Caregiving May Not Be as Taxing to Your Health as Feared

FRIDAY, April 12, 2019 -- Being a family caregiver may not be as hazardous to your health as most people think, researchers say.

Decades of research papers and media reports have warned that family caregivers are at risk for health declines. One suggested reason is that the stress of caregiving can increase inflammation and weaken the immune system.

Pros, Cons to Multiple Meds for Nursing Home Residents

TUESDAY, April 9, 2019 -- There's an upside and a downside to prescribing nursing home residents a long list of medicines, new research confirms.

Taking multiple meds can boost a resident's odds of survival after a heart attack, for example, but it may also lower their ability to safely perform daily activities, researchers reported April 9 in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Elder Abuse On the Rise in America

THURSDAY, April 4, 2019 -- As the American population ages, elder abuse rates are increasing, particularly among men, federal health officials reported Thursday.

Between 2002 and 2016, the rate of assaults among men 60 and older jumped 75%, while it rose 35% among women between 2007 and 2016. Among older men, the homicide rate increased 7% between 2010 and 2016, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What Illness Lands the Most Seniors in the ER?

MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 -- For seniors who often find themselves in the ER, complications from diabetes is the most common culprit, new research shows.

Not only that, these chronically ill patients remain in the hospital longer and require more treatment and resources, noted the authors of the study. It was published in the Jan. 28 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Poor Health Compounds Loneliness in Seniors

MONDAY, March 4, 2019 -- Getting older can be a lonely business, and a new survey shows that health problems only make matters worse.

The online poll of more than 2,000 adults, aged 50 to 80, revealed that one in four said they feel isolated from other people at least some of the time, and one in three say they don't have regular companionship.