In this essay, Paul Irving, chairman of the Center for the Future of Aging at the Milken Institute and distinguished scholar in residence at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology says it’s time to abandon outdated stereotypes about older adults and embrace the potential of this massive, underutilized human
News
Archive: December 2016

This holiday season, take time for important conversations when visiting loved ones
Celebrating holidays together presents a perfect opportunity for family members to discuss living wills and end-of-life preferences in a comfortable, loving setting, says Associate Professor Susan Enguidanos.

Some parents financially at risk taking on child college debt
If student debt drains the parents’ nest egg, then children later may bear the expense of helping their aging parents, according to researchers from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and University of South Carolina.
Longevity: The Economic Opportunity Of Our Lifetime (Forbes, Next Ave)
An article on the economic opportunities that come with longer life spans also stressed the importance of addressing longevity-related financial challenges. Written by Andy Seig, managing director and head of global wealth & retirement solutions at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the story noted that Bank of America

USC Davis School to identify best approaches for delivering palliative care outside of hospitals
Study provides rare opportunity to impact development and adoption of a health care service as it is starting to spread nationally, say researchers.

Students use ancestral data to understand health and longevity
By entering personal information into a database, USC gerontology students can find genetic markers for diseases.

Kevin Xu Endows Lab and Chair at USC Leonard Davis School
Dedication and installation event honors Xu family and their investments in the future of aging.

Are Robotic Pets as Good as Real Ones for Older Adults? (Next Avenue)
Next Avenue spoke to USC Leonard Davis School Professor Elizabeth Zelinski about the pros and cons of robotic pets for older adults, especially individuals with memory problems. From the article: Zelinski believes that for the older adult to have a therapeutic benefit, stimulation from the pet

Male vs. female stress responses may explain sex differences in diseases
The findings in fruit flies, described in an article authored by USC Davis PhD student Laura Corrales-Diaz Pomatto, may explain how Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s affect men and women differently.
Can You Get Too Much Protein? (New York Times)
The New York Times referenced a study by Valter Longo showing negative effects from eating too much protein, including an increased risk of death from cancer.