HUNDREDS of pounds have been stolen from elderly ladies by crooks posing as charity workers in a spate of distraction burglaries around Leatherhead and Epsom.

September 25, 2010 —

CARE services for the elderly should be protected from spending cuts, according to Gloucester shoppers.

People voted for the…

Do you own the house you are living in? If you do, your home might be your greatest asset. But if you have unfortunately agreed to a loan that is based upon the equity you have in your home, you c…

Many of us have aging parents, grandparents, friends and other family members who are beginning to develop medical problems and conditions, with which we are unfamiliar. While caring for loved ones, it can be difficult to navigate some of the terms used in the medical and mental health fields.

Before deciding on a care home, assess your needs carefully. The level of care you require, now and in future, will directly influence your decision. Anchor: http://www.anchor.org.uk/Pages/hom…

Ageing Res Rev. 2010 Sep 18;
Chen LK, Chen YM, Lin MH, Peng LN, Hwang SJ

The prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) increase with age, and its diagnosis and treatment in older people present a challenge. Applying evidence to elderly patients can be problematic, because older persons with frailty, multiple comorbidities, and functional disabilities are generally excluded from diabetes clinical trials. Frailty is characterized by multisystem decline and vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. Insulin resistance predicts frailty, and DM accelerates muscle strength loss. Geriatric diabetes care guidelines have refocused from risk factor control to geriatric syndromes. The European Diabetes Working Party guidelines for elderly type 2 DM patients consider frailty, recommending a conservative target (hemoglobin A1c <8%). Diabetic care-home residents with physical disabilities, cognitive impairment, tube feeding, and the inability to communicate pose particular challenges. Tight glycemic control for such patients increases the risk of hypoglycemia and significant functional decline; a mean hemoglobin A1c <7% did not protect them from care-home-acquired pneumonia. In conclusion, caring for elderly diabetic patients poses unique challenges. Little is known about diabetes care of elderly people with frailty, disabilities, or multiple comorbidities. The interrelationship between frailty and DM deserves further investigation. Practice guidelines for care-home residents with DM are needed to ensure quality of care.

Even with the possibility of public funding, many elderly homeowners sell their homes each year in order to pay for care. Very few people seek professional advice regarding care home fees, despite thi…

… care of my parents, no question about it. They worked so hard to provide for me and are basically good hearted people. It would be the least I could do for them and hope it honors their lives in some way. It breaks my heart when I hear about elderly …

The county is offering a free day-long course targeted to middle-aged residents who are looking for guidance on assisting their elderly parents.

September 23, 2010 —

BOSSES at Gloucestershire County Council say they are delighted with the public’s response to a roadshow inviting them to have their say on…