Here is a checklist you might find handy: Preventing Falls in the Elderly The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2019, over 3 million older adults experienced falls so severe that they needed to visit the emergency room and 34,000 were fatal. It is critical for older adults and their families to…
Consider this: you live in New York City, while your elderly mother lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Each week, you call and coordinate care from more than two thousand miles away. Like many, you’re a long-distance caregiver. Currently, the United States has an estimated 5-7 million of them. But, what does it take to be a…
Geriatrician — Another Specialist As specialists go, we have all heard of cardiologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, but how many of us really consider or have even heard of geriatric specialists or geriatricians when we think about care for someone 60 and older? As we age, the health challenges we face become more complex and the…
Do I Want to Know if I Will Have Alzheimer’s Disease? Whether or not one is likely to get Alzheimer’s disease, or any other disease for that matter, may not be something people want to know. In a Washington Post article entitled, “Would You Want to Know if You’re Likely to Get Alzheimer’s Disease?” we learn of…
Ever since I read this article about a bingo controversy at a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), the issues surrounding it have been rolling around in my brain. Just in case you are not aware, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is a retirement housing option that offers various options for seniors. They range from…
Managing Diabetes There has long been a controversy in managing diabetes as to whether it is better to eat two large meals or six small meals over the course of a day. There are experts that come down on either side of the issue. Also, some believe it doesn’t make much of a difference. There…
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extreme heat causes an average of 658 deaths per year in the United States. That’s more than many natural disasters in this country! No one is more at risk from heat exhaustion and heat stroke than the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions. Taking certain…
Summers often mean “Road Trip”! However, getting seniors to give up the keys to their car is no small task. Frankly, I am quite sympathetic to the seniors. After a lifetime of independence, it is yet another degradation they must endure as they age and their faculties wane. Only with this one, it can feel…
Seniors have certainly come into their own. Did you know that more than 900 million people over the age of 60 live across the globe today? That’s more than twice as many seniors as there were in 1980. By 2050, these seniors will account for nearly 2.1 billion of the world populace. Experts have christened…
According to the Pew Research Center, most seniors in the United States, Italy, and Germany live independently. This means that many seniors don’t share the same living space as their grown children. Yet, in all three countries, family members provide most of the assistance seniors receive. Such assistance can include help with housework, home repairs,…