By Better Health While Aging
Practical information for aging health & family caregivers
Dr. K talks with David Godfrey, JD, about drafting powers of attorney to deter exploitation or abuse of an older person's finances. They discuss six steps the American Bar Association recommends older adults take when drafting a POA, how these...
Dr. K discusses risky medications and the 2019 Beers Criteria in more details, with a focus on which drugs are most important for older adults to be aware of. She also shares 5 ways you can be proactive, and her...
Dr. K shares a personal story and explains why it's so important to address advance care planning, which is meant to provide others with guidance, since most of us will at some point be unable to make our own healthcare...
Dr. K talks with Dr. Michael Steinman about risky medications in older adults and how to ensure safer prescribing. They also discuss the 2019 update to the Beers Criteria list of potentially inappropriate medications for older adults, which Dr. Steinman...
Dr. K talks with Barbara Kane, author of “Coping with Your Difficult Older Parent,” about how to help an aging parent who is “difficult” or stressful to engage with.
Dr. K talks with geriatrician Stephanie Rogers about new UCSF programs that make hospital care better and safer for older adults. They cover Acute Care for Elders units, delirium reduction, hip fracture care, and much more.
Dr. K explains the 4 most common blood tests ordered for older adults: what they are, why they are commonly ordered and what they can tell us about a person's health. She also covers what to ask, when discussing your...
Dr. K talks with neurologist Fanny Elahi, MD PhD, an expert on white matter changes and cerebral small vessel disease. They discuss why these brain changes are so common in aging, how they can affect memory and balance, how they...
Dr. K talks with ChangingAging’s Kavan Peterson about working with Dr. Bill Thomas to create dementia-friendly communities, disrupting ageism, why housing and multigenerational interactions matter, and much more.
Dr. K talks with geriatrician Bill Thomas, founder of Changing Aging. They discuss his recent focus on housing and communities as engines of independence in aging, through the Minka house and MAGIC community concept. They also discuss ageism, whether to...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Dr. K talks with Sei Lee, MD, an expert on prognosis and using estimated life expectancy to improve medical care for older adults. They discuss mortality calculators, how to focus medical care on what matters most to older people, why...
Dr. K talks with attorney Candace Heisler, JD, an expert on addressing financial exploitation and other forms of elder abuse. They discuss common ways in which older adults are often financially abused, the role of trust and relationships, what can...
Dr. K explains 10 things health providers should do, during the initial medical evaluation of an older person with memory or thinking problems. She also covers ten common health issues that can affect cognition, what to expect from the evaluation,...
Dr. K talks with Richard Caro about the Longevity Explorers meetings, in which older adults discuss technology, common challenges, and their favorite solutions. They discuss what happens when older people meet in such peer groups, the benefits of involving them...
Dr. K talks with Paula Spencer Scott, author of the practical guide "Surviving Alzheimer's." They discuss how family caregivers can learn to manage difficult dementia behaviors, to maintain their sanity and better care for a loved one while minimizing risky...
Dr. K discusses self-neglect in aging with Dr. Aanand Naik, a geriatrician with a special interest in this topic. They discuss how potential self-neglect can be detected, what it means to have the capacity for self-care and self-protection, what to...
For Older Americans Month, Dr. K reflects on what it means to successfully age, the role of resilience and adaptation, and how we might help support older adults in this.
Dr. K explains how older adults and families can prevent and manage constipation, including how to safely and effectively use over-the-counter laxatives. She also covers how constipation should be evaluated, medications that make it worse, the benefits of prunes and...
Dr. K talks with geriatrician Sharon Inouye, MD MPH, nationally-known expert on delirium, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Aging Brain Center at the Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife. They discuss how to prevent...
Dr. K talks with Mary Hulme, a geriatric social worker specialized in dementia. They discuss how new technologies can help families address safety issues while encouraging autonomy and otherwise respecting an older person's goals.
Dr. K talks with caregiving expert Carol Levine, Director of the Families and Health Care Project at the United Hospital Fund of New York. They discuss negotiating caregiving expectations with hospital staff and older loved ones, setting limits, getting help,...
Dr. K talks with Howard Gleckman, a family caregiving and long-term care insurance expert. They discuss long-term care insurance, family caregiving, the struggles many older adults and families face in paying for late-life care, and much more.
Dr. K explains why influenza is easily missed in older adults and what families can do, to help their older loved ones get promptly diagnosed and treated before it's too late. She covers why flu symptoms are often different in...
Dr. K explains what to know and do about cardiovascular risk factors, which often contribute to cerebral small vessel disease, a common brain health problem in older adults. She covers 12 key factors to discuss with healthcare providers, and 5...
Dr. K shares her top ten aging health suggestions, for older adults and families to consider for the New Year. Her suggestions cover mobility, brain health, medication safety, dreaming big, and more.
Dr. K talks with geriatrician Bill Thomas, MD, founder of the Eden Alternative and aging innovator extraordinaire. They discuss aging, how to counter ageism, his latest projects centered on housing and fostering independence, and much more.
Dr. K discusses a reader's dilemma concerning his resistant 96-year-old father, and explains how using two foundational concepts -- goals of care, and weighing benefits versus burdens -- can help families work through difficult decisions. Plus tips on addressing difficult...
Dr. K talks with Carla Perissinotto, MD, a nationally known expert on loneliness in aging. They discuss how loneliness and social isolation impact health, what to do if you're concerned about an older person, available programs and services to reduce isolation,...
Dr. K talks with Tiffany Shubert, a physical therapist and fall prevention expert. They discuss several common questions related to exercise and aging, including what types are best, whether chair and water exercises prevent falls, what to know about canes...
Dr. K talks with Anne Tumlinson, founder of Daughterhood.org. They discuss what families struggle with the most, the upcoming Aging 2.0 Optimize Conference, promising innovations to help family caregivers and older adults, and more.
Dr. K explains what all older adults and family caregivers should know about the annual flu shot. She covers the basics of falling ill from influenza, how the vaccines work, which flu shots are specifically designed for older adults, which...
Dr. K talks with Griffin Myers, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Oak Street Health, a Chicago-based network of primary care clinics designed to serve older adults. They discuss the problems with usual primary care and how Oak Street Health is...
Dr. K explains what to know about cerebral small vessel disease, a very common brain condition linked to cognitive decline, balance and walking problems, dementia, and other significant health issues in older adults.
Dr. K explains what to know and what to do, if you're concerned about an older person who is losing weight. She also covers the most common causes of weight loss, how this serious problem should be evaluated, and when...
Dr. K talks about deprescribing risky medications with geriatrician Dr. Cara Tannenbaum, an expert on empowering older adults to avoid potentially inappropriate medications. They discuss why sleeping pills and sedatives have been a particular focus of attention in Canada, which...
Dr. K explains 5 key basics that all family caregivers should know about the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and your options for getting doctors to share information about an older relative's health. She also covers what you can do if the...
Dr. K addresses concerns about the use of morphine and lorazepam (brand name Ativan) while on hospice care. She explains how these drugs can be used for end of life symptoms, what the research and expert guidelines recommend, and what...
Dr. K explains the basics of hospice, with a special focus on hospice for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. She also addresses common misperceptions people have about hospice and palliative care, and explains how to know when someone...
Dr. K explains healthcare's fundamental flaws and how to fix them, as articulated by the visionary healthcare reformer Dr. Larry Weed, who died this month at age 93. Includes tips on how to get better care in today's healthcare system.