12 July 2010
The doctor said your loved one’s memory problems are due to progressive dementia—most likely Alzheimer’s disease. Your role as a caregiver is about to become very important. Preparing for that role may seem daunting.
Alzheimer’s disease is the...
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06 July 2010
Inhale . . . exhale . . . inhale . . . exhale. Do you know what you’re breathing? In 2006, almost a quarter of people age 65-plus lived in counties with unhealthy ozone levels, and 21% lived in...
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Kick the salt habit
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Francisco, Stanford University Medical Center, and Columbia University Medical Center revealed that if everyone reduced their daily salt intake by half a teaspoon, there would be almost 100,000 heart attacks prevented and up to 92,000 fewer deaths each year. Can reducing salt by such...Read More »
Who says that hand has to shake?
Essential tremor (ET) tends to run in families; if one parent had it, you have a 50% chance of inheriting it, and the likelihood of ET increases with age, though we don’t know why. Its telltale sign—shaking—is usually most noticeable in the hands but can also affect the head, voice, and legs. Not all shaking is...Read More »
Don’t let your bladder get you down
The majority of car accidents occur within miles of one’s home, so it’s not surprising that when people fall, they usually do it where they live. More specifically, “falls tend to occur in the middle of the night when people get up to go to the bathroom,” says Dimitri Cefalu, M.D. The design of your home...Read More »
Is all dementia the same?
“Although dementia is more common in older adults than in younger ones, it’s not a normal part of the aging process,” says Dimitri Cefalu, M.D. And contrary to what many people believe, dementia is not always permanent. “Many times, dementia can be improved, or even completely reversed, if a treatable cause is detected early,” says Gregory...Read More »
Ask the expert: Dimitri Cefalu, M.D.
Erickson health and wellness experts can be found at Erickson-built communities all over the U.S. This month our expert is Dimitri Cefalu, the medical director at Seabrook in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Dr. Cefalu received his bachelor’s degree in zoology from Rutgers University in Newark, N.J., and his medical degree from the University of Palermo in...Read More »
Sun and heat safety
If there were warnings on seasons, summer would say, “DANGER: May get extremely hot!” Average summer temperatures are always warm, but excessive heat can become dangerous. Protect yourself from the sun and the heat this summer. Be sun smart Limit your time outdoors between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when ultraviolet (UV) rays are...Read More »
Green living
If you want to “go green,” maybe you’ve thought about eating organic food or using environmentally friendly cleaners. But what does green really mean? Organic foods are grown or processed in a manner designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. This means, among other things, using natural fertilizers on crops and feed with...Read More »
Cataracts: Clouds in your eyes
“Cataracts are a leading cause of visual loss among older adults in the U.S.,” says Mary Norman, M.D., medical director at Highland Springs. In fact, more than 20 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts. By age 80, more than half of all people in the U.S. either have a cataract or have had cataract...Read More »
