Geriatrics

spinal indicators

The shape of an individual’s spinal column may predict his or her risk for nursing home admission or need of home assistance in old age, according to a new article published online in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.[read more]

nursing homes: skyrocketing costs

The Genworth 2013 Cost of Care Survey shows that the cost of receiving care in a setting such as an assisted living facility or nursing home is dramatically increasing, while the cost to receive care at home through homemaker services or a home health aide is rising at a much more gradual pace.[read more]

congestive heart failure

Did you know heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization in seniors over age 65? Heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans annually. Each year congestive heart failure is associated with 1 million hospitalizations, of which the majority are “re-admissions” or re-hospitalizations.[read more]

Alzheimer's accelerated by stress? / shutterstock

Stress-induced hormones produced by the brain can increase an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s in those already suffering from it. This study is the first to discover the precise mechanism that causes stress-induced Alzheimer’s disease.[read more]

Alzheimer's prevention / shutterstock

A team of researchers from the Ontario Brain Institute reviewed 871 research articles on exercise and Alzheimer’s conducted over the last 50 years. They found that more than 1 of 7 cases could be prevented by increasing the amount of physical activity an individual performs.[read more]

urinary incontinence triggers

By modifying what your loved one eats and drinks you can help naturally treat and control urinary incontinence symptoms to avoid accidents and other uncomfortable situations. Since not everyone is affected by the same foods or drink, test by the process of trial-and-error.[read more]

It’s important to know that memory loss isn’t an inevitable consequence of aging. It’s also important to know that not all forms of memory loss are dementia. Many people have some level of age-associated memory impairment, but not all memory issues follow a pattern of worsening over the years. Patients with dementia, however, will suffer a gradual loss of mental abilities over time.[read more]

nursing home / shutterstock

According to Caregiverlist.com's searchable online database the most expensive nursing home care is on average is found on the East Coast. The website identified the top 10 most and least expensive long-term care nursing centers out of more than 18,000 in its database.[read more]

Alzheimers/shutterstock

Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. It is also the only leading cause of death without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression. 1 in 3 seniors dies from Alzheimer’s or another dementia in the United States.[read more]

In-home health management systems enable home care aides, family caregivers, and patients themselves to enter enormous amounts of real-time health care data. For example, the cloud-based care management system — eCaring — allows the tracking of medication intake and vital signs, as well as daily routines and mental state, regardless of a user’s computer skills or health care literacy.[read more]

nursing home/shutterstock

Recently U.S. News & World Report released its fifth annual list of best nursing homes. Its five-star rating system is based on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data related to care quality, health inspection findings and staffing levels. Maine's nursing homes topped the charts.[read more]

Alzheimer’s disease presents many practical challenges to caregivers, such as dressing, bathing, and feeding the person. Yet, many caregivers claim the most difficult part is the inevitable “long good-bye” that comes as a result of the disease’s slow, progressive, incurable nature.[read more]