Category: mobility

5/29/2013 - Japan’s longevity secret: Social ties

Japan is, by some measures, the world’s oldest country: Japanese women who reach age 65 can expect to live an additional 23 years, while men are likely to live another 18. But the country’s famously healthy dietary habits aren’t the only factor driving the nation’s longevity. In a recent story on the PBS web site… Read more 5/29/2013 - Japan’s longevity secret: Social ties

5/24/2013 - Tackling New Tech In The Golden Years

Smartphones, tablets and computers could help seniors stay connected to their communities and families. But a hefty price tag, steep learning curves, and designs meant for younger eyes and hands could keep some older adults from logging on. Guests discuss the best ways for seniors to tackle new technology, and how devices can be adapted… Read more 5/24/2013 - Tackling New Tech In The Golden Years

5/22/2013 - A Benefit of Aging: Flu Protection

Age has its privileges, and a new study suggests that one of them may be immunity to some flu pandemics. In ordinary seasonal flu, people over 65 are generally at higher risk for death. But in each of the 20th-century flu pandemics — the global outbreaks that struck in 1918-19, 1957 and 1968-69 — those… Read more 5/22/2013 - A Benefit of Aging: Flu Protection

5/22/2013 - Boomer Housemates Have More Fun

Today more than 1 in every 3 baby boomers — that huge glut of people born between 1948 and 1964 — is unmarried. And those unmarried boomers are disproportionately women. As this vast generation rushes into retirement, there’s a growing concern among experts on aging: Who will take care of all these people when they’re… Read more 5/22/2013 - Boomer Housemates Have More Fun

5/20/2013 - The Walking Alive

I am writing this while walking on a treadmill. And now you know the biggest problem with working at a treadmill desk: the compulsion to announce constantly that you are working at a treadmill desk. Read the full article at The New Yorker.

5/20/2013 - Growing Old Alone?

Who will care for you when you get old? If that’s a scary or uncomfortable question, you are in good company. Most people don’t want to think about their long-term care needs and when they do, they tend to have major misperceptions of what it costs and what the government will pay for. Read the… Read more 5/20/2013 - Growing Old Alone?

5/19/2013 - Helper Robots Are Steered, Tentatively, to Care for the Aging

“There are two trends that are going in opposite directions. One is the increasing number of elderly people, and the other is the decline in the number of people to take care of them,” said Jim Osborn, a roboticist and executive director of the Robotics Institute’s Quality of Life Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University.… Read more 5/19/2013 - Helper Robots Are Steered, Tentatively, to Care for the Aging

5/16/2013 - Stem Cell Milestone Revives Intense Ethical Debate

Scientists in Oregon have achieved something that has eluded researchers for years. They have created stem cells that are tailored to individual patients, made from cloned embryos. That would open the door to treating many diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, spinal cord injuries and many others. But researchers face ethical dilemmas. Listen to the full… Read more 5/16/2013 - Stem Cell Milestone Revives Intense Ethical Debate

5/15/2013 - Biological clue to why women live longer than men

Women live longer than men partly because their immune systems age more slowly, a study suggests. Read the full article at BBC News.

5/13/2013 - New fitness centers cater to aging baby boomers

Baby boomers, the generation that vowed to stay forever young, are getting older, designing senior-friendly gyms and becoming their own personal trainers. Read the full article at Reuters.