Seniors drugged to death in nursing homes because they “ask for help”

The most-read post in this blog is one from May 2018, called “NEVER go into a nursing home to recover. You may never escape!” It gave the real story of what happened to my father who was drugged with anti-psychotics against both his will and his wife’s — just to make him docile.

Many people wrote with similar stories. But I also got denials that such a thing could ever happen. Despite the specific details given in the article.

Now the New York Times has done an excellent expose that verifies exactly what we found. It’s titled, “Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes.” Medicare requires nursing homes report how many of their residents are on anti-psychotic drugs — drugs which are called “chemical strait jackets” because they make people close to comatose — and thus those people require next to no attention from the nursing home staff. The problem is these drugs destroy quality of life for residents and nearly double their chance of death from heart problems, infections, falls and more.

Continue reading “Seniors drugged to death in nursing homes because they “ask for help””

A straightforward and utterly engaging one-stop guide to growing older.” – Kirkus Reviews

Blatant promotion for my new book — just published today. And a great holiday gift for your 50+ friend or family member(!)

Aging in our society is like stepping into an alternate universe! It looks the same, but it’s really not.

Unexpected dangers that could ruin the rest of your life:

–Medical professionals who think a three-question test is sufficient to label you mentally impaired.

–A broken guardianship program where a used-car dealer is made a judge — and he can declare you incompetent without even seeing you.

–Medical research that has willfully ignored seniors — risking your health and even your life.

Get the dirty little secrets — and how to protect yourself! — of a society that mostly prefers to warehouse and then forget its seniors.

 

Then, this “delightfully optimistic book” will open a world of great choices for you:

  • Retire — or don’t
  • Get credit (and respect!) for your life experiences
  • Get all the love, sex, and fun(!) you want
  • Learn how to age the way YOU want — whether others approve or not.
Continue reading “A straightforward and utterly engaging one-stop guide to growing older.” – Kirkus Reviews”

Dance — Like Nobody’s Watching!

What’s not to like about something that is fun, improves your health, reduces your risks of dementia, and — did we mention? — is FUN?

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It’s certainly needed. A study by USC’s School of Gerontology found less than 1/3 of adults from 65-74 were physically active. From 75+, less than 1/6 of us were physically active.

Dance is something we can easily do when stuck at home — because of a pandemic or because of one’s health. And it’s fun — so we’re more likely to keep doing it. And… there are many more benefits. Continue reading “Dance — Like Nobody’s Watching!”

Exercise plans for 60+ — Beware personal trainers!

Yes, we need to exercise(!) Yes, it’s shown to help prevent/delay Alzheimer’s, strokes, heart attacks, and pretty much any other body ill except, maybe, toe fungus. Yes, people who moved to 10,000 steps a day were found 46% less likely to die in the next 10 years than those who stay sedentary.

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But… what does that mean for your body and your health? There are 80-year-olds running marathons. And others who can’t walk across the room. So what’s possible — and what’s reasonable to expect? Continue reading “Exercise plans for 60+ — Beware personal trainers!”

Are we all crazy?

Paranoia_shutterstock_266683784Have you heard the theory that COVID-19 was cooked up in a lab by Democrats who were so upset they couldn’t get rid of Trump through impeachment — that they decided to poison the world and kill off 200,000 of us just to influence the coming U.S. election?

This was just explained to me as fact by a friend of mine. He also told me other “facts” — some of which the NY Times reports are disinformation being spread by Russian trolls to undermine America.

Another friend recently warned me about 5G for wireless phones. She sent me this: Continue reading “Are we all crazy?”

Dental Emergencies(?) During COVID-19

We’re all human, which means we can’t expect perfection. But… who decides what is a “dental emergency” and what isn’t? And how can I appeal those decisions?

tooth pulled out_shutterstock_90060997Those of us who teach at Pennsylvania universities have been practicing social distancing for almost 6 weeks now. For myself, that means I order & pay for my groceries online once every couple of weeks, then park outside the store while someone puts the bags into my open trunk. My daily trips to the post office are now once a week — complete with gloves and mask. My one big risk is going through a Starbucks or Panera drive-thru once or twice a week when I’m desperate for something I haven’t had to cook myself.

So you can imagine my dismay when a tooth started causing problems. Continue reading “Dental Emergencies(?) During COVID-19”

Should senior citizens start dropping acid? Some new studies say “yes”

Hippie_acid_shutterstock_1121041799Recent studies by leading organizations are finding psilocybin mushrooms lower rates of psychological distress, help overcome alcoholism, and show lasting beneficial effects to ease anxiety in cancer and/or terminal patients. Who knew??

Three leading organizations — Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and Harvard Medical School have recently researched the effects of LSD to ease anxiety in cancer and/or terminal patients.

Continue reading “Should senior citizens start dropping acid? Some new studies say “yes””

Your goal for 2019 — compete at the Senior Olympics!

Olympics1_shutterstock_266028119No, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. Even if you were never an athlete before, you can train and compete against others your age and gender (from 50-90+).

I’m planning to do it — so join me! Here’s how to pick a sport, get the qualifying numbers, find a trainer, and…

  • Improve your health through training
  • Experience the joys of competition — and achieving a goal

Continue reading “Your goal for 2019 — compete at the Senior Olympics!”

What happened to mom ain’t gonna happen to me!

About 2 years before her death, my mother fell. She lived alone in her house with one phone — up on her desk in the kitchen. And though she didn’t break a bone, she still was not able to get back up and/or reach her phone.

She sat on the floor for two days before a neighbor knocked on her door and she was able to call out to her. Those two days gave her a bed sore on her behind, which never went away. If you know a nurse — ask them about bed sores. Not getting a bed sore will become one of your most desired goals in life! Continue reading “What happened to mom ain’t gonna happen to me!”

How your state lets insurance companies screw you

ScrewedYou did everything right. You picked a doctor within your health plan network. You made sure the hospital was in your network. Yet you suddenly face a bill for thousands of dollars for doctors or anesthesiologists who were not in your network. Bait and switch, anyone?

Only about a quarter of the states have even the smallest protection for this. A few states — California, Connecticut, Florida and New York — have passed laws since 2015 giving stronger protections. If you live in another state — your politicians care more about donated campaign money from insurance companies than they care about you.  Continue reading “How your state lets insurance companies screw you”