It’s no secret that as parents age, they tend to get more stubborn. With that stubbornness comes the challenge of trying to get them to take their medicines as prescribed. If they are new medications, your parents might be skeptical, or if they are suffering from dementia, they may be…
For older Americans, falls are a leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries. Though prevention is key, there are certain risk factors that cannot be avoided with individuals of advanced age. As fall events are expected to soar as Baby Boomer generation grows older, the importance of proper monitoring and…
Even the spriest and healthiest of elderly individuals will, eventually, slow down and perhaps require the help of another person in order to perform day-to-day tasks. For adult children who are watching their parents’ health deteriorate, knowing how to talk about deteriorating health and options for care can be challenging;…
As people age, their mental and physical faculties slow and deteriorate, and so does their ability to heal and repair tissue and muscle in the event of an accident. Which is why for an elderly person, driving can be an especially dangerous activity. Not only are elderly people at an…
In the coming years, the need for geriatric care in the United States will be greater than ever. Yet, while the number of senior citizens continues to grow at an enormous rate, the number of geriatricians has leveled off — it might even be shrinking. For families throughout the United…
Proper nutrition is essential to overall health and well-being, physically and mentally. At any age, a diet rich in lean proteins, fresh produce, and healthy carbohydrates does the human body good. Yet, even when you know the importance of good nutrition, you may have an elderly loved one in your…
According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), about half of all people aged 65 years or older will have some sort of surgery during their lifetimes. When you consider that 78 million Baby Boomers are transitioning into this age group, there is reason to be concerned about geriatric surgery….
Dysphasia is a language disorder characterized by difficulty expressing thoughts verbally. When an individual experiences dysphasia, he or she can face difficulty speaking, reading, writing, and gesturing to communicate with others. This can make it extremely difficult for the individual to manage day-to-day tasks, sometimes to the point of inhibiting…
Sadly, elder abuse is a very serious problem in our country. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) reports that as many as five million older Americans face some form of abuse or neglect each and every year. The true figure may be even higher than that — abuse of senior…
According to collaborative research conducted by the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, nearly a third of American adults provide some form of care for an elderly family member. Among other things, this has the potential to cause some real financial strain on families. It is crucial that adults…
