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You've been taking care of yourself all of your life, and if you did it well, you have a good chance of enjoying a comfortable old age. But everyone's body changes, and you need to know all the ways you can help keep yourself (or a loved one) feeling good as long as possible -- whether with smart medical care, the right medicine or exercise. Read on to learn more.
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Getting Started
We can take the best possible care of ourselves, but no one lives forever, and we need to be prepared for the inevitable declines of age, as well as informed on what benefits senior citizens can claim.
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Interview: Seniors At Risk for HIV
With input from Detroit Medical Center's Dr. Lawrence Crane, WWJ Newsradio 950's Pat Sweeting explores the reasons why more people over age 50 are being diagnosed with HIV-AIDS.
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How to Know It's Time to Dump Your Doctor
In relationships, sometimes you have to know when to call it quits. That's especially true when it comes to the relationship with your doctor.
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Stay Safe: Tips For Seniors
When you're out in public, travel with a friend. In parking lots or garages, park near the entrance and be aware of your surroundings. When in a car, keep the doors locked; on a bus sit close to the driver. WWJ's Pat Sweeting reports on safety tips for seniors.
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Keep It Sharp: Feed Your Brain
Although many people add vitamin and mineral supplements to their diets as a way to boost brain health as they age, there are certain foods that'll get those brain cells going, too.
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Managing Menopause (For Men, Too)
As millions of families can attest -- when mom moves into the menopausal phase of life -- the entire household often finds itself walking on eggshells. Lately, doctors are seeing male patients complaining of similar symptoms, too. WWJ's Pat Sweeting takes a look at managing menopause.
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Choosing Pain Medicine For Osteoarthritis
You've learned that the pain in your knees has a name: Osteoarthritis. But, what do you do about it?
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Sleep: How Much Is Enough?
Can't seem to nod off at night? National Institute on Aging advises that it could be insomnia, but for Seniors, it could be a sign of something more serious.
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Seeing Your Way Through Age-Related Macular Degeneration
A diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be jarring. A disease that affects central vision, it gradually destroys the ability to see objects directly in the line of vision, impeding basic functions such as driving and reading. AMD affects as many as 18 percent of people age 65 to 74 and 30 percent of those 75 and older.
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New Hospital Offers One-Stop Care for Seniors
The beautiful new $360 million complex that makes up the new Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital promises a lot: It strives to be a health care experience like no other, offering the latest in medicine, technology and patient safety, while integrating with on-site wellness and prevention programs.
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Detroit Nonprofit Seeks to Help Older Adults With Mental Illness
We hear of older people going into nursing homes, but it’s not as common to hear about them leaving. John Sczomak, unit direct of Older Adult Services at Neighborhood Service Organization, has plenty of stories about people leaving nursing homes, however. Hundreds of stories, in fact.
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Increased Risk of Death For Older Adults With Osteoporotic Fracture
Women and men age 60 or older who have a low-trauma osteoporotic fracture have an increased risk of death for the following 5 to 10 years compared to the general population, according to a study released in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
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Evangelical Homes of Michigan Adopts "Brain Fitness" System
Evangelical Homes of Michigan announced that it is the first senior living provider in the state of Michigan to adopt the Dakim BrainFitness System as part of its wellness programming for residents.
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Area Agency on Aging Offers Emergency Preparedness Tips for Seniors
What would you do if a natural disaster, such as a flood or severe storm, happened in your area? What about a prolonged blackout? We should all be prepared for unforeseen events, particularly people who may be more vulnerable, such as seniors.
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Health Officials: Be Smart, Get Screened
Are you a man over age 50? There are certain screening exams you should talks about with your doctor.
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Study Finds Most Seniors Feel Younger
Older people tend to feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age, according to a study by University of Michigan and Berlin researchers.
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Help Available For Senior Alcohol Abuse
Do you have concerns about an older parent or grandparent’s drinking habits? Help is available in the form of a pocket-sized screening questionnaire from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
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Signs of Depression in Seniors
Suspect a senior you know is suffering from depression? According to the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, here are some signs to look for.
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Male Menopause Not A Myth
We've heard plenty about menopause in women, but is there really a male menopause?
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Quick Tips to Keep Your Spine Healthy
Dr. Marilyn Gates, director of the Elderspine Surgical Program at Henry Ford Medical Group, offers quick tips to seniors for keeping your spine healthy.
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UM Study Suggests Statins May Help Prevent Memory Loss
A new study shows that people who have a high risk for dementia are half as likely to develop the disease if they have taken cholesterol-lowering statins.
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Alzheimer?s Association Makes New Caregiver Tool Available
The Alzheimer’s Association recently unveiled CareSource, a new section on alz.org where caregivers can find tools for Alzheimer’s-related decision-making and care.
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Alzheimer?s Association Provides Caregiver Conversation Checklist for Long-Term
The Alzheimer’s Association recently compiled a checklist of talking points and helpful hints to aid families considering long-term care for a loved one.
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Study of Remarried Spouse Caregivers
University of Michigan researchers are conducting a study on the Alzheimer’s caregiving experiences of spouses who are in a late-life remarriage (‘second marriage’). Researchers are seeking to recruit 125 remarried caregivers whosespouse has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
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Maximize Your Doctor Time
Get the most out of your doctors’ visits! A little preparation can help you maximize your return on the (often short) time you’re face to face with a physician.
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Walk for Health!
I don’t have the time. I can’t afford the gym fees. I don’t enjoy exercise. It’s too darn hard.
If you’re among the ranks of people who find organized sports too, well, organized, or get bored looking at the same walls of the gym every time you work out, or don’t have much in your budget to put toward your exercise routine – consider walking.
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Arthritis Inhibits Physical Activity For Diabetics
Arthritis can be a barrier for those seeking to manage diabetes through physical activity, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control study.
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Watch Your Feet! Diabetics Pay Special Attention
Diabetes puts you at risk for a number of health complications, including disease of the nervous system, which can lead to impaired sensation or pain in the feet.
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Study: Older Adults Vulnerable to Gambling Problems
New research conducted by Wayne State University’s Institute of Gerontology verifies that one in five older adults who go to casinos display problem gambling behaviors.
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American House and WSU Team Up to Help Detroit Seniors
American House Senior Living Residences and Wayne State University’s Institute of Gerontology have teamed up to create a charitable foundation devoted to improving the health of Detroit’s senior citizens.
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New 'Food Pyramid' for Older Adults
The USDA recently redesigned the food pyramid, now called MyPyramid, and created tools to help individuals track food intake and physical activity. Now Tufts University researchers have taken their previously published Food Guide Pyramid for Older Adults and modified it to correspond to the updated MyPyramid.
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Study: New 'Whole-Person' Approach for Diabetes
A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine suggests that diabetes patients suffering concurrently from other diseases should be treated on a “whole patient” basis.
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Senior/Aging Medical News
View the latest headlines from Medical News Today on the biology of aging, demographics, continuity of care, quality of life, care needs, longevity, lifestyle and more.
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Riding the Age Wave: A Speech by Ken Dychtwald
Ken Dychtwald, arguably the nation’s foremost leader on aging, spoke recently at the Solutions For Family Caregivers Expo in Novi, Michigan. “Riding the Age Wave: Charting a Course to Choice and Independence” went from choice bits of history, to statistics both thought provoking and downright scary.
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Make Aging Easier on the Eyes
The eyes are not just a window to the soul. For older adults, they're also the canary in the coal mine for other health problems.
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Home Health Care: An Option for You?
With a rapidly aging population, and as more seniors opt to continue living at home, home health care is growing in popularity.
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Geriatrics 101
What is a geriatrician, and do you or a loved one need one? This relatively new subspecialty of internal medicine is bound to become more important as the population ages.
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Healthy Eating Hits Close to Home
So-called "foodies" have been admonishing the rest of us to "eat local" for years -- and they don't mean in the corner restaurant. Rather, they preach that both producers and consumers are better-served, and better-fed, when the food we eat, whether at home or in a restaurant, travels the shortest distance between farm and table.
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Use it or Lose it: Avoiding 'Creeping Frailty'
Most people know about osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, diabetes and other health hazards of aging. Sarcopenia is far less well-known -- although virtually everyone over 45 has it to some degree. It's not a disease, but the perfectly natural (and unfortunate) result of aging, in which we lose muscle mass and, hence, strength. A recent Tufts University health letter calls it "creeping frailty."
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Report: How Hospitals Handle Your Heart
What are your chances of living through a heart procedure at your local hospital? The Department of Health and Human services has released a report of 41 hospitals nationwide, making it a little easier to find out.
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Fuel for the Mind
Can eating the right foods improve your memory?
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Senior Dental Care
Fluoridated water and regular checkups throughout life means most seniors today reach their elder years without one detail of their grandparents' generation -- a glass on the bedside table holding a full set of dentures.
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Rx Drugs: Paying the Price
One of the most expensive items in a senior’s budget is prescription drugs. Even if you have insurance coverage, it pays to be aware of what individual pharmacies charge for your medications.
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Being Active Every Day
The facts are indisputable: The more active you are, the more healthy you’ll be. Seniors who take the time to exercise, or to work exercise into their daily routines, will stay fit and flexible longer than those who don’t.
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