If you or your aging loved one takes multiple medications every day, you're not alone. Nearly 40 percent of older adults take five or more medications each day. However, this doesn't come as a surprise. Between the slew of health issues that affect seniors, and advancements in healthcare, there are many great options to manage difficult symptoms. Yet juggling all of those pills every day can be harder than it [...]
We've all seen it. An older adult who appears extremely fragile and walks slowly and hesitantly. They may also be exceptionally thin and their skin may even appear parchment-like. In other words, they are frail. We often associate frailty with old age. Yet the two are not synonymous. And becoming frail is not inevitable as we age. Frailty is a medical condition in itself, not a side effect of aging. [...]
In any given year, one in ten adults over age 60 are victims of elder abuse. Furthermore, statistics show that a total of 5 million seniors are abused annually. Elder abuse comes in many different forms. Emotional, physical, and financial elder abuse are all a sad reality of our world. However, there are many ways to lower your risk of elder abuse. All forms of elder abuse are of the [...]
Music is an important part of human culture and life. It has the ability to bring joy, motivation, focus, and other emotions. But did you know music therapy can improve issues affecting seniors? It could be high blood pressure, Alzheimer's, or sleep apnea. Regardless, music has the power to literally shift hormones and neurotransmitters. Therefore, it's no wonder many healthcare providers are now prescribing music therapy for seniors. This article [...]
When age forces you to stop your passions, a whole host of emotions and grief can set in. For example, Phyllis Austin was an avid hiker for many decades. Her mantra had always been "do it while you can". This occurred to her after a major skiing accident that severely and permanently injured her. She had concluded years prior that no matter how long she lived, she would never be [...]
According to a 2015 AARP report, 32.4 million Americans are unpaid caregivers. And nearly half of those were caring for an aging parent. Helping out aging parents can affect families in different ways. It can become stressful and emotional. Sibling relationships can be complicated. Then when caring for aging parents becomes part of the dynamic, tensions can run high. It can tear families apart as we have unfortunately witnessed. But [...]
Hearing is one of the amazing, automatic processes that our bodies perform every day. We use our hearing to communicate with friends and family. Furthermore, sounds can keep us safe. Even with things we take for granted. For example, the sound of a car horn can alert us to an oncoming vehicle. Hearing is an essential part of our day to day functioning. Unfortunately, disabling hearing loss affects nearly 164.5 [...]
We live in a society that has mixed views on aging. Therefore, defining what it means to grow old can be complicated. Does it have to do with genetics? Lifestyle? Attitude? Exercise routines and diets? Or its age simply an objective number? The answer is never cut and dry. It is likely a mixture of all of the above. It may also depend on the age of the person you [...]
In 1950, you had a one in thirty chance of becoming a family caregiver. However, these days there is a one in three chance. The challenges of being a family caregiver often stem from a lack of support and preparation for caregiving tasks. Tasks that once were solely performed by medical professionals are now being done by family members. Furthermore, usually with little to no prior experience. They are managing [...]
When we think of technology, we often think of things like computers and smart phones. But the term "assistive technology" refers to anything that can help someone live more independently and comfortably. Specifically, assistive technology for seniors is growing in popularity. As the average life expectancy increases, our need for improving the aging process does as well. For many seniors, assistive technology can mean the difference between living more independently [...]
