The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related emergency department (ED) visits in the United States. Their latest report in February focused on Emergency Department visits that involve adverse reactions to medications among older adults in 2008. In 2008, an estimated 1.1 million...
Archives: April 2011
Boomers Reluctant to Curtail Lifestyle in Retirement
According to U.S. News Money, workers who havenäó»t saved enough to retire have three choices: work longer, save more, or reduce their standard of living in retirement.æ When workers were given these three choices, most said they would delay retirement and continue to save rather than cut costs, according to...
Mediation Growing as a Field as Siblings Argue Over Parents’ Care
As aging parents live longer, there are more issues that require the involvement of other family membersäóîand more opportunities for dissension.æ A new web site, www.mediate.com explains the growing field of elder mediation, offers articles on the subject, and has a directory to find mediators around the country.æ Elder mediators...
Alzheimer’s Often Misdiagnosed
Alzheimer’s disease may not be as prevalent as commonly believed. New research indicates that Alzheimer’s diagnoses often may be wrong. In a research study, only about half of 211 study subjects diagnosed with Alzheimer’s while alive were found during autopsies to have brain conditions commonly association with the disease. While...
Plan for the Unexpected – Have a Flexible Retirement Plan
The Met Life Mature Market Institute and the Scripps Gerontology Center recently published a report, Best Case Strategies for a Flexible Retirement. This study examined retirement-related thinking, experiences, and behaviors in the face of the unexpected, combining two methods: 50 in-depth interviews with individuals and couples (approximately half recently retired...
Eat Drink and Be Merry – Scientists Said So!
Leave it to German researchers to conduct a study where they found that elderly adults who consume about two alcoholic beverages per day are at a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia than non-drinkers. Researchers said that study subjects were 30% less likely to develop dementia, and...
Alzheimers Onset Less in Bilingual
Bilingual individuals who have been able to speak more than one language for several years are able to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms four or five years longer than those who speak just one language, Canadian researchers have found. Scientists studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients. Half of the participants had...
Third of Home Care Staff Make Medication Errors – What You Can Do
A Northwestern University study has shown that more than one-third of paid home care staff had difficulty reading and understanding health-related information and directions. Sixty percent made errors when sorting medications into pillboxes. Nearly 100 paid, non-family caregivers were recruited in the Chicago area and their health literacy levels and...
Women Caregivers and Savings
The Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement has some good tips about saving throughout the stages of your life. Here’s a snapshot but do check out their site for more. And consultant with your tax and accounting professional before making any moves. Saving in your 60äó»s, 70äó»s and beyond: continue...
Alzheimer’s Plaques Might Begin in the Liver
The brain äóìplaquesäó commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease might actually originate in the liver, according to scientists at Scripps Research Institute in a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience Research. Researchers evaluated the effect of three different genes on the presence of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain. Lower gene...