Incontinence Embarrassment 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 incontinence…
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 name or 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…
Exercise May Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease 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. By examining people aged 65-89 who possess a gene related to Alzheimer’s development, e4 gene, they have found…
A Frightening Aspect of Aging What would happen to you if you reached a stage in life where you were no longer able to make decisions about yourself? Your healthcare? What would become of you? Even if you have loved ones, do you trust all of them to make the kinds of decisions you would…
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…
A Typical Scenario: An 80-year-old man walks into a doctor’s office and says, “My bones creak and I feel pain when I just walk.” The doctor responds, “Well, Abe, you are getting on in years. Nothing works like it used to. You can’t expect to feel like you did 30 years ago.” Thus we have…
Complaining Senior Citizen When orienting newly hired home health aides, one should always stress the problems and uniqueness of the situation that they will be encountering. By all means, what they should NOT expect to find is a smiling, polite, sweet and considerate patient behind that apartment door. To be sure, what they WILL find…
Elderly Alcohol Abuse Alcohol abuse seems to be the most common form of substance abuse in the elderly and is on the rise among this age group. According to Dr. Richard A. Friedman’s article in the New York Times, “A Rising Tide of Substance Abuse,” there seems to be much cause for alarm as the…
Behavioral & Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) Many people think of dementia impacting cognitive impairment, like memory loss and attention, but dementia is not just memory loss. However, there are behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) that occur in about 90 percent of dementia patients. Moreover, these non-cognitive symptoms are equally important to the…