With all the attention given in the press in recent years to the devastation caused by the opioid epidemic, one might think that these pain-killers are the only drug crisis in America. But there’s another one, even more deadly and more costly to U.S. seniors: older patients are taking far too many prescription medications. One…
When any patient undergoes surgery, everyone involved hopes for a successful outcome. But senior patients face special risks if things go wrong on the operating table – risks that all too often are never thoroughly discussed with the patient and family ahead of time. In the event of complications, patients and loved ones are caught…
With all the startling advances in digital technology, many experts seem to believe that the tech industry is on the verge of solving all our problems – especially in the realm of health care. But this article we discovered earlier this year from CNBC asks a nagging question: with all the billions being spent on…
A class of drugs that is taken by as many as one in four older adults has recently been shown to cause symptoms that mimic dementia. Now doctors are wondering whether long-term exposure to these medications can trigger symptoms of cognitive impairment that may prove irreversible. Medications that Mimic Dementia are Widely Prescribed We read…
If you have a loved one in your family who is at risk of falling, you’ve probably given them all the usual advice concerning fall prevention. Unfortunately, a recent medical report reveals that the message isn’t getting through: a growing number of seniors are dying as a result of falling, and it seems that doctors,…
Here at AgingOptions, we run across articles from time to time that make us want to shout “Amen!” in heartfelt agreement. That was our reaction when we read this Judith Graham article on the Kaiser Health News website. Her premise: the American medical system, Graham asserts, provides poor service to seniors, because it is rife…
Memorial Day is our annual reminder that we in the U.S. owe a debt of gratitude to our armed forces veterans that we can never adequately repay. One of the ways we seek to show that gratitude to the millions of men and women who have served in our nation’s military branches is to provide…
Picture this: two senior adults are sitting side by side. They’re the same gender, about the same age, and in similar health. One appears sad, downcast, even gloomy – the other is cranky, angry and chronically irritated. Which one would you guess is at greater risk of developing serious health problems? Anger Management: Anger Causes…
An unnerving article we discovered last year in the New York Times asked a penetrating question: could the rise in rates of depression and suicide be somehow linked to increasing use of common prescription drugs, some of which are also available over the counter? This inquiry was prompted by a 2018 report showing that m0re…
The typical hospital emergency room can be a chaotic place. Trauma victims, people suffering from drug overdoses, families bringing in sick kids, and a host of others facing various medical crises are all being served – eventually – by a harried staff of doctors, nurses and orderlies doing their best to keep people moving through…