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On Dec. 14 2015, elder rights groups, including Mass Home Care, testified at an MBTA hearing in Boston against a plan to cut The RIDE services for the elderly and disabled. For these riders, transportation is the key service that connects them to all the other services in the community: doctors’ offices, clinics, professional services, lawyers, grocery stores, basic shopping, etc. Transportation is the lifeline service in the community.

As we age, our circulation system can lose efficiency, causing a variety of problematic conditions. One such problem is that of undesired clots in the legs. Although clotting is an important safeguard from injury, an unexpected clot can cause pain and swelling and can often be the precursor to a more serious health condition.

It has occurred to me that novels like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, movies made from them, and other such period dramas, are popular partly because they depict a society where people were expected to be polite.

Doctors call it “the waiting room.” That is what I’m doing. I have a sore throat. I arrived on time for my appointment. I checked in. I paid my co-pay. And now I am waiting. I have been told, “It will be a few minutes.” Uh, oh. “It will be a few minutes” is doctor-office code for “I hope you brought a snack and you’re starting to read a Victorian novel, because we are Backed Up.”

Region –If you’re a smoker, quitting is the most important step you can take to protect your health, decreasing the risk of lung disease, cancer, and even early death. If you want to quit and tried in the past, don’t give up. It often takes several tries before you can quit for good. However, with planning and support, you can become tobacco-free.

If you think you’re seeing more elderly people at the grocery store, the bank, and the movies—you are. In the period 2010 to 2030, the 65+ population in Massachusetts will increase by approximately 60 percent --while the under 65 population will decrease by approximately 4.5 percent. In the first two decades of this century, the commonwealth will add around 585,000 more people over the age of 65.

For much of our lives we go about our business relatively unconcerned with our circulatory systems. However, due to a variety of causes, varicose veins can crop up causing both cosmetic and functional problems. Once a patient notices these troublesome veins it is a wise idea to get a professional assessment. Many times patient’s primary care provider will refer them to a phlebologist specialist.

A friend of mine recently took himself to the emergency room of a local hospital. He is a 70-year-old diabetic, and his temperature was 103 degrees. He has learned to react quickly to medical problems out of fear of his diabetes complications.

Why was I so nervous? The world would not come to an end – even my tiny corner would not be endangered – if I could not learn how to play the ukulele.

In late September, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation released two reports regarding health care for seniors in Massachusetts. The first report found that while a large majority of seniors are satisfied with the healthcare, over 25 percent of older adults were dissatisfied with healthcare costs, and more than 20 percent said it has become harder to pay for healthcare services or prescription drugs over the past five years. Both concerns are higher among seniors who report poor health or a disability.