Health and Aging

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Safety

  • Alcohol Use In Older People
    Anyone at any age can have a drinking problem. Uncle George always liked his liquor, so his family may not see that his drinking is getting worse as he gets older. Grandma Betty was a teetotaler all her life until she started having a drink each night to help her get to sleep after her husband died. Now, no one realizes that she needs a couple of drinks to get through each day.
  • Beware of Health Scams
    You see the ads everywhere these days—“Smart Drugs” for long life or “Arthritis Aches and Pains Disappear Like Magic!” or even statements claiming, “This treatment cured my cancer in 1 week.” It’s easy to understand the appeal of these promises. But there is still plenty of truth to the old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!”
  • Crime and Older People
    Lucy is worried. She's lived in the same neighborhood for 50 years, but things seem to be changing. Last week, her friend Rose was walking to the store when a young man ran by and pulled her purse right off her shoulder. Two weeks ago, Joe, the man upstairs, put his grocery bags on the curb while waiting for the bus, and before he knew it, someone had picked up his bags and run off. Lucy feels sad to think she might have to move. She wonders, is anywhere safe for older people anymore?
  • Falls and Fractures
    A simple thing can change your life—like tripping on a rug or slipping on a wet floor. If you fall, you could break a bone, like thousands of older men and women do each year. A broken bone might not sound awful. But, for older people, a break can be the start of more serious problems.
  • Home Safety for People with Alzheimer's Disease
    This 40-page booklet for caregivers gives room by-room suggestions for creating a safer space for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Hyperthermia: Too Hot for Your Health
    Now that Li Ming is retired, she likes to work in her garden—even in hot weather. Then last summer, an unusual heat wave hit her area. The temperature was over 100°F, and the humidity was at least 90%. By the third day, her daughter Kim came over because Li Ming sounded confused on the phone. Kim found her mom passed out on the kitchen floor. Li Ming's large fan wasn't enough to fight the effect of heat and humidity. She had heat stroke, the most serious form of hyperthermia.
  • Medicines: Use Them Safely
    When Jerry, age 71, came home from the drug store with his latest prescription, he placed all his pill bottles on the kitchen counter and counted them. “I take five different medications, and you take four,” he said to his wife. “We need a system. We need to know what medicines we have, what they’re for, and when we should take them.”
  • Older Drivers
    At age 78, Sheila thinks she’s a good driver, and she would like to stay that way. But lately, she has been in minor accidents. Sheila wonders how she can stay safe behind the wheel. Will taking a class for older drivers help? You may have asked yourself this question, or maybe a family member or friend has asked about your driving. Getting older doesn’t make you a bad driver. But you should know there are changes that may affect driving skills over time.
  • Safe Use of Medicines
    Take Your Medicine the Right Way—Each Day! This 13-page booklet has personal stories, answers to common questions, and practical tips to help older people take their medicines safely.
  • There's No Place Like Home - For Growing Old
    “The stairs are getting so hard to climb.”“Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner.”“I’ve lived here 40 years. No other place will seem like home.” These are common issues for older people. And, you may share the often-heard wish—“I want to stay in my own home!” The good news is that with the right help you might be able to do just that.

Publications

Alzheimer's Disease

NIA Go4Life

Spanish

NIHSeniorHealth