January 5, 2016 by
Seniors have a lot on their plates, medication-wise. According to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, “On average, individuals 65 to 69 years old take nearly 14 prescriptions per year; individuals aged 80 to 84 take an average of 18 prescriptions per year.” While these numbers seem staggering, with nearly 92% of older adults having at least one chronic condition and 77% having at least two, the amount of medications that seniors take per year tends to make sense.
November 24, 2015 by
Dehydration occurs when a person loses more water than he or she takes in. Sounds simple, but it’s a very serious problem, and dehydration in older adults can be particularly dangerous. Because the mechanisms that regulate thirst, sweat, and heat change as we age, the way we regulate our fluid intake needs to change as well. “It’s a very complicated pattern. Regulation of salt and water gets to be a bit abnormal as we grow older and we don’t perceive thirst as well,” says Dr. David R. Thomas of the Division of Geriatric Medicine at St. Louis University School of Medicine. (more…)