Dr Liz Geriatrics
Blog
Elders and Intimacy: Who Chooses?
We focus a lot on care for older individuals; Are they eating? Are they moving their bowels? Do they walk? Are they agitated? But what about intimacy? What about romance? When is there risk for an...
Undiagnosed dementia puts elders at risk
By Elizabeth Landsverk, MD According to the World Health Organization, 47.5 million people worldwide are living with dementia, a number that is expected to more than triple by 2050. A diagnosis of...
Exercise for Elders: The Best Decision You Can Make for Your Health
Physical activity and exercise are good for you – at every age. For older adults, being physically active is vital to health and the ability to remain independent. Even those who are frail or suffer...
New Law Helps Elders Avoid Medicare Loophole
Your elder loved one is in the hospital in a bed but is she an inpatient or an outpatient under observation? It matters. One of the anomalies in our sprawling healthcare system can unexpectedly cost...
Helping Your Elder Avoid Falls
Taking a tumble is no trivial matter for older adults, but falling is by no means an inevitable part of aging. The sheer numbers related to falling – which happens to more than one-third of...
Understanding and Coping with Behavioral Changes in Elders
One unchangeable fact of life is that people never stop changing, no matter how old they get. Aging brings a cascade of physical and emotional changes, which can lead to a variety of behavioral...
The Challenges of Managing Medications
About half of Americans age 65 and older take five or more medications daily and many mix prescription and over-the-counter medications with vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements. With each...
CDC; For Elders Liquid ducosate (Colace) is a Risk
“I think for the frail elder population, particularly those elders with dementia, all liquid ducosate (Colace) should be discontinued and replaced.”
NY Times Ethicist: Can You Keep a Woman From Courting Your Elderly Dad?
We in the elder care community have much work to do for culture change regarding elders in our country. As a Geriatrician providing house calls in the San Francisco Bay Area, I see many sad cases of...
Is It a Memory Lapse or Is It Dementia?
Geriatric Specialist Elizabeth Landsverk, MD Provides Guidance and Tips for Patients and Families About 10% of all people over the age of 65 have some form of dementia, by the age of 85 that has...
Wealth and Capacity; Who Gets to Decide?
Earlier this week, Dr. Nancy Hoffman, neuropsychologist and I (Geriatrician in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area) presented a talk about undue influence and how to address financial elder abuse. Today, I read that Sumner Redstone, 92, is ousting long time CEO/directors of his $40 billion dollar empire (including CBS and Viacom) and his estranged daughter (and VP of Viacom) is taking control. There seems to be a lot of legal action and uncertainty about the next steps for these businesses.
Bladder Infections in Elders: What to Know
With my elders with dementia, it is often not so straightforward. Sometimes the symptom is that the person more is more agitated, aggressive or more lethargic. The person with dementia may not feel well, but not be able to communicate their symptoms. This is serious.
The Wild, Wild West of Medication
Medications can be like the Wild, Wild West in dementia. Too many medications, too many side effects, too little focus on treating pain. What to do?
I Know You Love Me, Now Let Me Die
What is better for the end of life, being at home with family or in the hospital with all the life saving equipment and technology available?
The Cost of Being an Elder
“We should look for the ways in America that we can address the health and wellbeing in a cost effective manner.”
The Power of Music
So it seems that music can make a difference for patients whether suffering from dementia, undergoing medical procedures or post-surgery.
Beware Medicare Fraud!
Someone calls and says you must join their prescription plan or you’ll lose your Medicare coverage. Don’t believe it. Whenever someone asks for your bank account number or your Medicare number, stop. Only give personal or financial information when you have verified who you’re talking to. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to make sure you’re talking to a legitimate representative.
Choosing the Right Care Community
Here’s a recent horror story that may make the point: I had a patient with complicated medical issues who had a hip replacement operation. To my dismay, the hospital discharged this man to “assisted living.”
Should Elders with Dementia Have Sex?
“I’m sorry this is just not the behavior of an experienced politician. It’s also not the behavior of a person whose brain is working normally.” When dementia is involved, sexuality can be very complicated.
Where is the Financial Help for victims of Elder Abuse?
Financial elder abuse is much more common than most of us wish to think. Some believe that it will be the greatest crime of the 21st Century. This abuse doesn’t always come from ‘scammers’ outside the house or on the phone. Often, sadly, it comes from relatives of the elder. When you add dementia to the mix, it’s a terrible problem.