by Dr Liz | Jun 29, 2013 | Caregivers, Health
Elderly people (that is, people aged 65 years and older) are more prone to heat stress than younger people for several reasons: Elderly people do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature. They are more likely to have a chronic medical...
by Dr Liz | May 14, 2013 | Behaviors, Medication/Pain
So what is agitation? The answer to that question can vary greatly. It depends on the observer, and the observer’s frame reference. It could be a person, sitting in the comfort of his own living room, asking again and again to “go home.” Or, it might be endlessly...
by Dr Liz | May 6, 2013 | Legal Issues/Financial Abuse
Again and again, I am called in to help families who say that their elder’s mental function, measured by the “Mini Mental Status Exam” (MMSE-The quick test, that asks questions like, “What day is it?”), tests normal. Yet the patient’s life is in chaos. I find that...
by Dr Liz | Apr 29, 2013 | Behaviors, Medication/Pain
As I was preparing for a talk to nurses and discharge planners in Sacramento, I was reminded of a patient I had a few years ago. He was a Canadian diplomat. He spoke five languages but had really lost his ability to function. He couldn’t really communicate. but he had...
by Dr Liz | Apr 25, 2013 | Behaviors, Caregivers
We overmedicate our elders with dementia and agitation. When they are bored, and get restless or come asking questions for the 30th time, all too many people just treat them for “anxiety.” When they get extremely angry at us, or won’t sleep at night, or are slow to...
