Nearly half of Americans over 55 years old lack a will, according to a new study by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave. The findings come as no surprise to financial planners, who say it is not necessarily about cost as much as not wanting to deal with an uncomfortable subject, reports TheStreet.com . Many people do not fully understand all the implications of dying without a will in place, planners say. A worst-case scenario can happen if someone starts the process of drafting a will and estate documents, typically with a lawyer, and then never finishes the process by signing the documents, noted Eric Walters, president and founder of SilverCrest Wealth Planning in the Denver area. If the person dies, the documents will be invalid, throwing the entire estate into court for the probate system to sort out, which could take months or years. Making clients aware of the importance of having a will and some basic estate planning documents in place is one thing. Getting them to stop procrastinating and take action is another, planners say. Sean Williams, wealth advisor at Sojourn Wealth Advisory in Baltimore, asks new clients if they have a will in place. If they don't, then it becomes an action item. "When we do a financial plan review, we revisit it," said Williams, a CFP. "I think the accountability can be helpful."

It's hard enough for older men and women to move from their home to an assisted living community with all their faculties intact. It's even tougher when one is dealing with dementia, which could make such a change not only emotional, but also confusing and highly upsetting, cautions the Philadelphia Inquirer . Consequently, experts on such transitions urge family members and assisted-living employees to be extra-understanding during the weeks, even months, after someone with dementia completes such a move. Kelly Carney, corporate director of memory care services at Acts Retirement Life Communities, and other professionals offer several tips to make the transition easier. If possible, for instance, take your loved one to visit his or her new home before they move in. Other tips range from being positive and "talking up the benefits of moving" to "taking a favorite chair, comforter, and/or pillow" to familiarize the staff with who your loved one is and what his or her life was like. Finally, expect the move to be tough, but know that the worst of it will pass.

A new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has found that single and multiple hip, vertebral, and rib fractures significantly impact seniors' quality of life over an extended period of time, reports News-Medical . Investigators evaluated the long-term effect of fragility fractures on health-related quality of life in more than 7,500 individuals aged 50 years and older in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study, which included 10-year follow-up data. Researchers discovered that hip and spine fractures were linked to negative impact on mobility, self-care, and ambulation. In addition, women with hip fractures never returned to their pre-fracture health-related quality of life, the researchers found, and women with spine fractures took five years to regain their pre-fracture quality of life.

Telemedicine is making it easier for seniors with mental-health conditions to access a doctor, reports the Wall Street Journal . Amid a rapidly aging population and a national shortage of psychiatrists — especially geriatric specialists — more doctors and healthcare organizations are offering audio and video appointments for mental-health problems. At the same time, more senior-care communities and home caregivers are showing a willingness to test them out. This is proving to be a particularly good option for older men and women living in rural areas where there are fewer psychiatrists. Of course, providing online therapy for seniors has its own set of challenges. Chiefly, it takes both technical knowledge and time to set up the equipment and connection for a virtual therapy session. In addition, apps, software, computers, and tablets are not always designed with the senior population in mind. Age-specific problems related to hearing loss, poor vision, and diminished motor skills often need to be addressed.

A new study published in Jama Ophthalmology suggests that cataract surgery may be underutilized in people with cognitive impairment and dementia, reports Healio . Researchers examined data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, an annual longitudinal survey annually of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older. Participants who had received cataract surgery before enrollment were excluded. The research team found that individuals with possible and probable cognitive impairment and dementia were significantly less likely to undergo cataract surgery than those with normal cognition. "It is possible that cognitive impairment and dementia is a proxy for other correctional factors like older age, nonwhite race, lower educational attainment, lower income, etc., which are also barriers to cataract extraction," they wrote. The researchers urge doctors to be aware of the potential underuse of "this effective, low-risk treatment in people with cognitive impairment and dementia."

An HIV drug significantly reduces age-related inflammation and other signs of aging in mice, according to a new study published in the journal Nature . As age-related inflammation is an important component of age-associated disorders, the findings offer hope for treating diseases such as Alzheimer's, reports ScienceDaily . Generic HIV drug lamivudine acts by halting retrotransposon activity in old cells. In the study, researchers showed that an important class of retrotransposons, called L1, escaped from cellular control and began to replicate in both senescent human cells and old mice. Retrotransposon replication is detected by an antiviral immune response, called the interferon response, and ultimately triggers inflammation in neighboring cells, the researchers found. They thought HIV drugs may keep the viral-like L1 retrotransposon from replicating and thereby prevent the inflammatory immune response. They found that treating 26-month-old mice, roughly equivalent to 75-year-old humans, with lamivudine for as little as two weeks reduced evidence of both the interferon response and inflammation. "This holds promise for treating age-associated disorders including Alzheimer's," said John Sedivy, professor of medical science and biology at Brown University. "And not just Alzheimer's but many other diseases: Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's, macular degeneration, arthritis, all of these different things."

New Hampshire businesses and organizations are undergoing the simulated experience of having dementia to boost awareness and better communicate with people who have the disease by taking classes organized by Alyssa Mackey with The Residence at Salem Woods, an assisted living and memory care community, reports the New Hampshire Union Leader . Such training programs help caregivers, librarians, municipal and business employees, and emergency responders learn to be slower, more patient, gentle, and plain-spoken with afflicted seniors. There are more than 24,000 known cases of Alzheimer's in New Hampshire and another 50 percent yet undiagnosed. As baby boomers get older and the number of persons with dementia rises across the country, training programs offer strategies to make life more manageable, predictable, and pleasant. Music and redirected thoughts and conversation can soothe agitation in persons who may be disturbed by sudden noises, bright or flashing lights, and questions and answers they do not understand. "More than what you say, they will remember how you made them feel," says Melissa Grenier with the Alzheimer's Association in New Hampshire, which offers training for caregivers, businesses, police, and fire departments.

A study published in Health Affairs estimated that reduced healthcare spending among Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older saved the average person nearly $3,000 annually by 2012, reports ScienceDaily . Across the entire senior populace, those savings amount to $120 billion, with 50 percent of those savings derived from Medicare. "This is the first time, to my knowledge, anyone has shown that some forms of medical care can save money," notes Harvard University Professor David Cutler. According to the study, even relatively modest investments in preventative healthcare yield considerable savings. The researchers determined substantial savings came from improvements in cardiovascular health, although Cutler acknowledges there could be further improvement. "Even now, only half the people with high cholesterol have their cholesterol brought down to guideline levels," he stresses. "And it's the same for people with high blood pressure, so there's still a way to go."

The AARP Foundation and AARP Florida have allocated $905,000 for 11 North Florida organizations to help Floridians 50 and older who were affected by Hurricane Michael last fall, reports the Tallahassee Democrat . Each senior-care organization based in the eastern Panhandle received a grant of $75,000, while an additional grant of $155,000 went to Legal Services of North Florida to aid older storm-related survivors. Grant funds came from contributions to the AARP Foundation from donors nationwide in a fundraising initiative immediately after the hurricane. The foundation matched these donations dollar for dollar to double the benefit to older Floridians. "These funds will help local organizations address the immediate needs of low-income seniors, as well as supporting long-term recovery efforts in the area," says AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson. "We especially appreciate the role AARP Florida played in helping us identify organizations providing on-the-ground support."

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society explored whether current triglyceride-level guidelines are sensible for individuals 80 and older, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers investigated connections between triglyceride levels and the ability to conduct daily self-care activities, cognitive function, and frailty. They also considered whether triglyceride levels affected mortality rates in a group of 930 Chinese adults 80 or older. According to the results, among the oldest study participants, having a higher triglyceride level was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline, less of a reduction in the ability to perform daily tasks, less frailty, and lower risk for death. These outcomes challenge current thinking that having high triglyceride levels is a risk factor for age-related chronic disease and death and suggests that after the age of 80, taking medication to lower cholesterol may have little, if any, benefit.