Regardless of your age, abilities or lifestyle, you can benefit from a low-cardio seated elliptical workout
It’s always smart to inject a little more physical activity into our lives, regardless of where we are on our fitness journey. But sometimes we lack the time or energy for that much-needed workout. The good news is the solution, Cubii Jr., can sit right under your feet. Cubii Jr. is a compact elliptical trainer…
It’s time for government officials to focus on helping old and vulnerable people re-integrate into mainstream society
No doubt many Canadians remember drinking from school water fountains long before students carried water bottles. When the school day began, some elementary students would rush to get a drink while the other children queued in an orderly fashion. Learning about queuing culture was a major lesson for students in elementary school. There were, of…
The Swedish achievement in the face of international panic lies in remaining true to political traditions and democracy
Much attention has been given to Sweden for its distinct approach to COVID-19 among Western nations. As more jurisdictions wrestle with lifting economic restrictions, Sweden is praised and condemned. People readily condemn Prime Minister Stefan Löfven’s Social Democrat (Sweden’s NDP equivalent) government for not emulating China and for violating what Swedish academicians called the “lockdown…
COVID-19 fallout has revealed a genuine hostility on the part of the young toward the old, especially baby boomers
The Great Plague of 2020 has revealed some interesting things about Western society’s attitudes toward old people. In Italy, the shortage of medical equipment to treat patients suffering from COVID-19 led hospitals to sometimes rule that people over the age of 60 couldn’t be fully treated. That was essentially a death sentence for some pensioners.…
Canada has shunted vulnerable people to nursing homes where staff slave in sometimes filthy, and now dangerous, conditions
I hadn’t really thought of moving to Norway until the last week, when I began to pay attention to how that country cares for its elderly citizens. While North Americans warehouse aging people, who have spent lifetimes contributing to society, there are cultures around the world that take a completely different approach. And Norway, it…
Locking down society, and business, makes no sense in the battle against COVID-19. It's time to take a more measured approach
Chris Hadfield has posted a video on YouTube entitled An Astronaut’s Guide to Self Isolation, in which he offers some valuable advice. The Canadian pilot and astronaut spent 166 days in the International Space Station in isolation. He says it’s an extremely dangerous environment where astronauts thrive in finding ways to be productive. The number…
Seniors are particularly vulnerable to the effects of too many prescriptions
Working aggressively to reduce their daily medication burden may be the single best thing we can do to improve the quality of life of our aging parents and grandparents. The issue of too much medication in Canadian seniors is finally starting to be recognized as the serious problem it has become. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to…
People who have conversations about their end-of-life preferences are much more likely to be satisfied with the care received
The new year is a good time to put making end-of-life wishes at the top of your to-do list. It's a perfect time to tell family and friends your health-care preferences in case one day you're unable to speak for yourself. This advance care planning is good for your peace of mind and for your loved ones,…By thinking twice before prescribing and talking with patients about the risks of medications, clinicians are tackling overuse
By Karen Born and Wendy Levinson University of Toronto Canadians are living longer than ever and we are also taking more medications than ever. And this can make us sicker, not healthier. A report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information found that one in four seniors in Canada take 10 or more medications. That’s…
The Elizabeth Wettlaufer case should serve as a warning to all of us about the issue of patient safety
By Fiona MacDonald University of the Fraser Valley and Karine Levasseur University of Manitoba We’ve all been there: it’s 3 a.m. and your partner, child, sibling or parent becomes ill suddenly and needs medical care. Will they be safe? The public inquiry into the safety and security of residents in the long-term care homes system…