Researchers are delving into the question of dementia's effect on bilinguals, reports The Conversation . Workers in Scottish, Irish, and Welsh care communities noted bilingual people with advanced forms of dementia and nearly no linguistic skills had their lives changed by caregivers who could speak their mother tongue. Music and song often were essential to aiding them with recollection and speech. If immigrant parents have discarded their native tongue to speak only the dominant language of their adopted country with their children, this renders entire generations incapable of speaking their parents' language. This means first-generation migrants who develop dementia may have no way to communicate with their children as they revert to the language they used when they were younger. The Lingo Flamingo language-learning company hosts befriending programs for older people and persons with dementia, using languages such as Punjabi. Identifying the complexity of caring for bilinguals with dementia is a first step toward tackling this issue both politically and practically.

A study of about 16,000 older Canadians with chronic kidney disease in the Journal of the American Medical Association warns the commonly prescribed muscle relaxant baclofen can leave seniors with kidney trouble so disoriented that they wind up hospitalized, reports United Press International . "It can present with acute stroke-like symptoms, even though it's not a stroke," noted Western University Professor Amit Garg. "It can present with dementia-like symptoms." Nearly one in 25 people with low kidney function prescribed high doses of baclofen were hospitalized for severe confusion, while only one in 500 not prescribed the drug were hospitalized for confusion. Subjects were at the greatest risk of hospitalization for confusion if their kidney function was severely impaired and they had been prescribed more than 20 milligrams (mg) of baclofen daily. However, even those with kidney function as high as 60 percent had a higher risk of confusion when prescribed high doses of baclofen, and about one in five seniors live with kidney function of less than 60 percent. Moreover, persons prescribed baclofen at 20 mg/day or higher had almost 20 times the relative risk of being hospitalized for an altered mental state, versus those not taking the drug in doses lower than 20 mg/day having a nearly sixfold increase in risk of hospitalization.

The Ogle County Sheriff's Office in Illinois announced a new program to keep watch on older adults, reports WREX-TV . The Senior Check-In Program will be available to seniors who live alone and do not have family within 50 miles of their residence. Once the sheriff's office receives an application from a senior, a county dispatcher will phone them once a week on a designated day and time. "We have found in recent months a growing need for additional resources to ensure the safety of the senior population living alone," said Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle. "This program is designed to provide not only peace of mind but also increase safety especially during the upcoming winter." Applications are available online at the Ogle County website and can be mailed to those who lack computer access.

High school students in Collier County, Fla., are working to bridge generational divides with older adults, according to U.S. News & World Report . The Visiting Teens club at Barron Collier High School in Naples usually entails 10 to 15 students and an adult chaperone carpooling to The Carlisle Naples retirement community to spend time with residents. Visiting Teens founder Olivia Cederquist says the club was established for students to connect with and learn from senior-age men and women. "We see stigmas between each generation, and I wanted to do something to fix that, to make generations live together and learn of their shared common interests," she notes. Visiting Teens has expanded since its 2018 launch to involve about 70 Barron Collier students and more than 100 students from Gulf Coast High School. Collier County's Community School of Naples, the Village School of Naples, and Seacrest Country Day School are organizing their own Visiting Teens chapters, while a friend of Cederquist's who relocated to Manhattan Beach, Calif., is working to start a group at her school. The Barron Collier club visits seniors about once a month after school or on Saturdays, and Cederquist says students gain wisdom from people older than they who are not their teachers or parents. The Carlisle Naples' Mary Beth Baxter says the student visits are especially helpful for visually- or motion-impaired residents.

An AAA study found people's confidence in their driving starts to wane in their seventies and eighties, as they start to self-regulate and limit their driving at night and during morning and evening rush hours, reports Local News 8 . Talking to an occupational therapist, getting new devices for the car to boost comfort and confidence, or attaching lateral fish-eye mirrors are among the suggested solutions. "As people age, we don't want them to stop driving unless it's necessary," said AAA of Idaho's Matthew Conde. "The reason for that is because we've done research to show if people stay in driving mode, their social circles, their hobbies, they keep those things going, it leads to a lot of physical and mental health benefits." AAA, AARP, and other organizations sponsor car clinics for older men and women, and they can offer recommendations to make driving more comfortable.

Clinical studies have shown that chronically low blood pressure elevates the risk of age-related cognitive deterioration, and many scientists think insufficient brain-blood flow is significant to the development of dementia, reports Considerable . Binghamton University researchers are attempting to specify the implications of "too low" blood pressure in individuals, which would help healthcare providers know when to intercede with correctional therapy. The team is using data from a computer-based qualitative assessment that scores cognitive function on a scale of 0 of 100, with a lower-than-50 score indicative of many characteristics of dementia syndrome. Earlier research found diastolic blood pressure to be a better predictor of cognitive performance than systolic. The study has so far uncovered two patterns in healthy persons as yet undiagnosed with dementia or any other cognitive disorder: highly common low resting diastolic pressure, and a majority of subjects with below normal pressure as well as "below normal" cognitive function range. In most people low diastolic pressure stems from low cardiac output, when insufficient blood is being returned to the heart from the lower body. The team found the calf muscles are essential to maintaining normal blood pressure when sedentary, which suggests keeping them in shape might help ward off dementia.

A study published in Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association found personalized lifestyle changes halted cognitive decline in people at risk for Alzheimer's, boosting their memory and thinking skills within 18 months, reports CNN . "This is the first study in a real-world clinic setting showing individualized clinical management may improve cognitive function and also reduce Alzheimer's and cardiovascular risk," said the New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical Center's Richard Isaacson. Customers at his Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic have been undergoing physical and mental tests since 2013, with magnetic resonance imaging scans taken to look for early indications of amyloid plaque buildup. Current and past medical problems, genetics, family history, dietary patterns, exercise habits, levels of stress, and sleep patterns are recorded as well. Isaacson's team enlisted 154 participants between 25 and 86 years old with a family history of Alzheimer's, whose cognitive test results were troubling. Thirty-five subjects were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and given a personalized prescription plan recommending an average 21 lifestyle behaviors to implement. Persons with diagnosed MCI who followed more than 12 out of 21 behavior changes on average had better memory and thinking skills 18 months later, while those who followed less than 12 behaviors showed continued decline.

The new Madison, Wis., nonprofit Bedside DJ uses music to offer companionship for the city's senior population, reports the Daily Cardinal . Bedside DJ works with University of Wisconsin Health and Meriter hospitals to provide hospitalized seniors with music of their own choice. The nonprofit was founded by Michigan State graduate Jake Nitzkin, who said the music — played via a portable speaker — allows for more interpersonal connection between volunteer workers and older adults. "The music essentially is our foot in the door," he explained. "But the companionship that you as a volunteer can have with someone after spending 15 to 30 minutes with them can be incredibly healing." The musical link allows seniors and volunteers to talk about things in a less artificial setting that seniors should find more enjoyable. The requested music also serves to nostalgically remind seniors of their past, elevating their spirits and temporarily relieving anxiety, depression, and/or loneliness.

A study in JAMA Oncology shows that when doctors fully appreciate the concerns of older adults with cancer, it improves care and customer satisfaction, reports EurekAlert . The research involved assessing geriatric assessment (GA) for meaningfully directing cancer care for vulnerable seniors. GA can tailor care and encourage better conversations between physicians, patients, and their families. "We've shown that we can modify the behavior of oncologists if they have the right tools and guidance," said Wilmot Cancer Institute Professor Supriya Mohile. "And when oncologists are better informed about the special needs of their older adult customers, everyone's experience is much improved." The researchers suggested a GA summary should be considered standard care for seniors with cancer, and suitable interventions based on the report should be applied on an as-needed basis.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed legislation to establish the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Task Force, reports the News-Herald . The bill is sponsored by Sens. Kenny Yuko (D-Ohio) and Steve Wilson (R-Ohio), and the Cleveland Area chapter of the Alzheimer's Association said Ohio was the last U.S. state lacking a formal process to create an Alzheimer's plan. The association predicts more than 250,000 Ohioans 65 and older will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's by 2025, and the bill directs the new task force to "examine the needs of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, the services available in this state for those individuals, and the ability of healthcare providers and facilities to meet the individuals' current and future needs." The task force will make findings and recommendations on various topics, including analyzing trends in Ohio's Alzheimer's and related dementia populations and service needs, along with assessing current resources, services, and capacity related to the care of individuals diagnosed with the disease. The group also will weigh policies and strategies that address improving healthcare for those who are diagnosed, helping healthcare professionals and others to better care for disease sufferers, and aiding unpaid caregivers. A report specifying the task force's findings and recommendations must be submitted to the governor's office and the general assembly within 18 months of the law's effective date.