Senior Health
Maintaining health in the senior years is a balance between staying
as active as possible while planning for increased levels of care.
Doing both will help make your elderly years more enjoyable. As you
age, it is important to maintain mental and... More
Maintaining health in the senior years is a balance between staying as active as possible while planning for increased levels of care. Doing both will help make your elderly years more enjoyable.
As you age, it is important to maintain mental and physical strength. Using your muscles and your brainpower on a regular basis will help you keep your independence. At the same time, it is important to know your limits, and accept when you are no longer safe doing activities you used to do.
Your family and friends are your best resource for finding ways to manage your care. If you make your wishes known early, the chances are better for finding satisfactory services to help with the transitions of aging. Less
Recently Answered
- Q What should I look for when moving an older parent to a new home?
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Make sure that the new home will meet your loved one’s physical needs and limitations. Look for a place that has accessible transportation; if not needed now it may be in the future. Consider if the location is convenient for you and all other... More
Things to consider in a new home to minimize falls include: no steps, lots of light, paved driveway, easy to maintain (i.e., free from ice and snow). When moving from the old house, do your best to reduce clutter of years of accumulated belongings. More
- Q When should an older person who has been falling be formally evaluated?
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It depends on the risk of injuring yourself. There are a lot of factors to be considered -- age, bone density, etc. If you are over the age of 70, have fallen twice in the last year, or have fallen once with an injury requiring medical care, a formal... More
- Q What are the major risk factors for falls among older adults?
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These risk factors include: Biological risk factors - Mobility problems due to muscle weakness or balance problems, chronic health conditions such as arthritis and stroke, vision changes and vision loss, loss of sensation in feet... More
There are more than 20 discreet risk factors used for screening in the Falls Clinic at Cleveland Clinic. Some are obvious, some are not. Among them are: age over 80, difficulty with bladder control, impaired vision and hearing, and taking more than 10... More
- Q When may a geriatric palliative medicine consultation be helpful?
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Many health professionals do not receive training to recognize the significance of frailty. Frailty is the result of multiple, interacting and complex health illnesses, which often accumulate as we get older. For older adults, serious chronic... More
A geriatric palliative medicine assessment may help if the older patient has cancer and is not appropriate for curative treatment; or, has a terminal condition or a symptom significantly limiting his or her quality of life from advanced chronic illness,... More
- Q Does a geriatric assessment have more than one visit?
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Yes, geriatricians and gerontological advance practice nurses may follow the geriatric conditions described above for future visits. They do not, in general, manage the patients chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension unless the management is... More
- Q How can we help older people to drive safely?
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If your older adult relative is unimpaired, here are some ways to help them stay in the driver’s seat: Ride along: Accompany your relatives on errands and daily driving routes to get a feel for their capabilities. Neglecting household tasks or... More
