Author Archives: john graham

“Do-it-yourself Healthcare”

Posted on September 25, 2011 by john graham

When measuring blood pressure, the “white coat” effect is not a new phenomenon – it’s been known about for almost a century.  When patients go to see their doctor, many are understandably anxious and this raises their blood pressure.  Hence … Continue reading →

Posted in HEALTH, SMILES | Tagged | 1 Comment

“Left in the Dark”

Posted on September 22, 2011 by john graham

In this “World Dementia Month” the Alzheimer’s Society have again highlighted the fact that the majority of people in this country with signs of dementia still go undiagnosed. Here are their estimated figures for Britain:- 766,000 people thought to have … Continue reading →

Posted in Dementia, HEALTH | Tagged | 2 Comments

“My Garden Age” 2

Posted on September 20, 2011 by john graham

It’s a windy apples-off-the-trees blow-away day.  Signs of summer fading fast.  Early autumn breeze wrestling with the browning leaves. Yet the garden still has much to give in its green old age.  The last flush of the roses as beautiful … Continue reading →

Posted in SMILES | Tagged | 3 Comments

“Sugaring the Pill”

Posted on September 18, 2011 by john graham

When I was a child and not very well, my mother used to give me a spoonful of jam to get me to swallow any tablets or take any nasty medicine.  Most children have an inborn dislike of pills and potions.  … Continue reading →

Posted in HEALTH | Tagged , | 1 Comment

“Dangerous Road” 3

Posted on September 13, 2011 by john graham

Three articles on successive pages of The Times last week (5th September 2011) made for an uncomfortable juxtaposition.  They were entitled “prosecutors clear the way for assisted suicides“, “MPs given poll warning on abortion” and “jails to help ageing prisoners die … Continue reading →

Posted in Assisted Suicide, ELDERLY UK POLICY | 2 Comments

“Granola Wars” 2

Posted on September 11, 2011 by john graham

My struggle with packaging and in particular breakfast cereals, continues.  (See my earlier blogs in the “archive” on Breakfast Exercise dated 6th September 2011, 27th March 2011 and 20th February 2011 and Granola Wars dated 19th June 2011). This morning … Continue reading →

Posted in SMILES | Tagged | 6 Comments

“DON’T FORGET SEPTEMBER “

Posted on September 9, 2011 by john graham

September is  World Alzheimers Month,  although I would not have known, if I had not been reading my copy of the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday newspaper.   Sadly I was not lying on a beach in the Caribbean at the time 🙂   … Continue reading →

Posted in Dementia, HEALTH | 3 Comments

“Welcome Research – Cheers ” 2

Posted on September 7, 2011 by john graham

Almost a year ago, I wrote about research in Norway which suggested that moderate drinking of wine every day  (oops! I might have added “every day” myself)  can improve thinking skills and may even prevent dementia   🙂 . BUT    not … Continue reading →

Posted in Dementia | 2 Comments

“Plastic Fantastic”

Posted on September 4, 2011 by john graham

A recent article in the Daily Mail on the 15th August 2011, reported on an 83-year-old lady in America who caused quite a stir in the medical establishment when she decided to have breast implants. This really had me in … Continue reading →

Posted in ELDERLY MARKET, SMILES | 1 Comment

“Grumbling American Style”

Posted on August 31, 2011 by john graham

I was surfing around blog sites relevant to older people last night looking for someone with interesting insights into ageing.  As usual most of the things I found were excessively academic articles on gerontology which speak of everyday issues in such … Continue reading →

Posted in GRUMBLES | 1 Comment