As the United States braces for a surge in the number of seniors in the years to come, most cities are not prepared to meet the needs of so many older men and women, a new report conducted by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and the AARP Public Policy Institute and cited by Reuters shows. America's "baby boomer" population is aging in such a way that the proportion of those aged over 80 will double by 2035. However, most Americans do not reside in communities considered "liveable" for seniors, the new report states, which draws on an index created by AARP that rates cities on the basis of such key issues as housing, ease of transportation, and access to healthcare. The research team then compared the index results with national survey findings, enabling them to see which social and economic groups generally live in which kind of communities. Jennifer Molinsky, a report co-author with the Harvard center, warns the country faces an "unprecedented" increase in the amount of time people will remain living in their homes as opposed to assisted living communities or other options. That will strain existing infrastructure and services, she added, pointing to Joint Center estimates that less than 4 percent of U.S. housing is considered accessible for older residents.

According to the Washington Post , the CDC has instructed state health officials to be ready to receive and distribute the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. 15, even though the federal government likely will not approve one until later this year. State officials say they lack sufficient funds to pay for such a complex initiative. Trump administration officials want to move quickly once FDA authorizes a vaccine and a CDC advisory panel provides recommendations on how to prioritize different populations, according to a letter CDC sent Monday to various state officials. CDC wants states to provide information on their plans by Tuesday, including a list of each jurisdiction's top five locations with the ability to receive and administer a vaccine that must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures. The letter refers to the COVID-19 vaccine as Vaccine A, but health and industry leaders have identified it as Pfizer's candidate. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says his company has already manufactured "hundreds of thousands" of doses and will make an initial examination of the data soon.

A study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease determined that the presence of early Alzheimer's disease in the brains of older adults may lead to falls even before symptoms of the disease arise, reports Being Patient . Washington University School of Medicine researchers found older adults in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's — before manifestation of cognitive problems — are more likely to suffer a fall than people who are not on track to develop dementia. "When a person's mobility is being diminished, even though the person looks very normal, that could be a sign that something needs further evaluation," said Washington University Professor Beau M. Ances. This implies that seniors who have experienced falls should be tested for Alzheimer's, and that new strategies may be needed to lower the risk of falling for people with early-stage Alzheimer's. "We don't yet know what that treatment might be, but we hope we can use this information to come up with new treatment recommendations that will reduce the risk of falls in this population," said Washington University Professor Susan Stark.

According to Fox Business , the U.S. attorney's office in Minnesota announced Wednesday that a total of 60 people have been charged in a widespread magazine telemarketing scam that authorities say netted $300 million from over 150,000 senior and vulnerable people nationwide. U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald described the scam as the largest senior fraud scheme in the nation. She added that the 60 defendants face a number of charges, ranging from conspiracy and mail fraud to wire fraud and violating the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act of 1994. The accused hail from 14 states and two Canadian provinces. "Unfortunately, we live in a world where fraudsters are willing to take advantage of seniors, who are often trusting and polite," MacDonald lamented in an official statement.

CNY Central is reporting that volunteers are needed by Clarity Clinical Research in East Syracuse, N.Y., for a new Alzheimer's disease clinical study. Dubbed "Green Memory," the study targets bacteria in the gut to slow the disease. It is looking at whether the investigational medication may improve brain function and slow the development of Alzheimer's by rebalancing certain bacteria in the gut. It was first approved outside of the United States and is now available to be tested in the U.S. To qualify, volunteers must be diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and be between the ages of 50 and 85 years old. They must also have a partner who knows them well and can come with the volunteer to all study-related visits.

A study published in Cancer shows that older adults as well as older cancer survivors who engage in more physical activity and sit less have better physical and mental health, reports ScienceDaily . Investigators examined self-reported aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activities, sitting time, and mental and physical health among almost 78,000 participants, which included older cancer survivors up to 10 years post-diagnosis, and cancer-free adults. Irrespective of cancer history, the differences in global mental and physical health between the most and least active, and the least and most sedentary, were clinically significant. "The findings reinforce the importance of moving more and sitting less for both physical and mental health, no matter your age or history of cancer," said the American Cancer Society's Erika Rees-Punia. "This is especially relevant now as so many of us, particularly cancer survivors, may be staying home to avoid COVID-19 exposure, and may be feeling a little isolated or down. A simple walk or other physical activity that you enjoy may be good for your mind and body."

AgingStats.gov reports that single copies of the Older Americans 2020: Key Indicators of Well-Being report are now available at no charge through the Government Printing Office (GPO), while supplies last. Delivery may take up to 30 days, but a PDF can be downloaded here . The report provides the latest data on the 40 key indicators selected by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics to portray aspects of the lives of senior Americans and their families. It is divided into a half-dozen subject areas, including: health status, health risks and behaviors, health care, economics, population, and environment.

In California, seniors age 70 and older can avoid a trip to Department of Motor Vehicles offices during the pandemic, reports KABC-TV . Earlier this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that permits seniors to renew their drivers licenses by mail. The goal is to limit in-person transactions at the DMV and encourage a COVID-19 vulnerable population to stay safe at home. Newsom's previous orders gave extensions to at-risk populations, including senior adults. "Most other drivers are eligible to renew their license by mail or online," according to KABC.

New research from the University of Buffalo has determined that almost 35 percent of older adults are receiving potentially unnecessary prescription drugs, reports Consumer Affairs . According to the researchers' findings, this can lead to higher health care costs and more doctors' visits. "The average age of the U.S. population is rising, and older adults account for a disproportionate amount of prescription medications," researcher Collin Clark commented. "Harm to older adults caused by potentially inappropriate medications is a major public health challenge." The research team evaluated around 220 million responses to the Medical Expenditure Survey to better understand prescription drug trends among seniors. They looked at more than 30 different types of drugs that were prescribed to adults over the age of 65, ranging from antidepressants and antipsychotics to estrogens and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. According to the researchers, medications are deemed potentially inappropriate if their risks are greater than their potential benefits — a much bigger concern for older consumers, as they're at an increased risk of experiencing severe side effects from medications.

Researchers this week cautioned that people recovering from the coronavirus may suffer significant brain function impacts, with the worst cases of the infection linked to mental decline equivalent to the brain aging by 10 years, reports Reuters . A non-peer-reviewed study of 84,285 people, led by Dr. Adam Hampshire at Imperial College London, found that COVID-19 infection is linked to substantial cognitive deficits for months in some severe cases. His team analyzed results from people who completed the Great British Intelligence Test. Their findings were published online on the MedRxiv website. Hampshire says the cognitive deficits were of "substantial effect size," especially among people who'd been hospitalized with COVID-19. However, scientists not directly involved with the study urged viewing the results with caution. "The cognitive function of the participants was not known pre-COVID, and the results also do not reflect long-term recovery — so any effects on cognition may be short term," remarks Joanna Wardlaw, a professor of applied neuroimaging at Edinburgh University.