Blog

A Pack of Reasons to Quit Smoking

August 1, 2022 — Older Americans grew up in an era when smoking was portrayed as glamorous and sophisticated. Look through a stack of old magazines from the 50s and 60s and you are likely to find glossy full-page advertisements featuring doctors and nurses lighting up while they speak approvingly about the health benefits of a particular brand of... Read More

Spending Time in Nature Provides a Health Boost for Older Adults

July 15, 2022 — During the pandemic, many people quarantined in their homes and didn’t go out as much. On the other hand, public health experts told us that socializing outdoors was much safer than inside. Events from weddings to family nursing home visits to church services migrated outdoors as weather permitted. If you or an older loved one... Read More

Fourth of July Safety Precautions From Medical Experts

July 1, 2022 — In 2020 and 2021, many communities cut back or cancelled their Independence Day celebrations. Public safety experts reported that in the absence of traditional public fireworks displays, more people decided to put on their own amateur shows—and this resulted in an increase in injuries. According to the National Fire Protection Association, each year thousands of... Read More

Sleep Lessons from Our Ancestors

June 15, 2022 — With all the advances of modern medical science, it can still be useful to look at the health practices of our species over time. We evolved in a far different environment than most of us live in today, and our brains and bodies may not have caught up yet. Sleep has been deeply impacted by... Read More

Pet Safety for Older Adults

May 15, 2022 — A February 2022 study from the University of Florida showed that when it comes to your memory health, your dog is indeed a very good boy! For that matter, your feline friends and even fish and turtles provide a brain boost. Sociology doctoral candidate Jennifer Applebaum led the study of 1,300 seniors, which found that... Read More

Older Adults and Supplement Safety

May 1, 2022 — More than half of all older adults take dietary supplements. For the most part, these substances are not harmful. But there are several things older consumers should know: Supplements are largely unregulated, so there’s no real way to know what you’re buying, and whether it is safe. Supplements are not tested by the U.S. Food... Read More

Does Aging Mean We Should Slow Down? Evolution Says No!

April 2, 2022 — The old cliché is that older adults should take it easy—maybe even take to their rocking chairs. Today, we know how wrong that is! “It’s a widespread idea in Western societies that as we get older, it’s normal to slow down, do less, and retire,” said Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel E. Lieberman. In fact, he said,... Read More

How Can We Avoid Spreading Health Misinformation?

March 15, 2022 — Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve been experiencing another epidemic—this one of misinformation! Spreading unsubstantiated rumors is never a good thing, and in the case of health information, it can be life-threatening. For most of us, it feels good to know we’re sharing factual, accurate information—but how can we be sure we really are? “Health... Read More

Self-Neglect Is an Underreported Type of Elder Abuse

March 1, 2022 — During a visit to their hometown, Dan and Amy visited their great-aunt. Aunt Becky was glad to see them, but they were worried at what they saw in her home. Her usually spotless house was dirty and unkempt. Though she’d always taken pride in her wardrobe, her dress was dirty and torn. She seemed painfully... Read More

How Are Seniors Doing as the Pandemic Continues?

February 15, 2022 —   From the beginning of the pandemic, much attention has been paid to older adults, who are at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and who have faced isolation and an interruption to their regular activities as they practiced social distancing. Recent figures show that 75% of people who died from the virus are... Read More