Matthew Lee Smith – The Conversation

The same stay-at-home recommendations meant to protect older adults from COVID-19 can also leave them feeling isolated and lonely. Sladic via Getty Images

July 6, 2020

Social isolation: The COVID‑19 pandemic’s hidden health risk for older adults, and how to manage it

Marcia G. Ory, Texas A&M University and Matthew Lee Smith, Texas A&M University

Social distancing is leaving older Americans more isolated and opening them up to serious health risks.

A senior couple being intimate. Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com

December 13, 2018

Think teens need the sex talk? Older adults may need it even more

Heather Honoré Goltz, University of Houston-Downtown and Matthew Lee Smith, Texas A&M University

Studies confirm what many older adults already know: They are sexual. And, studies also suggest that sex is good for them. But health care providers are reluctant to talk to them about the risks.

Healthy aging is a new norm, researchers say, with older adults having a new name and attitude. By YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV/Shutterstock.com

September 24, 2018

As life expectancies rise, so are expectations for healthy aging

Marcia G. Ory, Texas A&M University; Basia Belza, University of Washington, and Matthew Lee Smith, Texas A&M University

The age of the US is increasing, and with it, new expectations of health and happiness. Is the US prepared for the wave of baby boomers who will live long and want to be as healthy as they do?

Chief Justice John Roberts is shown leaving the Senate chamber during President Trump’s impeachment trial Feb. 5, 2020. Behind him is Lindsay Graham, (R-S.C). J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

July 9, 2020

Chief Justice John Roberts’ recent fall underscores the vulnerability of people 65 and older to falling

Matthew Lee Smith, Texas A&M University; Ellen Schneider, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Marcia G. Ory, Texas A&M University, and Tiffany Shubert, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The recent fall of Chief Justice John Roberts underscores that falls can happen to anyone. They are a major cause of disability in seniors - but there are some clearcut ways to prevent them.

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