You can't escape the seemingly ubiquitous news stories about the latest cure for Alzheimer's. There is only one problem: None of them are true. Some are simply frauds. But many are over-hyped interpretations of serious research. You know the story...In what may be a major breakthrough in the battle against Alzheimer's disease... Over at Changingaging.org. Dr. Al Power wrote a terrific blog post [...]
What if you could be admitted to the hospital—in your own bedroom? That’s the idea of a health care model called Hospital at Home, which is aimed at elderly patients with diseases such as congestive heart failure, emphysema, urinary tract infections, or pneumonia. According to a new study published in the journal Health Affairs, people receiving this care through the [...]
It is tough enough to age in America if you are white and middle-class. You struggle with the loss of physical vigor, social connections, and independence. You face difficult financial challenges and profound changes in your relationships with family. Now, imagine aging if you are out of the cultural mainstream of the U.S. Imagine if you came to America as an adult 40 years ago. [...]
Those of us who have been caring for our parents know very well the physical toll it takes. I helped care for my dad for 18 months. And after he died, one of the first things I did was make an appointment to see my own doctor. I had never felt so exhausted and worn out in my life. Now, an important new study describes the health effects [...]
A White House task force on meeting the needs of middle-class families today proposed to spend an additional $102 million to assist caregivers of aging relatives. The initiative includes an extra $52.5 million for respite care--a program enacted by Congress in 2006 but never fully funded. It is very important that the Obama Administration recognizes that caring for our parents is critical to many [...]
The wonderful families I met while writing Caring for Our Parents had many things in common: The made tremendous sacrifices to help frail parents or spouses, they brought deep love and great patience to this responsibility. And under great physical, emotional, and financial stress, they often ignored their own health. It may sound selfish, but if you are assisting a loved one, [...]