Tapering Off Benzodiazepines

Tapering Off Benzodiazepines

Some recent studies show that nearly one out of eight adults in the US is prescribed a benzodiazepine. These are sedatives like Valium (Diazepam), Ativan (Lorazepam), Xanax (Alprazolam) and Klonopin (Clonazepam). All of them are addictive, and all of them lose their...
Holidays & Aging

Holidays & Aging

Our family has gotten together every other year for over twenty years — until COVID.   Luckily, there was a recent wedding that brought us all together; I hadn’t seen some of my older relatives in five years. Even as a geriatrician, I haven’t really thought about my...
Politicians & Dementia?

Politicians & Dementia?

When it comes to mudslinging politicians, there’s been a lot of recent talk about who has dementia and who’s too old to be in office. Aside from the usual politicking, our current crop of elder statesmen has prompted a lot of buzz about who should be ineligible to...
Divorce Later in Life

Divorce Later in Life

Divorce is never easy. As a geriatrician, I obviously can’t discuss every single factor that leads to it later in life. What I can discuss, however, are the issues that I’ve personally seen in patients that cause challenges for them, their marriages, and their...