Hyperkyphosis, or “dowager’s hump” - the exaggerated forward curvature of the upper spine seen commonly in elderly women - may predict earlier death in women whether or not they have vertebral osteoporosis, UCLA researchers have found.

In a study published in the May 19 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that older white women with both vertebral fractures and the increased spinal curvature that results in the bent-over posture characteristic of hyperkyphosis had an elevated risk for earlier death. The finding was independent of other factors that included age and underlying spinal osteoporosis.

Women who had only hyperkyphosis, without vertebral fractures, did not show an increased risk for premature death.

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The advantages of volunteering reported by adults aged 55 and older are largely dependent upon the characteristics of the activities in which they participate, according to a recent article appearing in The Gerontologist (Vol. 49, No. 1). The lead author is Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, of Washington University in St. Louis.

She and her colleagues document the benefits of volunteering as identified by older adults - a departure from many previous studies, which have focused on the benefits observed by researchers. They also compare reported benefits with information about the volunteer program, such as volunteer training, support, and stipends.

“These findings suggest that characteristics of volunteer programs can be strengthened to maximize the benefits of volunteering to older adults,” the authors state.

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A pioneering study of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in nursing homes reveals that more than half of them incurred at least one work-related injury in the previous year. One in three received some kind of means-tested public assistance, and nearly half of those without medical insurance claimed they could not afford their employer-sponsored plan.

These statistics, gathered from the first-ever National Nursing Assistant Survey (NNAS), are presented in an article appearing in the latest issue of The Gerontologist (Vol. 49, No. 2). The lead author is Senior Policy Analyst Marie Squillace, PhD, of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“The care of 1.5 million elderly and chronically ill persons in the United States is largely in the hands of nursing assistants - the individuals who provide eight out of every ten hours of care residents receive in nursing homes. Turnover of these direct care workers is high, which profoundly decreases the quality of life and care of the residents,” Squillace said.

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A new model for the funding of long-term care for older people is needed in the UK, delegates at the Actuarial Profession’s Health and Care Conference in Glasgow heard today.

In a workshop titled ‘Who cares?’ Reforming long-term care, University of Birmingham Health Services Management Centre co-director Jon Glasby said the current system placed an unfair burden on individuals.

Professor Glasby said alternative methods of funding long-term care that needed to be discussed included:

- introducing compulsory long-term care insurance;
- abolishing long-term care fees;
- drawing on value of homes through equity release.

Professor Glasby said he hoped the government’s Green Paper on care and support, due this year, would provide an opportunity to stimulate debate on the issue and lead to an overhaul of the system.

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A home-based diet and exercise program reduced the rate of functional decline among older, overweight long-term survivors of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, according to a study in the May 13 issue of JAMA.

“In 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services declared mobility maintenance and functional independence among at-risk older individuals as the sole priority in aging research. Older cancer survivors represent an important target because cancer and its treatment are associated with accelerated functional decline,” the authors write. The practice of healthy lifestyle behaviors may reduce risk for disease and functional decline. However, many older cancer survivors report poor lifestyle behaviors, and few meet recommended health promotion guidelines. “Lifestyle interventions may provide benefit, but it is unknown whether long-term cancer survivors can modify their lifestyle behaviors sufficiently to improve functional status.”

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