Delirium and ways families can help prevent it

Delirium resultes from an abrupt change in the brain. It causes mental confusion and emotional disruption. It makes it difficult for a person to think, remember, sleep and pay attention. People with delirium may become agitated or aggressive. It can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. However, it occurs in …

Walking speed predicts seniors’ life expectancy

Walking speed, so it seems, can be a predictor of a person’s life expectancy. Much like vital signs such as pulse and blood pressure. Or how much a person weighs and how much alcohol they drink or exercise they do. Last year, medical scientists labelled loneliness as a useful predictor of a person’s health and …

COVID-19 and social isolation

We need to have a conversation about COVID-19 and social isolation. People talk more about COVID-19 than they do about any other topic these days except, perhaps, toilet paper, which may be even worse. That’s why you may well say, ‘Oh, no! Not another article about the virus!’ But stay with me.

Vaccinate against shingles, especially for over 50s

I urge everyone over 50 to vaccinate against shingles. Zostavax vaccine, which helps to prevent the viral illness known as shingles, has been available since 2016. In Australia, it is offered free to people between the ages of 70 and 79. Others can be vaccinated by their general practitioner at their own expense.

Falling over – let’s celebrate our stories

Why don’t we talk about falling over, especially as we age? The subject is taboo, as if it’s a disgrace to trip and fall. Everyone falls, but as we get older, unless we need medical attention, we mostly keep our mishaps secret.

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