HEALTH & AGING

As you may know, hospitalization is actually somewhat risky for older adults. This is sometimes surprising to older adults and families. After all, hospitals are supposed to be places where people…

This month — November — is National Family Caregivers Month. If you’ve been in any way assisting another adult with managing health concerns or life tasks, you qualify as one of…

Living wills. Advance directives. Powers of attorney for healthcare. Making your wishes known. Many older adults have never gotten around to addressing these issues, and of those who have, many are…

(This article is by my colleague Paula Spencer Scott, author of the book Surviving Alzheimer’s: Practical Tips and Soul-Saving Wisdom for Caregivers. I invited her to share an article on this topic,…

Every May, the Administration on Aging leads the national observance of “Older Americans Month.” The theme this year is “Engage at Any Age.” But I found myself thinking that this would…

You’ve likely already heard the news: the flu is pretty bad this year, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirming a higher than usual level of illnesses, hospitalizations, and even…

And once again, high blood pressure is making headlines in the news: the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) have just released new guidelines about hypertension. Since…

Have you ever wondered whether it’s worth your while to encourage an older person to start exercising? In 2014, the top-notch journal JAMA published the results of a fantastic research project:…

Q: Dear Dr. K, With all the news about opioids and benzodiazepines, and their risk of death, I would love to hear your take on the use of these drugs in…

A home blood pressure (BP) monitor is a very useful tool to have, since it helps manage many chronic conditions and can help you assess falls or sudden illness. Learn what…