Patient Daily Living

Quality of life issues are vital in elderly care circles. Whether you're a caregiver for an elderly parent in the home or overseeing care for someone in an assisted living facility or nursing home, it's up to caregivers, family members, and friends to ensure that our elders maintain dignity, self-respect and confidence in themselves. The best way to do that is to make sure that the elderly person or senior feels good about him or herself.

As people age, their bodies naturally begin to break down and need more nutrients than ever before. Find out what you can do about enhancing nutritional needs in seniors.

“Moderate drinking” over 65 is not the same as it is younger in life. Here’s how to find your tipping point. 

Health risks of too much sodium are greater than previously thought. Learn how to cut salt and, as importantly, boost potassium. 

Almost everyone knows that high cholesterol is not good for the heart. But not all cholesterol is bad. There is one type of cholesterol we should strive to increase. Cholesterol is carried throughout the body’s cells by lipoproteins.

As we get older and chronic conditions surface—whether it’s high blood pressure, another form of heart disease or diabetes, for instance—taking medication becomes vital.

The ancient practice of Ayurveda is the sister science of Yoga which uses herbs, oils and lifestyle advice to correct physical ailments.

Years ago doctors were mainly concerned about vitamin D deficiency in children. Foods were fortified with vitamin D to prevent the bone disease called rickets. Now we know that rickets was only the tip of the iceberg and that seniors are also at high risk for vitamin D deficiency. According to a recent study in the journal Age and Ageing, vitamin D deficiency may contribute to osteoporosis, muscle weakness, hip fractures, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, arthritis and poor general health in seniors.

Though it is 5,000 years old, many people have not heard of the ancient art of Ayurveda, which can be a boon to the aging process. And unlike many modern medications, this alternative approach doesn’t have unpleasant side effects. Ayurveda utilizes herbal remedies, spices, dietary guidelines, oil therapies and lifestyle advice to achieve effects that may be subtle in the beginning, but eventually can lead to profound improvements and aging well. Once people learn a little about the principles of Ayurveda, it usually begins makes an enormous amount of sense to them, according to Beth Biegler, a Manhattan Ayurvedic practitioner who studied with famed Vasant Lad, founder of the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico.