Random stuff I find interesting and you may not.
U.S. — Boomers across the country prepared for church this morning by setting their cell phone ring volume to its absolute max. In addition to making sure the phone was not on silent mode and the volume turned up high, boomers reportedly also spent a moment to carefully select the most annoying stock ringtone available. … Read more
A new melanoma vaccine has shown its mettle in battling the deadly skin cancer in a new trial. People with advanced melanomas who received the vaccine plus Merck’s cancer drug Keytruda were 49% less likely to die or have their cancer return after three years than those who were given only Keytruda, vaccine maker Moderna … Read more
Aid programs could erase a recent spike in the number of poor people, but complicated rules and the lack of promotion baffle potential applicants #1: $30 Billion in Unclaimed Benefits It almost sounds too far-fetched to be true. But according to research by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) millions of adults aged 65 and … Read more
My parents recently moved out of the house they’d lived in for 50 years. A half-century might sound like quite an accomplishment. But they stayed too long. Their home was a 1940s two-story gray stone house north of Pittsburgh, with a three-quarter acre yard. At the 40-year mark, when my parents were in their mid-to-late … Read more
Top 5 Low-Impact Exercises For Seniors BRAD: That’s right. They are our five favorites, I would say. All right, a little introduction to these exercises, a mindset of what I would like you to think about before you get into them. I want you to do all five of the exercises, but if … Read more
Living to a ripe old age has its downsides. After entering their mid-60s and beyond, older people are at greater risk of experiencing various personal setbacks. Mobility limitations, chronic health problems, less physical energy, memory issues, and boredom are more likely. Spousal divorces and deaths result in higher numbers living alone and experiencing increased social … Read more
Many of us say that if we have to die, we’d like to die comfortably in our home. Luckily, hospice—a Medicare-covered model of gentle, holistic end-of-life care—is ready to help with that goal. Maybe. At age 78, my divorced father was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. He later admitted that he’d skipped getting any … Read more
The senior-citizen membership organization has taken some positions that aren’t good for senior citizens. Behind its never-ending feel-good marketing campaigns, AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, is a multi-billion-dollar organization that spends millions lobbying Congress and state legislatures — making the organization an influence-peddling powerhouse. Though the group boasts 38 million … Read more
There is in psychiatry something called the “Goldwater rule,” which holds that it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a psychiatric evaluation of a person he has not examined and received authorization to speak publicly about. I am not a psychiatrist, but, in the spirit of the rule: I am happy—proud, even—that Joe Biden … Read more
As legislators refuse to act, benefits will be cut without any possibility of sheltering those seniors who are poor. President Joe Biden tweeted last week that he will be a “nightmare” for Republicans who dream of cutting Social Security and Medicare. With this statement, Biden showed that he’s either shockingly ignorant about these two programs … Read more
When nursing home care uses up a widow’s savings, the federal Medicaid program will kick in and cover her bills for care. But it’s more complicated for couples. If one spouse moves into a nursing home and the bills start piling up, the person who is still living in their home can face serious financial … Read more
Tooth loss is linked to major killers like heart disease, cancers, diabetes and more You know the old saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Look at this stunning data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 26% of adults 65 or older have eight or fewer teeth 17% … Read more
In 2015, the housing authority in Bath, Maine, created the Comfortably Home program after seeing the maintenance challenges that older people and those with disabilities faced in the challenge of continuing to live at home. “We kept hearing that the housing wasn’t working for the residents, but they didn’t want to leave. They’d say ‘the … Read more
Most of us know someone affected by hearing loss, but we may not fully appreciate the hardships that lack of hearing can bring. Hearing loss can lead to isolation, frustration, and a debilitating ringing in the ears known as tinnitus. It is also closely correlated with dementia. The biotechnology company Frequency Therapeutics is seeking to … Read more
For many older adults, home care is an economical option for obtaining necessary care services. While monthly fees vary by location and the degree of service required, on average, rates for home-based care come in about 42% lower than nursing home rates. Nursing home fees cover housing, utilities, meals, recreational activities, personal care and skilled … Read more
With violent crime skyrocketing across America and the blame at the feet of the Democrats where it rightly belongs, President Joe Biden went to New York on Thursday for an urgent presidential clean-up mission. He had to do something about the Democrat Party’s mess on crime as the November mid-term elections approach. So Biden decided … Read more
I bring Holy Communion to my parish’s homebound. Because my visits are regular and sometimes continue for years, I have the privilege of developing relationships with many of the communicants. They become friends. Old friends, I like to joke, because most of them are in their nineties. Born in the 1920s, a few of them … Read more
Older men and women continue to bear the brunt of sickness, death and isolation. They are weary but holding steady. NEW YORK — As the COVID pandemic enters its 22nd month, elderly men and women continue to bear the brunt of sickness, death and isolation. They are weary but holding steady, whether at home or … Read more
In the rush of our busy lives, it can be hard to find time to exercise. Luckily, you don’t have to invest too much time to reap nationwide rewards. A new study shows that if every US adult over 40 walked just an additional 10 minutes each day, we would collectively prevent 110,000 deaths in … Read more
One of the realities of the human condition is that our bodies degrade over time and that causes everyone whose life is not cut short by disease and injury to eventually experience physical suffering. This is part of God’s Plan of Providence and serves several useful purposes, even for the people experiencing excruciating, unrelenting pain. … Read more
Decades of research on medical cannabis has focused on the compounds THC and CBD in clinical applications. But less is known about the therapeutic properties of cannabinol (CBN). Now, a new study by Salk scientists shows how CBN can protect nerve cells from oxidative damage, a major pathway to cell death. The findings, published online … Read more
Now you know why America’s real presidents—perhaps White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and Susan Rice—have kept Joe Biden in the basement for so long. The other day they let him out for all the world to see. They had to let him out, with his poll numbers dropping. Initially, he appeared somewhat competent … Read more
Car parades. Grandchildren waving and holding signs from outside. Spouses and children pressing their hands against window panes as a sort of embrace with glass between their palms. These were the scenes when nursing homes shut their doors to outside visitors to protect their residents from COVID-19, which is particularly deadly to older adults. But … Read more
Then she heard about ITN Central Connecticut, a volunteer driving service that charges less than taxis. The service requires passengers to pay in advance through individual accounts so that no money changes hands during rides. Volunteer drivers would pick Leonard up at 5:30 in the afternoon for her class once a week scheduled from 6 … Read more
Experts tell the Register that the tragedy of the death and suffering the health crisis has inflicted on U.S. seniors spotlights the need to implement new models that can better protect their health and dignity. . . . In “Old Age: Our Future,” a recent document on lessons to be learned from the pandemic and … Read more