grand-mate noun [C]
/ˈgrænd.meɪt/
a grandparent who shares a home with a grandchild, or a grandchild who shares a home with a grandparent
This new “grand-mates” trend is bringing about some truly heartwarming intergenerational bonding. The New York Times profiled a number of families who are “grand-mates,” and not one of them had complaints about it. The worst thing they could say was that sometimes the grandchildren weren’t as tidy as their grandparents would like. But there’s an easy solution: One grandma said, “I just keep the door to [my granddaughter’s] room closed.”
[aleteia.org, 10 November 2022]
blue zone thinking noun [U]
UK /ˌbluː zəʊn ˈθɪŋ.kɪŋ/ US /ˌbluː zoʊn ˈθɪŋ.kɪŋ/
a way of treating old people that sees them as an important part of society and encourages them to remain healthy and active
The best retirement home I’ve seen wasn’t a retirement home at all — it was an integrated living block in Austria, in which people of all ages lived together, with medical and care centres located on the ground floor, next to the children’s nursery. Homes could be adapted as your needs changed, there were restaurants, shops and clubs for all. This tallies with “blue zone thinking”, in which older people are integrated into society rather than put out to pasture.
[thetimes.co.uk, 24 September 2023]
zombie cell noun [C]
UK /ˈzɒm.bi ˌsel/ US /ˈzɑːm.bi ˌsel/
a cell that is damaged and can no longer multiply but remains in the body and can cause age-related disease
Scientists are working on drugs that kill “zombie cells” to help you live to 200. Zombie cells are a terror-inducing nickname for senescent cells, damaged cells that refuse to die. These damaged cells pile up as we age and lead to inflammation and altered stem cell function.
[honehealth.com, 29 June 2023]
Very surprised zombie cells are not already in the dictionary
even under a more technical term.
SENESCENT is often connected with old age in other ways – especially when it comes to the brain and dementia.