February 2013

You’re right to be concerned. My guess is that the nursing home, like most, is understaffed. I’m not making excuses for them; they probably are so overworked that they don’t even realize what’s falling by the wayside. Do them and your dad a favor and…

As I’m sure all Kentuckians are aware, breathing is the most essential of the human body’s needs. Humans can survive for about a month without food—longer or shorter periods if one is over- or underweight to begin with. We can live about a week without…

You’re right: you really must report the error. If it happened to you, it may happen to someone else, and he or she might not catch the error in time to prevent serious health consequences. Here is what to do: Go online to the Institute…

If you know people in Kentucky who smoke pot, they strongly aver that smoking pot is safer than drinking alcohol. They point to the years of research findings that show how heavy alcohol consumption destroys the liver and increases the risk of a number of…

By now, most Kentuckians are probably aware that keeping the mind active in later life can help to fend off dementia. Reading, doing crossword puzzles, and playing Sudoku are examples of such mental exercise. A recent study indicates that physical activity may also have a…

I understand your frustration. There is definitely disagreement among “experts.” In a recent study of 1,600 Danish children at age five—whose mothers drank either a small amount of alcohol daily or drank five or more drinks early in pregnancy—the children of drinking moms performed just…