The Montgomery County Council in Maryland is supporting legislation that would provide a tax credit to seniors who volunteer at local schools and nonprofits, reports Montgomery Community Media . The bill is geared toward individuals at least 65 years old who volunteer in public schools and county charities. Montgomery County would set the amount of the credit, other criteria for eligibility, and rules for processing credit requests. The legislation must first pass the state's General Assembly, which begins its 90-day session on Jan. 8. Councilmember Craig Rice expressed hope that the measure would direct volunteers to certain schools, noting they could be more effective at some institutions than at others.

CHAI Creative Director Kewal Kapoor writes in Entrepreneur that minor modifications to smartphone settings can help seniors more easily access an intuitive user experience. "While boosting the size of the text does improve readability, make sure you also increase the contrast so that the colors are rendered more distinct," he recommends. Kapoor also suggests reskinning the smartphone interface with a launcher, as some launchers are designed to simplify the browser experience for seniors by streamlining the options and menus, enlarging text, and brightening colors for easy readability. He also advises turning on voice control and text to speech features. "Once you have made the smartphone easier to navigate, you can further use the device to improve accessibility in the real world as well," Kapoor adds. "For example, you can teach them how to use the flashlight to illuminate dark spaces and text in dimly lit environments. Better still, you can install a text magnifying app, which will make it easier to read the fine print, menus, books, and other documents." Kapoor's final suggestion is to install the TeamViewer app, which facilitates remote smartphone access so others can help seniors when they encounter problems with the device.

Researchers at the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging in Cleveland say people should involve individuals with early-stage dementia in care planning activities as soon as possible, reports Next Avenue . "People tend to wait until something happens, until there is a crisis, to take action," notes institute analyst Silvia Orsulic-Jeras. As program manager for Benjamin Rose's Support, Health, Activities, Resources, and Education (SHARE) program, Orsulic-Jeras recommends participation in the program. SHARE teaches people with early-stage dementia and their loved ones about dementia, and helps them plan for the kind of care and support they will require. Benjamin Rose's Carol Whitlatch says shame and embarrassment associated with dementia often prevent individuals with the disease and their families from openly discussing the subject and planning for future needs. "In the early stages especially, people are often fully aware of the meaning of their diagnosis and able to communicate care choices and preferences," she explains. "And they not only want to be actively involved in making decisions about future care, they also place a high level of importance on not being a burden and being as helpful to their family caregivers as possible." In SHARE sessions, the person with dementia and their caregiver work with a trained counselor to develop a future care plan.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) has awarded grant funding to Creative Story Project in Cleveland, Tenn., to help fund their Story Power Programming and Intergenerational Story Power Program, reports the Cleveland Banner . The program applies cognitive behavioral therapy concepts to benefit participants, particularly those living with Alzheimer's and other related dementias, as they create and share stories. Joyce Vanderpool, executive director of Creative Story Project, said, "In working with cognitively impaired residents in care communities, we realize how great the need is to find a cure for the devastating disease that is Alzheimer's. AFA is a driving force in bringing awareness to the issue. In the meantime, we are honored to work with these delightful individuals in care communities in our area." "Community-based programs which provide vital services to families impacted by Alzheimer's disease and other dementia-related illnesses are critically important as the prevalence of Alzheimer's and the number of unpaid caregivers continues to grow," said Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., AFA's president and chief executive officer. Creative Story Project makes the art of oral storytelling and story creation accessible to individuals living with dementia by replacing the pressure to remember with the encouragement to imagine. It encourages socialization with other seniors, caregivers, and family members. The grant will support their Story Power and Intergenerational Story Power programs.

A report from Europe's Institute on Scientific Information on Coffee in Coffee & Health found no clear proof of coffee preventing Alzheimer's, according to Being Patient . The report said study outcomes are varied, with some suggesting lifelong consumption of coffee/caffeine is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's, while others cannot demonstrate definite causation. However, the report cited a 2018 review published in Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression implying that more than 75 percent of the research supports the opinion that caffeine has a beneficial effect against cognitive decline and Alzheimer's. Kristianstad University Professor Elisabeth Rothenberg said the scientific consensus is clearer in terms of the effect of diet on neurodegenerative conditions. "Positive associations between Mediterranean dietary patterns and better cognitive scores and a lower risk of Alzheimer's diseases have been shown," she noted. "Although results vary, a majority of studies suggest that closer adherence to a Mediterranean style diet is associated with a lower risk for cognitive decline, probably acting by modifying pathways related to a more general aging process."

In the past two decades, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only five drugs for Alzheimer's disease, reports the Washington Post . Stepping into the treatment void are robotics and digital devices. Among the technologies on display at the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference last summer were lifelike robotic companion pets, robots to help patients remember to complete a task, GPS tracking tools to help find someone who has wandered off, and virtual reality systems that can mentally transport patients outside the four walls of their homes or assisted-living facilities to other parts of the world and even to other decades.

A group of hair stylists called the Pink Ladies visits a New Orleans-area nursing community once a week to give senior women residents free hair cuts and stylings, reports WDSU News . "I think it makes the women feel good to get their hair done. A lot of them couldn't afford it," said Pink Ladies member Jane Rome. The group was founded in 1987, and its members have formed a familial-like bond that will likely ensure the program's continuance for years to come.

People aged 65 to 69 take an average of 15 prescriptions a year, and those aged 80 to 84 take 18 prescriptions a year, according to the American Association of Consultant Pharmacists. Those figures do not include the over-the-counter drugs, herbal remedies, vitamins and minerals older adults may take, which could cause more problems than they cure, reports the New York Times . Among people over 65, 44 percent of men and 57 percent of women take five or more nonprescription and/or prescription drugs a week, and 12 percent take 10 or more. Behind these statistics is a fragmented healthcare system, rushed doctor visits, and direct promotion of drugs to patients, often leaving it up to patients and their caregivers to assure that minimum risk accompanies whatever medications or remedies may be prescribed or taken on their own.

The University at Buffalo (UB) wants older adults to question their doctors as to whether discontinuing certain medications is the right course of action, reports WBFO . "We want to encourage older adults and their family members to speak up to advocate for stopping medications," said Ranjit Singh at the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "So when you go to the doctor, don't go in asking for new medications. Start out by asking, 'Are there any medications I don't need anymore?'" Key to this is the Elder Voices Network, an initiative to offer awareness presentations. "The effort is to not only work with healthcare providers, but also to empower older adults to really take control of their health and to really feel comfortable questioning physicians about medications," said presentation leader Mary Brennan-Taylor. Presenters recommend checking out the American Geriatrics Society's Beers Criteria, a list of medications deemed unsafe for older adults.