The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) and other health professionals cite malnutrition as "an under-recognized problem" that may be growing among older Philadelphians and other seniors across the United States, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . Analysis by PCA Research Director Allen Glicksman shows that hunger among people 60 and older in the City of Brotherly Love climbed from 11 percent to 12.25 percent between 2015 and 2018, from 32,000 to 38,000 people. Moreover, the research showed that seniors who cannot afford meals are more likely to be sick, obese, and to have fallen in the last year. "The problem is poverty, poverty, poverty," Glicksman emphasized. Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate among the most populous U.S. cities, as well as the highest senior poverty rate. Malnutrition's association with weight loss, reduced disease immunity, frailty, and debilitation is particularly prominent among senior men and women. The Alliance for Aging Research estimates that malnutrition costs the U.S. health system about $50 billion each year. According to Defeat Malnutrition Today National Coordinator Robert Blancato, the U.S. needs to boost funding for nutrition programs that help seniors, while doctors must more accurately screen for malnutrition.

A study from Lown Institute researchers estimated that up to 10 million older adults experienced an adverse drug reaction last year, reports Forbes . Lown's Judith Garber and Shannon Brownlee reckoned that 5 million seniors were treated for a negative reaction to a medication and 280,000 were hospitalized, at a cost of $3.8 billion. More than 50 percent of those hospitalized were older adults, while 160,000 people are projected to die from adverse reactions to prescription drugs. Persons at greatest risk include those taking five or more medications, who are nearly twice as likely to seek medical care than those taking one or two drugs. Adverse events are frequently caused by interactions among multiple drugs, and seniors taking many different medications are less likely to take them as prescribed, either because they cannot manage them all or because they ration expensive drugs to save money. Diabetes medications were found to be among the leading causes of negative drug reactions. Recommendations for seniors include asking their doctor about a new drug's side effects before starting on it; checking whether the drug may be the cause of changes in health status after administration begins; having a primary care physician coordinate use of multiple medications; and consulting with a board-certified geriatric pharmacist or a consulting pharmacist.

Researchers at William & Mary's Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences think they can prevent falls among older adults via evaluation and intervention, through the campus' Center for Balance and Aging Studies (CBAS). The center is currently performing a series of analysis and intervention sessions at Williamsburg Landing, a Life Plan Community for people 62 and older. "We try to identify people who are at high risk for falls so we can intervene now before they have that first fall," says W&M's Mike Deschenes. W&M's Evie Burnet oversees the CBAS assessments at the Landing using a GAITRite system, a computer-connected pathway that records each participant's footstep at a walking station. She says aging brings on gait changes, adding that "We're also interested in how much variation there is in one's step length or step width." In conjunction with a video camera, the GAITRite system lets the CBAS team record a subject's progress in three dimensions, as well as time. According to Deschenes, these various tests help identify the more at-risk residents, and their specific vulnerabilities. By assessing test results, CBAS will be able to flag at-risk participants.

A Boston University (BU) study published in Nature Neuroscience found firing electrical current into the brain for only 25 minutes reverses aging-related declines in working memory, reports the Boston Globe . According to BU's Robert Reinhart, by stimulating the brain in precise regions with alternating current, "we can bring back the superior working memory function you had when you were much younger." The study findings offer some of the strongest evidence yet of why working memory deteriorates among older adults, due to a functional disconnection of brain circuits that puts them out of sync. The BU team tested the working memories of 42 younger adults and 42 older ones, showing various images to assess retention. Older adults answered correctly about 80 percent of the time and younger ones 90 percent. Electroencephalographic monitoring revealed significantly less synchronization of oscillations in older adults. Older participants received electrical brain stimulation for 25 minutes, and almost immediately exhibited improvement, maintaining 90 percent working-memory accuracy for 50 minutes after cessation of stimulation. The study "adds important information about the causal relevance of alterations of brainwaves for age-dependent cognitive decline, and it shows that these alterations are reversible," said Michael Nitsche of Germany's University of Göttingen.

A study presented at the American Physiological Society's annual meeting suggests eating garlic could reduce the risk of developing memory problems later in life, reports Newsweek . The researchers tested the theory that a compound in garlic called allyl sulfide could help prevent cognitive decline. They dosed 24-month-old mice with the compound, then compared their memory skills to four-month-old mice and 24-year-old mice that were not administered allyl sulfide. The mice given allyl sulfide had better short- and long-term recall, and their gut bacteria was healthier, versus mice of the same age that did not take the compound. The implication is that memory problems could be caused by the neuronal-derived natriuretic factor (NDNF) being under-expressed in the older mice, as those who took the garlic supplement had greater NDNF expression. When older mice who did not take the compound had therapy related to the NDNF gene, their memory got better. "Our findings suggest that dietary administration of garlic containing allyl sulfide could help maintain healthy gut microorganisms and improve cognitive health in seniors," concluded the University of Louisville's Jyotirmaya Behera.

According to experts, more on-site clinics are being opened in senior-living communities across the United States through alliances like the one between Friendship Village of Dublin, Ohio, and Central Ohio Primary Care, reports The Columbus Dispatch . "The idea of having primary care embedded where people live makes a whole lot of sense for older adults," notes University of Michigan Professor Julie Bynum. She adds that this can lead to fewer hospitalizations, and fewer emergency department and specialty physician visits. It also can reduce the overall number of doctors that seniors see. Harvard Medical School professor Brent Forester says an enhanced doctor-beneficiary relationship also can promote better care around memory-loss issues or underlying conditions. He notes the manner in which primary care is delivered at senior-living communities varies, but communities are starting to understand that closer relationships with doctors result in better care outcomes.

University of Pforzheim student Julian Fischer has designed stylish hearing aids to address an underserved consumer population in Germany, reports Fast Company . The end product is Incluse, developed by Fischer with input from hearing aid companies and technicians from German firms like Siemens. Fast Company awarded Incluse a 2019 World Changing Ideas Award in the Students category. The device consists of a small cylinder, plated copper, gold, or silver that hangs from the earlobe like a clip-on earring. An invisible plastic tube extends into the ear to transmit sounds to the wearer, and Fischer wants the hearing aid to connect to devices such as smartphones and voice assistants. Fischer collaborated with the jewelry design program at Pforzheim to design the body of Incluse. "Minimal design was the goal," he notes. "It's very hard to create a piece of jewelry that everyone likes, so I went for a sleek and timeless design that could accommodate the technology." Fischer is now in discussions with development departments at different hearing aid companies to supply Incluse's technological element.

A Northwestern Medicine study published in PLOS ONE suggests the noninvasive detection of reduced blood capillaries in the back of the eye could signal cognitive impairment preceding Alzheimer's, reports Medical Xpress . The team used an infrared camera to identify the vascular changes. "Once our results are validated, this approach could potentially provide an additional type of biomarker to identify individuals at high risk of progressing to Alzheimer's," said Northwestern Professor Amani Fawzi. "These individuals can then be followed more closely and could be prime candidates for new therapies aimed at slowing down the progression of the disease or preventing the onset of the dementia associated with Alzheimer's."

A study published in Aging & Mental Health assessed a survey called the Basic Knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease (BKAD), reports EurekAlert . BKAD features 32 items that measure and assess Alzheimer's knowledge in rural and underserved communities. BKAD was applied at senior centers in five such communities in Florida, Appalachian Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, and North Carolina. Seventy-five percent of participants were aware that annual cognitive screening is recommended for older adults, but only 25 percent had been previously screened. Sociodemographic findings determined 86 percent of participants would partake in yearly memory screenings if offered, irrespective of their education or health literacy level. More than 75 percent believed staying socially, mentally, and physically active is important, and that medication exists that could help. Meanwhile, 90 percent said "the sooner you get help for Alzheimer's, the more chance you have to slow it down." According to Florida Atlantic University Professor Lisa Kirk Wiese, "Results ... confirm the positive fit, reliability, and validity of our survey in underserved populations and also provide insights about the impact of health literacy and education, the knowledge gaps that exist in two diverse rural settings, and the differences in reported willingness to be screened for Alzheimer's."

Utah is adopting a Silver Alert program to help find seniors with dementia and Alzheimer's who have wandered off, reports the Deseret News . The program will go into effect later this year. Jeremy Cunningham with the Utah chapter of the Alzheimer's Association says about 21,300 adults will wander in the state between now and 2025. He adds that 39 states have a program like the Silver Alert, but Utah's stands out by featuring a geographical aspect, reaching out first through local alerts and getting in touch with local officials and media. If there are indications that the wanderer has used a car or other transportation, the alert will expand and use messaging boards on freeways and interstates. In addition, law enforcement will be authorized to issue an alert if they find someone and are attempting to contact their family or caregiver. "I think the program would give caregivers reassurance that other people were concerned and other people were willing to keep their eyes open and be looking," says Salt Lake City resident Rich Dixon, whose wife wandered during her battle with dementia.