While a frank and informed discussion about present and future medical and personal needs can secure the most suitable type of long-term care at the right time, many people find the topic discomforting. Others are in outright denial about the possibility of requiring long-term care. While the aging population, longer life spans, rising health care costs, and an ever-increasing strain on government services ought to compel all those over the age of 40 to prepare for the possibility of long-term care, that’s not the case today. Most Americans have not seriously considered or planned for the emotional and financial consequences…
The world is aging so fast that most countries are not prepared to support their swelling numbers of elderly people, according to a global study issued by the United Nations and an elder rights group. The report ranks the social and economic well-being of elders in 91 countries, with Sweden coming out on top and Afghanistan at the bottom. It reflects what advocates for the old have been warning, with increasing urgency, for years: Nations are simply not working quickly enough to cope with a population graying faster than ever before. By the year 2050, for the first time in…
Bryon Bradley, a diminutive, bespectacled, 43-year-old with a mild disposition, was making his daily rounds in the prison infirmary. Bradley shuffled from bed to bed, checking on his patients before stopping in front of Jerald Jessup, a frail 74-year-old wearing an orange knit cap. The tall, rangy septuagenarian, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and uses a wheelchair, was undecided about rec. The two are joined in an uncommon hospice program at Wabash Valley Correctional Institute in Carlisle in which prisoners take care of other, terminally ill, inmates. Since it began three years ago, inmate volunteers have guided 50…
Read the 2013 edition of the State of Aging and Health in America. It includes an introduction to the health of older Americans, the national report card on healthy aging, and a state-by-state report card on healthy aging.
Jiroemon Kimura, who passed away at the remarkable age of 116 years 54 days, held a record that few of us ever have the chance of achieving: the world's oldest living person. Perhaps more significantly, though, Kimura-san achieved an even rarer accolade when, on December 28, 2012, he became the oldest man who ever lived. As the oldest male whose age could be reliably determined, Kimura succeeded Denmark's Thomas Peter Thorvald Kristian Ferdinand "Christian" Mortensen, who reached 115 years 252 days in April 1988, and became the first man to ever exceed 116 years. Kimura was born in 1897, the…
Financial scams abound around the holidays, and it's long been known that the elderly are more vulnerable. Now, scientists are learning why: New research suggests age-related changes in the brain make it harder to detect suspicious body language and other warning signs that people may be untrustworthy. The prevalence of the crime has already reached epidemic proportions, according to Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and will continue to grow as the Baby Boomers age. Financial exploitation of the elderly — from telemarketing scams to identity theft, fake check scams, and home repair fraud…
The five biggest risk factors, as stated by Dr. Oz, are the following 1. Age The biggest risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s is age. The chances of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s increase steadily as we age. Right now, the risk of Alzheimer’s doubles every year after the age of 65. About half of people who are 85 and older have Alzheimer’s. 2. Genetics Another risk factor is genetics. There is a rare form of Alzheimer’s called Familial Alzheimer’s, which always begins well before the age of 65 (typically in the 40s and 50s) and runs in families, that is autosomal…
Is it aging or something else? Sometimes it can be hard to tell — that’s why experts say we should all be aware of the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Symptoms can include*: – Memory loss that affects day-to-day function. – Difficulty performing familiar tasks. – Problems with language. – Disorientation of time and place. – Poor or decreased judgment. (This symptom can be tricky because a person with Alzheimer’s might not realize they have a health problem that needs attention.) – Problems with abstract thinking. – Misplacing things. – Changes in mood and behaviour. – Changes in…
As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, more and more seniors are finding themselves facing a harsh reality: they didn’t adequately plan financially for their later years. Sure they saved enough to retire, pay the bills, and travel. However, there is a potential financial drain waiting towards the end of their lives that they just did not see coming—the need for long term care. Perhaps this is where you find yourself now. Maybe your spouse has suffered a debilitating fall and you need a home health aide to assist you in caring for them. Or perhaps you are an…
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