Scientists explore music’s healing power

By Lauran Neergaard
Posted on February 07, 2018

Like a friendly Pied Piper, the violinist keeps up a toe-tapping beat as dancers weave through busy hospital hallways and into the chemotherapy unit, patients looking up in surprised delight. Upstairs, a cellist strums an Irish folk tune for a patient in intensive care. Music increasingly is becoming a part of patient care — although it’s still pretty unusual to see roving performers ... READ MORE

Qs on grass-fed dairy, choline supplements

By Environmental Nutrition
Posted on February 02, 2018

Q: Are grass-fed dairy products a good choice? A: Dairy products labeled as "grassfed" market their products as coming from cows exclusively fed grass instead of the grain rations that conventionally-raised cows typically consume. But what does this term really mean? In 2016, the USDA withdrew support for grass-fed marketing claims, thus they no longer have an official definition of the... READ MORE

How to reduce retirement healthcare costs

By Kimberly Lankford
Posted on January 31, 2018

Q: I thought most of my healthcare costs would be covered by Medicare after I turn 65, but it looks like I'll still have to pay quite a bit myself.   buy arimidex online arimidex online no prescription How much can I expect to pay for healthcare in retirement? What can I do to lower those costs? A: Even though Medicare covers the bulk of your healthcare costs after you turn 65, you may... READ MORE

Caregivers are overwhelmed, undertrained

By Emily Swanson and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
Posted on January 30, 2018

Adult caregivers looking after aging relatives and friends have little training for their stressful roles but still find the experience rewarding, according to a new poll. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey finds that long-term caregivers don't just provide rides to the doctor and run errands. Nearly half perform some kind of medical care, from changing... READ MORE

Can probiotics treat depression and anxiety?

By Dr. Athos Bousvaros
Posted on January 29, 2018

There is a lot of interest right now in the human microbiome (the populations of bacteria that live in various parts of the body, including the intestine, skin and lungs). We now know that there are approximately 10 times as many bacterial cells as human cells in the body. The vast majority of these bacterial cells are in the intestinal tract, and they serve many purposes, including... READ MORE

International tai chi champions

By Robert Friedman
Posted on January 29, 2018

Many recreation centers provide instruction in the ancient martial art of tai chi. But it’s a rare program that sends 17 of its members to China to participate in an international competition, and no doubt even rarer when such a group sweeps the awards in their categories. That’s exactly what happened, however, when a group from the East Columbia 50+ Center’s tai chi class traveled ... READ MORE

Easing agitation in Alzheimer’s patients

By Carol Sorgen
Posted on January 25, 2018

Anxiety and agitation are commonly found in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. These behavioral changes may be caused by different medical conditions, medication interactions, or circumstances that continue to worsen the person’s ability to think. As an individual with dementia is biologically experiencing a loss of their ability to negotiate new information and different stimuli,... READ MORE

Help for caregivers of dementia patients

By Senior Connections
Posted on January 24, 2018

Senior Connections, the Area Agency on Aging for the Richmond metro area, works with the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) to provide a support group for those providing care for loved ones suffering from FTD. The caregiver support group meets the third Thursday of every month at Covenant Woods Retirement Community at 3 p.m. FTD — also commonly referred to as... READ MORE

Should you get the new shingles vaccine?

By Amanda Johnson
Posted on January 23, 2018

Q: At a recent visit, my local pharmacist asked if I was up to date with my vaccinations. He told me there is a new shingles vaccine that was recently approved. Do I need this vaccine? What do I need to know about it? online pharmacy fluoxetine no prescription A: In October, the FDA and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) approved a new adult vaccine called Shingrix. The Shingrix... READ MORE

Lazy, weak men and clueless strangers

By Helen Oxenberg, MSW, ACSW
Posted on January 23, 2018

Dear Solutions: My husband, who retired recently, is making me more and more angry. Every time I ask him to help with household chores, he refuses and thinks he’s funny when he says he can’t exert himself because he’s protecting me. He says he’s saving me from becoming a widow. I work part time, but because I’m home a lot, he thinks I can do everything myself. I’ve... READ MORE