If You’re Among the Millions with Chronic Foot Pain, Consider These Possible Causes – and Helpful Tips to Reduce Discomfort
Foot pain is no laughing matter. Studies show that 75 percent of Americans will experience serious pain in their feet at some time during their lives, and as many as four in ten suffer from chronic pain that limits mobility. With that as a background, we were drawn to this...
In Sickness and in Health: Being Your Spouse’s Caregiver is “the Biggest Challenge Your Marriage Will Ever Face”
Most marriage ceremonies include the phrase, “in sickness and in health” – usually just after “for better, for worse.” This recent article on the website Considerable.com has opened our eyes to the fact that, for about 3.7 million men and women who are caregivers for their...
“A Uniquely American Phenomenon” – Crippling Medical Debt Puts Millions Under Severe Financial Pressure
It’s a financial burden that in other countries would be “unfathomable,” say the health care policy experts. Millions of Americans, even many with insurance, are finding themselves with “crippling amounts of medical debt.” Those are some of the sobering phrases we found in...
Staying Sharp in Old Age: Which Strategies Work the Best to Help Reduce the Effects of Dementia?
Here at AgingOptions we’ve read a lot (and written a lot) about dementia. Staying as mentally sharp as we can in old age is a goal we all share, just as the fear of cognitive decline is a phobia common to most of us. Is there one single strategy to help us avoid the onset of...
NPR Report: Doctors Routinely Test Patients for Blood Pressure and Cholesterol – so Why So Little Screening for Dementia?
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...
Kiplinger: Beware of these Four Dangerous Assumptions – They Could Devastate Your Retirement
None of us has a crystal ball, so when we look ahead to our retirement years we have to make some educated assumptions about all sorts of things – where our money will come from, how healthy we’ll be, and how much our kids will be involved in our lives, just to name a few....
Consumer Reports: Four Common Health Problems That Can Be Serious When You’re Older
When we’re in our 30s or 40s, a bout with the flu is typically a nuisance and not much more. We usually bounce back after some bed rest and some over the counter medications, and our lives return to normal. However, as we all know, illnesses like the flu can be devastating to...
Families Dealing with Dementia Need to Understand the Perils Ahead
If you are part of a family dealing with dementia, you know what a bewildering and painful journey it can often be. Part of the great and unanticipated tragedy of dementia is the emotional and relational damage it can wreak, not just on the one with the illness, but on loved...
It’s Time for Doctors to Talk with their Patients about Drug Costs!
“It seems that everyone’s talking about the high costs of drugs—to friends, with family, on social media—but where those conversations are not happening often enough is at the doctor’s office.” So begins this important article that appeared in the pages of Consumer Reports....
Dealing with Complex Medical Issues? Some Tips to Keep it all Straight
If you’re dealing with two or more chronic medical conditions, you may feel as though you are constantly spending time in doctors’ offices, or wading through medical claims and paperwork. And if that’s how you feel, you’re not wrong, according to an article we just read on...
