Exercise and Cognitive Function

Researchers at Iowa State University recently performed a randomized clinical trial in order to examine the benefit that physical exercise can have on cognitive performance. They found that aerobic exercise in older adults can improve cognitive performance, especially tasks designed to test the brain’s executive functions. For full story, click here.

The Impact of Social Environments on Food Intake

Recent research indicates that one's social environment plays an important role in the amount of food we eat. Although a number of similar studies have confirmed this relationship, few have studied them in institutional settings. For full story, click here.

Positive Aging Experiences in Later Life

Commonplace descriptions of aging typically involve negative images, conditions, or events. These negative conceptions can stigmatize older adults and create a self-fulfilling prophecy that increases their risk of chronic illness and disability. To counteract the negative impact, researchers have begun focusing on the positive elements that support healthy aging over the life-course. For full story, click here.

Exploring the Relationship between Built Environment and Health

In this study, researchers explore different factors relating to environmental support for senior independence in long-term care communities via a wide-ranging literature review. They base their research on a conceptual model that outlines the role the built environment plays in active behavior, falls prevention, and remaining independent later in life. For full story, click here.

Aging Well Bakes! Recipe Contest

It's a cold winter and older adults in Illinois and Arizona are heating up their ovens in January and February for the Mather LifeWays Aging Well Bakes! recipe contest. The contest is aimed at celebrating Illinois' and Arizona's older adults and their baking talents. For full story, click here.

Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging Promising Practices Award

Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging is launching a national campaign to identify and catalogue promising practices developed in organizations that have participated in the LEAP and PREPARE training programs. Organizations with the most promising practice/s will be selected to win one of four Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging Promising Practices Awards. For full story, click here.

Electronic Tracking and Care Coordination Tools Save Lives

Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University conducted an evaluation of the Care Management Plus (CMP) program. The results of the study indicate that the CMP program, an intervention program that combines electronic tracking with patient centered-care management, reduced the number of deaths and hospitalizations for older adults suffering from several chronic illnesses. For full story, click here.

The Experience of Transitioning into Assisted Living

New research published in Geriatric Nursing explores the qualitative experiences associated with moving into an Assisted Living (AL) residence. For full story, click here.

Stroke Treatment Compliance Increased through Improvement Program

Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association demonstrates that hospitals who participated in a voluntary quality improvement program for stroke treatment significantly increased treatment compliance. For full story, click here.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Has Anti-Cancer Components

A recent study by Javier Menendez and colleagues found that a chemical in extra-virgin olive oil reduced certain cancer genes. The study showed that good quality extra-virgin olive oil contains certain chemicals that can reduce the risk for breast cancer. For full story, click here.

Probiotics Shown Capable of Reducing Diarrhea

Medical researchers in New York recently reviewed evidence that probiotics, microorganisms with potential health benefits, have the ability to prevent antibiotic-associated and infectious diarrhea. For full story, click here.

Hormone Therapy Linked to Faster Brain Shrinkage in Older Women

Researchers discovered that hormone replacement therapies (HRT) used for menopause patients, were linked to an increase in memory loss for women 65 years and older. For full story, click here.

The Link between Psoriasis and Coronary Artery Disease

Editors at the American Journal of Cardiology recently issued a consensus statement regarding the need to recognize the link between psoriasis and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). For full story, click here.

American Society on Aging Launches New LGBT Aging Website

The American Society on Aging (ASA) recently launched a new website devoted to issues specific to aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) Americans. The LGBT Aging Resources Clearinghouse is designed to give health care and social service providers, students, policymakers, researchers, and older LGBT adults and their friends and families access to information about professional services, model programs, and community organizations. For full story, click here.

The Congressional Budget Office's Analysis of LTC Policy Options

With changing Presidential administrations, new health care policy initiatives will likely be considered that can impact the Long-Term Care (LTC) industry. In anticipation of these changes, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has mapped out health care policy options that might be considered over the course of the next few years and their impact on the Federal budget. For full story, click here.

Contributors
Richard Shank	Editor
Scott King	Staff Writer
Stuart Greenblatt	Staff Writer
Dawn Lehman	Staff Writer
Saher Selod	Staff Writer

Comments? Tell us what you think: askaia@matherlifeways.com