Latest California Healthline Stories

Doing More Harm Than Good? Epidemic of Screening Burdens Nation’s Older Patients
Patients are often aggressively screened for cancer, even if they won’t live long enough to benefit.

Good Friends Might Be Your Best Brain Booster As You Age
SuperAgers, men and women over age 80 with extraordinary memories, share a commitment to sustaining friendships.

An Overlooked Epidemic: Older Americans Taking Too Many Unneeded Drugs
Researchers estimate that 25 percent of people ages 65 to 69 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions. But some doctors are trying to teach others about “deprescribing” or systematically discontinuing medicines that are inappropriate, duplicative or unnecessary.

Reverberations From War Complicate Vietnam Veterans’ End-Of-Life Care
Vietnam veterans’ wartime experiences — and their lasting psychological toll — can make it harder to treat their physical and emotional pain as they approach death.

Health Risks To Farmworkers Increase As Workforce Ages
Harvesting U.S. crops has been left to an aging population of farmworkers whose health has suffered from decades of hard labor. Older workers have a greater chance of getting injured and of developing chronic illnesses.

Straight From The Patient’s Mouth: Videos Can Clearly State Your End-Of-Life Wishes
Video advance directives enable people to speak directly to their families and physicians about their wishes for end-of-life care.

This Thanksgiving, Carve Out Time To Talk About End-Of-Life Wishes
A vital tradition is gaining steam as more families use the holiday gathering to discuss and document advance-care plans.

Shingles: Don’t Let It Get You The Way It Got Me
The painful condition caused by the chickenpox virus will strike 1 in 3 Americans during their lifetimes — most between ages 60 and 70, but those in their 50s have reason to arm themselves.

How Older Patients Can Dodge Pitfalls Entrenched In Health Care System
What being old and sick in America can mean — and ways to navigate the often treacherous journey through the system.

For Active Seniors, Cohousing Offers A Cozier Alternative To Downsizing
Far from a commune or coop, these planned villages are no less about cooperation and community.