BOSTON — Hebrew SeniorLife, a national senior services provider in Boston, has been commended by the Massachusetts State Legislature on its recognition of June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The resolution was signed by 89 state legislators.

The resolution commends Hebrew SeniorLife for its recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15) and urges other members of the public to follow suit in promoting awareness and prevention of elder abuse. It also notes that one in ten Americans over the age of 60 have experienced some type of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

Hebrew SeniorLife CEO Lou Woolf said, “We thank the many members of the legislature that signed the resolution and are committed to improving the quality of life for all seniors, especially the most vulnerable among us. We know all too well that elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation cross all racial, social, class, gender, and geographic lines and can only be mitigated with awareness and action from a vigilant community.”

Representative Danielle Gregoire remarked that “protecting our vulnerable elders is a community responsibility and private individuals and public agencies must work together at all levels of government to combat elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.” Hebrew SeniorLife’s recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is just one part of its larger effort to address this growing problem. HSL is committed to promoting education and awareness, engaging in advocacy, conducting research, and providing supportive services in addition to offering shelter to elder abuse victims.

The official signed resolution will be displayed permanently at Hebrew SeniorLife’s flagship campus in Roslindale, Mass.

To learn more about Hebrew SeniorLife’s efforts in this area, please visit Hebrew SeniorLife’s webpage on combatting elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

About Hebrew SeniorLife

Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Founded in Boston in 1903, the nonprofit, non-sectarian organization today provides communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit http://www.hebrewseniorlife.org, follow us on Twitter @H_SeniorLife, like us on Facebook or read our blog.

Managing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors may play a role in preserving physical function during the aging process, according to new research published today by The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

“Approximately 10% of older adults have muscle weakness and diminished physical function that leads to adverse health outcomes and physical disability,” said lead author Dr. Shivani Sahni. “Since loss of physical function contributes to reduced mobility, disability, institutionalization, and mortality, management of CVD risk factors can help preserve physical function with age,” said Dr. Sahni.

This study showed that vascular measures are associated with grip strength in cross-sectional analyses and change in gait speed (a measure of physical function) in longitudinal analyses.

This is one of the first community-based studies to comprehensively examine the relationship of aortic stiffness and vascular function with age-related decline in physical function. Higher aortic stiffness was associated with loss of physical function over ~11 years, said Dr. Sahni, who is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife. She directs the Nutrition Program at the Marcus Institute.

Blood flow declines with aging, in part due to arterial stiffening. Consequent dysfunction in blood vessel dynamics may contribute to organ pathology and declines in muscle mass, explains Dr. Sahni. Yet, few studies have specifically assessed the role of vascular function, and changes in functional muscle measures such as mobility and muscle strength.

The current study utilized data from a large cohort of relatively healthy men and women and extends previous investigations by utilizing a longitudinal study design. 

The majority of previously published studies have utilized cross-sectional study designs with modest sample sizes.  The authors believe that future studies should evaluate whether interventions that target vascular health may reduce age-related declines in physical function. This is important because one third of older adults experience physical limitations contributing to reduced mobility, disability, institutionalization, and mortality. Hence, there is a need for development of novel interventions that target prevention of physical limitations in older adults.

This Paper

“Association of Vascular Health Measures and Physical Function: A Prospective Analysis in the Framingham Heart Study,” was written by lead author Dr. Sahni and coauthors Alyssa B. Dufour, PhD,¹ Na Wang, PhD,² Douglas P. Kiel, M.D., MPH,¹ Marian T. Hannan, DSc, MPH,¹ Paul F. Jacques, DSc,³ Emelia J. Benjamin, M.D., ScM,⁴,⁵ Ramachandran S. Vasan, M.D.,⁴,⁵ Joanne M. Murabito, M.D.,⁴,⁵ Anne B. Newman, M.D., MPH,⁶ Roger A. Fielding, PhD,³ Gary F. Mitchell, M.D.,7 Naomi M. Hamburg, M.D.⁴

Collaborating Institutions

¹Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute of Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;  ²Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA; ³Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA; ⁴Boston Medical Center and Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Boston, MA; ⁵Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA; ⁶Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; ⁷Cardiovascular Engineering, Inc., Norwood, MA.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (grant numbers R01 AG051728; R01 AR53205; and R01 AR41398); the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study (contract number HHSN268201500001I; N01-HC-25195; 75N92019D00031; and 1R01 HL60040); the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Grants in Aid Program (GAP) Award. 

Dr. Sahni is supported partly by the Boston Claude D. Pepper Center Older American Independence Centers (OAIC; 1P30AG031679) and Peter and Barbara Sidel Fund. Drs. Fielding and Jacques are supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA; agreement No. 58-1950-4-00). Dr. Fielding is also supported by the Boston Claude D. Pepper Center Older American Independence Centers (OAIC; 1P30AG031679). Dr. Newman is supported by National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging (grant number U01 HL130114); CHS Research Resources for the Cardiovascular Health of Adults; and Pittsburgh Older Americans Independence Center (grant number P30 AG024827). Vascular measures were supported by grant numbers 1R01HL60040 and 1R01HL70100. Dr. Benjamin is supported by R01HL128914; 2R01 HL092577; 1R01 HL141434 01A1; 2U54HL120163; 1R01AG066010; and American Heart Association 18SFRN34110082. Dr. Vasan is supported in part by research grants R01HL142983; R01HL126136; R01HL070279 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the Evans Medical Foundation and the Jay and Louis Coffman Endowment from the Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Dr. Sahni has institutional grants from Dairy Management Inc. (ended 2022) and Solarea Bio Inc., has reviewed grants for American Egg Board’s Egg Nutrition Center, and was a scientific advisor to Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (position ended 2022). Dr. Mitchell is the president of Cardiovascular Engineering, Inc., a company that designs and manufactures devices that measure vascular stiffness. He serves as a consultant to and receives honoraria and grant support from Novartis, Servier, Merck, Bayer and deCODE genetics. Dr. Kiel serves as a consultant to Solarea Bio, Reneo, and Pfizer, and receives grant support from Amgen, Solarea Bio Inc., and Radius Health, and royalties for publication in UpToDate by Wolters Kluwer. Dr. Hannan receives institutional grant funds from Amgen. Dr. Murabito served as a guest lecturer/consultant for Merck unrelated to this work.

About Hebrew SeniorLife

Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $85 million, making it one of the largest gerontological research facilities in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit our website or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research

Scientists at the Marcus Institute seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity, and productivity into advanced age. The Marcus Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making.

Brad Manor, PhD, is among the 20 individuals scheduled to be honored by the Gerontological Society of America, the country’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging. 

Dr. Manor will receive the GSA’s Health Sciences Section Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award during the organization’s annual scientific meeting in November. 

Dr. Manor is an associate scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife and associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  His career goal is to alleviate the burden of balance decline that often accompanies biological aging into senescence. As the director of the Mobility and Falls Program at the Marcus Institute, he works to achieve this goal by directing interdisciplinary, translational research in the fields of human balance and rehabilitative medicine. His research combines biomechanical assessments of human movement with advanced medical imaging, noninvasive brain stimulation and nonlinear signal processing techniques to: 1) Identify the link between brain function, balance, and falls in older adults; and 2) Design rehabilitative interventions that improve balance via optimization of brain function and exploitation of its adaptive properties.

About the Gerontological Society of America

GSA salutes outstanding research, recognizes distinguished leadership in teaching and service, and fosters new ideas through a host of awards. Nominated by their peers, the recipients’ achievements serve as milestones in the history and development of gerontology. GSA is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,500+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA’s structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society.

About Hebrew SeniorLife 

Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $85 million, making it one of the largest gerontological research facilities in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit our website or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON  – Marian T. Hannan, D. Sc., M.P.H.,  received the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2021 (ASBMR 2021) Gideon A. Rodan Excellence in Mentorship Award at the ASBMR 2021 Annual Meeting in San Diego (Calif.) this past weekend. The Gideon A. Rodan Excellence in Mentorship Award is given annually in recognition of outstanding support provided by a senior scientist who has helped promote the independent careers of young investigators in bone and mineral metabolism. 

Dr. Hannan is Senior Scientist at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, where she is co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center. Dr. Hannan conducts research focused upon fractures, osteoporosis, arthritis, and foot biomechanics. In addition to being widely published, Dr. Hannan is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and directs the Frailty Course at the School of Public Health. Her mentees are from all over the world and have uniformly moved on to successful careers. Her mentoring includes many scientists and medical fellows in the Boston area as well as across the U.S. through national venues, including the U.S. Bone & Joint Initiative. Dr. Hannan has devoted her career to nurturing future clinicians and researchers in the bone field, and to promoting excellence in bone-related research.

“I thank the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research for this great honor and recognition ,” said Dr. Hannan. “The conveying of the seeds of knowledge and experience to mentees is a priority for all of us,” she added. “I am grateful for the mentoring that I have received and it has been my pleasure to return the favor.” 

About ASBMR
The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) is the leading professional, scientific, and medical society established to bring together clinical and experimental scientists involved in the study of bone, mineral, and musculoskeletal research. ASBMR encourages and promotes the study of this expanding field through annual scientific meetings, an official journal (Journal of Bone and Mineral Research®), the Primer on Metabolic Bone Diseases and Disorders of Mineral Metabolism, advocacy and interaction with government agencies and related societies. To learn more about upcoming meetings and publications, please visit www.asbmr.org.

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Based in Boston, the nonprofit organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

For older adults, a hospital admission or major surgery includes risk of developing delirium — a complication not only marked by confusion or agitation, but also associated with prolonged hospitalization, cognitive and functional decline, and increased mortality. 
 
A new study led by the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, and the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Anesthesiology will test whether family caretaker support provided at the hospital bedside can reduce risk of delirium and its related complications and improve outcomes for patients and their families. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has approved $13.25 million in funding to support the study.
 
“More than 2.6 million older adults develop delirium in the U.S. each year, often leading to loss of independence, considerable health care costs, and distress for patients and families,” said Sharon Inouye, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Director of the Aging Brain Center at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, where she holds the Milton and Shirley F. Levy Family Chair at the Marcus Institute. “We are thrilled to receive support from PCORI to determine if caregivers could provide extra support in combating delirium.” 

One current approach to reducing delirium is the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). Used in hospitals for more than 20 years, HELP includes interventions like providing orienting communication, walking and exercise, activities to stimulate the brain like word games, proper nutrition and fluids, and adequate sleep. 
 
Researchers for this study will combine HELP with family involvement. The new program, FAM-HELP, will provide family members with information about delirium so they can recognize it early and help prevent it. The program also will provide training for a family member or caretaker to assist with HELP interventions and provide an extra layer of emotional comfort, social support, and daily communication. 
 
“Studies have shown that delirium can be prevented by implementing HELP interventions — but we haven’t yet studied whether involving family members along with hospital staff in HELP might further reduce risk,” said Phillip Vlisides, MD, Assistant Professor and Executive Director of Neuroscience Research, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan. “We’re eager to work with patients, their caregivers, and their health care providers to understand how family involvement may impact the prevention of delirium and improve family-centered outcomes.”
 
The research team will collaborate with eight hospitals across the country to enroll 3,000 adults age 70 and older who are admitted to the hospital for medical or surgical care with an expected hospital stay of at least three days. Hospitals selected for the study have implemented HELP as standard care and represent broad geographic and demographic diversity.  
 
In the randomized trial, half of patients will receive HELP interventions and half will receive FAM-HELP support. The research team aims to:

• Compare the effectiveness of HELP and FAM-HELP for reducing the incidence and severity of delirium;
• Compare the effectiveness of HELP and FAM-HELP for improving patient-reported outcomes, including health-related quality of delirium, and delirium burden and family-reported outcomes like delirium burden, caregiver stress, and caregiver engagement; and
• Test the effects of HELP and FAM-HELP on health care system-related outcomes, such as falls and length of stay. 

The study is expected to be completed over five years. Funding for the study has been approved pending completion of a business and programmatic review by PCORI staff and issuance of a formal award contract.

Listen to Dr. Inouye talk about how she became interested in investigating and preventing delirium in Harvard Medical School’s Labcast podcast.

About the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research
Scientists at the Marcus Institute seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity, and productivity into advanced age. The Marcus Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making.

About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $63 million, making it the largest gerontological research facility in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit our website or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.