On October 30, 1993, my father suffered a debilitating stroke. The next day he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. My mother, who was suffering with macular degeneration, osteoporosis, congestive heart failure, restless leg syndrome, and severe hearing loss, became his full-time caregiver. My parents lived on a farm six miles northwest of McPherson, Kansas, a… Continue reading How to Cope with Caregiver Stress
Author: Sondra Forsyth
Sondra Forsyth is Co-Editor-in-Chief of ThirdAge.com. She is a National Magazine Award winner with scores of major magazine bylines and twelve books to her credit. Her most recent book is “Candida Cleanse: The 21-Day Diet to Beat Yeast and Feel Your Best”. Sondra was Executive Editor at “Ladies’ Home Journal,” Features Editor at “Cosmopolitan,” and Articles Editor at “Bride’s”. A former ballerina, she founded Ballet Ambassadors, an arts-in-education company in New York City, and served as Artistic Director for 16 years.
Is It a Memory Lapse or Is It Dementia?
About 10% of all people over the age of 65 have some form of dementia, by the age of 85 that has increased to 30-50%. As the population aged 65 and older continues to increase, the number of people with dementia will increase as well. But millions more elders who forget a name or why… Continue reading Is It a Memory Lapse or Is It Dementia?
Are Older Adults Being Appropriately Screened for Colorectal Cancer?
Who should consider colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and why? CRC is a common and costly disease, largely of the elderly, with nearly 25% of cases diagnosed among patients aged 75 to 84 years, but the guidelines for CRC screening of Americans aged 75 or older vary according to a study published in the American Journal… Continue reading Are Older Adults Being Appropriately Screened for Colorectal Cancer?
Lowered Doses of Chemo Drug for Breast Ca May Promote Ca Spread to Liver
If you or someone you love is being treated with paclitaxel (PTX) for breast cancer, listen up. Research done by a team of scientists in China and published June 16th 2016 in the FEBS Journal indicates that although paclitaxel, which is the most commonly used chemotherapy for breast cancer, does suppress tumors when given at… Continue reading Lowered Doses of Chemo Drug for Breast Ca May Promote Ca Spread to Liver
How to Establish Emergency Savings During Market Uncertainty
After a referendum referred to as “Brexit was held on June 23rd 2016 to decide whether the UK should leave or remain in the European Union, “Leave” won by 52% to 48%. Wall Street and global markets sustained major plunges. Ups and downs in the economic and industry cycles are unavoidable, and with 47% of… Continue reading How to Establish Emergency Savings During Market Uncertainty
Why Older Adults Must Wear Helmets: Head Injuries Are Serious Trouble
Here’s a dirty little secret about safety: People know they should wear helmets when riding bikes, skiing or snowboarding—but many ignore warnings and don’t don helmets. Yet they’re aware of known and suspected consequences of head trauma, especially for older adults. Head injuries are a serious matter and there is growing awareness of this menace… Continue reading Why Older Adults Must Wear Helmets: Head Injuries Are Serious Trouble
“Adapter” Older Adults Live Well in Spite of Chronic Diseases
You might believe that older adults who deal with extensive chronic illnesses or serious diseases would be more likely to be frail and to have a poorer quality of life than healthier older adults. That may be true for some elders–but not for all. Research published in June 2016 in the Journal of the American… Continue reading “Adapter” Older Adults Live Well in Spite of Chronic Diseases
Don’t Let Your Ears Show Your Age
Though our ears are 90 percent formed by age six, they do change shape and appear to enlarge as we age. The ears droop as soft tissue (skin, fat, and muscle) relaxes and structural support changes. Bone recedes with time, so there’s less foundation to hold the skin and cartilage up. Plus, loss of elasticity… Continue reading Don’t Let Your Ears Show Your Age
Five Ways to Maintain a Grateful Harmony in Your Relationship
“What If…” We’ve asked this question many times, sometimes in our heads and sometimes to each other. As college sweethearts, we separated because of a lack of maturity and communication skills, not because anything was wrong between us. Since we reunited six years ago, we’ve both wondered what would’ve happened had we stayed together. Don’t… Continue reading Five Ways to Maintain a Grateful Harmony in Your Relationship
For Women, One More Reason to Eat Healthy: Better Mobility When Aging
In a large study conducted by at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston, researchers found an association between women who maintain a healthy diet and a reduction in the risk of developing impaired physical function as they age. The findings were published online in June 2016 in the Journal of Nutrition and will appear… Continue reading For Women, One More Reason to Eat Healthy: Better Mobility When Aging
Piping Hot Drinks May Lead to Cancer of the Esophagus
Drinking piping hot coffee, tea, and the caffeine-infused beverage yerba mate probably causes cancer, the World Health Organization announced on June 2016. A release from the University of Southern California reports that beverages surpassing 149 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius) may increase the risk of tumors in the esophagus, which resides in the chest area… Continue reading Piping Hot Drinks May Lead to Cancer of the Esophagus
Manage Mosquitoes While Enjoying the Great Outdoors
Don’t let disease-carrying mosquitoes keep you indoors this summer. Instead, employ these eight tips to protect yourself and manage these pests in your yard. Do a bit of yard and garden clean up. Remove weeds, manage neglected gardens and keep the lawn properly mowed to reduce resting spaces for adult mosquitoes. Eliminate standing water where… Continue reading Manage Mosquitoes While Enjoying the Great Outdoors
Don’t Let These 5 Missteps Trip Up Your Plans For Retirement
About 10,000 Americans retire each day and millions more are lined up right behind them, waiting for the day when they can finally enjoy a little relaxation after a lifetime of toil. But many of those people could be headed for retirement disaster if they don’t develop a better understanding of what their financial needs… Continue reading Don’t Let These 5 Missteps Trip Up Your Plans For Retirement
Eating More Whole Grains Linked with Lower Mortality Rates
Eating more whole grains may reduce the risk of premature death, according to a new meta-analysis by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study found that people who ate the most whole grains (70 grams/day, about 4 servings), compared with those who ate little or no whole grains, had a lower… Continue reading Eating More Whole Grains Linked with Lower Mortality Rates
How Older People Learn
Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany asked test participants in different age cohorts to feel two needlepoints that were located closely to each other with the tips of their fingers. Older participants perceived two points as a single event even when they were located quite far apart, whereas younger people were still able to distinguish… Continue reading How Older People Learn
Navigating the Hospice Learning Curve
About twenty years ago a group of friends and I visited an acquaintance who was in a special hospice wing of a local hospital. We were told he had been taken there to die. We visited, and the next day he died. For several years after this experience, my immediate association with the word “hospice”… Continue reading Navigating the Hospice Learning Curve
How to Feel More Attractive Without Plastic Surgery or Weight Loss
The current media ideal for women’s overall appearance is achievable by less than 2% of the female population. But we are bombarded with this unrealistic ideal. We see more images of exceptionally beautiful women in one day than previous generations saw throughout their entire lives. It’s no wonder that eight out of ten women are dissatisfied with their appearance.… Continue reading How to Feel More Attractive Without Plastic Surgery or Weight Loss
Unprecedented Improvements in Alzheimer’s Patients
Results from quantitative MRI and neuropsychological testing show unprecedented improvements in ten patients with early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or its precursors following treatment with a programmatic and personalized therapy. Results from an approach dubbed metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration were published online in June 2016 the journal Aging. The study, which comes jointly from the Buck… Continue reading Unprecedented Improvements in Alzheimer’s Patients