From the monthly archives:
Q. This is a tough decision: I am 78, overweight and considering the possibility of knee replacement. Surgery would be a tough row to hoe because I live alone and might have plenty of problems just living day to day. With a new knee, I think I could get the exercise needed to lose weight [...]
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Continue ReadingIt’s no secret that companionship is considered the most important ingredient for dinner-table success. And as far as food goes, variety is the spice of life. Q. My 80-year-old mother, who lives alone, just had a physical and is in good health for her age. I notice that she eats well during holiday dinners and [...]
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Continue ReadingQ: Both of my 78-year-old mother’s parents died of Alzheimer’s disease, and I am beginning to wonder if Mom will start to show symptoms and go down that same heartbreaking road. I know my life will change forever if it happens – and for that matter, so will the lives of my children if I [...]
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Continue ReadingQ. I have tried to persuade my 80-year-old father to give up smoking. Dad says he would like to quit, but he claims his habit helps him cope with his loneliness. His house is cluttered with so many old newspapers and magazines that I’m afraid one careless moment with his cigarettes could have horrible consequences. [...]
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Continue ReadingIf you need proof that exercise is a fountain of youth, check out the mounting research. Q. My adult daughter is constantly after me to exercise more, but at age 85 I just don’t see the point. It’s all I can do just to keep up care of my home. Do you think it’s a [...]
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Continue ReadingQ. My 81-year-old mother had been understandably blue for a year after my father died, and then she suffered a mild heart attack. After she recovered at the hospital and returned home, the doctor recommended that she go on a statin. He said it might cut the chances of another heart attack and could help [...]
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Continue ReadingQ. I’m an 83-year-old widow with health problems, so my daughter has been caring for me after work and during the evenings. Now she’s talking about quitting her job and I’m worried. Her family needs her income and I fear this will put a strain on her budget. I have some money saved up to [...]
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Continue ReadingA diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease doesn’t need to leave a senior and his or her family members dejected. Hope is on the horizon and support is available. Q. My 78-year-old mother, who is divorced from our dad, has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I’ve read a lot about this disease and frankly, the prognosis [...]
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Continue ReadingFollowing is a pre-planning checklist from Home Instead Senior Care and Jo Meyers, author of Good to Go–The ABCs of Death and Dying, The Ultimate Planning Guide for Baby Boomers and Their Parents, that can help your senior loved one ensure their affairs are in order: Designate a power of attorney to ensure that proper information can [...]
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Continue ReadingQ. As a 68-year-old widow living alone, my anxiety levels seem to have increased since menopause. I don’t really want to go on medications. Do you have any suggestions? Yes, two: companionship and walking. A recent study says a brisk walk can reduce a variety of psychological symptoms such as anxiety, stress and depression.* “With [...]
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