Good morning and welcome to agebuzz… Headlining today’s topics:

-Care To Dance? The Positive Impact of Dancing On The Aging Brain

-Hard To Swallow: Tips For Maintaining And Protecting Your Ability To Swallow

-Cost Savings And Medical Care: Conversations That Need To Happen

-In A Nutshell: A Handful Of Walnuts For A Whole Lot Of Benefit

-House Of Cards: The Risks Of Reverse Mortgages For Seniors

-Near And Dear: What Aging In Place Will Look Like In The Near Future

-The Last Word

Care To Dance? The Positive Impact Of Dancing On The Aging Brain: While we know generally that exercise is a critical activity for healthier aging, the question remains whether specific forms of exercise have special benefits for seniors. In a new study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, researchers have determined that dancing can have considerable positive impact on your aging brain, leading to noticeable behavioral changes and improved balance. In a study comparing endurance and flexibility training versus dance, scientists found that dance had a greater beneficial effect than more typical exercise routines. So take out your tap shoes and read more about his new finding Here. And, for some offbeat inspiration, watch this duo of older Japanese women exalt in the joy of hip hop dancing Here.

Hard To Swallow: Tips For Maintaining And Protecting Your Ability To Swallow: For many people, growing older can be accompanied by the slow deterioration of your ability to swallow. Whether from disease, dementia or some sudden trauma, losing the ability to swallow foods and liquids can threaten your health and even your life. More than 6 million seniors are thought to suffer from what is known as dysphagia, and usually it’s a speech pathologist who can diagnose and address this condition. Over atDaily Caring, you can find valuable tips for lessening the burden of dysphagia and keeping your airways clear. Check out their advice Here. And for specific recommendations for the best way to help seniors swallow pills, take a look at these new research results Here. Finally, for patients with Parkinson’s disease, the cause of death can often arise from difficulties swallowing. In a new study, an Iowa researcher has come up with a singing routine that can protect and maintain the ability of such patients to swallow and speak. Read and watch more about this valuable research endeavor Here.

Cost Savings And Medical Care: Conversations That Need To Happen: No one likes to challenge their physician when a particular diagnostic test or medical intervention is recommended. Yet often times what is suggested is not covered by your insurance or may be much more costly than your physician realizes. While cost should be just one consideration in determining whether an intervention goes forward, for most of us it is a factor, and it could be determinative in whether to hold off or whether to accept a physician’s recommendation. In a recent column in Next Avenue, writer Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell broaches this often taboo topic and provides a list of questions you should consider raising with your physician the next time you have a procedure or medical test to consider. Take a look at her suggestionsHere. And you may want to familiarize yourself with the Choosing Wisely Campaign, a joint initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation and Consumer Reports, which helps facilitate conversations between doctors and patients about unnecessary or wasteful medical tests and treatments.

In A Nutshell: A Handful Of Walnuts For A Whole Lot Of Benefit: We’re always trying to include healthy additions to our diet, and if they can help control hunger and food cravings? All the better. Turns out walnuts may fall into this category. New research published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism sheds light on why eating walnuts may not only be healthy but may also be an effective tool in the fight to lose weight. Walnuts trigger that part of the brain that leads us to feel more full. So whether whole or in pieces, grab some walnuts and read more about this study Here. And for more general info on the range of health benefits from eating walnuts, take a look Here.

House Of Cards: The Risks Of Reverse Mortgages For Seniors: For a great many of us, our homes are our most important and valuable asset. And as the years accumulate and our incomes drop, trying to take money out of the equity in our homes becomes an appealing and even necessary step for financial solvency. But it’s not without risk. For some unfortunate seniors, it could eventually lead to foreclosure and loss of the house- an all too tragic end for seniors hoping to age in place. Take a look Hereat this recent Washington Post piece on seniors who have been suckered into what can be a formidable financial trap. More generally, instead of watching celebrities hawk reverse mortgages on tv, take a look Here at this new video from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about the basics and booby traps that can arise when securing a reverse mortgage. Finally, are you thinking of buying a house at a later stage in life? It’s not without precedent, but there are some risks. For further info, Read Here.

Near And Dear: What Aging In Place Will Look Like In The Near Future: If you’re a caregiver for aging loved ones, you’re likely worried about what’s going on when you’re not around. And, if you’re someone on the receiving end of caregiving, you likely feel the burden of knowing your loved ones are anxious about your health and well being. But in the not- too-distant future, technology may be such that those worries may disappear- because you’ll always be in touch. With “smart” devices in the home, cutting edge and community-based medical advances and a host of new technologies, growing older may radically change- for the better, but perhaps not without controversy. For a peak into what this coming era of total connection with at-home seniors could look like, check out at this new video from CableLabs Here. And to better understand the technology introduced in the video, watch more Here.

THE LAST WORD: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph Waldo Emerson