February is Low Vision Awareness Month. If you have a family member who has low vision, there are many ways to help them maintain their independence. According to allaboutvision.com, Good vision is a precious gift — and one that's easy to take for granted. Imagine for a minute what life would be like if your vision was permanently impaired and…
February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Month. Many eye diseases are treatable if diagnosed early enough. But often, the damage from eye disease happens slowly, so a person doesn't notice a loss of vision until it is too late. Vision loss can lead to depression, inactivity and overall decline in seniors. The top cause of impaired eyesight in older adults is…
You might have noticed that your parents are starting to need more help. Maybe the house is uncharacteristically dirty, they’re not eating properly, or medication doses are being missed. Talking with parents about aging and lifestyle changes can be tricky, but for everyone’s sake, it’s better to have these conversations before a crisis hits. It’s good to keep in mind…
There are strategies that work. Your mother resists in-home helpers, insisting you can wait on her. Your frail father won't stop driving. Your aunt denies the need for a personal care aide, in spite of her unwashed hair and soiled clothes. Your grandmother refuses to move to an assisted living facility "because it's full of old people." Sound familiar? Nothing…
According to the National Eye Institute, Glaucoma eye disease can damage the optic nerve and result in vision loss and blindness. It occurs when the inner pressure of the eye slowly rises. With regular eye exams and early treatment, you can often protect your eyes from glaucoma and vision loss. How Does Glaucoma Develop? At the front of the eye…
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…
