On Aging

Helping her father die at home "was the most meaningful experience in my nursing career," said Rose Crumb. She went on to found Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County in Port Angeles, Wash.

Health & Safety

Rural Hospice That Spurns Federal Funds Has Offered Free Care for 40 Years

12:43pm October 20, 2017

by JoNel Aleccia

The founder of a tiny Washington state hospice that depends on community volunteers and donations says the unconventional approach allows for more flexible care.

The photo of LeRoy and Donna Halbur was taken Aug. 12 at the celebration of their 80th birthdays and 50th wedding anniversary.

Why Older People Didn't Fare Well In Northern California Wildfires

1:58pm October 19, 2017

by Ina Jaffe

More than 40 people have died in those fires, and that number could rise. Of those who perished, the vast majority who've been identified were over the age of 65.

Val Olson (from left), Rick Kamm, Steve David and Dee Haskins play up to the net during a pickleball game at Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2011.

Pickleball For All: The Cross-Generational Power Of Play

10:00am October 19, 2017

by Ingfei Chen

A fun and social game at any age, pickleball is giving older adults — and their middle-aged kids — an extended lease on the benefits of team sports.

Majority Of Northern California Wildfire Victims Were 65 Or Older

5:48pm October 18, 2017

by Ina Jaffe

The majority of people who lost their lives in the northern California wildfires were age 65 or older. But what factors did the age of the victims have in their deaths?

Some people claim a late cup of coffee won't keep them up and that alcohol helps them sleep. But research shows both drugs mess with sleep's depth and restorative quality, says scientist and Why We Sleep author Matthew Walker.

Sleep Scientist Warns Against Walking Through Life 'In An Underslept State'

4:51pm October 16, 2017

by Terry Gross

"Human beings are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent gain," says sleep scientist Matthew Walker. His new book is Why We Sleep.

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The post-fire entryway of the Anova school, which was located in Santa Rosa's Luther Burbank Center for the Arts.

A School For Kids With Autism Copes With Fire's Physical And Emotional Damage

11:47am October 14, 2017

by Devin Katayama

Dealing with a fire or other natural disaster is hard on anyone, from evacuation to aftermath. And people with physical or developmental disabilities have particular needs, say emergency planners.

The sky over Santa Rosa, Calif., on Monday.

This Week's Air Quality Is Worst On Record For San Francisco Bay Area

11:10pm October 12, 2017

by Lesley McClurg

As wildfires spread through Northern California counties, clouds of smoke and ash are spreading, too, far beyond the flames. Air quality officials have a database that's searchable by ZIP code.

When it comes to sex, the roundworm Diploscapter pachys is a loner.

Tiny, Transparent Worm Challenges Notions About Sex

8:03pm October 12, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Scientists have found a group of worms that haven't reproduced sexually for 18 million years. Normally that would be a recipe for quick extinction, but these little guys seem none the worse for wear.

Roughly 80 percent of all first strokes arise from risks that people can influence with behavioral changes, doctors say — risks like high blood pressure, smoking and drug abuse.

Health Conditions That Increase Stroke Risk Rise Across All Ages, Races

5:18pm October 11, 2017

by April Fulton

Smoking, drug abuse and diabetes are all modifiable risk factors for stroke. Yet a large study of patients hospitalized for stroke suggests the number of people with these risk factors is rising.

Alzheimer's disease causes atrophy of brain tissue. The discovery that lymph vessels near the brain's surface help remove waste suggests glitches in the lymph system might be involved in Alzheimer's and a variety of other brain diseases.

Brain's Link To Immune System Might Help Explain Alzheimer's

6:10pm October 03, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

For centuries, scientists thought the human brain had no direct connection to the body's immune system. Now researchers seem to have found one, and say it may offer clues to multiple sclerosis, too.

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