Month: December 2013

Two-thirds of people over 65 need some kind of help with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing, a new study finds. The study included more than 8,000 people over 65. All but 500 lived in their own homes. Researchers interviewed them. About 25% said they got help with daily activities from changes in the home, such as grab bars, or devices such as a cane. Another 18% used such devices but still had problems with some activities. About 6% cut back on daily activities because of such problems. And 21% needed help from another person. Only 31% were able to do all activities of daily living with no help. Age made a difference. About 45% of those ages 65 to 69 got by without help, compared with only 4% of those in their 90s. Nearly 90% could feed themselves without help, but half needed help with bathing.

Raw milk is not safe for infants, children and pregnant women, a group of children’s doctors says. The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging parents not to let their children drink milk that is not pasteurized or eat most raw-milk cheeses. Pregnant women also should avoid these products, the group said. The doctors’ group also called for a ban on sale of raw milk. The reason is that raw milk can contain germs that cause human illness. Such illnesses were common before pasteurizing milk become widespread in the 1920s. Today, the movement toward local and natural foods has made raw milk more popular. But drinking raw milk has led to about 150 to 200 illnesses each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Most are stomach illnesses caused by bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. Some cases lead to severe illness and even kidney failure.