While new knowledge becomes available each year about promising potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, recent research is also focusing on the prevention of the disease or mitigation of its symptoms.

Newly developing treatment techniques and technology may bring a path for prevention, perhaps in particular among people with a genetic predisposition to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Many Medicare recipients struggle to make ends meet. Special savings programs administered by each state can help cover certain Medicare costs, such as premiums and deductibles. The criteria one must meet to qualify for this assistance, known as Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), can vary by state.

In 2023, recipients of Social Security benefits saw the biggest increase in decades in their monthly checks. Although their payouts will indeed rise again in 2024, the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will be more modest – just 3.2 percent, versus the nearly 9 percent boost in 2023.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hearing loss affects one-third of older adults. As difficulty hearing can lead to communication challenges and social withdrawal, it can also increase the risk of dementia. Dementia includes diseases affecting memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities and affects 55 million people worldwide, per the World Health Organization.

Hearing loss accounts for 8 percent of the world’s dementia cases. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that global dementia cases will triple by 2050.

The 2023 Senior Report recently issued by America’s Health Rankings sheds light on the latest trends in the health and well-being of older Americans.

Highlighting the good news – and the bad – for aging adults in the U.S., the findings call attention to some of the greatest needs facing seniors in recent years.

Homelessness rates are rising among people aged 65 and over. In addition to the dangers unhoused people face on the street, there are exponential effects on their access to health care.

Inflation affects all consumers, but older Americans are facing an especially dramatic loss of buying power. A recent survey by the Senior Citizens League shows that Social Security benefits have seen a 36 percent loss in buying power since 2000. That number is actually an improvement from 2022, when the loss of buying power was at 40 percent.

Elder law attorneys may specialize in estate planning, incapacity planning, and end-of-life care for seniors. These practitioners are essential because they work to protect a vulnerable population. To plan for their future and their care, seniors and their families should consider hiring an elder law attorney.