Alcoholism a serious problem among seniors

Written by Fred Cicetti Tuesday, 10 January 2012 15:11

Q My wife and I moved into a retirement community recently. I’ve noticed a lot of people I’d call alcoholics in this community. Do seniors drink more in these places?

A I could find no information that demonstrated residents of retirement communities drink more. However, these developments are, by nature, more social. So, perhaps you’re just seeing more drinking. With more drinking, you’ll find more people who don’t handle it well.

Alcoholism is a serious problem among seniors. Here are just a few statistics that tell the story:

• About 70 percent of hospital admissions for older adults are for illness and accidents related to alcohol.

• About half of older adults in nursing homes have an alcohol problem.

• Older...

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Simple strategies can help ease motion sickness for most people

Written by Fred Cicetti Tuesday, 13 December 2011 16:42

Q My wife can ride in the car and read a book. It makes me jealous because I’d be sick to my stomach if I did that. How can she do that without feeling queasy?

ALittle is known about individual susceptibility to motion sickness. Your wife caught a biological break. You didn’t. Many people suffer nausea when traveling by boat, car or airplane. It also happens on rides in amusement parks and playgrounds. The symptoms of motion sickness are caused by conflicting messages arriving at the central nervous system.

Different parts of your body let your brain know where you are and what you’re doing.

The inner ears let you know if you’re turning, or moving forward-backward, side-to-side and up-and-down. The eyes also monitor the...

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Will acupuncture help ease arthritis pain?

Written by Fred Cicetti Tuesday, 08 November 2011 16:04

Q I have arthritis in my knee. I’m thinking about trying acupuncture, but my friends think I’m nuts. What do you think?

ASeveral recent studies show osteoarthritis symptoms can be relieved with acupuncture. One Scandinavian study reported that 25 percent of patients canceled their plans for knee surgery after acupuncture.

About 15 million Americans have tried this needle therapy. The World Health Organization recommends it for more than 40 conditions as diverse as asthma and nausea from chemotherapy. The Food and Drug Administration regulates acupuncture needles.

So, no, I don’t think you’re nuts.

By the third century B.C., the Chinese had documented a medical system that is based on qi (pronounced “chee”), a concept of...

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Nine senior workers to be honored

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 11 October 2011 14:47

Avis Bergman Senior Citizens of Marion County Inc. will honor nine older members of the workforce during the organization’s 51st annual meeting Oct. 20 at the Marion Senior Center.

To be nominated, honorees had to be at least 70 years old, live and work in Marion County and be employed in the workplace for at least 16 to 20 hours per week. Nominations came from employers, coworkers and clients.

Lila Unruh, president of he SCMI board of directors, said she hopes the organization’s initiative will affirm the contributions seniors continue to make in Marion County.

“To be at the age some of these people are, I think it’s wonderful they can still be working,” Unruh said. “Some do it because they need the money, and others because...

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