Elder Care Cafe

An advance directive is a document that allows a person to make his or her wishes for treatment known in advance. Many people choose to have a written document on file stating what medical intervention, if any, they would like in case of emergency or if they become incapacitated.

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A recent study found that people taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs such as Lipitor and Zocor may have unexpected protection from the flu. People who were already taking statins when they caught the flu and had to be hospitalized had a much higher survival rate than those who were not taking statins. Those involved in the study [...]

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Recently we were reminded of a syringe recall notice sent out regarding the Accusure insulin syringes. Apparently, an Alabama company recalled millions of insulin syringes it had distributed around the country since early 2002 because of the complaints they were receiving. Four complaints were received related to how the needle was detaching from the syringe. Thankfully, [...]

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Whether you are a caregiver to a loved one in your home twenty-four hours a day or you take care of someone daily or nightly in his or her home, at some point in time you will need to address the stress that comes along with being a caregiver.

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Although sleep apnea is a serious medical condition, if you have mild sleep apnea you can often use home treatment to reduce the symptoms. Mild sleep apnea is described as five or fewer apnea episodes a night.

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Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in American men, just behind skin cancer. The latest American Cancer Society estimates reveal about 192,280 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and 27,360 men will die of prostate cancer in 2009.

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Written by Sharon Elrod Staying involved in treatment decisions and understanding prostate cancer language is important for victims and their families. When my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer a year ago, I immediately went to the Internet to read all I could about it. I found a wealth of valuable information, and had to [...]

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As we know, although we are all human beings, there are many differences between men and women. One thing most people don’t know is that while many heart attack symptoms are similar for men and women, the symptoms for women are often much more subtle.

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With the oncoming flu season before us, and the increasingly dangerous threat of Swine flu and other serious infections, hand washing remains the most important way individuals can guard themselves against serious illness or contracting a contagious disease.

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Chronic pain sufferers are always on the lookout for the next great pain pill or miracle drug for help in relieving their neck, back, or joint pain. Researchers have found evidence that relief from certain types of chronic pain can come as easily as consuming a natural remedy found in most homes. That remedy is [...]

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Did you know it is possible to have a stroke and not realize it? Called a “silent” stroke, you may not experience any noticeable symptoms but the stroke will cause brain damage. Many people feel perfectly healthy on a physical level. The problem lies in their decreased ability to think or remember. According to recent [...]

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There are any number of reasons why someone needs to find a new doctor. When an aging senior must move in with a family member, he or she may need to leave their community and their local resources. Other times, a doctor may retire or move to another location, which has happened to my dad more than once.  The [...]

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There is a right way and a wrong way to take prescription medication. Your doctor prescribes, your pharmicist fills, now it is time for you to take your medicine. After several days, or possibly a week, you notice you don’t feel any better than you did before you started taking your medicine. So what do [...]

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Memory problems are an issue as we age, and we are always on the lookout for new information that may help us in our later years. A recent study in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s medical journal, addresses the relationship between memory problems and high blood pressure. Research indicates when the diastolic blood pressure reading, [...]

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As many of you may know if you have followed this blog for a while, diabetes runs in my family. My father’s grandmother on his maternal side of the family died of complications from diabetes when Dad was nine years old. His father and brother developed diabetes, as did my Dad. Obviously, with diabetes on both sides [...]

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