Dear Maryellen…
I’ve heard it said all my life that women tend to “feel” more than men. But does this also include pain? My 75-year-old mom complains about body pains all the time. Is this just age-related crankiness, or could she be somehow feeling more pain than my dad simply because she is a woman? Just curious. -Belinda, Merrick, NY

Dear Belinda,
We certainly don’t need high-profile scientific studies to draw connections between body aches and age. That correlation goes without saying. But interestingly enough, there has been some serious research conducted that suggests women don’t only feel things emotionally more than men, but they may also feel more physically. Particularly pain, and especially when older.

Dear Readers,
I would like to make you aware of a little known fact regarding one particularly dangerous risk associated with growing old: anorexia — or, more specifically, as it is known: “the anorexia of aging.” The fact that you are witnessing your aging mom or dad slimming down more than usual might simply be due to normal metabolic and behavioral changes that come with getting older. But sometimes, it’s something more.

Dear Readers,
After welcoming the holiday season with Thanksgiving (both literally and emotionally), it gives me great pleasure to write this entry and to wish all of my faithful and thoughtful readers the happiest, healthiest and most hopeful time — for you and all of your loved ones.

I thank you for another year of challenging Senior Living questions. They have provided me with an invaluable forum for sharing information I believe is touching families… and there is no greater privilege that we are given during this lifetime than to reach out and touch other lives. Not just those immediately around us, which is easy enough to do, but to dare to extend out of our comfort zone and impact a stranger in need. Again, not just by writing a check or clicking a box on a charitable Web site (both of which acts are still wonderfully giving), but, in addition, to physically meet and speak with another person, especially during a time when our connections are becoming so overwhelmingly digital; and thus, virtual.

Dear Readers,
Here’s another impromptu entry regarding a great new Web site I came across on Alzheimer’s disease that takes the issue to a whole new perspective: early-stage diagnosis. It’s called EarlySymptomsAlzheimers.com. The site is being launched by pharmaceutical giant Roche to commemorate Alzheimer’s Day, and, to my knowledge, it’s the first available Web site fully dedicated to early-stage (prodromal) Alzheimer’s disease. It’s definitely worth a look.

Dear Maryellen,
Mom is going on 82, and her mind is still pretty sharp. But she has been showing signs of a slipping memory. What’s the latest thinking out there when it comes to seniors and memory loss? Anything I can help her do? – Jessica

Dear Jessica,
At 82, memory loss is a common thing, part of the normal aging process. You can expect your mom will continue dealing with her memory slipping here and there. But, yes, studies are going on all the time to discover ways for fending off this natural functional erosion of the mind, as well as the more serious kinds of memory problems, such as those related with Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive issues. Here’s a brief look at what I’ve been reading lately.