Media Coverage
National and Local Coverage
Cheryl Deep manages media relations and publications for the Institute of Gerontology. To interview faculty, pursue a news tip or learn more about what we do, contact her at (313) 664-2607 or cheryldeep@wayne.edu.
Read Transitions,the IOG's newsletter about research and education on successful aging, and the latest Institute of Gerontology Report.
2024 Coverage
Medical Xpress, 6/25/2024
Science News Net, 6/25/2024
Featured: IOG Post-doc Trainee Patrick Monaghan, Michael VanNostrand and Nora E. Fritz, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Vice President for Research Ezemenari Obasi
Medical Xpress, 6/24/2024
ScienMag, 6/24/2024
Featured: Peter Lichtenberg, Institute of Gerontology
(ScienMag link no longer available)
Morningstar, 6/15/2024
Scams against seniors are on the rise: ‘There’s no magic wand to get that money back’
By Robert Powell
Featured: LaTonya Hall and Peter Lichtenberg, Institute of Gerontology and the SAFE program
(Link no longer available)
WJR, 4/30/2024
Protecting older adults from fraud
Featured: Peter Lichtenberg, Institute of Gerontology
Discusses with host Mitch Albom the latest FBI report that states $3.4 billion dollars have been lost by older adults to scams and exploitation.
(Link no longer available)
WBEZ (Chicago), 4/17/2024
Featured: Peter Lichtenberg, Institute of Gerontology
MarketWatch Guides, 3/28/2024
Dr. Peter Lichtenberg collaborated with Home Solutions on an article examining debt among older adults. Lichtenberg was a featured expert in the piece. The article analyzed statistics on older adult debt from the Federal Reserve and other sources and spoke with industry experts to better understand the types of debt among those aged 65 and older.
Downtown Publications, 1/24/2024
Featured: Thomas Jankowski, Institute of Gerontology
The Institute of Gerontology collaborated on numerous state and Oakland County research projects on aging, including the Silver Tsunami with the AAA 1-B and the 2019 statewide needs assessment reports. “From this work, we learn that the older adult population is by no means monolithic,” said Jankowski. “While there is a fair amount of Oakland County older adults who are well off, retire early and can afford to do what they want to do, there are a significant portion of them who struggle to get by, who need to decide between paying rent or paying for prescription medication, even in wealthier areas.”
WDET, 1/24/2024
Featured: Governor Danielle Atkinson, Amanda Leggett, College of Education
Dr. Leggett enters the conversation at about 16 minutes in. She does an excellent job guiding and deepening the discussion while explaining her research and the intricacies of caregiving.
Rethinking 65, 1/14/2024
By Eleanor O’Sullivan
Featured: Peter Lichtenberg, Institute of Gerontology
2023 Coverage
USA Today, 12/5/2023
Detroit Free Press, 12/5/2023
Lansing State Journal, Arizona Republic, 12/5/2023
By Rachel Looker
Featured: Thomas Jankowski, adjunct professor of Gerontology and Political Science
Bridge Michigan, 11/20/2023
By Janelle D. James
Featured: Peter Lichtenberg, Institute of Gerontology
FTC Watch, 10/31/2023
Peter Lichtenberg is quoted in the latest issue of FTC Watch about psychological vulnerability related to the financial exploitation of older adults and the likelihood of scams increasing over the next several years. FTC Watch has been the nation’s leading independent newsletter focused exclusively on antitrust, consumer protection and privacy enforcement developments initiated by the Federal Trade Commission, the antitrust division of the Department of Justice, and state Attorneys General.
McKnight’s Senior Living, 10/13/2023
Memory care ‘buddies’ will build connections between residents, college students
By Kimberly Bonvissuto
Featured: WSU Institute of Gerontology
(Link no longer available)
Medical Xpress, EurekAlert!, 9/1/2023
Featured: Youjin Jung, School of Medicine and Institute of Gerontology; Jessica Damoiseaux, Institute of Gerontology and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Royal Oak Tribune, 8/29/2023
What treatments are available for Alzheimer’s Disease? Has there been any new technology developed? What caregiving options are available for those living with cognitive decline? These are a few of the questions that will be addressed during the 12th annual Fall Conference: A Meaningful Life with Alzheimer’s Disease being presented by the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter and Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology
Macomb Daily, 8/29/2023
What treatments are available for Alzheimer’s Disease? Has there been any new technology developed? What caregiving options are available for those living with cognitive decline? These are a few of the questions that will be addressed during the 12th annual Fall Conference: A Meaningful Life with Alzheimer’s Disease being presented by the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter and Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology
This episode features Professor Rodlescia Sneed, Ph.D., of the Institute of Gerontology at WSU, who was recently awarded a five-year career development grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. The nearly $600,000 award, Maximizing the Scalability of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) Among Older Adults in State Correctional Settings, will allow Sneed to study how elderly inmates can best address some of their most pressing health issues.
NPR, 7/2/2023
Healthcare in prison systems
Featured: Rodlescia Sneed, Institute of Gerontology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
(Link no longer available)
WWJ 950 AM, April to July 2023
Listeners heard "Financial Tip" spots featuring advice and services from the IOG's Successful Aging thru Financial Empowerment (SAFE) program and its OlderAdultNestEgg website. Narrated by the WWJ legend Murray Feldman, the 1-minute spots discuss the epidemic levels of financial fraud, scams and exploitation of older adults and how to prevent them. The spots are co-sponsored by Baldwin House Senior Living and the Center for Financial Planning.
- Financial Exploitation is a BIG Problem
- Top Ways Scammers Scam You
- Are You at Risk?
- What's Alzheimer's Got to Do with It?
- Family Emergency Scam
- Are You a Victim?
- Real Life Romance Scam
- Scammer Techniques
Benzinga Business Wire, 6/20/2023
Janus Henderson Investors has formed an exclusive partnership with Wayne State University
WSU will help financial advisers protect older adult investors from financial exploitation. This is the first time WSU has collaborated with an asset manager on an initiative specifically dedicated to combating financial exploitation, a growing problem for older adults who are becoming more vulnerable in the internet age. FBI data reveals that in 2021, there were US$5.6 billion in losses from internet fraud alone. Janus Henderson and Wayne State hope to help protect more investors by extending education on the topic and providing useful tools to financial advisors.
The partnership leverages the extensive resources of WSU's Institute of Gerontology and Janus Henderson's strong relationships in the financial sector. The institute, led by Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., is the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization dedicated to the field of aging. Dr. Lichtenberg is a national expert in financial capacity assessment and financial exploitation of older adults.
Public News Service, 6/6/2023
By Mark Richardson
Featured: Rodlescia Sneed, Institute of Gerontology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Successful Aging thru Finanancial Empowerment
Featured LaToya Hall, MSW and director of the Institute of Gerontology's free program to help victims of financial exploitation, fraud and scams.
Science Magazine, 5/18/2023
Wayne State University receives grant to address health care and costs in state prisons
Featured: Rodlescia Sneed, Institute of Gerontology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
(Link no longer available)
Macomb Daily, 5/9/2023
Oakland Press, 5/9/2023
Royal Oak Tribune, 5/9/2023
Featured: Ana Daugherty, Institute of Gerontology
(Oakland Press link no longer available)
(Royal Oak Tribune link no longer available)
The News-Herald, 2/2/2023
By Gina Joseph
Featured: Peter Lichtenberg, Institute of Gerontology
One of the early signs of a cognitive impairment is an individual's inability to handle their financial affairs. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, whose research focuses on the fact that those with Alzheimer's and dementia are likely to experience wealth loss, found one-quarter of participants discovered their parent's cognitive impairment by their finances. "It's a big red flag and it can be the first way people realize that this isn't normal aging, this is some kind of cognitive impairment," he said.
2022 Coverage
Science News Net, 9/13/2022
Wayne State University has been named a member of the Age-Friendly University Global Network, an innovative consortium of universities dedicated to promoting equity, inclusion and opportunity for older adults. A strategic focus of the university is diversity, equity and inclusion. The AFU designation confirms that "age" is an important dimension of that strategy. Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology, led the effort to bring the university into the network. "I felt we had good alignment between the AFU principles and many current WSU practices," he said. "This solidifies our mission to promote an inclusive approach to older adults through all stages."
Bridge, 7/27/2022
A blow to Michigan Alzheimer's patients after research fraud claim
By Robin Erb
The fight to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease faces yet another setback following allegations that a foundational study into the cause of the illness the basis of years of research and billions of dollars in investment may have been fraudulent. The revelations, published last week in Science magazine, are a gut punch to the scientific community, which fears that if the allegations are true they will erode trust in medical research while having the effect of discouraging robust funding for other avenues of research for more than a decade. The report will surely prove devastating as well to more than 190,000 Michigan residents now living with Alzheimer's. "For the scientific community and even for the non-science person this is more than outrageous," if fraud is proven, said Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. "It's not that fraud or any scientific conduct wipes out the good work that's been done," he said. "But it's heartbreaking." Lichtenberg and others say that there's more research now than ever that could lead to the eventual big win over this disease.
Detroit Free Press, 4/27/2022
By Susan Tompor
Michigan's Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, which took effect last September, requires banks and credit unions to train employees and put procedures in place to spot signs of financial exploitation. The goal is to make Michigan's financial institutions better equipped to identify and report the financial exploitation of older consumers and vulnerable adults. The Michigan Legacy Credit Union now partnering with Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology to offer a survey to customers that can help prevent financial abuse. The survey, which is voluntary, can help give a baseline of someone's vulnerability and then alert employees at the cred union to be on the lookout for potential issues. Peter A. Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology, said adults don't have to be well into their retirement years to end up being financially vulnerable. "Older adults are not scammed more often than other people are," Lichtenberg said. "Unfortunately, they lose more money." Lichtenberg, who has spent nearly two decades researching financial vulnerability, said the main goal of the survey is to prevent financial exploitation. "We look at it as a risk scale," he said. Often, Lichtenberg said, people view financial decisions as purely an intellectual activity, but ignore the emotional and psychological triggers.
Neuroscience News, 2/15/2022
Memory formation is influenced by how brain networks develop during you (Neuroscience News)
Science Daily, 2/15/2022
Memory formation is influenced by how brain networks develop during you (Science Daily)
Scienmag, 2/15/2022
In a new, rare study of direct brain recordings in children and adolescents, a research team led by faculty members at Wayne State University has discovered as brains mature, the precise ways by which two key memory regions in the brain communicate make us better at forming lasting memories. "We started by identifying two distinct brain signals oscillations that one can think of as fluctuations in coordinated electrical brain activity, both in the theta frequency, a slower and a faster theta that underlie memory formation in the MTL," said Noa Ofren, associate professor of psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and faculty member in the Institute of Gerontology, Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, and Translational Neuroscience Program at Wayne State. "We found that both oscillations underlined MTL-PFC interactions but in complementary unique ways and were excited to also find that these distinct signatures of interactions between memory regions dictated whether a memory was successfully formed."
2021 Coverage
Hour Detroit, 9/28/2021
By Steve Friess
Older people who complain about cognitive declines even though they show no clinically detected impairments frequently are presaging their brain disorders, according to a Wayne State University study published in the journal Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. WSU gerontologists Jessica Damoiseaux and Raymond Viviano followed 69 women ages 50 to 85 who reported cognitive issues for three years by taking a series of MRIs over three years. They found significant changes in two areas of the brain that may have been noticeable in their earlier forms by the patients but not visible on scans.
Farmington Press, 9/17/2021
By Mark Vest
During a Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging meeting this past June, Farmington resident Peter Lichtenberg learned some news that he said came as a "total shock" to him. Lichtenberg was appointed to the commission by former governor Rick Snyder. He said he served six years on the commission but decided not to reapply due to a role he is set to take on this January as the president of the Gerontological Society of America. At the last virtual meeting he was a part of for the Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging in June, Lichtenberg was informed that he was the recipient of an Exemplary Service Award for his contributions to aging services in Michigan.
Christian Science Monitor, 9/14/2021
By Sarah Matusek and Erika Page
Following a career in telecommunications, Sandra Bierman launched another act as a professional artist known for figurative works. She stopped painting in the early 2000s, however, to devote more time to her husband before he died. Now in her 80s, Ms. Bierman has spent the pandemic at a retirement community in Boulder, Colorado, where she grew depressed under the lockdown that began March 2020. Roughly a year passed, she says, before she conquered enough fear to leave her hallway. "It's always been the case that most older adults are very resilient, and that's true with this pandemic as well," says Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology.
Detroit News, 8/30/2021
By Amelia Benavides-Colon
When the coronavirus hit Michigan, American House Dearborn Heights, like other senior living places, went into lockdown, and life for the 101 residents changed overnight. Tom Szwajkowski didn't fear the loneliness as intensely as others at the senior living facility because he knew he would be quarantining with his wife, Judy. But eight months into the pandemic, his wife of 62 years died, leaving the 83-year-old alone and isolated from their only daughter, Lois Allen, who wasn't allowed inside the facility due to COVID-19 fears. When the lockdown ended the first week of June, Allen created a doorbell system at her father's window to let him know she was outside, he said. "When we had to lock down, it was pretty bad," Szwajkowski said. "(My daughter) used to visit me every other day (before the pandemic). We would talk for hours and play dominos."
Research suggests isolation can produce loneliness and depression, said Jessica Robbins, assistant professor of anthropology and gerontology at Wayne State University, who studies the effects of isolation on seniors. Worse, it can shorten lifespan. "Social isolation is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality from all causes," Robbins said. "It's similar to the risks of smoking, obesity and lack of physical activity. As humans, we are fundamentally social creatures like human life, that's an inherently, inextricably social endeavor."
Daily Advent, 8/17/2021
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, has received an Exemplary Service Award for his years of extraordinary contributions to aging services in Michigan. Lichtenberg was jointly honored by the Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging, the Aging & Adult Services Agency, and the Statewide Network of Services for the Aging. Lichtenberg has worked as a clinical geropsychologist, researcher, program director and national leader in gerontology for the past 35 years.
WDET-FM, 7/2/2021
By Molly Ryan
"The number of Americans 65 and older is expected to nearly double in the next 40 years," according to a recent Kaiser Health News report. Experts say the aggregate cost of care for our elderly population is ballooning, particularly in Southeast Michigan. The burden of long-term care has fallen on families and, for many, finding adequate care and resources has proven to be a grueling process. "We are dramatically underfunded, especially in Southeast Michigan. And the population just keeps getting older," says Tom Jankowski, associate director for research and adjunct professor of gerontology and political science. Jankowski's work revolves around the aging of the population, as well as the historical origins and implications of policy that pertain to older adults. "Michigan faces some special challenges because it was historically a younger state in the '50s, '60s and '70s, but today it's one of the fastest aging states," he says. He explains there are limited resources for elderly Michigan residents. "Unfortunately, the services are a patchwork. We've got the Medicaid home and community-based waiver program. In Michigan, that program is underfunded, there are wait lists in most areas of the state. And in Michigan, only about a third of our Medicaid long-term care folks are at home," he says. "I have been an advocate for increasing that at-home spending for years; it's what most people prefer and it's less expensive than putting people in nursing homes."
Center for Mental Health and Aging, 6/29/2021
By Regina Koepp
One out of every 20 older adults in the U.S. is a victim of financial exploitation, losing an average of $80,000 to $186,000. The vast majority of elder financial abuse cases are most likely to be somebody the older adult knows: family members (54%), 31% care workers, and 13% partners (Jackson, 2016). Banks and money service businesses reported a 400% increase in suspicious activity from 2013-2017. The vast majority of this suspicious activity involved people over 60. Today's guest, Peter Lichtenberg, is a national expert in preventing financial abuse and exploitation and reducing its impact on older adults. Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, and a distinguished professor of psychology, addressed the topic of elder financial abuse and exploitation.
Science Daily, 6/22/2021
Neuroscience News, 6/22/2021
EurekAlert, 6/22/2021
Science News Net, 6/22/2021
Medical Xpress, 6/22/2021
Newswise, 6/22/2021
Jessica Damoiseaux, an associate professor with the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, recently published the results of a three-year study of cognitive changes in older adults. The team followed 69 primarily African American females, ages 50 to 85, who complained that their cognitive ability was worsening though clinical assessments showed no impairments. Three magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRIs) at 18-month intervals showed significant changes in functional connectivity in two areas of the brain. "An older adult's perceived cognitive decline could be an important precursor to dementia," Damoiseaux said. "Brain alterations that underlie the experience of decline could reflect the progression of incipient dementia and may emerge before cognitive assessment is sensitive enough to detect a deficit."
WXYZ-TV, Channel 7 Action News, 5/6/2021
By Andrea Isom
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute and the Institute of Gerontology, and Distinguished University Service Professor of Psychology, was interviewed during a special segment titled "Protecting the elderly against scammers."
Daily Telegram, 2/19/2021
Seminar on March 3 examines health disparities and Alzheimer's disease
By David Panian
An upcoming online seminar will look at underserved communities and Alzheimer's disease. On March 3, the Alzheimer's association is hosting the Dr. James S. Jackson Seminar on Health Equity and Alzheimer's Disease virtually from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to discuss the latest research involving underserved communities, a news release said. The event named in honor of Jackson's research at the University of Michigan brings together some of the nation's top experts in the field of health equity and Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Carl V. Hill, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the Alzheimer's Association, and Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., director of the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology and president of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), will host the event. According to the association, African Americans are about twice as likely as whites to have Alzheimer's or another dementia and Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely to have Alzheimer's. Additionally, African Americans are more prone to risk factors for vascular disease like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol which may also be risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and stroke-related dementia.
(Link no longer available)
AARP, 2/16/2021
By Robin L. Flanigan
It can be hard to interpret the signals when diving into the dating pool at an older age. But when romance involves someone whose spouse has died, confusion may come with the territory. A widow or widower's reactions to the dating process don't always follow the same patterns as those of people who are divorced or have never married. "Sudden and unexpected losses produce more intense traumatic reactions and have more pronounced grief symptoms," notes Peter A. Lichtenberg, a clinical psychologist and gerontologist at Wayne State University. He has been a widower twice. And even when a widow or widower is open to another romantic partnership, that doesn't mean the deceased spouse has been forgotten. "The relationship never goes away," and that may be difficult for a potential partner to accept, says Lichtenberg, 61. His current wife, of two years, Debra, recognizes that Lichtenberg will always maintain emotional ties to Becky, who died suddenly of undiagnosed heart disease, and Susan, who died after a nearly four-year battle with breast cancer.
WXYZ-TV, 2/15/2021
By Jennifer Ann Wilson
It's not a real dog, but the health benefits of a robotic companion pet are proving to be just as real. The pet was originally designed as a consumer product to inspire play, but the pandemic revealed an even more powerful use, a potential treatment for depression and anxiety, possibly even slowing or reversing dementia disorders, which are all proven to progress more rapidly in isolation. "I was a little skeptical at first, but the feedback we have gotten has just been so positive. I mean this has been a life changing experience for some folks," says Thomas B. Jankowski, a research gerontologist at Wayne State University. He says social isolating to protect loved ones from COVID-19 has amplified another serious health risk, loneliness. "Severe loneliness can affect your physical health as much as smoking and obesity does," says Jankowski. "The lonelier you are, the sicker you get." But in the midst of a pandemic: "How do you help people when you can't have contact with them," says Jankowski.
Hillsdale Daily News, 2/11/2021
By Nancy Hastings
Social isolation among seniors is not only linked to numerous negative health consequences like depression and cardiovascular disease, but it's also a primary contributing factor in financial exploitation and scams. Perennial Park Executive Director Terry Vear said the Hillsdale County Senior Services center tries to continue to educate the community on the topic of elder fraud and looks forward to when they can hold another Elder Abuse Expo, which covers this topic, among others. "We did a virtual media awareness campaign recently that covers elder abuse resources and the local library asked for more copies," Vear said. "We are also part of SAFE (Successful Aging Thru Financial Empowerment) through Wayne State University that helps people recoup from elder fraud."
Second Wave Michigan, 1/14/2021
By Estelle Slootmaker
COVID-19 has taken a toll on mental health in Michigan and across the world, but new Wayne State University research shows that burden has been heaviest for people of color. WSU researchers Peter Lichtenberg and Wassim Tarraf are examining how race, employment, and socioeconomic status intersect with pandemic-related stress, depression and anxiety. "The findings that we have are pretty concerning," Tarraf says. "What we see through the data is a large percent of individuals who do report that they have mental health issues. What's also concerning is these rates of mental health issues have remained stable over time. People are not adapting and there are not enough tools for helping them reduce that level of stress. It is worth mentioning that rates are higher for people of color than those reported among whites." Lichtenberg and Tarraf also took stock of the social determinants of health that are affecting their subjects' mental health. "Food insecurity and job loss really stood out to us," Lichtenberg says. "65% of people with food insecurity had mental health issues. The numbers were similar for job loss in the household during the time of COVID-19."
Gerontological Society of America 1/5/2021
Peter A. Lichtenberg, Ph.D., ABPP, FGSA, of Wayne State University has been installed as the new president of The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging. He was elected by GSA’s membership, which consists of more than 5,500 researchers, educators, practitioners, and other professionals. Lichtenberg is the 78th person to hold the office since the Society was founded in 1945. As president, he will oversee matters of GSA’s governance and strategic planning, while also managing the program for GSA’s 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting. He has chosen “Embracing Our Diversity. Enriching Our Discovery. Reimagining Aging.” as the theme for this conference, which will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana, from November 2 to 6.
2020 Coverage
Marketplace.org, 12/30/2020
Survey helps older adults assess their vulnerability to scams (transcript)By David Brancaccio and Rose Conlon
New research suggests that certain risk factors can help indicate which older Americans are most at risk of falling victim to financial scams. In a national study, Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, found that our physical and mental health as well as the health of our relationships are important predictors when it comes to our self-reported feelings of our own financial vulnerability. "Financial health is one part of health along with physical, mental and functional health," said Lichtenberg. "The Federal Trade Commission is seeing an uptick in complaints. First it was, 'here's some testing if you can't get access to it, here's some cleaning supplies if you can't get access to those,' and now it's going to be, 'here's some vaccine if you can't get access to that,'" said Lichtenberg. "People should really be on the lookout if they get solicited for those kinds of things from people they don't know or somebody they can't trace back to."
DBusiness, 12/15/2020
Michigan Health Endowment Fund grants support older adults
The Michigan Health Endowment Fund awarded more than $370,000 to a pair of Wayne State University programs aimed at improving the well-being of older adults in the area. Peter Lichtenberg, Distinguished University Service Professor of Psychology and director of the Institute of Gerontology, received an 18-month, $152,231 grant for his project, "Integrating Financial Vulnerability Tools into Geriatric Medical Settings." Lichtenberg's project aims to integrate financial vulnerability and capacity tools into geriatric medical care. The program will help protect older adults from financial exploitation through early detection in medical settings. Both program grants were part of the Health Fund's Healthy Aging initiative, which supports projects that improve access to care, allow Michigan residents to age in place.
Scientific American, 11/13/2020
By Claudia Wallis
Yoga is deeply linked to traditional Eastern medicine and a view of the body as a system of energy channels and nexuses, a perspective that does not easily align with Western medicine. But since the start of this century, scientific research on yoga has exploded.Still, yoga studies tend to be of uneven quality, often relying on self-reported survey data. Research shows that three patterns emerged with some consistency: yoga practice could be linked to increased gray matter volume in the hippocampus, a key structure for memory; increased volume in certain regions of the prefrontal cortex, the seat of higher-order cognition; and greater connectivity across the default mode network. This network plays a role in processing memories and emotions and "what we call self-referential information about yourself," explains Jessica Damoiseaux, a cognitive neuroscientist at Wayne State University and co-author of the review paper. The significance of having more gray matter volume in these regions is not entirely clear, she says, but "it suggests there may be more connections between neurons, which can indicate better functioning."
RIS Media, 11/2/2020
Connect 313 recently announced it has begun the distribution of tablets, digital training and tech-enabled healthcare services to thousands of low-income seniors throughout Southeastern Michigan. This effort, called "Connecting Seniors," is made possible through the Connect 313 Fund and by a grant of $3.9 million from the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities Rapid Response Initiative. Services will be coordinated from Wayne State's School of Medicine, College of Nursing, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, School of Social Work and Institute of Gerontology.
DBusiness, 10/16/2020
By Selina Herberger
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, has won the 2020 Specialty Board Award in Geropsychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Lichtenberg serves on the executive board of the clinical geropsychology specialty and chairs the review of written materials submitted to apply for the geropsychology specialty. In addition, he has participated in several oral reviews of candidates. "This award and my involvement with ABPP mean a lot to me," Lichtenberg says. "One of my goals since the early 1990s was to help establish the specialty of clinical geropsychology so older adults would be better served by the field of psychology. To watch this specialty develop and grow from year to year, and to be recognized as making significant contributions to the field, is an incredible honor and a special highlight of my career."
The Charlotte Weekly, 10/8/2020
Nancy Rucker enjoys getting to know new people. So when associates at Waltonwood Cotswold approached her about participating in a unique new pen pal program, Rucker was willing to give it a try. The senior living community is partnering with Wayne State University for a modernized version of pen pals. Instead of writing to each other, college students and older adults connect via Zoom. Associates help residents log onto the platform for their weekly or bi-weekly calls with their pals in Michigan. They talk about everything from the weather to schoolwork. Donna MacDonald, director of outreach for the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State, said students participating in the program are enrolled in higher-level Aging and the Life Course. She'd like to see the program built into the curriculum. "Anytime that we can create an intergenerational opportunity for our student population to connect with older adults is a win-win for both sides," MacDonald said.
Buzz Sprout.com, 9/6/2020
Peter Lichtenberg is one of the first board certified experts in the field of elderly mental health. He's researched the topic for decades. Is there something more to what leads a person to become a victim, other than loneliness and isolation.
Bridge, 8/17/2020
By Ted Roelofs
Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, offered his view that, overall, most U.S. older adults "are coping pretty well" during the pandemic. That's borne out by a U.S. Census national survey from May that found 22 percent of adults aged 60 to 69 reported feelings of anxiety and 18 percent depression. But Lichtenberg told Bridge it's a different story for a subgroup of isolated seniors, who depend on senior centers for much of their socialization and emotional bonds. "For this group, this is an incredibly stressful time. The pandemic limits so much of the kinds of connections that people need during this time. We worry a lot about depression in this group, and about loneliness and anxiety," he said.
Bridge, 7/20/2020
By Patricia Anstett
In the first months of the outbreak, Detroit nursing homes were battered by the deadly virus. But a collaboration among Wayne State University, the Henry Ford Health System, Detroit's Health Department and emergency medical team and the nonprofit Doctors Without Borders helped produce a remarkable turnaround. Peter Lichtenberg, director of gerontology at Wayne State University and a member of Michigan's Commission on Services to the Aging, said he hopes more information will discern whether the size of a facility, or more precise information about its layout, will help better protect seniors. "Does size matter, or is it more nuanced, regarding staffing levels, square footage and layout?" he asked. "Crowding may turn out to be a factor,'' particularly in facilities with shared bathrooms, which are common in senior housing facilities. The pandemic also highlights the importance of medical directors with expertise in infectious diseases. "This is a lesson in preventive medicine," Lichtenberg said. "Having medical directors who aren't just primary care physicians but who really have a little more expertise in infectious disease'' and are integral parts of a leadership team may be essential in curbing future outbreaks, he said.
Detroit Free Press,5/20/2020
MSN, 5/20/2020
by George Kovanis
Peter Lichtenberg, Director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State, explains the extraordinary circumstances impacting grief in isolation. "When people aren't able to adjust to the environment in which the deceased is missing after a period of time, and the grief is as fresh as it was, it can be very difficult," Litchenberg said. "People really start to have, not just the grief, but they have deeper depression and deeper traumatic reactions, almost like post-traumatic stress."
Huffington Post, 4/30/2020
By Patricia Anstett
Peter Lichtenberg, director of gerontology at Wayne State University and a member of the Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging, sees hope in programs that allow seniors to share rooms in their own homes and with others, such as graduate students. So-called "granny pods" separate tiny homes with a kitchen and bath and mother-in-law units are an option for those who can afford them..Still, he said, "I don't think we can ever get away from the tension of, is home always the right place? Seniors living alone, he said, may be "vulnerable to all forms of exploitation, scams, thefts, abusive trust.''
New York Times, 3/26/2020
By Julie Halpert
As the coronavirus advances, it is taking a particularly harsh toll on the many who are caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. Dementia patients are typically very sensitive to changes in routine and often require a great deal of hands-on care, both factors that are hard to manage now. "Care for dementia patients is 'high touch,'" said Peter Lichtenberg, a professor of psychology and director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. He recommends that caregivers take measures to avoid their own exposures by having provisions delivered, disinfecting surfaces and employing proper hand-washing techniques.
Bridge, 2/24/2020
By Robin Erb
A proposed change in state law would take the first steps in formalizing support for a growing number of Michiganders raising their grandchildren. Twice as many grandparents today in Michigan report raising or helping to raise grandchildren than a generation ago an estimated 120,206 Michiganders in 2019 compared to 58,220 in 1987, according to the survey, called the Older Michigander Needs & Solutions Assessment. Tom Jankowski, associate director for research at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, developed questions for the report. The language about caregiving for grandchildren shifted slightly between the first and second surveys, he cautioned. Still, he said, the questions were close enough to roughly capture how the caregiving landscape has grown over time. Child care is expensive, meaning that Michigan's poorest families often turn to grandparents for help, said Jankowski.
Bridge, 2/24/2020
By Robin Erb
As Bridge has reported, 21 Michigan counties now have a median age of 50 years old or older, the most of any state. Michigan's median age of 39.8 is the nation's 12th oldest. In 1990, Michigan men lived on average to 71.8 years that grew to 75.4 year by 2018. Michigan women went from 78.1 to 80.3 over this same period. For Thomas Jankowski, associate research director at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, the state's aging trends raise critical policy issues, including: How will Michigan fund services for seniors while protecting local and state budgets? "They're important questions not just for the seniors, but for entire communities," Jankowski said.
NPR, 1/7/2020
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, was a guest on NPR's Marketplace Morning Report talking about his recent research regarding financial exploitation of older adults.
2019 Coverage
Health Day, 12/31/2019
By Alan Mozes
Illinois News Bureau, 12/12/2019
By Diana Yates
Looking for a way to improve your memory, gain control over your emotions, and boost your ability to multitask? A new brain scan study may be just the incentive you need to put yoga at the top of your New Years' to-do list. The review of 11 published studies found a link between yoga's movements, meditation and breathing practices and an increase in the size of key brain areas. Those areas are involved in thinking clearly, decision-making, memory and regulating emotions. "The science is pointing to yoga being beneficial for healthy brain function, but we need more rigorous and well-controlled intervention studies to confirm these initial findings," study co-author Jessica Damoiseaux said in a news release. Damoiseaux's an assistant professor of gerontology and psychology at Wayne State University.
Medical Daily, 12/17/2019
Regular exercise has long been known to play a key role in keeping dementia and Alzheimer's disease at bay. In fact, it's so important it's ranked No. 1 among the "Six Pillars of Alzheimer's Prevention" by some medical sources. A recent analysis suggested yoga may be as effective as aerobic exercise for brain health. A study published last week in the journal Brain Plasticity suggested yoga's effect on brain health might be as beneficial as aerobic exercise "From these 11 studies, we identified some brain regions that consistently come up, and they are surprisingly not very different from what we see with exercise research," Neha Gothe, a University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor, said. She led the research along with Jessica Damoiseaux, a Wayne State University psychology professor.
Technology Networks, 12/5/2019
People with specific brain attributes are more likely than others to benefit from targeted cognitive interventions designed to enhance fluid intelligence, scientists report in a new study. "We wanted to know whether structural brain attributes predicted an individual's response to intervention, as measured by improvement on tests of fluid intelligence," said University of Illinois psychology professor Aron Barbey, who led the research with Wayne State University psychology professor Ana Daugherty. "We had enough people who showed this pattern that the statistical analysis actually identified them as a group, regardless of the intervention group they were in," Daugherty said.
Detroit Xpress, 11/13/2019
Perseverance and attention to social connections, health, and finances will give people the best chance to thrive as they age, according to a new report titled "Longevity Fitness: Financial and Health Dimensions Across the Life Course. "The publication was developed by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and supported by Bank of America. It uses the term longevity fitness to describe how people can thrive, not just survive, through social, health and wealth equity. "This report translates the science of so many GSA members and describes the many challenges and opportunities across the life course in maximizing our financial and health fitness," said Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., ABPP, FGSA, of Wayne State University, who chaired the advisory board that oversaw content development for the new publication.
Voice America.com, 11/8/2019
By Joseph M. Casciani
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology and professor of psychology was a guest on "Living to 100 Club: Turning Aging on its Head," exploring financial capacity and financial exploitation among older adults. What constitutes informed decision-making, and how do we know when mental decline leaves someone incapable of making informed decisions? What makes people especially vulnerable to exploitation, and what have we learned about older adult scams and identity theft? What are the tools he has developed to help determine capacity?
Fox TV 6 (Negaunee, Mich.), 10/15/2019
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Aging & Adult Services Agency has awarded nearly $1 million in state dollars to 12 organizations to address elder abuse and increase reporting of the crime in communities across the state..Funding was available to applicants through the agency's Prevent Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse, Exploitation, Neglect Today (PREVNT) initiative, which seeks to implement local tools and programs to prevent, detect, and address abuse, neglect and exploitation against vulnerable and older adults. Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology is among the funding recipients.
The Sault News (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.), 10/6/2019
By Scott Brand
Addressing what some call "The Crime of the 21st Century" Peter Lichtenberg of Wayne State University delivered an eye-opening presentation on the prevalence of financial exploitation in older adults. And the statistics reveal that it is growing at a rapid rate. In 2013, there were on average 1,300 suspicious activity reports a month, a figure that jumped to 5,700 a month in 2017 with an estimated loss of $1.7 billion in that year alone. "I just saw that millennials are getting scammed at a higher rate than older adults," said Lichtenberg noting we are all vulnerable, "but the big losses, where you are scammed repeatedly are older adults." Lichtenberg explained that cognitive impairment and probable Alzheimer's Disease will affect nearly one out of every five individuals by the time they reach their 80th birthday. With cognitive aging folks can continue to retain facts, vocabulary and procedural knowledge without showing any signs in those areas, while at the same time losing reaction speed, memory and the ability to problem solve and plan. "Just because someone has a cognitive impairment that doesn't mean they can't make any decisions," said Lichtenberg offering a free service to assist with evaluations.
Science Magazine, 9/25/2019
African Americans have the lowest survival rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States for most cancers a problem that is magnified in southeast Michigan. A team of researchers from Wayne State University and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute are investigating the combined role that community, interpersonal and individual influences have on the health-related quality of life for African American cancer survivors, and how those influences create racial health disparities between African Americans and white survivors. The team includes Malcolm P. Cutchin, Ph.D., professor in the Institute of Gerontology and the Department of Health Care Sciences in Wayne State's Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The study, "ARISE: African American Resilience in Surviving Cancer," is a five-year, $3.1 million project funded by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health that aims to identify targets of change and inform the development of interventions to address causes of poorer health-related quality of life experienced by African American cancer survivors.
Fearless Consumer, August 2019
IOG Director Peter Lichtenberg is quoted in the latest The Fearless Consumer blog on how to avoid financial exploitation and scams
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(Link no longer available)
U.S. News & World Report, 8/2/2019
By Lisa Esposito
You don't need to be a brain specialist to notice certain differences in images of a healthy older person's brain compared to that of someone with dementia. Narrowed, depleted folds on the brain's surface, the presence of blotchy plaques, twisted fibers and significant shrinkage are clearly visible. What you can't see is how brain changes like these affect how people's minds work. In a program from the National Press Foundation and funded by AARP, "Understanding the Latest on Dementia Issues," journalists heard from a spectrum of dementia experts, including researchers, gerontologists, family caregivers and an engineer who described her personal journey with early-onset Alzheimer's. In addition, a leading neuroscientist detailed how normal brain aging is very different than changes arising from dementia and not something to be feared. Financial decision-making abilities are mixed. It's harder for some older adults such as a widowed person whose spouse handled all the household finances to suddenly pick up these skills, says Peter Lichtenberg, a Wayne State University psychology professor. On the other hand, he says, "crystallized intelligence," which calls upon previous learning and experience, helps many older people keep their financial houses in order.
Marketplace, 5/16/2019
By David Brancaccio
Scientists looking into age-related financial vulnerability are very interested in physical changes to the aging brain, the way eyesight and hearing can get less keen. In some cases, a new pattern of making mistakes with money may be a harbinger of cognitive bad things to come, the "first thing to go," as it were. McGill University neuroscientist Nathan Spreng was able to track down 13 elderly scam victims and 13 others equivalent in age, gender and education who had successfully fended off a scam. Spreng's research found the brains of the two groups were physically different. He noticed this thinning of the part of the brain called the "insula," which, along with a lot of other things, may help us trigger our "spidey sense," the hunch that can warn us away from dicey financial situations. Some experts are skeptical about practical applications of research like Spreng's. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, is not a neuroscientist but a psychologist who studies financial decision-making capacity. While he sees the brain scanning as promising, his experience tells him financial acumen and scam-spotting are really complex matters. "There is no one aging pattern," Lichtenberg said. "You know, some older adults are as good as they were in their fifties and sixties. Others are showing a more significant decline." Lichtenberg says he has data showing 20 percent of older people admit when they do talk about money with others, it's out of loneliness. That is, people might engage with a scammer because they want to talk to someone, anyone.
Forbes, 5/2/2019
By Robin Seaton Jefferson
He calls it the Crime of the 21st Century. "It's open season and there are no signs of abatement," said Peter Lichtenberg. And though he's not a financial planner, the Wayne State University psychology professor has made it his mission to help older people hold on to their money in spite of possible cognitive decline and the deceitful manipulations of those who would cheat them. Gerontologists have been studying cognition for 70 years," Lichtenberg said. "But our work is understanding financial decision-making, what it is and how it relates to financial exploitation." A leading expert in the prevention of financial exploitation in older adults, Lichtenberg has written seven books and more than 200 peer-reviewed articles on mental health in long-term care, geriatric depression and the detection and management of Alzheimer's. In 2013, he became one of the nation's first Diplomats in Clinical Geropsychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). As director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, he has won record levels of funding and created programs to benefit more than 10,000 older adults and professionals each year. While the risk to their money is great, Lichtenberg said many older adults do a tremendous job of maintaining their finances well into the last decades of their lives. In fact, he said, some 95 percent of cognitively healthy older adults and those with some cognitive decline manage debt, pay bills and maintain good credit just as well as 50-year-olds.
Urban Aging News, 4/19/2019
Caregiver Empowerment helps older adults and caregivers understand the basics of sound financial planning, how to protect themselves from scams and exploitation, and how to recover financial health after a scam or identity theft. The program is grant supported and part of the Institute's Successful Aging through Financial Empowerment outreach arm. LaToya Hall is the director.
Aging Horizons, Spring 2019
Dr. Peter Lichtenberg discusses his grief and the continued road of recovery after being widowed twice by age 55.In this issue,
By Kristen Sturt
Around 7,500 people die each day in the United States; one person every 11.5 seconds. By your 50s and 60s, you've almost certainly had personal experience with deatha parent's death, other close family members, and/or personal friends. And yet, when you hear that someone has died, it's still hard to know what to say to their loved ones. Part of the reason is that seeing the grief and pain of others surrounding death is uncomfortable. You also may be grappling with your own feelings about your experiences.
They may also be busy making arrangements, causing it to appear like they're handling the death particularly well. "Then you might find a few months later that it's all starting to hit," says Peter A. Lichtenberg, a clinical psychologist and director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. "Grief is very variable. It brings out a sense of finality and a sense of helplessness in all of us," says Lichtenberg. "Those are tough feelings to deal with within yourself and then be appropriately supportive." "The most important thing is just being there. "The gift that you give is your caring presence for someone," says Lichtenberg, "and your acceptance of whatever it is they are experiencing or struggling with."
The Fearless Consumer, 3/18/2019
By Barbara Nordin
Cautionary tales for older adults concerned about who to trust with their finances, including real-life stories of persons being scammer and much money lost. Peter Lichtenberg is recommended as an expert in helping older adults determine their ability to manage their finances as well as assessments that allow others to determine whether an older adult is vulnerable to exploitation.
The Millennial Star, 3/14/2019
Relying on Self
Dr. Peter Lichtenberg explains his new, easy -to-use assessments to help people determine their ability to make financial decisions, especially as they age. These can help us insure we keep our independence as long as possible and get the help we need to protect us from financial predators.
(Link no longer available)
The Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, the Institute of Social Research at the University of Michigan and the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University received a $3.5 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging to extend the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research, one of 18 resource centers for minority aging research across the nation tasked with improving the health of older minorities through research, scholarship and education. The fifth round of funding, the grant renewal expands into the Flint area in partnership with Michigan State University.
2018 Coverage
U.S. News & World Report, 12/12/2018
Crain's Detroit Business, 1/27/2019
The Washington Times, 12/12/2018
La Prensa, 12/10/2018
MSU Today, 12/13/2018
Kansas City Star, 12/13/2018
Health grant aims to benefit older minorities in Michigan
Miami Herald, 12/13/2018
Health grant aims to benefit older minorities in Michigan
The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.), 12/13/2018
Health grant aims to benefit older minorities in Michigan
Idaho Statesman, 12/13/2018
Health grant aims to benefit older minorities in Michigan
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12/13/2018
Health grant aims to benefit older minorities in Michigan
Three Michigan universities are using a $3.5 million federal grant renewal for efforts to improve the health of older blacks and other minorities. The National Institutes of Health grant allows the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR) to expand its work through 2023. The center's research and education is led by faculty and staff from Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Black residents have higher rates of diabetes, stroke and other diseases than their white counterparts, officials said. Researchers seek to prevent health disparities. The center has focused on Detroit since its 1997 launch, but the latest grant brings aboard Michigan State and expands work into Flint. Goals include establishing a Healthier Black Elders Center in Flint, based on the one in Detroit. According to Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State, MCUAAAR is a catalyst for widespread change. "It has two major aims," he said. "Increase the number of diverse junior faculty working in aging and health research, and partner with older African Americans in meaningful ways to improve health and well-being."
(The Kansas City Star link no longer available)
(Miami Herald link no longer available)
(The Fresno Bee link no longer available)
(Idaho Statesman link no longer available)
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram link no longer available)
TWLAJ-TV (Lansing), 12/11/2018
Researchers at Michigan State University are joining their peers at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan as they explore discrepancies in health for African Americans. That extension is made possible by a 3-and-a-half million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health. Specifically, researchers at the three universities are looking at problems that disproportionately affect African Americans as they age, including diabetes, stroke, heart disease, hypertension and certain kinds of cancer. The study will continue through the year 2023.
The Economist, 12/6/2018
In hindsight, David carter sees the deal differently. The 63-year-old has a Master's degree in technology. A successful career meant he found a six-figure salary offer perfectly plausible. He knew from reading newspapers that tech stocks were up and the job market was hot. So when an email offered him a job with a Swiss firm at a $100,000 salary, he took it. Carter never saw a penny. Instead he owes $80,000, which he is paying off from his retirement savings. The job was too good to be true. All he had to do was use his credit card to buy iPhones and iPads. He started in June, buying them at Best Buy and Walmart and sending them from his home in Maryland to an address in California. The company paid his credit-card billfor a few weeks. In July those payments were voided. His bank said the debts were his. The company's website vanished. The people he had spoken to stopped answering the phone. Peter Lichtenberg, a psychologist at Wayne State University who was one of the first to examine psychological vulnerability to fraud, argues that prevention and treatment should take their cue from medicine. He points to a technique called "motivational interviewing", which involves asking questions designed to help people come up with their own solutions and which has been shown to help get alcoholics into treatment. Questions could be crafted to open fraud victims' eyes to what is going on, for example by asking them to explain what is happening in their own words, and then to discuss any similarities with articles they have seen in the press.
CNN, 8/7/2018
By Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken
Chrissie will never be sure when exactly her mother got her first letter from Maria Duval or how she became a target. What she does know is that in the months leading up to her mother's eightieth birthday, before Chrissie or even Doreen realized that Alzheimer's disease was slowly and silently infiltrating her once rational mind, Doreen had handwritten at least forty different checks in response to Maria's letters, which Doreen believed were ending up with the psychic. Chrissie suspects that her mother's obsession with these letters had far more to do with gambling on a cure for her failing mind than with winning a financial jackpot. Peter Lichtenberg, a clinical psychologist and the director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, has studied the financial exploitation of the elderly and the underlying psychology of scams for years. "It's a combination of loneliness, depression, and a real sense of invisibility," he told us when we asked him what made people fall for a scam like the Maria Duval letters. This isolation and psychological vulnerability creates the perfect setting for a scammer to enter people's lives. As they are feeling invisible to society and even to their own families, suddenly someone out there -- in this case, a woman who looks so trustworthy and kind from her photo alone -- has chosen them and is giving them the attention they have been missing. Lichtenberg said that scare tactics like this can be incredibly effective, and in many cases they are employed as a last resort to get a victim's money. "It's all sweet and nice as long as the cash is coming, and if that stops it can get very dark," he told us. "The path of least resistance is to just send more money."
Detroit Free Press, 4/7/2018
By Susan Tompor
Michigan families have their share of financial frustrations but the state isn't doing all that bad when it comes to financial literacy. Michigan ranks No. 11 in the nation behind Illinois but ahead of Ohio, according a WalletHub analysis of consumer habits and financial education. Money Smart Week which runs from April 21 through April 28 offers free financial education programs for all stages of life. It's one of those opportunities to connect with local speakers at classes that focus on a variety of topics, including how to buy a home and apply for a mortgage, how to improve your credit score and how to maximize your Social Security benefits. This year, a Senior Financial Empowerment Expo will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. April 25 at the Northwest Activities Center at 18100 Meyers Road in Detroit. Partners include the Detroit Area Agency on Aging, the Wayne State University Institute on Gerontology, and Elder Law of Michigan.
WDET-FM, 3/9/2018
By Jared Hoehing
Automakers are responding to consumer trends that have been moving away from sedans and are investing in larger vehicles such as SUVs, trucks and crossovers. Three-row SUVs are the preferred vehicle to transport a family and redesigned compact SUVs are capturing the needs and interests of an aging population, says U.S. Sales Analyst for Ford Motor Company Erich Merkle. Meanwhile, automakers have invested in what their vehicle fleets can offer. Wayne State University Teaching Fellow Cathy Cuckovich says auto companies adapted their manufacturing to a consumer base that enjoys larger vehicles. "They've begun to make different options, different sizes, build them off of even car platforms, so the ride has become better, more luxurious, more sporty. So they've given consumers more choices and consumers have embraced those," says Cuckovich. One of the demographic groups embracing the changes in vehicles are Baby Boomers. As Baby Boomers reach an age where physical factors start impacting driving ability, larger vehicles can help compensate. Wayne State University professor of Occupational Therapy and a director of the University's Institute of Gerontology Cathy Lysack says vehicles that sit up higher can help aging drivers who may find it hard to move around. "You still need to be able to turn your neck, do a good shoulder check and make sure you can see the traffic around you. And as we get older, sometimes that's harder to do. But if you've got good visibility, which a lot of SUVs do, you might choose that."
AARP, 2/1/2018
By Gary Weiss
When you think of the villains who defraud older people, you might picture crooks hacking into bank accounts or selling bogus stocks. But don't be misled. The real scoundrels might be sitting at your next family gathering, looking as innocent as folks in a Norman Rockwell painting. Roughly 6 out of 10 cases of elder financial abuse are committed by relatives, according to a large-scale 2014 study. And about 3 out of 10 instances can be traced to friends, neighbors or home care aides. In other words, 90 percent of perpetrators of fraud are known to their victims. Financial elder abuse is a crime. It's theft. Yet people who complain to law enforcement are frequently told that it's a "family" or "civil" matter or that the older person "won't press charges." These aren't valid reasons to avoid action, says Paul R. Greenwood, head of the San Diego District Attorney's Office Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit. Child-abuse victims, he notes, don't decide whether abusers are charged. Another excuse for not prosecuting is a victim's inability to testify. But Peter A. Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, says that elder-abuse cases rely on forensic examination of financial records more than they do on witness testimony. When you think of the villains who defraud older people, you might picture crooks hacking into bank accounts or selling bogus stocks. But don't be misled.
WSJM-AM, WXYZ Ch 7 TV, 1/5/2018
There have been at least three cases in the past two days in Michigan where people with dementia or early onset dementia walked out in the cold and died. Psychologist Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, the director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, tells Michigan News Network many people with dementia do some kind of wandering. "Some of it the need for stimulation, and some of it is sort of an idea that comes to them to go somewhere, and then losing that train of thought," Lichtenberg said. "It's incredibly dangerous with the way the weather is now."
2017 Coverage
Detroit News, 11/29/2017
By Joyce Wiswell
Despite all the advice and all those TV commercials touting retirement accounts most people are just not saving enough for retirement. That means the services of Forgotten Harvest will be more crucial than ever in the coming years and decades. "According to the most recent research, up to a third of baby boomers age 55 and older have saved nothing for retirement. Half of that generation has saved less than $100,000. Only 15 percent have saved over $500,000, which is really the minimum necessary to maintain a decent standard of living in retirement," said Thomas B. Jankowski, Ph.D., associate director for research at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology & Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute. "The most likely thing to happen is that folks without savings will just have to muddle through old age at the edge of (or fully immersed in) poverty, surviving on meager Social Security benefits, assistance from family members, and private charity from organizations such as Forgotten Harvest."
Detroit Jewish News, 7/10/2017
By Shari Cohen
Abuse of elders emotional, financial or physical affects an estimated 5 percent of people over age 60, according to a 2010 study cited by Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D, a national expert on elder abuse, a professor of psychology and director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. "Many live alone and aren't able or don't want to report problems. Those over 85 are often fearful and don't think of the options," he says.
Fifty Is the New Fifty, 6/25/2017
By Stephanie Schroeder
Cathy Lysack, professor of occupational therapy at Wayne State University, says the impact of diminishing mobility on daily life shrinks people's social world. People with a range of chronic health problems that limit mobility have the issues of "if you can't move your body in space and do the things meaningful and necessary to them, that is a negative. Coupled with the number one challenge to older adults, which is social loneliness, when you can't move around your body has trouble getting into buildings, homes, doctors' offices, and it might also mean reduced driving. Then we don't get to see the people and have the strength of social bonds that is good for our health." This is a problem that comes from many places. Chronic health conditions are the number one issue confronting everyone over the age of 65 and the largest functional problem from that is the lack of ability to get around. That threatens our social bonds. "If you don't have friends to cheer you up, if you have a range of medical problems or bereavement issues, it's tough on the soul," concludes Lysack.
Detroit Free Press, 5/13/2017
By Susan Tompor
Financial advisers who suspect that a senior is being pressured by a son or daughter to sell stock and hand over the cash would be required to alert state authorities, under a bill introduced in Lansing. Advisers also would have more legal leverage to drag their feet when it comes to paying out money from the account of an elder client, if they suspect the senior could be a victim of financial exploitation. Peter A. Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, said mandatory reporting laws raise awareness about the need for those in the financial services industry to spot potential scams and patterns of financial abuse that target vulnerable older adults. "Training is so necessary," Lichtenberg said. Even so, he said some research indicates that mandatory reporting of financial abuse doesn't always lead to an increase in reporting or detection of financial abuse. After all, those in adult protective services already have heavy caseloads and may not be able to address an issue quickly, he said.
WOTV & WZZM TV - (Grand Rapids), 4/19/2017
Of all the conditions that threaten public health, dementia may have the broadest impact, affecting mind, body and soul. Plus, it affects the life of the primary caregiver as much or more than the person with the condition. Although there is no cure for dementia, good communication among providers and collaboration in assessment and treatment helps people with dementia maintain the highest possible quality of life. Samaritas is partnering with Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology and the Alzheimer's Association, Greater Michigan Chapter, to hold a conference called "Creating Equity in a Dementia Friendly Community," April 21 in Grand Rapids. The conference aims to bring together health professionals and the community to understand what a dementia-friendly community might be like and address concerns of sexuality and disability among people with dementia.
The Learning Edge, NIA Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers, Spring 2017
A Perspective on the Most Promising Research
By Mary Johnson
By Mary Johnson
Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia remain a major problem for our aging society. Currently, more than five million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer's at great cost to individuals, families, and the health and long-term-care system. While the
past twenty years have seen advances in understanding Alzheimer's disease and caring for patients, no breakthrough treatment has emerged. For a perspective on this work, The Learning Edge turned to Peter Lichtenberg, a nationally renowned researcher and
clinician who is director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University.
Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, 4/17/2017
By Jay Grossman
One of out every 20 older adults is a victim of fraud, according to the Department of Justice. Con artists are getting away with thousands of dollars in these financial scams and, in most cases, the money is almost impossible to recover. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, has come up with a tool to protect the elderly against scams, in the form of a comprehensive assessment test that helps determine if a person is at-risk to make poor financial decisions. "We developed this test to look at decisions that older individuals are making and how informed they are in making them," Lichtenberg said. "Without informed decision-making, people get themselves in a lot of trouble." Lichtenberg said crimes against older adults are under reported, mainly because the victims are too embarrassed to say anything. And women are typically targeted more than men. "Mom doesn't feel like a strong parent anymore and adult children don't feel like they're honoring their parent if they can't get through and protect them," he said. "So it's a very difficult dance. I think people have to find a way to be direct, but not confrontational."
The Wall Street Journal, 3/20/2017
By Laura Kusisto
The trend toward urban living has made its way to Detroit, leading to a sharp uptick in demand for downtown apartments. Detroit has seen an influx of about 20,000 jobs over the past six years, and many of those workers want to walk to work. The boom has helped transform abandoned office buildings and bring retail and restaurants to the area. Now the city is grappling with a question that has long plagued places like New York and San Francisco: whether such prosperity has a downside. The greater downtown Detroit area has 22,000 occupied multifamily units, of which 86 percent are rented and the rest are condos, according to a study released Monday by Capital Impact Partners, a nonprofit community development lender. What is more, the report notes there is a high risk of displacement from even modest market rent increases because a large share of families are cost-burdened already. In one instance, a developer cleared out a low-income building downtown to make way for luxury apartments, displacing some 100 seniors, many to poorer neighborhoods or outside the city. The sudden displacement of such a large number of people fanned fears that economic improvement downtown will push out the people who held on when it was at its nadir. "They lived there with the promise that restaurants and stores would come and now that they are coming is the time when some of them may not be able to remain in their places," said Tam Elisabeth Perry, an assistant professor of social work at Wayne State University.
Readers Digest, February 2017
By Abbey Schubert
There are specific signs, some subtle, some not so subtle, that may indicate that it's time to consider moving your parent into an assisted living facility. They're looking thinner than usual, which may be a sign that they're not eating well and may also point to a cognitive illness. Another sign may be that their home is stacked with unopened mail, which may be another clear indication of growing cognitive impairment. Another sign may be that they're ignoring their personal hygiene. For someone with dementia or Alzheimer's, remembering all of the cognitive steps involved with taking a shower every day isn't always the no-brainer you believe it to be. A cluttered house isn't necessarily a bad sign if your parent was always a bit messy, explains Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., director of the Institute of Gerontology and Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University. However, if they suddenly begin letting order slide after a lifetime of cleanliness, it might be a sign of an underlying cognitive issue. Additionally, watch out for items showing up in strange places around the home, like a gallon of milk in the dishwasher instead of the refrigerator. According to Lichtenberg, changes like these are often some of the clearest signs of dementia, and they could be a clue that your loved one is no longer in a position where it's safe to be home alone.
The Blade (Toledo), 1/20/2017
By Jack Lessenberry
Thomas Jankowski, the associate director for research at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, has been studying the financial situation of Michigan's aging population. The numbers tell the tale. While "millennials" have now surpassed baby boomers as the most numerous generation, there are still more than 74 million boomers. The U.S. Census Bureau defines them as everyone born between 1946 and 1964, meaning the eldest are 71; the youngest, approaching their mid-50s. Their 401(k) accounts are often underfunded, and worse, Jankowski noted "a large number have next to nothing in the bank." His figures show "currently, about one-third of Michigan seniors subsist almost entirely on Social Security," a number that is growing. "I would not be surprised to find that, within the next 15 or 20 years, 40 to 50 percent of Michigan retirees will depend on Social Security alone to live," he said.
The Washington Post, 1/3/2017
By Courtland Milloy
Baby boomers are said to be among the fastest-growing group of problem gamblers. "Older adults view the casino as a place where they can socialize, escape their loneliness, and escape their grief," researchers Fayetta Martin, Peter A. Lichtenberg and Thomas N. Templin wrote in a journal for the National Institutes of Health. "Given that their primary choices of games are slot machines, these social needs, however, may not be getting met. It may be worthwhile for church groups to assess the reasons for older adults wanting to go to casinos and helping them to determine how their social needs might be met in alternative ways."
2016 Coverage
Wayne State Alumni Magazine, Fall 2016
By Leslie Mertz
IOG Director Peter Lichtenberg created special assessments and measurement scales to help non-medical professionals spot older adults struggling to make financial decisions and most vulnerable to financial scams and exploitation.
Detroit Free Press, 12/21/2016
By Susan Tompor
Financial stress during the holidays isn't limited to overspending on gifts. As we host holiday dinners or visit more frequently with elderly parents and relatives, sometimes we spot signs that a loved one's financial decision-making has been declining. "You don't have to reach the level of dementia before your financial decision-making is impacted," said Peter A. Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. Lichtenberg has created a Financial Decision Screening Scale that's being used by professionals who work with seniors to discuss their financial decisions. "There seems to be something about financial decision-making that really is sensitive to early declines," Lichtenberg said. Lichtenberg said cognitive decline and psychological vulnerability make older adults more susceptible to scams and identity theft. In addition, he said, it's possible that the stress involved after experiencing a scam and identity theft can contribute to declines in cognitive abilities and emotional functioning. Many times, the senior may not even realize he or she is repeatedly getting hit by requests for money from charities or constantly being asked for financial help from the same relatives or friends. They can overlook that they just spent $100 or $200 in order to claim some sort of prize from Publishers Clearing House. Being asked to wire money or put money on a prepaid card in order to claim a prize is a scam. But maybe the older adult doesn't even realize that they've handed money to a scammer. "People who are having cognitive changes often underestimate how much they're spending on this stuff," Lichtenberg said. "They're responding to some immediate issue without really tracking how much someone is hammering at them."
WalletHub, 12/7/2016
by Richie Bernardo
WalletHub ranked US states on best protection against elder abuse. Learn Michigan's ranking and core issues in abuse from expert Peter Lichtenberg in this interview.
Open to Hope Radio Show, 10/2016
Dr. Peter Lichtenberg shares his journey through the untimely deaths of his wife Becky only a few years after their marriage, and his wife Susan later in life. The interview visits the pain of grieving at distinct points in the lifespan, and the unique way each of us copes with traumatic loss.
News-Medical, 9/15/2016
Newswise, 9/14/2016
Wayne State receives NIH funding to advance brain aging research
Wayne State University has received a $3.6 million grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health for a project that will advance knowledge of brain aging, its relation to cognitive performance and the role of common vascular and metabolic risk factors in shaping the trajectories of aging. According to the principal investigator, Naftali Raz, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the lifespan cognitive neuroscience program in the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, the focus of the study is on healthy aging. "Although dementia is a major health concern and its prevention is the ultimate aim of many leading programs of basic and clinical research, advancement toward that goal necessitates understanding of normal aging," emphasized Raz. "The main focus of this project which has been funded by the National Institute on Aging for the past 23 years is elucidating the relationships between changes in in-the-brain properties (regional volume, cortical thickness, iron content, energy metabolism, myelin content and connectivity among the brain regions), changes in cognitive performance across multiple domains (memory, speed of processing, complex reasoning skills), as well as modifying effects of risk factors for vascular and metabolic disease on these relationships," explained Raz. "Dr. Raz's research has made important strides in furthering our understanding of dementia and Alzheimer's disease," said Gloria Heppner, Ph.D., associate vice president for research at Wayne State University. "It is our great hope that Dr. Raz's work will one day offer new treatments to reverse or, at a minimum, stop the progression of these disorders."
The Gerontologist, 9/1/2016
By Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., ABPP
The experience of grief is both uniquely personal and universal. Our personality, our relationship with the deceased, the manner in which the deceased died, our life stage, and many other contextual factors matter and impact grief, and yet there are many experiences, phases, stages of grief that are universal. Those who are grieving deeply or who are farther along in their healing are often trying to understand grief and its realities. It has been said that people die but relationships do not. As a widower twice, once at age 25 and then again nearly 30 years later, I agree with that sentiment, and it is the profound relationships with my wives Becky and Susan that propelled me to share my experiences and reflections on grief and healing. As a clinical psychologist and gerontologist I examined the grief and gerontology literature, learning new things that were useful and not as useful.
BBC News, 8/29/2016
By Ruth Alexander
For 40,000 years human beings worked until they dropped. Then in the late 19th century, Otto von Bismarck started the first state pension in Germany. The idea caught on. By the 20th century, advances in medicine meant that many more people were surviving childhood and living longer and longer into old age. This was great news for those individuals, but not such good news for governments and companies who found themselves having to fund ever-longer retirements. Many of the most generous schemes have now been withdrawn and it's increasingly up to the individual to save for their retirement but many aren't saving enough. Volatile stock markets and low interest rates are making the situation worse. Many think retirement will turn out to be a "blip" in human history; it didn't exist in the past, and it won't exist in the future. So, is retirement over? Included among the segment's experts is Thomas B Jankowski, associate director for research at both the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University.
C&G Newspapers, 8/23/2016
By Brendan Losinski
New developments in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and dementia may be on the way thanks to a new program uniting three of Michigan's most prestigious universities. The National Institutes of Health has awarded an estimated $9 million to be dispersed during the next five years to a new statewide program run through the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University to enhance the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. It will be called the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Core Center.
More than 5 million Americans ages 65 and older have Alzheimer's disease, and several million others have other forms of dementia, including frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia and vascular dementia. What makes any new research in the area so crucial is there exists no disease-slowing therapies for any type of dementia.
Detroit Free Press, 8/17/2016
By Susan Tompor
Greedy hustlers are trying to talk seniors out of hard earned cash by stoking fears about the stability of Social Security. Seniors in several states have received a "referendum on Social Security" in the mail. The letter includes a voting form and asks for a one-time donation of $16.45 or more to fight what the group calls the "Greedy Washington Insiders" who claim seniors no longer need Social Security. Supposedly, the letter claims, some argue that seniors have "saved enough money elsewhere to survive during retirement." Peter A. Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, said the mailing is a classic pitch to seniors that plays on an older adult's fear of losing financial resources. The letter gives the senior a feeling that their actions matter and they can protect others, he said. Even the $16.45 could look legitimate because it is such a specific number. A senior who is lonely, vulnerable or just caring might decide to give to help out, especially if they don't spend much time thinking through this type of letter, Lichtenberg said.
Mlive, 8/22/2016
DBusiness, 8/15/2016
MITechnews, 8/15/2016
WDIV Detroit, 8/15/2016
News Medical, 9/15/2016
(Links no longer available for media hits on WDET-FM, WSYM-TV (Lansing), WILX-TV (Lansing), 8/16; Detroit News, Crain's Detroit Business, 13ABC-TV (Toledo), The Washington Times, WSBT-TV (South Bend, Ind.), WTVG-TV (Toledo), WWJ-AM, WLNS-TV (Lansing), WWMT-TV (Grand Rapids), WZZM-TV (Grand Rapids).
A Michigan center to enhance the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease is getting $9 million in federal funding. The money over the next five years is from the National Institutes of Health. The effort brings together researchers, clinicians and others from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University. Those involved say the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Core Center (ADCC) will support a wide range of studies on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The Michigan ADCC will be one of nearly 30 NIH-funded Alzheimer's disease centers across the nation. With the involvement of three research universities, the Michigan center will seek to extend its reach statewide. "We are especially excited that this collaboration will extend the scientific and community engagement work on Alzheimer's disease in African-Americans," said Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., director of Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology and ADCC co-core leader for training. The Michigan ADCC's multi-institutional approach will extend its reach across the entire state to help citizens of Michigan wherever they may live. "The collaboration between Michigan's three Level 1 research universities and the integration of strong community outreach represents an enormous opportunity for the citizens of Michigan to benefit directly as they struggle to understand and intervene with persons suffering with Alzheimer's disease," Lichtenberg said.
Eureka Alert, 8/15/2016
The U.S. National Institutes of Health will award an estimated $9 million over the next 5 years to a new statewide center to enhance the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Core Center (ADCC), launching today, will support researchers and clinicians from University Research Corridor, comprised of Wayne State University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. The new Michigan ADCC will be one of nearly 30 NIH-funded Alzheimer's disease centers across the nation, and the only one that links three major research universities. ADCC investigators at all three universities will also come together annually for a research symposium to facilitate collaboration and learn about each other's latest discoveries. "We are especially excited that this collaboration will extend the scientific and community engagement work on Alzheimer's disease in African-Americans," said Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., director of WSU's Institute of Gerontology and ADCC co-core leader for training. Unique among the other NIH-funded centers nationwide, the Michigan ADCC represents a partnership between three major research universities. This multi-institutional approach will extend the reach of the ADCC across the entire state to help citizens of Michigan wherever they may live. "The collaboration between Michigan's three Level 1 research universities and the integration of strong community outreach represents an enormous opportunity for the citizens of Michigan to benefit directly as they struggle to understand and intervene with persons suffering with Alzheimer's disease," Lichtenberg said.
News Medical, 7/12/2016
Noa Ofen, Ph.D., a Wayne State University researcher in lifespan cognitive neuroscience, received a five-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health to study the development of memory networks in children. Researchers will investigate brain activity predictive of memory formation in children who undergo surgery as part of clinical management of medically uncontrolled epilepsy. "Little is known about how memory systems develop in the human brain," Ofen said. "In this project, we will use a combination of unique neuroimaging methodologies that allow us to add new insights about the neural basis of memory development. We also hope this project will be a first step toward clinical applications that can ultimately improve the quality of life of children with focal epilepsy." Ofen is jointly appointed to Wayne State's Department of Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Gerontology's Lifespan Cognitive Neuroscience Program that together with research laboratories at the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child & Family Development apply a cognitive neuroscience approach to study developmental effects from pre-birth to old age.
IA Watch Reporter, 7/7/2016
By Carl Ayers
The increased focus by lawmakers, regulators and law enforcement on the issue of seniors' financial exploitation cries for some way that financial professionals may be able to better detect mental decline in their aged clients. Last year, we shared best practices for dealing with elderly clients and mentioned the work of Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology. He was testing a 10-item, multiple-choice questionnaire that financial professionals and others could use to gauge a senior's financial acumen and cognitive status.
Downtown Publications, 7/4/2016
By Lisa Brody
As people age, the need for long-term care and aging in place services are increasing, and the demands upon the nation's healthcare system will increase. The greatest impact to be felt from this generation's aging will be due to the sharp increase in the number of people with cognitive issues, such as Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia. "There's no greater diversity than aging. Some people are doing incredibly well, astounding us all; some are doing OK; and some are doing very poorly," noted Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology. "There's lots of reasons for all of that aging doesn't happen overnight. Some are exposed to malnutrition, poverty and poor education. Over a lifetime, they're at a cumulative disadvantage. It's not all of sudden at 65. This generation, the Boomers, are starting to fray. Retirement savings are much less than previous generations because few have defined benefit retirement plans," he noted. "Many have much greater household mortgage debt, and our health system has gone backwards. We have less than half the gerontologists than we had 20 years ago to care for an aging society. So every medical practitioner has to become a specialist on aging." Lichtenberg said the fastest growing group of seniors is the 85-plus age group, and its impact is huge because "of the enormous changes where they need assistance, from their eyesight, strength, cognitive abilities, even without dementia, needing assistance day-to-day, they can't drive anymore, and they're heavily made up of widowed and divorced women, so they have a greater potential for isolation."
The Wall Street Journal, Nasdaq.com, 6/29/2016
By Joe Flint
When the legal battle surrounding Sumner Redstone had its last substantive turn in court, the media mogul's longtime companion was arguing he was mentally incompetent when he evicted her and removed her as his health-care proxy. A California judge dismissed that suit. Now, as a Massachusetts court prepares for a hearing Thursday in the latest chapter of the saga, the stakes are much higher and the legal terrain far more complex. At issue now is whether Redstone knew what he was doing in recent weeks when he reordered the power structure atop his media empire, which includes controlling stakes in Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. In addition to his mental competency, the case also will get into the murky legal question of whether Redstone came under "undue influence" from his daughter, Shari Redstone, in making the changes, and how recent events square with the fine points of estate plans that the 93-year-old crafted in 2002, when he set up a trust to oversee his holdings upon his death or incapacitation. The suit has been brought by Viacom Chairman and Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and board member George Abrams, who were ousted from the board of Redstone's holding company, National Amusements Inc., as well as the trust. They are seeking reinstatement. They say that Redstone is suffering from a worsening brain disorder, can't walk or speak and would never have wanted them removed if he were in command of his faculties. Viacom will have to show that because of Redstone's vulnerability, he is "parroting someone else's ideas that have been planted over and over through repetition and isolation," said Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University.
Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, 6/2/2016
By Danielle Alexander
Having a mother who was an administrator of a nursing home, Northville resident Donna MacDonald said she was basically raised in one. "I had about 80 different grandparents growing up," MacDonald said laughing. MacDonald, who now holds the title of Director of Community Outreach and Professional Development at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, oversees the training of more than 8,000 professionals (nurses, aides, social workers, nursing home administrators and doctors) each year who work with older adults. "Donna brings in outstanding experts to provide this continuing education to make sure professionals are well-versed in the best ways to care for older adults and caregivers," said Cheryl Deep, a colleague of MacDonald's within the Institute of Gerontology. Additionally, MacDonald hosts several conferences and workshops for older adults such as Issues in Aging, a two-day national conference where the "best-of-the-best" speakers come to discuss health-related topics; Art of Aging Successfully, a for-senior-by-senior conference focusing on creative aging; and BrainStorm: A Workout for the Mind, which teaches and shows ways to keep brains healthy as people age.
Healthline, 5/31/2016
By Shawn Radcliffe
For seniors living on fixed incomes, especially those with multiple chronic conditions, the cost of medication can sometimes be too much to bear. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, people enrolled in Medicare in 2010 spent on average around $300 per year on prescription drugs.
That's on top of the roughly $4,400 per year they paid for health insurance premiums and other healthcare services such as long-term care and visits to the doctor. Some seniors, though, may pay much more for their medications. "Some of the new drugs that are coming out that are not covered by most of these plans are very expensive," Gail Jensen Summers, Ph.D., an economist at Wayne State University, told Healthline. When Medicare Part D was introduced in January 2006, it was meant to address some of these concerns. In some ways it worked. A 2014 study in Health Affairs found that the affordability of drugs for people on Medicare increased between 2007 and 2009. This mirrors what Jensen Summers found in her own research, which was done before Part D was introduced people with drug insurance were less likely to report skipping medication. But that's not the end of the story. "I think Part D has gone a long way in helping seniors, but it's not a panacea," said Jensen Summers. "I think seniors may still face cost-related non-adherence and they may not be getting everything they want or everything that can help them." There's also the problem of Part D coverage gaps or donut holes. If people use up their drug benefits early on, they end up paying higher prices for the rest of the year. And even when Part D plans work well, people still need to choose the plan that covers the medications they're currently taking or will be taking later on. "I don't think it's that easy for some seniors," said Jensen Summers. "They may have trouble choosing a plan. They may be overwhelmed with all the choices out there. And if they have problems with cognition, which are not uncommon, then it can be a real challenge."
Detroit Free Press, 5/22/2016
By Susan Tompor
May is officially Older Americans Month and is a good time to discuss some challenges many seniors face when it comes to paying their bills. One in three older adults are viewed as economically insecure, according to the National Council on Aging. About 10 percent of seniors were living in poverty as of 2014, compared with 8.9 percent in 2010. More than 60 percent of households headed by someone older than 60 had some form of debt in 2013. The median debt totaled $40,900 -- double the amount as of 2001. The Elder Economic Index data from the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology indicates that about nearly 60 percent of seniors living within the Detroit Area Agency on Aging Region 1a do not have sufficient income to take care of their basic needs, compared to 37 percent of the older adults residing in Michigan. The data is from the Institute of Gerontology's Seniors Count project in 2011. The area includes Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms and Harper Woods.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/24/2016
Rehab program lets dementia patients do what they enjoy
By Stacey Burling
By Stacey Burling
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, worked with Kay Malek, director of the doctoral program in physical therapy at DeSales University in Allentown, to measure the effectiveness of neurocognitive engagement therapy (NET). He said he was most impressed by how it kept people with cognitive problems on task. "It's very hard to get them motivated. . . . This did that." Wheelchairs are discouraged on the unit, which also offers more social activities than usual to keep patients active. Therapists tend to work in quiet rooms rather than a physical therapy gym, which can be too distracting. The staff creates a written history for each patient that describes what he or she likes to do.
WDET-FM, 4/18/2016
"All Things Considered" features interview with Keith Whitfield
"All Things Considered" host Jerome Vaughn talked with Keith Whitfield about his upcoming role as provost at Wayne State University. Whitfield was recently named provost effective June 1, 2016. He currently serves as vice provost for academic affairs at Duke University and is an expert on aging among African Americans. Whitfield also holds Duke appointments as professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, research professor in the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and senior fellow in the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. Dr. Whitfield credits his association with the Institute of Gerontology for making him aware of the good works being done at Wayne State.
WWDB-AM (Philadelphia, Penn.), 2/9/2016
Peter Lichtenberg, director of both the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University, was a guest on "Boomer Generation Radio" hosted by Richard Address. Lichtenberg is a national expert in financial capacity assessment and financial exploitation of older adults. His particular areas of research include mental health in long term care, geriatric depression, geriatric psychology and medical rehabilitation and the early detection and management of Alzheimer's Disease. "As the population ages, there are certain reasons to be a little more careful about knowing how decisions are made and whether they are influenced by either psychological vulnerability or neuro-cognitive variables [like] loss of memory and problem-solving skills," Lichtenberg said. "We have found that people who were both financially and psychologically vulnerable were much more likely to be scammed."
Downriver Sunday Times, 1/31/2016
By Sue Suchyta
When it comes to brain health, games bolster brain cells, socializing slows aging, and brain wrinkles are a good thing, according to BrainStorm experts from Wayne State University. Cheryl Deep and Donna MacDonald of WSU's Institute of Gerontology held "Brain Fitness," the first of three BrainStorm sessions Jan. 27 at the Caroline Kennedy Library. "Secrets of a Powerful Memory" will be revealed at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24, with "Social Interactions Boost Brain Health" scheduled for 6:30 p.m. March 30 at the library. The interactive sessions present brain basics while challenging participants to try familiar tasks with a new twist, like writing their name backwards in mirror image form with their non-dominant hand, or doing the opposite of what "Simon says." MacDonald said the greatest fears people have as they get older concern their health, their finances and losing their memory. Deep said adults become complacent and do things automatically that were new to us as children. "Those connections that were fresh when you were blazing new trails as you are younger and learning things do become ruts, because that connection is so cemented in. It is so much more necessary now to shake your brain out of that and to force it to blaze new pathways and try to stimulate the production of brain cells."
Advisor Innovation and Client Dementia, 2/1/2016
By Steven Starnes
Advisors and other financial professionals can improve how we serve and protect seniors, especially those facing age-related dementia. Medical research tells us that one of the first signs of dementia is difficulty managing personal finances. This means our clients can make really expensive mistakes with their money before their family or friends recognize there is a problem. How can we protect our senior clients, as well as their caregivers and families?
Sandra Adams at the Center for Financial Planning and Peter Lichtenberg, professor at Wayne State University, discuss the signs of diminished capacity in their Journal of Financial Planning article, "How to Protect and Help Clients with Diminished Capacity." Perhaps your client seems more disorganized than usual, does not remember recent conversations or is making decisions that do not fit with her plan or values.
Examiner, 1/26/2016
Tomorrow night, presenters from the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology will bring "BrainStorm, A Workout for the Mind," a breakthrough approach to brain health and training, to the Caroline Kennedy Library in Dearborn Heights. This free interactive workshop is a three-part series on brain fitness, and how to keep the brain healthy. The first 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday session held in the Caroline Kennedy Library adult program room, "Brain Fitness," will focus on exercises and on how to nurture brain health and it will have pointers on how to trick your brain, to make it sharper. Following that Jan. 27 session, two more 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday sessions will be held at the end of each of the next two months. The Feb. 24 session "Your Memory, Refresh & Strengthen" will teach participants how to build a more powerful memory, and the March 30 session will be "Socialization and the Quality of Life." Donna MacDonald and Cheryl Deep, of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, look to shake up attendees' brains with new fun activities for stimulating and invigorating thinking.
Detroit Legal News, 1/7/2016
By Linda Laderman
Despite exponential growth in Michigan's aging population, no legal and policy definition of elder abuse exists in Michigan, according to recently released research by Elder Law of Michigan and Wayne State University's Institute on Gerontology (IOG). As reported by the Michigan Administration on Aging (AOA), more than 20 percent of Michigan's residents will be 60 or older by 2030, a 32 percent increase from 2012. Currently, 1.9 million or 19.5 percent of Michigan's nearly 10 million people are past the age of 60. One of the report's authors, Thomas Jankowski, a gerontologist and associate director of research at IOG, said, "Without a precisely worded statute there is no way to distinguish between a vulnerable adult and one who is a victim of elder abuse. Age is not a distinct indicator. "That means that integration and coordination of efforts to address and prevent elder abuse on a statewide basis is that much more difficult," said Jankowski. The data gathered by Jankowski and his colleagues is part of the PREVNT Initiative, a collaborated response to elder abuse and neglect.
2015 Coverage
Community Connection Greater Midtown 11/15/2015
Dr. Peter Lichtenberg describes a case study to illustrate how older adults can protect themselves from being financially exploited. First of two parts.
By Jane Peterson
Heather Dillaway discusses ways to stay healthy as we age. Photos of healthy older adults supplied by the Institute of Gerontology from their many community events.
La Prensa, 10/21/2015
Wassim Tarraf, assistant professor at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, is a co-investigator and lead statistician on a $5.67 million five-year study charting how mild cognitive impairment progresses to Alzheimer's in Latinos. The lead principal investigator of this National Institute on Aging grant is Hector Gonzalez, a colleague of Tarraf's at WSU and now an associate professor at Michigan State University. The project will recruit 6,600 Latinos, age 52 and up, from 16,000 participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos begun in 2011.
The Wall Street Journal, 10/18/2015
By Beth Howard
Recent research has highlighted what appear to be several intriguing ways to counter the effects of aging on gray matter. A recent study supported by funding from the National Institute on Aging compared a group of people ages 55 to 70 who practiced hatha yoga three times a week and a similar group who did simple stretching and toning exercises. After eight weeks, the yoga group was speedier and more accurate in cognitive tasks and less apt to be distracted. "The meditative exercises in yoga aim to help you focus and be aware within the moment by trying to keep distracting thoughts away," says researcher Neha P. Gothe, assistant professor of kinesiology, health and sport studies at Wayne State University. "These mental exercises seem to affect the way you think outside of yoga practice."
Adviser & Source Newspapers, 9/28/2015
By Debra Kaszubski
Senior residents of the Waltonwood senior living community participated in "The Exercise Effect: How and Why Exercise Works," which included a Brain Neurobics session created by the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology. The class, an 11-part series, is designed to help seniors keep their minds sharp through a combination of exercises, games and education. Participants also learned how small changes in their daily habits can increase neurons in the brain to help prevent memory loss over time. Simple changes like using your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth, doing puzzles, or engaging your senses in a new way will help fire new brain activity.
C&G Newspapers, 8/26/2015
By Terry Oparka
Did you know that we have, on average, 70,000 thoughts each day? Or that your brain is an oxygen hog, taking 20 percent of each breath you take? Participants in the Senior Living and Learning Expo, titled Brainstorm: A Workout for the Mind, learned these facts and several tricks to shake up their brains. Donna MacDonald, director of outreach at the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology, and Cheryl Deep, director of media relations and communication at the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology, conducted the workshop. "This program is about shaking out of patterns and routines. That's why we're here: to shake you up," Deep said. To shake up your brain, take different routes when traveling, close your eyes when you are eating and try using your non-dominant hand, said MacDonald. "There are 100 billion neurons as many as stars in the galaxy in the brain, with 100 trillion connections," she said. "When we age, they start misfiring. The brain shrinks as we age, and that starts at age 20. It takes longer to process information and longer to recall information."
Corp! Magazine, July 2015
The health care industry in Michigan as a whole is also growing as the baby boomer generation ages and requires more care. "This isn't just a Michigan phenomenon, but the industry is growing everywhere," said Gail Jensen Summers, a professor in Wayne State University's economics of health care program. Summers said part of the rise is the aging of baby boomers, while the other factor is that more people now have access to health care. "This is the age where baby boomers are experiencing more medical problems," Summers said. "One problem we have is a shortage of primary care physicians in this state. The only way clinics can meet the growing demand for care is by hiring nurse practitioners and physician assistants."
Gail Jensen Summers Corp! Magazine profile
Grammarly, 7/21/2015
According to research by Cheryl Deep of the Wayne State Institute of Gerontology, making small changes to your daily habits will help you to maintain strong mental function. For example, using your nondominant hand to brush your teeth will force your brain to exercise as it adapts to a new pattern. But you can make changes to more than just your hygiene routine. Break your writing rituals by using semicolons!
Crain's Detroit Business, 8/16/2015
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, has been awarded the Judge Edward Sosnick Courage to Lead Award, presented annually by the Oakland County SAVE Task Force, which increases awareness of elder abuse. Jinsheng Zhang, professor and research director for the Wayne State University School of Medicine's department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, has been elected chairman of the scientific advisory panel of the American Tinnitus Association.
Oakland Press, 8/16/2015
The Senior Living and Learning Expo, sponsored by the Older Adult Division of Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, is free and open to interested individuals at the Troy Community Center on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Presenters Donna MacDonald and Cheryl Deep of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University introduce a breakthrough approach to brain health and training.
News-Medical, 7/16/2015
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, won the Judge Edward Sosnick Courage to Lead Award for his extensive work to create ways of identifying older adults at risk of financial exploitation. The award is presented annually by the Oakland County SAVE (Serving Adults who are Vulnerable and/or Elderly) Task Force. Lichtenberg created a set of scales and assessments of a person's ability to make sound, rational financial decisions and/or risk of being subject to undue influence. Initial studies confirm that the Lichtenberg Financial Decision-Making Screening and Rating Scales reliably profile an older adult's vulnerability to exploitation and ability to make significant financial decisions.
WJR-AM, 7/15/2015
Senior exploitation
Mitch Albom Show
During a segment on the "Mitch Albom Show," host Mitch Albom explored the growing problem regarding the exploitation of seniors by caregivers, family and others who take advantage of older adults financially. Albom referenced studies done at Wayne State University surrounding the issue of senior exploitation.
(Link no longer available)
Detroit Free Press, 7/14/2015
By Robin Erb
A series of studies at Wayne State University is bringing into focus the vulnerability of elderly people not only to con artists and mail scams but also to loved ones and trusted caregivers. And the lead researcher, as well as other experts agree: Part of the problem is the ability of the perpetrators to rationalize their deeds. "After a period of time, family members ... often feel entitled to take some of the money as sort of compensation for what they're doing, but also just of a sense (that) it's their money, too," said Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology and lead author on the recent studies. Lichtenberg has designed two screening tools one a 77-question version, the other an abbreviated, 10-question survey to gauge seniors' abilities to make financial decisions. Both also test for the presence of risk factors trusted relatives or friends who appear predatory, for example. In one study, experts found that eight of the 69 elderly Detroit participants had "decision-making incapacity," meaning that they no longer fully understand the risks and benefits of financial choices. Among those eight, five reported they had been financially exploited in the past year. None of the incidents had been reported to authorities, Lichtenberg said.
IA Watch Compliance News, 7/9/2015
"Financial planners really do have a responsibility to know whether their clients have the capability to enter into financial decisions," says Wayne State University gerontology Professor Peter Lichtenberg. He's testing a one-page (5-7 minute) questionnaire that may help advisers and others spot seniors with diminished financial capacity. It could be available next year.
Troy-Somerset-Gazette, 7/13/2015
Senior Learning Expo
The Senior Learning Expo, sponsored by the Older Adult Division of Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, is free and open to interested individuals. The expo will take place at the Troy Community Center Wednesday, August 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Presenters Donna MacDonald and Cheryl Deep, of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, introduce a breakthrough approach to brain health and training.
(Link no longer available)
Access Magazine (Area Agency on Aging 1-B), Summer 2015
Peter Lichtenberg was interviewed for this cover story on tools to help identify and protect older adults who are vulnerable to financial exploitation. Dr. Lichtenberg explained his current research project in which he created and is testing screening scales to determine an older adult's ability to make financial decisions. This tool has garnered much attention from professionals in financial planning, banking, law and medicine who routinely work with older adults and must assess their capacity.
Pivotal Moments Campaign Magazine, Spring 2015
Carol Edwards became interested in the wellbeing of senior citizens through the work of her husband, the late Donald Haas ’56 M.Ed. As a financial planner and gerontologist for most of his career, Haas helped older adults evaluate their financial health, manage investments and plan for a comfortable retirement. It was his goal to understand how seniors invest and spend their money, and empower them to make more informed financial decisions. This led Haas to his alma mater, Wayne State University, where he supported research on the financial stability of older adults as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Institute of Gerontology.
The Bay City Banner, 6/11/2015
"We know that race matters," Jackson said to scientists attending the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research conference in April at the University of California, Davis. But the color of one's skin is genetically irrelevant to understanding racial and ethnic disparities in health, he explained. Jackson is the co-director of the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. During his keynote address at the national research conference, he described findings that challenge the very basis of racial categories in research on health disparities.
Farmington Voice, 5/29/2015
Avoid financial exploitation
By Joni Hubred-Golden
Peter Lichtenberg, geriatric neuropsychologist and professor at Wayne State University, will discuss how seniors are vulnerable to financial exploitation, such as theft and scams, not only from strangers but also from trusted family members and friends. Learn how to protect yourself from this serious growing problem. The event will be held 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Friday, June 12, at the Costick Center in Farmington Hills.
(Link no longer available)
Alzheimer's News Today, 4/21/2015
By Alisa Woods
Voyko Kavcic, a research assistant professor in the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University received a grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health to study earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The grant consists of $420,000 over two years to support research on whether electroencephalograms and cognitive tests can detect early signs of AD. Kavic is particularly interested in detecting signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can be an early sign of AD. MCI consists of subtle problems in language, mental functioning and memory. MCI usually does not create major problems with day-to-day functioning, so it can often be missed. Detecting MCI is particularly important for elderly African Americans, who develop MCI and Alzheimer's twice as often as Caucasians, but are less likely to be treated earlier in the disease. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University noted, "Six years ago it would have been extremely difficult to find larger numbers of African American elders in Detroit willing to participate. Through trust-building, outreach and education, more than 1,200 volunteers now fill the database."
Wayne State receives NIH grant to develop AD diagnosis, focusing on African Americans
News Medical, 4/20/2015
Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, may be one of Alzheimer's earliest signs. The subtle changes of MCI include problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment and a subjective sense that mental function is getting worse. MCI is seldom severe enough to impair day-to-day activities and is sometimes ignored as "normal aging." Though it doesn't always progress to Alzheimer's or another dementia, it should always be investigated further. This may be especially important for older African Americans. They are twice as likely to develop MCI and Alzheimer's as their Caucasian counterparts, but far less likely to be diagnosed or treated in the early stages. Voyko Kavcic, assistant professor - research in the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, thinks access and convenience may be part of the reason. "We want to develop affordable, comfortable ways to test for evidence of these disorders so it is easier for older African Americans," Kavcic said. "People with transportation or mobility problems shouldn't have to navigate large, confusing medical centers to get answers. Why not take the test to them?"
WSU study could help predict mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease
Medical Xpress, 4/17/2015
Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, may be one of Alzheimer's earliest signs. The subtle changes of MCI include problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment and a subjective sense that mental function is getting worse. MCI is seldom severe enough to impair day-to-day activities and is sometimes ignored as "normal aging." Though it doesn't always progress to Alzheimer's or another dementia, it should always be investigated further. This may be especially important for older African Americans. They are twice as likely to develop MCI and Alzheimer's as their Caucasian counterparts, but far less likely to be diagnosed or treated in the early stages. Voyko Kavcic, Ph.D., assistant professor - research in the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, thinks access and convenience may be part of the reason
New approaches for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's
Detroit Free Press, 3/21/2015
By Robert Allen
Brain Day, held Saturday at the Michigan Science Center, is an annual nationwide science event aimed at educating kids on the workings of gray matter as well as showing off recent technology and recruiting potential subjects for research. Thomas Fischer, Wayne State University associate professor of psychology, said it's fascinating that in recent years scientists have been able to examine even the brain of a fetus in the womb. An MRI machine used to examine brains was among the attractions on display Saturday at the event, and brain images were displayed on a projection screen. Students from undergraduate to graduate and medical school, mostly from Wayne State and University of Detroit Mercy, were involved in Saturday's event, which drew numerous curious children. Fischer said this is a chance for the students to get out of the lab and see the people for whom they're doing research. "It's part of their education to have to learn how to talk to the public," he said.
Slate.com, 3/13/2015
By Jay Deshpande
On Thursday, the Alabama Securities Commission announced that it had concluded its inquiry into whether Harper Lee's decision to publish "Go Set a Watchman" was in fact her own or a case of elder abuse. But the Alabama Department of Human Resources is still looking into the matter after receiving a complaint last month that Lee was being exploited. Some suggest that Lee was in no way capable of making such a major decision, while others claim she has "full possession of her mental faculties." Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, explains that the term "elder abuse" can cover mistreatment ranging from physical or emotional abuse, to financial exploitation, to various forms of neglect. In terms of whether the elderly person has been unduly influenced, he said: "We look at ... What active steps did [the alleged influencer] take to procure monetary things? Did they flatter, cajole, berate, all of these? Did they isolate?" After checking the person's mental wellbeing for susceptibility to persuasion, the investigator must look for patterns by which the subject could be exploited. Lichtenberg looks for a "confidential relationship," often involving finances. If a person close to Lee has earned her confidence and then encouraged her to isolate herself, no longer talking to anyone else about her personal affairs, then this may be a sign of exploitation.
Detroit Free Press, 1/1/2015
By Robin Erb
If you're turning to crossword puzzles and computerized brain games to keep your mind sharp, some doctors and researchers say they've got a better idea for a New Year's resolution. Take a walk. Hang out with friends. Read a book. In short and really, most importantly for aging Americans is this question: Can brain games help us live more independently longer? It's simply not yet clear. Moriah Thomason is an assistant professor in the Wayne State University School of Medicine's pediatrics department and in the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development. She's also a scientific adviser to www.Lumosity.com, one of the fastest-growing brain game websites. Data show participants' responses are both more accurate and faster the longer they play certain games, she said. "We do, without a doubt, see improvement in an individual when they participate," Thomason said. "The questions are the next step: What is the transferred ability? What are the implications for my quality of life?" "People don't just need to be smarter, they need to be smarter for a reason," she added.
2014 Coverage
Oakland Press, 12/1/2014
American House Senior Living Communities will celebrate the 6th annual Holiday Hope for Seniors campaign to benefit over 850 local senior citizens in need, beginning with a tree lighting ceremony from 5-7 p.m. Thursday. At each community, paper ornament bulbs ($5 to $20 donations) will be sold, with 100 percent of every donation going directly to helping senior citizens. In addition, 1,700 bags containing personal and household items will be delivered to local seniors in need. Proceeds raised during fundraising initiatives do not go toward American House residents, but rather senior citizens in need identified by partner non-profit organizations. The campaign is run by the non-profit organization, American House Foundation, which invests in both outreach for older adults in need of assistance, as well as research opportunities through a partnership with the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University.
Oakland Press 10/25/2014
Depressed seniors more vulnerable to exploitation
By Diana Dillaber Murray
By Diana Dillaber Murray
Macomb Daily, 10/25/2014
Depressed seniors more vulnerable to exploitation
Older adults with severe depression and low social-status fulfillment are more apt to be victims of fraud, according to a study done by Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. Lichtenberg studied the problem in 4,440 older adults and found fraud increased by 226 percent under those circumstances. "Psychological vulnerability can impact older adults' lives in serious ways," said Lichtenberg, who planned to present his findings to Congress. He will also moderate a panel assembled by Florida congressman Ted Deutch and Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar to bring attention to the Seniors Fraud Prevention Bill they recently introduced in Congress.
Lichtenberg received a $468,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice (beginning in January) to further validate the screenings and refine methods for wide-scale distribution of these tools across multiple such professionals as financial planners, bank personnel, lawyers, law enforcement officers and adult protective services employees. "We aren't trying to usurp a person's independence," Lichtenberg said. "We want to balance autonomy with protection and determine how best to educate and support older adults most at risk of being exploited."
(Macomb Daily link no longer available)
Huffington Post, 9/25/2014
Depression is a huge health concern among African-Americans — particularly women — but mental health is often stigmatized in the black community. Although it can impact people from all walks of life, cultural habits and historical experiences can cause depression to be expressed and addressed differently among black women. Depression is not only treated at lower rates in the African-American community, particularly among black women, but of those who do receive treatment, many don't receive adequate treatment. Hector M. Gonzalez, Ph.D., and colleagues at Wayne State University, found that overall, only about half of Americans diagnosed with major depression in a given year receive treatment for it. But only one-fifth receive treatment consistent with current practice guidelines. African-Americans had some of the lowest rates of use of depression care. Because blacks, particularly black women, experience higher rates of depression than their white female or black male counterparts, but receive lower rates of treatment for depression — specifically adequate treatment — they remain one of the most undertreated groups for depression in the United States.
The Kansas City Star, 9/13/2014
Exploitation of elderly woman by a 'friend' is another chapter in an increasingly common story
By Eric Adler
By Eric Adler
No one knows precisely how many of the 60 million U.S. adults age 60 or older are victims of scammers. The few studies that exist estimate that up to 5 percent of seniors 3 million people are financially exploited each year. Social isolation long has been known as a major risk factor for exploitation. Without trusted relatives or peers, impressionable and needy adults can more easily fall prey to self-serving people. "What we have is a group of people, especially as they get into their 80s, who often have to give up driving, become widowed," said Peter Lichtenberg, a geriatric neuropsychologist who is director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. "Their worlds become smaller. Loneliness is a factor. They become targets." Lichtenberg is one of a number of researchers nationwide who is placing increasing attention on the role conditions such as mild dementia or depression play in exploitation. He studied some 4,400 people age 60 and older. In research published last year, Lichtenberg found that while about 4.5 percent had been victims of fraud, the rate of victimization was three times as great among those who reported being the most depressed and the least socially connected.
Mlive, 7/28/2014
Growing old isn't easy anywhere. Living among high rates of poverty, crime, addiction and abandonment doesn't make it any easier. Neither do shortages of buses and primary care doctors, nor the scarcity of retail and amenities outside of Detroit's central neighborhoods. "Despite these objective problems, the subjective experience of growing old in Detroit is not a bad one," said Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology.
"I think that's because they have good relationships, friends, family. Meaningful relationships and memories --those things kind of overshadow the challenges. Although people are worried about the vacant housing and so forth, when you give them kind of neighborhood cohesion instruments, there's a fairly high level of comfort in their neighborhoods." One recent study by Wayne State researchers showed Detroiters age 60-74 were dying at a rate 48 percent higher than their peers in the rest of the state. That's attributed partly to middle-aged Detroiters missing out on the kind of medical care and healthy lifestyle development they need in the years before they enter old age.
Stay or go: Growing old in Detroit isn't easy, but does moving make sense?
WNYC-FM, 6/18/2014
IOG Deputy Director Thomas B. Jankowski has an in-depth discussion about the background of our current retirement culture. WNYC has one of the largest listenerships of any radio station in the U.S.
WDET-FM, 6/18/2014
A new study predicts that Michigan's senior population will grow significantly over the next few years. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments says senior populations are increasing throughout the U.S. but the growth is especially pronounced in Michigan. The associate research director at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, Thomas Jankowski, says the graying of Michigan is tied to the state's economic decline. "Because Michigan has lost population due to the economy, it looks like the older population, as a proportion of the overall population, is actually going to be higher than they initially thought it was, mostly because many working age people have left the state." Jankowski says counties will have to adapt to a shift towards an older workforce.
Mlive, 6/16/2014
Are we prepared? Senior population expected to skyrocket, even in shrinking Detroit
By Khalil AlHajal
By Khalil AlHajal
Sometime in the next few years, the number of people over the age of 65 in southeast Michigan is expected to surpass the number of residents 18 and under. "I don't think that has happened before in human history," said Thomas Jankowski, associate research director at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, citing population figures from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. "Overall population will stay relatively stable, but the number of younger folks is going to decrease as they age out of their age group, and the number of older folks is going to increase dramatically." And that means local governments will have to brace for skyrocketing expectations for accommodating larger senior populations, ranging from improvements in housing and transit options to expansion of recreation and health programming, said Jankowski.
Mlive, 6/10/2014
Aging together: Stories of struggle and sacrifice among Detroit's elders
By Khalil AlHajal
By Khalil AlHajal
Detroit residents over 65 number about 83,000 people some who rely primarily on relationships with caregivers, family members and service organizations with dwindling resources. Some languish in poverty and face seemingly impossible odds, but many thrive, and sometimes do so while carrying whole families on their backs. "Although there are these tremendous challenges that we see, somehow these older folks kind of find a way to cope, and often become kind of the backbone of their neighborhoods," said Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology.
Detroit Free Press, 6/6/2014
Forever Fighters Embraced at Komen Race Event
By Robin Erb
By Robin Erb
Peter speaks with Robin Erb of the Free Press about his wife's Susan's cancer, her fight, her loss and the family's participation in tomorrow's race. The story includes a video interview with Peter and beautiful images of Susan, as well as her handwritten notes about life, love, and the disease she was battling. He, Emily, Thomas and Sophie will all walk in Susan's memory at the Komen Race on Saturday.
(Link no longer available)
Headlines & Global News, 5/27/2014
USA Today 5/26/2014
By Robin Erb
Detroit Free Press, 5/26/2014
By Robin Erb
Recent studies have highlighted that life expectancy has risen in the United States and Michigan resident Jeralean Talley is living proof of that. Talley, oldest person in America and second oldest in the world, celebrated her 115th birthday, May 25. So what's the secret of her long life? According to Peter Lichtenberg, director at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, it is motivation and determination of movement that is the key to longevity.
"One of the areas of research that we're getting really interested in as a field is how much movement people have - really just having your bodies in motion. It's not just 30 minutes of exercise and sit the rest of the day. It's moving around, being active," he said, according to Detroit Free Press. That's walking, being out with friends, gardening refusing to be dictated to by the flipping pages of a calendar, Lichtenberg said.
WDET-FM, 5/15/2014
Taking care of mom and dad
Baby Boomers and younger adults are finding themselves as caregivers to their aging parents. As medical technology keeps us alive longer, families are faced with new challenges in care, housing and chronic illness for elderly loved ones. Family dynamics become increasingly important in the success of caregiving for the elderly, says Patricia Rencher, director of Healthier Black Elders Center at Wayne State University. "It usually falls upon one person [within a family] to do the job," she says. And, she adds, that can create resentment and stress within a family. The issues around elder care don't end there. Rencher says there needs to be education for people learning how to transport family members from beds to bathrooms and throughout a house, and how to manage the fixed income finances of older people.
(Link no longer available)
Detroit Free Press, 5/8/2014
With America's 65-and-over population set to double by 2050, senior advocates, car companies and government agencies are working on new strategies to keep folks driving longer and safely so they remain independent and avoid the depression and loneliness that can develop after the keys are taken away. Seniors are less likely to be involved in drunken driving accidents or in crashes involving bad weather, for example. But some experts argue the numbers do not paint a full picture because senior drivers, especially those who don't rack up work miles, drive so much less than others. And they're less likely to drive in inclement weather or after dark. The problem may be a layering of aging problems, not the least of which is the slower mental processing of an older adult, said Cathy Lysack, occupational therapist and researcher at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology.
MetLife Journal, 4/22/2014
by Dr. Peter Lichtenberg & Sandy Adams
Caring.com, April 2014
By Sara Rattigan
Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology (IOG) is ranked among the top seven gerontology programs offering notable public resources. The Detroit location puts the institute in a unique position to focus on urban health and diversity. In collaboration with the University of Michigan, the IOG hosts the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research, one of just seven minority aging research centers in the U.S. funded by the National Institute of Aging. The IOG also focuses on connecting older adults and caregivers to knowledge, from local events and activities to publications.
Hour Detroit Magazine, April 2014
My Caregiving Choice
By Ellen Paligian
By Ellen Paligian
Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology, is quoted extensively in a piece about caregiving for older adults. "Caregivers really do have to become educated about the conditions affecting their parent," Lichtenberg says. "By being involved, you can see changes like frailty or loss of weight before it becomes a crisis." Lichtenberg recommends that if you can't be there to support them, work with other family members, friends, or neighbors to keep an eye on them, or look into case management, which many nurses do, even managing and hiring additional caregivers if needed. Whether you help your parents stay in their own home, or make a decision that some kind of senior or assisted living would be more appropriate, they will still need your support. "You need to be involved across all placements," says Lichtenberg, who sees a lot of variability in the booming business of senior living options. "You need to check them out." The best ones, he says, may be expensive, but they can enhance longevity. The WSU Institute of Gerontology website is included in the story as a resource.
Observer & Eccentric, 4/8/2014
Boost brain strength with an exercise class
City of Novi Older Adult Services and Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology have partnered to present Brain Neurobics at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 24, at the Meadowbrook Activity Center. This interactive program works to stimulate the brain to create new neurons through attempting non-routine behaviors and paying close attention to sensory stimuli. Participation in a brain neurobics session teaches the basics of brain function, how to keep it healthy and how to stimulate the production of new brain connections.
WWJ-AM, 3/29/2014
Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology (IOG) is hosting the 15th annual "Art of Aging Successfully" conference, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Thursday, April 3, at the Greater Grace Conference Center in Detroit. Donna MacDonald, IOG outreach director and coordinator of the conference, talked about the purpose of the conference. "It's really celebrating aging. It's not looking at the doom and gloom of aging but the positive aspects." McDonald said yesterday's grandparents are not today's seniors. "We're living a lot longer; we're living healthier lives."
Midland Daily News, 2/10/2014
An editorial discusses elder abuse and projections that by 2050, 19 million people will be 85 and older. According to 2010 Census figures, there were 5.8 million people age 85 and older. "As more older adults become very old we see the numbers of (elder abuse) cases increase," said Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, in a story published Sunday in the Daily News. And, perhaps more alarming, is that 90 percent of abusers are family members, according to The National Center on Elder Abuse.
Midland Daily News, 2/11/2014
'Advocacy and education' key in prevention of elder abuse
By John Kennett
By John Kennett
Elder abuse: Not a topic that's easy to detect or deal with. But, an aging population means the topic is something that will become more and more of a serious concern across America. Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, recently completed a study, "Is Psychological Vulnerability Related to the Experience of Fraud in Older Adults?" published in Clinical Gerontologist. The study, of 4,440 participants, reported financial fraud victimization of older adults and found that the combination of high depression and low social-status fulfillment was associated with a 226 percent increase in fraud prevalence. "Early detection of potential problems by health practitioners, case managers, etc. and better assessment tools can help families receive intervention before abuse becomes full blown or worsens," said Lichtenberg. "Advocacy and education and repeated messaging about the need to stop elder abuse is also important."
CBS Detroit, 1/22/2014
Getting older is usually associated with losing brain power but a new study says that may not be the case. The study, out of Germany, argues that older brains may just take longer to process ever-increasing amounts of knowledge, and that's been mistaken for declining capacity. Think about your brain like a brand new computer. It's really fast, right? But as your hard drive accumulates more files, your P.C. starts to slow down. Wayne State University Gerontology researcher Peter Lichtenberg says it's a valid analogy. "If you've acquired information about 6,000 birthdays over your lifetime and you're having a little bit of trouble remembering whose is which, and you only get maybe 75 percent accuracy," said Lichtenberg, "is that really worse than somebody who's acquired maybe 100 birthdays and gets 90 percent accuracy because there's less?" Lichtenberg agrees with the study's authors who say, most standard cognitive testing methods are flawed, which can confuse increased knowledge with declining capacity. The study has been published in the journal Topics in Cognitive Science.
2013 Coverage
Crain's Detroit Business, 12/26/2013
$40M retirement community coming to Bloomfield Hills
By Bridget Vis
By Bridget Vis
A $40 million continuing care retirement community is coming to Bloomfield Hills. The groundbreaking for Cedarbrook of Bloomfield Hills, on Woodward Avenue north of Opdyke Road, happened earlier this month, and the facility is scheduled to open in September 2015, said Michael J. Damone, president of Cedarbrook Senior Living LLC. Damone said that Cedarbrook will also work with Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology to be a resource for residents and their families.
Detroit Jewish News, Oct. 17/23/2013
Fight elder fraud
By Ronelle Grier
By Ronelle Grier
Peter Lichtenberg, geriatric neuropsychologist and director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, commented in a story about elder fraud, the financial exploitation of the elderly. The mental and emotional state of an elderly person can play a part in whether he or she becomes a victim of fraud, according to Lichtenberg, who recently served as a panelist during the screening of a documentary film titled "Last Will and Embezzlement." According to a five-year study he worked on, risk factors include psychological vulnerability, depression and dissatisfaction with one's role in society. Lichtenberg developed an assessment tool that helps determine older adults' vulnerability to fraud and their ability to manage their money; it's called the "Financial Decision-Making Rating Scale."
(Link no longer available)
WDET-FM, 10/17/2013
WDET's Martina Guzman explored the challenges facing seniors as they face reduced mobility and independence. Lack of mobility is one of the key factors in isolation within the aging population. Seclusion puts older adults at greater risk for developing depression. According to the Center for disease control, the 65 and older population accounts for 15 percent of the nation's suicides, the highest rate among any age group. But if staying active can be a challenge for young people, it's especially challenging if you're older, have body aches or a debilitating illnesses. Cathy Lysack, deputy director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, says seniors have to keep moving no matter how old they are. "Most older adults think, 'oh, I'm too weak, it's bad for me.' The opposite is true, even women with significant arthritis will benefit with less fatigue and less pain if they exercise. Lysack says that failing to exercise or avoiding exercise not only affects seniors physically it also affects their ability to think clearly or rationally. "You may not be able to drive a car, it's a complex skill. And when that happens your social environment shrinks very quickly. If you don't have the resources and people to offset that, you're at risk for isolation socially and that's bad for older people."
Northville Patch, 10/16/2013
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, caregivers, students and health professionals gather for the Annual Fall 5CE Conference, "A Meaningful Life with Alzheimer's disease" at the Vista Tech Center at Schoolcraft Community College. The conference is presented by the Alzheimer's Association: Greater Michigan Chapter and Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology.
Detroit Free Press, 10/13/2013
146,000 Michiganders - at least - face loss of cheap policies under new health care reform rules
By Robin Erb
By Robin Erb
At least 146,000 Michiganders and possibly thousands more with health coverage purchased directly from insurers now are learning their polices will end Dec. 31 because they don't meet the minimum requirements of the federal health care act. Under the law, each policy must cover essential benefits in 10 categories. Instead of beefing up these policies, insurers are opting to drop them, advising consumers to consider other policies that are now available either from the insurers directly or through the Michigan Health Insurance Marketplace, also known as the state exchange. The policies that are ending were often less expensive on the individual market because they provided limited benefits and were sold to healthier consumers. Customers will pay more, but they also will get more coverage now, noted Gail Jensen Summers, an economics professor at Wayne State University, who specializes in health insurance policy and costs.
USA Today, 10/7/2013
Take active role when choosing a new doctor
By Zlati Meyer
By Zlati Meyer
Americans are going to medical specialists more and more. According to a recent national study in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, the probability of receiving a referral during a doctor's visit increased from 4.8 percent to 9.3 percent between 1999-2009. Wayne State University health economist Gail Jensen Summers said the increase stems from the growing number of managed-care plans that have replaced self-referrals, with the primary care physician serving as a gatekeeper for efficiency and cost savings. She also noted physician group practices are expanding to include auxiliary services like labs and physical therapy, and many have medical specialists on staff.
WDET-FM, 9/26/2013
One out of every 20 seniors are now facing the challenge of dealing with financial exploitation. Victims lose anywhere from $79,000 to $186,000 or more. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, will discuss his findings Sept. 30, at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts. During the event, experts will analyze the multiple ways older adults are exploited, and a documentary film titled "Last Will and Embezzlement," will be show featuring Hollywood star Mickey Rooney.
Oakland Press, 9/28/2013
Five ways to sharpen your brain Improving brain health to stop memory loss is a key concern of older adults, but many do not know the best way to strengthen their mind. Health Alliance Plan (HAP) has been educating its members at Sharpen Your Brain workshops offering simple exercises to stimulate brain growth. The workshops are run by a team from the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, Donna MacDonald, the institute's director of outreach and educational programs, and Cheryl Deep, who directs media relations and communications. They developed their popular brain training workshops, also known as Brain Neurobics in conjunction with WSU and other cognitive neuroscience researchers. Now they are sharing some of their top tricks to stimulate the brain.Detroit Free Press, USA Today, 9/23/2013
By Cassandra Spratling
USA Today, 9/23/2013
Documentary aims to protect seniors' money
By Cassandra Spratling
By Cassandra Spratling
An article highlights a documentary film, Last Will and Embezzlement, which aims to raise awareness about financial exploitation of elderly people. One out of every 20 older adults in the U.S. will be a victim of financial exploitation, and the rates are rising, said Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. To help, he is developing an assessment to determine whether a senior citizen is at risk of being the victim of financial abuse. He said he hopes to be able to pilot the 61-question assessment by the end of the year.
Detroit Legal News, 9/18/2013
One out of every 20 older adults in the U.S. will be a victim of financial exploitation this year, and the rates are rising. Prevention is the best defense against this exploding problem. But first we must pinpoint who is most at risk. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, has created the Lichtenberg Financial Decision-Making Rating Scale to do just that. Initial studies confirm the scale as a reliable tool in determining older adults' vulnerability to fraud and ability to manage their money. "We aren't trying to usurp a person's independence," Lichtenberg said. "We want to balance autonomy with protection and determine how best to educate and support older adults most at risk of being exploited." Lichtenberg will discuss his findings as part of the "Safeguarding the Golden Generation" panel and movie preview Sept. 30, from 6:30-9:30 pm at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts, in West Bloomfield. The evening analyzes the multiple ways older adults are exploited and kicks off with the screening of a documentary titled "Last Will and Embezzlement." The film will also be shown on Sept. 25 at the Italian American Cultural Center in Clinton Township. Among the presenters are Jocelyn Benson, interim dean of Wayne State University's Law School.
WWJ-AM, 9/16/2013
Donna MacDonald, community outreach and professional outreach director Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology (IOG), was interviewed by WWJ reporter Pat Sweeting about the Brain Neurobics program and how older adults can keep their memories sharp. The program is a partnership between the IOG and Health Alliance Plan.
WJBK Fox 2, 9/9/2013
Donna MacDonald, Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, was interviewed by Fox 2 health reporter Deena Centofanti about the Brain Neurobics program and how older adults can keep their memories sharp. The month of September is "Healthy Aging Month."
Observer & Eccentric, 7/26/2013
Health economist by day, lily grower by night (and weekend), Wayne State professor Gail Jensen Summers divides her time between complex analysis of Medicare data, and coaxing delicate lilies into breath-taking, perfectly timed blooms. She won big on both fronts this year. Peer-reviewed economics journals published two of her papers this spring, and she won the Best Lily in Show award at the 66th North American International Lily Show in June.
The Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 5/26/2013
New study, bill puts focus on senior fraud
By Diane C. Lade
By Diane C. Lade
New efforts are underway to combat what aging experts say has become one of the top threats facing elders: losing their savings to con artists and financial predators. Gerontologists at Wayne State University have created, for the first time, a potential victim profile that could alert professionals and families to which seniors are most psychologically vulnerable to fraud. And a bipartisan bill filed last week by U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat from Boca Raton, and two other representatives would create a federal advisory office dedicated to protecting elders from fraud and ensuring victims' complaints are handled efficiently and quickly. Deutch's bill mandates that the Federal Trade Commission, which would house the new office, "immediately" funnel elder fraud and exploitation reports to appropriate local law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation, something the FTC is not required to do now. The new office also would alert elders to new scams and educate them about investment fraud. Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology and the researcher behind the elder fraud victim profile, commented in the story.
Senior Planet, 5/20/2013
Scams: Are You Immune?
By Kathleen Doheny
By Kathleen Doheny
Research into what makes older adults vulnerable to scams by IOG Director Peter Lichtenberg was the subject of an extensive interview. Risk factors for seniors, tips on staying safe, and details of the 4,400 older adults (average age 66) studied were included. Lichtenberg said that of the 5% who had been victimized, depression and not feeling socially fulfilled greatly increased the odds of falling prey to financial fraud. People who don't feel loved and appreciated are easy targets for charming thieves who know how to establish bonds and trust quickly. The article included a "Fraud Awareness Quiz."
Prognosis News, 5/16/2013
Dr. Noa Ofen, an assistant professor in the MPSI and IOG Lifespan program and in the School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics, received high honors in being selected to chair and speak at a major symposium at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry in San Francisco. Her symposium, "Memory Systems in Development, Risk and Disease: A Case Study for R-DoC Applications in the Schizophrenia Diathesis" was one of the few selected for presentation.
Dr. Ofen's research with children and adolescents seeks to understand learning and memory networks in the developing human brain, including vulnerability to schizophrenia.
Macomb County Legal News, 5/6/2013
Honoring work on behalf of 'vulnerable adults'
By Sheila Pursglove
By Sheila Pursglove
Elder Law of Michigan has scheduled two events for the 5th Annual Joe D. Sutton Call to Justice Awards, honoring individuals and organizations that help adults in need and work towards health, safety, fairness and justice for vulnerable people. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University, will receive the Leadership Award. Lichtenberg is the founding director of the Wayne State University Lifespan Alliance. He also has written several books on aging and served as chair of the Michigan Dementia Coalition and president of the Adult Development and Aging Section of the American Psychological Association.
Newswise, 5/2/2013
Mark R. Luborsky, director of aging and health disparities research in the Institute of Gerontology (IOG), and professor of anthropology and gerontology at Wayne State University, has been appointed adjunct foreign professor at the prestigious Nobel Prize-granting Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The six-year appointment recognizes Luborsky for his many scientific achievements and long-standing research focus on life reorganization and continuity of meaning and function. "Mark is not only an exceptional scholar but a phenomenal colleague to all Institute of Gerontology faculty and students," said Peter Lichtenberg, director of the IOG. "Dr. Luborsky is most deserving of this recognition from the prestigious Karolinska Institute," said Hilary Ratner, vice president for Research at Wayne State University. "His research targets ways to help people in the United States and all over the world. This collaboration with the Karolinska Institute will allow his research to have an even greater impact around the globe."
The Deseret News, 4/30/2013
Research by IOG Director Peter Lichtenberg points to areas of increased vulnerability among seniors as loneliness and isolation motivate them to connect with strangers who are potential predators.
Detroit Legal News, 4/29/2013
Elder Law of Michigan to host two "Call to Justice" award events in May
By Sheila Pursglove
By Sheila Pursglove
Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University, will receive the Leadership Award on Tuesday, May 7 at the Glen Oaks Country Club in Farmington Hills. Lichtenberg also is the founding director of the Wayne State University Lifespan Alliance, author of several books on aging and has held office in several professional organizations including Chair of Michigan Dementia Coalition and President of the Adult Development and Aging Section of the American Psychological Association.
Southeast Michigan Senior Regional Collaborative Newsleter, 4/10/2013
Exciting updates for all from the Data Committee. A smaller working group of the Data Committee is working diligently to finalize the “Quality Aging & Safety Matrix” domains, definitions and scoring.
Tom Jankowski referenced.
CBS Detroit 4/25/2013
Medical Xpress, 4/26/2013
News Medical 4/26/13
UPI.com. 4/26/2013
Older adults with the highest levels of depression and the lowest levels of social needs fulfillment experience higher levels of fraud, according to a new study from Wayne State University and the Illinois Institute of Technology. The schools advise clinical gerontologists in the field to be aware of older adults' needs for assessment of financial exploitation or its potential when working with highly vulnerable individuals. Financial exploitation of the elderly is on the rise according to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and the numbers are expected to continue to grow as Baby Boomers age. This exploitation, which includes telemarketing scams, fake home repairs, fake check scams, identity theft and more, costs approximately $3 billion each year. The study, "Is Psychological Vulnerability Related to the Experience of Fraud in Older Adults?" published in the recent issue of Clinical Gerontologist, is the first study to include prospective predictors of reported financial fraud victimization of older adults, and is the first to review financial exploitation of any kind with the same population from a psychological-vulnerability perspective. "This study illustrates how we can enhance our understanding of this major issue by performing a clinical analysis instead of one that stops at epidemiological or broad population-based reviews," said Peter Lichtenberg, director of WSU's Institute of Gerontology and lead author of the paper. "Those in the clinical study showed characteristics of extreme depression symptoms and perceived low social-status fulfillment, thus showing they were more vulnerable to the experience of theft of scams.
Southeast Michigan Senior Regional Collaborative, 4/12/2013
Many of you send me information describing an event, a training session, or a job opening that you would like me to share with the collaborative, I would pass this information along by email. After some thinking, I decided that using emails to share information seemed inefficient and most likely was not very effective. Would everyone read the email? Would our member representatives forward it to their colleagues who may be interested in the training or event?
West Bloomfield Patch, 4/4/2013
Former West Bloomfield Resident's Painting Featured in Art of Aging Exhibit
By Joni Hubred-Golden
By Joni Hubred-Golden
Nancy Forsberg never knew she had any artistic talent at all, until she walked into an art class at Fox Run senior living community in Novi. Now her artworks line the walls of her apartment, and one was featured in last month's 14th Annual Art of Aging Successfully exhibit, held at Greater Grace Conference Center in Detroit. The March 21 event, hosted by the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology, featured a gallery of art work from seniors all around metropolitan Detroit. Workshop topics included gardening, memory tips, exercise, nutritious cooking, and speakers from the Motown and Detroit Historical museums.
The Observer (Association of Psychological Science), 3/26/2013
Former IOG Cognitive Neuroscience Trainees Profiled in Association for Psychological Science
Drs. Kristen Kennedy and Karen Rodrigue were each featured in the latest issue of APS fielding questions about their achievements in brain aging and cognitive decline. Now assistant professors at the Center for Vital Longevity at the University of Texas, both women were mentored by the IOG's Dr. Naftali Raz as they worked toward their Ph.D.s in cognitive neuroscience. "I was most influenced by Dr. Raz," said Dr. Rodrigue, "who thoroughly prepared me for a career in research."
(Link no longer available)
Detroit News, 2/20/2013
By John Monaghan
Keith Famie's latest project, an in-depth look at how men handle aging, premiers. Dr. Peter Lichtenberg is one of the top gerontology experts interviewed in the film.
Minding Our Elders, 1/25/2013
By Carol Bradley Bursack
Alzheimer's organizations have worked diligently to raise public awareness of the disease. The downside of this awareness, however, is that even doctors can jump to possibly faulty conclusions when they see an elderly person showing signs of memory loss or significant confusion. A recent article in the Detroit Free Press features Peter Lichtenberg, head of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology. In a paper for the journal Clinical Gerontology, Lichtenberg, according to the article, "highlighted two case studies: in one, a man's bouts of confusion and agitation in his late 70s were caused by illness and painful cellulitis, not Alzheimer's; in the other, an 87-year-old woman, who seemed suddenly confused, was suffering from depression."
Prevention Magazine, 1/10/2013
By Katie Drummond
A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that older subjects who are in the habit of speaking two languages use less energy as they alternate between mental tasks. By using brain scans, experts were able to demonstrate not only the validity of the hypothesis, but exactly how cognitive engagement changes the brain. John Woodard, an aging expert and psychology professor from Wayne State University, said this is a stepping stone to answering the question of what's causing brain differences between older adults. The research might also assist in the development of new drugs to treat cognitive decline or age-related dementia by helping investigators understand exactly which brain regions are involved in these processes, he added.
John Woodward quoted in article.
International Business Times, 1/9/2013
Bilingual seniors stay sharp, says study
By Valli Meenakshi Ramanathan
By Valli Meenakshi Ramanathan
Science Daily, 1/5/2013
MSNBC, 1/9/2013
By Jeanna Bryner
A new study published Tuesday in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that older subjects who are in the habit of speaking two languages use less energy as they alternate between mental tasks. John Woodard, an aging expert from Wayne State University, who was not involved in the current study, stated in a news release: "This study provides some of the first evidence of an association between a particular cognitively [mentally] stimulating activity — in this case, speaking multiple languages on a daily basis — and brain function," according to the USNews.
2012 Coverage
EurekaAlert!, 11/29/2012
WDET Craig Fahle Show, 2/20/2013
"Challenges Facing Wounded Vets"
Drs. Cathy Lysack and Mark Luborsky of Wayne State University are part of a national study looking for ways to help wounded vets re-enter society. Record numbers of soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious spinal cord injuries. Many are left permanently disabled, and often struggle to adjust to civilian life. Cathy Lysack, professor of occupational therapy and gerontology, and Mark Luborsky, professor of anthropology and gerontology, talked about the obstacles facing disabled vets when they return from war.
(WDET link no longer available)
Royal Oak Patch, 11/15/12
Farmington Patch 11/27/2012
American House Senior Living Communities celebrates annual Holiday Hope For Seniors (Farmington Patch)
Twenty-five American House Senior Living Communities across Michigan, including Royal Oak, will celebrate the fourth annual Holiday Hope for Seniors campaign, beginning with a community-wide tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 29, from 5 p.m. 8 p.m. Since its inception, the Holiday Hope for Seniors program has helped more than 650 seniors in need, including 350 seniors last year alone. The campaign is run by the nonprofit organization American House Foundation. Founded in 2007, the foundation's mission is two-fold; investing in outreach for older adults in need of assistance, and investing in research opportunities through a partnership with the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University.
(Farmington Patch link no longer available)
Detroit Free Press, 11/1/2012
By John Gallagher
Detroit Free Press, 10/31/2012
Several long-term trends help explain why the merger of Henry Ford Health System and Beaumont makes sense. IOG Faculty Member Dr. Gail Jensen is quoted in both editions.
Detroit Free Press, 10/14/2012
How to save money in the Medicare maze
By Robin Erb
By Robin Erb
Gail Jensen, an economics professor at Wayne State University and a researcher at its Institute of Gerontology, offers tips in this piece about the Medicare changes. Tip #1 includes shopping around, even if you're happy with your current plan. You might be able to save money out-of-pocket while preserving your benefits. Another tip suggests that with Medicare Advantage, there is no need to buy Medigap insurance. Your medications are most likely covered, too though not always so there may be no reason to pay for a Medicare Part D drug plan, either.
CBS Detroit, 10/1/2012
Wayne State, UM get $2.7M federal grant to continue fight for African-American health (CBS Detroit)
By Matt Roush
By Matt Roush
Eureka Alert, 10/1/2012
AnnArbor.com, 10/1/2012
Phys.org, 10/1/2012
The Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University in partnership with the University of Michigan received a $2.7 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging to continue the work of the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research. The center is one of only seven across the country established to improve the health of older minorities through education, scholarship and research participation. This is the center's fourth five-year renewal, which will allow it to continue its work through 2017. Peter Lichtenberg is co-director of the center's administrative core. "For 15 years, we have partnered with older adults to promote healthier aging," Lichtenberg said. "With this grant, we continue strengthening scholarship and focusing on the health and education needs of Detroit's elders. It takes time to make a difference that will last."
Biomedicine. 9/12/2012
CBS Detroit, 9/12/2012
News-Medical.net, 9/13/2012
The American Psychological Association's Committee on Aging recently presented its Award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging to Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University. Lichtenberg was recognized for his outstanding contributions to clinical geropsychology that integrate science, practice, education, public interest and public policy. "Dr. Lichtenberg has been instrumental in advancing Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology and enhancing its visibility in science, education and civic engagement both within Detroit and across the nation," said Hilary Ratner, vice president for research at Wayne State. "Peter is most deserving of this award for his hard work and dedication to his field."
Observer & Eccentric, 8/30/2012
Brain Neurobics
A brief article noted that Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology (IOG) will host a kick-off event for the free Brain Fun & Fitness program at the Novi Senior Center on Sept. 6. The IOG will lead activities that stimulate our brains to produce more neurons and strengthen the connections between neurons.
(Link no longer available)
South End. 8/12/2012
WSU, MIT Professors Examine Memory Retention
By Raagini Suresh
Adults and children process newly learned information differently, according to a collaborative study between Wayne State and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Functions related to memory appeared similar between adults and children except for the area of .
(Link no longer available)
Farmington Hills Patch 8/28/2012
By Joni Hubred-Golden
Since Sept. 16, 1986, Farmington resident Dr. Peter Lichtenberg has devoted his career to working with his elders. Earlier this month, he received an award that recognizes a life-time of contributions to the field of psychology and aging. Lichtenberg continues to explore new ways to improve the quality of life for seniors; a project he expects to complete next year will help elders avoid losing their life savings to scams. Now head of the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology (IOG), Lichtenberg, 53, traveled to Orlando, FL to accept the prestigious American Psychological Association Committee on Aging Award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging.
Detroit Legal News, 8/20/2012
IOG's Patricia Rencher Named to Commission on Services to the Aging
Governor Rick Snyder last week announced four appointments and one reappointment to the Commission on Services to the Aging. The 15-member board advises the governor and legislature on the coordination and administration of state programs and changes to federal and state programs related to aging priorities. Among the appointees is Patricia Rencher.
(Link no longer available)
Crain's Detroit Business, 8/19/2012
Presbyterian Villages of Michigan and two investors are hoping a $40 million complex that will provide affordable senior housing near the Detroit riverfront will make a splash with the city's aging population. Success could spark similar housing along the river, where at least one other developer is waiting in the wings for market demand.
The development might not draw lifelong suburban residents, but it could be a beacon to city dwellers, said Thomas Jankowski, associate director for research at the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. Jankowski recently worked with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority on a study that surveyed Michigan residents 50 and older about housing preferences. "For people who have been living in the city for years and their houses may be one of only two or three that are occupied on their street, moving in with other people probably, in their view, leads to an increase in safety," he said.
Jewish World Review, 8/15/2012
When Alzheimer's isn't the Real Problem
By Bonnie Miller Rubin
Research from Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology is included in a story profiling people who were misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the institute and a clinical psychologist who has testified in several probate cases in which a person's mental capacity was at issue, said there is growing trend in the number of Americans being wrongfully diagnosed. In a December paper for the journal Clinical Gerontology, Lichtenberg highlighted two case studies: in one, a man's bouts of confusion and agitation in his late 70s were caused by illness and painful cellulitis, not Alzheimer's; in the other, an 87-year-old woman, who seemed suddenly confused, was suffering from depression.
(Link no longer available)
Hillsdale Daily News (Hillsdale, Mich.), 8/2/2012
Medicare Premium Help Reaches out to Seniors
According to a 2011 study by Wayne State University's Seniors Count! project, one-third of the more than 60,000 seniors residing in Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale counties don't have enough income to cover basic living expenses. As health care costs continue to rise, seniors need more help than ever to pay for their Medicare and prescription drug premiums.
Medical Xpress, 7/24/2012
Science Daily, 7/24/2012
Psych Central, 7/25/2012
Neuroscientists from Wayne State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are taking a deeper look into how the brain mechanisms for memory retrieval differ between adults and children. While the memory systems are the same in many ways, the researchers have learned that crucial functions with relevance to learning and education differ. Noa Ofen, Ph.D., an assistant professor in WSU's Institute of Gerontology and Department of Pediatrics, says that cognitive ability, including the ability to learn and remember new information, dramatically changes between childhood and adulthood. The team's findings were published on July 17, 2012, in the Journal of Neuroscience.
(Psych Central link is no longer available)
CBS Detroit, 7/18/2012
Wayne State, MIT Team up for Memory Study of Children, Adults
By Matt Roush
Neuroscientists from Wayne State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are taking a deeper look into how the brain mechanisms for memory retrieval differ between adults and children. While the memory systems are the same in many ways, the researchers have learned that crucial functions with relevance to learning and education differ. The team's findings were published on July 17, 2012, in the Journal of Neuroscience. According to lead author Noa Ofen, assistant professor in WSU's Institute of Gerontology and Department of Pediatrics, cognitive ability, including the ability to learn and remember new information, dramatically changes between childhood and adulthood. This ability parallels with dramatic changes that occur in the structure and function of the brain during these periods. "Our results suggest that cortical regions related to attentional or strategic control show the greatest developmental changes for memory retrieval," said Ofen. Ofen and her research team plan to continue research in this area, focused on modeling brain network connectivity, and applying these methods to study abnormal brain development.
Phys.org, 7/17/2012
Bio-Medicine, 7/17/2012
Wayne State University Researcher's Program Targets Safer River Fishing, Anglers' Health (Bio-Medicine)
While Michigan environmental programs are slowly reducing toxins in lakes and rivers, human consumption of contaminated fish continues. A Wayne State University researcher believes the issue needs more attention in order to reduce human health risks. Donna Kashian, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), said the problem is especially significant in distressed urban environments, where efforts to change behaviors often confront deep-seated cultural preferences and people's own interpretation of risk. To meet those challenges, she and fellow WSU researchers Andrea Sankar, professor of anthropology, CLAS, and Mark Luborsky, director of aging and health disparities research at the Institute of Gerontology and professor of anthropology and gerontology, have undertaken what they call "Improving Community Awareness for Detroit River Fish Consumption Advisories." This health intervention program is supported by a $99,600 grant from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.
(Bio-Medicine link no longer available)
Wisconsin Public Radio (NPR), 6/21/2012
Mental Exercises Might Be Key to Better Brain Function
Cheryl Deep, Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, was a guest on NPR's Joy Cardin show discussing Brain Neurobics. Research suggests that certain types of mental exercises might help our brain maintain concentration, memory and visual and spatial skills over the years. Deep conducts "Brain Neurobics" sessions for the institute.
(Link no longer available)
Detroit Free Press, 6/10/12
By Robin Erb
USA Today, 6/10/2012
Flipping the script on mundane habits can boost brain productivity (USA Today)
Black Christian News, 6/10/2012
Flipping the script on mundane habits can boost brain productivity (Black Christian News)
Research suggests that certain types of mental exercises — whether they are memory games on your mobile device or jotting down letters backward — might help our brain maintain concentration, memory and visual and spatial skills over the years. At a recent "Brain Neurobics" session at the Waltonwood Senior Living center in Novi, Cheryl Deep of Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology, encouraged several dozen senior citizens to flip the pictures in their homes upside-down. It might baffle houseguests, but the exercise crowbars the brain out of familiar grooves cut deep by years of mindless habit. "Every time you walk past and look, your brain has to rotate that image," Deep said. "Brain neurobics is about getting us out of those ruts, those pathways, and shaking things up." Assistant professor of pediatrics Moriah Thomason, a scientific adviser to www.Lumosity.com, one of the fastest-growing brain game websites, is a proponent of mental workouts. "We used to think that what you're born with is what you have through life. But now we understand that the brain is a lot more plastic and flexible than we ever appreciated," she said. Photos from the event are included.
(USA Today link no longer available)
(Black Christian News link no longer available)
Detroit Free Press, 5/17/2012
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's isn't Always Accurate
By Robin Erb
Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology worries about a growing trend in the number of Americans being wrongfully assumed -- even medically misdiagnosed -- with Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia and perhaps the most feared disease of old age. "It's a real problem. If you're older and you get a label of Alzheimer's -- even a hint that you have Alzheimer's -- there's no more critical thinking about it. You're written off by a lot of people," said Peter Lichtenberg, head of the institute and a clinical psychologist who has testified in several probate cases in which a person's mental capacity was at issue. Lichtenberg said his concerns about misdiagnosis in no way lessen the enormity of Alzheimer's impact. "I don't know how vast a problem it is, but I see it too often," Lichtenberg said.
(Link no longer available)
CBS Detroit, 5/9/2012
Science Codex, 5/9/2012
Efforts to understand how the aging process affects the brain and cognition have expanded beyond simply comparing younger and older adults. "Everybody ages differently. By looking at genetic variations and individual differences in markers of vascular health, we begin to understand that preventable factors may affect our chances for successful aging," said Wayne State University psychology doctoral student Andrew Bender, lead author of a study supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health and now in press in the journal Neuropsychologia. The study focuses on carriers of the e4 variant of the apolipoprotein (APOE) gene, present in roughly 25 percent of the population. Compared to those who possess other forms of the APOE gene, carriers of the e4 allele are at significantly greater risk for Alzheimer's, dementia and cardiovascular disease. The research project, led by Naftali Raz, professor of psychology and director of the Lifespan Cognitive Neuroscience Research Program at WSU's Institute of Gerontology, tested different cognitive abilities known for their sensitivity to aging and the effects of the APOE e4 variant.
Grosse Pointe Today, 5/7/2012
Brain isn't a Muscle, But Improves with work: So Just Do It
By Anne Marie Gattari
By Anne Marie Gattari
A two-part series on "How the Brain Ages," with researchers from Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology (IOG), offered interactive brain exercises and gave the audience practical information on how to give their brain a daily workout. One of the easiest and most beneficial exercises you can do is to simply switch hands to do daily activities like eating, buttoning a shirt, brushing your teeth and so on. Cheryl Deep of WSU's IOG calls it "the magic of non-dominance." Using your non-dominant hand to do simple tasks stimulates the neurons in your brain. "It's like building muscle," she says. "If you don't force yourself to work harder, you will never get stronger. It's the same thing with the brain."
(Link no longer available)
Detroit News, 3/22/2012
Wayne State Challenges Stereotypes With 'Art of Aging'
By Kim Kozlowski
Now in its 13th year, the Art of Aging Successfully was held at the Greater Grace Conference Center in Detroit attracting 500 people. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology, founded and organized the conference as a way to celebrate older adults. "We don't get into health, we focus on wellness," said Lichtenberg. "We don't get into problems, we focus on achievements and aspirations. There are so many negative beliefs about aging and older adults. We're here to show people that's not the case." The day featured several speakers, vendors offering services and many displays of artwork. It also featured several small group sessions for participants, including art therapy, brain "neurobics" and an exercise class. Photos of the conference are included.
(Link no longer available)
Grosse Pointe Today, 3/12/2012
'Aging Well in America' Takes a Televised Look at Elder Issues
By Anne Marie Gattari
By Anne Marie Gattari
An article recaps a recent episode of "Aging Well in America" on WMTV, Grosse Pointe's cable channel, which examines the country's aging population. Cathy Lysack of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology was a guest on the premiere show to talk about her research on "downsizing" the phenomenon of elderly moving from their long-time residents to smaller, different locations. The show airs the first and third week of every month, Monday-Sunday, at 5:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
(Link no longer available)
Detroit Free Press, 3/5/2012
Ron Dzwonkowski: What's Michigan Doing for its Fastest-Growing Population?
By Ron Dzwonkowski
Ron Dzwonkowski, associate editor of the Free Press, discusses Michigan's seniors who comprise the fastest growing segment of population in the state. Though Michigan's birthrate has been on a downslide since 1960, its over-50 population has been exploding. From 2000-10, the number of state residents ages 60-64 jumped almost 51percent. "Somebody starting up a business here who ignores the realities of the population does so at their own peril," said Tom Jankowski, associate director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology. "They are among the most aware, because they read, and active reading is the best way to learn about anything," he said. "They also are the most connected to their communities; they volunteer more, belong to service clubs. They understand and they care more — and not just about themselves, but about what the future holds for younger people." However, a study released last summer by the Gerontology Institute's Seniors Count! Project shows a third of the state's over-65 population survives on an income too low to meet basic needs.
(Link no longer available)
Science Daily, 2/6/2012
Science News, 2/6/2012
Wayne State study finds strategy shift with age can lead to navigational difficulties (Science News)
Health Care Weekly Review
Strategy shift with age can lead to navigational difficulties
A Wayne State University researcher believes studying people's ability to find their way around may help explain why loss of mental capacity occurs with age. Scott Moffat, associate professor of psychology and gerontology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Institute of Gerontology at WSU, said studies have demonstrated reliable differences in navigation and spatial learning tasks based on age. Younger adults tend to outperform their elders in spatial navigation, Moffat said, and people seem to start switching navigational strategies with age. Generally speaking, he said, younger subjects tend to use an allocentric, or map-based, strategy, in which they conceive what an entire environment looks like and where they are in it. Older ones prefer an egocentric, or route-based, strategy, using a series of steps to be taken to reach a destination.
(Health Care Weekly Review link no longer available)
2011 Coverage
Grosse Pointe Today, 12/19/2011
Be Aware of Special Vulnerability of Elderly to Scammers and Thieves
By Anne Marie Gattari
By Anne Marie Gattari
Some 13 percent of older African-American residents of Metro Detroit report they have been the victim of a scam or a theft in the past year while the national average is just 3 percent, according to new research from Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology (IOG). Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, the IOG's director, just finished crunching the numbers and the results are dramatic but not surprising, he said. "Three-quarters of those interviewed said they underestimated how much they'd need in retirement," he said. "And the best victims of fraud are those that are stressed about their finances." Add that to the fact that the elderly tend to be less critical and more accepting, they are the perfect victim, Lichtenberg said. That's why, he said, "everyone needs to be on guard, but some more than others."
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Detroit Free Press, 12/11/2011
Loving Work After Age 90
By Zlati Meyer
By Zlati Meyer
Numerous studies have shown that staying on the job later in life has numerous advantages, such as decreased dementia, longer lifespan and greater happiness, according to Cathy Lysack, deputy director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, whose almost-80-year-old father is a full-time surgeon. "There's a small portion of older adults who are amazingly great at what they do. They have the abilities to perform at a very high level in late life, and it's meaningful for them to work. They're still rewarded," she said.
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ACCESS, Winter 2011-2012
Understanding Delirium
Peter Lichtenberg, geriatric neuropsychologist and director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, is quoted in a story on delirium, an under-diagnosed and under-treated problem causing dangerous health problems for older adults and distress among their caregivers.
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The Guardian (UK), 12/1/2011
The Future of Growing old in America
By James Ridgeway
By James Ridgeway
A Wayne State University study is referenced in a story about the challenges facing the elderly. WSU researchers presented a study during the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America which was published earlier this year. The study, titled "Invisible Poverty," found that one in three elders including many living in middle-class suburbs cannot fully cover their basic living expenses, including food, housing, transportation and medical care. It also found that certain shortcomings in the way federal poverty statistics are compiled meant that poverty among older people was more likely to be underestimated. "This widespread economic struggle faced by Michigan seniors is fairly hidden from public sight, making it an invisible poverty that takes its toll on older individuals, their families and caregivers and the community at large," says the study
WWJ-AM, 10/30/2011
Risk factors for Alzheimer's
Peter Lichtenberg, psychology professor and director of Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology, discussed the risk factors for Alzheimer's. Lichtenberg examined what role environment and genetics may play in the disease's development.
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Macomb Daily, Daily Tribune, 10/17/2011
Aging America Blog: Moving Mom, or Not
By Anne Marie Gattari
By Anne Marie Gattari
Cathy Lysack, a researcher at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, spent much of this year sitting in the living rooms of Detroit's elderly listening to their stories as they prepared to move out of their long-time homes into smaller, more manageable, quarters. She will be presenting her findings at a free event, 4:30 p.m., on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. "What makes downsizing in late life unique is that it could be their last move," Lysack says. "Thinking about it in this way brings the distant horizon of their end of life closer into view and they ask: 'How much future do I have, and do I want to have it in a new place?'"
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WWJ-AM, 9/15/2011
FOCIS Retirement Seminars
WWJ reporter Marie Osborne provided on-site coverage yesterday of the "Retirement in Transition: Work, Relax or Reboot?" presentations at Wayne State University's Community Arts Auditorium. Dr. Peter Lichtenberg was a panel member.
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A Healthier Michigan, 9/8/2011
9 Detroit-area Retailers, Attractions that Offer Senior Citizen Discounts
By Andreya Davis
By Andreya Davis
According to the online legal dictionary, "People are said to be senior citizens when they reach the age of sixty or sixty-five because those are the ages at which most people retire from the workforce." Approximately 128,000 Detroit citizens alone are 65 and older; unfortunately a Wayne State University study suggests that one in three Michigan seniors live at or below a basic level of economic security.
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Kansas City Star, 7/26/2011
Minorities Lag in Mental Health Treatment, But Some are Working to Change That (Kansas City Star)
By Cassandra Spratling
By Cassandra Spratling
The Herald Online (Rock Hill, S.C.), 7/26/2011
Minorities Lag in Mental Health Treatment, But Some are Working to Change That (Star-Herald Online)
Wellness.com, 7/26/2011
Minorities Lag in Mental Health Treatment, But Some are Working to Change That (Wellness.com)
For African Americans, 14 percent of those diagnosed with depression received the acceptable standard of care; for Mexican Americans, it was 12 percent, according to a National Institute of Mental Health study published last year. The study showed that only about half of Americans diagnosed with major depression in a given year are treated, and only one in five of those get treatment consistent with American Psychiatric Association guidelines. African Americans and Mexican Americans had the lowest rates of those getting the care they need. "First and foremost, identifying the problem is the big challenge," Wayne State University professor and clinical psychologist Hector Gonzales told the Detroit Free Press on July 16. Gonzales, the lead author on the study, went on to say, "Some cultures, particularly a lot of people in the black community, are not open or receptive to admitting to mental health problems. People end up acting out their mental health issues in ways that are destructive to themselves and others."
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Physorg.com, 7/20/2011
The Detroit Free Press, 7/20/2011
Michigan Senior Citizens Struggling Economically, Report Says
By Robin Erb
WWJ, 7/20/2011
Michigan Senior Citizens Struggling Economically, Report Says
WLNS Lansing, 7/20/2011
Michigan Senior Citizens Struggling Economically, Report Says
WJR.com, 7/20/2011
Michigan Senior Citizens Struggling Economically, Report Says
First Science, 7/20/2011
A new study concludes that one-third of Michigan's senior citizens are considered "economically insecure," far more than suggested by the federal poverty line.
Even in some of the wealthiest counties, where suburbs buoy the county's overall median income, at least 1 in 4 senior citizens struggles to make ends meet, according to the paper, "Invisible Poverty: New Measure Unveils Financial Hardship in Michigan's Older Population." "There's the popular perception that they have this nice car and their house is paid off and they travel the country. And that's true for some," said Thomas Jankowski, one of the study's authors and associate research director at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology. "But others, many, many others, just skate on the edge of economic security."
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Daily Tribune, 7/1/2011
SAVE honors key people in fight against elder abuse
By Jeanne Towar
By Jeanne Towar
An article highlights the Oakland County SAVE Task Force's first Courage Awards, held June 22, to honor individuals and organizations that have taken action to prevent the abuse and exploitation of vulnerable adults. Keynote speaker Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Wayne State Institute of Gerontology and a national expert on senior issues, described financial fraud as the second highest cause of abuse against seniors. Financial fraud ranges from promises of wealth to political and religious scams.
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Naples Daily News (Naples, Fla.), 6/20/2011
Sage Advice for Seniors: Older Adults and Transitions
By Lee Blanchard
By Lee Blanchard
The issue of older adults downsizing their possessions to move into a senior living community is the focus of this story, and an ongoing Wayne State University and University of Kansas study titled Household Moves Project. Researchers are trying to determine why downsizing is so difficult for seniors.
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Detroit Free Press, 6/19/2011
As weather warms, watch out for home repair scams
By Tammy Stables Battaglia
By Tammy Stables Battaglia
Wayne State University professor Peter Lichtenberg, who studies elder abuse, commented in a story on repair scams and thieves that usually prey on seniors who have little money and those who feel disrespected. His 2010 study found that 1 in 10 senior citizens in Detroit have been victimized by fraud.
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AOL News, 10/13/2011
It's a Good Bet you'll Find More Elders in the Casinos
By Robert W. Stock
By Robert W. Stock
Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State's >Institute of Gerontology, comments in a story >examining the gaming industry's dependence on >the elderly during times of economic recession.
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Aging Well with Bob Allison, 10/27/2011
Deputy Director Dr. Cathy Lysack talks with Bob Allison about new research by IOG student trainees on Aging and Function. A 26:58 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 9/1/2011
Our Community Education Coordinator, Pat Rencher, talks to Bob Allison about fascinating new health workshops on cancer and men-only topics. A 0:23:50 minute clip in mp3 format.
Economic Stuggles with Tony Trupiano, 8/1/2011
Associate Director of Research Tom Jankowski talks to radio host Tony Trupiano (AM 1310) about the economic struggles of Michigan's older adults. A 0:19:00 minute clip in mp3 format.
Crain's Detroit Business, 7/18/2011
Researchers at Wayne State University have found that adults with spinal cord injuries do not correlate the severity of their injuries with overall health.
Kansas City Star, 7/15/2011
Minorities lag in mental health treatment, but some are working to change that
Wayne State University professor and clinical psychologist Hector Gonzalez told the Detroit Free Press on July 16. Gonzalez, the lead author on the study, went on to say, "Some cultures, particularly a lot of people in the black community, are not open or receptive to admitting to mental health problems. People end up acting out their mental health issues in ways that are destructive to themselves and others."
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WDET, 7/10/2011
Is it realistic to expect the elderly to survive on social security alone?
Thomas Jankowski, associate director of research at the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University, spoke with Craig Fahle about the Elder Security Index from Elder Law of Michigan. Jankowski discussed the economic security of people 65 years of age and older in the region and the rate of poverty among seniors in rural and urban areas.
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Detroit Free Press, 7/1/2011
Michigan senior citizens struggling economically, report says
At least 1 in 4 senior citizens struggles to make ends meet, according to the paper by lead author Thomas Jankowski, "Invisible Poverty: New Measure Unveils Financial Hardship in Michigan's Older Population."
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The Lansing State Journal, 7/1/2011
Study: Third of Lansing-area seniors are struggling financially
Researchers at Wayne State University have found that more than one-third of Michigan's senior citizens are struggling to pay for food, housing, transportation and medical care they need.
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Aging Well with Bob Allison, 2/10/2011
Elham Mahmoudi, a Ph.D. candidate at the IOG, discusses the differences between racial and ethnic groups in their access to medical care. Older African Americans and Hispanics showed less access to physician care than Caucasians over the seven-year span of her research. A 0:27:46 minute clip in mp3 format.
Downtown Birmingham & Bloomfield Magazine, 1/15/2011
Aging In Oakland
IOG Director Peter Lichtenberg is quoted extensively in this detailed article from January's Downtown Birmingham & Bloomfield Magazine.
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2010 Coverage
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 12/15/2010
Depression in older adults is a serious problem often hidden from loved ones because symptoms can be confused with other ailments. Learn what depression looks like in older adults, medications and illnesses that can cause it, and tips for relieving it. Interview with IOG spokesperson Cheryl Deep.A 0:29:35 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 12/10/2010
IOG Director Peter Lichtenberg discusses why seniors fall prey to con artists; downsizing problems for Michigan's older adults who are "rusting in place," financial gerontology and latest research from the Gerontological Society of America. A 0:19:59 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 11/14/2010
Recent senior scams
Peter Lichtenberg, psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience professor and director of Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology, comments about local seniors who reported being scammed during the last year.
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Senority News, 11/15/2010
Seniors Count! is profiling older adults throughout southeast Michigan to find out who they are and what services they need. This joint project between the IOG and Adult Well-Being Services has posted its first results on the new website: www.seniorscount.org. Learn more about this critical database and future project goals.
Detroit Free Press, 11/1/2010
Link to loneliness found as senior fraud runs rampant
An excellent article about seniors being victimized by fraud appeared on the front page of today's Free Press. The article was inspired by Director Peter Lichtenberg's research into the circumstances, personalities and emotional status of seniors that leave them vulnerable to fraud and scams. We're especially pleased with the accurate and thorough reporting of these important results.
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People Magazine, 10/15/2010
When Grandma is Mom
Read about Detroit's grandparents who are bravely raising their grandchildren when their children cannot. Lifespan research done at the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute and the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State is cited in the article.
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AOL News, 10/1/2010
It's a Good Bet You'll Find Lots of Elders in Casinos
The column notes the potential problems when older adults become fixated on gambling as a way to stave off loneliness and add excitement to their lives. Mr. Stock writes about aging issues, so expect to see more information from the Institute of Gerontology in his articles in the future.
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Aging Well with Bob Allison, 9/15/2010
Dr. Allon Goldberg, faculty fellow at the IOG, gives tips for older adults on how to maintain balance skills and spot problems that could lead to a fall. Find out who is at risk and where to get help. Want to learn more about research on balance skills in older adults? Call Dr. Goldberg at (313) 577-8608. A 0:27:46 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 7/15/2010
Lisa Ficker, Ph.D., discusses the growing number of grandparents who are parenting or co-parenting their grandchildren. The number of grandparents raising grandchildren in Detroit has increased from about 17,086 in 1990 to almost 27,000 in 2000. An additional rise is expected in the latest census numbers. What are the benefits and potential problems when older adults raise young children? A 0:27:45 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 6/15/2010
Terri Bailey describes the IOG's new Crossing Borders CE training on October 27 and the Be Assured, Your Insured seminar on Nov. 6. Crossing Borders brings financial planners, elder law attorneys, nurses, social workers, caregivers, and administrators together to understand the multiple aspects of care needed when older adults face major physical or cognitive changes. Be Assured, Your Insured offers "one-stop shopping" for information direct from insurers about health care coverage and health reform during this critical open enrollment period. To learn more, call the IOG at (313) 577-2297. A 0:28:22 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 5/15/2010
Dr. John Woodard, this year's faculty fellow at the Institute of Gerontology, discusses living to 100. He is a researcher with the Georgia Centenarian study working with about 244 persons age 98 to 108 to learn the important factors for a long, productive life. Alzheimer's and dementia are not inevitable, and attitude definitely matters. Click here for the complete interview. A 0:27:17 minute clip in mp3 format.
CBS News, 5/1/2010
Wayne State Study: Childhood Economics Linked To Later Life Disability
Having parents with a low level of education or an absent or deceased father during childhood may raise a person's risk for being disabled later in life, a recent study by two Wayne State researchers suggests. Principal investigator Mary Bowen, former National Institute on Aging postdoctoral research fellow at WSU and current resident of Tampa, Fla., and co-author Hector Gonzalez, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Institute of Gerontology and the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences in WSU's School of Medicine, were published in the American Journal of Public Health for their study examining early childhood economic conditions and risk for disability in older adulthood.
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Aging Well with Bob Allison, 4/15/2010
This Aging Well segment discusses the need for African Americans to volunteer for research. Patricia Rencher, the IOG's coordinator of research volunteers, talks about our Participant Resource Pool database of older African American adults who are willing to consider participating in research projects. The database always needs volunteers, so please call (313) 577-2297, ext. 351, and ask for Pat to learn how you can help. A 0:29:36 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 3/15/2010
Dr. Carmen Green, HBEC Director talks about the HBEC and its 2010 8th annual health reception on the Aging Well Radio Show hosted by Bob Allison. A 19:33 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison. 2/15/2010
Dr. Olivia Washington, talks about what she is doing now that she is retired on the Aging Well Radio Show. A 29:02 minute clip in mp3 format.
89.3 FM, 2/1/2010
The Pain Gap - Pain Management Disparities by race, gender
Pain100 million Americans say they live with it, it is the leading cause of disability and it is still misunderstood by the medical establishment, especially in women and minorities.
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KCBS, 1/31/2010
Depression Largely Going Untreated
More than one in ten people in the U.S. suffer from major depression, yet most of them aren't getting appropriate treatment for the disease.
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CBS News, 1/25/2010
Wayne State, UM Study: Few Depressed Get Full Care
Only about half of Americans diagnosed with major depression in a given year receive treatment for it and even fewer — about one-fifth — receive treatment consistent with current practice guidelines, according to data from national surveys supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health.
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WebMD, 1/20/2010
Mexican-Americans, Caribbean blacks, and African-Americans with depression were half as likely as others to receive any type of depression treatment or the recommended care.
SF Gate, 1/15/2010
Depressing News About Depression
Depression is one of the most widespread disabilities in the United States, but the vast majority of depressed adults aren't getting proper treatment for it, according to a new study.
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Aging Well with Bob Allison, 1/15/2010
Cheryl Deep gives gives an overview of upcoming programs in 2010 on the Aging Well Radio Show hosted by Bob Allison. A 28:25 minute clip in mp3 format.
Aging Well with Bob Allison, 1/15/2010
Nearly half of all persons age 65 and older now use computers. Dr. Cresci has taught computer skills to hundreds of inner-city seniors to help them access medical information, increase social interaction and keep their information safe online. Learn her valuable tips to use computers with ease and wisdom. A 0:27:34 minute clip in mp3 format.
MSN, 1/10/2010
Half of Depressed Americans Get No Treatment
About half of Americans with major depression do not receive treatment for the condition, and in many cases the therapies are not consistent with the standard of care, according to a new study.
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The New York Times, 1/8/2010
By Judith Warner
A study led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania indicating that the antidepressants Paxil and imipramine work no better than placebos ("than sugar pills," said CNN) for people with mild to moderate depression.
The New York Times, 1/8/2010
By Roni Caryn Rabin
Researchers reported last week that antidepressant drugs seemed to be effective mainly in people with severe depression, not those with milder forms. Now another study is reporting that only about half of all Americans with depression receive treatment of any kind.
The Wall Street Journal, 1/5/2010
By Shirley S. Wang
In national surveys of more than 15,000 adults, researchers found that 8.3% met the diagnostic criteria for major depression during the previous year. About half those diagnosed received some form of treatment for depression, but less than a quarter were treated using strategies considered effective and used in accordance with American Psychiatric Association practice guidelines, one study found.
The Los Angeles Times, 1/4/2010
Treatment for major depression is abysmal, according to a study published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry. In a national survey of 15,762 people, it found that only half of all people with depression received treatment.