Karen Wilder, widow of actor/activist Gene Wilder, discusses caring for her husband when he was battling Alzheimer's disease, reports ABC News . She cites a Stanford Medicine study which determined that 40 percent of Alzheimer's caregivers die before the afflicted person, "from the sheer physical, spiritual, and emotional toll of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's." Wilder says she permitted the Gates Foundation to use her husband's character of Willy Wonka in the "Pure Imagination Project," a video campaign designed to raise awareness about Alzheimer's and encourage everyone to contribute. "It is a strange, sad irony that so often, in the territory of a disease that robs an individual of memory, caregivers are often the forgotten." Wilder notes. "Without them, those with Alzheimer's could not get through the day, or die — as my husband did — with dignity, surrounded by love."

A slate of mobile applications have emerged to help employees track and manage their well-being, although HR departments may find it difficult to explore, choose, and rate the best apps for their workforce, reports Employee Benefit News . Consultant Zachary Seavey notes employers have many reasons to care about workers' well-being outside of healthcare spending, including growing stress on the broader talent value proposition, which includes not only workers' physical health but helping them better manage their money. Innovative Broker Services CEO Tom Avery sees opportunities for brokers to interconnect these various apps by finding apps that would function well together and bringing them to clients. Apps such as WaterMinder, which reminds people to drink water during the day, and Couch to 5K, which helps with exercise, are being integrated to achieve better outcomes for employees. Video visits with ongoing therapists and texting therapists are other examples of apps being combined. "It really is expanding the access points, which has been a major challenge," Seavey says. "A lot of these digital solutions help to address that." Seavey notes as the apps transform, brokers have a responsibility to advise clients of marketplace opportunities and address their needs, as well as link employees in need. Advisers must then deploy a measurement strategy to expect results and know what they are seeing. In addition, advisers should serve as a vendor management resource for clients as new apps become available and others connect.

Rev. Gloria White-Hammond at Boston's Bethel AME Church wants to get all of her parishioners to write down their end-of-life medical wishes and talk about them with their doctors and families, reports Kaiser Health News . A recent Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey calculated that nationally, only 33 percent of Americans have documented their end-of-life wishes, while just 19 percent of African-American adults 65 or older have done so, versus 65 percent of whites. Furthermore, older black adults are 50 percent as likely as whites to have named someone to make medical decisions for them if they become incapacitated. A second KFF survey determined blacks are more likely than whites to say living as long as possible is "extremely important," and that the U.S. medical system significantly underemphasizes increasing longevity. White-Hammond has asked attendees to study the "Five Wishes" end-of-life planning document, and over the past two years she has introduced more than 100 parishioners to the document at monthly workshops. White-Hammond says people often hit a snag when filling out the second wish, which asks whether they want life support in cases of permanent brain damage and other situations they may be unfamiliar with. White-Hammond cites mistrust of the medical establishment as a key reason African Americans are less likely to write down their end-of-life wishes and more reluctant to terminate life support.

People in the Netherlands are living longer than in previous generations, and often by themselves; consequently, obstacle courses that teach them to avoid falling as well as how to fall properly are increasing in popularity, reports the New York Times . Students begin by approaching mats slowly, lowering themselves down initially. Over the weeks, they learn how to correctly fall. Such courses have become sufficiently common that the Dutch government rates them, and even certain types of Dutch health insurance partly cover their costs. Official statistics estimate that 18.5 percent of the Dutch population is 65 or older, compared to 7.7 percent in 1950. A total of 3,884 people 65 or older died from falls in 2016, a 38 percent rise from 2014. According to experts, the increase in deaths is reflective of the overall aging of the population. The increase also accounts for the growing use of certain medications or general passivity.

A study by U.K. and Chinese universities published in Brain Research explores the potential for a type 2 diabetes drug to significantly reverse memory loss as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, reports The Independent . Multi-action drugs developed for type 2 diabetes "consistently show neurological protective effects," according to Lancaster University Professor Christian Holscher. The study focused on the combination of GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon and its effect in mice with genetic mutations that cause Alzheimer's. The animals' performance in a maze designed to test memory significantly improved following two months of daily injections of the drug, while the mice also had reduced levels of proteins that form plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. Furthermore, the scientists found the mice lost nerve cells to Alzheimer's at a lower rate and exhibited lower levels of nerve inflammation. Meanwhile, University College London Professor John Hardy calls the trial "a first step, at best" toward a Alzheimer's drug for people. "The results showing less amyloid deposition of amyloid in mice treated with glucagon receptor stimulating drugs is interesting," he says. "However, it should be noted that several other drugs have shown positive results in mice models of Alzheimer's disease and then failed in human trials."

A January 9 webinar hosted by the Conference of Western Attorneys General , "Combating Rising Drug Prices for Seniors: Understanding the Different Markets for Brand Drugs and Generics," is recommended for attorney general staff and any interested parties by Kansas Attorney General and National Association of Attorneys General President Derek Schmidt. The climbing cost of prescription drugs is of concern for healthcare policymakers and consumers, especially seniors. Topics to be discussed at the webinar will include prescription drug pricing and the accessibility of drugs for seniors along the price continuum from generics to brand name pharmaceuticals. Online registration is available here .

A new study published in Sleep found an elevation in the likelihood of sleep problems among people who spend more time in informal caregiving situations for a relative or loved one, reports Reuters . "Informal caregiving is common, and the need for carers is expected to grow due to population aging and cuts to social care services in various countries," notes King's College London's Lawrence Sacco. Analysis of 12,200 participants in the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health who were surveyed from 2010 through 2016 calculated about 85 percent of the respondents were not caregivers, while 12 percent spent one to five hours a week providing care and 2 percent spent anywhere from six to 15 hours caregiving. Sleep problems were more common among caregivers in general, and most common among those who spent more than five hours a week caregiving. Caregivers were more likely to be female and older, to be less educated, work less than 20 paid hours a week, and to report physical pain, chronic illness, poor health, and depression. No difference in sleep problems were observed between men who provided no care compared to those who provided up to five hours of caregiving, but women reported sleep problems at all caregiving levels. Barry Oken of Oregon Health and Science University thinks future research should examine what types and aspects of caregiving have the most effect on sleep. "Caregiving at home for someone with dementia or chronic pain may cause more problems with the care recipient's sleep and perhaps then the caregiver's sleep," he notes.

Employers should ensure their workforces are as protected against the flu season as best they can, with getting a yearly flu vaccination the most effective form of protection, reports MedExpress physician Reed Erickson in Employee Benefit News . On-site clinics are one of the most convenient flu prevention options employers have, and some healthcare firms offer this option as part of a worksite wellness program in which they supply shots and educational materials. Employers also can help increase employee participation in on-site flu shot clinics by training their workplace on the importance of the vaccination and helping to debunk common misconceptions associated with the shot. Such misconceptions include the notion that the flu shot will cause illness. The idea that it is too late to get a flu shot also is a myth. Furthermore, although the vaccine's effectiveness can vary from year to year depending on the flu strain in circulation, research continues to support the recommendation that working adults should get vaccinated every autumn. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a flu shot can reduce the risk of contracting the virus by 40 percent to 60 percent if the dominant flu strain matches the vaccine.

The lowest wage workers in 18 states got a boost in their paychecks starting New Year's Day, The Hill reports, with minimum wage hikes taking effect. Many of the increases are phased-in steps toward an ultimately higher wage, the product of ballot initiatives supported by workers rights groups and unions over the past several years. The minimum wage in Washington state, for instance, will rise from $11 an hour to $11.50 — the highest statewide minimum in the country. Over the next three years, the wage will rise to $13.50 an hour because of a ballot measure approved by voters in 2016. Maine's minimum wages is increasing the most, from $9 an hour to $10. Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont are seeing their minimum wages rise by at least 50 cents an hour. Smaller increases take effect in Alaska, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, and South Dakota.

Various studies calculated millennials were three times more likely than non-millennials to change jobs in the last year, and 91 percent do not expect to remain with their current organizations longer than three years, reports Forbes . A Workforce poll estimated 80 percent of respondents saw a change in their definition of loyalty in the workplace. Employees increasingly define loyalty as it relates to the job at hand, and once they feel they have mastered the job, they will look for a new opportunity in order to gain more responsibility and/or higher pay. To retain top performers in the company in the face of the new reality of workplace loyalty, it is first critical for managers to know the employee value proposition (EVP) for each role and ensure it aligns with the workers in that role. Included in the EVP are compensation, rewards, benefits, mentorship, employee brand, and the work product itself. A second tip is for managers to ensure that employee reviews include time spent understanding how workers perceive their own careers evolving. Realistic expectations should be adopted, even if it entails mentoring an employee knowing they are going to be leaving when the right position comes along. A third suggestion is to adequately prepare for a three-year window of tenure for employees with a succession plan, assuming they will depart for another organization by the end of that time unless a longer-term career strategy can be envisioned for them.