Aging

I Learned The Hard Way That Concussion Isn't Just For The Young

2:11pm April 15, 2015

by Fred Powledge

We hear a lot about concussion and kids, but older adults are even more vulnerable to traumatic brain injury. A slip in the kitchen leads one man down the rabbit hole with no clear path out.

Jeralean Talley addresses the congregation as her pastor, Reverend Dana Darby, holds the microphone for her during a celebration of her 115th birthday.

Health & Safety

From Pork To Onion Sandwiches: Secrets To Supersurvivors' Long Lives

11:05am April 11, 2015

by Tamara Keith

At 115, Jeralean Talley is the world's oldest living person. She inherited the title from a 116-year-old Arkansan who died this week. NPR's Tamara Keith reflects on the secrets of a good, long life.

Queue Listen Now

If You're Going To Die Soon, Do You Really Need Statins?

4:30pm March 23, 2015

by Nancy Shute

Many older people are taking a lot of meds, and some drugs may not be doing them much good. When terminally ill people went off statins, they said they felt better. And it didn't increase their risk.

Is the benefit from antipsychotic drugs for people with dementia symptoms worth the risk?

Health & Safety

Risks Run High When Antipsychotics Are Prescribed For Dementia

8:29am March 19, 2015

by Scott Hensley

Results from an analysis of veterans' health records show a higher risk of death among people taking antipsychotic drugs for symptoms of dementia than has been documented before.

From Naked Mole Rats To Dog Testicles: A Writer Explores The Longevity Quest

4:03pm February 27, 2015

"Nature knows how to let animals live a very long time," says Bill Gifford, whose latest book is Spring Chicken, a look at the history of anti-aging schemes and current ways people try to live longer.

Queue Listen Now

Residents of ShantiNiketan, a retirement community near Orlando, Fla., walk in a Hindu religious procession.

Being With People Like You Offers Comfort Against Death's Chill

1:52pm February 09, 2015

by Lulu Miller

Iggy Ignatius bet that immigrants from India would long to live with other Indians in his Florida condos. He was right. Psychologists say intimations of mortality make us want to be with our own kind.

Queue Listen Now

A lot of time and money has gone into trying to improve end-of-life care.

Pain And Suffering At Life's End Are Getting Worse, Not Better

4:39pm February 04, 2015

by Jenny Gold

Despite considerable effort to improve care for people who are dying, more people are reporting pain and depression, a study finds. Medical treatments that lengthen the process may be one reason.

As America Grays, A Call For Dignity In Aging And Elder Care

11:42am February 02, 2015

by NPR Staff

In The Age of Dignity, Ai-jen Poo says getting older should be viewed not from a place of scarcity and fear but as an opportunity. And, she writes, the U.S. must fix its flawed care system.

Queue Listen Now

Palliative medicine physician Michael Fratkin gets off a plane after visiting a patient on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. He's recently launched a startup to support this kind of work.

Rural Doctor Launches Startup To Ease Pain Of Dying Patients

4:16pm January 05, 2015

by April Dembosky

Getting basic health care to rural areas has always been difficult, and delivering specialized care even harder. One doctor is raising money to bring palliative care to patients in rural California.

Queue Listen Now

Donna Giron wheels through the halls of the nursing home she's lived in since May. Finding an affordable home of her own has been difficult.

When Home And Health Are Just Out Of Reach

8:19am December 29, 2014

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Health insurance doesn't pay for housing, but sometimes that is what a patient needs most. A Medicaid experiment helps some elderly and disabled people move out of institutions into their own homes.

Queue Listen Now