Monthly Archives September 2013

Reasons Why Seniors May Not Be Suited for a Dog

Reasons Why Seniors May Not Be Suited for a Dog

September 12, 2013 | No Comments

Many seniors love having a dog in their house. The pups are friends and companions. They can lower our blood pressure and provide us laughs and love. But caring for a pet does not suit every senior. Here are four reasons a senior should not get a dog: Cost. Caring for a pet can be expensive. Not only do they need food, dogs also need annual vet visits, vaccinations, grooming, and equipment such as leashes, toys, and dishes. Some seniors with limited funds may not be able to afford to buy a dog everything that he needs. Falls. Anyone who
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Hormone Therapy Can Prevent Disease for the Elderly: Interview with Dr. Cheryl Perlis, M.D.

Hormone Therapy Can Prevent Disease for the Elderly: Interview with Dr. Cheryl Perlis, M.D.

September 11, 2013 | No Comments

In a recent interview with Dr. Cheryl Perlis, M.D., we learned a lot about the benefits of hormone therapy and supplements in preventing everything from serious diseases like dementia and heart disease, as well as preventing more common every day symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, sleeping difficulties, and thinning hair.  How did you get into the field of hormone therapy, and what are the basics that we should know about how it works?  I founded Perlis Wellness Center in 2004, after practicing conventional obstetrics and gynecology for 15 years.  I became interested in cosmetic medicine and trained with the elite physicians in using Botox and dermal
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Start Planning Now To Avoid the Worst

Start Planning Now To Avoid the Worst

September 10, 2013 | No Comments

No one likes planning for the future.  It’s tedious, frustrating, and forces us to think about things that we perhaps would rather not.  However, when you plan long-term care for seniors early, you will be less likely to have to make snap decisions or miss something later on. When you begin to plan for the senior’s future, keep these key items in mind: Paperwork: Even though organizing paperwork doesn’t sound like fun, it can avoid headaches in the future.  Make sure that family members not only know where wills are located, but also know about bank accounts, insurance information, doctor
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Study Finds Genes from Mom Affect Aging

Study Finds Genes from Mom Affect Aging

September 9, 2013 | No Comments

Want to know why you’re aging so well?  You can look to your mother for the answer. Recent studies have shown that the genes that moms contribute to their children directly affect how well the child will age.  If the mom happens to pass on certain mutations, then the child will age more quickly. But whether or not your mother passed along good genes or bad, there are some ways to help yourself age well: Sleep.  When you sleep, your body has the chance to restore itself.  It also forms new connections and memories in the brain.  So if you
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Link Discovered between Sugar and Alzheimer’s Disease

Link Discovered between Sugar and Alzheimer’s Disease

September 6, 2013 | No Comments

In the Unites States alone, there are over 5 million Alzheimer’s patients, and that number is poised to double within the next 20 years.  Why so high?  That’s what scientists are trying to figure out. As a newly published study suggests, we may have more answers as to what causes Alzheimer’s disease.  The newest culprit?  Sugar. There has long been a link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, but it seems that even adults who do not have diabetes but have higher blood sugar run a greater risk.  Blood sugar levels rise and fall throughout the day in everyone.  The problem
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Are You a Super Ager?

Are You a Super Ager?

September 5, 2013 | No Comments

Do you have a brain that puts you in the pristine category of Super Ager?  If so, Northwestern University is looking for you!  They are going to begin researching exactly what makes a super ager so, well, super.  They will be doing brain scans, running tests, and eventually examining the brains of the super agers after they have passed. Do you have what it takes to do this study?  Northwestern scientists are being very selective and have only found 35 super agers out of the over 400 applicants. But even if you aren’t a super ager, what can you do
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Advances in Medicine: Stimulating Nerves to Treat Diseases

Advances in Medicine: Stimulating Nerves to Treat Diseases

September 4, 2013 | No Comments

There’s a new treatment that’s common for several conditions – nerve stimulation.  Attaching electrodes to the brain and peripheral nerves is fairly new but it is having amazing results for various diseases.  Here are three that are benefiting from this new technology. Rheumatoid Arthritis – This condition happens when the immune system becomes over stimulated and begins attacking the patient’s joints, making the joints painful and losing range of motion.  Although medication is the common way to slow this, now doctors are testing to see if neural implants will work better.  They connect it to a spinal nerve that regulates
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3 Things That All Seniors Want

3 Things That All Seniors Want

September 3, 2013 | No Comments

What do seniors really want?  That is a question many people are trying to answer.  As baby boomers are becoming older we are seeing a new kind of senior emerging in the population.  Gone are the days of spending all day playing bingo and bridge.  Many seniors want new adventures and actually thrive on having fun.  Here are some of the things that many seniors in the modern times are seeking as they age: Activity.  Seniors, now more than ever, are getting active.  Many are taking advantage of senior exercise classes, but others also regularly practice yoga, take up running,
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Is Your Immune System Causing Alzheimer’s?

Is Your Immune System Causing Alzheimer’s?

September 2, 2013 | No Comments

As you know, new research is constantly testing theories about Alzheimer’s disease and new ideas are always popping up.  One of the most interesting and current theories is that a senior’s immune system may be the culprit in causing dementia. To discover this, scientists had to start at the very beginning:  infancy.  They noticed that when the brain was forming in babies, it often created too many connections.  When certain connections were determined to not be needed, the immune system would send out a set of special proteins to eliminate them.  This keeps the baby’s brain working smoothly as he
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