Daily Health News Blog

Tips for Helping Your Parents Plan for Retirement   Are you concerned with your parents and their future? If you are, you should talk to your parents about their retirement plans. In fact, the sooner, the better. Doing so can give you, as a loved one, comfort and peace of mind. You should start discussing retirement with your parents when they reach the age of fifty; however, you can start the conversation sooner if you wish. When talking to your parents about retirement, determine what their retirement wants and needs are. Where do they want to live? What type of property or establishment do they want to live in? What activities or hobbies would they like to enjoy? It is important to know how your parents want to live in their retirement years, as it will have an impact on how much they need to save.   continue reading article here

Even in nursing homes, Seniors try Facebook to visit and keep up with family and friends. Growing numbers of elderly people are learning how to use Facebook so they can stay in touch with their family and old friends. Classes that teach basics are popping up in many cities. Public libraries are a popular source of instruction. After taking the course, older seniors might need a little assistance with it at first, but family members, caregivers and nursing home aids don't mind helping them get started. Because many seniors don't send or receive text messages, the immediacy of Facebook   is what attracts them to take a class and create an account. At Fort Bend County libraries in Texas, public information officers say that classes are open to people of all ages, but most students are seniors. A study reported in the journal, Computers in Human Behavior, shows that retirees who use the Internet regularly are  28 percent less likely to be depressed. Older seniors may

January 2011 Low levels of folic acid (folate) may be associated with age-related hearing loss, according to a new study published in the journal  Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery . The study of 126 healthy Nigerian men and women over the age of 60 found that low serum levels of folic acid, a B vitamin, were significantly associated with hearing loss in high frequencies. "Based on our research, age-related hearing loss may be associated with poor micronutrient status. The role of folate in cellular metabolism, the nervous system and vascular function are important for the auditory system," study author Akeem Olawale Lasisi said. The researchers concluded that "serum folate was significantly lower among elderly with age-related hearing loss." They called for further study into the role of vitamins in hearing, particularly in developing countries where malnutrition is common. Folic acid is found in fruits, leafy green vegetables such as romaine lettuce, dried bea