When should antidepressants be prescribed?

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Research Snapshot: Depression screening in older adultsantidepressants

Erin McHenry
April 24, 2017

“The number of antidepressants prescribed in the U.S. is skyrocketing as more primary care providers give antidepressants to patients even though many of them don’t have a psychiatric diagnosis.

A group of University of Minnesota researchers set out to study how that trend might be affecting older adults.

‘We found that physicians were less likely to prescribe unnecessary antidepressants when they screened their patients for depression,’ said Greg Rhee, Ph.D., M.S.W., primary author of the study affiliated with the College of Pharmacy.

The study looked at adults age 65 or older.

The study, recently published in Preventive Medicine, utilized data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. It surveyed primary care physicians to randomly sample over 9,000 visits made among older adults in 2010-2012.”

Out of 9,313 visits analyzed in Rhee’s study, only 209 included a depression screening.

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A Salute to Seniors in Denver, CO

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Baby Boomers Pave the Way for Changing the “Later Years”

By Eileen Doherty, MS

April 30, 2017

DENVER, CO – “Ever thought you might want to xeriscape your yard to reduce maintenance in your later years, save a few bucks on home repairs, or spend a summer being a camp host in a national park. These and many other opportunities such as learning how to download apps on your cellphone or communicate with your grandchildren on Facebook will be demonstrated at the upcoming Salute to Seniors in downtown Denver.

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Elderly scams – don’t be a victim

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elderly scams
dailycaring.com

7 tricks fraudsters use to entrap the elderly

by Steve Vernon, Money Watch

April 25, 2017

“Financial fraud is common today — no one is immune to solicitations from fraudsters. Chances are very good that one of these criminals has targeted you or a loved one recently.

Fraudsters go after older adults because they’re believed to be more trusting and socially isolated. Plus, they often have more assets to exploit. Bad guys rely on very common strategies to take advantage of their marks. ‘Recognizing these persuasion tactics will go a long way toward preventing you or a loved one from being victimized,’ said Marti DeLiema, a post-doctoral fellow at the Stanford Center on Longevity.

DeLiema is one of the nation’s leading experts on financial fraud of the elderly. Here she describes seven tricks scammers use on their victims.

  1. Emotional arousal
  2. Scarcity
  3. Source credibility
  4. Social consensus
  5. The norm of reciprocity
  6. Distraction
  7. ‘Landscaping’

These seven tactics aren’t unique to financial fraud. You experience them often when deciding between legitimate goods and investments. The problem is that fraudsters also use these same persuasion tactics for illicit purposes. If you recognize these influence strategies, you can significantly protect your money from financial predators, legal or criminal.

DeLiema summed it up with great advice: ‘Get into the habit of using these suggested defenses for all important transactions to help you get the most from your hard-earned money.'”

Read more details on elderly scams and suggested defenses

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

Are you aging gracefully?

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aging gracefully80 is the new 60

by Jose Pujalte Jr. for Manila Bulletin

April 30, 2017

“’To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.’

— Bernard Baruch (1870-1965), U.S. Financier Quoted in The Observer (London, Aug 19, 1955) on his 85th birthday

Before any brickbats are hurled my way, let me qualify.

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Making each day count living with cancer

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Suggestions for Making Each Day Count

“Orville Kelly was diagnosed with lymphoma in his early forties. One day when he was sitting in his doctor’s waiting room, he thought to himself that he should start making better use of his time, since he did not know how long he may live with his cancer. He started talking about ideas of positive thinking to other patients in the waiting room and they formed a small support group. As a result of this experience, Orville founded the organization, Make Today Count, with the simple purpose of bringing together people who are learning to live with cancer. The following are suggestions for making each day count:

Talk About It

  • Those around you may be unsure about what they can do. If they ask, take the opportunity to let them know how they can help you during this time.
  • Tell your doctors that you want to participate in your care and know what is going on with your health.
  • You may meet people who think they can catch cancer by being near you. Share with them what you know about cancer, so they will not be afraid.

Family and Friends

  • Chances are your family and friends will cope better if they are told the truth. Patients sometimes try to protect their loved ones by pretending everything is alright. If loved ones are aware of your diagnosis they can better respond to your need for understanding.
  • You may have unexpected feelings about your diagnosis such as sadness, grief, denial or anger. These are normal reactions to being ill. Loved ones are also trying to cope with the diagnosis and may have the same feelings.
  • If you live alone, there are things you can do to be with others. You may want to join a support group to talk with others who are living with cancer.
  • Your friends may not know what to do or say. They may be afraid they will upset you or your family by saying the wrong thing. You can help to put them at ease by letting them know how you feel.”

Read more and find helpful resources

© April 27, 2017. The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

BRiTE Program aids adults with mild memory loss

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BRiTE ProgramInnovative program aids older adults with mild memory loss

By Tony Dearing, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

April 24, 2017

“Two days a week, Jennie Dorris raises her baton to help an unlikely group of musicians melodize their way to better brain health.

Few of her students have previous musical training. Their concern is more medical. They’ve been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, and the marimba lessons she leads on Mondays and Fridays are part of an innovative wellness program designed to help slow their memory loss.

Research has shown music can be instrumental (pun intended) in keeping our mind sharp as we age.

So when scientists at the University of Pittsburgh set out to create a program aimed specifically at people with MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment), the idea of including a marimba class struck the right chord.

‘We chose these types of instruments because they are very visual, and you can sort of feel like you’re playing a game while you’re learning a melody,’ Dorris says. ‘This is a really unique way to connect with people who want to work on their memory.'”

Read more and view video demonstration

May is Older Americans Month

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POlder Americans Monthresident Donald J. Trump Proclaims May 2017 as Older Americans Month

April 28, 2017

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

“Older Americans are our Nation’s memory.  Some of today’s grandparents and great-grandparents were born during the Great Depression, lived through the Second World War, witnessed the rise and fall of Communism, fought in Korea and Vietnam, marched with Martin Luther King, Jr., and watched the first man walk on the Moon.  Now, they surf the internet and share family photos on their phones in a world that is richer and freer than the one into which they were born.  Listening to the stories of our older citizens allows younger Americans to appreciate the country they inherited and gain the wisdom necessary to make it even better for their children and grandchildren.

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