St. Petersburg, Fla. – As Florida heads into the 2020 hurricane season June 1, Sunshine State residents face a new uncertainty: Planning for the disruption and danger of a hurricane while also juggling concerns about a pandemic. “We are in uncharted waters,” said Jeff Johnson, AARP’s Florida state director. “There are many elements of our usual hurricane-preparation routines that we’re going to have to consider changing.” “But one thing isn’t...
Learn to Act FAST. It may save a life. A stroke can happen suddenly and without warning. Because a stroke means that oxygen-rich blood is not reaching the brain due to a blockage or a bleed, every minute without treatment means a higher chance of death or disability. Unfortunately, strokes are becoming increasingly common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the United States has a...
While dogs and cats seem to rule when it comes to pet ownership and interaction, they’re not the only animals that might appeal to an older adult. For instance, smaller or more independent pets could be a benefit for some. Learn more about these nontraditional pets that might be just the right fit for an older adult. Animals that live in aquariums, such as turtles, could be a good fit...
With the holidays just around the corner, the anxiety of this busy season might soon be taking a toll. After all, you are barely keeping up with a normal routine of work, friends and family caregiving, right? Throw in everything the holiday season entails, such as shopping, baking and parties, and you may already anticipate feeling overwhelmed. Check out these positive ways to keep holiday stress at bay, from professionals...
Anyone with an aging family member has the concern. Are they making payments on time, are they overpaying caretakers—or worse, are they being taken advantage of by someone in their care network? Unfortunately, this situation occurs, and when it does it can have a life altering impact on the victim. What’s even more unfortunate, is that these situations often go unreported. Here are five ways to ensure your family members...
If you are an older cancer patient, should you be worried about “chemobrain,” or that foggy feeling that can cloud your thinking? Normal aging can increase the risk for cognitive decline regardless of whether you have cancer. So it’s understandable that cancer patients would be concerned about chemobrain. A Moffitt Cancer Center study of breast cancer patients over age 60 shows that chemobrain may be more of a risk for those who...
Early last year, we unexpectedly lost the only “sitting” member of our wellness committee, Dutch Baldwin. Dutch was a 10-year- old English Cocker Spaniel who spent his entire life in the service of Sally and Walter Baldwin. Born on March 22, 2008, he was trained as a companion animal to Sally who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. He went on to serve as Walter’s trusted advisor and shadow. He came to...
Approximately 34 million Americans are providing care for a loved one over the age of 50 without receiving any monetary compensation. We may think of caregiving as a labor of love – we even refer to these friends or family members who are caring for their loved one as “informal caregivers” – but there’s no doubt about it, caregiving is demanding and important work, oftentimes with round-the-clock responsibilities. Take into...
With estimates that one in three seniors will die of Alzheimer’s disease and that 40% of people over 80 have some form of dementia, the outlook for growing older may seem daunting. Hundreds of clinical trials are being conducted across the nation to identify a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, but what choices do we have for non-pharmaceutical interventions for cognitive decline? One answer is cognitive...
Scams are vicious. It can wreak havoc on your life when a scam causes you to lose money. But there is another thing that scams can hurt other than your wallet. And that is your feelings. It can be a blow to your pride to fall for a scam. Scammers often use your emotions against you to get you to fall for a scam. So when the scam is over,...