Blog

I was thinking about the role of maintenance in successful longevity as I contemplated replacing a light bulb that had been flickering in a fixture in my home.  My CREATE colleagues and I have written several books about designing for older adults (e.g., https://www.routledge.com/Designing-for-Older-Adults-Principles-and-Creative-Human-Factors-Approaches/Czaja-Boot-Charness-Roge

An article in the NYTimes https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/business/china-jobs-age-discrimination-35.html noted that Chinese workers over the age of 35 are considered to be less job worthy than those under that age.  This may come as a bit of a shock for Americans, long-accustomed to protection (often ineffective) from the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) that prohibits discrimination against those age 40 and above

Our current CREATE V grant (www.create-center.org) has a project aimed at using technology to support health care decision making for older adults both without and with mild cognitive impairment.  That project focused my attention on individual health decision making as opposed to the usual public health perspective I normally consider.

In an earlier Blog about Aduhelm, the first FDA approved drug for Alzheimer’s disease, I argued that there was no real benefit for the drug because the cognitive measures showed no significant advantage for Aduhelm over the placebo condition.

When I first arrived in Florida in 2013, Florida State University hadn’t experienced a hurricane for decades, and the Florida Panhandle wasn’t hit by a major storm for many years. But Hurricane Hermine hit Tallahassee in 2016, and Hurricane Michael made landfall around Mexico Beach in 2018. Since then, we have learned the importance of muscle memory in successfully responding to these extreme events.

Theories of successful aging point to the crucial role of social connections in promoting health, quality of life, and wellbeing. However, in the United States about 20% of men and 33% of women age 65 and older live alone, putting them at risk for social isolation. Age-related changes in health, mobility, employment status, and social network size can also increase isolation risk.

The recent article by Amy Keller within the May edition of Florida Trend was both illuminating and scary at the same time. Amy deserves a quick shout out for her article, “Future Shock.” I found it to be an excellent 50,000-foot  overview of the current use of electric vehicles (EVs) in Florida.

You may recall my early blog entry when vaccines first became available to the public for COVID prevention:  https://isl.fsu.edu/article/youve-gotten-vaccine-can-life-now-return-normal.

 

By Neil Charness, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Successful Longevity

Design for Maintenance

I was thinking about the role of maintenance in successful longevity as I contemplated replacing a light bulb that had been flickering in a fixture in my home.  My CREATE colleagues and I have written several books about designing for older adults (e.g., https://www.routledge.com/Designing-for-Older-Adults-Principles-and-Creative-Human-Factors-Approaches/Czaja-Boot-Charness-Roge

At What Age are Workers too Old?

An article in the NYTimes https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/business/china-jobs-age-discrimination-35.html noted that Chinese workers over the age of 35 are considered to be less job worthy than those under that age.  This may come as a bit of a shock for Americans, long-accustomed to protection (often ineffective) from the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) that prohibits discrimination against those age 40 and above

Public vs Private Health Decision Making

Our current CREATE V grant (www.create-center.org) has a project aimed at using technology to support health care decision making for older adults both without and with mild cognitive impairment.  That project focused my attention on individual health decision making as opposed to the usual public health perspective I normally consider.

The new Lecanemab treatment for Dementia: How Useful?

In an earlier Blog about Aduhelm, the first FDA approved drug for Alzheimer’s disease, I argued that there was no real benefit for the drug because the cognitive measures showed no significant advantage for Aduhelm over the placebo condition.

Community muscle memory is the key to responding to the worst of hurricanes

When I first arrived in Florida in 2013, Florida State University hadn’t experienced a hurricane for decades, and the Florida Panhandle wasn’t hit by a major storm for many years. But Hurricane Hermine hit Tallahassee in 2016, and Hurricane Michael made landfall around Mexico Beach in 2018. Since then, we have learned the importance of muscle memory in successfully responding to these extreme events.

Researching novel technology solutions to support social and cognitive engagement

Theories of successful aging point to the crucial role of social connections in promoting health, quality of life, and wellbeing. However, in the United States about 20% of men and 33% of women age 65 and older live alone, putting them at risk for social isolation. Age-related changes in health, mobility, employment status, and social network size can also increase isolation risk.

Electric vehicles, revisited: Florida's future tech and people with disabilities

The recent article by Amy Keller within the May edition of Florida Trend was both illuminating and scary at the same time. Amy deserves a quick shout out for her article, “Future Shock.” I found it to be an excellent 50,000-foot  overview of the current use of electric vehicles (EVs) in Florida.

Older Adults and COVID: Still a Risk

You may recall my early blog entry when vaccines first became available to the public for COVID prevention:  https://isl.fsu.edu/article/youve-gotten-vaccine-can-life-now-return-normal.

Long-term effects of COVID-19 infection may shape cognitive health in an aging society

 

By Neil Charness, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Successful Longevity