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What's New? July 23, 2012 |
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Pension | Health | Elder Rights | Aging Watch
US Social Security’s
Master List Littered with Dead People (July
10, 2012) Robbing
the Elderly Won't Pay the Government's
Rising Care Bills (July 10, 2012) Elderly
New Yorkers Angry as Crisis Hits Poorest
(July 5, 2012) WORLD
FDA Approves First Drug for Reducing the Risk of Sexually Acquired HIV Infection (July 16, 2012) The FDA approves Truvada! Truvada is the first drug approved to reduce the risk of HIV infection in uninfected individuals who are at high risk of HIV, allowing them to engage in sexual activity with HIV infected partners. Truvada’s approval is an important step in our fight against HIV. However, Truvada is only to be used by individuals who are HIV negative and it acts as a PrEP, Pre- Exposure Prophylaxis. By using Truvada, the risk of getting infected with HIV is reduced by 75% in heterosexuals! Aging Boomers to Face Hard Time Finding Mental Health Care; Report Urges Geriatric Training (July 10, 2012) The crisis of mental illness and substance abuse disorders in older adults in the United States is largely hidden from the public and many of those who develop policy and programs to care for older people. Almost 8 million Americans over the age of 65 have a mental health condition. There is a strong need to confront this issue. Often times, getting older isn’t the primary cause for these conditions.
WORLD
A Good Night's
Sleep Could Keep You out of a Nursing Home
(July 19, 2012)
According to a new observational study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, interrupted sleep could actually predict future placement in a nursing home or an assisted living facility. Insufficient sleep is associated with many chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. More research is needed to explain how sleep deficiencies may lead to this outcome. A New Test for Dementia: Walking (July 17, 2012) Several new studies reveal how changes in the way an older person walks may indicate cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease. People who are beginning to show deterioration in their walking patterns may be responding to incipient Alzheimer’s. World: Scientists Weigh in On Fall Prevention (July 12, 2012) A recent report in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that Vitamin D may help seniors to prevent falls. Close to 40 percent of older people fall once a year, many of whom lose function of daily living. Ultimately, the best approach to such injuries is prevention. In fact, the United States Preventive Services Task Force found that a specified daily dose of Vitamin D reduces the risk of falling among seniors by 17 percent. Other recommendations for fall prevention include risk assessment and exercise. World: Anxiety Linked to Shortened Telomeres, Accelerated Aging (July 11, 2012) Scientists have located links between phobic anxiety and shorter telomeres in older women. Telomeres serve to protect the genetic information at the ends of chromosomes. Women who were ranked highly in the common form of psychological stress were shown to have telomeres shortened by six years. However, researchers have not determined whether or not telomere length is affected by stress or vice versa. World: Rare Genetic Mutation Protects Against Alzheimer's (July 11, 2012) Researchers have located a rare genetic mutation in Iceland that seems to protect carriers from Alzheimer's disease by slowing down the production of a specific protein. While it might not be economical for all persons to get a genetic test to screen for the uncommon mutation, the study reinforces designing treatments around the beta amyloid protein may still be the best course of action. The newly discovered mutation helps to reduce the protein's destructive discharge by up to 40 percent. Relief for Joints Besieged by Arthritis (July 9, 2012) For many patients dealing with arthritis, major surgical interventions do not always bring improvement. However, some lifestyle changes that can help. Shedding extra pounds can ease the pressure experienced by weight-bearing joints. An exercise program can significantly reduce knee pain. Additionally, wearing appropriate shoes with certain adjustments to the sole and heel is helpful. Non-impact exercises such as walking, stationary or outdoor cycling, swimming, or working out on an elliptical or rowing machine are recommended. Keep reading for more relief tips! Uganda: Civil Society Pushes for Elderly Friendly Aids Policies (July 5, 2012) In Uganda, Civil Society Organizations have asked for inclusion of older persons in HIV/AIDS policies. Uganda has a high number of sexually active people who are over 60 years old. Officials say that 64% of the older persons in Uganda are sexually active; some 91% are not using condoms. It is vital that policies are instituted to educate and assure that more citizens protect themselves with condoms. World: A Hormone Preserves the Production of Insulin and the Function of Beta Cells during Diabetes (July 3, 2012) (Article in Spanish) According to a Duke University study, a hormone named TLQP-21 functions similarly to insulin, controlling glucose levels in mice. The hormone can also protect the pancreatic islet cells in the presence of toxins. After administering the hormone to mice, their glucose levels improved and the death of the beta cells (the cells that die during diabetes) was less significant. Facing Foreclosure After 50 (July 19, 2012) Older Americans over the age of 50 are increasingly losing their homes to foreclosure in this recession. The highest foreclosure rare was for homeowners over 75 years. Millions of Americans are carrying more mortgage debt than ever before. They are losing their homes because of pension cuts, rising medical costs and decreasing stock portfolios and falling property values. Additionally, they are not saving enough money in their retirement accounts. With this crisis, elders are less able to find new jobs and are vulnerable to becoming homeless. Who’s Watching Mom (July 19, 2012) Researchers at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine looked at the agencies that supply caregivers, companions, homemakers, personal care attendant and non-nursing home health aides to people who need help living independently at home. The disturbing news: It is an unregulated business with little consumer protection. How should competency be measured? Please read more on this interesting –but disturbing - discussion. IOM: Elderly Need Better Access to Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care (July 10, 2012) Researchers at the Institute of Medicine have documented the alarmingly low number of health care workers who are trained to help seniors with mental health and substance abuse conditions. Between 5.6 and 8 million elders suffer from one of these conditions. Apparently health workers need better incentives and access to pursue careers in geriatrics, as geriatricians and psychiatrists are at the "'lowest end of the pay scale.'" Surely advocates must acknowledge that such low pay rates of health care workers for elders confirms yet another form of discrimination against older persons. New Numbers on Elder Care (July 5, 2012) Only recently has the Bureau of Labor Statistics inquired into elder care. During the past three months, 39.8 million people over the age of 15 years have provided unpaid care to someone over 65 years due to the natural conditions of aging. Women make up the majority of these caregivers. What is surprising is that male caregivers are catching up. These surveys can encourage more discussion and knowledge about how elder care responsibilities impact our work and lives.
World: Strengthening the Rights of Older People Worldwide: Building Greater European Support (December 5-7, 2012) Navi Pillay,
Vladimir Spidla and Thomas Hammarberg will speak
at a European conference addressing the need for
international human rights instruments for older
adults. Occurring in Osnabrück, Germany,
this conference will tackle critical questions
regarding the rights of the expanding aging
population and will discuss the insufficiencies
of present day safeguards.
Americas: Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights “Protocol of San Salvador” (Ongoing) (Article in English) (Article in Spanish) Building on the work of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights, this document strives to develop essential economic, cultural, and social rights for all individuals living in the Americas. Article 17 specifically outlines rights of older adults that should be secured. Any State Party to the American Convention on Human Rights may sign the Protocol. |
