Guides
Plain-English health guides for older adults and caregivers, written by James and based on guidance from the CDC, NIH, the American Heart Association and Medicare. Each guide links to a matching tool.
Heart & blood pressure
Blood Pressure Chart for Seniors: What Your Numbers Mean (2025 Guidelines)
What normal, elevated, stage 1 and stage 2 blood pressure mean for older adults under the 2025 guideline, and how to measure at home.
Read guideStroke and Heart Attack Warning Signs Every Older Adult Should Know
Learn the F.A.S.T. stroke signs and heart attack symptoms, including those more common in women, and why calling 911 matters.
Read guideTarget Heart Rate by Age: A Simple Guide for Older Adults
How to find your moderate and vigorous heart rate zones by age, take your pulse and use the talk test.
Read guideNutrition & weight
BMI for Older Adults: What It Shows, What It Misses
How BMI works, the CDC categories, and why muscle loss and body shape matter more as we age.
Read guideProtein for Seniors: How Much You Need and Easy Ways to Get It
Daily protein needs for older adults, from the RDA to the higher amounts experts suggest after 65, with easy food ideas.
Read guideDehydration in Older Adults: Signs, Daily Water Needs and Simple Habits
Why older adults dehydrate more easily, the warning signs, daily fluid needs and habits that help.
Read guideCalcium and Vitamin D After 50: Daily Amounts and Food Sources
Daily calcium and vitamin D amounts for adults over 50, upper limits and the best food sources.
Read guideActive living, falls & sleep
Fall Prevention for Seniors: A Room-by-Room Safety Guide
One in four older adults falls each year. A practical room-by-room checklist and the habits that lower fall risk.
Read guideExercise Guidelines for Adults 65+: How Much Activity You Need Each Week
The CDC activity guidelines for older adults explained: 150 minutes, strength twice a week and balance, with sample weeks.
Read guideSleep for Older Adults: How Much You Need and How to Sleep Better
How much sleep older adults need, why sleep changes with age, and practical steps to sleep better.
Read guideMemory Loss vs. Dementia: Normal Aging or a Reason to See the Doctor?
How to tell everyday forgetfulness from signs that need a doctor’s visit, and treatable causes of memory problems.
Read guideMedicare & medicines
Medicare Annual Wellness Visit: What It Covers and How to Prepare
What happens at the free Medicare Annual Wellness Visit, how it differs from a physical, and a checklist to prepare.
Read guideMedicare Preventive Screenings: What’s Covered, How Often and at What Cost
A plain-English list of the screenings and vaccines Original Medicare covers, who qualifies and how often.
Read guideMedicare Part D in 2027: the $700 Deductible, the $2,400 Cap and How Your Costs Work
How 2027 Part D drug costs work: the $700 deductible, 25% coinsurance, the $2,400 out-of-pocket cap and monthly payment plans.
Read guideManaging Multiple Medications Safely: A Guide for Seniors and Caregivers
Practical ways to keep track of several medicines, avoid mix-ups and get a free medicine review.
Read guide