Signs, signs everywhere the signs

A study (2009) found that dementia prevalence (total number of cases) increased with age: 10 percent of those age 65 to 80, 13.5 percent at 80 to 84 years; 30.8 percent at 85 to 89 years; 39.5 percent at 90 to 94 years; and 52.8 percent among those older than 94. Prevalence was 25.8 percent among women and 17.1 percent among men.

So as we age, there is a greater chance of getting Dementia, but until we hit our 90’s the odds against getting Dementia are on our side. However, as we age we become more concerned with memory loss because memory loss disrupts our daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimer's or another dementia.

Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are 10 warning signs and symptoms. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in a different degree. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor. In the following from the Alzheimer’s Association, there are clear warning signs but there are also typical age-related changes. The warning sign information shows the severity of the problem, the typical age-related changes are much less severe.

 1. MEMORY LOSS THAT DISRUPTS DAILY LIFE

One of the most common signs of Alzheimer's is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; increasingly needing to rely on memory aids (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

What's a typical age-related change?

Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

2. CHALLENGES IN PLANNING OR SOLVING PROBLEMS

Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.

What's a typical age-related change?

Making occasional errors when balancing a check book.

People with Alzheimer's often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

What's a typical age-related change?

Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.

4. CONFUSION WITH TIME OR PLACE

People with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.

What's a typical age-related change?

Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.

5. TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING VISUAL IMAGES AND SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS

For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving.

6. NEW PROBLEMS WITH WORDS IN SPEAKING OR WRITING

People with Alzheimer's may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a "watch" a "hand-clock").

What's a typical age-related change?

Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

7. MISPLACING THINGS AND LOSING THE ABILITY TO RETRACE STEPS

A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.

What's a typical age-related change?

Misplacing things from time to time and retracing steps to find them.

8. DECREASED OR POOR JUDGMENT

People with Alzheimer's may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.

What's a typical age-related change?

Making a bad decision once in a while.

9. WITHDRAWAL FROM WORK OR SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

A person with Alzheimer's may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced.

10.CHANGES IN MOOD AND PERSONALITY

The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer's can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.

What's a typical age-related change?

Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALZHEIMER’S AND TYPICAL AGE-RELATED CHANGES?

Signs of Alzheimer’s/dementia	Typical age-related changes
Poor judgment and decision-making	Making a bad decision once in a while
Inability to manage a budget	Missing a monthly payment
Losing track of the date or the season	Forgetting which day it is and remembering it later
Difficulty having a conversation	Sometimes forgetting which word to use
Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them	Losing things from time to time

WHAT TO DO IF YOU NOTICE THESE SIGNS

If you notice any of the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's in yourself or someone you know, don't ignore them. Schedule an appointment with your doctor.

Boomer women and marriage

The Center for Retirement Research asked women about marriage, and I thought the results were very interesting. You can download the full report here

Traditionally, women spent their adult lives married, so it made more sense to study households rather than women separately. The question is whether today’s women are spending fewer years married. The analysis looks at four birth cohorts, ranging from the Depression Era to Mid Baby Boomers.

No matter how you define the age span, the percentage of years spent married has dropped from about 70 percent to 50 percent. The reasons are three-fold: 1) fewer women get married; 2) when they do marry, they get married later; and 3) more women end up divorced.

 Approximately 50% of Boomer women get divorced. Thus, looking at women’s finances separately from men is increasingly necessary for a full assessment of their retirement security.

The bottom line is that women as a group are going to spend less than half of their adult years as part of a couple. This pattern reflects an increase in age at first marriage, a decline in marriage rates, and an increase in divorce. It shows up across race and educational attainment. This change has significant implications for financial planning.

The center for Retirement Research Recognized by the New York Times as “…the nation’s leading center on retirement studies,” their research covers any issue affecting individuals’ income in retirement. Their main areas are: Social Security State and local pensions Health/long-term care Financing retirement; and Older workers

The Center’s work goes beyond economics.  They study the behavioral factors that drive individuals’ decisions so they can craft solutions that work in practice, not just in theory.

Do you believe in ....

I wonder about all the " Alt Right" who claim to be religious and believe in the bible and yet show hate and prejudice every day by their actions. If you are a literal believer in the bible then you believe that humans were created in gods image when Adam and Eve were created. 

So, if you are a literal believer, when it comes to all the other people on planet Earth, what you want to keep in mind is that all human beings are related.

If you are not a believer in the Bible and are a follower of science, when it comes to all the other people on planet Earth, then you believe that humans evolved through time. So as a believer in science what you want to keep in mind is that all human beings are related.

Really, really interesting is it not?

How long do you sit for in a day?

A typical day for many people includes at least 8 hours of sitting - driving to work, sitting in an office, driving home, and watching TV. An international study of over 1 million people shows that 1 hour of moderate physical activity can eliminate the health risks associated with sedentary behavior. Previous research has shown that older adults spend more than 9 hours of their day sitting down.

High levels of sedentary behavior may increase the risk of death for frail adults aged 50 and older who have low levels of physical activity, a new study suggests.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans state that adults aged 18 to 64 and those aged 65 and older should aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity every week.

For adults who are unable to meet these guidelines, it is recommended that "they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow."

According to statistics from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey, just 44.9 percent of older adults aged 65 to 74 met the physical activity guidelines last year.

The harms of sedentary behavior have been well documented. A study reported by Medical News Today last year, for example, suggested that sitting for more than 3 hours daily is responsible for more than 430,000 deaths across 54 countries every year.

The researchers set out to determine whether or not frailty plays a role in the increased death risk associated with sedentary behavior. The results were recently reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The study included the data of 3,141 adults aged 50 and older who participated in the 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

As part of the survey, subjects were required to wear activity trackers during waking hours, and the researchers used these data to calculate how much time each adult spent sedentary.

The team also used a 46-item index to assess the frailty of each subject. Frailty is generally defined as an aging-related process characterized by weakness, unintended weight loss, slowness, and fatigue.

Just 1 hour of exercise offsets health risks of prolonged sitting

Researchers suggest that just 1 hour of exercise may counteract the health risks of prolonged sitting.

Among adults who scored highly on the frailty index and did not meet the physical activity guidelines, the researchers found that prolonged sitting was associated with an increased risk of death. This was not the case for adults with low frailty who met exercise guidelines.

"Thus, among people who are inactive and vulnerable or frail, sitting time increases mortality risk, but among those who are non-frail or active, sitting time does not affect the risk of mortality," say the researchers.

There were some limitations to their study. For example, the team had limited activity data on adults with higher frailty levels.

"Our sample size was substantially reduced, especially among the group with the highest level of frailty, which made it necessary to merge frailty groups for some analyses and prevented us from isolating those with severe frailty into one category," the researchers explain.

Still, the authors say that their study further highlights the harms of sedentary behavior, particularly for frail adults.

"Physicians should stress the harms of inactivity with patients, similar to the harms of smoking, to encourage movement. Even something as simple as getting up and walking around the house with a walker or cane can benefit frailer people."

The above was from a report Prolonged sitting and frailty a deadly combination Published in August 2017 and written by Honor Whiteman