ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

As we find out today that the unemployment rate is the highest it's been in 26 years, AP also released a story about the fact that the poverty rate among older Americans could be nearly twice as high as the traditional 10 percent level. This is according to the National Academy of Science's new formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations in the cost of living. AARP weighed in:

"'It's a hidden problem,' said Robin Talbert, president of the AARP Foundation, which provides job training and support to low-income seniors and is backing legislation that would adopt the NAS formula. 'There are still many millions of older people on the edge, who don't have what they need to get by.'"

Check out the whole piece, it's a must-read.

A Thai favorite!

John Rother continues his YouTube explanations of healthcare reform in this video. If you're confused at all about how it could benefit you, this might just help.

Want to stay brain healthy? Our friends on the Brain Health page of AARP.org offer 50 ways to stay healthy between the ears. A number of the recommendations involve feeding your noodle Omega 3s (I'm looking at you, walnuts!). One recommendation involves playing video games. According to a new study, one game in particular, Tetris, may be particularly conducive to good brain health.

Researchers at the Mind Research Network today announced the findings of a scientific study that used brain imaging and Tetris to investigate whether practice makes the brain efficient because it increases gray matter. Over a three-month period, adolescent girls practiced Tetris, a computer game requiring a combination of cognitive skills. The girls who practiced showed greater brain efficiency, consistent with earlier studies. Compared to controls, the girls that practiced also had a thicker cortex, but not in the same brain areas where efficiency occurred.