Geriatric hospital admissions continue to rise at an alarming rate. A new British study confirms that surgery patients are getting older every year. In fact, if things continue in this vein, more than 1.48 million people aged 75 years and older will have had a yearly surgical procedure by 2030. Senior adults are undeniably more…
DetailsIn 2008, adults aged 65 and older made up just 12% of the population. By 2016, that number grew to 15%. This increase reflects projections that the senior population will grow to over 98 million by 2060. In all, adults 65 and older account for up to 20% of all emergency department visits and 36% of…
DetailsToday, more than 30 million caregivers provide unpaid care to an adult aged 50 and older. In itself, caregiving can be a rewarding challenge. Often, however, it exposes age-old rivalries that threaten sibling relationships and family cohesion. The majority of conflicts arise when one or two siblings shoulder most of the caregiving burden, while others…
DetailsHere 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…
DetailsConsider 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…
DetailsGeriatrician — 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…
DetailsDo 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…
DetailsEver 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…
DetailsManaging 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…
DetailsAccording 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…
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