A new report from agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services say that critical gaps exist between older Americans who receive preventive services and those who do not. Clinical prevention services examined in the report include: vaccinations that protect against influenza and pneumococcal disease screenings for the...
Author Archives: anthony
Alzheimer Caregiver Toll
A USA Today article recently looked at the toll on Alzheimer’s caregivers citing recent reports from the Alzheimer’s Association. Among the highlights: 15 million unpaid caregivers help someone with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia in the USA äóî 37% more than last year. an estimated 5.4 million people are...
Senior Fitness, Obesity and Medicaid – Weighty Issues!
Obesity carries with it inherent health problems. Combine obesity and old age and you exacerbate age-related decline.æ A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows those over 65 should continue with diet and exercise, dispelling the belief that weight loss can cause the elderly to lose...
Life Expectancy > But Hold the Parade
According to the National Vital Statistics Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy of a baby born in the U.S. climbed to 78.2 years. At the same time, the death rate fell to an all-time low. The age-adjusted death rate fell from 758.7 deaths...
Life Expectancy > But Hold the Parade
According to the National Vital Statistics Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy of a baby born in the U.S. climbed to 78.2 years. At the same time, the death rate fell to an all-time low. The age-adjusted death rate fell from 758.7 deaths...
1.1 Million 50+ Taken to ED for Adverse Medication Reactions
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...
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...