In a pivotal scene of the documentary End Game, we listen in as team of palliative care professionals discuss Mitra, a 45-year-old woman who is dying of cancer. Should they approach her about hospice? The hospital chaplain urges the group not to bring … Continue reading
Floods, tornados, forest fires and hurricanes are equal-opportunity disasters that strike young and old alike. Or are they? Not according to Dr. Samir K. Sinha, a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and director of geriatrics f… Continue reading
Stacey G.’s (she asked that we use her last name initial only due to the personal details in the story) parents had a storybook romance. Married for over 60 years, her father still called her mother “sweetheart.” Stacey’s mother developed dementia. As … Continue reading
When Beverly Dunn called her new primary care doctor’s office last November to schedule an annual checkup, she assumed her Medicare coverage would pick up most of the tab. The appointment seemed like a routine physical, and she was pleased that the doc… Continue reading
Like any self-disrespecting woman, I’ve spent a lifetime of mirror scrutiny (and cash) on my thighs, hips, heart, back, post-baby belly, even my eyebrows. For all this investment, I’ve paid scant attention to the one irreplaceable body part that keeps … Continue reading
Did you know that arthritis is the main cause of knee pain and disability? Depending on the type and severity of the condition, treatment options include “conservative” medical, lifestyle and non-surgical interventions (oral medications, injections, ph… Continue reading
Designers of social and assistive robots clearly have figured out how to make their creations lovable, including giving them cute names. There’s Paro, Aibo and Buddy, to name a few. But while experts still expect social robots to find a niche in the c… Continue reading
(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) For years, Dr. Linda Fried 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. But her well… Continue reading
A special section in the recently released Alzheimer’s Association’s 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report focuses on the role primary care physicians can play in early detection of the disease. The association says all people 65 and older … Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This article is part of an editorial partnership between Next Avenue and the American Federation for Aging Research, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to support and advance healthy aging through biomedical research.) I… Continue reading