Remember the fights you used to have with your brother over who got the last Ring Ding? (Okay, maybe that was only me). I’m an independent woman, an elder lawyer, no less. Yet, when it comes to making decisions about my Mom, I turn first to my brother. After all, my Mom is his… Read More »
Posts Tagged: Health Care
Alzheimer's or a Vitamin Deficiency?
According to an article in today’s New York Times by health writer Jane Brody, below normal levels of B-12 can sometimes mimic the signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. According to Brody, Vitamin B-12 is absorbed less readily as we age, and a deficiency can cause symptoms of memory loss and confusion–the same symptoms as an… Read More »
The Survey Says: NY a Winner in the High Cost of Long Term Care
In this survey, New York “only” comes in fifth in the country on the list of most expensive annual cost for a private room at a nursing home. The survey is using median rates, and also averaging the cost of nursing homes throughout New York State. On Long Island, the cost of a semi-private room… Read More »
The Real Reason You Should Have Paid Attention in High School French
In a recent interview in the New York Times Science Section, cognitive neuroscientist Ellen Bialystock was interviewed about recent studies that have found that being bilingual delays the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms by an average of five to six years. Unfortunately, the occasional use of a second language does not qualify for bilingualism. The… Read More »
A Physician’s Guide to End-of-Life Decisions (MOLST)
The denial of death is one of the strongest of human defense mechanisms. In fact, there’s an entire book about it. We don’t want to think about our end-of-life care wishes. (Although some have instructed, “Wave a martini in front of me — if I don’t respond, pull the plug.”) I don’t like to think… Read More »
Is the Doctor In? Not if You're on Medicaid
A major difficulty for people on Medicaid is the inability to find doctors and dentists willing to accept the plan. For those people who need primary care, the result is often hours and hours in clinics waiting to see a general practitioner and month-long waits for specialists. According to the New York Times, having… Read More »