Yesterday the nation heard about the eight frail elderly people who perished from heat exhaustion and dehydration. They had survived the hurricane and their care facility was right next door to a huge hospital, yet it seems that no one checked on them, at least not anyone who helped. What Went Wrong? It was reported […]
No one wants to identify as being a person without a purpose — useless, worthless, aimless, an accidental traveler through life. But searching for purpose sounds like a lot of work. Or something that only happens on the west coast. Or perhaps something only a younger person would do. In fact, past studies of the […]
Like most other states in the U.S., the diminutive state of Delaware is facing a groundswell in its older population, which carries with it a growth in the demand for specialized senior services. There are currently around 22,000 Delawareans 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. They are assisted by 31,000 family […]
For people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, one of the biggest challenges is keeping up with the private and essential activities of daily living — including bathing, eating, and dressing. Of these, perhaps surprisingly, dressing can be the most difficult. The act is fraught with possible complications that become more difficult as […]
“Right now, you’ve got neurons in your brain that have ‘Vacancy’ signs on them,” the Institute on Aging’s Patrick Arbore recently told a capacity crowd gathered to hear his pronouncements about brain health. The group of mostly older attendees was lured to the talk, fittingly held in San Francisco, by its title: “The Summer of […]
“Intergenerational” has become the polysyllabic buzzword of the age. The theory goes that if only young and old people spent more time together, they would all suddenly switch to living harmoniously. But there’s one thing that often gets in the way: They don’t like each other. That truth came to the fore recently when preparing […]
One of the first and largest studies to address the growing challenge of making and keeping communities age-friendly was launched just over a decade ago—an ambitious worldwide effort spurred by the World Health Organization (WHO). The initiative helped identify eight key areas communities must address: outdoor spaces and buildings transportation housing social participation respect and […]