Category Archives: Older people

Older adults can boost longevity ‘with just a little exercise’

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Norwegian review of 36,000 cases links more activity overall, light or intensive, with lower risk of death

Even a small increase in light activity, such as washing dishes, a little gentle gardening, or shuffling around the house, might help stave off an early death among older adults, researchers say.

Being sedentary, for instance, by sitting for long periods of time, has been linked to an increased risk of developing many conditions, including heart disease, as well as an early death.

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Police letting down older victims of crime, say inspectors

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Report says police have only superficial understanding of crimes against older people

Older victims of crime are being let down by the police and the wider criminal justice system, according to the first inspection report on the age group.

The police have only a “superficial understanding” of the crimes committed against older people, the report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate says.

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‘Save your money’: no evidence brain health supplements work, say experts

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Worldwide panel says it cannot recommend healthy people take ‘memory supplements’

Dietary supplements such as vitamins do nothing to boost brain health and are simply a waste of money for healthy people, experts have said.

According to figures from the US, sales of so-called “memory supplements” doubled between 2006 and 2015, reaching a value of $643m, while more than a quarter of adults over the age of 50 in the US regularly take supplements in an attempt to keep their brain in good health.

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Woman, 102, suspected of killing care home neighbour, 92

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The suspect, who told staff she had ‘killed someone’, has been placed in psychiatric care after the incident in France

A woman aged 102 has been placed in psychiatric care in north-eastern France after she was suspected of murdering her 92-year-old neighbour in a care home, prosecutors said.

The victim was found dead on Saturday night in her room at the care home in the town of Chezy-sur-Marne. Her face was swollen.

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Dementia: eat better, exercise, and reduce smoking and drinking to cut risk

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WHO research highlights lifestyle factors linked to increased risk of disease

Taking better care of ourselves could be the best long-term strategy to tackling the growing problem of dementia, according to a new report.

Research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) found dementia affects 50 million people worldwide, costs $818bn (£632bn) annually to treat, and diagnoses are likely to triple by 2050.

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Woman stands in German council election aged 100

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Lisel Heise runs for local grassroots group after realising her age ‘gives me the chance to say something’

For most people, reaching 100 would be reason enough to put one’s feet up and take things easy, but Lisel Heise has other ideas.

The German centenarian, a former sports teacher, has started a new chapter in her life by standing for election to the council in her home town of Kirchheimbolanden.

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Chinese city seeks young blood: how ageing Nanjing lures new talent

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The next 15 megacities #12: The ancient capital of China is pulling out all the stops in a bid to defuse its ticking demographic timebomb

Tan Jingquan is exactly the kind of person the ancient Chinese city of Nanjing wants to attract. The 38-year-old had been searching rival cities for possible sites for his biotech startup for years – until the Nanjing government finally made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“I visited and explored opportunities in nearly a dozen cities,” recalls Tan, a native of Wuhan in central China. “It turned out Nanjing has the best combination of policy incentives and market potential for small startups.”

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World’s oldest man dies in Japan aged 113

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Masazo Nonaka, who enjoyed watching sumo wrestling and eating sweets, died at home

The world’s oldest man has died at his home, a hot springs on Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido, at the age of 113.

His family said Masazo Nonaka died peacefully from natural causes in the early hours of Sunday while sleeping in the inn in Ashoro, which has been run by his family for four generations.

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Weatherwatch: why cold weather is still a killer in the UK

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Research finds local communities can do most to halt unnecessary deaths

In an affluent, educated country like the UK it is surprising that there is still a large spike in the number of people who die in cold weather because they cannot afford to heat their homes or do not understand the danger they are in.

Last winter there were 50,100 excess deaths in England and Wales, many of which were entirely preventable. Most of those who die unnecessarily are older adults who have not kept themselves warm enough.

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