As a geriatrician who primarily takes care of elders with dementia, chronic pain is a problem that I must address daily. It’s not news that chronic pain affects us as we age. A recent study found that 53 percent of the elder reported bothersome pain each month....
Anyone who cares for someone with dementia knows that agitation is often part of the package. Nearly 20 percent of those with faltering cognition experience behavioral symptoms (anxiety, agitation, delusions, paranoia) severe enough to merit medical treatment. In care...
Anyone who’s become suddenly drowsy from too much cold medicine knows that medications sometimes have unwanted effects. About 6 percent of hospital admissions can be traced to what we doctors call “adverse drug events” (ADE). That is, prescribed...
‘Hey Doc, I just heard about this new miracle pill/supplement/treatment’… I hear this all the time as I travel around the San Francisco Bay Area doing house calls for elderly patients and for patients with dementia. There’s a lot of talk these days...
By Elizabeth Landsverk, MD Older adults are more likely to experience pain than the general population but they may be less likely to be treated for it. The most common reason that pain in elders is undertreated is that it is under-reported. Many elders consider pain...
Adverse drug reactions are an all-too-common cause of hospitalization for elders. 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....
