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Therapy animals can make a tremendous difference in the lives of seniors, children and the disabled.

Whether you suffer from chronic ailments like arthritis or fibromyalgia, or simply experience the aches, pains and stiffness associated with past injuries or with aging, winter's cold and dampness can exacerbate these problems. Here is some simple advice to minimize winter's impact on chronic pain and avoid new pains from injuries.

More than 31 million Americans of all ages live with some level of hearing loss, according to the Better Hearing Institute. Our increasingly noisy society has, unfortunately, ensured hearing problems are no longer an exclusive affliction of age; while people 55 to 64 make up the largest group with hearing loss, the second largest segment are people who are just 45 to 54, a time when many of us are in our prime financially, socially and professionally.

Colon cancer is the second-deadliest form of cancer in the U.S., yet it doesn't have to be. More than 90 percent of colon cancer cases are curable if caught in their early stages.

"No one should go without a needed hearing aid because of an inability to pay," says Dr. Sergei Kochkin, executive director of the Better Hearing Institute (BHI). Here's advice on how you can get assistance paying for a hearing aid.

Few people, including you, actually get all the nutrients they need from the food they eat - hence the major market for nutritional supplements. But how do you sift through the plethora of information out there to choose the right supplement from the thousands on the market? Here are some things to consider when evaluating a supplement.

The new year often means resolutions like being healthier or exercising more often. What many people don't know is that our joints are the critical part of the body that allows us to be active and do the activities we most enjoy.

A diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) often results in a patient feeling helpless and depressed about not being able to maintain a normal, active lifestyle. However, with a chronic lung disease like COPD, it's particularly important, and tremendously beneficial, for patients to exercise and stay active.

Americans are taking a closer look at their own personal health and assessing changes they can make, as the topic of health care remains front and center. More and more, people are paying attention to the cost of prevention and care for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, as they have a high risk for health complications.

If you are one of America's 78.2 million baby boomers, you are likely considering what ideal retirement will look like, and the steps required achieving it. With the current economic downturn, many boomers are finding it necessary to revisit their initial retirement goals.

With today's record low real estate prices and attractive mortgage rates, now may be a good time to think about investing in a second home that ultimately can be used as your permanent residence upon retirement. By taking a "buy-and-rent" approach before you're ready to retire, your new home will actually have partly paid for itself by the time you're ready to move into it.

You may chalk up that flutter in your chest to too much rich food during the holidays, or think that your heart skips a beat here or there in response to the upcoming tax season. For most people, those occasional irregularities are harmless. But if your irregular heart rhythms are combined with a diagnosis of heart failure, they can be serious - and ignoring them may make your condition worse.

Savers will have to be a little more creative to earn a respectable return. In light of this, it is helpful to explore some strategies to help make your cash work harder.

Schools with only a third of the students sitting in chairs, offices sending out notices to employees asking anyone with a fever or cough to please stay home, and hand sanitizer stations popping up everywhere; the signs are very visible this year that flu season has arrived.

Maintaining the spark in a years-long relationship has its challenges. Particularly in this day and age, spouses sometimes only see each other for a few hours a day between work, meetings, kids and other obligations.

In just two short years, the first wave of baby boomers will turn 65. For some, this milestone birthday may signal retirement; for others it may not. For all boomers, it should mean an increased focus on health care. Baby boomers can take steps now to help ensure many more healthy years.

Getting older is not easy, especially when it comes to making sure your body is healthy. Doctors probably have you watching your weight, your cholesterol and other health vitals in every effort to make sure you have a happy and full life. But there are conditions that many times do not get mentioned during visits to the doctor because they often don't exhibit any symptoms until it's too late. One such "silent killer" is an abdominal aortic aneurysm (also known as "AAA").

As we grow older, we look forward to the changes that life brings -- retirement, grandchildren, financial security and travel. Other changes that we might not accept so readily are the aches, pains and mental slowdowns that leave us longing for the good old days of our youth.

The aging population will have the second biggest impact of any factor on the remodeling industry over the next five years, according to the AARP and National Association of Home Builders. Why? Because today's homeowners overwhelmingly prefer to live independently in their current homes, even if it means remodeling to meet their needs.

The best way to face down winter and all its challenges is to think ahead and be prepared. A few simple solutions will make winter much safer - and more enjoyable - for you and any guests you might invite over.

The current high rate of unemployment is causing consumers to re-evaluate the importance of individual life insurance coverage, with many viewing it as an essential component of long-term financial security for their families and loved ones.

A rising number of American households - nearly 45 percent - are "at risk" of not having enough money in retirement, according the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. But some retirees have discovered a surprising source of supplemental retirement income: the cash value of their whole life insurance policies.

Karen Woolery has struggled with arthritis in her hands for the past 12 years, making her job as director of a day care physically difficult. The arthritis made even the simplest movements painful. To relieve the pain, she often took medications like ibuprofen, never realizing they could potentially cause her harm. Her doctors soon discovered Karen had a big problem - she had ulcers.

From attractive lighting designed to work well for aging eyes to barrier-free shower stalls that compete in beauty and practicality with what you might find in a luxury community for those 55 and older, plenty of home modifications now make it possible to age in place gracefully and stylishly.

As one year ends and another begins, all eyes remain on Congress and the two health bills that will shape the U.S. health system in 2010 and beyond. The American Medical Association has been a regular presence in the health reform debate and has outlined a set of guiding principles for health system reform that will benefit patients and physicians.

While a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, is extremely frightening for patients, there is ongoing research, new technology and medications to help make life easier.

Ninety percent of homeowners plan to stay in their homes for as long as their health permits, according to "Kitchen and Bath Business" magazine. And, as the place that you spend a majority of your time, your home can play a big role in your health and happiness.

Hearing the words "heart failure" from your doctor is a frightening thing. If that is your diagnosis, you're not alone - more than 5 million Americans are affected by heart failure. But while it is certainly serious, it is not quite as ominous as it sounds. The good news is that there have been tremendous strides in heart care treatment in recent years, which enables patients with the disease to live full, active, normal lives.

The temperatures drop, the skies cloud over and your knees are aching. As the winter months settle in, so can osteoarthritis (OA) pain in your knees.

More than 34 million people are caring for an aging parent in the United States today. It is estimated one in two of these caregivers are baby boomers, adults in the "sandwich generation," caught between caring for their aging parents while raising families of their own.