Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by the How To Help Your Elders Medical Advisory Process Vision loss in older adults goes far beyond needing stronger reading glasses. Cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy each threaten your parent's sight in different ways, and many are treatable or manageable when caught early. Regular
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by the How To Help Your Elders Medical Advisory Process Most older adults take multiple medications prescribed by multiple doctors, and the cumulative effect of those drugs can cause symptoms that get mistaken for new diseases. A comprehensive medication review by a pharmacist or geriatrician can identify unnecessary drugs,
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by a board-certified geriatric medicine specialist When an older parent suddenly seems confused, agitated, or unlike themselves, a urinary tract infection is one of the first things to check. In older adults, UTIs often skip the typical burning and urgency and show up as mental status changes instead. A
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by a board-certified infectious disease and geriatric care specialist If your parent had chickenpox as a child, the virus is still in their body, dormant in their nerve cells. In about one in three older adults, it reactivates as shingles, causing a painful, blistering rash that can lead to
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Catherine Reyes, LCSW Only about one-third of American adults have completed advance directives, according to the NIH, and the percentage is only slightly higher among older adults. Having this conversation while your parent is healthy and cognitively clear is the single most important step you can take to
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by a board-certified geriatrician and internal medicine specialist Most older adults don't have one health problem. They have several, and the conditions interact in ways that no single specialist is tracking. A blood pressure medication worsens arthritis. Depression undermines diabetes management. Pain disrupts sleep, which raises anxiety,
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by the How To Help Your Elders Medical Advisory Process Chronic kidney disease is common in older adults and usually develops silently over years, driven by diabetes, high blood pressure, or long-term medication use. By the time symptoms appear, significant damage has already occurred. Understanding the stages, the treatment
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. More than 29 percent of Americans over 65 have diabetes, according to the CDC. In older adults, diabetes does not exist in isolation. It complicates every other condition your parent has, from heart disease to wound healing to cognitive function. Management in older
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by the How To Help Your Elders Medical Advisory Process Vaccinations do not stop being important after childhood. Older adults need specific vaccines that protect against diseases their aging immune systems are less equipped to fight, including flu, pneumonia, shingles, COVID-19, and tetanus. The CDC recommends a clear schedule
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by a board-certified addiction medicine and geriatric care specialist The same glass of wine your parent has had safely for decades becomes a health risk as their body ages. A slower liver, a more sensitive brain, a longer medication list, and less body water all mean the alcohol hits
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by a board-certified pulmonologist and geriatric psychiatrist Your parent says they have been feeling anxious lately. They get short of breath at unpredictable times. Their heart races. You assume it is anxiety, maybe triggered by aging or recent losses. But your parent says they are not anxious, not really.
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and the majority of diagnoses occur in adults over 65, according to the American Cancer Society. Treatment decisions for older adults must weigh the potential benefit of cancer-directed therapy against