Approximately one in 10 older people living in the United States has experienced physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse or neglect, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse. To understand how to keep your elderly loved ones safe, whether in your care or in the care of others, Patricia Speck, DNSc, a board-certified family… Continue reading Recognizing Elder Abuse
Tag: physical
The Mental Health Benefits of Pilates
The Pilates exercise program can have a positive mental effect on people living with chronic conditions. Researchers looked at 15 women and seven men to determine what benefits they got from Pilates. The participants, age 36 to 83, suffered from a range of chronic musculoskeletal ailments. These included nonspecific low back pain, peripheral joint osteoarthritis… Continue reading The Mental Health Benefits of Pilates
Physicians’ “Fat Shaming” Can Cause Physical and Mental Harm
“Fat shaming” — making overweight people feel embarrassed or ashamed of their weight — is painful enough when it comes from coworkers, family, friends or social media, but it can be especially harmful in a physician’s office. In fact, medical discrimination based on people’s size and negative stereotypes of overweight people can take a toll… Continue reading Physicians’ “Fat Shaming” Can Cause Physical and Mental Harm
Help for Caregivers of Dementia Patients
States could save tens of millions of dollars — and help more Americans with dementia remain in their communities — if their caregivers took part in a program designed to improve their emotional and physical well-being, according to new research published in The Gerontologist. Although estimates of the prevalence and incidence of dementia in the… Continue reading Help for Caregivers of Dementia Patients
Fighting the Loneliness Epidemic
Family, friends, and meaningful work help us build connections that make us feel like we’re part of something. But when we lose that feeling, long-term or permanent loneliness can be the result. Though we have more and more ways of communicating, statistics show that 65% of people surveyed say they’ve been significantly lonely. The issue… Continue reading Fighting the Loneliness Epidemic
Loneliness and Serious Illness
Loneliness and social isolation take a substantial toll on the human body, researchers say, in some frightening ways. But they are beginning to find out exactly why that is. Studies show that people who are chronically lonely have significantly more heart disease, are more vulnerable to metastatic cancer, have an increased risk of stroke and… Continue reading Loneliness and Serious Illness
The Emotional and Physical Pain of Fibromyalgia
Sometimes, not knowing the truth about something of immediate importance can create some of the most intense stress, says former chronic pain sufferer Janet Komanchuk. “The families of victims who’ve been missing for years or decades – identifying the body of their loved one, for example, can bring closure. For me, being diagnosed with fibromyalgia… Continue reading The Emotional and Physical Pain of Fibromyalgia
The Anger Epidemic: How It Affects Mental and Physical Health
Irate people seem to be everywhere these days, on airplanes, in cars, at school, on social media platforms and at political rallies across the country. In fact, voter rage often makes more headlines than the candidates seeking office. Has anger reached a fever pitch in America? According to a November 2015 national survey conducted by… Continue reading The Anger Epidemic: How It Affects Mental and Physical Health
5 Arenas For Improving Wellness at Work In 2016
While it’s no surprise that losing weight consistently ranks at the top of New Year’s resolutions, obsession with weight is often too narrow a focus. For many, weight is a symptom of a lifestyle that’s not conducive to wellness. Since much of our lives revolve around work, it makes sense to focus our attention on… Continue reading 5 Arenas For Improving Wellness at Work In 2016
Exercise DVDs May Not Be Healthy
Using fitness DVDs may seem like an ideal way to get into shape, but they could have a negative effect on you, according to new research. A study of 10 popular commercial exercise DVDs showed that the imagery in the fitness videos may be perpetuating and reinforcing hyper-sexualized and unrealistic body images, said Brad Cardinal,… Continue reading Exercise DVDs May Not Be Healthy
Answers to The Top 20 Exercise Questions
Editor’s note: We hear a lot about exercise, but we may not be aware of the basics we need to know, especially as we get older. Here, from the experts at Go4Life, a division of the National Institute on Aging, are the most important exercise questions and answers. Remember to always ask your doctor before… Continue reading Answers to The Top 20 Exercise Questions
“Green” Environments Benefit Seniors
Everyone knows that natural environments can promote physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Now, though, research shows that certain kinds of environments are especially beneficial for seniors. Research conducted by a University of Minnesota graduate student with a team in Vancouver, B.C., shows that green and “blue” spaces (environments with running or still water) are especially… Continue reading “Green” Environments Benefit Seniors
The Pain of Physical and Emotional Infidelity
Many people can move beyond where their mate put their genitals, but it is much more difficult to heal from their lies and deceit. In a recent survey of 674 infidelity survivors, AffairRecovery.com found that 75% said that the emotional betrayal was harder to overcome than the physical. This may be an unexpected outcome for… Continue reading The Pain of Physical and Emotional Infidelity
Housework Has Both Physical and Mental Benefits
Housework has both emotional and physical benefits for older adults, according to new findings by a Case Western Reserve University school of nursing researcher. “House cleaning kept them up and moving,” said Kathy D. Wright, PhD, RN, CNS, a postdoctoral KL2 Scholar at the university’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. “A clean environment is… Continue reading Housework Has Both Physical and Mental Benefits
Sex May “Rebound” in 50-Year Marriages
People whose marriages last longer than 50 years often see a resurgence in sexual activity, according to new research. The study, from researchers at Louisiana State University, Florida State University and Baylor University, found that people who remain in their first marriage have more frequent sex than those who remarry. But though the frequency differs,… Continue reading Sex May “Rebound” in 50-Year Marriages
What’s Holding You Back?
by Terry Barnett-Martin If you knew that you would be successful if you took a chance and ventured out, would you do it? How about if you knew that you’d learn something important even if you it didn’t work out the way you’d planned? Would you try anyway? It takes a certain courage, which all… Continue reading What’s Holding You Back?
Update on Mild Cognitive Impairment
A new comprehensive review of studies about mild cognitive impairment (MCI) says that physical and mental activity can help reduce the risk of the frightening condition. The doctors, from the University of Michigan Medical School, published their review in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “MCI is hard for both clinicians and for patients… Continue reading Update on Mild Cognitive Impairment
Five Secrets of Resilience
Those of us who have a pulse also have risks … risks of bad things happening at anytime, anyplace. Illness, loss, impairment, or accidents can suddenly be a major part of our day or even our life. It’s like we have buzzards circling overhead wherever we go. When we’re young, those buzzards are high above… Continue reading Five Secrets of Resilience