Better Health While Aging

Dr. K discusses how older adults can plan for their own aging needs with expert Carol Levine, Director of the Families and Health Care Project at the United Hospital Fund of New York and author of "Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies." They cover whether to plan to age in place, what's most important to tell your family, options for getting long-term care services, and much more.

Dr. K talks with Richard Caro about his recent in-depth analysis and testing of 4 smartwatches as medical alert devices for older adults. They discuss the new fall detection built into the Apple Watch 4, key features to consider, whether these are suitable for people with dementia, and much more.

Dr. K addresses an older parent's concerns and frustrations regarding her son's attempts to help her with her health, and their differing views on what she needs. She covers how to help family understand your priorities, how to discuss what matters most, how to negotiate a better approach, and much more.

Dr. K talks with geroscientist John Newman, MD PhD, about aging as a biological process that can be affected by diet, metabolism, and much more. They discuss Dr. Newman's research on ketogenic diets and memory in mice, applying geroscience to treat age-related problems, and much more.

Dr. K talks with Rebecca Sudore, MD, an expert on end-of-life planning and the creator of PrepareForYourCare.org. They discuss why talking about what matters is so important, easy-to-read advance directives and other tools Dr. Sudore has developed, how to help reluctant older adults address advance care planning, and much more.

Dr. K explains what all older adults and family caregivers should know about the annual flu shot, with updates for 2018. She covers the basics of falling ill from influenza, how the vaccines work, which flu shots are specifically designed for older adults, which one she thinks is best for most aging adults, what to do if your older relative is refusing the flu shot, and much more.

Dr. K reviews her four most used fall prevention approaches, which are routine in geriatrics care but are often overlooked by busy primary care providers. She also covers recent research on the benefits of Tai Chi, and explains why vitamin D is no longer recommended for fall prevention.

Dr. K talks with Berkeley's Professor Andrew Scharlach about the Village model and community-based approaches to aging in place. They discuss the unique aspects of the Village model, the related research on how Villages seem to benefit older adults, and much more.

Dr. K explains what older adults and families should know about anticholinergic medications and their negative impact on brain health. Many commonly used over-the-counter and prescription medications are anticholinergic, and on the Beer's List of Medications Older Adults Should Avoid or Use With Caution. Learn about seven often-used types of medication that are anticholinergic, who should particularly be careful about these medications, what to do if you're taking them, and more.

Dr. K explains six ways that memory and thinking change, as part of normal cognitive aging. She also covers the practical implications of such changes, sensible ways to maintain brain function, problems that should never be considered normal, and much more.