About 13 percent of elderly Americans are mistreated, most commonly by someone who verbally mistreats or financially takes advantage of them, according to a University of Chicago study that is the first comprehensive look at elder mistreatment in the country.”The population of the country is aging, and people now live with chronic diseases longer. So it’s important to understand, from a health perspective, how people are being treated as they age,” said lead author Edward Laumann, the George Herbert Mead Distinguished Service Professor in Sociology at the University of Chicago. [continue reading…]

Why is it that some people’s minds stay in better shape than others as we age? This has puzzled scientists for decades, but a USA team has discovered a whole set of molecular and cellular changes that help maintain a healthy brain.

Professor Michela Gallagher from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore said, “Problems with memory become more commonplace as we age. As we get older, we get frustrated by little things like losing the car keys.” This kind of age-related memory problem can be normal and not linked to disease. [continue reading…]

Link to read this article in the  excellent series The New Old Age   where, Jane Gross explores the unprecedented intergenerational challenges and shares the stories of readers, the advice of professionals, and the wisdom gleaned from her own experience caring for her mother in her waning years. 

The four biggest mistakes I made while caring for my mother.

The New York Times
by Jane Gross
July 7 2008