elderly news stories on Newser

Why I Want My Mother to Die

Kate Schwartz — Sat, 26 May 2012 07:50:05 CDT

Brace yourself: In a remarkable cover piece for New York , Newser founder Michael Wolff invites us into his "unimaginable life"—a reality that's as ubiquitous as it is heart-wrenching. Wolff, in his 50s, has had a front-row seat to his 86-year-old mother's "horror show" for the past year and a...

Inside the Murky World of Elderly Assisted Suicide

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:41:47 CDT

The headline of a heart-wrenching story from the Los Angeles Times neatly poses a long-debated question: "Assisted suicide or a show of love?" In this instance, the Times dives into the case of Alan Purdy, an 88-year-old who was booked on suspicion of assisting in a suicide (the district attorney...

Hospitals Open Special ERs for Elderly

Kevin Spak — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:30:05 CDT

America is getting older, and the elderly account for 15% to 20% of emergency room visits, so hospitals have come up with a new way to cater to them: the geriatric ER. Dozens of these facilities are opening across the country, the New York Times reports, looking more like soothing...

George McGovern Hospitalized

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:12:30 CDT

George McGovern has been hospitalized in Florida for tests, his daughter said yesterday. The former South Dakota senator and one-time presidential candidate was admitted to a St. Augustine hospital so doctors can determine why he occasionally passes out and loses his ability to speak, reports the Sioux Falls Argus Leader...

TSA May Let Older Fliers Keep Their Shoes On

John Johnson — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:37:46 CDT

The TSA is starting to lighten up a little in terms of airport security. A test program at four big airports—O'Hare, Orlando, Denver, and Portland—will let passengers 75 and older keep their shoes and light jackets on, reports USA Today . Assuming all goes well, the rules will be...

Despite Recession, More Older Americans Employed

Kevin Spak — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:12:05 CST

The good news is that at least one segment of the population has seen its employment statistics actually rise in this economic downturn. The bad news? That segment is older Americans, many of whom are only working because they're afraid they don't have enough savings to retire, the Washington Post...

'Silent Strokes' May Damage Memory

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:00:00 CST

"Silent strokes" may be taking a toll on seniors' memory. A new study shows that seniors who have suffered such strokes—they don't have obvious symptoms but leave behind dead brain cells—do worse on memory tests, reports USA Today . It's no small thing: An estimated 1 in 4 seniors...

Plastic Surgery Booms for Older Americans

Mark Russell — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:11:36 CDT

With people living longer than ever and baby boomers entering old age, look for plastic surgery among those 65 and older to continue its remarkable growth—84,685 procedures last year alone, reports the New York Times . “In my day, no one ever thought about breast enhancement or anything,” one...

Elderly Woman Dies From Heat After A/C Theft

Tim Karan — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:23:12 CDT

Somebody took a lot more than just an air conditioner from an elderly Texas woman. Two days after the 79-year-old reported her $2,500 unit stolen from the back of her home, she died of heat exhaustion, reports the Christian Post . It was the fourth time she had had her...