Advance care planning Archive

Many activities, such as reading small print or doing needlework, contribute to eye strain. To avoid or reduce eye strain, it helps to keep eye surfaces moist and take breaks when doing anything that requires focused close-up vision.

Several tools can help people with incontinence stay dry and comfortable. Tools can include medications; basic supplies, such as protection pads, leakproof underwear, adaptive clothing, and portable urinals; bedwetting alarms; and bathroom locator apps. Some of the most important tools aren't pills or gadgets, but strategies-such as controlling underlying conditions that can lead to incontinence (such as diabetes), weight loss, lifestyle or behavioral changes, and pelvic floor training.

Simple strategies can help someone fight age-related memory slips. Tips include repeating new information by saying it out loud or writing it down a few times; associating an image with someone's name, such as thinking of a bouquet of roses after meeting a person named Rosie; grouping information in chunks, similar to grouping digits in a phone number; and writing information out by hand (as opposed to typing), which forces the brain to process and absorb data.

Increasing numbers of older adults are using cannabis over recent years. People over 50 report using it to relax, sleep better, feel good, relieve pain, improve mood or mental health, or treat medical conditions. But older adults are more vulnerable to cannabis side effects, such as falls or interactions with prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Many older adults aren't aware that cannabis products today are far more potent than in decades past. Medical visits related to cannabis use rose more than 27-fold among adults 65 and older between 2008 and 2021.

Leg strength becomes even more vital as people age, as the legs are essential for routine movements such as going up and down stairs, sitting and rising from chairs, bending over and standing up, and protecting against falls. The main leg muscles are gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Some exercises that can help strengthen these muscles are bridges, step-ups, and heel raises.

People can take several measures to protect against winter dry skin, such as using an indoor humidifier, washing carefully, following a moisturizing routine, and covering exposed skin when outdoors.

Home health technologies have made it easier for people to monitor their health at home. These handy home devices can track certain health markers, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rhythm, heart rate variability, and oxygen saturation. Checking this information periodically may help some people identify possible problems or manage existing conditions.

Men and women can experience many age-related changes and health conditions that can cause their sex drives to decline. Couples who deal with mismatched or missing sex drives should communicate about how they can work together to get back in sync. Both partners should share what they enjoy before and during sex, what issues may be hindering their sex drive, and what strategies they can try, such as recreating dating, planning time for intimacy, and exploring new ways to create romantic moods.

As the number of pickleball players has grown, so has the number of eye injuries in people ages 50 or older, according to a 2025 study. Such injuries include damage to the eye surface, retinal detach­ment, or fractures near the eye socket.