It's important to practice good sun safety, and that includes using sunscreen. But with thousands of products on the market, it can be hard to know how to choose the best one. To help protect consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of updating their requirements for sunscreen labeling.
Read More »For many seniors, medications play a big role in managing health problems. Remember, however, that all medications, whether prescribed by a doctor or bought over the counter, have potentially toxic side effects that can cause significant problems.
Read More »When an older adult is dealing with incontinence, embarrassment may stand in the way of seeking treatment.
Over 25 million Americans experience incontinence. Yet most seniors who are dealing with the condition may well feel that they are all alone, because this isn't a topic that comes up very often!
We humans are "hardwired" to crave and rely on human contact. Unlike, for example, a turtle, which hatches from a buried egg and is on its own from that moment on, people depend on other people for survival.
Read More »Even though we know much more about the causes and mechanisms of pain today, many myths abide—myths that can cause seniors to miss out on treatments that might help them control pain. Pain is one of the most significant causes of disability as we age, and managing pain effectively is essential to being able to live life to the fullest.
Read More »November is National Diabetes Month. This year's theme is "Diabetes is a Family Affair," reflecting the fact that this disease affects entire families, not just the person with diabetes. While people of every age can develop diabetes, it becomes more common as we grow older. Almost 26 million Americans today have diabetes—almost 8% of our population.
Read More »During November and December, most of us spend time in crowds of people—at parties, while shopping, and as we make our way through busy airports. This is also the time of year that seasonal influenza really takes off. Having the flu can ruin your holiday celebration! Entire families can end up sneezing and feverish…and then the dispersing guests take the bug back to their families and co-workers back home. Senior relatives are especially vulnerable to the sometimes dangerous complications from the flu.
Read More »Holiday shopping—at the pharmacy? Loyola University Medical Center experts offer tips for practical, inexpensive gifts for loved ones who are recovering from an injury or living with a chronic illness.
Read More »Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness. According to Prevent Blindness America, glaucoma is a fast-growing health problem in the U.S. Today, over 2.7 million Americans have glaucoma—which represents an increase of 22 percent from only ten years ago!
Read More »You may have read that people who quit smoking can eventually lower their risk of heart disease and stroke. Previous research suggested that it could take up to 15 years for smokers to reach the same risk level of non-smokers.
Read More »Indulging in all those rich holiday treats packs on the pounds, which is no doubt why many of us put weight loss at the top of our New Year's resolutions.
Read More »In some cases, when a person's condition is medically complex, moving to a nursing home or other care facility is the best choice. But most people who are facing health challenges would rather stay in the familiar comfort of their own home. If your loved one is in this situation, home care can help.
Read More »The American Heart Association recently released a report about heart disease in America. The good news is that the death rate from cardiovascular disease has fallen 30% in the last decade, due to better treatment for heart attack, congestive heart failure and other heart disease. But this care comes at a cost: expenditures for the care for heart disease rose by $11 billion during the decade. And heart disease continues to be the number one killer in the U.S. Every 39 seconds, someone dies of cardiovascular disease.
Read More »Do you own your possessions, or do your possessions own you? As we grow older, many of us must make decisions about what to do with a lifetime of belongings. In more extreme cases, families find themselves dealing with hoarding, a disorder which becomes more common as people grow older.
Read More »When it comes to awareness about salt consumption, most of us know that consuming too much salt (sodium) can hurt our health. But does this automatically lead to us consuming a safe amount of salt? In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 90 percent of Americans eat too much salt.
Read More »For the majority of us, "middle age spread" is no joke. On average, Americans gain a pound a year in the two decades after the age of 45—even though our recommended healthy weight remains the same. Ongoing research increasingly confirms that maintaining the right body weight is one of the key factors in healthy aging.
Read More »May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. According to the Arthritis Foundation, 50 million Americans are living with arthritis today, and almost half of those people are dealing with challenges to their daily activities.
Read More »Family caregivers are busy people! Many are providing many hours of care per week for their loved one, while juggling a full work schedule, other family responsibilities, even caring for children of their own. It's easy to see why exercise falls to the bottom of their "to do" list.
Read More »Did you know that May 31 is World No Tobacco Day? May is also Healthy Vision Month, making this a great time to consider the effect of smoking on our vision as we grow older.
Read More »June is Men's Health Month, and leading up to Father's Day we celebrate Men's Health Week (which is June 9 – 15 this year). This is a special awareness period first recognized by Congress in 1994 and celebrated around the world. The goal is to educate men, boys, and their families and friends about preventable health problems and to encourage them to be more actively involved in their own health care.
Read More »According to the National Family Caregivers Association, over 65 million Americans now provide care for senior or disabled loved ones, meeting the personal care needs of a spouse or partner, parents, parents-in-law, disabled children or siblings.
Read More »Aug. 24-30 spotlights vaccines for adults; what immunizations do seniors need?
Read More »The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that the percentage of seniors who are living in a nursing home has dropped by 20 percent in the last decade—yet there are more seniors than ever, and the number is growing. Are seniors just healthier these days? The truth is, older adults need as much care as ever, but they are receiving it in assisted living communities, adult day centers—and for a growing number, in their own homes.
Read More »How is your garden going this year? This is the time of year when lovely fresh produce is in abundance. But be sure to take precautions before you dig into that delicious salad or slice of cantaloupe!
Read More »Baby boomers and their parents—until recently viewed as virtually non-existent by many marketers—are fast becoming coveted customers.
Read More »Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all our friends and families! This is a great time to take stock of our plans for 2015. Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? There is no shortage of research on aging and caregiving—findings that can provide motivation for making lifestyle choices to improve the health and well-being of elders and the loved ones who care for them.
Read More »We often hear of a person being rushed to the hospital with a heart attack after shoveling snow. Is snow shoveling really dangerous for seniors? It turns out that the extra exertion and the heavy weight of the snow are both culprits, as might be expected. However, a study from Pennsylvania State University shows that cold air itself puts extra stress on the heart, contributing to winter being peak season for deaths resulting from cardiac arrest.
Read More »Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States—but according to the National Institutes of Health, heart disease is also one of the most preventable conditions. With the aging of our population, our healthcare system is now putting increased emphasis on controllable risk factors such as inactivity, poor nutrition, obesity and smoking. A study that recently appeared in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that the risk of heart disease decreases more with each positive lifestyle change an older adult makes.
Read More »Many eye diseases are treatable if diagnosed early enough. But often the damage from eye disease happens slowly, so a person doesn't notice a loss of vision until it is too late. Vision loss can lead to depression, inactivity and overall decline in seniors.
Read More »Anyone who has owned a pet knows the joy an animal can bring to one’s life. You often hear enthusiasts describing their pets as their “children” and including them in family vacations and activities. Additionally, animals have been used in helping people with various disabilities get around in the world, helping them to navigate indoor and outdoor spaces. Florence Nightingale, a pioneer of modern nursing, noticed that animals served as “excellent companions for the sick,” especially those with chronic conditions.
Read More »Up until recently, little research was done about the topic of humor. Few people took the subject seriously, or paid much scholarly attention to this part of the human experience. But now, researchers from various disciplines are analyzing the workings of humor in the human brain—and demonstrating that the purpose humor serves is no laughing matter.
Read More »As we grow older, we may find ourselves becoming more forgetful. A person’s name from our past escapes us or we can’t find the car keys. These episodes can make us wonder if we’re developing Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Fortunately, there are things that we can all do to improve our brain’s health and possibly decrease our chances of developing diseases that affect the mind. Here are six tips to help you keep your brain in optimum shape.
Read More »Ah, summertime! Remember when you were a kid and you lived for summers? As we grow older, summer may lose a bit of its luster, because it doesn’t signal an immediate change in our daily routine and scorching heat can make our daily chores seem that much more arduous.
Read More »When many people think of seniors and weight problems, they think of the problem of being underweight. It is true that being significantly underweight is a red flag for possible health problems in the elderly. But geriatrics specialists today are increasingly dealing with the opposite health challenge in the senior population.
Read More »There are things we can do to protect our skin, but we won’t find most of them in a fancy jar.
Read More »One of the great joys of the holidays in reconnecting with family who may live far away. For adult children visiting their elderly loved ones, they may find parents who are no longer as healthy as they remembered. Or they might see signs Mom and Dad aren’t living as safely as they should.
Read More »The National Diabetes Education Program says holiday family gatherings are a good time for the older and younger generations to share information that can help us lower the risk.
Read More »Like most Americans, you’re probably aware that physical activity is important to one’s overall health and well-being. And, like many Americans, you may not exercise as much as you should. If you’ve made a resolution to be more physically active next year, here are some tips to get—and keep—you motivated.
Read More »February is American Heart Month, and Friday, Feb. 5 has been named as National Go Red Day, a time to raise awareness of women’s heart health. Many women are unaware of their risk of heart disease, ways to lower the risk, and the symptoms that are of concern.
Read More »Studies show many Americans suffer from this Internet-era form of anxiety.
Read More »In the old days, seniors who were suffering from arthritis were advised to take it easy. Sit down most of the day so as not to stress your joints, well-meaning doctors would say. Sit in a rocking chair for easy, soothing motion, at the most. Rest your joints. If it hurts, don’t do it.
Read More »Delirium can occur in patients of any age, but it is especially common in older adults. More than half of all hospitalized seniors will develop the problem—more than 2.5 million patients annually. More than $150 billion per year is spent on delirium-related healthcare costs, including re-hospitalization, rehabilitation and nursing home care.
Read More »Does this sound familiar? Your co-worker comes back after two weeks in a tropical paradise. She’s tan, relaxed and passing around photos of herself in her swimsuit on a catamaran, enjoying an umbrella drink at a luau and swimming with sea turtles. You think to yourself that the way you spent your week off—helping your elderly mom move to a retirement apartment—wasn’t quite so glamorous! And you don’t feel very rested, that’s for sure!
Read More »According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, most Americans will become caregivers at some point in their lives. In fact, family members provide 80 percent of the long-term care in this country—yet many feel unprepared for their role, and provide care with little or no support.
Read More »During August, National Immunization Awareness Month reminds us to get the vaccines that help keep us healthy.
Read More »Anyone with an elderly relative, and certainly anyone who works for a senior care organization, knows that falls are very dangerous for older adults. The National Council on Aging reports that every 11 seconds, a person age 65+ is treated in the emergency room for a fall injury; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. When a senior is no longer able to live independently, the reason often arises from the results of a fall injury.
Read More »Do you make New Year’s resolutions? A Hand in Hand poll showed that many of our readers resolve to make lifestyle choices that promote healthier aging—including exercise, healthcare management, socialization and a nutritious diet.
Read More »Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa … no matter which winter holidays we celebrate, most of us think of this as a time of joy, family togetherness and traditions. But when we’ve recently lost a loved one, the holidays can be a bittersweet time. Memories of the person who has passed away may be happy and heartbreaking at the same time.
Read More »Gout most commonly strikes the joints of the big toe. Other affected sites might include the ankle, heel, knees, wrists, fingers or elbow. And while some people think gout is an old-fashioned disease, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says gout is on the rise today.
Read More »Physical activity is so important for senior health! Today’s older adults are urged to get out of the rocking chair and out for a walk.
Read More »It’s a sad reality that some of the changes of aging make it harder to get out among trees, gardens, lakes and other natural surroundings. Seniors who enjoyed hiking, camping, golfing and walks in the park might find themselves spending more and more time indoors, sleeping, reading or watching TV.
It’s important to know that this nature deficit can be harmful for older adults. Scientific research continues to demonstrate the connection between spending time in nature and healthy aging. As our population ages and urban development continues, keeping our seniors connected with the natural environment is a growing public health challenge.
Read More »We Americans love to grill! Whether it’s classics like steaks, barbecued chicken and burgers, or today’s more healthy choices, like veggies and fruits, we love to put on the apron, get out the tongs, and stand over an outdoor fire.
Read More »Among the members of the animal kingdom, our species is one of the few where individuals survive long beyond their reproductive years. Despite the stereotype that older adults are a “burden,” anthropologists assure us that their presence was one of the big reasons the human species has been so successful! They say that for our Stone Age ancestors, the presence of supportive older relatives, equipped with years of wisdom, gave children a survival advantage.
Read More »We all want to make a difference in the world, and to feel that our lives have meaning. Yet as we grow older, life changes can make us feel adrift, without goals or purpose. We retire from our jobs. Our children are grown, maybe moved away. Disabilities might reduce our ability to take part in meaningful activities. And it doesn’t help that our culture routinely delivers ageist messages that older adults aren’t as important or valuable.
Read More »November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
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