shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

Studies are showing that there's been a huge spike in parents moving in with their children, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. And this goes for parents under 65 too:

The number of parents under 65 in these households increased by 75 percent, and those 65 and older were up 62 percent.

There's also been an increase in folks cohabiting with in-laws and siblings. While there a number of factors that could be behind this, researchers are saying a large reason could be the struggling economy and rising costs of living, which is forcing families to combine expenses.

Stephanie Coontz, director of research at the Council on Contemporary Families, also says that parents and children are closer than they were in the past. This can be a bad thing for what they call the "helicopter parent", who hovers too closely, but a good thing for parents and children developing close friendships in addition to child-parent dynamic.

While it's nice to think closer relationships are the reasons why more parents are moving in with their children, I don't doubt that the economic crisis in this country is a large factor as well. Regardless, giving back to your parents in this way is probably something many children do willingly and happily.

An article titled, "Why Presents Become Less Exciting As You Get Older" talks about how as we age, our brain's "reward system" doesn't function as strongly as it once did, making older folks less inclined to be excited about gifts than younger people are.

The new study says this is why kids are so excited to get presents, because a chemical in the brain which controls the feeling of reward is abundant when young, but decreases significantly as a person grows older.

I'm always interested to know more the science behind how our body ages, but a part of me has a hard time believing that there's biological certainty we'll all like gifts less as we get older. I don't know about you, but I've definitely seen 60+ year old men gleefully jump up and down for joy when they get a present!

A huge age discrimination lawsuit was recently settled (one of 23 to be resolved) over Hollywood talent agency International Creative Management. And the agency is only one of many others who are being sued by screenwriters over 40 who are saying they were "gray-listed" by the TV industry and pushed out of their jobs in preference for younger writers.

This isn't just some typical Hollywood scandal lawsuit; it's apparent that this is a problem within the industry, so much that ICM has also agreed to to develop an panel of experts to examine its representation practices, as well as create a "job relief" program designed to promote the top 25 percent of older TV writers.

Paul Sprenger, lead attorney for the writers, says "What we're trying to do is factor age out of decision-making."

ICM actually hasn't admitted to doing anything wrong, and the $4.5 million in settlement they're paying in one case will come out of insurers, but at least they're taking action with this new panel and program. Some other defendants in this slew of cases are major U.S. networks like ABC and Fox, and huge production companies Walt Disney Co and Warner Bros. We can only wait to see how those pan out.

53-year-old Greg Norman's surprise showing at the British Open a few weeks ago--and 41 year old swimmer Dara Torres' heroics at the Olympic trials--has Bill Lohmann of the Richmond Times-Dispatch probing the larger story of sporty boomers.

According to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, the number of health-club members 55 or older in 2005 was 8 million, an increase of 314 percent since 1990. The number in the 35-to-54 age category, 13.5 million, represents an increase of 113 percent.

The success of aging famous athletes on the world stage might lead even more boomers to join health clubs or sign up for more golf lessons, which would certainly please Pulliam and other teaching pros. At the least, such triumphs of age will reinforce what boomers already know, said Hunter Schwartz, director of operations at the James Center YMCA in downtown Richmond.

Alas, this welcome increase in athletics among boomers also has a downside.

In May, the American College of Sports Medicine convened a symposium on "Overuse Injuries in the Baby Boomer: The Results of Years of Abuse." Health-care professionals discussed the problems of acute injuries such as broken bones, ruptured tendons and ligaments, torn rotator cuffs, ankle sprains and knee injuries suffered at a young age. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons even has a name for sports injuries among boomers: "boomeritis."

The phenomenon of the aging boomer athlete was documented by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission this decade when it reported that sports injuries among boomers increased 33 percent from 1991 to 1998. As boomers continue to try to stay young and fit, chances are this trend will only get worse.

To avoid "boomeritis" Jane Brody of the New York Times says "exercise, exercise, exercise!"

Who woulda knew? AARP reports from the International Alzheimer's Conference in Chicago, where research is being highlighted on the effects of being a older and single. While we posted last month on the fact that older single women aren't the sad, old maids that stereotypes often make them out to be, that doesn't mean that not having a partner can't potentially have an effect on your health. In fact, this new research shows that having a partner midlife had a 50 percent lower risk of having dementia later in life. Some more stats:

• People who were single throughout their lives had double the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease
• People were divorced and stayed divorced from midlife on had triple the risk.
• People who lost a spouse midlife and stayed single had more than a sixfold risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than their married peers.

What author of the study, Krister Håkansson, asks is a good question: "What is it about being in a couples relationship, whether married or not, that is protective? Is it the cognitive and intellectual stimulation that comes with living in a relationship or is it something related to other things, like social or emotional factors?"

Their guess is that it's a social network of friends and family and lack of isolation, which makes sense considering the fact that people who were lifelong singles were "much better off" than those who were divorced or lost a spouse in midlife. (Lifelong singles are guessed to have a better network of family and friends already established.)

The thing that can be upsetting about these kinds of studies is that it seems as if you almost don't have a choice in what happens to you; you get divorced and don't find another spouse, what can you do then? But rather than seeing this study as some impending doom for dementia, we should see it for what the actual implications really seem to be here: that a strong network of close loved ones is what matters in life.

*Picture from Brand New Images/Getty Images

The New York Times had an interesting piece awhile ago on a heated debate about the fact that women in their 80s and 90s aren't being urged to get mammograms on a regular basis:

As with most cancers, the risk of breast cancer increases with age. Yet while doctors tell women to have annual mammograms after age 40, they often advise 85-year-olds to go two or even three years between scans.

The problem, doctors say, is too little data. Large clinical trials, including those that have found that mammography saves lives, tend to focus on younger people and exclude the very old.

A recent study that tried to assess the usefulness of mammography among 80- and 90-year-olds found that very few women in this age group, 22 percent, underwent regular screenings for breast cancer, but that those who did were more likely to find the cancer early enough to avoid a mastectomy and survive at least five years.

The question is raised whether breast cancer screenings should really be a large focus when there are other more common physical conditions at that age to be looking out for, like heart disease or chronic pain. But considering the fact that two-thirds of people over 85 are women, some are saying it's just as important.

Another issue raised is that women over 74 years old haven't been studied in clinical trials on mammography, so organizations setting guidelines for older women have to use potentially inaccurate information because it's coming from research with younger subjects. In other words, the actual process of getting a mammogram or a biopsy may be a risk for women older than 80, particularly if they have other conditions like dementia or heart disease.

Check out the whole article, the read is worthwhile.

Alejandra has blogged before about how detrimental a fall can be for an older person. Some of you may have noticed that in a recent edition of AARP The Magazine I highlighted this as a high priority issue for me while I'm President...we know how important this issue can be for people 50 and older.

Recently, a US Center for Disease Control study showed that falls are injuring and claiming the lives of our loved ones at an alarming rate. And for many people who fall and break their hip, their lives of independence are often forever compromised.

So, if you know someone who's getting older, or maybe just beginning to have a hard time getting around their home, know that there are proven "steps" one can take that can help prevent or minimize the risk of falls. Since half the falls experienced occur at home, there are some simple things you can do to minimize the risk of a fall by improving safety features around their home.

You can find some truly helpful tips for renovating your home on our website. I also have colleagues from the Archstone Foundation in California who have funded a special focus on this topic by creating a Fall Prevention Center of Excellence.

See you in a couple of weeks!

Man, I love the Brits. Raunchy humor, pubs, fish and chips. What's not to like? Here's another good reason - they celebrate the beauty of their more experienced countrymen! Check out this new poll of Britain's sexiest older men. Mamma Mia! Star Pierce Brosnan tops the list. And he's in good company - his handsome compatriots Mick Jagger, Sean Connery, Rod Stewart, and Paul McCartney are also ranked high. Who would top your list?

There is a great piece at the Columbus Dispatch about the lives of older single women and how, despite the stereotype of the lonely "old maid," senior singletons (as they're popularly called) are actually living it up:

According to census data, more than 11 million women 65 and older are single. The stereotype holds that as a group they're a lonely, unhappy, insecure lot, struggling through life without the benefit of a mate.

But the reality for many couldn't be further from that image. The AARP studied older women who live alone and found that half are happier than they've ever been. A whopping 63 percent of single women who live alone say their older years are the time to pursue their dreams.

The Economic and Social Research Council found that women older than 60 who live alone rate their lives as happier and healthier than if they cohabited. Men, in contrast, are far more likely to remarry after divorce or the death of a spouse.

The only downside is that single women over 65 are twice as likely to live in poverty than those that have a partner, which is a pretty big deal. But does that exclude the many older women who live together? Couldn't that be a legitimate financial support system?

This is a random but interesting article. According to a new study, older folks may not need their Zs as long as than those younger than them. While many might make the misconception that the older you get, the more sleep you need, it looks like healthy adults age 60 and older get an average of 7.5 hours of shuteye compared to an average of 9 hours for their younger counterparts.

"The most parsimonious explanation for our results is that older people need less sleep," said Elizabeth Klerman of Brigham and Women's Hospital & Harvard Medical School. "It's also possible that they sleep less even when given the opportunity for more sleep because of age-related changes in the ability to fall asleep and remain asleep," she added, noting that the new results apply only to healthy individuals taking no medication and having no medical conditions or sleep disorders.

The findings may also help influence treatment for insomnia in older folks. How are your sleeping habits?

The New York Times has a new blog, "The New Old Age: Caring and Coping" penned by the great Jane Gross. Here's the description:

Thanks to the marvels of medical science, our parents are living longer than ever before. Adults over age 80 are the fastest growing segment of the population, and most will spend years dependent on others for the most basic needs. That burden falls to their baby boomer children, 77 million strong, who are flummoxed by the technicalities of eldercare, turned upside down by the changed architecture of their families, struggling to balance work and caregiving, and depleting their own retirement savings in the process.

Between Gross' insight and the Times' readership, I don't doubt The New Old Age will foster some great discussion on this intergenerational struggle; make sure to check it out.

Oh, summertime! Ball games and hot dogs, sunshine and salty ocean air. But beware - there's a hidden danger lurking out there. It's not a shark (cue scary music)...it's swimsuit season! No matter your age, shopping for a new suit is a much dreaded annual event for most of us. But some people really know how to do it style, like AARP Bulletin reader Barbara Costa. Read her account of shopping for a suit at the young-at-heart age of 74. Barbara shows us how it's really done, Esther Williams-style!

"It's not an obligation," says The Eighth Promise author William Poy Lee of offering to care for his aging mother in an AARP Bulletin special video report on aging in China. Lee, an American-born Chinese, refers to the ancient tradition of xiao shun, or filial piety.

Although Lee's mom declined his offer to live with him, preferring like most people to age in place, he takes comfort in that she did so freely. "Filial piety isn't rote or assumed, but rather a loving, symbiotic relationship," he writes.

You can read more about xiao shun and aging in China by following the links. Share your story in the comments section - we can all learn from each other!

Yet another reason to put down that pack: according to new research from the Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease, drinking and smoking heavily increases the risk of early onset of Alzheimer's. A study of 938 people age 60 and older found that these behaviors were linked to onset as much as six or seven years earlier than average. The good news: researchers also found that lifestyle modifications can delay and even prevent the disease.

It's never too late to quit! For more information on nicotine addiction and smoking cessation, visit the Walgreens Health Library.

The New York Times had a really good (yet upsetting) piece this weekend on the severe effects that the rising gas prices are beginning to have on older folks:

"Faced with soaring gasoline prices, agencies around the country that provide services to the elderly say they are having to cut back on programs like Meals on Wheels, transportation assistance and home care, especially in rural areas that depend on volunteers who provide their own gas. In a recent survey by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, more than half said they had already cut back on programs because of gas costs, and 90 percent said they expected to make cuts in the 2009 fiscal year."

Without Meals on Wheels, they would need transportation or home care. Without transportation, they need home care or Meals on Wheels. So without any of the three, where exactly does that leave them? And it doesn't end there - not only are these necessary programs being cut, but it's getting more and more difficult to get volunteers, who are increasingly harder to recruit as they cut back on their miles.

The article touches on a couple of personal stories from citizens of Michigan that really hits home; we can talk prices and numbers all we want, but humanizing the problem and seeing how this is affecting real Americans is what will resonate with people.

One ray of hope is that the agencies are currently urging Congress to account for fuel inflation in reimbursement rates and reinstate special increases for providers in rural areas - a program that actually expired in 2006. It looks like we need it now more than ever.

The sports world is abuzz this week with swimmer Dara Torres' record-setting 50-meter free-style win, qualifying her to compete on behalf of the United States at the 2008 summer Olympics. The catch? Torres is a 41 year old in a sport dominated by teenagers. She may be getting older, but she still got game.

Inspired by Torres' success (and who isn't?) The Miami Herald listed a few other athletes who excelled in their craft after hitting 40.

-Eamonn Coghlan: In 1994, the 41-year-old Irish miler and former world champion at 5,000 meters becomes the first person over 40 to run a sub-4 minute mile. Coghlan clocks a 3:58.15 at a race in Cambridge, Mass.

-George Foreman: In 1994, at age 45, the boxer regains part of the heavyweight title he lost to Muhammad Ali 20 years earlier, stopping Michael Moorer with a two-punch combination in the 10th round. Foreman captures the IBF and WBA championships to become the oldest champion in any weight class.

-Jack Nicklaus: In 1986, the golfing great wins his last major championship, the Masters, at age 46.

-Nolan Ryan: In 1990, at age 43, threw the sixth no-hitter of his career, blanking Oakland 5-0 while pitching for the Texas Rangers. The next season, at age 44, Ryan tossed his seventh no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays.

-Darrell Green: Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in February in his first year of eligibility, the Washington Redskins cornerback was 42 when he retired after the 2002 season. He had at least one interception in 19 consecutive seasons.

-Martina Navratilova: A month before her 50th birthday, in 2006, the tennis champion finished her career by winning her 59th Grand Slam title, teaming with Bob Bryan to take the mixed doubles championship at the U.S. Open. To this illustrious list, I would add hockey legend Gordie Howe, who played until the age of 53 (and on a team with two of his sons!) I suppose we could also add Roger Clemens, but perhaps with an asterix? Who else would readers add to the hall-of-after-40 fame?

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is turning his attention to his city's rapidly aging senior centers. According to a recent article in the New York Times, Mayor Bloomberg is "seeking to bring his business-minded, results-based approach" to help modernize "senior centers" and prepare for a "projected 46 percent surge over the next 25 years of people over 60 years old, New York City's fastest growing demographic".

The New York Times goes on:

"Mr. Bloomberg has indicated that he sees the city's sprawling array of 329 often homespun senior centers as inefficient and outdated.

"So for the first time, senior centers, which are typically tucked into churches or housing projects and locally run, must submit plans for more health, education and culture programs to bolster dwindling attendance. The centers will also be evaluated -- and potentially penalized by having funds taken away -- based on performance measures.

"At the same time, to streamline operations, the mayor is reducing the number of centers that provide case managers, the workers who guide the elderly through everyday tasks that can range from making medical appointments to filling out tax forms."

Mayor Bloomberg's plan is not without its critics however, who claim that the "plan is a clunky one-size-fits-all mathematical exercise that favors numbers over people, standardization over local quirks. And it reinforces a view, they said, of Mr. Bloomberg as an out-of-touch billionaire who does not fully grasp that the current community-based system is exactly what makes New York so, well, New York.

However, according to The New York Times, even most of the plan's critics are willing to concede that Bloomberg deserves credit for at least trying to prepare for future strains on New York's senior centers. And everyone agrees that the city has a responsibility to help care for its older citizens and that something has to be done to better manage New York City's coming "Grey Wave".

But that question, as always, is "what should be done"? We'll stay on this one and see what happens.

This one is courtesy of my colleague Lindsay Thomson:

Recently we mentioned research that links red wine with a longer life span. The mayor of Lo Prado, Chile took the lifestyle approach to managing your wellbeing one step further: the town is giving free Viagra to eligible citizens 60+ on the premise that "an active sexuality improves the overall quality of life.” It’s an idea, that’s for sure … what do you think?