5/25/2012 - Aging Without Children

How childless adults should approach their later years is a question that surfaces with some frequency among readers and commenters here. It’s true, as many attest, that being a parent doesn’t guarantee elder care. But it’s also true that the bulk of America’s old people are, in fact, cared for primarily by relatives: spouses first,… Read more 5/25/2012 - Aging Without Children

5/24/2012 - State stem cell agency awards three grants for development of new therapies at medical school

Three researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine were awarded today a total of $11.9 million from the state stem cell agency in the third round of its Early Translational Awards. The awards are meant to move promising stem cell therapies out of the laboratory and into human clinical testing. Helen Blau, PhD (Center… Read more 5/24/2012 - State stem cell agency awards three grants for development of new therapies at medical school

5/23/2012 - Retirees Taking Early Social Security Benefits Hits 35-year low

Retirement-minded Americans are getting the message: it pays to delay triggering Social Security benefits. That was one of the chief findings of a GAO study last year, and now the “take-up” rate for those who are eligible stands at a 35-year low. This is great news. Financially speaking, it means more retirees will be in… Read more 5/23/2012 - Retirees Taking Early Social Security Benefits Hits 35-year low

5/20/2012 - Entitlement Reform For the Entitled

“IF nothing is done about entitlement spending, and if our current tax breaks continue, then by 2025, tax revenue will be able to pay for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, interest on the debt and nothing else. The rest — defense, medical research, highways, education, energy — will have to be financed by deficits. Social Security’s… Read more 5/20/2012 - Entitlement Reform For the Entitled

5/18/2012 - Revived by Music

Two years ago, Dan Cohen hired Michael Rossato-Bennett to create a short film about his mission, which is nothing less than bringing personalized music to every nursing home in the nation. As we’ve noted here before, many elderly people remember and respond to music when all other means of communication have shut down. Read the… Read more 5/18/2012 - Revived by Music

5/15/2012 - Caring For Grandparent Matures A Young Man

Nicholas McDonald grew up tempted by drugs and under pressure to hit the streets. Lacking male role models, the Maryland resident says he always saw his mom as “the apple of my eye.” His grandfather, suffering from dementia, lives with the family — three generations under one roof. For Nicholas, it’s been an opportunity to… Read more 5/15/2012 - Caring For Grandparent Matures A Young Man

5/15/2012 - Testing a Drug That May Stop Alzheimer’s Before It Starts

In a clinical trial that could lead to treatments that prevent Alzheimer’s disease, people who are genetically guaranteed to suffer from the disease years from now — but who do not yet have any symptoms — will for the first time be given a drug intended to stop them from developing it, federal officials announced… Read more 5/15/2012 - Testing a Drug That May Stop Alzheimer’s Before It Starts

5/15/2012 - Clock ticking as Alzheimer’s strategy sets 2025 goal for better ways to treat, stall, disease

The Obama administration declared Alzheimer’s one of the country’s biggest health challenges on Tuesday, adopting a national strategy that sets the clock ticking toward better treatments by 2025 — along with help for suffering families today. “What we know is a lot more needs to be done and it needs to be done right now,… Read more 5/15/2012 - Clock ticking as Alzheimer’s strategy sets 2025 goal for better ways to treat, stall, disease

5/13/2012 - From Public TV, a New Site for 50-Somethings

Add public broadcasters to the media outlets aiming for the 50-plus crowd: a Web site called Next Avenue will go live on Tuesday, a year after first planned, with original and aggregated journalism directed at baby boomers. Content will be organized in the categories of health, caregiving, living and learning, money, and work and purpose.… Read more 5/13/2012 - From Public TV, a New Site for 50-Somethings

5/10/2012 - 4 Things That Can Hurt Your Quality of Life

According to the Stanford Center on Longevity, the number of adults ages 75 and older who are living with a chronic disease that hampers mobility has been steadily declining since 1997. To be a part of this trend, you should be aware of the common health issues that can make elderly life less pleasurable—and know… Read more 5/10/2012 - 4 Things That Can Hurt Your Quality of Life