The shuffle. It’s something we’ve come to accept as a normal part of aging, or as a result of certain medical conditions. Certainly, following a stroke or coinciding with the onset of Parkinson’s disease we expect a change in gait. But, what if there was more to this somewhat gradual change in a person’s gait?…
Recruiting Doormen & Staff in” the Army” Doormen are now being enlisted to fight the growing problem of elder abuse and neglect. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale has devised an ingenious idea to combat elder abuse by utilizing those friendly attentive people that greet…
Readmission Problem Hospital readmission is a persistent problem amongst the elderly and reforms by hospitals and other health-related agencies enacted to date have done little to make a real impact. The truth is healthcare policymakers are not even sure where the problem lies. Are the hospitals discharging patients too early or is the post-hospital home care…
Incontinence Embarassment Incontinence is a tricky disorder to manage. Unlike many other conditions whose effects can go undetected, the inability to control one’s bladder function can become public knowledge very quickly. The appearance of moisture on clothing and the presence of urine’s distinct odor make it obvious. In the US, nearly 3.5 million Americans deal with…
Simple Pleasures is the Key For our most senior citizens, the way to their hearts and minds is through simple companionship. Rather than wasting money and energy on new fangled gadgets for older loved ones, a visit and a simple dinner is the best gift in the world. What they most want is time and…
Senior Moments They’re quips we hear often enough. When a companion forgets a well-known nameor when you’ve forgotten where you left your keys: “I’m having a senior moment,” or, “My Alzheimer’s is setting in!” The lapse in memory in itself may be disquieting. After all, no one likes to forget things. However, jests of this…
According to a recent article in Home Healthcare Nurse entitled “Diabetes, Depression, and OASIS-C: A Guide for Home Healthcare Clinicians”, among the population 65 years and older, one in six suffers from depression and this is especially true among elderly adults who receive home care. Identifying depression in the home bound elderly and effectively treating…
Do I Want to Know if I 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…
New Hypertension Guidelines Only about six years overdue, new guidelines for treating hypertension have been released by the Joint National Committee on The Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. For drug treatment, the committee increased the threshold of hypertension from 140/80 to 150/90 in those aged 60 and older. With that, they re-categorized…
Dreaded Unexpected Elderly Falls How many times have you heard someone say my father or mother was fine before s/he fell? For many older adults, an unexpected fall can lead to a series of events that end in serious or fatal complications. As a result, many elderly are terribly afraid of falling. Elderly falls is…