Opinion

Opinion: Don’t Neglect Bone Health

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Half of women, and up to 25 percent of men, age 50 and older will experience a fracture in their lifetimes – but most relegate bone health to the bottom of age-related wellness concerns. May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, and it's important to know that older adults are likely to focus on what they can do to prevent conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, or heart disease, believing those represent the greatest risks to quality of life and longevity with age. But that may be a mistake. Broken bones are a leading cause of hospitalizations among women aged 55 years or older, ahead of heart attacks, stroke, and breast cancer. Fractures significantly impact quality of life, causing pain, restricting mobility, and leaving many patients feeling depressed.

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Jamaica Plain People

Jamaica Plain Geriatrician Describes Work in Face of COVID-19

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As a geriatrician of long-term care patients Jamaica Plain resident Julia Siegel Breton is facing the threat of COVID-19 everyday. Breton works at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale, and quickly transitioned from part-time (70%) to more than full-time work, as she also offered to cover weekends. She said there have been two major changes since COVID-19, and both have "heightened the awareness of how crucial these aspects have always been in the care of our frail elders, but now with a greater sense of urgency." Breton has seen the need for companionship and meaningful moments. "It has been a necessary, but heartbreaking measure to not allow families or volunteers to visit," said Breton.

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