Worship Is Good for Your Health

Newswise, July 10, 2017 — People who attend services at a church, synagogue or mosque are less stressed and live longer, according to new research from Vanderbilt University.

“Sometimes in health science we tend to look at those things that are always negative and say, ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do that,’” said Marino Bruce, a social and behavioral scientist and associate director of the Center for Research on Men's Health at Vanderbilt and an ordained Baptist minister.

The new research findings, however, are “encouraging individuals to participate in something,” he said.

According to the study, middle-aged (ages 40 to 65) adults – both men and women -- who attend church or other house of worship reduce their risk for mortality by 55 percent.

“Our findings support the overall hypothesis that increased religiosity – as determined by attendance at worship services – is associated with less stress and enhanced longevity,” said Bruce, a research associate professor of medicine, health and society at Vanderbilt. He is also a Baptist minister.

“We’ve found that being in a place where you can flex those spiritual muscles is actually beneficial for your health,” Bruce said.

The study, Church Attendance, Allostatic Load and Mortality in Middle-Aged Adults, was published May 16 in PLOS ONE, a multidisciplinary open access journal, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. The data are available to the public. Bruce is the main author of the study with Keith Norris, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. There are nine other co-authors.

The researchers analyzed subjects’ attendance at worship services, mortality and allostatic load. Allostatic load is a physiological measurement of factors including cardiovascular (blood pressure, cholesterol-high density lipoprotein ration and homocysteine), nutritional/inflammatory (albumin, C-reactive protein) and metabolic (waist-hip ratio, glycated hemoglobin) measures. The higher the allostatic load, the more stressed an individual was interpreted as being.

Of the 5,449 people of all races and both sexes who were surveyed, 64 percent were regular worshipers, Bruce said. Non-worshipers had significantly higher overall allostatic load scores and higher prevalence of high-risk values for three of the 10 markers of allostatic load than did church-goers and other worshipers.

The effects of attendance at worship services remained after education, poverty, health insurance and social support status were all taken into consideration, Bruce said. The study did not address the effects of frequency of worship.

“We found that they go to church for factors beyond social support,” Bruce said. “That’s where we begin to think about this idea of … compassionate thinking, that we’re … trying to improve the lives of others as well as being connected to a body larger than ourselves.”

Scripps Florida Scientists Uncover Cellular Process Behind Premature Aging

Newswise, January 3, 2017– December 21, 2016 – In a new study, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have shown how two genes “balance” each other to maintain normal cell function. A disruption in one of the genes, called spns1, can induce degradation and premature “senescence”—or aging—while the other gene, called atp6v0ca, can jump in to suppress that degradation.

Their experiments in zebrafish suggest that these combined genetic disruptions can counteract premature aging and extend developmental lifespan.

“We found that the dual defects did indeed counteract senescence during development and extended the animal’s survival and life span,” said TSRI Associate Professor Shuji Kishi.

The findings, published recently in the journal Autophagy, could also guide future treatments for diseases that involve the body’s inability to degrade unwanted or harmful compounds.

A Closer Look at Lifespan

Cellular senescence is when cells stop dividing and is a normal part of aging. Interestingly, senescence is not only observed in later aging stages but is also detectable during embryonic development in vertebrates.

In the new study, the researchers took a closer look at the gene spns1. In vertebrates, such as zebrafish and humans, the protein encoded by spns1 is important in a cellular process called autophagy, when the cell moves unwanted material to a cellular structure called the lysosome.

Previous research had shown that defects in this gene can also cause senescence in the embryonic stage and premature aging symptoms in adulthood.

However, Kishi and his colleagues found that a concurrent disruption of another gene— atp6v0ca, whose sole defect still causes senescence—led to suppression of the process induced by the defective spns1 gene.

“Our findings suggest that these two defects actually function at a balance point that is critically involved in the regulation of developmental senescence—and that balance allows for normal cell function,” said Kishi.

Restoring the Balance

The scientists are now considering ways to influence the balance between these genes as a strategy to treat lysosomal storage diseases such as Pompe disease, where the excessive buildup of a substance called glycogen results in severe muscle weakness.

They believe there may also be applications in treating age-associated degenerative diseases linked to late-stage autophagy disruption.

“The use of appropriate inhibitors, selective for key steps in the biosynthesis of cellular macromolecules in general, may restore normal dynamics in the autolysosomal compartment and correct the pathological storage that is the ultimate cause of these types of disease,” said TSRI Research Associate Shanshan Lian, the co-first author of the study.

The findings may also lead to the development of tools to help identify new genes that affect the aging process without the need for performing lengthy adult lifespan analyses.

This approach could be applied to the high-throughput identification of pharmacological agents that control aging and lifespan through enhanced resistance to various stressors, including oxygen radicals.

In addition to Kishi and Lian, other authors of the study, “Autolysosome Biogenesis and Developmental Senescence Are Regulated by Both Spns1 and V-Atpase,” include TSRI’s Tomoyuki Sasaki, a co-first author and Alam Khan; Jesse R. Llop, Andrew V. Samuelson of the University of Rochester; Wenbiao Chen of the Vanderbilt University; and Daniel J. Klionsky of the University of Michigan.

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants GM101508 and GM053396).

About The Scripps Research Institute

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs more than 2,500 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists—including two Nobel laureates and 20 members of the National Academy of Science, Engineering or Medicine—work toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. For more information, see www.scripps.edu.

Brain Structure Best Explains Our Dwindling Tolerance of Risk

Newswise, December 19, 2016 — Our brain’s changing structure, not simply getting older and wiser, most affects our attitudes to risk, according to new research.

The University of Sydney’s Dr Agnieszka Tymula has for years been studying the factors that influence human decision-making. Until now, researchers could not say whether our tendency to make fewer risky decisions as we age was due to the wisdom of growing older, or our brain structures.

Published in Nature Communications this week, Dr Tymula and her co-authors from New York University, Yale University, University College London and Trinity College show risk aversion is better explained by changes in grey matter volume in an area in the brain’s right posterior parietal cortex, rather than by age itself.

“We know that as people age, they tend to become more averse to taking risks,” said Dr Tymula. “Yet, it seems there is something to the saying that everybody ages at a different pace. Our research suggests the speed at which our brain’s structure changes has a greater impact on our tolerance of risk than chronological age.”

In an experiment, the researchers asked more than 50 adults aged 18 to 88 to make choices between a guaranteed gain of $5 or ambiguous and risky lotteries with a payout of up to $120. Older participants preferred the guaranteed option, compared to younger participants.

Surprisingly, when researchers put these data into a model to determine what best predicted this change in preference, they found it was primarily driven by the neuronal density – the thickness and thinness of grey matter – in this brain region, rather than by age.

The results are published on December 14 in the high-impact journal, Nature Communications.

“Globally, we are experiencing an unprecedented demographic shift with people over 60 expected to outnumber children in only 30 years. Understanding how such a shift will affect decisions made in our societies on a political and economic level will be hugely important,” said Dr Tymula.

“When we choose our life partners, make a bet with a colleague, invest in a stock or vote in presidential elections, we cannot predict with certainty how these decisions will affect us and others. Understanding the brain’s structure can help us predict how our own and others’ decisions will change as our brain ages.”

The paper, Neuroanatomy Accounts for Age-Related Changes in Risk Preferences, will be available online in Nature Communications from 14 December 2016 Sydney 3am (AET) / 13 December 2016 London 4pm (GMT) at this link.

Examining How Falls Can Alter How We Approach Aging More than one in four adults 65 or older fall each year

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it's estimated that falls account for roughly $31 billion in accrued medical costs each year. Moreover, falls become increasingly dangerous in the later stages of life

WALLINGFORD, Conn., Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With decreasing temperatures and winter approaching, Stannah Stairlifts cautions that snow and ice can possibly cause an increase in slip and fall accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it's estimated that falls account for roughly $31 billion in accrued medical costs each year. 

Moreover, falls become increasingly dangerous in the later stages of life. An icy walkway transforms from a minor nuisance into a hazardous road block and injuries caused by falls can have lasting effects that carry on throughout life.

"It is unfortunately not uncommon to see a previously active person experience a rapid decline in overall health due to complications from a fall," said Susan Wile Schwarz, director of communications, The Global Coalition on Aging.  

According to The Global Coalition on Aging, simple home alterations such as increasing the brightness of lighting, fitting your shower with grab bars or installing a stair lift, can help decrease your chance of falling. 

For example, these modifications can help an individual with an altered sense of perception due to dementia reduce the risk of falls and remain in their home longer. 

There are also some lesser known ways to lower fall risk. Many elderly people and their caregivers may not be aware of the connection between their overall health and proper skin care and nourishment. "Poor skin health can cause a decrease in sensory perception," added Schwarz. 

"With less sensation in our feet and legs, we are a greater risk of falling and injuring ourselves." 

According to Schwarz, this risk is particularly pronounced in those with diabetes and other conditions that negatively impact these nerves.

While home modifications and caring for your body can reduce your risk of falling, both The Global Coalition on Aging and Stannah Stairlifts emphasize that it is equally important to maintain a healthy mind. 

Staying both physically and mentally active will ultimately serve a critical role in preventing injuries while simultaneously cultivating a positive approach towards aging.

"A stair lift can provide independence to the elderly," said Martin Stevenson, North American business development manager, Stannah Stairlifts. 

"In addition to offering protection against falls, stair lifts also provide a positive mindset for these individuals and allow them to remain active and productive members of society as they age."

Schwarz added that caring for an elderly person is a team effort and the ability to provide high-quality care is critical to maintaining an older person's health, well-being and dignity. 

"Analyzing how we can prevent falls and provide better care for our injured loved ones highlights several important opportunities to change how society approaches aging," said Schwarz.

An increasing number of companies are beginning to see the value of applying an aging perspective to how they conduct business. With help from initiatives such as the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Ageing's: Age-Friendly Business Principles, businesses are discovering the importance of adapting proactive policies that acknowledge the increasing number of employees caring for an elderly loved one. By providing services such as flexible hours, setting different schedules, or allotting more telecommuting capabilities, these companies are finding that supporting their employees' ability to fulfill their responsibilities at home also benefits their bottom line as fewer employees are leaving full-time work or coming to work distracted.

"We need a care eco-system that ensures the later years of life are as rewarding as possible," said Schwarz. 

"It is important that we are able to remain active and independent as we age because, contrary to popular belief, these years can be some of the most dynamic and rewarding of our lives."

Stannah echoes this sentiment as it also serves as the company's core value. Stair lifts are a convenient way to re-establish independence and ensure your loved ones are navigating their homes safely and independently. 

The customer stories section on Stannah's website is evidence that a proactive and positive approach helps elderly individuals spend more time doing the things they love.

"We've found tha

t a person will be much happier aging at home instead of an assisted living facility," added Stevenson. "Stair lifts help keep people in the homes they love and avoid accidents that could disrupt their lives."

To learn more about the mission of The Global Coalition on Aging please visit www.globalcoalitiononaging.com. Additionally, discover how Stannah can help you or your elderly loved one by visiting http://www.stannah-stairlifts.com.

About Stannah Stairlifts:      
Stannah is recognized around the world as the company that brings freedom, independence and a strong sense of safety back to anyone who has difficulty overcoming the challenges posed by the stairs in their home. Indoors and outdoors, around the world there are more Stannah stairlifts in place than any other brand.

Ever since Stannah was established as a family-owned company almost 150 years ago, we have been committed to quality craftsmanship. Safety, reliability, and value are the tools of our trade, while you, our customer, are our primary focus. We want you to understand and enjoy freedom, independence and the inescapable feeling of pride that comes from being the master of your home.

About The Global Coalition on Aging:

                                                                                     
The Global Coalition on Aging aims to reshape how global leaders approach and prepare for the 21st century's profound shift in population aging. The Coalition uniquely brings together leading global corporations across industry sectors with common strategic interests in aging populations, a comprehensive and systemic understanding of aging, and an optimistic view of its impact.

Through research, public policy analysis, advocacy and communication, the Coalition advances innovative solutions and works to ensure global aging is a path for fiscally sustainable economic growth, social value creation and wealth enhancement. The Coalition operates along four pillars of health and wellness, education and work, financial security, and technology and innovation to promote basic reforms to address the 21st century's age-driven demographic realities.

Plan Ahead For Successful Agin

Newswise, October 24, 2016— For many people, the prospect of aging is scary and uncomfortable, but Florida State University Assistant Professor Dawn Carr says that research reveals a few tips that can improve our chances of a long, healthy life.

Carr, who joined FSU’s Department of Sociology and the Pepper Institute on Aging and Social Policy this fall, is working to identify social programs and policy solutions that improve and maintain quality of life as people age.

“The ultimate goal is to set people up for having a good life for as long as possible in ways that are meaningful and productive,” she said.

As a gerontologist, Carr studies the biological, cognitive and social processes involved in aging and the ways that societies construct systems to accommodate aging populations.

 Carr’s specialization in social gerontology means she pays particular attention to the idea of “successful aging,” or the ways that people can continue to lead fulfilling, emotionally satisfying lives as they get older.

Fundamental to understanding aging from the perspective of a social gerontologist is the important distinction between “successful aging” and pop cultural or cosmetic ideas about “anti-aging.”

“Anti-aging is a movement that views youth as the best state of being,” Carr said. “It’s focused on the idea that good agers are those who look, act and seem young.”

Conversely, the idea of successful aging is based on the notion that getting older can be a healthy and positive process — that it can yield its own unique experiences and outlooks.

Proponents of successful aging ideas argue that, with adequate and deliberate preparation, late-adulthood can be a time of increased self-actualization.

Carr, who previously served as a research associate at Stanford’s Center on Longevity, has published extensively on the subject of successful aging.

“What my research has done is to try and understand the shifts in the way we live as we get older,” Carr said.

“What I’m trying to understand is what we can do to keep health and cognitive performance up for as long as possible.”

Carr shared a few basic tips for becoming a successful ager.

Get a College Degree

There is no more crucial variable in the formula of successful aging than education. Research has repeatedly demonstrated the indispensible value of meaningful educational experiences, and especially of attaining a college degree.

“Education has been the biggest predictor of aging outcomes for a very long time,” Carr said.

“You just can’t hold a candle to number of years of education and its relationship to any outcome related to aging. It’s hard for me to ever imagine that education wouldn’t be beneficial to health, well-being and aging well.”

Eat Healthy

Eating well can have significant, measurable effects on aging outcomes. It’s important to find a healthy diet that works for your individual lifestyle.

“There are a lot of diets that work well, but none of them involve eating a ton of fast food,” Carr said. “It’s important to use nutrition in a way that doesn’t result in bad outcomes like heart disease and diabetes, but that can vary from person to person.”

Exercise

There is no substitute for a consistent exercise regimen.

“Exercise is crucial over the long term,” she said. “You can start at anytime throughout your life but it’s important to continue as much as possible. There’s no evidence that you can do too much, and exercise seems to be one of the few things that, for the average person with normal brain matter, keeps cognitive performance up later in life.”

Stay Socially Connected

Quality of social connection is one of the most reliable predictors of well-being in older individuals. This is particularly vital for older men, who tend to have a more difficult time forging important relationships as they age.

“Social connectedness is the thing that people probably pay the least attention to,” Carr said.

“Maintaining meaningful engagement with others through the duration of your life is crucial, and men aren’t so good at it, which is a problem.

”For example, research shows that older men who are married tend to do better than those who aren’t, so we know there’s something important in having close connections later in life.

“The thing is, it’s hard to have someone close to you later in life if you’ve never spent any time cultivating meaningful relationships with others.”

Carr recommends joining formal community groups as a way of ensuring sustained connection as we age.

“Embedding yourself in formal organizations like church, volunteer programs or book clubs can be a great way to cultivate relationships,” she said.

Plan Financially

It’s never too early to begin making financial arrangements for later life. While structures of economic inequality often make it difficult for some to plan in the long term, the prudent choice is always to begin considering your late-life finances as soon as possible.

“Being poor in later life is not good for your health,” Carr said.

“A lot of people don’t have control over that, which is a huge deal. But one thing we know to be true is that if you have a sufficient income, that’s pretty critical in improving outcomes. You have a lot working against you if you don’t have the money to maintain your well-being over time.” 

Medical Center, Santa Monica Strives to Make Hospital Stays Less Lonely for Elderly Patients

Newswise, June 17, 2016– Fridays are Julia Torrano’s favorite day of the week. There’s the TGIF thing, of course, but that’s not the main reason. What she enjoys most is her weekly, four-hour volunteer shift visiting older patients as part of the Companion Care Program at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica.

There, she enjoys spending time with patients who have few – if any – visitors, helping to ease the loneliness and isolation that can accompany hospital stays.

I love talking to these older patients who share their wisdom and life experiences,” explains Torrano, a 24-year-old from Santa Monica who’s planning to attend medical school.

According to Valerie Yeo, RN, director of the hospital’s inpatient Geriatrics Unit, volunteers like Torrano are important because many elderly patients feel very isolated.

Some don’t have family in the area, while others’ family members are unable to spend much time at the hospital because of work or other commitments.

“Hospitalization is never fun, but for patients who don’t have visitors, it can be very lonely,” said Yeo.

That’s one reason the UCLA Geriatrics Program launched its Companion Care Program at the hospital a year ago. The program now provides 45 companions, with a goal of having 200 volunteers who can donate at least one four-hour shift each week.

Yeo said poor nutrition and feelings of loneliness, depression and isolation are prevalent in the geriatric population, and the program seeks to counter these and reduce patient stress by providing one-on-one companionship, assistance and access to activities.

These companions, identifiable by their bright green polo shirts, often read to patients, play games with them, assist with feeding and perform other tasks, such as accompanying patients on walks under a nurse’s supervision.

David Reuben, MD, chief of the UCLA Geriatrics Program in Santa Monica and Westwood, said companions also help interested patients tell their life story through the “Living History Program,” a process designed to improve the connection between caregivers and patients by encouraging patients to share life experiences.

“Volunteers provide individualized social interaction and attention – engaging patients in a more personal way than might otherwise be possible. Most of the patients on the unit are sick, and a significant number have dementia, so levels of ability to participate in activities will vary,” Reuben said.

He added that volunteers must acquire CPR certification, receive specialized training in the needs and care of the geriatric population and attend a two-hour orientation program. Even with their training and skills, volunteers are not assigned to high-risk patients.

Lonely patients aren’t the only beneficiaries of companion care, according to Pedro Jimenez, program manager.

“Sometimes volunteers are assigned to patients who actually do have family members and friends, but those visitors may need a break – maybe just an hour to grab lunch or run home and take a shower,” Jimenez said.

“They may be reluctant to leave their loved one even for that amount of time. A volunteer can step in and provide a bit of respite.”

As important as the program is to the patients, Torrano feels that it also has a positive impact on her own life.

“This is the most rewarding volunteer program in which I’ve ever participated,” she said.

“Most of the patients just crave talking to people. They love talking about their lives, and I love hearing about them. For example, I was sitting one day with an older gentleman who had no family, and he began talking about his passion for music and ballroom dancing. He explained that it had gotten him through a divorce and other bumpy patches in his life. He was so enthusiastic and animated that it got me wanting to learn ballroom dancing, myself.”

The Companion Care Program is currently available only at UCLA’s Santa Monica campus. Anyone interested in volunteering may learn more by contacting Jimenez at 310-351-2527, emailing him at pdjimenez@mednet.ucla.edu or visitinghttp://geronet.ucla.edu/companioncare.

Senior Adults Can See Health Benefits from Dog Ownership

 Study also shows that seniors who form strong bonds with their pets tend to exercise longer and more often

Newswise, April 21, 2016  – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults of all ages should engage in 150 or more minutes of moderate physical activity per week. 

Among adults 60 years of age or more, walking is the most common form of leisure-time physical activity because it is self-paced, low impact and does not require equipment.

 Researchers at the University of Missouri have determined that older adults who also are pet owners benefit from the bonds they form with their canine companions. 

Dog walking is associated with lower body mass index, fewer doctor visits, more frequent exercise and an increase in social benefits for seniors.

“Our study explored the associations between dog ownership and pet bonding with walking behavior and health outcomes in older adults,” said Rebecca Johnson, a professor at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Millsap Professor of Gerontological Nursing in the Sinclair School of Nursing.

“This study provides evidence for the association between dog walking and physical health using a large, nationally representative sample.”

The study analyzed 2012 data from the Health and Retirement study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration.

The study included data about human-animal interactions, physical activity, frequency of doctor visits and health outcomes of the participants.

“Our results showed that dog ownership and walking were related to increases in physical health among older adults,” said Johnson, who also serves as director of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at MU.

“These results can provide the basis for medical professionals to recommend pet ownership for older adults and can be translated into reduced health care expenditures for the aging population.”

Results from the study also indicated that people with higher degrees of pet bonding were more likely to walk their dogs and to spend more time walking their dogs each time than those who reported weaker bonds.

 Additionally, the study showed that pet walking offers a means to socialize with pet owners and others.

Retirement communities also could be encouraged to incorporate more pet-friendly policies such as including dog walking trails and dog exercise areas so that their residents could have access to the health benefits, Johnson said.

The study, “Dog Walking, the Human-Animal Bond and Older Adults’ Physical Health,” recently was published by The Gerontologist. Angela L. Curl, assistant professor in the Department of Family Studies and Social Work at Miami University, and Jessica Bibbo, a graduate student at MU, contributed to the study.

Assisted Living Residents Still Mostly Caucasian, But Perhaps That's Changing

Minorities More Interested in Senior Living for Themselves than Parents

Millennials are the least interested in assisted/independent living communities, for both themselves and their parents

64% of Caucasians would consider placing a parent in an assisted/independent living community versus 37% of African Americans and Hispanics

58% of Americans would consider living in an assisted/independent living community someday

Among those who don't want to live in an assisted or independent living community, the most popular explanation is they would prefer to live on their own, followed by they would prefer to live with a family member

With more than three million visitors per month, Caring.com is a leading senior care resource for family caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones.

March 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Caucasian Americans are much more likely than African Americans and Hispanics to consider senior living communities when they and their parents get older, according to a new Caring.com report. However, the findings suggest a major attitude adjustment may be underway. Click here for more information:

https://www.caring.com/articles/how-does-race-affect-attitudes-toward-assisted-living

In 2010, the CDC reported 91% of assisted living residents were Caucasian. At present, Caring.com found 64% of Caucasians would consider placing a parent in an assisted/independent living community versus 37% of African Americans and Hispanics.

The Caring.com survey also indicated that Hispanics and African Americans are much more open to senior living communities for themselves than their parents: 49% of Hispanics and 46% of African Americans would consider living in one of these communities themselves. Caucasians feel about the same for themselves as they do for their parents.

"In some cultures, senior living facilities have been seen as taboo, as in: 'I would never put Mom in a home,'" saidDayna Steele, Caring.com's Chief Caring Expert and the author of Surviving Alzheimer's with Friends, Facebook and a Really Big Glass of Wine.

"But most of today's assisted living communities are really nice and nothing like the negative stereotypes of the past. As these places get more diverse, I think that will encourage even more Hispanics and African Americans to move in."

Among those who don't want to live in an assisted or independent living community, the most popular explanation is they would prefer to live on their own, followed by they would prefer to live with a family member. Just 8% said these types of communities are too expensive.

Additional findings:

• 64% of 30-64 year-olds would someday consider a senior living community for themselves. That drops to 53% for people age 65 and older.
  
  
• Americans' interest in senior living communities increases with income and education.
  
  
• Millennials are the least likely – by a wide margin – to consider assisted/independent living communities for their parents when they get older.
•  

Caring.com commissioned Princeton Survey Research Associates International to obtain telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,002 adults living in the continental United States. Interviews were conducted by landline and cell phone in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source from February 18-21, 2016. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

About Caring.com

With more than three million visitors per month, Caring.com is a leading senior care resource for family caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. A Bankrate company headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., Caring.com provides helpful caregiving content, online support groups, and a comprehensive Senior Care Directory for the United States, with nearly 105,000 consumer ratings and reviews and a toll-free senior living referral line at (800) 325-8591. Connect with Caring.com on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and/or YouTube.