Senior Scene September 26, 2018

The first few days of the Autumnal Equinox have passed and unfortunately this also heralds the season of “fly by night” repair people and pretend contractors as they target the vulnerable members of our community promising “quick fixes” and patch repairs prior to the advent of winter.  With this in mind I wanted to share some information from Consumer Protection …

Senior Scene September 17, 2018

World Alzheimer’s Month is the international campaign every September to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. World Alzheimer’s Day is on September 21st each year. The impact of World Alzheimer’s Month is growing, but the stigmatization and misinformation that surrounds dementia remains a global problem, which requires global action. The world’s population is ageing. As of 2015, …

Senior Scene September 10, 2018

Tis the time of year when a generous portion of the population grabs their backpack and heads back to an institution dedicated to education.  These individuals range in age from 3 to 103 but all of them are interested in learning and expanding their horizons.  With this in mind, this column is dedicated to the “deep thinkers” among my readers …

Senior Scene, August 27 2018

Maintaining a driver’s license is an important issue of independence for mature Canadian drivers, especially for those who have been driving most of their life.  However, the ageing process brings forth changes that can affect the older driver’s ability to drive safely. These include: reduced vision, particularly at night; a decrease in depth perception; and movement-limiting disabilities such as arthritis …

Senior Scene August 20, 2018

The hot weather we have been experiencing recently makes it really difficult to stay away from the neighbourhood ice cream shop or frozen dessert section of the local grocery store.  The good news is that among all the full-fat ice cream varieties available, you can now find a delicious selection of low fat, fat-free, and ‘no sugar added’ items.  There …

Senior Scene August 13, 2018

The last few days in the Quinte area have certainly been filled with plenty of weather watches and warnings with varying levels of severity.  I am prepared to confess publically that I am terrified of thunder and lightning.  As opposed to reveling in the strength and magnitude of Mother Nature’s force, I am huddled in my basement praying for it …

Senior Scene August 6, 2018

We all waited anxiously for those hot summer nights, but now that they have arrived, boy is it hard to get a good night’s sleep.  We can blame it on the noisy neighbor, the cat that cuddles too close, the spouse that snores, and anything else we can think of.  Let’s face it though – we need our sleep to …

Senior Scene for July 23, 2018

As we age, changes in our body can affect the way medications are absorbed and utilized. We become more sensitive to medications, and we are more likely to experience increased side effects, drug interactions, and other adverse drug reactions.  For medications to be effective, they have to be absorbed in to the body (usually through the intestine), distributed in the …

Senior Scene July 16, 2018

Unless you have been incredibly healthy throughout your lifetime, you are all familiar with the side effects of medication. We may take a drug to relieve pain, itching or heart attack risks, and end up drowsy, pudgy and unable to operate heavy machinery.  We typically accept those consequences as a small price for the relief of our original problem. But …

Senior Scene July 2, 2018

Parachute (a national charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives) is excited to announce the 2nd annual National Injury Prevention Day: July 5th – a day to raise awareness around the importance of injury prevention and aid Canadians to live long lives to the fullest through education and advocacy. Injury prevention is critical to saving lives: Did you …

Senior Scene June 25, 2018

Next weekend heralds the 151st birthday of Canada.  Having travelled across this beautiful country by vehicle many times in my life I thought I was fairly well versed in the history of Canada Day but I might be mistaken.  Canadians across the country and around the world show their pride in their history, culture and achievements. It’s been a day …

Senior Scene June 18, 2018

This past weekend was certainly a warm one and the arrival of summer typically signals the onset of heat, sun, and humidity and the need for seniors to be aware of heat related illnesses and exercise appropriate caution.  Older folks are particularly susceptible to the effects of heat stress because their bodies do not cool down effectively and it takes …