Falls are a marker of frailty, immobility, and acute and chronic health impairment in older persons. Falls in turn diminish function by causing injury, activity limitations, fear of falling, and loss of mobility. Most injuries in the elderly are the result of falls; fractures of the hip, forearm, humerus, and pelvis usually result from the […]
Loneliness increases with age, and it is connected with a surprising number of health effects such as high blood pressure, heart disease, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even mortality. When it comes to loneliness, we all feel it in different ways. Some people feel lonely when they are by […]
Some patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s can live in the community with some help from family or home care providers. Below are tips to help people live with safety and confidence. These steps are great building blocks to help persons with Alzheimer’s disease, but being flexible and capable of adapting to individuals will help deal […]
Some patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s can live in the community with some help from family or home care providers. Below are tips to help people live with safety and confidence. These steps are great building blocks to help persons with Alzheimer’s disease, but being flexible and capable of adapting to individuals will help deal […]
Each November the home care and hospice community honors the millions of nurses, home care aides, therapists, and social workers who make a remarkable difference for the patients and families they serve. These heroic caregivers play a central role in our healthcare system and in homes across the nation. To recognize their efforts, we call […]
The scariest room in horror movies is often the basement. There should be more fear of the bathroom. Although the smallest room in the house, a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study found that nonfatal injuries among older adults were likely to occur in the bathroom. [1] The two most common spots for injuries were […]
Your mother probably told you it is not healthy to sit and watch TV so much, but you thought she was just making it up. Actually, over the past 40 years, a number of studies have shown negative health effects related to watching TV for hours each day. A recent addition to this collection of […]
A study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that higher blood glucose levels may increase the likelihood of dementia. [1] This statement holds true even for those who do not have diabetes but consistently exhibit higher than average blood sugar tests. The ability to stay physically active is an important component […]
Insufficient or low-quality sleep may be more than an annoyance. It can be a major health concern meriting a visit to your general practitioner or a sleep specialist. Difficulty sleeping that impairs activities of daily living and lasts greater than three months meets the clinical definition of insomnia. Insomnia can be a disorder or a […]
We might find it interesting to know that adopting a pet comes with some surprising health benefits for the new owner. For those who truly consider a dog to be man’s best friend, it helps to know the health benefits dogs can bestow on a human being. In fact, some studies show that dog ownership […]
