Health & well being

Early treatment of flu-hospitalised people 65 and older with flu antiviral medications cuts the duration of their hospital stay and reduces their risk of needing extended care after discharge, a new US study finds. The study from the Centre for Disease Control is the first to look at the benefits of early antiviral treatment on preventing the need for extended care in community-dwelling flu-hospitalised people 65 and older. Read more here.

Modern technology is making older brains younger, but their health is declining, according to a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE. Normally, cognitive function declines with age, but men and women between the ages of 50 and 90 years scored higher on tests of mental ability than they did only six years earlier. Read more here.

 

Making art galleries dementia-friendly spaces is the aim of the Azure programme which is being rolled out nationwide, inspired by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. The idea is that people with Alzheimer’s or dementia will engage with art, aided by facilitators. Read more here.

The feared dementia epidemic is not happening in some European countries where the percentage of people with dementia and the number of new cases have levelled off according to research led by the University of Cambridge. However, the situation in Ireland is not known as we do not have a formal registry for cases, the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland has said.

Research shows that developing relationships between the older people and the young can be beneficial for the wellbeing of both parties. new draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), due to be finalised in November, says there is good evidence intergenerational activities improve health outcomes – and recommends all local authorities support and provide such schemes. Read more here.

One in five people over 65 who drink is consuming an "unsafe" level of alcohol according to researchers at Kings College London. Experts warned that GPs were "less attuned" to drinking problems among older people. Analysis of health records in London found that heavier drinkers tended to be male and relatively affluent. The researchers also found that the problem of unsafe drinking was far more common among the white British and Irish population, than those from Caribbean, African or Asian ethnic groups. Read more here.

New research funded by Audley and care group Bupa on the wellbeing of residents of retirement communities run by Audley and Anchor Trust suggests that residents experience only half the levels of loneliness reported by older people living independently elsewhere. The research by ageing population think tank ILC-UK claims they have a higher quality of life and feel more in control of things.

Healthcare for older people in rural areas across Scotland has been deemed “not fit for the future” as funding and recruitment are moving too slowly to tackle the needs of the ageing population, a new report has warned. The Going the Extra Mile report from the Royal College of Nursing  written in collaboration with Age Scotland, sets out the need for a new and different approach to sustainable health and care services in the country’s most remote areas, where services and communities are ge