Individuals subject to extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), or “red flag” laws, were significantly less likely to be arrested — including for violent and firearm-related offenses — while the orders were in effect compared to the six months prior. Strikingly, the drop in arrests did not end when the orders expired and continued for months afterward.

The National Center to Reframe Aging joined a Pennsylvania Department of Aging-hosted Community Conversation in Philadelphia on June 10 to showcase research and communication guidance from the National Center that are helping maximize the potential of senior community centers as vibrant community spaces — similar to libraries or parks — where older adults can stay active and independent.

Some people might not mind spending time alone, but new research with data from 18 countries suggests that older people who struggle with loneliness — rather than strictly being alone — may experience a faster mental and physical decline.

The study, led by the University of California, Davis, used advanced statistical modeling to chart loneliness and social isolation as older adults move through stages of cognitive impairment and mortality. The results suggest that loneliness plays a much stronger role in cognitive impairment and shorter life spans than social isolation on its own.