Tag: elderly

Complex surgeries on the elderly often result in poor outcomes, but a surgeons group believes this can be improved.

Complex surgeries on the elderly often result in poor outcomes, but a surgeons group believes this can be improved. If you have elderly parents who may be frail, the idea of a complex surgery should have you concerned.   While surgeons often suggest that surgery may be needed to prolong the life of an older person, most of these surgeries result in poor outcomes, and worse, unneeded suffering for both the person who had the procedures and their families. For too long, our health system has emphasized the quantity of life over the quality of life.   Too many of our elderly Read More »

Overprescribing drugs for the elderly; an alarming problem you need to know about.

Overprescribing drugs for the elderly; an alarming problem you need to know about. If you have elderly parents, you are aware of their health problems and the many doctors they visit for those problems. Our healthcare system is expensive partly because elderly patients require greater resources than most younger patients require. The problems begin at their primary doctors office who may be a geriatrician.   Elderly patients are time consuming to treat and are often referred out to specialists.   Once they leave their primary doctors office, the costs begin to rise dramatically as they go from specialist to specialist. Years ago, Read More »

Older Americans are at a higher risk of falling says the NY Times, yet there are things you can do about the growing risk.

Older Americans are at a higher risk of falling says the NY Times, yet there are things you can do about the growing risk. Falls in the elderly is a risk that most older folks are scared of or in danger of. A broken hip can be the end for someone in their 80’s and the solution in most doctors’ offices is usually walkers and canes, which are most likely to prevent on older person from having a devastating injury. It is true that older people who have an injury like this may never recover, depending on their overall condition, Read More »

The over doctoring of the elderly; do all those meds really improve their health?

  The over doctoring of the elderly; do all those meds really improve their health? In Florida, many of my parent’s friends visit doctors almost weekly looking for answers to problems that are solely age-related. Most doctors medicate what they cannot solve, and some continue to run test after test as if it will make a difference in the outcome, which in the end is the same for all of us. Doctors’ offices are filled with people such as these who just want some relief and some good advice, or perhaps a referral to someone who may have a better Read More »