Free Republic

Many Baby Boomers already dread “the talk” –- suggesting their aging parents surrender car keys –- but now two geriatric experts say another thorny, family question must be asked of some elderly folks. Is it time to give up your gun? In a recently published paper, the two physicians offer a five-point checklist meant to help caregivers assess whether firearms remain safe in the hands and homes of older Americans, particularly if the gun owners are exhibiting unclear thinking or depression. “Just like with some (older) people, it’s not if you should stop driving, but when,” said Dr. Ellen M....

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced July 1 that it is selling six nursing homes and one assisted living facility operated by archdiocesan Catholic Health Care Services to a Flushing, New York, health care management company for $145 million. The company, Center Management Group, owns and operates 15 nursing homes in New York and New Jersey. Under the agreement, the company has pledged to maintain the Catholic character of the nursing homes. The date for the sale has not been set. The $145 million sale price for the nursing homes will be decreased by certain obligations under the terms of the...

William Nunn had to steady himself on a walking frame as he gave Jean away for a second time - she met Mike Garnham on a sailing holidayA proud father celebrated his 100th birthday by walking his 70-year-old daughter down the aisle. William Nunn had to steady himself on a walking frame as he gave Jean away for the second time. She first wed in 1976, but her husband died and she has found love again with widower Mike Garnham, 67. The couple, who met on a sailing holiday, married in a register office watched by 16 friends and family.

WASHINGTON — Over the past decade, more than 1,000 veterans may have died as a result of misconduct by employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a report released Tuesday by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. “Too many men and women who bravely fought for our freedom are losing their lives, not at the hands of terrorists or enemy combatants, but from friendly fire in the form of medical malpractice and neglect by the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Coburn said in a letter addressed to taxpayers, which was attached to the report. In a press release, Coburn said the...

A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge reversed his own ruling, permitting Casey Kasem’s daughter, Kerri Kasem, to remove her father’s food and hydration (via feeding tube), which will result in his death by starvation and dehydration. Kasem’s wife of 33 years, Jean Kasem, is fighting for the life of her husband, with her attorney, Steve Haney, calling the judge’s decision, “the functional equivalent of a death sentence.”Growing up in the 70’s, I was introduced to Casey Kasem’s easy to recognize voice as each week he counted down “American Top 40″ hits for almost four decades on a radio show heard...

Radio personality Casey Kasem has been taken off life support after a judge ruled Wednesday that daughter Kerri Kasem could start withholding medication, food and fluids. Mr. Kasem, 82, is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, sepsis and dementia, the Detroit Free Press reported. “Transitioning our father’s treatment to comfort-oriented care was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make,” Kerri wrote on her Facebook page Wednesday. “For people who do not understand the natural dying process: Giving food and water to a dying body creates pain and further suffering,” she wrote in a later post. “The body does not...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Casey Kasem, host of the "American Top 40" countdown for four decades, remained in critical condition at a Washington state hospital on Sunday and was being treated for an infected bedsore, a hospital spokesman said. Kasem, who was also the voice of Shaggy in the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons and one of the most recognisable voices on American radio, was admitted to St Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor last week. The 82-year-old former DJ has been alert throughout his hospitalisation, receiving wound care, intravenous antibiotic therapy, blood pressure support medication and treatment for his pain, hospital spokesman Scott...

Make no mistake, Fox News is still the ratings king. But the recent May numbers show that while all the cable channels had a decline in ratings (which is normal for May), Fox News was far from spared, with some of its lowest ratings in 12 years. While Fox dominates with the top 14 shows in overall viewers, the total day average for Fox News in the key advertising demographic of the 25- to 54-year-old category was 177,000 viewers, only the second time Fox has gone below a 200,000 average since 2001. Another key factor coming from May ratings is...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Award-winning author, renowned poet and civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou has died. She was 86. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines confirmed Angelou was found by her caretaker on Wednesday morning.

On May 7, the Obama administration boasted that ObamaCare was improving health-care quality for seniors, and it pulled out a bag of statistical tricks to prove it. But a closer look shows that it’s not improving care. It’s skimping on it, socking seniors with unexpected bills for “observation care” and likely shortening their lives. President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services announced that fewer seniors discharged from the hospital are returning for additional care within a month’s time. HHS claims that this drop in “readmissions,” from 18.5 percent in 2012 to 17.5 percent in 2013, signals quality improvement. Nationwide,...

Naomi Phillips, 85, sat in the shade outside Village Crossroads II watching the community’s formal dedication May 19. She moved to the new Catholic Charities affordable senior housing community in March after living most of her adult life in Latrobe Homes, subsidized city housing in East Baltimore. Village Crossroads, she said, is “real nice” and reminds her of her childhood home in North Carolina. “I love it because I was born in the country,” she said. “There’s nice country air and peace and quiet.” The 180-unit community includes two buildings, Village Crossroads I and II, near the intersection of Belair...

On May 7, the Obama administration boasted that ObamaCare was improving health-care quality for seniors, and it pulled out a bag of statistical tricks to prove it. But a closer look shows that it’s not improving care. It’s skimping on it, socking seniors with unexpected bills for “observation care” and likely shortening their lives. President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services announced that fewer seniors discharged from the hospital are returning for additional care within a month’s time. HHS claims that this drop in “readmissions,” from 18.5 percent in 2012 to 17.5 percent in 2013, signals quality improvement. Nonsense....

At least 40 U.S. veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system, many of whom were placed on a secret waiting list. The secret list was part of an elaborate scheme designed by Veterans Affairs managers in Phoenix who were trying to hide that 1,400 to 1,600 sick veterans were forced to wait months to see a doctor, according to a recently retired top VA doctor and several high-level sources. For six months, CNN has been reporting on extended delays in health care appointments suffered by veterans across the country and who died while waiting...

Believe it or not, Doris Day is now 90 years old. Looking back on nine decades, all she can do is appreciate all she has. "All I ever wanted in my life was to get married, have kids, keep house and cook, and even though I did all these things, I still ended up in Hollywood," she told Closer magazine. "It was a great trip. I've had an amazing life and wonderful times. And I'm happy!" Day, who lives a quiet life in California, told the magazine that aside from "little aches and pains," she has been "blessed with good...

Fred Phelps Sr., the founder of the Kansas church held in disgust worldwide for its antigay protests of prominent funerals, is in hospice care and "on the edge of death," according to one of his estranged sons. Nate Phelps posted the information on Facebook Saturday night, adding the revelation that his father had been excommunicated from the church in 2013. A church spokesman told the Topeka Capitol-Journal that Phelps was indeed in the hospice but that Nate Phelps "is not well informed." The spokesman also refused to comment on the allegation that the elder Mr. Phelps has been excommunicated. Another...

An elderly woman violated her probation by leaving bread crumbs out in her yard for crows and will remain behind bars. Eighty-one-year-old Mary Musselman was first arrested last month for feeding bears in her backyard. One of the bears was euthanized over it because the Fish and Wildlife Service said the bears might learn not to be afraid of people anymore and then get aggressive. The judge in the case warned Musselman not to feed any more wild animals of any kind: A judge gave her probation at the time, and made it clear: Do it again, and go to...

WASHINGTON -- After an elderly couple got the boot from their local McDonald's for sitting too long, management and the owner are not answering the question if there really is a 30-minute sitting limit at the Culpeper, Va. fast food restaurant. Carl Becker, 87, a World War II veteran, and his wife Barbara Becker, 81, say they both were at the Culpeper McDonald's on Feb. 21 at about 2:30 p.m. when they were approached by the manager. The location is a place the pair has frequented for years. "And he says 'You two are going to have to leave.' He...

She may not look anywhere near her 76 years but Jane Fonda says she is well aware of her age. The Hollywood legend – who has made her career in an industry which isn't exactly kind to aging actresses - admits she has been brought to tears on more than one occasion recently as she comes to terms with her own mortality. In a thoughtful blog post entitled 'Crying', which has since been removed, Jane wrote: '[I've been thinking], how come my tears are so close to the surface? And I’ve come to feel it has to do with age....

Thursday is my mother's birthday; she would have been 78. This is the first year that she won't be with us to celebrate, but will be in heaven looking down. In my mind, she is still with us in spirit and love. My mother came from a long line of strong-willed women. Her grandmother ran a county store in rural Georgia. Her mother, one of 11 children, ran away from the family farm, with the help of her mother, to go to the big city of Columbus, Georgia, and earn her nursing degree. She was the first in her family...

Obesity comes with a number of life threatening risks. The condition, for instance, is linked to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and even cancer. However, loneliness is a more threatening killer than obesity, at least among elderly people. The researchers also found that extreme loneliness increases an older person's risks of early death by 14 percent which means that loneliness has a double the impact on early death as obesity. Cacioppo explained that chronic loneliness is associated with higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which raises risks of strokes and heart attacks. It is also linked with high blood pressure and...