Woodland creatures, jungle beasts and other critters molded my childhood. I learned from the comics that rabbits are smart alecs, mice build Magic Kingdoms and ducks are obnoxious — except for Yakky Doodle, and he had his moments, too. My first superhero was a canine named Underdog, who ...
Human beings are wired for social connection, but millions of people confront isolation every day. Many of those people are seniors who lose contact with loved ones as time goes by. While temporary loneliness can be tolerated, prolonged isolation can be very harmful. Research by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found roughly one-quarter of American adults age 65 and older live in isolation. Identifying the early warning signs of isolation may help to prevent the physiological and psychological toll isolation can take. Here are some signs of social ...
The adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” may be true, but for seniors, enjoying that apple at a hotel or on a cruise may be even more healthy than having it at home. Travel can be an important component of healthy aging. Travel provides many benefits across multiple areas of life. According to The Senior List, around 70% of seniors (adults age 50 and up) travel regularly. Seniors are a target demographic for the travel industry, accounting for roughly one-third of all travelers. Seniors spend almost one month each year traveling. Here are a few of the many ...
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve been hearing about Legionnaires’ disease. What is it? How’s it spread? Can it really be spread through windshield wipers? — D.G. ANSWER: Legionnaires’ disease is a pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophilia. Legionella live in soil and water, and water remains the most important source of infections in humans — not from drinking the water but through aerosolized water. Air-conditioning cooling towers and water systems are the usual sources of large outbreaks, such as the one occurring as I write this in New York City. There’s (almost) no ...
DEAR HELOISE: My vet told me to make certain that my dog has fresh water every day. The big water bowl is in the kitchen, which is inside my house, so why does he need fresh water daily? — Joyce F., in Arcadia, Florida Joyce, your dog’s saliva and germs contaminate the water that he drinks. If you leave this water for three or four days, bacteria multiplies hour after hour. Then there’s also your average amount of dust and loose hair that floats into the water. And if other animals are drinking from the same bowl, then their bacteria is present as well. Before you know it, the ...
It’s National Wellness Month. While being aware of our health and staying on top of our appointments is important year-round, August is the time of year we pay a little closer attention to things that keep us healthy. August wants us to remind ourselves that self-care, managing stress, proper hydration, proper nutrition and building sustainable daily habits that improve physical and mental well-being is important and should not be ignored. We are encouraged to look closely at how we are helping ourselves and those around us. We also are reminded that we need to maintain an ...
