Abuse against older adults is a public-health issue that impacts seniors, their families and communities across the United States. The size of the older-adult population is expected to nearly double in the next 30 years. These demographic shifts mean that the number of people potentially affected by elder abuse is ever-growing.
As the hot days of August try to tempt us into laziness, another influence pulls at many of us parents — the increasingly loud voice in the back of our heads that says school will soon be starting for our children. Can we fit in one more trip to the beach or to visit family? What’s on the school-supply list?
Ed.: Jackson Anthony was born Aug. 7 at 6:36 p.m., weighing 5 pounds, 4 oz.
I hate change — always have, and probably always will. As we’ve found, however, getting ready for a baby is just one big change after another usually even bigger change. All of our habits have been turned on their heads in the past nine months, and that trickles down to our relationship and other dynamics in our lives. My change-management strategy is a work in progress, but it’s similar to the approaches I’ve come to rely on in other areas of this journey: When things get scary, find some perspective by looking for the silver lining.
Suicide is not a topic that many of us are compelled to talk about with any regularity, but with the recent suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, our attention has suddenly turned. We are asking why someone might take their own life, and we are trying to wrap our heads around how there aren’t other, better options.
This is such a deeply complex topic with many variables from person to person; however, some clear misperceptions that are worth knowing:
Q: I have most of my money invested in bonds now that I’m retired, and I’m living off the interest they produce. But I’m worried about changes in interest rates. Do you have any suggestions on how I should invest my bond money?
A: In the current interest-rate environment, you certainly need to be careful with your bond-investment strategy. Here are a couple thoughts for you to consider:
As states legalize marijuana, the debate continues as to whether or not cannabis should be legalized on a national level. In May 2016, the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Act went into effect. This law allows marijuana to be given to people with terminal illness or with at least one of 17 medical conditions. As of May 2018, anyone in opioid-withdrawal treatment qualifies for state-regulated cannabis use. A patient must be under the ongoing care of a physician licensed to certify that he/she will benefit from cannabis use.
Ohio’s House of Representatives is considering legislation that forces educators, therapists and social workers to out transgender minors to their parents or face fourth-degree felony charges. For those who display characteristics in opposition to their assigned gender at birth, or who openly question their gender, the stakes are nothing short of life and death.
When I was a kid, there was precious little out in pop culture about trans issues. Sure, there were movies like “The Christine Jorgensen Story,” where an actor named John Hansen played the title character, or “Dog Day Afternoon,” where Al Pacino’s character staged a robbery to pay for the surgery of his lover, portrayed by male actor Chris Sarandon.
Thirty-two years ago, Dr. Nanette Gartrell launched a project to follow the first wave of lesbian families created through donor insemination. Now, her National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS) is the longest-running study on LGBTQ-parent families, and Gartrell and her team have just released a paper about the now-grown children at 25 years old.
There are moments in which the world seems like a dark and dangerous place. And for many among us, that feeling is very real. We’re seeing families ripped apart, rights threatened — life as we know it called into question. Is it any wonder why many people are experiencing higher-than-ever rates of depression and anxiety?
