There are two types of cells in our ears that are sensitive to sound. The first is the inner hair, which signals the brain when there are vibrations that activate the movement of the cilia (or tiny hairs in the ear). These cilia are specially coded to be highly sensitive to the different sounds we are capable of identifying. The second type of cells simply intensify those sounds within our ear to generate a stronger stimuli for the inner hairs. As we age and subject our ears to various intensities of sound, our ears adjust accordingly. For example, after listening
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Monthly Archives February 2015
It’s Never Too Late for Senior Health Improvements
Even in old age, there’s no reason not to take care of yourself. Whether it’s a walk in the park or choosing fruit instead of dessert, finding simple habits to integrate into your everyday life is the easiest way to stay healthy. With old age, you might see a decline in your physical health even when your mind feels 30! So what are some practical ways to keep your mind—and body—feeling younger? Light strength training is a great way to improve senior health and coordination, and can even be done at home with a chair (and pillow, if needed). There
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Quality Over Quantity: Big Changes to Medicare
The Obama Administration is enacting big changes in Medicare to reward healthcare providers for quality rather than quantity. Instead of paying a set rate per hospital procedure, the government will now take into account the effectiveness of those procedures – and the resulting health of patients. The change in policy will provide an incentive for hospitals to increase their quality of service. For example, under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (part of the Affordable Care Act), Medicare can reduce payments to hospitals with excess readmissions. Such readmissions for high-cost or high-volume conditions (heart attack, pneumonia) usually result from inadequate hospital
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A Knock on the Door of a Neighborhood Senior Could Save a Life
In the midst of dark winter weather, many elderly people are isolated at home, and this can be a dangerous situation for those who don’t have caretakers or family members in the area. From slipping and falling inside to getting stuck in bad weather, there are a variety of situations that can be hazardous for older people home alone, which means its important that we take care of those around us! There are several factors to consider with an elderly person in your area. Not only the weather, but their own health issues can make daily activities more dangerous as well.
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Studies Prove That Volunteering Helps Senior Health
Volunteering has a positive effect on everyone: the volunteers, the recipients of their care, and the community overall. New studies show that volunteering benefits seniors specifically – and not as benefactors of volunteer programs, but as the volunteers themselves. Volunteering Keeps Your Body Healthy Exercise is a huge part of maintaining physical health, but you don’t have to lift weights or go for a run. Simple daily movements like walking and interacting with others are enough to keep seniors sufficiently active. As we grow older, our lifestyles tend to become increasingly sedentary, giving rise to health problems such as heart disease, hypertension,
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Still Alice, Starring Julianne Moore, Gives Insight to Alzheimer’s struggle
Julianne Moore told Access Hollywood that working on Still Alice was “amazing,” and “a privilege” while on the red carpet for the SAG Awards this week. If you haven’t heard yet, Still Alice is the heartbreaking book-to-film story of professor Alice Howland (played by Moore) who struggles with the discovery she has early onset Alzheimer’s. While tear jerking, Still Alice offers some serious insight into the lives of Alzheimer’s sufferers. Starting with Alice’s descent into forgetfulness alone, she finally confronts the reality her disease in the presence of her family, including her husband (Alec Baldwin), Anna (Kate Bosworth), Tom (Hunter
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Over the Counter Meds Save Time but Cause Long Term Memory Problems
For anyone who goes to over-the-counter medications to cure allergies or the sniffles, this could be bad news: studies now show that medications like Benadryl can increase your chances for Alzheimer’s or long term memory problems. This also applies to some anti-depressants and sleep aids, among other popular OTC products. This data is inferred from the idea that acetylcholine, a key chemical messenger in the brain, can’t travel freely within the body when under the influence of some medications, and long term exposure to these medications can result in dementia. The lead of the study, Professor Shelly Gray of the
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