From the monthly archives:
Room for improvement – that’s the Commonwealth Fund’s assessment of the U.S. healthcare system. The National Scorecard on U.S. Health-System Performance, 2011 indicates sub-optimal performance in the following critical aging-related care areas: patient hospitalizations from nursing homes and hospital re-admissions of Medicare patients. The Scorecard compares U.S. average performance with benchmarks drawn from the top [...]
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Continue ReadingGetting rid of stuff is actually a two-step process: sorting and deciding, on the one hand, and disposing on the other. That’s according to University of Kansas Professor Dr. David Ekerdt, who is coordinating a “household moves” project to determine the role that possessions play in older people’s housing decisions. But convincing seniors can be [...]
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Continue ReadingAny time caffeine is found to have a positive effect on health, it is good news for senior citizens. That’s because coffee is by far the favorite drink of older Americans. The latest research about this popular drink comes from a large study that found coffee provides protection from basal cell carcinoma – the most [...]
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Continue ReadingOsteoporosis is one of the most challenging of senior conditions, many times leading to bone fractures and breaks. That’s why older adults should found out from their doctor how to prevent this condition and seek support when needed. Q. My 86-year-old mother has been diagnosed with osteoporosis and recently suffered a minor fracture. She still [...]
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Continue ReadingYou enter your dad’s home and can’t believe the stacks of stuff that have accumulated on every flat surface: piles of newspapers and mail everywhere, the medicine cabinet overflowing with 10 years worth of hair spray (despite his being bald), heaps of dirty laundry on the bed so there is no place for him to [...]
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Continue ReadingQ. At age 81, I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Sure, I’m scared, but it doesn’t help that I don’t understand half of what my specialist is talking about. Do you have any suggestions? Talking with doctors about cancer and cancer treatments can feel like learning a new language, and people facing cancer diagnoses often need [...]
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Continue ReadingQ. I am 78, live at home and doing well except for one thing. After I walk the dog, my legs – not the knees – have begun to ache. What’s up with that? The dog is getting shorter walks, and I’m falling behind on vacuuming. Among the possibilities might be peripheral artery disease (PAD). [...]
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Continue ReadingKitchen Cabinets with unused pots and pans. Problem: a senior can fall trying to get to them. Freezer and refrigerator with expired and old food Problem: a senior can suffer food poisoning or malnutrition. Bills on the counter and kitchen table. Problem: unpaid bills. Bathroom Expired medications in the medicine cabinets and old make-up. Problem: [...]
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Continue ReadingQ. My 82-year-old mother lives alone after we had to move my 84-year-old father to a care facility because of his dementia. She’s doing fine, but my father becomes agitated often and my mother feels that she must be there all the time to try to calm him. Is there any other way to help [...]
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Continue ReadingCancer – you hear the word and nothing more. Seniors who receive a cancer diagnosis can shut down, tuning out a doctor’s important instructions or failing to understand technical terms and complicated directions. Seniors facing cancer diagnoses often need help to understand their treatment options, and the risks and benefits of each choice. Consider sharing [...]
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