Aging & Mental Health

There are so many disappointments in the aging process such as decreased hearing and vision, mobility issues, isolation, and physical limitations. Many aging parents push a lot of anger at these situations back because it's difficult to yell at... Full Answer

Research to-date clearly supports the idea of “use it or lose it” and even expands on the original hypothesis; not only can a holistic lifestyle help prevent mental decline in old age, it can also contribute positively to its sustainability... Full Answer

Physicians often use a list like this to help differentiate between normal aging and dementia: Normal aging: The person remains independent in daily activities. The person complains of memory loss but can provide considerable detail regarding... Full Answer

If you're having difficulty focusing on a good book, the nightly news, or even your spouse because the kids, pets, phone, TV, flashing e-mail, and more are driving you to distraction, don't blame the interruptions. It turns out that a prime... Full Answer

Here's how to both minimize age-related distraction problems when you need to focus and how to put them to use when you need to think and see the big picture: Turn off distractions. You can recapture much of your sharp focus by removing distractions... Full Answer

There are many reasons that our elders may need to curtail their driving; dementia is just one. Other reasons are slowed reaction times, decreased vision and hearing, diabetes, certain medications that have been prescribed, transient ischemic... Full Answer

Research to-date clearly supports the idea of “use it or lose it” and even expands on the original hypothesis; not only can a holistic lifestyle help prevent mental decline in old age, it can also contribute positively to its sustainability... Full Answer

The main reason that depression is frequently missed in geriatric patients is that caregivers and physicians don't make the innate link between the body and the mind. We affiliate old age with body aches and pains. Arthritis causes joints to be less... Full Answer

Balance also declines with age due to a reduction in nerve connections in the cerebellum as well as in the joints. These nerves are important because they give your brain valuable information about your position in space. The two best things a person can... Full Answer

Most serious aging happens at the cellular level. The simple act of bending your knee, for example, exposes the cells of your cartilage to physical damage and damaging chemicals. Sometimes those cells are killed directly by the damage (that's called... Full Answer