There’s plenty of evidence showing that hearing loss can damage our quality of life as we grow older, but the senior set — including my brother — seems immune to the warnings.
Conventional wisdom suggests that my lazy brain offers few benefits, but Harvard researchers believe it may be the key to a long life.
Recent research suggests that frequent bouts of poverty prior to middle age may contribute to premature aging. If that’s the case, I should be sitting on death’s doorstep by now.
The alarming rise of drug-resistant superbugs in nursing homes is just another reason to do everything I can to maintain my good health and live out my days in my own home.
Recent research suggests that all frail seniors need to do to boost their strength — and maybe even reduce their waistlines — is to have the right combination of bacteria in their guts. I’d rather lift weights.
A new study explains why we tend to gain weight as we age, even if our caloric intake and exercise regimens remain unchanged.
A quiet epidemic of malnutrition has spread among the nation’s elderly, and Congress has only a few weeks to figure out how to respond.
Do optimists live longer than pessimists? Maybe, but I’m not the only one arguing that a middle way may yield healthier benefits.
An old friend faces a future with Parkinson’s and an eventual move to an assisted-living facility that, barring an industry shift, will probably offer no medical care.
Recent research suggests that a simple regimen of electrical stimulation may extend lifespan. I just wish it didn’t involve my ears.
For this drug-averse geezer, recent research suggesting that long-term use of certain pharmaceuticals may contribute to dementia makes me even less likely to follow my doctor’s advice.
The elderly often climb on the operating table unprepared for the risks of surgery. New guidelines aim to help them — and their doctors — make more informed decisions.
At my age, I’m often at a loss when trying to retrieve some bit of information from my memory banks. A new study suggests brain games and other mentally stimulating activities may help — sort of.
A new government report paints a dismal portrait of hospice care in the United States. And regulatory agencies are powerless to respond.
Age and affluence have limited my opportunities to embark on home-improvement projects, but a neighbor’s request for help resurrects my sense of usefulness.
Only about a third of Americans say they have faith in doctors, a fact that may say more about the system than about the physicians.
Exercise offers antiaging benefits as does a popular drug. So combining them should boost longevity, right? Not so much.
Elderly Americans are dying from falls at an alarming rate. I’m counting on some lessons learned through painful experience to help me avoid that fate.
You don’t need to check off items on a bucket list to convince yourself that you’ve lived a full life. Some of the most memorable experiences occur with no planning whatsoever.
Precision medicine hopes to revolutionize healthcare by revealing everything that’s going on in your body. It seems I’m not the only one who would prefer to be left in the dark.
24/7 surveillance may deter abuse in long-term care facilities, but even its advocates admit it’s no panacea.