Late one night in January, Jonathan Coffino, 78, turned to his wife as they sat in bed. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” he said, glumly. Coffino was referring to the caution that’s come to define his life during the Covid-19 pandemic. After two years of mostly staying at home and […]
Don’t worry — physical restrictions like a hip replacement, colostomy bag, or arthritis don’t need to spell the end of your sex life. In fact, sexual health experts say, these restrictions, whether temporary or permanent, are an invitation to bring play into your life. “Remember the first time you experienced intimacy with your partner or […]Read More
More nursing homes are waiting longer for Covid-19 test results for residents and staffers, according to federal data, making the fight against record numbers of omicron cases even harder. The double whammy of slower turnaround times for lab-based PCR tests and a shortage of rapid antigen tests has strained facilities where quickly identifying infections is […]Read More
Covid-19 gets the headlines, but RSV can cause problems for older adults, too Older adults have plenty to worry about with Covid-19. Even those who are fully vaccinated remain at some risk for severe symptoms. But now they can add another worrisome virus to their list: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). A common virus, RSV is […]Read More
Treatments target chronic pain and inflammation On most days for the past 25 years, 79-year-old Arthur Cooper of Park Ridge has experienced side effects stemming from genetic neuropathy, which causes numbness, tingling, and pain throughout the peripheral nervous system. On good days, like today, Cooper, whose name has been changed for privacy, enjoys doing projects around […]Read More
As part of the “Great Resignation,” many people are examining their work and picking new priorities for themselves. They’re using the pandemic as a time to reflect on whether their current career trajectory is the right one for them — or whether they might be happier exploring other passions. In retirement, older adults are using […]Read More
If an older adult you love or care for becomes easily agitated, disoriented, or confused, your first thought probably won’t be: urinary tract infection. But maybe it should. In younger people, urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are typically marked by a burning sensation when urinating. But in older people, the symptoms are often different. UTIs […]Read More
Meg Will began noticing changes in her mother’s behavior when her mother turned 80. Her mother was sharp — after she raised seven kids, she graduated from the University of Chicago and became a licensed clinical social worker. There were small signs at first. Her mother was seeing a limited number of patients in her […]Read More
Now that marijuana is legal for medical or recreational use in many states, including Illinois, growing numbers of Americans — including older people — are imbibing this popular drug. In fact, the percentage of people ages 65 and older who said they used some form of marijuana almost doubled between 2015 and 2018, a recent […]Read More
Older adults turn to marijuana for pain relief Each evening, Adrienne, an 80-year-old grandmother from the Chicago suburbs, eats a dime-sized piece of orange-flavored candy. The cannabis-infused candy contains 5 milligrams of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. It’s not enough to make her feel high, but it’s just enough to help her feel drowsy, […]Read More
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