly important that we take precautions to keep older adults and those with health conditions safe," declared Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. "This new guidance . . . is critical to protecting older adults from COVID-19 and we appreciate the public's willingness to observe these important rules for the foreseeable future." According to Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, the restrictions apply to visitors who show signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection; visitors who in the last two weeks had contact with someone with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, are under investigation for coronavirus, or have been ill; visitors who have traveled internationally in the last 14 days or are living in a community where COVID-19 proliferation is occurring; and visitors who currently feel sick or exhibit symptoms.

More than 33 million U.S. workers had no access to sick leave in 2019, according to federal government data cited by the Wall Street Journal , which is posing challenges amid the coronavirus outbreak. Large companies are implementing special sick-time benefits to employees. However, sick policies vary significantly among employees with paid sick time, with federal data showing that about 4 percent of private-sector workers with paid sick time have an unlimited number of days to use, 32 percent have days that can be used for any purpose, and 65 percent have a fixed number of sick days annually. Moreover, 93 percent of workers in the top 10 percent of earners have paid sick days, but that number drops to 30 percent for the bottom 10 percent of earners, an Economic Policy Institute analysis shows. Laws requiring employers to provide paid sick days are in place in 11 states and Washington, D.C., along with 22 cities and counties.

U.S. hospitals are canceling non-urgent surgeries and transitioning routine care to virtual visits in an effort to free up capacity for people infected by the coronavirus and avoid infections as the pandemic spreads, reports the Wall Street Journal . Doctors also said they do not want to expose visitors and staff to potential COVID-19 infection risk. Some hospitals also are requesting people who see primary-care physicians and psychiatrists to use the phone or telemedicine for sessions. Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday will start switching all outpatient visits to virtual care where possible, and postpone surgical procedures that can be delayed, at the discretion of each service area. Surgeries that often can wait include knee replacements and certain gallbladder operations and spine procedures. On Saturday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams suggested on Twitter that hospitals should "consider stopping elective procedures," saying surgeries could risk coronavirus infiltration, draw from their protective equipment inventories, and strain their workforces. However, hospitals balked at widespread elective cancellations in a letter to Adams from four large hospital associations. The missive called on hospitals to decide locally when and which surgeries should be delayed, based on the local spread of coronavirus and urgency of various procedures.

Local groups and institutions charged with caring for seniors are on high alert after Santa Rosa County, Fla., officially posted its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, reports Northwest Florida Daily News . The infected man is being treated under quarantine at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. With the virus expected to continue spreading in the United States and elsewhere, Santa Rosa County nursing communities and senior centers are taking additional precautions to prevent infections among residents. The Sandy Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Milton, for example, is deploying new procedures for outside visitors. "We've done away with our typical sign-in sheets and now have a sign-in sheet where they have to put their name and fill out a questionnaire. And if they check 'yes' on any of the boxes, they're told not to visit the home," said Sandy Ridge Administrator Ashley Hodge. Meanwhile, Council on Aging West Florida Communications Director Josh Newby said the council is working with partners, caregivers, and seniors to raise awareness of precautionary measures.

A study in PLOS Medicine from the Seoul National University College of Medicine found that moderate levels of alcohol consumption can help stave off symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's, reports the Daily Express . The researchers examined 414 men and women, average age 71, who underwent physical exams, tests of mental acuity, and positron-emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans. Moderate drinkers exhibited a 66 percent lower rate of amyloid deposits in their brain. Moderate drinking was defined as 13 standard drinks, classified for the study as either 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. However, the results only applied to those who drank moderately for decades, and the researchers cautioned that these findings do not prove causation.

A new survey published in the Alzheimer's Association 2020 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report estimated that 50 percent of primary care physicians (PCPs) doubt the healthcare profession is sufficiently prepared to meet future demand for dementia care, reports WBIW . Thirty-nine percent of respondents said they are "never" or only "sometimes comfortable" with diagnosing Alzheimer's or other dementias, while 27 percent are "never" or only "sometimes comfortable" answering their care recipients' questions about the disease. Moreover, 22 percent of polled PCPs lacked residency training in dementia diagnosis and care, while 65 percent of the 78 percent who were trained noted that they received "very little" training. The survey includes a state-by-state analysis of the number of geriatricians required to meet future demand, and while Indiana had 65 practicing geriatricians in 2019, 299 are needed to meet future dementia care needs of state seniors in 2050. Meanwhile, 32 percent of PCPs said they refer persons with dementia to specialists at least once a month, yet 55 percent cited a lack of specialists in their area to meet demand — a problem more frequent in rural areas. "We are engaged in outreach with health systems and physicians across the Chapter to ensure the medical profession is prepared," said Alzheimer's Association Greater Indiana Chapter Executive Natalie Sutton.

Public health officials in California are recommending that senior and nursing care communities limit social visits to residents and close contact with others amid the coronavirus epidemic, reports the Sacramento Bee . California had at least two deaths and 167 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections as of March 10. Sacramento County's Department of Health Services last week encouraged care communities to "consider re-evaluating visitation policies," and said any visitor with symptoms of a respiratory illness should be barred from visiting residents while just two visitors at a time should meet with particularly vulnerable loved ones. About 370,000 people reside in California nursing communities, while many more over-65 Californians are active and mobile. "We want to do everything we can to keep our residents safe from exposure from any illnesses," said Pioneer House Executive Director Robert Godfrey. "This is right in the middle of a normal flu season. This added illness that is now nationwide and global is just one more thing."