Health Issues:
Schemes advertising dubious pills, potions, diets and other supposed treatments for a wide variety of illnesses common in older people have been promoted by fraudulent salesmen for centuries. Nowadays, instead of listening to sales pitches for home remedies at the county fair from snake oil salesmen, vulnerable older adults are bombarded by ads for these questionable solutions in newspapers, magazines, TV, the internet, and even cell phone text messages.
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Ensuring the well-being of older adults involves comprehensive care, and one aspect often overlooked is eye health. Glaucoma, a progressive eye disorder leading to optic nerve damage and potential blindness, is a significant concern, especially among older adults. As a caregiver, it's crucial to integrate glaucoma testing into the care plan, given its prevalence and potential severity.
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The brain, despite weighing a mere three pounds, serves as the body's mastermind, orchestrating complex functions from speech to movement. But as hardworking as it is, the brain is vulnerable to internal injuries known as strokes or "brain attacks," placing both it and its owner at risk. Strokes, the third leading cause of death in the US, can occur at any age but are more prevalent among older individuals.
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Statistics from the NHS say that 1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime, and according to BreastCancer.org, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. Cancer is the second biggest killer in America, only behind heart disease. Cancer claims are one the leading costs for employer healthcare and caregiving programs.
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When you hear the term “substance abuse” or "substance use disorder" what age range comes to mind? Perhaps you first think of adolescents or young adults. You may be surprised to hear that alcoholism within the older adult population is on the rise. In fact, research shows that in 2020, a total of 5.7 million seniors struggled with alcoholism. Substance use is often overlooked within our older adult population, so we'd like to highlight this topic.
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When my wife and I go grocery shopping for ingredients for our healthy meals we have a list of “staples.” These are the common items we use everyday which are often components in our meals for the week.
Similarly, when patients of all ages (more so those over the age of 50) come to see me, we focus on their “staples,” or their chronic medical problems. We frequently review lab work and conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Sometimes as our visit concludes, patients bring up an additional concern. They have an “add-on”—sleep problems! Unfortunately, for patient and physician, sleep disorders are complicated, potentially very serious, and they take more than just a few minutes at the end of an office visit to evaluate
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Older adults are often guilty of paying less or no attention to their oral health. This can prove fatal to their overall health. Your oral health is connected to your overall health in more ways than you can imagine. Take a look at these 5 dental problems which are common in older age:
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Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common, and they are often not noticed by the patient. They can be in the kidneys, bladder or urethra (the tube that takes urine from to bladder to outside of the body). Urinary tract infections can be found with a urine test. Although there are some natural remedies, these infections are usually treated with antibiotics. Women are at greater risk than men.
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Many of us know someone with osteoporosis: a colleague, a relative, a neighbor. But too few of us are aware of the ravages of this condition.
It’s a common misconception that osteoporosis occurs after someone suffers a fractured bone (usually by falling). Osteoporosis is actually a degenerative disease that causes one to be more susceptible to fractures. It’s a “silent” disease like high blood pressure in that there are usually no symptoms. This is why it’s so important to take appropriate steps to ward off the risk of developing it, as well as talk with your doctor about your unique risk profile.
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Before your loved one is scheduled for any routine or diagnostic test, there are some questions that you should make a point to ask in advance.
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An estimated 25.9% of people over 65 have diabetes. There's no cure for the disease but it can be treated through weight loss, diet, exercise and oral medications. Without treatment diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, vision problems and other diseases.
If you have an older parent or loved one who has been diagnosed with diabetes, it's important for him – and you as a concerned family member -- to learn all you can about diabetes. Educating yourselves about the disease will help both of you make good decisions about everyday diabetes management.
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Millions of adults in the United States have urinary incontinence. It is most common in people over 50 years of age, especially women.
Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control. It can range from leaking a small amount of urine to having very strong urges to urinate that are difficult to control. Incontinence may be a chronic or temporary problem.
Although prevalence and incidence of urinary incontinence increases with advancing age in both men and woman, it should NOT be considered part of the normal aging process.
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Identity theft is a worldwide phenomenon with very personal results to those who’ve been victimized by con artists and thieves. You and your loved one need to be ever vigilant in guarding personal, financial and medical identities.
Your loved one’s medical identity could be a target of thieves who wish to capitalize on insurance and/or benefits. According to a study from the Ponemon Institute, medical identity theft rose 22% in 2014, affecting 2.3 million Americans.
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As a caregiver to an older adult, you need to know that he or she is very susceptible to a life threatening respiratory disease—seasonal influenza. On the plus side, this can be prevented through vaccination. In fact, vaccinations for seasonal flu are recommended for all adults over the age of 65.
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If you are caring for a parent with a chronic condition like heart disease, you pay close attention to their health and medical needs. You should also keep a close eye on their nutrition.
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If your parents are older adults, they may not believe that they can still receive health benefits by quitting their cigarette habit. They may have started smoking before the public understood the determent nicotine can do to a person’s body, or they may think they are too old at this point for quitting to matter. Even you may believe that your parent—or parents—are too old to quit smoking—that they don’t have the willpower or incentive to do so. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Consider the following facts.
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Once you or your loved one decides to have a hip replacement, you should know what goes into the process. A total hip replacement takes approximately two to four hours of surgical time.
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If you are a caregiver to on older adult, you should be aware of hospital acquired infections (HAI). What are they? HAIs are preventable infections that occur when someone who is infected with bacteria has that same bacteria spread through lax treatment discipline by health care workers--meaning that workers are not wearing gloves or washing their hands in between working with these infected patients.
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If your loved one is a man in his senior years, eventually he might suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia. What is benign prostatic hyperplasia? BPH is a condition brought on by the growth of the prostate gland in men.
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Peripheral vascular disease, or peripheral artery disease as it is sometimes known, can develop in individuals who are near or over the age of 50, who have diabetes, who smoke and who are overweight. Does your loved one meet any of these criteria? If so, it is important to be alert for signs of this condition. The complications of the disease are serious and can lead to a loss of a limb and put your loved one at greater risk for heart attack and stroke.
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If you find that your loved one is experiencing pain, swelling or redness in his or her lower legs, don’t hesitate to see a doctor. He or she may be experiencing a deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. A pulmonary embolism carries symptoms of shortness of breath, pain when breathing deeply, or coughing up blood, rapid breathing or a fast heart rate.
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The thought of caring for an ostomy most likely is low on your list until your loved one needs one. A stoma is an opening that redirects stool or urine out of the body through the abdomen. A colostomy is a redirection through the large intestine; an ileostomy is a redirection through the small intestine.
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Does your loved one suffer from uncontrollable sleepiness during the day? Is he or she getting the necessary amount of necessary sleep to wake feeling refreshed and ready to face the day?
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The thought of caring for an ostomy most likely is low on your list until your loved one needs one. A stoma is an opening that redirects stool or urine out of the body through the abdomen. A colostomy is a redirection through the large intestine; an ileostomy is a redirection through the small intestine.
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Have you noticed a change in the behavior or an older adult that you care for? Perhaps it has taken place over the span of a number of days--confusion, restlessness, hallucinations or social withdrawal?
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If your children were born before 1995, you probably nursed them through the chicken pox and breathed a sigh of relief that you would never have to deal with that again.
Guess again! If you are caring for an older loved one, you should be aware that about half of the nearly 1 million people in the United States who get shingles each year are 60 years and older.
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If you’re over the age of 50, you might be feeling knee pain that limits your daily activities. Perhaps you are having trouble climbing stairs, walking, or getting out of chairs. These symptoms might be indicative of more than just “old age.” You might be experiencing osteoarthritis.
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More than 90 million Americans have high blood pressure and/or diabetes. Both of these diseases are leading causes of a silent killer, kidney disease.
For older adults, this is especially critical as studies show an increase of diabetes with aging due to factors such as obesity, decreased activity, and insulin resistance.
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Because of their own sturdy foot structure some lucky people never develop bunions or other foot problems as they age. Most podiatrists agree bunions are a part aging. Wearing poorly fitting shoes does not cause bunions although poorly fitting shoes can make bunions worse.
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A colonoscopy usually takes about a half-hour or hour to complete. Afterwards your parent will be moved to a recovery room while the sedative wears off -- it takes about an hour – and then she is ready to go home.
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Colon and rectal cancers are one of most common forms of cancer diagnosed in men and women over 50. These cancers are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Older adults with a history of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease) or ulcerative colitis are at increased risk for developing intestinal cancers. The American Cancer Society recommends that people diagnosed with either of these conditions should have a colonoscopy eight to twelve years after they have been diagnosed with the disease with follow-up colonoscopies at least every two years after that.
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If your older relative complains about difficulty walking, climbing stairs, keeping up with house and gardening chores or needs help with other everyday activities because of disabling chronic knee pain, he or she might be a good candidate for a knee replacement.
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Imagine settling down in bed for a good night’s sleep. Just as you start to doze off, you are awakened by restless, creepy-crawl, jittery sensations in your legs along with strong urges to move them. Often, these feelings are so powerful, so uncomfortable, and so irritating that your parent has to get up and walk around the bedroom until these unpleasant feelings finally disappear.
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The stomach is a hard-working organ that most people ignore until they suffer a painful bout of that uncomfortable, unpleasant condition known as heartburn – also called gastro-esophageal reflux disease or GERD for short. It is one of the most common – and unpleasant -- digestive disorders of older people.
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Who Should Wash Their Hands?
Everyone!
Hand washing is especially important during cold and flu season. Careful attention to washing hands throughout the day can prevent your older parent, other family members and yourself from coming down with colds and flu.
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As people age they often worry about changes in bowel function (or lack of function). If you are a caregiver for an older family member you also may worry about your parent’s intestinal complaints and may be concerned that they could be early signs of a serious intestinal disorder.
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The American Diabetes Association recommends that people who take insulin or diabetes medications should monitor their blood sugar levels regularly. Caregivers who understand the basics of blood glucose monitoring can encourage elderly parents to manage their diabetes successfully and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications in the future.
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When you sit down to dinner do you or your family members automatically reach for the salt shaker? Even before tasting the food? Most people consume much more salt than their bodies require. American Heart Association guidelines recommend that salt intake for adults should be limited to 1,500 mg or less daily.
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Most people don't think about their lungs until they come down with a bad cold, the flu, pneumonia, bronchitis or other disease that affects the respiratory system. The coughing and chest congestion are unpleasant and often painful. With the help of over-the-counter cough medicines, nasal sprays, lots of water, or chicken soup these symptoms will disappear and you'll soon feel better. If these remedies don't help your doctor can prescribe a stronger medication to manage your disagreeable symptoms until your ailment runs its course.
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Your heart is a busy organ. It's about the size of your fist and beats 100,000 times a day. The heart's job is to supply all your other organs with blood so they can function properly and keep you healthy, active and alive.
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Cancer of the colon (the large intestine) is one of the most common forms of cancer. Although it is diagnosed most frequently in people over age 50, colon cancer can occur in men and women of all ages. People with a family history of colon cancer are at greater risk for developing the disease themselves. Those who have had other intestinal disorders like colon polyps (small growths that may become malignant), perticulosis, or inflammatory bowel disease are also more likely to develop colon cancer.
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Many adults who enjoyed active lifestyles when they were younger and healthier find themselves suffering from stiff, painful backs as they age. Life with an aching back can be a miserable experience. Back pain is one of the most common reasons older people visit their doctors for a back exam, diagnosis, pain relief and treatment.
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The long battle against polio finally ended with the development of the first effective polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1952. In 1955 the first polio vaccinations were administered. By 1979 almost everyone in the United States had been vaccinated. Since then only ten people in the United States have been diagnosed with the disease.
However polio continues to affect older adults who were stricken with the disease earlier in their lives before the development of polio vaccines. Even if they experienced only mild polio-related disabilities they may discover that their bout with the disease continues as they age. Estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that more than 440,000 polio survivors are at risk for developing post-polio syndrome as they grow older.
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Foot disorders are a common – and painful – part of growing old. An estimated 80 percent of people over 50 suffer from at least one foot problem. Older adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes are especially at risk for age-related foot conditions that may limit their ability to walk, increase their risk for falls, and damage nerves causing loss feeling in the feet and painful foot ulcers. If foot conditions do not respond to treatment, amputation of affected parts of the foot may be required.
The good news is that careful daily management blood sugar with a combination of diet, exercise and medications can prevent or control serious foot disorders.a
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The brain is a remarkable and highly sensitive part of the body. It's a complex organ, weighing only about three pounds but it's the body's "mastermind." Your brain controls, monitors and regulates your speech, movement, thoughts, and actions. It keeps your heart beating and your lungs functioning. The brain manages memory, the ability to learn new things, stand, sit, walk, run, taste, feel, and smell. It's your brain that makes it possible for you to see.
Because it is enclosed by the thick bones of your skull, the brain's sensitive tissues are protected from most outside injuries. However your brain (and you) are at risk for interior injuries call strokes or "brain attacks."
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Although it's only about the size of a walnut, the prostate can be a troublesome gland for men over 50. The prostate produces a man's semen and is located just below the bladder in front of the rectum and surrounds the urethra – the tube that carries urine out of the bladder to the penis.
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Your heart is an amazing organ. It's about the size of your fist and sits in the middle of your chest. Three times every minute the hard working heart pumps 6 quarts of blood throughout your body. Over a lifetime that's about 1 million barrels of blood.
Most people don't pay much attention to their heart until something goes wrong with it -- like a heart attack.
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Families of older adults are especially concerned about the recent outbreak of swine flu – and with good reason. When younger people come down with flu's fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, cough, fatigue, and other unpleasant symptoms they usually recover fully after a miserable week in bed. However a bout of the flu in older people can be far more serious especially if they are in poor health or suffer from chronic illnesses.
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Constipation is a common complaint of many older adults. You can't watch TV or read a magazine without seeing ads for remedies to treat or prevent this uncomfortable ailment. Although shelves of these products are readily available in drugstores, older adults are often embarrassed to admit that they are suffering from irregular bowels. As a caregiver it will be helpful to understand how constipation can affect your parent's comfort and overall health.
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Gout is a disease that has tormented people for centuries. Among those who have suffered from this painful disorder are such notable inpiduals as Thomas Jefferson, England's King Henry VIII, the English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Benjamin Franklin.
If you are caring for an older person with gout or other chronic diseases it will be helpful for both of you to understand the causes of gout and how to prevent future gout attacks.
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Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Every year an estimated 500,000 people die from heart attacks. Most people think men are more likely to die from heart disease than women. However statistics show that heart disease is the number one cause of death in women and that women suffer almost half of all fatal heart attacks. More women between the ages of 40 and 60 die of heart disease than breast cancer.
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If you have a family member with Parkinson's he or she is in good company. Noteworthy Parkinson's patients include the boxer Muhammad Ali, TV star Steve Allen, Michael J. Fox, Billy Graham, Adolph Hitler, Pope John Paul II, and actress Deborah Kerr.
Parkinsons is caused by lack of dopamine -- a substance in the brain that helps control the body's movement and other functions. Parkinson's usually affects people over 60 although younger people may also develop the disorder.
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Mark Twain once said: "To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did. I ought to know because I've done it a thousand times."
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As a caregiver you may be concerned about your parent's drinking. Signs of alcohol abuse include poor personal care, confusion, falls, minor accidents, and beer cans or wine bottles in the trash.
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Eating out is a real challenge for older adults with diabetes. Your relative who you are caring for may have no trouble sticking to his diabetes diet at home. It's much harder to "just say no" when the restaurant menu lists dozens of mouth-watering treats, the buffet table is loaded with goodies, or a friend invites you both to a luscious holiday meal. People with diabetes need to maintain blood sugars as near normal as possible to avoid serious complications.
With a little planning you and your loved one can make healthy food choices and enjoy a pleasant meal away from home with no regrets.
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High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. Without treatment it damages blood vessels and increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.
It's important for everyone – especially older adults – to have blood pressure measured regularly.
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Stroke (sometimes called "brain attack") is the third leading cause of death and disability in older people although young people can also have strokes. Prompt recognition of stroke symptoms and immediate medical attention can save your relative's life, improve his chances of recovery, and reduce stroke-related physical and mental disabilities.
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