Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston is launching a study to see whether a telemedicine platform usually used for diabetes prevention can help people at risk of dementia, reports mHealth Intelligence . In partnership with Fruit Street Health, the hospital will use a connected health platform in a new program for treating people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRDs). The Fruit Street Health platform bundles together activity, sleep, cognitive function, and dietary monitoring, mHealth messaging, and audio-visual telehealth tools designed to help participants attain personalized lifestyle goals. Brigham and Women's researchers will use the platform as part of a six-month study targeting older adults at a higher risk of developing ADRDs than their peers. "We are excited to be contributing to this effort at Brigham and Women's, where technology will be used directly to study the implementation of treatment recommendations," said Fruit Street Health CEO Laurence Girard. "Dementia is a major public health burden and we are committed to finding innovative ways to help fight it."

A mouse study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine suggests the suppression of brain immune cells might prevent or delay the onset of dementia in humans, reports News-Medical . Earlier research indicated that although microglia limit the development of a harmful form of the tau protein, the formation of tau tangles in the brain as dementia progresses could cause the cells' attempts to destroy them to damage nearby neurons and worsen neurodegeneration. The researchers studied genetically modified mice that carry a mutant form of human tau that easily aggregates, feeding six-month-old mice either a compound to deplete microglia in their brains or a placebo for three months. The continued presence of microglia ensured that the brains of mice with tau tangles and the high-risk genetic variant APOE4 were severely shrunken and damaged by 9.5 months. However, mice with suppressed microglia appeared normal and healthy, with harmful forms of tau less present in their brains. Moreover, mice with microglia and mutant human tau but no APOE exhibited minimal brain damage and fewer signs of damaging tau tangles.

A study in BMJ suggests middle-aged adults may be able to lower their risk of dementia by controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol and avoiding other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, reports the U.S. National Institute on Aging . The researchers looked at the cardiovascular risk factors 25 years before a diagnosis of dementia in the U.K.'s Whitehall II study. At the start, 7,899 participants at age 50 lacked cardiovascular disease or dementia, and 347 developed dementia over the 25-year study period. Individuals with optimal and intermediate cardiovascular health were less likely to get dementia compared to those with poor cardiovascular health. Analysis of magnetic resonance images of the brain from 708 participants determined those with intermediate and optimal cardiovascular health scores had larger brain volume two decades later versus those with poor cardiovascular health by age 50. The implication is that persons with poor cardiovascular health at midlife may be more prone to reduced brain volume in their later years, and that volume shrinks in people with dementia.

Connecticut is increasingly looking to geriatric care managers from companies like Hartford HealthCare to help older adults and their loved ones, reports the Hartford Courant . Care managers administer and organize many aspects of daily life, including home safety checks, gauging financial circumstances, and hiring someone to pay bills and file paperwork. They also can help seniors make doctor's appointments, ensure medication refills, and guarantee proper handling of legal documents like advance directives. Some care managers have nursing degrees and certifications in dementia care, while others are social workers or have other degrees related to geriatrics. Hartford HealthCare's geriatric care manager services cost users $125 an hour, and while clients pay out of pocket for the most part, certain long-term care insurance policies may cover the service. University of Connecticut Professor Rupal Parekh says hiring a care manager can save time, money, and effort for older adults and their families. "For folks in a crisis situation who may be moving from home to a nursing community or hospice, it can be critical to having that move go smoothly," he notes. "A geriatric care manager offers an outside perspective."

Nearly half the staff at the Wright-Patterson U.S. Air Force (USAF) Base near Dayton, Ohio, are approaching retirement age, reports WHIO TV . Filling these jobs and looking after employees is "critical," according to USAF Materiel Command Commander Gen. Arnold Bunch Jr. More than a third of workers at the Air Force Research Laboratory are eligible to retire, and close to 70 percent have at least a Master's degree. The U.S. Census estimated in 2017 that only 10 percent of Ohioans age 25 and older have an advanced college degree. Meanwhile, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education predict there will be 13,000 fewer Ohio high school graduates by 2032. Air Force Research Laboratory Deputy Executive Director Jessica Salyers said such numbers are very worrisome. Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education President Cassie Barlow added that the USAF must do more than work with academia to find potential replacements. "It's really time for companies to think outside the box in terms of attraction and retention and recruitment," she said.

Forward-thinking emergency departments (EDs) across the United States are adopting new guidelines to get accredited as geriatric EDs amid a massive influx of seniors, reports WNDU . Missouri Baptist Medical Center exemplifies this trend with nonstick floors, large-faced clocks, dimmable lights, windows to keep visitors attuned to time of day, specially trained staff, testing for dementia and fall risk, and immediate follow-up care at home. As of September, U.S. hospitals with accredited geriatric ED totaled 85, and early research indicates seniors treated at geriatric EDs are less likely to be hospitalized. ED doctors hope the accreditation program will spur ED departments nationwide to adopt the guidelines. Geriatric EDs should be quieter, with amenities that include comfortable beds or cots, as well as screening tools that can rapidly flag physical or mental health risks more common in older adults. Doctors and nurses receive additional training in geriatrics beyond what they learned during emergency medical training.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that infections of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) among older Americans have steeply risen in the past five years, reports Everyday Health . This indicates that both the baby boomer and silent generations have as critical a need to practice safe sex as younger generations. The Seattle University College of Nursing's Beverly K. Johnson says these findings also debunk the myth of less sexual activity in older age. University of Chicago Medicine Professor Stacy Tessler Lindau cites factors behind the rising numbers. Among them is erectile dysfunction drugs giving older men more vitality, while other drugs are offering similar benefits to women. Also contributing is a general lack of understanding in the older population about how STDs can spread. Older adults' greater susceptibility to STD infections also can be explained by weaker immune systems due to extended longevity, and thinning of vaginal tissues in menopausal women.

A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests there are better, non-medicated approaches for treating aggression and agitation symptoms in Alzheimer's, reports Newsweek . Examples include outings, allowing people with the disease to hear music through headphones, and massage therapy. Outdoor activities worked best for easing agitation and aggression, with verbal aggression best treated by massage and touch therapy. Meanwhile, exercise and modification of daily activities were most effective for mitigating physical aggression. "There is a growing understanding that to . . . chemically sedate someone is not necessarily a humane thing to do," said Jennifer Watt with the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital-Unity Health in Toronto. Meanwhile, the National Center for Biotechnology Information recommends cognitive exercises for Alzheimer's sufferers, such as math problems and memory games. Reality orientation training in which the subject repeats their name, the date, or the time also can maintain awareness of where they are.

A nationwide study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found hospitals can conduct a simple walking test to assess the likelihood of functional decline in older adults following a heart attack, reports Medical Xpress . The study entailed 2,587 participants across 94 academic and community hospitals, who were administered the "Timed Up and Go" (TUG) walking assessment. Subjects were asked to rise from a seated position, walk a short distance, turn, walk back, and sit back down, and a strong correlation was observed between poor TUG performance and new limitations in subjects' ability for self-care. "This test was able to predict with high accuracy whether subjects will lose independence in some of the most important tasks needed to live independently," says Yale University's Alexandra Hajduk. She suggests the study findings could enable hospital staff "to proactively apply preventive treatment or tailor rehabilitation to a person's needs, whether that is a physical therapy consultation, home healthcare, or enhanced social support."

The Living Out senior living community in Palm Springs, Calif., will cater to LGBTQ retirees via a resort-style environment, reports the Palm Springs Desert Sun . Construction is slated to start in January with a projected opening in the summer of 2021. The nine-acre development will feature 105 condos with one or two bedrooms. Co-founder LuAnn Boylan noted a generational gap between LGBTQ seniors and heterosexuals who are less tolerant or informed. "LGBTQ seniors find themselves having to hide pictures in their own homes, so that somebody doesn't walk in and see that they're in a same-sex relationship," she said. The development will be designed to encourage outdoor activities. It will include mid-century-inspired aesthetics and lush landscaping against mountain views. Planned on-site eating amenities will range from casual dining to a lounge with a coffee bar to a yogurt bar. Living Out also will help residents in need of assisted living-style services contact in-home care companies that are checked for LGBTQ cultural competency.