Planning for long-term care can be overwhelming. Make sure you know your options and that you're prepared financially. This infographic from Northwestern Mutual is a stark statistical reminder of how many people need to plan for long-term care, yet how few actually do so.

Having difficulty understanding how Alzheimer's disease progresses? This brief animated YouTube video illustrates the different stages of the disease and shows exactly what happens in a brain with Alzheimer's.

March is a month for developing change. It's when spring peeks a toe from the earth while winter hasn't quite yet thrown in the towel. Similarly, as a nation preparing for the aging boomer generation, we find ourselves in the midst of adapting to a changing landscape for healthcare, careers and family dynamics. Continuing to help you stay informed of new developments related to eldercare is one of the reasons we like to keep in touch with our newsletter.

In the spirit of education and cooperation, we hope you will find the following articles in this month's newsletter informative and beneficial.

Aspirin is great for soothing headaches and is also recommended to lower the risk of heart attack in some patients. However, daily aspirin use may double a senior's risk of developing the "wet" form of age-related macular degeneration, a debilitating eye disease. A European study published in the January issue of Ophthalmology noted that about one-third of those with wet AMD consumed aspirin daily, compared with 16 percent of those with no AMD.

While further research is required to explain the association, the findings could spell trouble for millions of seniors who are on an aspirin regimen for pain, inflammation and blood clot management. To read more about this study, click here.

Read an abstract or purchase the full study.

It's no secret that exercise keeps our bodies and minds young and healthy. However, a new study shows that seniors who incorporate interactive video games into their workouts see even bigger benefits than just exercise alone. Assistant professor of psychology at Union College in Schenectady, NY, Cay Anderson-Hanley, stated that for older adults, virtual-reality enhanced interactive exercise, or 'cybercycling' two to three times a week for three months, yielded greater cognitive benefits and perhaps added more protection against mild cognitive impairment than a similar dose of traditional exercise.

Find out more about interactive exercise and how it can benefit your senior loved ones in this article from the Alzheimer's Reading Room.

Read an abstract or purchase the full text for the study.