Tagged: Elderly

A group meeting in Durham today will focus on how to protect elderly people from abuse. The coalition is called Partners Eliminating Adult Victimization in Durham. It's one of a growing number of groups across the state. John Margolis is the Adult Protective Services Supervisor for Durham County and a co-chair of the group.

"The statute in North Carolina is more geared towards a disabled adult rather than an elder adult. And for Adult Protective Services to be involved with an elderly individual, there has to be some type of incapacity there."

A Chapel Hill neighborhood is welcoming Orange County's first eldercare home. There's a special ceremony today to mark the opening. Paul Klever is executive director of Charles House Association, the non-profit sponsoring the home. Klever says residents of the Heritage Hills neighborhood actually approached them when they first heard about the idea:

With the recent cold temperatures, doctors say old people can be particularly susceptible to problems.

Elderly people are more likely to break a bone when they fall. But they also suffer in other ways when it's colder.

People are living longer now than ever before in human history. By the year 2030, more than one-in-five people in the United States will be over the age of 65. The dream is to stay healthy into a ripe old age and die peacefully in your sleep. But the reality is likely to be quite different. Many people go through a long physical and mental decline before they die. As we wrap up our series, "North Carolina Voices: Diagnosing Health Care," Rose Hoban takes a look at whether the health care system is ready for the coming flood of frail seniors.