January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. If you’re a glaucoma patient, this article, brought to you by the Glaucoma Research Foundation, tells why it’s important for you and your doctor to monitor your intraocular pressure (IOP). Understanding how your individual pressure changes over time can help you feel confident that your treatment is working effectively. Why Monitoring IOP is Important IOP…
There’s an erroneous belief that cognitive decline in our later years is inevitable. But these days, neurologists assure us that this is not the case. They note that even when brain imaging reveals changes that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, some seniors show no outward signs of memory or thinking problems. These seniors have built a robust “cognitive reserve”—extra brain…
Getting older involves change, both negative and positive, but you can enjoy aging if you understand what’s going on with your body and take steps to maintain your health. Many different things happen to your body as you age. Your skin, bones, and even brain may start to behave differently. Don't let the changes that come with old age catch…
Holiday visits are an ideal time to gauge your elderly loved one’s physical and mental capacity, as well as their environment. In this article by the Huffington Post, we learn what to look for. Elder care is a growing issue in society. Caregiving at a distance can be difficult, stressful and time-consuming. And often the only time caregivers see the…
Last Thanksgiving, Eliza Kendall visited her parents at her childhood home in Darien, Conn. They had both lost weight since she last saw them, her mother most noticeably. And when Kendall looked inside their oven, she found an uneaten pizza. "Reality hits you right in the face when you go home," says Kendall, 54, of Harwich, Mass. There were other…
What clues should you look for over the holidays? If you are planning to visit your aging parents over the holidays, here are 10 clues that may signal they need help. Maybe you’re planning a visit to see one or both of your aging parents after a period of not seeing them. Like a lot of adult children of elderly…
According the American Diabetes Association, one in four Americans over the age of 60 has diabetes. Here’s an article on their website that provides a comprehensive look at seniors and diagnosing diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, as we get older, our chances of getting Type 2 diabetes increases. They claim that one in four Americans over the age…
Can social conditions, including the stress of poverty, increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease? A new study discussed in this Washington Post article suggests it can. A new group of studies into racial disparities among people with Alzheimer’s disease suggests that social conditions, including the stress of poverty and racism, substantially raise the risks of dementia for African Americans. In…
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. Can we stop it before it starts? Here’s a look at the new offense in the Alzheimer’s fight from Newsweek. The announcement came the day before Thanksgiving, but there was nothing in it to be thankful for: An experimental Alzheimer’s drug many thought would slow the disease’s steady cognitive decline had failed to…
When it’s time to care for an ailing parent, it’s important for siblings to communicate and agree on expectations for Home Care in Potomac. In this article from the Washington Post, there are 6 ways siblings can pull together for Mom and Dad. My friend Mary’s mother died in July, and last week over dinner I asked her how she…
