Today, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. A new case of Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed every 66 seconds. By mid-century, the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States is projected to grow to 13.8 million. Between 2000 and 2013, deaths resulting from stroke, heart disease, and prostate… Read more »
One of most difficult decisions adult children make when caring for aging parents is where to turn for in-home care. The myriad of choices can be overwhelming. Essentially, there are three choices: private hire, domestic referral agencies and full service companies. With a private hire caregiver, the family or older adult becomes responsible for all… Read more »
A critical place to have a caregiver with you is during a hospital stay. People find this a surprising concept. You would think that having nurses, doctors and medical staff close by would make hospitals one of the safest places to be. Sadly, this isn’t the case. With one or two busy nurses, working 12-hour… Read more »
Engaging an aging life care professional (previously known as geriatric care manager) is the first step many families take when seeking help for themselves or family members dealing with the challenges of aging. The aging life care profession is relatively new and grew out of the social service field. As the aging population began living… Read more »
Staying fit is important at any age, but when you are out of practice, getting back into an exercise regime can be intimidating – especially for seniors. Keeping it simple and fun can help, which is the concept behind Geri-Fit®, an evidence-based strength training program for older adults which is now offered in Palm Desert.… Read more »
Hip replacements are becoming more common these days as baby boomers begin to age. The everyday wear and tear on our joints catches up with us at some point, so when medicine, physical therapy and/or exercise don’t work and the pain interferes with our lives, it is time to fix it. Normally, the first few… Read more »
Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by exposure to the herpes-zoster virus. It can also be a reactivation of childhood chickenpox caused by the same virus. Shingles can be a very painful condition and early treatment is essential to reduce long-term discomfort. Of course antiviral medication can be warranted; however, natural therapies are highly… Read more »
Health care planning is a sensitive subject, but given rising expenses, no retirement plan is complete without some kind of provision for health care needs. Here are some guidelines and resources for estimating your needs and expenses. Health care costs are rapidly emerging as a major expense item both before and during retirement. With lifetime… Read more »
The health benefits of exercise are extraordinarily well documented. Regular exercise lowers your risk of a stroke by 27%, reduces instances of both high blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease by 40%, cuts your chance of developing diabetes by 50%, and lowers your risk of developing colon cancer by a whopping 60%. As well, it obviously… Read more »
Your ability to survive the all-consuming role of caregiver /partner for those with memory loss will depend on many things, but expanded knowledge and acceptance are paramount. Knowledge. Know thy enemy. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that there are 85-90 different types of dementias. Alzheimer’s represents some 70% of the diagnoses followed by… Read more »
Pharmacological intervention has traditionally been the first-line treatment for individuals with neurocognitive disorders, but the benefits of medications currently on the market are generally minimal and/or temporary. In recent years, however, numerous scientific studies have shown that various types of behavioral and cognitive interventions may slow the progression of degenerative neurocognitive disorders. For one, the… Read more »
Did you know that 70% of the family members caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other dementia will develop a chronic, life-altering condition or succumb before their loved one? This is a fact from the National Alzheimer’s Association. I know first-hand how daunting the role of family caregiver/partner is as my father, and… Read more »
The last fifty years have seen major advances in modern medicine and nutrition knowledge which have extended the number of years we can expect to live, and the quality of life we can hope to enjoy. While retirement age used to be about stopping, now it is about going. Considerable research has been done to… Read more »
I recently attended a forum on elder abuse at the Jocelyn Center in Palm Desert and was surprised to learn that scams and cons targeting seniors fall under the category of elder abuse. Geri Crippen Richardson of the county C.A.R.E. Program (Curtailing Abuse Related to the Elderly) stated that the Coachella Valley has more reports… Read more »
It is a common belief that as we age, our minds and bodies decline and life inevitably becomes less satisfying and enjoyable. Cognitive decline is inevitable, and work is less productive. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, we are all wrong. Certainly life gets better in many aspects as we get older. Our… Read more »
Lisa Genova had a dream. She wanted to someday write a book, but as a Harvard-trained neuroscientist, her family and colleagues laughed at the thought. Ironically, life circumstances led her to that dream sooner than expected, while her grandmother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s led her to the valuable research that made Still Alice a New York… Read more »
Nutrition is vital, in the true sense of the word, at any age. Much is written about it and research published. My wife Carol and I attempt to keep up. The conclusions lead to individual choices: What makes sense for you? Are you willing to make a commitment for long-term goals? From personal experience it… Read more »
What are the most common ailments those over 65 share? To answer that question, we turned to gerontologist Gregory Pecchia, DO, FACOFP, from Eisenhower Medical Center which was recognized as “high performing in the area of Geriatrics” in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Dr. Pecchia has been practicing in the… Read more »
Exercise promotes health. It also makes us feel good. We should keep our body active. That is the theory. But doing so takes work and perseverance. With advancing years, the degree of effort increases exponentially. What was easy when we were younger is now more challenging than we care to admit – and yes, often… Read more »
Dear Dr. Kato:My wife is 77 years old. She is having increasing problems with her balance and has fallen several times. I’m very concerned that something serious may happen. Is this vertigo? Dear Reader: Balance disorders are common in the elderly, not only resulting in distressing sensations, but also leading to reduced activity levels and… Read more »
