Heart disease is something we as Americans talk about a lot. But most often, the conversation surrounds the person who has heart disease or has had a cardiac event. But what about the spouse of that person? Many times the spousal role immediately changes to caregiver, nurse and housekeeper. Cardiac spouses are more susceptible to depression and other illnesses, but their health needs are often overlooked.

Grief is a reaction to a major loss. It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion. Grief may be triggered by the death of a loved one. People also can experience grief if they have an illness for which there is no cure, or a chronic condition that affects their quality of life. The end of a significant relationship may also cause a grieving process.

More than 60% of cancers in the United States occur in people age 65 and older. Cancers of the prostate, breast, colon, pancreas, bladder, stomach, lung, and rectum are the most common cancers in this age group.