Skip to content
Skip to main menu
Home › Issues in Aging › Page 5
Where Should You Go to Recover after a Hospitalization? April 7, 2020 by Judith Graham - Every year, nearly two million people on Medicare—most of them older adults—go to a skilled nursing facility to recover after a hospitalization. But choosing the facility can be daunting, according to an emerging body of research.
A Doctor Speaks Out about Ageism in Medicine March 24, 2020 by Judith Graham - Society gives short shrift to older age. This distinct phase of life doesn’t get the same attention that’s devoted to childhood.
Health Care Costs: Want an Estimate? Good Luck with That March 10, 2020 by Mary Jacobs - When Linda Stallard Johnson’s husband had pain in his shoulder, he suspected he might be having a heart attack. His sister had just had one, with similar symptoms. The couple went to a hospital emergency room, where he underwent an…
Is Suicide Ever Simply a Rational Choice? February 25, 2020 by Melissa Bailey - Ten residents slipped away from their retirement community one Sunday afternoon for a covert meeting in a grocery store cafe. They aimed to answer a taboo question: When they feel they have lived long enough, how can they carry out their own swift and peaceful death?
The True Cost of Growing Old in America February 5, 2020 by Jan Mutchler - The US population is aging at such a rate that within a few years, older Americans will outnumber the country’s children for the first time, according to census projections. But rising rents, health care and other living costs mean that for many entering their retirement years, balancing the household budget can be a struggle.
Has Your Doctor Asked You about Climate Change? January 8, 2020 by Martha Bebinger - When Michael Howard arrived for a checkup with his lung specialist, he was worried about how his body would cope with the heat and humidity of a Boston summer.
Researchers Seek Sage Advice of Elders on Aging Issues December 10, 2019 by Judith Graham - Rachel O’Conor booted up her slides and began posing questions to six older adults sitting around a table: How should primary care physicians support patients and caregivers after a diagnosis of dementia? And what stands in the way of getting adequate support?
When Should You Take Away an Older Person’s Cell Phone? November 23, 2019 by Judith Graham - At first, Robert Zorowitz, MD, thought his 83-year-old mother was confused. She couldn’t remember passwords to accounts on her computer. She would call and say programs had stopped working.
Wearable Technology Has Great Potential November 5, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - A small wristband device is helping Randy Miltenberger prepare for a knee replacement. His doctor wants him to strengthen his leg muscles to prepare for the upcoming surgery and rehab, so Miltenberger, 73, wears a FitBit fitness tracker. The device…
Lethal Plans: Suicides in Long Term Care Facilities October 8, 2019 by Melissa Bailey and JoNel Aleccia - When Larry Anders moved into the Bay at Burlington nursing home in late 2017, he wasn’t supposed to be there long. At 77, the stoic Wisconsin machinist had just endured the death of his wife of 51 years and a grim new diagnosis: throat cancer, stage 4.
Getting Older, Sleeping Less? October 8, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - Until age 45, Mary Jo Anderson says, she was a “champion sleeper.” “It’s like someone flipped a light switch,” she said. “When I entered menopause, I suddenly couldn’t fall asleep.” At age 64, she had less trouble falling asleep but…
Starving Seniors: How America Fails to Feed Its Aging September 13, 2019 by Laura Ungar and Trudy Lieberman - Army veteran Eugene Milligan is 75 years old and blind. He uses a wheelchair since losing half his right leg to diabetes and gets dialysis for kidney failure.
And he has struggled to get enough to eat.
Are Pets Really Good for Older People? September 9, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - An older couple put aside some of the food delivered by Meals on Wheels in order to have enough to feed their dog. A widow delays an important visit to the doctor, fearing no one will care for her cat…
Is There Such a Thing as Normal Aging? August 21, 2019 by Bruce Horovitz - For 93-year-old Joseph Brown, the clearest sign of aging was his inability the other day to remember he had to have his pants unzipped to pull them on.
Loneliness in Older Adults: It’s Complicated July 30, 2019 by Judith Graham - For years, Linda Fried, MD, offered older patients who complained of being lonely what seemed to be sensible guidance. “Go out and find something that matters to you,” she would say.
What If You Don’t Want Dialysis? July 10, 2019 by Judith Graham - Susan Wong, MD, sat down with an 84-year-old patient in the hospital, where he’d been admitted with a flare-up of a serious auto-immune condition and deteriorating kidney function.
‘Elder Orphans’ Need Fallback Plans May 15, 2019 by Judith Graham - It was a memorable place to have an “aha” moment about aging.
Peter Sperry had taken his 82-year-old father, who’d had a stroke and used a wheelchair, to Disney World.
Breaking the Age Barrier May 3, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - Art Russell, 60, counts at least a dozen 20-somethings as friends: the guys he fences with; a 26-year-old colleague at work; and several people who attend his church. Although he also has many friends his own age, Russell values those…
Medical Students Learn How to Talk to Patients about Dying April 8, 2019 by JoNel Aleccia - The distraught wife paced the exam room, anxious for someone to come and tell her about her husband. She’d brought him to the emergency department that afternoon when he complained about chest discomfort.
Family Caregivers Are Older Than Ever March 26, 2019 by Judith Graham - Perhaps it was inevitable: with so many people living longer, more and more empty nesters are taking on the care of parents who are frail and ill. Journalist Judith Graham explores what that means for the younger generation in terms…
How to Preplan Your Own Funeral - When Amy Martin’s mother-in-law died last year at the age of 96, the funeral arrangements were easy. Her mother-in-law had discussed her wishes with her two adult children. 
Is the Term ‘Senior Abuse Prevention’ Ageist? - I hardly ever cross-post questions from my Yo, Is This Ageist blog. I’m making an exception because the question below occasioned such a meaty discussion during this week’s Old School’s Office Hours meetup. It also helped me understand why the phrase…