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Marlena Gates

Content writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience publishing high-quality and high-ranking writing. I have experience in literary as well as clinical writing and a keen eye for content management and SEO. My wordsmithing skills can bring any organization's content center stage.

Article Highlights

Insomnia in the Elderly: Causes and Best Treatments

A poor and inconsistent sleep routine can be detrimental to seniors. Older adults need the same amount of sleep as younger people to restore their bodies. Experts recommend seven to nine hours of quality sleep for seniors each night. Long-term poor sleep can lead to a decline in overall physical and mental health, increasing the risk of cognitive decline as well as falls.[01,02] “In addition to a reduced quality of life, long-term health consequences of poor sleep include high blood pressure, we...

End-Stage Dementia: Care Options and What to Expect

Dementia as a general condition is broken into seven stages, according to the Global Deterioration Scale for Dementia (GDS), a comprehensive tool used to assess patients’ emotional and physical symptoms. Stages 6 and 7 are the final stages of dementia. Stage 7 is the last before death, and here, the person with dementia experiences a rapid decline in most abilities.Education, empathy, and attentiveness to end-stage dementia signs are crucial to compassionate dementia care. Learning how your love...

Pneumonia in Seniors: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Seniors 65 and over are at an increased risk of death from pneumonia, especially if they have preexisting health problems. If a senior has chronic health conditions, like heart or kidney disease, pneumonia can progress rapidly and become increasingly difficult to treat. In extreme cases, doctors might discontinue all treatment and put the senior on hospice.[01,02] It’s suspected that the following health conditions and factors increase the risk of death from pneumonia in adults over 65:[03] Hear...

Siblings Fighting Over Elderly Parents: Problems and Solutions

Adult siblings don’t always see caregiving needs the same way. One child may have the impression that a parent is doing fine at home, while another feels they need help. Or, the adult children realize that their loved one needs care, but the parent refuses to see it as an option. These decisions can lead to a divide between siblings. Solution: Get a professional assessmentHelping seniors make the right decisions for their care needs can be difficult when siblings are fighting. That’s why an outs...

Memory Care Classes: How to Become a Memory Care Specialist

In order to find the right memory care community or caregiver for a loved one, it’s good to know what qualifications memory care-specific staff are required to have in your area. Most states require some specialized training for caregivers in memory care-licensed facilities. However, requirements vary greatly from state to state. While some states may require intensive hours of ongoing caregiver training, others have no mandated training at all. More than half of all states don’t require memory...

Elderly Skin Bruising: Causes and Prevention

Bruising in seniors is primarily caused by the skin’s reduced thickness and resilience due to certain conditions of aging. As we age, skin cells don’t reproduce as quickly as before. This can result in thinner layers of skin and the loss of protective connective tissue, making veins and capillaries more open to damage. The aging process might also involve a higher intake of medications and a reduction in the ability to absorb nutrients. This also makes the skin more vulnerable to bruising. Elder...

Colonoscopies in Seniors: Guidelines, Risks & Alternatives

Doctors with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend that adults aged 50 to 75 have a colonoscopy screening, even without symptoms. Colonoscopies in people age 76 to 85 should be limited to a case-by-case basis due to higher risks associated with this procedure in the elderly. This age group should consider alternatives to colonoscopy, like stool sample tests and CT colonography.[01] The following are the guidelines for the frequency with which these screenings should be performed:[01]...

What to Do After a Dementia Diagnosis: 10 Steps

Understand what to expect with a dementia diagnosis. This can help you feel more confident and empowered to create a dementia care plan that fits your relative’s needs and improves their quality of life. Learn about proven lifestyle changes, like exercise (physical and mental) and brain-healthy diets, clinically shown to slow the progression of dementia. There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, but specialized dementia treatments are available to help with symptoms. Things like behavior mana...

UTIs in the Elderly: Symptoms, Treatments, and Prevention

Seniors may not notice a mild UTI infection right away, as the physical symptoms may be more subtle in older adults. Physical symptoms of a UTI include: Burning, painful sensation with urinationFrequent, intense urge to urinate even when there’s little urine to passA feeling that the bladder is not completely emptiedBlood in the urineCloudy or foul-smelling urineSometimes a senior may not have physical symptoms at all until the infection has become severe.[01] For instance, burning during urinat...