April 2011

Q. I’m a 68-year-old retiree whose pension and savings accounts have taken a real hit during the recession.  Is this common and why?  I think I may need to go back to work, but as a widow past retirement age, what could I do? Take comfort in knowing that many others share your circumstances.   A [...]

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Question: My mother, who is diabetic, takes so many pills that she sometimes gets confused.  I worry about her since she lives alone.  What are the risks and do you have any suggestions? An estimated one-third to one-half of all patients in the U.S. don’t take their medications as prescribed by their doctors, according to [...]

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Following is an excerpt from a Whitepaper commissioned by Home Instead Senior Care and conducted in 2009 by the Boomer Project, a research-consulting firm headquartered in Richmond, VA, specializing in studying Baby Boomers and their senior parents and relatives. The entire study is available here Seniors and the Information Gap Whitepaper. As Baby Boomers begin [...]

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My 85-year-old dad, who was a successful businessman, seems depressed lately and I’m not sure what I can do to pull him out of the blues.  He’s starting to experience a little dementia and I know he struggles with loneliness, since he lives by himself. Reliving your dad’s glory days may help.  A study of [...]

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Question: Cancer is prevalent in our family and I live in fear both for my 75-year-old mother as well as myself.  My father died recently of cancer and my mother has been struggling with depression and her own fears about getting breast cancer, the disease that killed her mother.  Is there any new research out [...]

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Question: As a 78-year-old man, I’ve heard that the incidence of prostate cancer goes up as men grow older.  What can you tell me about preventing this disease? Western diets that are high in fat and red meat have been found to increase the risk of prostate cancer, experts have noted.  In addition, the calcium [...]

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Q: My 72-year-old mother, who lives alone, has been experiencing dizziness and headaches.  I’m afraid she may be having TIAs or mini strokes and that she could be headed for a major stroke.  What are the stroke symptoms and what can I do to help, since she lives alone? Please encourage your mother to visit [...]

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Q.    As an active 75-year-old widower, I am worried about the role of genetics in my future. Neither of my parents lived passed 77 and I would like to enjoy a longer life on this earth with my family and friends. I try to lead a much healthier lifestyle than that of my parents. What [...]

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Multigenerational living is on the increase.  As a matter of fact, about 6.6 million U.S. households in 2009 had at least three generations of family members, an increase of 30 percent since 2000, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. When “multigenerational” is more broadly defined to include at least two adult generations, a record 49 [...]

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