The Hidden Costs of Burials
The median cost for a funeral, including the basics of a casket, funeral service, embalming, professional fee service and transfer of the remains, ran about $7,500 in 2017. The hidden costs of burials can scare the life out of anyone who is not prepared for the final bill when a loved one passes.
Common Ornamental Garden Herbs With Medicinal Benefits
Many cultures around the world still use plants and herbs for medicinal purposes, with great success. If you tend a garden or have planter boxes that can grow common ornamental garden herbs, you can use the herbs to cure your ailments, as well.
Unexpected Career in Caregiving Leads to Regional Award
Selene Montez never expected to have a career in caregiving. At age 16. she volunteered with elderly members of her church. Working with older members of her community was eye opening; she began to realize how often older people are overlooked, and it didn’t seem right to her.
Lowering Your Risk for Alzheimer’s and Sharing Caregiver Tips
Dr. Daniel Murman, a neurologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, focuses on older adults who have cognitive impairment or dementia. Dr. Murman invests about half his time with patients and the other half teaching and doing research at the university. We spoke with Dr. Murman to learn more about how we can lower the risk for Alzheimer’s and take care of someone living with the disease.
Common Health Issues in Older Adults
How can seniors ward off the common health issues of aging and remain healthy overall in later life? Are certain declines in health inevitable or actually preventable? We came up with five age-related health changes in older adults and prevention measures for each condition.
Dysphagia (Difficulty Swallowing) in Older Adults
Dysphagia is the medical term used to describe difficulty swallowing foods or liquids. While people of all ages can experience dysphagia for a variety of reasons, it is more prevalent in adults over the age of 50.
Karen Sheffler, a speech-language pathologist, board-certified specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders, and founder of SwallowStudy.com, has dedicated her professional life to helping diagnose dysphagia and treat seniors who have the condition.
Cognitive Impairment and Fall Risk
One of the concerns that many have about aging is the feared loss of cognitive abilities and increased memory problems. Although normal changes in cognitive functioning are experienced with age, these changes are usually not extensive enough to interfere with daily life and functioning, and people are able to find ways to accommodate the changes they experience.
5 Quick, Nutritious Meals for Hot Summer Days
Selecting quick, nutritious meals for hot summer days is not always easy for elders who are more sensitive to heat exhaustion and dehydration when the temperatures rise. Loss of appetite, poor sleep and wilting energy are common for older adults in hot weather, so can certain foods and drinks help cool the body?
From Raising a Son With Functional Needs to Caring for Elders
“As a child, my grandfather would always tell me that when I grew up I should find a job I really loved and I’d never actually work a day in my life,” Larry Bell says. “I didn’t understand that sentiment until I became a caregiver."
Promising New Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Studies
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month and to highlight innovative research to help prevent and treat cognitive diseases, we interviewed Dr. Daniel Murman, a neurologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebr. Dr. Murman focuses on older adults who have cognitive impairment or dementia. He is the UNMC Director of Behavioral and Geriatric Neurology Program and Vice Chair of Clinical and Translational Research. With nearly 25 years of his career dedicated to Alzheimer’s, Dr. Murman is currently leading a clinical trial on preventing Alzheimer’s.