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Samuel Brown was laughing with co-workers when his legs suddenly gave out...A month later, the 86-year-old is rock climbing, playing soccer, and skiing - all without leaving the rehabilitation center where he is recovering. Brown is part of a program at the New Jewish Home in Manhattan's Upper West Side using a videogame console-like system outfitted with a Microsoft Kinect camera that monitors 25 points on his body. It tracks his movements and relays the data back to his health care team who can remotely watch his progress and adjust his program as necessary.(Grosky, 12/10)

A dramatic increase in the number of elderly Americans living alone — combined with research showing the consequences of social isolation — has resulted in a new campaign to reduce social isolation among seniors. Prolonged isolation can be as big a health risk as smoking 15 cigarettes per day, according to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, which is encouraging adult children during the holidays to talk with their parents about remaining socially engaged. (Olson, 12/9)

Dementia has been slowly stealing Ruth Perez's memory and thinking ability for 20 years. Her daughter, Angela Bobo, remembers when it was clear that her mother was never going to be the same. "She would put food together that didn't belong together — hamburger and fish in a pot. Mom never cooked like that," she says. (English, 12/12)