WCO Blog

Teeth and Mouth Older adults are more likely to lose teeth to gum disease than to problems with the teeth themselves. However, with proper personal care, regular checkups, and improved dentistry methods, older people are more able to retain their natural teeth throughout their lives. Older people who do lose their teeth may now expect […]

Vision Even though changes to the eye take place as a person ages, many older people have good-to-adequate vision. Nevertheless, beginning in the late 30s and early 40s, an individual may begin to notice some changes. She or he may have to hold the paper farther away to read it due to changes in the […]

Touch The skin serves a protective function by buffering us from the environment. Skin changes leave the older person vulnerable to discomfort and harm. Due to reduced sensitivity, heat sources such as heating pads, hot water bottles, and pot handles can hurt the skin before the elder realizes that damage is occurring. An older person […]

Physical Changes of Aging  It is important to recognize that people age differently, so what is presented here may not be exactly what you or your loved one experience. Also, even though there are many challenges of aging, these can often be addressed through simple steps that improve communication and make the environment safer and […]

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Understanding Death and Dying Preparing for death often means finishing a life’s work, setting things right with family and friends, and making peace with the inevitable. Spiritual and religious issues are important to many dying people and their families. Members of the clergy are part of the care team in some hospice and […]

The title—borrowed from a nurses’ desk calendar—is self-explanatory. The situations that give rise to these sayings, however, are not. OK, I’ll have to admit that I got the idea for this piece from a desk calendar my sister gave me for Christmas last year. It’s 365 pages of nursing funnies, some of which really aren’t, […]

“A very important member of staff,” is how Dr Denis Ogolla, the managing director of Nairobi’s Avenue Healthcare, describes Irene Kaberere. She is the head of support services at the hospital. Over the years, she earned trust due to her dedication to work which saw her rise through the ranks. On her way up, she […]

The increasing elderly population combined with advances in technology in the medical field is increasing the demand for nurse aides. In fact the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 28 percent growth in nurse aide positions between 2006 and 2016. People looking for an entry-level position in the healthcare field may find this is […]

It might not be pretty, but a Dutch graphic designer believes that a new font he’s developed can help people with dyslexia read more easily. Graphic designer Christian Boer developed the typeface, called Dyslexie, back in 2008. And while it isn’t the first font created specifically to help dyslectics, it may be the first backed […]

As growing numbers of Americans age and need extended care, long-term care organizations have sought to better meet both the healthcare and social needs of their residents. Those who reach the point in life where nursing home care is necessary do not want to live in an environment that feels like a hospital instead of […]

As growing numbers of Americans age and need extended care, long-term care organizations have sought to better meet both the healthcare and social needs of their residents. Those who reach the point in life where nursing home care is necessary do not want to live in an environment that feels like a hospital instead of […]

Neuroscience research during the past 10 years has made great strides in documenting the relationship between music and the brain. The New York Academy of Sciences Music, Science and Medicine conference recently brought together leading researchers to share what we now know about music and its impact on Alzheimer’s disease, pain, Parkinson’s, coma and autism. […]