While this is an extreme example, some medical equipment and assistive devices– such as pacemakers, wheelchairs and oxygen tanks – can hinder airport security screening procedures.

In response to [...]]]> Recent reports allege that security officials at a Florida airport forced a 95-year-old woman with cancer to remove her adult diaper as part of a security pat-down.

While this is an extreme example, some medical equipment and assistive devices– such as pacemakers, wheelchairs and oxygen tanks – can hinder airport security screening procedures.

In response to the incident involving the adult diaper, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials released this statement: “While every person and item must be screened before entering the secure boarding area, the TSA works with passengers to resolve security alarms in a respectful and sensitive manner.”

From http://www.agingcare.com.  Read more…

“The unfortunate fact is that for 20 years we’ve been talking about this. This is the government that’s finally doing something about it,” said [...]]]> The problems in retirement homes exposed by an undercover Toronto Star investigation should be easier to root out once new regulations are in place next year, says Ontario’s minister for seniors.

“The unfortunate fact is that for 20 years we’ve been talking about this. This is the government that’s finally doing something about it,” said Aggelonitis.

Star reporter Dale Brazao went undercover for a week in west Toronto’s In Touch retirement home, discovering seniors abandoned for hours to fester in urine- and feces-filled diapers with no toilet paper in bathrooms, substandard food, and other poor conditions.

The investigation prompted numerous calls from readers and health care workers detailing identical problems across the province.

Continue reading Disgusting nursing home conditions prompt legislation

An Australian study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society tracked the number of deaths over 10 years in 9,200 people who were aged 70 [...]]]> More research indicates that being overweight can be less harmful for the elderly than for younger people.  In fact, dieting may not be helpful for the post-70 crowd.

An Australian study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society tracked the number of deaths over 10 years in 9,200 people who were aged 70 to 75 at the start of the study. Study participants rated as overweight were found to have the lowest risk of dying during the period from cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease and also ran the lowest overall death rate among those in the group.

Continue reading from the Wall Street Journal’s blog or read the study itself.

Seabridge Bathing Canada is proud to be a corporate member of ALCOA, the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults.

ALCOA members subscribe to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of active living as:

A way of life in which physical, social, mental, emotional [...]]]>

Seabridge Bathing proudly supports the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults.

Seabridge Bathing Canada is proud to be a corporate member of ALCOA, the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults.

ALCOA members subscribe to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of active living as:

A way of life in which physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual activities are valued and are integrated into daily living.

ALCOA sees its role within the scope of this broad and inclusive definition. ALCOA’s primary focus is on the promotion of physical activity, while recognizing the critical linkages of physical health with social, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

For more information, visit the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults website.

Down mountains in Colorado. With MS. And Cerebral Palsy.

With a little help from a “slider”.  And skiing instructor Asa McKee.

Watch to see how she does it. And to find out what a slider is.

Instead of putting seniors in nursing homes because they need care, the care is being brought to them, at home.

They don’t need doctors or nurses, but they do need assistance with meal preparation, medication, cleaning, and  so on.

And Medicare is paying [...]]]> The “Big Idea” is finally making its way through Medicare in Florida.

Instead of putting seniors in nursing homes because they need care, the care is being brought to them, at home.

They don’t need doctors or nurses, but they do need assistance with meal preparation, medication, cleaning, and  so on.

And Medicare is paying for it.

And saving $$$.

It costs $48,000 per year to maintain a person in a nursing home.  It costs only $18,000 per year to assist them with living at home, for a savings of $30,000 per person, per year.

Watch more about the Big Idea — some would say Common Sense Idea — in the video below.

And can’t get up.

Yet.

He may try a hundred times, but he always gets up.

So what, you may think?

Nick has no arms or legs, that’s what.

Watch how Nick gets up:

Visit Nick’s website at www.LifeWithoutLimbs.org

As a result, millions are and will be grappling with the question: how will we respond when a loved one grows too fragile to live alone?

In WHEN [...]]]> Thirty-four million Americans provide care for a frail, aging family member. This number is likely to increase dramatically as the nations seventy-seven million Baby Boomers age.

As a result, millions are and will be grappling with the question: how will we respond when a loved one grows too fragile to live alone?

In WHEN THE TIME COMES, veteran journalist Paula Span shares the stories of several families confronting this painful question as they struggle to choose from a host of options, from multigenerational living or home care to assisted living, nursing facilities, or hospice.

Rich with moving portraits, practical information, and the comfort that comes with finding the best solution, the book is essential reading that can help families navigate the tough times so they can focus on the joyful ones.

Paula Span is a contributing writer for the Washington Post Magazine and teaches journalism at Columbia University. A staff writer for the Washington Post for many years, Span has written for numerous publications, including the and many others.