Approaching age 65 is an important and perhaps ambivalent milestone: it certainly represents a new stage of life, at least when it comes to health care. For 65 is the usual age at which most people become eligible for Medicare. For those of you or your loved ones approaching 65,…

We’re constantly bombarded with imagery and information about food- what to eat, what not to eat, etc. It can all be overwhelming, especially if you try to be knowledgable but not obsessed about your food choices. Perhaps it’s time to get down to basics- and understand what’s essential and what’s…

While it’s critical that everyone contemplate what his or her needs will be in retirement, the planning may require extra consideration for women.  Given that women have often endured pay inequity, time out from the workforce and other actions that have affected their finances, it’s important that women receive retirement…

Dementia can be a devastating diagnosis. It often leaves patients and families grasping for whatever ideas they can find to lessen or forestall the difficult symptoms. Without knowing the scientific validity, it’s not uncommon for families to reach for such alternative therapies as dietary supplements or herbal remedies for the…

If you’ve ever gone through labor and delivery, or knows someone who has, you’ve probably heard of a “birth doula,” a person trained to be a calming and comforting presence at the bedside as a woman goes through childbirth. Similarly, at the end of life, the presence of a calm…

There’s a lot of nonsense out there to listen to these days- but for many of us, the genius of podcasts is that they provide intelligent, interesting listening in a world that sometimes has gone mad. For those of you who are podcast devotees, or just have a computer on…