As fitness coordinator for Erickson Living's Lantern Hill senior living community in New Providence, N.J., Melissa Sullivan offers five senior fitness tips for 2020, reports Patch . She recommends seniors drink lots of water — at least six to eight unce glasses daily. Sullivan also suggests seniors add flexibility to their daily routine, with stretching and yoga good starting points. Sullivan also says desserts are to be avoided, except on special occasions. Moreover, she urges seniors to pursue continuous stimulation of the brain and memory with activities like reading, arts and crafts, playing cards, fitness classes, traveling when possible, and listening to or playing music. Sullivan's fifth tip is for seniors whose exercise regimen has been waylaid by injury to revisit a doctor and work with him/her on a new regimen.

A study in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society found a significant uptick of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease infections, especially among women and adults aged 65 or older, reports Contagion Live . About 27 million individuals were posted annually in the national managed care claims database the investigators used, representing a geographically diverse population between 2007 and 2016. The yearly incidence of NTM rose from 3.13 to 4.37 between 2008 and 2015 per 100,000 person-years, while the annual prevalence climbed from 6.78 to 11.70 per 100,000 person-years. NTM incidence also increased by at least 10 percent in 29 states, with Hawaii and Arizona consistently in the high range in 2008 and 2015. Moreover, the prevalence of NTM rose by at least 10 percent in 39 states. The annual incidence increased from 12.70 to 18.37 per 100,000 person-years among adults 65 years and older, and annual prevalence grew for older adults from 30.27 to 47.48 per 100,000 person-years. "In the last five to 10 years, we've seen increased interest from industries for drug development, government for funding science around why people get this disease," noted Oregon Health & Science University's Kevin L. Winthrop. "It sets the stage for further development along those lines."

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this week approved a law to prevent financial exploitation of the state's senior population by implementing new protections, reports TAPinto.net . The law mandates that when a qualified individual believes the financial exploitation of an eligible adult — defined as someone 65 or older or who is otherwise subject to the Adult Protective Services Act — has happened or been attempted, they must alert the Bureau of Securities in the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety and the appropriate county adult protective services provider. A qualified individual is designated as any agent, investment adviser representative, or other person who serves in a supervisory, compliance, or legal capacity for a broker-dealer or investment adviser. This individual also must inform any third party previously deemed by the eligible adult, unless that party is suspected of exploitation. The qualified individual who reports in good faith would be exempted from administrative, civil, or criminal liability. Under the law, a broker-dealer or investment adviser may postpone a disbursement from an eligible adult's account if it could lead to financial exploitation. Moreover, broker-dealers or investment advisers must allow access to or copies of records that are relevant to the suspected or attempted exploitation of an eligible adult to agencies tasked with overseeing state adult protective services laws and to law enforcement.

Long-term health care was among the health care issues discussed at last night's Democratic debate, reports Politico . Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) redirected a conversation about Medicare for All and the public option, shifting the focus to "long-term care — the elephant that doesn't even fit in this room." Klobuchar then discussed her own family's struggles when caring for her father. "We have to make it easier for long-term care," she said. "It's not just for the seniors — it's also for the sandwich generation, people trying to help their parents." The issue of long-term care has not gotten much airtime in the Democrats' debates, but there is considerable evidence that it is a growing problem as the baby boomers age into retirement. A 2016 HHS report projected that 52 percent of Americans turning 65 would develop a disability that required long-term services and supports.

Young entrepreneur Logan Wells conceived of a free online app called CareZare when he was 14 to help his grandmother, who has dementia, reports WTVR 6 . CareZare lets caregivers look after loved ones by giving them a platform to monitor medical reports, visits, moods, calendar events, and any other information that may be important to family members. Once a care team is organized, any team member will receive notifications whenever somebody adds information through the platform. "My hope is that they can have more time they can spend with their loved one instead of managing their loved one," Wells said. CareZare has been downloaded more than 5,000 times so far, and one user who has come to appreciate its benefits is Working Daughter community founder Liz O'Donnell. "What I love about the CareZare app is that I could go and visit mom or dad in the morning and say, 'Oh, they're having a great day; like this would be a good day to come over and take them for a ride' — you know, tell my sisters that," she said. "Or 'they're having a bad day; this is a day I really want you to come over and help me out.'"

The Ray Hopkins Mauldin Senior Center in Greenville, S.C., hosts classes to teach older adults to familiarize themselves with technology like smartphones and tablets, reports WSPA-TV . The classes are taught by people like Bill Vicary, an instructor at OLLI Furman and graduate of the Seniors Leaders of Greenville. He also is an instructor at the Wofford Lifelong Learning Institute, a member of the Upstate Senior Network, and has worked with several senior communities and centers, and many seniors. In a typical class, Vicary walks students through turning on devices, and setting up contacts and key passwords. He also gives learners advice on spam callers and messages, and saving money on the Internet bill. His class typically features a few dozen adults older than 55. Although many students start out frustrated and confused, Vicary says he is usually able to help just about everyone.

Panelists at the recent technology trade show CES 2020 discussed ways in which the industry is paying attention to the needs of older adults and the younger people who provide care for seniors in need, according to Venture Beat . "The role technology will play in health monitoring and self-treatment is already in great demand for older adult care and to anyone that needs to keep track of their health," said Tim Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Technologies who has attended 50 CES events over the decades. "It will be one of the more important growth markets in tech in the next 20 years." Apple will almost certainly be at the forefront, as its Apple Watch and iPhone products keep adding new capabilities for detecting health problems such as atrial fibrillation. The ambition behind technology for older adult care is only expected to grow. For instance, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda noted in his press event at CES that seniors can receive better care in a place like Toyota Woven City, a connected community that the company is building on a former Toyota factory site.

The Alzheimer's Association cautions that wandering and getting lost is common among people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia and can happen during any stage of the disease, reports the Maryland Independent . Cindy Schelhorn, senior director of communications and marketing with the Alzheimer's Association National Capital Area Chapter, wrote in an official release: "Even in the early stages of dementia, the person can become disoriented or confused for a period of time and may not remember his or her name or address." Behaviors that may indicate an increased risk of wandering range from trying or wanting to "go home," even when at home to forgetting how to get to familiar places to talking about fulfilling obligations they no longer have, such as going to work. Planning ahead and being prepared is important for when such dangerous situations occur. The following are strategies to help lower the chances of a wandering incident: one, identify the most likely times of day that wandering may occur; two, ensure all basic needs are met; three, install locks that are out of the line of sight; and, four, if the person is no longer driving, remove access to car keys.

The average retirement age in the U.S. has increased in the past 25 years to 66 or older, according to the Wall Street Journal. Overall, people are working more — a half-hour longer every weekday versus 12 years ago — and spending less time socializing, attending community events, or participating in recreation and exercise, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. People's careers are getting longer, too. Today, the only age group with a growing labor participation rate is those 55 and older. Half of workers polled don't expect to retire at 65, according to a 2018 survey of 6,372 workers by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Thirteen percent plan never to retire. Rising health care costs and Social Security shortfalls are among the biggest concerns of people approaching retirement.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of 147,288 adults in the United States estimated that 19 percent of those with arthritis suffer "frequent mental distress" and 32 percent have a history of depression, reports Healthline . In comparison, 8 percent of the overall U.S. population reported having depression. CDC officials added that 22 percent of adults in the United States have arthritis that has been diagnosed. Geography was a factor, with people in Kentucky reporting the highest incidence of mental distress at 22 percent, followed by residents in North Carolina and New Mexico. Women and people who identified as LGBT also had higher rates of frequent mental distress and depression than men and heterosexuals. Education level was found to play a role as well, while another contributor is people with chronic conditions who do not follow treatment recommendations. People reporting as depressed were three times more likely to not follow physicians' recommendations concerning medication, exercise, diet, and follow-up appointments. The researchers suggested adults with arthritis could benefit from mental health screenings and referrals, along with physical activity and self-management education programs.