Vision Of Elderly Can Improve

Elderly adults can improve their vision with perceptual training.

According to a study from the University of California, Riverside and Boston University elderly adults can improve their vision with perceptual training.  This has positive implications for the health and mobility of senior citizens.

UCR researchers and Boston University psychology professors conducted a series of experiments to determine whether repeated performance of certain visual tasks that are at the limits that one can see can improve the vision of adults older than 65.

The researchers found that with just two days of training, in one-hour sessions, with difficult stimuli resulted in older subjects seeing as well as younger college-age subjects.  The improvement was maintained for up to three months and the results were dependent on the location in the visual field where the stimuli were located - suggesting that the brain changed in early levels of visual cortex.

Age-related changes in vision - such as contrast sensitivity, dark adaptation, visual acuity, spatial vision, orientation, depth perception and motion perception - have been substantiated in numerous previous studies. This is the first study that demonstrates that perceptual training can be used to improve vision among the elderly in the earliest levels of visual processing.

The researchers used a texture discrimination test in which the participants were presented with stimuli consisting of a letter embedded in the center of a field of horizontally oriented lines. In addition to the letter, an array of peripherally located lines was oriented diagonally and formed either a vertical or horizontal object, always presented in the same quadrant. That was followed quickly with the display of a masking pattern. The task was to identify the central letter and the peripheral object.

 After age 60 there is a steady increase in the incidence of falls and automobile crashes that are associated with changes in visual processing reports the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance which tracks health related issues impacting aging Americans.

Free Guide Outlines Ways To Reduce Cost Of Long-Term Care Insurance

November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month and even the U.S. Congress has urged "the people of the United States to recognize (this) as an opportunity to learn more about the potential risks and costs … and the options available."

Some 10 million Americans currently require long-term care according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) with annual expenditures exceeding $200 billion.

"We're proud to support this important educational campaign," says Lisa Wendt, president and CEO of LifeSecure Insurance Company.  Experts expect the number of aging adults needing care will grow significantly in the next decade as the 76 million baby boomers begin to turn 65. 

To inform individuals about the importance of long-term care planning and simple ways to make insurance protection more affordable, AALTCI is making available a free online informational consumer guide.

"Few people are aware of the available discounts and planning techniques that can make long-term care insurance quite affordable," explains Jesse Slome, the organization's executive director.  "It is possible to reduce the cost by between 20-and-50 percent yearly."

For example, significant discounts are available when applicants meet certain health qualifications that can vary from one insurer to another.  "Non-smokers may qualify for savings and couples or partners who apply for protection may be eligible for savings," Slome adds.  "Savings can apply even when only one spouse obtains insurance coverage."

The "2 Minute Guide: Reducing The Cost" can be accessed online.  No sign-in or personal information is required.  To access the free guide, visit www.aaltci.org/free-guide/.

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About LifeSecure Insurance Company

LifeSecure Insurance Company is based in Brighton, MI and offers long-term care and post-hospital recovery insurance products. The company's insurance products are sold through a network of independent marketing organizations, brokers and agents and licensed in 44 states. Additional information is available at www.YourLifeSecure.com.

About The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI)

Established in 1998, AALTCI is the national professional organization serving over 3,000 insurance professionals who market long-term care insurance.  The organization's online Consumer Information Center www.aaltci.org/ has been recognized as a leading resource of current information and relevant statistical data.

Discovery Could Treat Obesity-Related Diabetes And Heart Disease

Researchers have found a new cellular pathway that could help in developing therapeutic treatments for obesity-related disorders, like diabetes and heart disease.

The medical scientists found that action by the enzyme histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) could be targets for potential treatment options in obesity-related diseases.

Researchers were really interested in the tie between increased HDAC9 levels in fat tissue of mice and the caloric overload.  Fat tissues from these obese mice showed dysfunction, with increased expression of pro-inflammatory agents and decreased expression of hormones responsible for maintaining whole body lipid and glucose stability.

HDAC9 level in fat cells is the underlying molecular culprit for dysfunctional fat tissue during obesity.

The researchers are currently examining HDAC9 knockout mice subjected to chronic high-fat feeding and think that HDAC9 gene removal will protect mice from obesity-linked adipose tissue dysfunction and associated metabolic disorders.

The team is pursuing studies to understand how diet regulates HDAC9 levels in fat tissue and how HDAC9 up-regulation can be prevented during diet-induced obesity through pharmacological means.  Their findings may help lead researchers to targeted therapies that may prevent the development of obesity-related disorders in humans reports the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance which tracks scientific research impacting the long-term health of Americans.

Nursing Home Industry Fear Republican Medicaid Cuts

The nursing home industry is concerned about pending Medicaid cuts following the Congressional changeover.

A Republican-controlled House is unlikely to extend the enhanced Medicaid funding for states in last year's Recovery Act, the head of a nursing home trade association said Monday.

A return to the initial federal share would be particularly painful for nursing homes and assisted living facilities, who rely on Medicaid to pay about two-thirds of their patients' bills.  "Everybody wants the government to pay without raising taxes and that's not possible," explains Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.  "As people understand Medicaid doesn't pay or forces you to into unacceptable situations, more will see the value in private insurance."

At a roundtable discussion in Washington, Bruce Yarwood, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association, said the situation will force a discussion on long-term care, which he said was hardly addressed during the healthcare reform debate.

As lawmakers respond to voters' concerns about the deficit and cut back on Medicaid and Medicare, a long-term care sector that relies on government spending to cover about 85 percent of its patients faces a crossroads.

Looking ahead, I have to say I am concerned about the significant wrangling we already see developing between the state and federal governments in regard to Medicaid and the federal healthcare reform law, Yarwood stated.

Scientists Find Speak Two Languages To Delay Alzheimer's Onset

Speaking two languages can help delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms by as much as five years.

The study conducted by Canadian scientists found more dramatic evidence that those who have spoken two or more languages consistently over many years experienced a delay in the onset of their symptoms by as much as five years.

"We are not claiming that bilingualism in any way prevents Alzheimer's or other dementias, but it may contribute to cognitive reserve in the brain which appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms for quite some time," said Dr. Craik, lead investigator and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Memory.

The brains of people who speak two languages still show deterioration from Alzheimer's pathology; however, their special ability with two languages seems to equip them with compensatory skills to hold back the tell-tale symptoms of Alzheimer's, such as memory loss, confusion, and difficulties with problem-solving and planning.

Observations were made on patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's from 2007 to 2009. The patients' date of diagnosis and age of onset of cognitive impairment were recorded along with information on occupational history, education and language history (i.e. fluency in English and any other languages).

The researchers found that bilingual patients had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's 4.3 years later and had reported the onset of symptoms five years later than the monolingual patients. The groups were equivalent on measures of cognitive and occupational level, there was no apparent effect of immigration status, and there were no gender differences.

According to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, the current study adds to mounting scientific evidence that lifestyle factors - such as regular cardiovascular exercise, a healthy diet, and speaking more than one language - can play a central role in how the brain copes with age-related cognitive decline and diseases such as Alzheimer's.

The study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Alzheimer's Society of Canada.

Home Health Benefits Face Likely Medicare Cut

Medicare Home Health Benefits Likely Cut

Home health care providers face likely Medicare payment cuts next year according to experts.

According to a report published today, two companies, Gentiva Health Services and Amedisys are among the providers of at-home health care to receive lower Medicare payments next year under U.S. government changes to the program.

A 4.89 percent reduction in home health spending for the elderly is among annual modifications in Medicare affecting hospitals, doctors and providers in the United States. Most rates take effect in January, though payments for doctors start to drop Dec. 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement this week.

"Cuts are consistent with a need to reduce expenditures at the Federal level," explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.  "The recent election showed that the populace doesn't want the government borrowing and spending money it doesn't have.  It's very likely more cuts will be coming."

A panel that advised Congress on Medicare issues found in 2008 that home health agencies were making 17 percent profits on their Medicare business.

"If you are in your 50s and counting on Medicare to look the same when you qualify for benefits, you are likely to be surprised," concludes Slome.