Osteoporosis
- Fri, 10/15/10 - 10:21am
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- 1054 reads
Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
- Thu, 8/19/10 - 11:46am
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- 550 reads
The American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging: Educational Resources for Your Patients
- Tue, 5/13/08 - 9:56am
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- 1660 reads
The trend toward self-care and patient-focused healthcare continues unabated. To have patients engaged in the management of their own care requires informed patients. The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) is committed to initiatives in public education so that older adults can act as their own advocates for quality healthcare, and to increase the awareness of the larger public about health issues in the aging population.
Resources are available to older adults, their families, and their caregiv
Avoiding Overmedication and Harmful Drug Reactions
- Fri, 4/4/08 - 9:24am
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- 1618 reads
Avoiding Overmedication and Harmful Drug Reactions
Older adults are more likely than younger people to have long-term health problems such as arthritis and heart disease and to take medications on a regular basis.
Because older adults often have more than one health problem, it isn’t unusual for them to take several different prescription drugs, in addition to over-the-counter (OTC) medications, vitamins and supplements.
As a result, older adults run a higher risk of overmedication and unwanted drug reactions. Older adults may end up taking too many drugs or drug
The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging's: Winter Safety Tips for Older Adults
- Thu, 1/17/08 - 4:18am
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When the temperature drops, older adults run a high risk of health problems related to the cold—including hypothermia (dangerously low body temperature), frostbite, falls in ice and snow, and injuries. So it’s important that they, and those who care for them, take certain precautions this time of year. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself, or older loved ones, from:
Hypothermia:
Because older adults have slower metabolisms, they tend to produce less body heat than younger people. Thanks to the way our bodies change as we age, it’s also harder for older
Tips For Avoiding Caregiver Burnout
- Thu, 1/17/08 - 4:18am
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- 1184 reads
As many as 44 million Americans care for older parents, in-laws, grandparents and other older loved ones.
Some older adults need only a little assistance from family caregivers; for example, help with shoveling snow, or rides to and from the grocery store. Others need a lot of help with daily activities like eating, bathing, dressing, taking medications and managing money. Over time, an older adult often needs increasing help from caregivers.
While caring for an older family member can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime, it can also be stressful and frustrati
Safe Driving for Seniors
- Thu, 1/17/08 - 4:18am
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- 1768 reads
Most people have had a close call with another car, a person walking, or an object while driving.
Many people have also had car accidents. How do older adults and caregivers know when these situations are cause for concern?
Q. How old is too old to drive?
A. People can be great drivers or bad drivers at any age. Generally, young, new drivers tend to have the worst driving records. Experienced, middle-aged drivers are likely to have the best driving records. Overall, older drivers make appropriate adjustments for their abilities and limitations and are pretty safe too. In fact, the to
The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging’s: Walking Tips for Older Adults
- Thu, 1/17/08 - 4:18am
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- 755 reads
Walking is the most popular form of exercise among older adults and it’s a great choice.
Walking can strengthen muscles; help prevent weight gain; lower risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis; improve balance; and lower the likelihood of falling.
Before older adults plan their first walk, they should check with a health care provider.
Take these steps to walk safely:
Tell your health care provider if you have any pain or problems walking
It’s important to be as healthy as possible before you start to walk, but don’t let a health pro
The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging's: SHARP AT ANY AGE: Tips for Keeping Your Brain Young
- Thu, 1/17/08 - 4:18am
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- 1135 reads
As we get older, we tend to get wiser in many ways. Thanks to experience, we may be better at making decisions, have bigger vocabularies and be more expert in certain areas than we were when we were younger.
As our brains get older, however, it may be a bit harder for us to learn certain information or remember things. It may be harder, for instance, to remember your neighbor’s phone number, or your grandson’s birthday.
The good news is that there are lots of things you can do to keep your brain sharp and working well throughout your life. Researchers call this “cognitive vital
The Patient Education Forum: Quit Smoking
- Thu, 1/17/08 - 4:18am
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- 1533 reads
Smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease and death in the US. Smoking causes about 300,000 people over the age of 65 to die each year. Since smoking is so dangerous, Medicare will soon cover counseling to help people quit.
Q. I’ve been smoking for many years and am healthy, why should I quit?.
A. Even if you think of yourself as being very healthy, after you’ve stopped smoking you will likely notice that you have more energy. You will also find that you are less prone to colds and the flu. You will save money. For example, if you smoke 1 pack
