Diagnosis and Decisions: A Strategy For Anticipating And Coping With Dementia
December 7, 2017
No one likes to contemplate what might happen if your cognition, or that of a loved one, begins to deteriorate and dementia is on the horizon. But some of us are planners, and for those who like to map out the road ahead, there are tools and strategies available for the…
Straight Talk: Doctors In Conversation With Patients Late In Their Lives
December 7, 2017
For too long, physicians have been hesitant to speak with patients about a poor prognosis or approaching end of life. Often out of fear of harming their relationships with patients, or dimming whatever hopes remain, doctors have been reluctant to engage in these difficult conversations. Now, in a new study…
For Those Who Care: November Is National Family Caregivers Month
November 16, 2017
Those of you caring for aging loved ones need no reminder- but for the rest of us, it’s important to acknowledge the reality that family caregiving is a very tough job, and family caregivers need help and support. In recognition, November has been declared National Family Caregiver Month, and the “theme”…
Mixed Up: Minding The Risk Of Delirium For Older Patients
November 9, 2017
It’s all too frequent that older people who become confused, disoriented or have a fluctuating mental state are assumed to just be experiencing symptoms of “aging.” But these symptoms could actually indicate delirium, a serious and often undiagnosed affliction that seniors can experience after surgery or more generally during hospitalization….
Serious Talk For Serious Illness: How And Why Are We Falling Short?
November 9, 2017
It’s no surprise, yet it needs to be reiterated, that another major public survey has found that conversations, and documentation, around medical care at the end of life fall short of the mark for most people. A new survey out from the Kaiser Family Foundation underscores that many people have…
Ripped Off: After The Equifax Breach, You Are More Susceptible To Fraud
October 19, 2017
Given the recent computer hacking of the Equifax credit monitoring system, all of us need to be at heightened alert over identity theft or financial fraud perpetrated on us. For seniors, this is especially true, as confirmed in a recent survey done by the Cooperative Credit Union Association. In this…