Elder Care Cafe

The economic decline over the last couple of years in the United States, with its accompanying number of people who have lost their jobs, their lifestyles, and often their homes, reminds me how many people could also be struggling with depression. Unfortunately, the older people are when enduring these life-changing losses, the more likely they will [...]

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Although our ability to taste may change as we age, tasting is still one of the most pleasurable senses we have. That enjoyment should continue into our senior years. The ability to taste helps us enjoy eating and drinking, and aids in determining whether a food is good or bad for us. Sometimes when aging [...]

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According to three recent studies, certain life style changes can help prevent the brain decline that is the forerunner of Alzheimer’s disease. Improving living and dietary habits such as drinking lots of green tea, engaging in plenty of exercise and increasing the amount of vitamin D in the body all play a part in slowing [...]

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While today’s article is more likely directed to teens and young adults than it is to the elderly, there are a number of baby boomers who should also pay close attention to this information. Exposure to loud noise over a period of time is one of the most common causes of permanent hearing loss. Because it [...]

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Unfortunately, hearing loss cannot be reversed, but you can often boost your hearing with special aids or treatments. Hearing loss due to aging is common and heredity can also be a factor. Blockages from earwax can cause a certain amount of hearing loss that prevents you from hearing sounds. Ear infections and bone growth or [...]

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Although over 100,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, the majority of people who develop the disease have no known risk factors. While the exact cause of colorectal cancer is not known, there are a number of risk factors that figure into your susceptibility to the disease. Colon cancer [...]

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For the last couple of weeks we have written a number of posts regarding how to lower the risks of having a heart attack. I realized today we hadn’t discussed what a heart attack is and how we can know we are having a heart attack. Normally we think of someone having a heart attack [...]

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A diagnosis of diabetes impacts a person’s life in many ways. My father was diagnosed with diabetes in 1990 and found he needed to make a number of changes in his life. Looking back over the last few years prior to his diagnosis we found that he had started to develop diabetes, but we didn’t [...]

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Many people are still unclear as to whether it is okay to flush unused prescription drugs down the toilet. What most people do understand is that it is not safe to keep unused or no-longer-needed prescriptions around the house where children or adults can get ahold of them. Hopefully, this quick guide will help you [...]

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According to a new study, eating up to three ounces of nuts on a daily basis can lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.  However, the findings showed that, because of the high calorie content of nuts, eating more than three ounces per day could cause weight gain.

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Unfortunately, I have struggled with osteoporosis for many years. After a couple of decades of bowling, more than one painful fall to my knees, and just plain lack of attention and care to my body, my knees are hurting. Doing lunges and squats while weight-lifting did not help either. Whenever I run across an article about [...]

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Whenever I am prescribed a drug for the first time, I always review the information that is enclosed. Then I promptly forget what I read. After all, the prescribing doctor gave the medication to me for a reason, and I know I need to follow the dosage for as long as the medication is needed. [...]

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Rebound headaches occur because of frequent use of headache medication. Also called medication-overuse headaches, the headaches recur as pain relievers begin to wear off. Pain relievers are helpful for occasional headaches, but should not be taken more than a couple of days a week. Excessive use of over-the-counter or prescription drugs can trigger the painful [...]

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There are a number of ways to safely combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and relieve the symptoms of depression and darkness that descend every fall for many of you who live in the Northern Hemisphere. SAD symptoms include a sadness that rests upon someone during the months from November through February, irritability, cravings for carbohydrates, [...]

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This is the time of year that anyone who struggles with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may start to see the light, so to speak. It’s March, and the winter blahs will soon pass away until the next round of darkness strikes. In the Northern climates, around November, SAD sufferers begin to feel a weight come [...]

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