Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
As the Baby Boomer generation grows older, doctors have to be more aware of health issues related to aging. This week on Healthwatch, we'll talk about some topics that affect older adults.
One serious issue associated with aging is Alzheimer's disease. Twenty-first century technology may help make managing this disease easier for both patients and doctors. Neurologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center are using a satellite videoconferencing system to follow patients with Alzheimer's disease in the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma. This system allows doctors to see patients for periodic checkups without patients having to make the long trip from their home to their tribe's health center. Doctors can track patients' progress and interview caregivers to see how memory loss and other problems have progressed.
Next: a problem seniors don't like to talk about.
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March 2005
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