Definition Polypharmacy is on the rise. It is a term for taking five or more drugs concurrently. While this is a cause for alarm in the young, polypharmacy in the elderly is much more alarming. They usually take a panoply of medications prescribed to them by their stable of specialists along with their internist or…
High Risk of Institutionalization About 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s Disease and 90% of those are abusive. This is important because this situation puts these patients at higher risk for institutionalization, greater functional decline, and domestic abuse. Up to this point, prescribing medication has been the preferred method for managing and controlling the Behavioral and…
Caregiving for a loved one can be an emotionally challenging task. Not only is it often a 24/7 job, but it can be especially difficult to find a balance between providing and caring for your loved one and maintaining your own physical and emotional well-being. Here are 5 practical tips that will help you in…
We are happy to host this guest post from noted eldercare activist, caregiver consultant, and Senior Care Corner blogger Kathy Birkett. Family Caregivers As more of our population ages, the need for caregiving continues to skyrocket. Family members have been called to take the lead in caring for family members across the country whether they live nearby…
Elderly Addiction It’s something that we never associate with the elderly, but it does exist: elderly substance abuse. According to the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), this “hidden national epidemic is diagnosed in only 37% of those ages 60+ suffering from addiction. As a result, many organizations have new guidelines…
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OR PRINT THIS ARTICLE. Being a caregiver for an elderly adult can be fraught with unforeseen and challenging situations. Understandably, many relatives are ill equipped to handle them. Managing all the details and logistics required can be daunting for a child or senior spouse. It is not easy to situate an…
The New York Times just reported on a fascinating study published in the May edition of Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in an article entitled, “Can Exercise Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk?” by Gretchen Reynolds. They examined people aged 65-89 who possess a gene related to Alzheimer’s development. The APOE epsilon4 allele (e4 gene for short), the hypothesis…
As most of you are already aware, Ruth Strand, my sister and a founding partner of David York Agency, passed away 3 months ago. I wanted to collect my thoughts before making a formal announcement. We started this as a family run agency. Rest assured, since Ruth retired two years ago, her passing has no…
Caregiver Mothers Mother’s Day approaching and May is Older Americans month. With this is mind, I started thinking about caregivers at the beginning and at the end of life, for those young and old. People most often associate caregiving with the harried young mother who has no time to shower or get dressed as she…
by: Anita Kamiel, RN, MPS With the hot summer bearing down on us, it’s good to remind ourselves of the dangers of heat exposure and dehydration. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extreme heat causes hundreds of deaths per year in the United States. No one is more at risk than…