On Aging

Episode 521: The Town That Loves Death

4:38pm October 05, 2016

On today's episode, we'll take you to a place where dying has become acceptable dinner conversation. A place that also happens to have the lowest healthcare spending of any region in the country.

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A researcher says the typical maximum human life span may have peaked at around 115 years, despite medical advances.

Has The Human Life Span Hit The Ceiling?

4:37pm October 05, 2016

by Rob Stein

An analysis of global demographics indicates the maximum human life span may have peaked at around 115 years. That's despite medical advances and the occasional person who lives a few years longer.

Nurses teach patients how to use equipment and do peritoneal dialysis at home.

Feds Say More People Should Try Dialysis At Home

5:00am October 04, 2016

by Eric Whitney

Nationwide, fewer than 10 percent of people who need kidney dialysis do it at home. But close to 40 percent of patients of a Montana doctor do it at home. Medicare is hoping that becomes a trend.

Vivian Guzofsky, 88, holds a baby doll at Sunrise Senior Living in Beverly Hills, Calif. Guzofsky, who has Alzheimer's disease, is calm when taking care of the dolls.

Doll Therapy May Help Calm People With Dementia, But It Has Critics

8:50am October 03, 2016

by Anna Gorman

Hugging a doll can soothe an upset toddler, and some say it can do the same for people with dementia. But critics say this form of therapy infantilizes adults.

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Rats are great at remembering where they last sniffed the strawberries.

Rats That Reminisce May Lead To Better Tests For Alzheimer's Drugs

4:34pm September 29, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

Most potential Alzheimer's drugs are tested on mice. But rats may be a better choice because they seem to have a type of memory that's more like ours, and also are highly vulnerable to Alzheimer's.

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Luz Barajas took her son Carlos Cholico to get his flu shot at Crawford Kids Clinic in Aurora, Colo., last year. Health officials say there is some evidence the flu shot is more protective than the nasal flu vaccine.

CDC Urges Americans To Get A Flu Shot As Soon As Possible

2:49pm September 29, 2016

by Rob Stein

There's plenty of vaccine available this year, and the sooner people get vaccinated the better, federal health officials say. A recent drop in vaccination, especially among the elderly, concerns them.

Walking Fends Off Disability, And It's Not Too Late To Start

6:37pm September 26, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

Nobody wants to spend the last few decades of their lives in a wheelchair. People in their 70s and 80s recovered more quickly from physical setbacks if they remained active, a study finds.

Big muscles help young men find mates. But as men get older, losing muscle mass and testosterone might actually aid in reproduction.

Flabby And Fertile: How Men Age Could Be Huge For Humans

2:13pm September 21, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

When men put on a gut and grow love handles it's not such a bad thing, according to a Yale anthropologist. That pudge might help them reproduce and pass on longevity genes to their offspring.

Marge Giaimo stands with her gold Oldsmobile, where she currently sleeps.

For Some Seniors Without Housing, A Parking Lot Is Home

5:21pm September 18, 2016

by Gloria Hillard

In the city of Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles, the demand for senior housing is so great the wait list is now closed. For many of those seniors, their only safe living option is in their cars.

Health & Safety

Older People Might Consider Waiting A Bit Longer To Get Flu Shot

9:38am September 17, 2016

Immunologist Laura Haynes suggests people over 65 wait until Halloween to get their flu shots, to make sure the immunity lasts through the flu season.