Can virtual reality help older adults battle loneliness?
Carl Hortsmann found a way to take his 87-year-old father scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, go skiing for the first time and bring him on a tour of his old neighborhood in Union, N.J., where he grew up – all with the help of virtual reality. As part of a first phase of […]
Addiction among older people is rising. How to spot the signs and get help.
In the 2021 movie “The Good House,” Sigourney Weaver plays an alcoholic in her early 70s. While there are dozens of movies about young people battling substance abuse, it’s startling to see an older person struggle with addiction.It’s easy to forget that older people can suffer from what doctors call “substance abuse disorder” just like […]
Nursing-home reform may finally become a reality: Three breakthroughs that are turning talk into action
Nursing-home reform, long advocated by long-term care analysts and the public, seems to finally be happening. The problems at these facilities — where people reside in close proximity for extended periods and the average age of residents is 86 — are many. More than 133,000 nursing-home residents and staff members have died from COVID-19 during […]