Daily Dose of Vitamin D Prevents Falls in Elderly

(NaturalNews) Seniors who take a large daily dose of vitamin D may be significantly less likely to suffer from falls, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Center on Aging and Mobility at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and published in the British Medical Journal.

Packaging services to prevent suicide among the elderly

NEW YORK — Suicide is more common among older Americans than any other age group. The statistics are daunting. While people 65 and older account for 12 percent of the population, they represent 16 percent to 25 percent of the suicides. Four out of five suicides in older adults are men. And among white men over 85, the suicide rate - 50 per 100,000 men - is six times that of the general population.

Playgrounds for Seniors: A Fun and Practical Idea Gets the Elderly in Motion

(NaturalNews) In Great Britain and Japan, playgrounds are being built for seniors. In Manchester, United Kingdom, seniors can use low impact exercise equipment in Dam Head Public Park. In Japan, with birthrates falling and the numbers of senior citizens increasing, underused playgrounds are being renovated for seniors.

Elderly Abuse

Officials are learning to speak the same language and using the same forensic techniques as those popularized on the three C.S.I. television series to diagnose elder abuse and neglect. For decades, the techniques have been the state-of-the-art approach for investigating child abuse and domestic violence. But elder abuse has lagged far behind, suffering from a lack of financing, research and data.







http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2006/09/26/us/20060927_ABUSE_FEATURE.html

Elderly Abused at 1 in 3 Nursing Homes: Report

Reports of serious, physical, sexual and verbal abuse are "numerous" among the nation's nursing homes, according to a congressional report released today.

The study, prepared by the minority (Democratic and Independent) staff of the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee, finds that 30 percent of nursing homes in the United States — 5,283 facilities — were cited for almost 9,000 instances of abuse over a recent two-year period, from January 1999 to January 2001.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92689&page=1

Care for your Elderly

If an elderly person in your care has developed bed sores there are a number of ways to aid in the healing process. First, you’ll want to help your patient change positions approximately every 15 minutes if they’re in a wheelchair, or every two hours if they’re confined to a bed. Support surfaces, like cushions and pads, should also be used to relieve pressure on an existing sore and protect vulnerable areas.

To live longer, shop more, study suggests?

Retail therapy does more than soothe the soul — it could also be a sign of long life for elderly people, according to a new study.

Elderly people who shop every day are 27 percent less likely to die over a 10-year period than those who shop once a week, the study said. (The study was limited to Taiwanese, so the findings may not apply to all groups of people.)