I lost a friend recently. Until his 75th birthday he had been a happy, social person who loved to sing, play guitar, visit friends, and tell funny stories. Over the past two years, I watched him become depressed, uninterested in his old friends and activities, cynical and bitter. At the same time, he lost weight, he didn’t eat, he complained of fatigue and pain, and he didn’t have the energy to walk. What happened? He […]
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Pill bottles. Everywhere.
It’s a common sight for those taking care of their parents. But why do older patients have so many pills? It’s not a benign thing either—tens of thousands of elders are sickened or die from drug overdoses, side effects, and interactions every year. So how did mom and dad accumulate all of these drugs, and how do they keep them straight? Well the answer to the second question is easier so we’ll start with that […]
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