Posted in February 2010

Aging and Middle Age Brain Health

Why we need to exercise … and don’t need a lot of those other products on the market… I am so tired of television, magazine, and catalog ads selling brain improvement products — to seniors as well as to people my age. They are starting to arrive regularly in my mailbox, and TV is an … Continue reading

Going Back to Volunteer @ Assisted Living

Tonight we went back to volunteer at Chesterbrook Residences, the assisted living community where my husband’s mother spent her last two years. Our experience with this facility was stellar, and we both want to give something back because of how much support we received when Mother lived there, The two of us arrived in time … Continue reading

Aging Parents and Children: Wireless Medical Information

A few weeks age I wrote about a my mother-in-law’s atrial fibrillation, especially how she grew increasingly helpless as she felt the unusual heart beats while her physician never heard them. Even after Mother wore a monitor at home for 48 hour the monitoring it wasn’t enough to detect the problem. Additional consistent investigation was … Continue reading

Aging Brains: A Review of Welcome to Your Brain

If you think a lot about your brain and why it acts like it does,  I’ve discovered a wonderful book.  Welcome to Your Brain, by Ph.D. neuroscientists Sandra A. Aamodt and Sam Wang tells all sorts of stories and dispels lots of myths. Published in 2008,  it’s  filled with clear and easy-to-read information about the … Continue reading

Aging Brains: The “Senior Moment” Comment

As aging children most of us are used to hearing friends and colleagues make the “senior moment” comment. Just about any time a person has difficulty remembering something he or she will comment, “…oops, I’m having a senior moment.” I began noticing this in my late 40’s and now, ten years later, it happens more … Continue reading

After an Aging Parent’s Death: Obituaries and Remembrances

Other Posts Relating to Remembrances:   After a Parent’s Death: Writing a Remembrance, Part II,    After an Aging Parent’s Death: Obituaries and Remembrances,  Mother’s Memorial Service Since my mother-in-law passed away in January, each day has included tasks for us to accomplish, all relating to the ending of a life and the transition to the … Continue reading

My Parent’s Blog – Seniors and Blogs

Wow! Technology never stops. This morning my parents, age 86 and 82, told me that they went to Google and started a blog.  This is the coolest thing because they love to write and they love their computers.  Also they have lots of great opinions about helping others, ethics, and building community. I cannot wait … Continue reading

New Old Age Blog – NY Times

Love the New Old Age blog at the New York Times.  This July 1, 2008 New Old Age posting, Our Parents Ourselves by Jane Gross, sums up the perspective of aging children confronting the aging parent experience — anxiety, love, concern, frustration, respect, and more.  So much to learn. So much to give back.

Census Information and Aging Parents

I’ve written about seniors and aging parents and how they can interact with technology, computers, urban legends, and scams, but one aspect that I have not touched on is the upcoming census. Dale over at the Transition Aging Parents blog, has written an excellent post about helping aging parents avoid census scams. Census information gathering … Continue reading

Thoughts on Medications and Seniors: Part I

Protonix, Synthroid, Lasix, Lopressor, Altace, Fosamax, Vitamin D, KDur, Coumadin and others …  all medications prescribed for my husband’s mother in the last several years of her life. Mother took some of these in the morning after breakfast, others in the evening after dinner, and one was prescribed for just before bed. The Fosamax was  supposed to … Continue reading

Washington Post Health Section – Aging Well

Today’s Washington Post Health and Science section has a theme, The Aging Well Issue.  Article topics include Alzheimer’s/memory, aging-in-place villages, and geriatrics experts discussing “good things about aging.” The Post also has a feature on Medicare with lots of information to help children of aging parents who are helping their parents with health issues.

NPR Story on Vaccines and Aging

This morning (February 8,2010) on National Public Radio, a Morning Edition story, “Adapting Vaccines to our Aging Immune Systems.” explained how vaccines given to seniors are not as effective compared to those administered to children and younger adults. The story describes how the body’s immune system works in general, and how a senior immune system … Continue reading

As Time Goes By — a Great Blog

I expect to have aging parents for some years to come, so I am always on the lookout for other blogs that cover senior issues, especially those that feature great writing. The other day I mentioned Life with Father because it is wonderfully written and fun to read. Check out the most recent post, Love is a … Continue reading

Snow Worries and Aging Parents

As a teacher it used to be that I thought about time off from school when snow was predicted. Now I have parent “SnowWorries,” and I rarely get around to anticipating snow days. During a big snow storm, and we’ve had a bunch this winter, my anxiety level is higher than usual. Not crazy high, … Continue reading

Seniors, Exercise, and Preventing Falls

Once again a fall. This time it is a friend’s mother who fell, and today I heard that her mother’s health is continuing to decline. Senior falls are frustrating and sad, occurring frequently and causing physical problems, discomfort, outright pain, and unhappiness. Over the last four months I keep returning to the topic of seniors … Continue reading