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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.
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…
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.
The New Shingles Shot: Much More Effective Than the Old One January 30, 2019 by Michelle Andrews - Federal officials have recommended a new vaccine that is more effective than an earlier version at protecting older adults against the painful rash called shingles. But persuading many adults to get this and other recommended vaccines continues to be an uphill battle.
Everything You Need to Know about the New Medicare Cards September 28, 2018 by Judith Graham - In April, the government [started] sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59 million people enrolled in the federal health insurance program are identified.
Older Artists Keep Creating and Growing September 12, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - Opera star Plácido Domingo made his name as a tenor. ...But now, at age 77, Domingo is a baritone.
Love to Travel? Don’t Let Aging or a Disability Stop You July 11, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - As a cultural attaché for the US Department of State, Teresa Wilkin lived abroad and traveled the world, and she kept traveling, extensively, after retiring in 2004. But it wasn’t until last year that Wilkin, 69, had what she wryly…
When Is It Time to Give Up the Car Keys? April 20, 2018 by Flora Davis - Americans outlive their own ability to drive by six to 10 years on average. To many of them, that seems like a fate almost worse than death.
How to Save Yourself and Those You Love During a Disaster April 20, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - When Hurricane Harvey struck his neighborhood on August 28, 2017, the Rev. John Stephens of Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston helped launch a “boat ministry.” He and several men in the church navigated privately owned boats into the rising…
Playbook for Later Life April 20, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - In July, 2017, Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel rocked the sports world with a stunning announcement: he was retiring from pro football, at the top of his game, at age 26. Urschel, once dubbed “the NFL’s smartest man,” will…
Don’t Deny Your Age—Celebrate It! March 7, 2018 by Susan Hoskins - Recently someone asked me if I would participate in a talk called "Don’t Let an Old Person Move into Your Body." I thought about it for several days, and then I declined.
Marc Agronin: There’s Power in Growing Old January 21, 2018 by Leigh Ann Hubbard - Marc Agronin, MD, knows old age—as much as a 51-year-old could anyway. In particular, he knows difficult old age.
Save on Health Care at the Playground January 20, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - When Ronni Bennett discovered elder playgrounds online a few years ago, she immediately fell in love with the concept.
Aging and Addicted January 20, 2018 by Jenny Gold for Kaiser Health News - It took a lot of convincing for John Evard to go to rehab. Seven days into his stay at the Las Vegas Recovery Center, the nausea and aching muscles of opioid withdrawal were finally beginning to fade.- The Opioid Balancing Act January 18, 2018 by Jenny Gold for Kaiser Health News - The national conversation about the opioid epidemic has mostly focused on young people who buy drugs illegally on the street. But the scrutiny of opioids has also changed the way doctors are prescribing medications to [older people] to ease their pain from arthritis, cancer, neurological diseases and other illnesses that become more common in later life.
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…