Falling down is a common, usually harmless event in a child’s life. A fall, however, can be a serious and even fatal event for an adult, particularly someone over the age of 65. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), unintentional falls were the number one cause of nonfatal injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2010. Read More…

Lucille has lived in her home for 33 years. Even after her husband died 3 years ago, she was able to manage on her own. Recently, she broke her hip and now needs a walker to get around. At 85, she is no longer able to be on her own. Her children now are talking about how best to help their mom find the right care.

Sometimes, decisions about where to care for a family member need to be made quickly, for example, when a sudden injury requires a new care plan. Other times, a family has a while to look for the best place to care for an elderly relative.  Read More…

When your spouse dies, your world changes. You are in mourning—feeling grief and sorrow at the loss. You may feel numb, shocked, and fearful. You may feel guilty for being the one who is still alive. If your spouse died in a nursing home, you may wish that you had been able to care for him or her at home. At some point, you may even feel angry at your spouse for leaving you. All these feelings are normal. There are no rules about how you should feel. There is no right or wrong way to mourn.  Read More…

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced—bones actually become weaker. As bones become more porous and fragile, the risk of fracture is greatly increased. The loss of bone occurs silently and progressively. Often there are no symptoms until the first fracture occurs.  Read More…