President Trump recently signed an appropriation measure for a $350 million boost in funding for Alzheimer's and dementia research, reports NBC 24 . The first $10 million will go toward development of the Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. "Alzheimer's is the most expensive disease in America," said Julia Pechlivanos with the Alzheimer's Association's Northwest Ohio Chapter. "It's devastating to families and caregivers — often their health suffers as well as a result of caring for someone with Alzheimer's or other types of dementia. So we need to find a treatment." Yearly funding for Alzheimer's and dementia research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health currently stands at a record $2.8 billion, which is six times higher than the 2010 total allocated by the National Alzheimer's Project Act.

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society details how a tool developed by Rutgers University's Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research (IFH) could help people check up on older loved ones to make sure they are not neglecting themselves, reports News-Medical . IFH Director XinQi Dong said the goal of the project "is to provide healthcare providers, aging professionals, and others who already interact with older adults frequently, a brief tool to quantify self-neglect risks without the need for formal in-home visits." The tool uses 10 questions to accurately predict whether older adults in the community might be prone to self-neglect. The IFH researchers used data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project to identify predictors of self-neglect, like hypertension, wearing a hearing aid, and the use of aspirin, and based the questions on those factors. The study concentrated on non-Hispanic black and white older adults living in three Chicago neighborhoods. "With further studies and analyses focusing on different populations, particularly underrepresented minorities, this tool could improve treatment for at-risk older adults and help to prevent self-neglect," said IFH's Bei Wang.

A poll by Fortune and Great Place to Work found Sprint to be one of the best American companies in terms of diversity, reports the Kansas City Business Journal . Fortune said 52 percent of the wireless carrier's 28,000-person workforce is a minority, while women comprise 38 percent. In addition, 14 percent of Sprint workers are baby boomers or older. "We've made ... a holistic shift in our approach to include diversity and inclusion in our core strategy," said Sprint Chief Human Resources Officer Deeanne King. "This is who we are as a company and how we approach each and every day — drawing from all the diverse corners of our employee base, our suppliers, our customers, and the communities we touch to make Sprint a truly great place to work."

Florida lawmakers are proposing tighter controls over senior guardians so older Floridians are better protected against shady financial advisers, reports Fox 35 . The draft bill would mandate courts to check for conflicts of interest before assigning guardians to clients. Sen. Kathleen Passidomo (R-Fla.) says senior financial exploitation is "becoming a huge problem financially. Billions of dollars from our older populations are being targeted. As a state, we need to make sure we protect our vulnerable, elder citizens." The bill passed the state House committee and is headed for a hearing on the Senate floor.

St. Croix Hospice has announced the new North Star Dementia Program, providing specialized care to persons with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, reports RiverTowns.net . The hospice has branches in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The new program includes a team of health professionals certified in dementia care by the Crisis Prevention Institute to concentrate on proactive behavioral management that will lead to a safer, more comfortable environment and better quality of life for beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. According to St. Croix's Jennifer Lemere, this includes non-pharmacological methods for treating dementia and teaching families about the disease. "A diagnosis of dementia affects not only the sufferer but their whole family," states St. Croix Chief Clinical Officer Mandy Cogswell. "Declining physical health, as well as memory loss, mental deterioration, and behavioral changes, combine to create significant emotional stress for caregivers."

A study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology suggests diets high in fat and red meat could contribute to macular degeneration in senior Americans, reports WebMD . The researchers looked at nearly 1,300 people, most of whom did not have macular degeneration. There were 117 subjects with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and 27 with late AMD. All participants completed surveys about their diets twice during the 18-year study, and those who followed a more Western diet were more likely to develop late-stage AMD. Red and processed meats, fats like margarine and butter, high-fat dairy, and fried foods were associated with a higher AMD risk. "Diet is one way you might be able to modify your risk of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration," especially for those with a family history of the disease, said University at Buffalo Professor Amy Millen. She and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai's Avnish Deobhakta concurred that inflammation triggered by a less healthy diet and stress on the cells in the eyes likely underpin the elevated risk of AMD. Millen and Deobhakta also noted a diet that features vegetables, fruits, and fatty fish contains important nutrients for eye health.

A new survey of 505 full-time U.S. employees by Clutch found younger workers are four times more likely than baby boomers to expect regular job advancements like promotions and pay raises every year, according to AZ Business Magazine . Younger employees find such advancements important on account of the need to stay competitive amid a fluid job market. Also critical is the advent of startup culture, which expects workers to grow rapidly with the company — and younger employees are more used to being promoted to match corporate growth than boomers. In addition, younger workers are more likely to value working for a diverse, non-discriminatory employer, and employees rate their company's commitment to fairness based on its advancement policies. However, fewer than one in five workers between 18 and 34 think all of their firm's employees have a fair chance to advance. Chief human resources officer Tim Toterhi thinks companies can allay this and other concerns by clearly stating the expected pace of advancement and using a "pay-for-performance" model that provides workers with metrics to meet in order to advance.

A review of animal and human studies in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests intermittent fasting 16 to 18 hours a day can lower blood pressure, aid in weight loss, and improve longevity, reports CNN . Because most Americans do not intermittently fast, doctors are less likely to consider fasting a solution to a broad range of health problems. The researchers determined alternating between fasting and eating can improve cellular health, probably by triggering metabolic switching, in which cells deplete their fuel stores and convert fat to energy. Intermittent fasting is believed to enhance insulin resistance and stabilize blood sugar levels. One study in BMJ Case Reports found three men with adult-onset diabetes were able to discontinue insulin after losing weight from intermittent fasting. Another study in Nature Reviews Neuroscience revealed metabolic switching boosts resistance to stress by optimizing brain function and neuroplasticity. Finally, a study in the Journal of Translational Medicine found young men who fasted daily for 16 hours lost fat and retained muscle while resistance training for two months.

A study in the BMJ suggests older adults who breathe in very small particles from air pollution for even a few days are more likely to be hospitalized for many diseases, reports Voice of America . Researchers examined PM2.5, a liquid-solid mixture of particles, with each particle being about 3 percent of the size of a human hair at most. The authors verified earlier associations between short-term exposure to PM2.5 and a higher risk of hospitalization and death from certain ailments — including heart and lung diseases, diabetes, and blood flow obstruction in the legs. The researchers also discovered new connections between short-term exposure and more hospitalizations for maladies like kidney failure and sepsis. The investigators analyzed hospital records for Medicare beneficiaries from 2000 to 2012, selected according to their home zip codes. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Yaguang Wei said the most frequent and hazardous health effects of PM2.5 exposure are heart and breathing diseases, which are "the leading causes of hospitalization, emergency room, visits and even death." For diseases like sepsis, fluid disorders, kidney failure, and intestinal problems, each cubic meter rise in short-term average fine PM levels correlated with an annual increase of roughly 2,050 hospital visits.

Retired professional skateboarder Tony Hawk is mourning the passing of his mother, Nancy, after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer's and dementia, reports WTSP 10 News . "We watched helplessly as she slid away — mentally and physically — in rapid decline over the last few years," Hawk posted on Facebook. "With each visit, it became less likely that there would be any signs of recognition." The family announced tribute donations could be made to Hilarity for Charity, a nonprofit committed to promoting Alzheimer's care and research.