July is UV Protection Month

In July, we raise awareness that UV is the root cause of most skin cancers and encourage the public to take precautions. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that the public #PracticeSafeSun the year-round by following three simple steps while outdoors:


  •   Seek shade when appropriate
  •   Wear sun-protective clothing
  •   Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.



More People Are Turning to AI for Health Advice — Should They?

AI chatbots are good at things like interpreting medical jargon and helping patients prepare for appointments, but experts caution against relying on them for diagnoses and treatments.


More than 40 million people turn to ChatGPT every day with health questions, according to its maker, OpenAI. But studies suggest that in their current form, AI chatbots can fall short in meaningful ways — especially when it comes to health.


For instance, they struggle when reasoning is needed. A study led by Mass General Brigham researchers asked 21 AI tools, including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, to essentially “play doctor.” The results, published in April in JAMA Network Open, showed that the tools failed 80 percent of the time at earlier stages of clinical decision-making, such as deciding which diagnoses to consider before enough information is available to confirm one.


This is concerning because it’s the stage when patients are most likely to turn to AI — when they first notice a symptom or sign of illness, according to study coauthor Dr. Marc Succi. In fact, more than half (55 percent) of people who use ChatGPT for health questions use it to check or explore symptoms.

Are Blueberries the Best Brain Food?

Whether you stir them into yogurt, sprinkle them on cereal or just pop them in your mouth one by one, blueberries are a tasty fruit with some huge health benefits. The buzz is that they can work wonders for brain health, but are they worth all the hype?


Research has found eating blueberries enhances brain processing speed, which is vital for tasks like driving a car and responding to hazards on the road, according to a 2022 study in Nutritional Neuroscience. When 33 older adults between the ages of 50 and 65 with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) — a self-perceived decline in cognitive function — ate a half cup of blueberries for 12 weeks, and no other berries, they had better executive function, a 2022 randomized control trial published in Nutrients showed.

Moving Aging Parents Into Your Home: Checklist and What to Consider

Thinking about moving your elderly parents in? Discover the essential home safety, financial, legal and Medicaid rules you must consider to ensure a smooth transition and prevent caregiver burnout.


Multigenerational households are not as common here in the U.S. as they are in some other parts of the world, but the idea is gaining steam, according to Pew Research Center analysis of census data. According to their analysis, in 2021, about 18% of the U.S. population lived in a multigenerational home, up from a mere 7% in 1971.


While there are many reasons why more Americans are choosing to move into multigenerational living situations, a big reason is the ever-growing population of older adults who need more help as they age.


If you’re considering moving your parent in with you because they can no longer live independently, read this first. Learn about all the issues you need to consider to prepare for this big shift in living arrangements.

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