Hands to Help Seniors

The Monterey Herald recently published a sad article stating that 1.6 million Californians who are eligible for CalFresh (28%) don't receive this assistance.  The reasons are many.  A 61-year old home caretaker in Oakland was cut off last year after her paperwork was lost.  Out of work, she can no longer afford groceries.  Another woman, 62 years old, told The Herald that she won't apply for food stamps because it might prevent her from qualifying for U.S. citizenship.  College students and seniors are among the groups most likely to miss out on the aid that they qualify for.  For seniors in California, just 19% get assistance compared with 42% on the national level.

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The supply of senior housing has soared in recent years, outpacing demand despite the number of baby boomers that are retiring.  Many seniors are staying put, remaining in their own homes.  The market has added 85K units since the end of 2012, up from less than 60K units in the six years prior, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care.  Another thing impacting the lack of demand for senior housing is that baby boomers are staying fitter and in better health than prior generations.  Research shows that people tend to move into senior-living facilities after they hit 82.  The oldest baby boomer won’t turn 80 until 2026.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/baby-boomers-are-living-at-home-thats-bad-news-for-senior-housing-developers-1540897200

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There have been very few new antibiotics to hit the market in recent years, but plenty of antibiotic-resistant viruses which has frustrated hospitals.  There is hope, however.  Scientists discovered in a bag of backyard dirt a powerful new group of antibiotics that they say can wipe out many infections including microbes that have currently been resistant to current antibiotics that are on the market.  Researchers at Rockefeller University reported the discovery of what are called malacidins in the journal Nature Microbiology.  It is the latest in a series of promising antibiotics that scientists have found by using innovative genetic sequencing techniques which allow them to screen thousands of soil samples for bacteria that previously couldn’t be grown or studied in the laboratory.  Rockefeller University scientists found the malacidins only after sifting through 1,500 soil samples.

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Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia is a terrible condition, robbing you of memories and the people that you love.  Researchers have found that one way to ease the pain is with music.  Dan Cohen started an organization called Music & Memory (see www.musicandmemory.org) which can help a loved one connect with the world by bringing personalized music into their lives.  The non-profit uses volunteers to bring digital music to the elderly to improve their quality of life.  One man could barely speak and literally came alive after they started playing music that he loved.  What a wonderful contribution to his quality of life.  If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend the documentary “Alive Inside.”

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