About a million Americans will have knee replacement surgery this year, and roughly 600,000 will have their hip joints replaced. For years the consensus in the medical community has been that the best place to undergo post-surgical rehabilitation is in a rehab center, typically a short-stay skilled nursing facility. But new research suggests otherwise: there’s…
About a month ago we told you about this featured report on National Public Radio concerning screening for dementia. Why, the report asked, is testing for cognitive impairment not being administered to everyone age 65 and older? We thought about the NPR report a few days ago when we discovered this related story on the…
Imagine this scenario. You call the office of your new primary care physician and schedule your annual checkup, assuming Medicare will cover the cost. The appointment goes well and the exam seems thorough. Then to your surprise, a few days after the appointment you get a bill for $400. Assuming it’s a billing mistake, you…
We just discovered a provocative news article from National Public Radio that sheds some important light on the increasing problem of cognitive decline. “In the U.S.,” NPR reports, “older people with dementia are usually told they have Alzheimer’s disease. But a range of other brain diseases can also impair thinking and memory and judgment.” That’s…
What if you heard of an epidemic that was causing up to 125,000 deaths each year in the U.S.? What if this epidemic was also responsible for 10 percent of all hospitalizations in the country, and was costing the American health care system well over $100 billion annually? And what if you discovered that this…
We were surprised just a few days ago by a news story on National Public Radio revealing a disturbing statistic: barely one in every seven seniors is getting routine, regular screening for cognitive impairment. This is in spite of the fact that almost every primary care physician surveyed – and a huge majority of patients…
When it comes to sleep, are you a lark or a night owl? It turns out, according to a research study in Great Britain that was the subject of a report last spring in this article on the BBC website, that those of you who fall into the “late to bed, late to rise” group…
Staying healthy at every stage of life is critically important, especially if we want to live out our days with energy and vitality. The best way to avoid becoming a burden to those we love is to stay as healthy as we can, as long as we can. With that goal in mind, we offer…
Flu season is reaching its peak, and if you’re among the many (at least 60 percent of Americans, says the CDC) who put off getting vaccinated, you might think it’s too late. But you’d be wrong – and what’s more, unlike last year, this year’s flu vaccine appears to be right on the money. In…
It may not be a fountain of youth, but it’s a simple prescription from which practically anybody can benefit. New research has shown that physical activity helps keep your thinking sharper, even for those with limited mobility and for those already experiencing some cognitive decline. Activity Keeps Your Brain Sharper We read about this reassuring…