Reasons Why Women Are at Higher Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers are finally beginning to get a grip on the imbalance between Alzheimer’s diagnoses in women and men. Currently, as many as 2/3 of those with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. are female, and as scientists begin to understand the particular nuances behind this trend, we can begin to address them. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s…

Senior citizen female holding bottles of prescription medicine sitting in a wheelchair.

Common Medication Prescriptions Linked to Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s

They’re already known to cause a number of short-term side effects, such as memory loss and confusion, but new research links some of the stronger anticholinergic drugs (such as those prescribed for Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, depression, and overactive bladder) to a markedly increased risk for dementia. The study involved two groups of seniors: 59,000 patients with…

Senior female patient discusses concerns about her medication with an unrecognizable home healthcare nurse.

A New Approach to Chronic Condition Care: Let the Patient Take Control

When it comes to chronic diseases, older adults are the experts, hands down, with as many as three out of four seniors impacted by multiple conditions that are ongoing, require extensive medical treatment, and place limitations on activities. With the never-ending barrage of bloodwork and other tests, doctors’ appointments and procedures, and medications, managing chronic…

The Surprising New Recommendations Related to Low Blood Sugar and Senior Diabetics

The latest recommendations from the Endocrine Society regarding the elderly and diabetes are surprising, to say the least: lower blood sugar isn’t always best. And for those who’ve been maintaining a regimen of finger pricks, insulin injections, and careful monitoring of food intake, this change of course may be a bit hard to swallow. Known…

Towel Lifestyle

Help for This Common Alzheimer’s Care Concern: Resistance to Personal Hygiene

Of the many challenges related to providing care for a loved one with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association reveals that the most prevalent difficulty is with personal hygiene, for a variety of reasons: Reduced sense of vision and smell Comfort found in familiarity (i.e., wanting to wear the same clothes over and over again) The complexities…

Married couple argument

How to Keep Motivating Seniors from Crossing the Line to Bullying

As a family caregiver, you no doubt encounter a range of emotions throughout the day: shared laughter over a joke with your loved one; worry over a health concern; and certainly, from time to time, frustrations. We want only the best for those we love, and when an older adult is resistant to doing something…