Posts Tagged: Elderly
Opinion
OPINION: Prolonged solitary confinement is torture. Whether it is referred to as administrative segregation, secure housing, or protective custody, the effect on an individual is the same. Significant psychological harm, and mental and physical damage that can be permanent.
Opinion
OPINION: “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” proclaims an elderly woman in a 1980’s commercial for LifeCall, a home system that summoned emergency care, but became the subject of derision and perhaps a bit of schadenfreude over time, spawning parodies. Of course, it might seem funny until it’s you or a loved one, perhaps the victim of a fall due to poor eyesight.
News
In offices in and around the state Capitol, politicians, consultants, lobbyists, and the whole array of other political types have one thing on their minds: How do we conduct campaigns and politics in the face of the growing coronavirus pandemic? Will candidates make speeches wearing face masks? Are latex gloves going to be de rigueurat meet-and-greet events with supporters?
Opinion
OPINION: The Golden Years for senior citizens across the Golden State are longer and more active than for the generations that preceded us. This is a real gift, but it does mean most of us are battling age-related medical conditions, often dealing with them for decades. Prescription drugs are a big part of our healthcare toolbox, and today, almost 40 percent of senior citizens use five or more medications.
Opinion
OPINION: As the baby boomer generation ages, physicians like myself must begin to examine how we can improve the quality of life for one of the fastest growing demographics in the world. Too often, seniors in generally good health have their worlds shattered by preventable ailments. A sudden fall or common cold can set anyone back, but for someone over the age of 65, a preventable injury or illness may alter their health trajectory and quality of life entirely.
News
It’s been nearly two weeks since a crucial deadline passed to continue funding for community health centers, the nonprofit facilities that deliver care to the poor and uninsured in California and across the country. Congress is still squabbling over the details, advocates are still scrambling to get the funding renewed and the centers are starting to plan for the bottom line.
Opinion
OPINION: By 2030, California’s over-65 population is expected to be 87 percent higher than it was in 2012 – an increase of more than four million people. According to a 2014 AARP survey, nearly 90 percent of senior households say they would like to stay in their current residences and communities for as long as possible.
News
A coalition led by Democrats and advocates for the aged proposed a series of bills aimed at reforming the deadly conditions reported in some California’s elderly care facilities. Photo: Samantha Gallegos/Capitol Weekly.