Welcome to the world of health and aging. We focus on diverse issues encountered through life as we age. This information shouldn’t appear daunting or scary. But it can become complicated. Motivation to be your own advocate is the most effective way to ensure continued good health and a meaningful life. We’ll equip you with better tools to take an active role in your health.
The brain is the essence of who we are. Brain function can can appear very complex involving a range of different abilities – such as memory, planning, organizing, and decision-making. We discuss how brain function changes as well as the variety of medical conditions and medications that can affect mood, memory, thinking, and behavior.
Many kinds of problems interact with each other to create cognitive complications – for example, stress may affect your ability to concentrate. Symptoms of memory loss or Alzheimer’s can be particularly scary. We focus on what’s effective to prevent memory problems.
Improved resilience throughout life is a key factor in successful aging. But we can often feel a loss of control. Stress is everywhere: life’s stressors can promote fears about our future and our health.
How do we work through anxiety, depression, insecurity? What do we need to be aware of in dealing with our mood? We work through effective ways to deal with feelings each life stage.
Many types and amounts of physical activity can maintain or improve health. There are several basic types of exercises – including endurance, muscle strengthening, balance, and flexibility. Aerobic activities are particularly beneficial for your heart and lungs. Balance and flexibility exercises can improve mobility with age — even modest amounts of muscle strengthening exercises can make a big difference in your overall function.
If exercise could be packed in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and most beneficial medicine in the nation.
-Robert H. Butler, M.D.
Let’s demystify this important part of your body. Many symptoms that seem minor — like shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, fatigue or leg swelling — can be signs of larger problems. We’ll examine different kinds of heart disease such as problems with blood pressure, coronary artery disease, weak heart muscle, or irregular heart beat.
Lung disease is tricky because early signs or symptoms of infection may be subtle, so people often ignore them. Above all, many people still don’t think enough about prevention. The disease can be especially confusing because of the sheer variety of different treatments – including inhalers, pills, nasal oxygen, or even pressure masks during sleep.
Why do we often feel discouraged or frustrated at the peak of our maturity, experience and wisdom? Purpose gives meaning to our lives. Re-centering can reinforce a sense of improved mood, memory and physical function.
To make smart choices for healthy eating, you need to know how to treat each food group. Throughout the entire digestive system different kinds of changes occur with age impacting the types of nutrition we consume to fuel our bodies.
With today's very short healthcare visits, what should you do before and during an office visit in order to really be heard? What should you do afterward to obtain results? What are effective ways to discuss issues about medications, referrals to specialists or sensitive personal topics? We work through how to effectively prepare and follow up after each visit.
Technological advances have an enormous impact on every stage of life – forcing changes and creating a need for new talents. Lifelong learning is a necessary skill as the world continues to advance. We’ll equip ourselves with new skills for each individual lifestyle.
