Caregiver & Elder Care News
Health Plan Offers Members Access to Walgreens
Clinics; Geriatric Society Offers Tips on Use
AGS updates tip sheet on what senior citizens and
caregivers need to know about using retail clinics; Wellcare makes deal
for Medicare health plan members
By
Tucker Sutherland, editor
May 23, 2013 - Health care services by retail
clinics can be a safe option for older adults for occasional, minor
health problems, but should not take the place of an individual’s
primary care provider, according to a newly
updated consumer
tip sheet by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and
Healthinaging.org. A sign of the growing popularity of these clinics
is
an announcement this week by WellCare Health Plans that it will offer
its Medicare Advantage members access to the more than 370 Take Care
Clinics located at select Walgreens.
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Physical, Emotional Impairments Common, Often
Untreated in People with Cancer
‘prehabilitation,’ precursor to rehabilitation, is
recommended at time of diagnosis up until treatment begins; rebab cost
effective; critical
May
20, 2013 - A majority of cancer survivors will have significant physical
and psychological impairments as a result of treatments and these often
go undetected and/or untreated, resulting in disability, according to a
new review. It finds cancer survivors suffer a diverse and complex set
of impairments, affecting virtually every organ system.
Read more...
Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens
Exercise Fails to Help Depressed Elderly in London
Care Homes
Popular with residents but it had no effect on
depression or general quality of life
May 2, 2013 – Exercise often seems to be an
automatic recommendation for anything that ails a senior citizen. New
research indicates, however, that this common solution for better mental
and physical health has met its match in trying to help elderly living
in nursing homes and assisted living facilities escape from depression.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Too Many Stroke Victims Fail to Use EMS for Fastest
Trip to Treatment
Ethnic minorities, rural residents least likely to
call 911 at onset of a stroke as recommended by American Heart
Association
April 30, 2013 — Time is critical to stroke victims
but more than a third don’t get to the hospital by ambulance, even
though that’s the fastest way to get help, according to new research in
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American
Heart Association journal.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Antibiotic-Resistant Strain of E. Coli Increasing
Among Senior Citizens in Nursing Homes
Spread of E. coli ST131 already a pandemic but has
received little attention in the U.S. – ‘making development of
strategies to halt further emergence and spread of these strains a
public health priority’
March 12, 2013 - Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia
coli (E. coli) continues to proliferate, driven largely by expansion of
a strain of E. coli know as sequence type ST131. A new study points to
hospitals and long-term care facilities (LTCF) as settings in which this
antibiotic-resistant strain is increasingly found, particularly among
senior citizens.
Read
more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Women Will See Long-Term Care Rates Increased by
Major Insurer
Women's premiums may increase by 20 to 40 percent
under the new pricing policy: they live longer than men
By
Michelle Andrews, KHN, Insuring Your Health
Feb.
27, 2013 - Starting next year, the Affordable Care Act
will largely prohibit insurers
who sell individual and small-group health policies from charging women
higher premiums than men for the same coverage. Long-term-care insurance, however, isn't bound by
that law, and the country's largest provider of such coverage has
announced it will begin setting its prices based on sex this spring.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Aging Often Means Decline in Vision and Need to
Learn to Live a Little Differently
‘Cases of diabetic
retinopathy among people aged 65 or older will quadruple to 9.9 million’
- State Independent Living Council Stresses You Are Not Alone
Feb.
22, 2013 - For most people, age brings a decline in vision. Some of the
most frequently diagnosed age-related diseases trigger the loss of
vision or blindness, including cataracts, age-related macular
degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
Read
more...
Medicare News
Hospice Group Says JAMA Report on Last Minute Use of Hospice
Care is Call for Action
NHPCO calls for earlier and more frequent
conversations between patients and healthcare professionals
Feb.
6, 2013 – Research published yesterday in JAMA found the rate of
hospice use doubled from 2000 to 2009 but 28 percent of these
dying Medicare patients used the service three days or less.
This is “a call for action,” says a statement from the
National
Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Read more...
Medicare News
Lower Percentage of Medicare Patients Dying in
Hospitals; Increase in Use of ICUs, Hospice
The use of hospice care has doubled but it tends to
be for a very short period before death - see video
Feb. 5, 2013 – In a study that included data on
more than 800,000 Medicare patients who died between 2000 - 2009, a
lower proportion died in an acute care hospital in recent years,
although both intensive care unit (ICU) use and the rate of health care
transitions increased during the last month of life, according to a
study appearing in the February 6 issue of JAMA.
Read more,
see video...
Medicare News
Hospices May Be Discouraging
Patients with Expensive Medical Needs
Medicare pays for most hospice care
and a patient's doctor and hospice medical director must certify patient
has 6 months or less to live; patients must agree not to seek
curative care
Jan. 23, 2013 - Many people who are
terminally ill delay entering hospice care until just a few days or
weeks before they die, in part because they or their families don't want
to admit that there's no hope for a cure.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Nutritional Factors to Preserve Muscle Mass,
Strength and Performance in Senior Citizens
Review by International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF)
Nutrition Working Group examines role of nutrition in sarcopenia,
with focus on protein, vitamins D and B, and acid-based diet.
Jan. 18, 2013 - Sarcopenia - the decrease in the amount and quality of muscle
- is a common consequence of aging, and poses a
significant risk factor for disability in older adults. Falling,
which can lead to fractures and other injuries for seniors, is often caused by
poor muscle strength resulting from sarcopena.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Dieting
Does Not Seem to Matter in Health of Obese Seniors Age 75 and Older
Reports
even suggest there may be survival benefits associated with overweight,
mild obesity among the elderly
Jan.
15, 2013 – Putting senior citizens age 75 and up – described as of
“advanced age” - on an overly restrictive diet to treat their excess
weight and other conditions appears to have little benefit, according to
researchers at Penn State and Geisinger Healthcare System.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
High Tech
Surveillance Swoops Into Health Care to Protect Senior Citizens
One company offers radar beam for in-home monitoring of vital signs,
activities of daily living and falls; another collects data from motion,
temperature, door, chair, bed, pill box sensors, caller ID information
to catch telephone scams
By
Michael L.Millenson
Jan. 14,
2013 - In an inconspicuous control room at the Sioux Falls, S.D.,
headquarters of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, nurses
keep round-the-clock watch on motion and humidity sensors in the living
rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms of elderly men and women in five states.
Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Seniors with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Do Poorly
on Therapy Designed for Younger Patients
People who develop chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
are typically age 65 and older, but participants in CLL clinical trials
are usually several years younger
Dec.
12, 2012 – Although most people are age 65 or older – senior citizens –
when they develop chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), most of the
clinical trials use younger participants. And, age is not usually
considered when treatment is determined. A new study says this is a
mistake – the therapies should be different for older CLL patients and
younger ones, although the disease is incurable.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Life-Saving Ideas on Video of Using Technology to
Help Remember to Take Meds
Seniors citizens and caregivers may find these simple
ideas to be very easy to use and helpful in meeting a challenge many
older people face - see video winner
Dec. 10, 2012 – Some very good ideas that could
even be lifesavers have been selected winners in a contest seeking ideas
on how people can use technology to help them remember to take their
medications – a significant problem among senior citizens. The top four
entries and the popular choice award all received cash prizes but the
real reward will come from helping assure patients take their meds as
they should.
Read more,
see video...
Medicaid News
Huge Experiment Aims To Save On
Care For Poorest, Sickest Patients: Many Seniors
Dec.
10, 2012 - Editor’s Note: Too often baby
boomers and senior citizens ignore the Medicaid program, assuming they
will never need that medical assistance for the poorest. It also happens
too often that many who thought that find they do, as medical, housing
and long-term care expenses devour their nest egg. Medicaid becomes the
last resort for survival. It has become a real focus of controversy as
federal and state governments struggle to fund it. This report focuses
on possible solutions for those seniors who qualify for Medicare and
Medicaid – the “dual-eligibles,” they are called - as well a younger
patients who cannot afford care.
Read more, see
video...
Aging News & Information
Unique Joint Replacement Promo Features Olympic
Coach, Others Writing Letters to Younger Selves
Legendary Coach Mike Krzyzewski teams with author
Ellyn Spragins to release "Had I Known Then," A collection of letters
from former joint pain sufferers to their younger selves
Dec. 7, 2012 – In a unique way to encourage those
with joint pain to consider joint replacement, an orthopedics company
has published an online booklet that features a U.S. Olympics coach and
several others who regret not having their painful joints replaced
earlier. Senior citizens and baby boomers, the most likely to have
debilitating osteoarthritis, often delay hip or knee replacement surgery
for years due to fear, misinformation or a lack of awareness about
treatment options.
Read more, see
video...
Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements
Fish Oil Helps Heal Bed Sores of the
Critically Ill
Tel Aviv University research finds a 20-25 percent
reduction in pressure ulcers with a fish oil enriched diet; maybe it has
a role in general pain management, too
Dec. 4, 2012 - Chock-full of Omega-3 fatty acids
and antioxidants, fish oil can help lower blood pressure, reduce
inflammation in the skin and joints, and promote healthy fetal
development. Now, a Tel
Aviv University researcher has found that it has a positive
effect on bedsores, too - a common problem in critically ill patients.
Read
more...
Mental Health
Older People Most Unhappy with Health Problems That
Disrupt Life; Study Finds How to Measure
People with cancer are significantly happier than
those with urinary incontinence, but new research seeks ‘debility’ score
to quantify
Nov. 13, 2012 – It is well established that how
unhappy a disease makes older people is determined by the degree to
which it disrupts their daily life. A new research project, however, has
now found a way to measure how much a disease disrupts daily function.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Elderly Go From Capable Consumer to ‘Old Person’
with Help of Boomer Children
Almost every stereotype we associate with being
elderly is something negative, from being ‘crotchety’ and unwilling to
change to being forgetful
Nov. 12, 2012 -Many baby boomers, just a short time
away from becoming senior citizens, really want to improve the way
people view aging. Too often, however, they reinforce negative
stereotypes of old age when interacting with their own parents, coloring
the way those seniors experience their twilight years.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Informal, Family Care in Home Healthcare Impacts
Risk of Return to Hospital
Amount of care and assistance from informal
caregivers had an important impact on self-care ability and
rehospitalization risk
Nov. 12, 2012 – Elderly patients being treated in
home healthcare after a stay in the hospital are much less likely to
return to the hospital if they experience strong “social environmental
factors,” especially if this care is provided by a family member or
other informal caregiver.
Read
more...
High Quality Personal Relationships Improve
Survival for Breast Cancer Patients
Study is among first to show that the ‘quality’ of
relationships is important to survival - family, community, religious
Nov.
12, 2012 —The quality of a woman's social
networks - the personal relationships that surround her -
appears to be just as important as the size of her networks in
predicting breast cancer survival. Kaiser Permanente scientists found
women with small networks and low levels of support were 61 percent more
likely to die from breast cancer and other causes than those with small
networks and high levels of support.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Politics
Obamacare Gets New Life with Election Win by President
Obama; Takes Place in History
President’s
second term will be about bringing the law to life; Obama
reelection, Democrats holding the Senate will solidify the
law in American history - see editor's notes on benefits for
seniors
By Jay Hancock, KHN Staff Writer
Nov. 7, 2012 - President Barack Obama’s
victory cements the Affordable Care Act, expanding coverage
to millions but leaving weighty questions about how to pay
for it and other care to be delivered to an increasingly
unhealthy, aging population.
Read more...
Features for Senior Citizens
Death on Demand – the Law in Oregon, on Ballot in
Massachusetts, a Hot Radio Show
Dramatic one-hour radio show by Tom Ashbrook has
already generated 230 comments - available online
Oct.
19, 2012 – Assisted suicide, euthanasia, right to die, death with
dignity – or whatever it’s called -is an unpleasant topic that most had
rather not discuss but it grabs the attention of many seniors. Tom
Ashbrook of the radio show “On Point,” has lots of people talking,
mostly about the voting taking place in Massachusetts that may make it
legal there.
Read more...
Insurance & Investments for Seniors
Putting
The 'Care' Into Long-Term Care Insurance - Some States Taking
Action
Some
insurance companies are slow to pay and have been known to deny
payments completely
By
Kristian Foden-Vencil, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Oct. 17, 2012 - Long-term care insurance is
the financial equivalent of doing push-ups -- it's good for you,
but not too much fun. As a result, not many people buy long-term
care insurance, which pays for care when they get too old or
sick to take care of their basic needs like cooking or bathing.
Read
more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
New Educational Campaign to Make Americans More
Aware of Palliative Care
The Joint Commission releases 'Speak Up: What you
need to know about your serious illness and palliative care' – advice to
help patients, families cope; see video
Oct. 11, 2012 – Palliative care is still not a
well-known or understood service, although it has proven to help many
patients and the families of patients living with a serious illness or
health problem in dealing with emotional, physical and spiritual
concerns. A new educational campaign has been launched by The Joint
Commission that may heighten awareness of this special health care.
Read more,
see video...
Medicare News
Medicare Skilled Nursing Appears to Be Used for End
of Life Care Due to Cost
Authors say high Medicare SNF benefit use at the end
of life highlights a need to incorporate quality palliative care
services in nursing home
Oct. 1, 2012 – Most Medicare patients enroll in
skilled nursing facility (SNF) care for rehabilitation or
life-prolonging care, but in reality, many are dying patients discharged
to a SNF for end-of-life care, where the available care may not be
available. A new report finds that almost one-third of Medicare senior
citizens received care in a SNF in the last six months of their lives
under the Medicare post-hospitalization benefit. A reason for this shift
may be the cost.
Read more...
Insurance & Investments for Seniors
Often Unnoticed In Nursing Home Papers Is
Arbitration Agreement You May Not Want to Sign
Anxious seniors or their caregivers often sign every
document that's put in front of them, perhaps only glancing at the
content
By Michelle Andrews
Sept. 18, 2012 - When Paul Ormond signed John
Mitchell into a nursing home in Dennis, Mass., in June, he was handed a
few dozen pages of admission papers. Ormond, Mitchell's legal guardian
and an old friend, signed wherever the director of admissions told him
to. Read more...
Health for Senior Citizens
Sam’s Club Joins Walmart to Offer Ten Immunizations in 4,352 Pharmacies
Free blood pressure screenings today (Sept. 15) in all Walmart stores offering immunizations; also on Sept. 22 and 29
Sept.
10, 2012 – Sam’s Club announced it is joining Walmart to offer 10 vital immunizations this cold and flu season at all 552 Sam’s Club locations
with a pharmacy, which will open to the public. In partnership with Mollen Immunization Clinics, Walmart and Sam’s Club are offering a menu of
10 immunizations by registered nurses through November 15, including shingles, flu and pneumonia. The program began Aug. 27 at the 3,800
Walmarts with pharmacies. Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Caregiver & Elder Care News
2012 Beers Criteria by American Geriatrics
Society Supported by Helpful Tools
Latest criteria since 2003 to identify commonly prescribed drugs that are potentially risk for seniors
Sept. 14, 2012 - The American Geriatrics Society, which published an
updated Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults
on March 1, 2012, has now added a number of tools to help caregivers protect senior citizens from a wide range of dangerous
medications. These dangerous drugs can cause serious side effects and adverse events in people 65 and older and was last
revised in 2003. Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Elderly More Willing to Accept Help from Robots Than Many
May Expect
Older adults generally open to robot assistance in the home, but preferred it for daily living tasks rather than personal
help
Sept. 13, 2012 – Research has well established that the elderly in the U.S. prefer to maintain their independence and
remain in their homes as they age. A key to making this possible can be robotic technology. A new study has produced results that surprised
many – seniors are not opposed to a little robotic help, but they are a little picky about which things robots should do for them.
Read more...
Advice Column from Dr. Carolyn Clancy
Helping Senior Citizens Avoid Return Trips to the Hospital
Next month Medicare will prod hospitals to improve their practices; Those with high readmissions for heart attack,
pneumonia, and heart failure will get paid less
By Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., Director, Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality
Sept. 11, 2012 - If you or a loved one has ever been in the hospital for a serious condition, the last thing you want is
a fast return trip. But that's what happens to 1 in 5 patients covered by Medicare, the health insurance program for people 65 and older,
a major study
found. Hospital readmissions within 30 days are costly for Medicare and for patients.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Lots of High Tech Efforts to Prevent Drug Errors but Don’t Forget Simple Stuff
Watch video by pharmacy professor on basics of medication management
Aug. 22, 2012 - As researchers develop high tech solutions like smartphone apps, computerized tools and even ingestible
devices to help individuals taking multiple medications manage their pills, it becomes increasingly important to not forget the simple stuff.
And, this can be critical for seniors – the most often to visit emergency rooms with drug reactions.
Read more...
Medicare News
How will Medicare Medigap Insurance Change Under Health Law?
Plans F and C are the most popular supplemental
plans, chosen by nearly two-thirds of beneficiaries; Will increasing premiums be slowed?
By Michelle Andrews
Aug. 20, 2012 - Occasionally, this column answers reader questions about
health insurance and how the health law affects them. How will the new health law affect
Medigap policies? I’m on Medicare with a Medigap Plan F. Premiums are rising 20 percent a year.
It’s a real strain for me? Read more...
Features for Senior Citizens
Senior Citizen Alerts
New Booklets to Protect Older Americans, Others Most Vulnerable to Food Poisoning
Will help at-risk feel confident about safety of foods they prepare, eat; helpful to physicians, health care providers to educate at-risk patients
Aug. 9, 2012 – A booklet – Food Safety for Older Adults – is one of six being published by the Food and Drug
Administration and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide food safety advice developed specifically for the needs of people most
vulnerable to food poisoning and those who prepare food for them. Read more...
Aging News & Information
Senior Medicare Patients Lower Risk of Hip Fracture with
Cataract Surgery
Cataracts most common cause of fractures due to visual impairment; cataracts cause 49% of neck fractures related to
poor vision - Video
features cataract surgery on 95-year-old retired professor, Melvin Seeman
July
31, 2012 - Medicare patients 65 years and older - senior citizens - who underwent cataract surgery had a lower odds of hip fracture
one year after the procedure, when compared with patients with cataract who did not have cataract surgery, according to a study in the August
issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Read
more, see video...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Seniors Make Tough Patients: 81% with Lung Disease Won’t Stop Smoking
Study says senior citizens with serious illness find smoking, drinking tough habits to break
July
31, 2012 – Those who frequent hospitals are often shocked to see a frail senior citizen sitting in a wheelchair smoking a cigarette outside
the hospital. A new study confirms this is not uncommon. It found only 19 percent of those suffering from lung disease quit smoking and
concludes that to change behavior in many of these seniors is a daunting task.
Read more...
New Elder Care Website Launched by L.A. Public Television KCET
YourTurnToCare.org designed for national audience of caregivers for the elderly; companion to TV series
July 31, 2012 —
KCET, the nation’s largest independent public television station serving Southern
and Central California, has launched
Your Turn To Care, a “robust” website designed to serve as a resource for
families, caregivers and seniors across the country who are faced with the challenge of taking care of ailing or aging loved ones or dealing
with aging-related issues. Read more...
Senior Citizen Homes & Communities
As Assisted Living Options Increase, Nursing Home Occupancy Declines
Assisted living poorly defined, typically includes a broad range of options with varying levels of care; offers
alternatives to nursing home care for some
By Katherine Kahn, Contributing Writer
July 10, 2012 - A new study finds an association between an increase in assisted living options, which provide older
adults with an array of services such as help with everyday tasks in homelike settings, and a decline in nursing home occupancy. This shift in
delivery of care has both positive and negative implications for seniors.
Read
more...
Senior Citizen Alerts
Agencies Placing Potentially Dangerous Caregivers in Homes of Elderly
Troubling study finds many agencies recruit random strangers off Craigslist, place them in the homes of vulnerable elderly
- 10 questions to ask before hiring caregiver!
By Marla Paul
July 10, 2012 - If you hire a caregiver from an agency for an elderly family member, you might assume the person had
undergone a thorough criminal background check and drug testing, was experienced and trained for the job. You’d be wrong in many cases,
according to new Northwestern Medicine research. Read more...
Senior Citizen Homes & Communities
As Assisted Living Options Increase, Nursing Home Occupancy Declines
Assisted living poorly defined, typically includes a broad range of options with varying levels of care; offers
alternatives to nursing home care for some
By Katherine Kahn, Contributing Writer
July 10, 2012 - A new study finds an association between an increase in assisted living options, which provide older
adults with an array of services such as help with everyday tasks in homelike settings, and a decline in nursing home occupancy. This shift in
delivery of care has both positive and negative implications for seniors.
Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Nine Factors Found to Play Key Role in Quality of Life for Dying Cancer Patients
When a cure
for cancer is no longer an option, the focus of care often shifts from prolonging life to promoting the quality of life
July 9, 2012 - Better quality of life at the end of life for patients with advanced cancer was associated with avoiding
hospitalizations and the intensive care unit, worrying less, praying or meditating, being visited by a pastor in a hospital or clinic, and
having a trusting alliance with their physician, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network
publication. Read more...
Senior Citizen Longevity & Statistics
Survey Finds 16% of Americans - Mostly Women - Providing Eldercare in 2011
Among findings by Bureau of Labor – oldest spend most time on leisure or sports and religion; least on
education
July 9, 2012 - In 2011, 16 percent of the U.S. civilian non-institutional population age 15 and over were
eldercare providers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. This and other information about eldercare providers and the time they spent
providing care were collected for the first time in the 2011 American Time Use Survey (ATUS).
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Senior Cardiac Surgery Patients May Suffer Extended
Cognitive Problems
Postoperative delirium a common complications in hospitalized senior citizens over 65; may be key to improve
recovery of cognitive ability
July
5, 2012 - Older patients undergoing cardiac surgery often experience changes in cognitive function, such as memory problems or an
inability to focus, in the days immediately following their operations. While these changes are usually temporary, for unknown
reasons, a significant number of cardiac patients will encounter long-term cognitive problems, lasting as long as a year after their
surgeries. Read more...
Sex and Romance for Senior Citizens
Consensual Sex Denied in Nursing Homes Due to Dementia, Old Age
Researchers say sex is good for health and well-being; formal policies needed
June 28, 2012 - Older
people, including those with early stage dementia, often continue to enjoy a sexual relationship in their own homes, but once they move into
residential care, lawful and consensual sexual expression is frequently frowned upon, report specialists from the Australian Centre for
Evidence Based Aged Care in the Journal of Medical Ethics. Read more...
Senior Citizen Homes & Communities
How to Pay for Assisted Living? New Guide Offered Free to
Seniors and Caregivers
Stratford Retirement is making the new guide free to help people make informed decisions about the costs of senior
living facilities
June
26, 2012 - Caregivers and the elderly searching for assisted living facilities in the United States
now have a new resource to help guide them through the maze of payment options associated with care facilities.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Caregiving with Love: Five Tips to Better Healing
Caregiver must become dependable all-around partner; these five tips can relax patient as they heal - know the train has a
co-driver
By Guy Magar, Hollywood Director
June 22, 2012 - Whether it’s your wife or husband or child, or a relative or close friend you are caring for, it is paramount that you
become the best caregiver possible for your loved one. As a caregiver for my wife Jacqui during her brave journey to beat
AML (acute myeloid leukemia), here
is what I learned and can share as I honor and applaud caregivers everywhere.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Living Alone Increases Risk of Mortality, Cardiovascular Death for Older Adults
Among patients older than 80 years, living alone was not associated with an increased risk of mortality
June 18, 2012 - Living alone was associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular death for middle-aged
people and seniors up to 80 years old in an international study of stable outpatients at risk of or with arterial vascular disease (such as
coronary disease or peripheral vascular disease). Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Older People Living with Loneliness Face Functional Decline and Death
‘Loneliness is a common source of suffering in older persons. We demonstrated that it is also a risk factor for poor health
outcomes including death…’
June 18, 2012 - In older persons, loneliness is known as a common source of distress and impaired quality of life. A new
study, however, finds that loneliness in people over 60 years of age is even more serious – it can lead to functional decline and death.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Politics
Senators Want Antipsychotic Drug Use Better Controlled in Nursing Homes
‘…overuse of antipsychotics is a common and well-recognized problem that puts frail elders at risk and costs taxpayers
hundreds of millions of dollars each year’
May 23, 2012 – Senators from both parties joined with the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Sen. Herb
Kohl, D-Wis., to propose legislation to combat the costly and inappropriate – yet widespread – use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Palliative Care Intervention by Nurse Practitioner Improves Life for Cancer Patients
Study wins grant to disseminate program in Florida; training at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville - see
video
May 18, 2012 - Recent studies show that palliative care interventions aimed at addressing patients' emotional, spiritual
and social needs have a significant impact on cancer patients' quality of life, and may even improve their survival. Despite this, most cancer
patients being cared for in their communities do not have access to these services.
Read more, see video...
Senior Citizen Alerts
Combating the Rise of ‘Polypharmacy’ – Tips for Seniors on Risk of Many Medications
Each year, about one-third of seniors experience serious adverse effects as a result of drug interactions, says CVS
executive pharmacist - see video
By Papatya Tankut, vice president, CVS/Pharmacy
May 9, 2012 - If you’re over the age of 60, chances are you’re taking multiple medications. In the last 10 years, the
percentage of people over 60 who take five or more medications has jumped from 22 percent to 37 percent. Right now, there are more than 30
million Americans taking five or more prescription drugs regularly, often called “polypharmacy.”
Read more, see video...
Aging News & Information
Decision for Senior Citizen to Stop Driving Impacts Mental State, Well-Being
‘Aging is a process where so many things are lost. Part of what seniors try to hold onto
is their independence.’
Benefit Finder allows citizens to quickly find benefits they may be eligible to receive out of over 1,000 Federally-funded benefit and
assistance programs
Life-saving drugs in the hands of paramedics cost about $50; mixture of glucose, insulin, potassium
Findings highlight need for longer-term monitoring of depressive symptom severity and change by clinicians, caregivers
Short telomeres in cellular aging associated with risk for chronic diseases - see second report below on several UCSF
studies of stress damage on telomeres and repair by exercise
Feb. 27, 2012 - The ability to anticipate future events allows us to plan and exert control over our lives, but it may
also contribute to stress-related increased risk for the diseases of aging, according to a study by UCSF researchers.
Read more...
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to cause risk to rise with higher doses
Jan. 19, 2012 - Nursing home residents with dementia who use average doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
are three times more likely to have an injurious fall than similar people who don’t use these drugs.
Read more...
Medicare testing if expanding services will improve care, lower costs for seniors and other disabled
40% of seniors cared for by home health agency are taking a prescription that is potentially unsafe or
ineffective; Affordable Care Act offers hope
Dec. 2, 2011 – Senior citizens receiving home health care may be in danger of taking a drug that is unsafe or ineffective
for older people, says a new study that found nearly 40 percent of seniors receiving medical care from a home health agency are taking at
least one prescription medication that is considered potentially inappropriate for their age.
Read more...
About half the cut in payment rate in 2012 - 2011 was result of provision in
2010 health law that lowered the fees
Losing the ability to communicate frightens all caregivers the most, says survey for National Family Caregivers Association
Oct. 25, 2011 – Family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients are most fearful of the health and physical decline of their
loved one, and right behind that is their concern about their relative’s loss of the ability to communicate. This communications decline is
also a major source of stress, since it hinders their ability to provide optimum care.
Read more...
Australian SMILE study tested ‘clown doctors,’ found 20% reduction in agitation - comparable to anti-psychotic drugs
Sept. 21, 2011 - Humor therapy is as effective as widely used antipsychotic drugs in managing agitation in patients with
dementia and avoids serious drug side effects, says a new study to be presented this week at the National Dementia Research Forum in Sydney,
Australia. Read more...
The more memory complaints senior citizens have, the worse off their cognitive functioning
Sen. Kohl releases GAO report showing need for strong screening of those making financial decisions for incapacitated
seniors, others
Aug. 11, 2011 – There is a greater need for screening and oversight of guardians appointed to make financial decisions
for senior citizens and other adults that are incapacitated – primarily on Social Security - says Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), Chairman of the
Senate Special Committee on Aging. Read more...
‘… if you have a cardiac arrest 200 miles away or on our doorstep, the quality of the outcomes is identical’ - What is
cardiac arrest? - see below news story
July 12, 2011 - A broad, regional system to lower the temperature of resuscitated cardiac arrest patients at a
centrally-located hospital improved outcomes, according to a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Cooling
treatment, or therapeutic hypothermia, is effective yet underused, researchers said.
Read more...
U.S. seniors visit ERs more than other age groups;
review covers patients from the USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, New
Zealand and Israel
June 6, 2011 - More needs to be done to improve the
care that older adults with cognitive impairment - including dementia
and delirium - receive when they visit hospital emergency departments,
according to a research review in the July issue of the Journal of
Advanced Nursing.
Read more...
Seeking
assistance for an elderly relative? Follow this link to a list of helpful
Websites 
May 1, 2012 - If a senior citizen’s driving raises concerns, approach the matter
compassionately to preserve the person’s dignity and keep them and others safe, recommends a geriatric specialist with the Harris County (Tx)
Hospital District. The decision to end driving for a senior can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life, affecting the person’s
mental state and overall well-being. 
Nov. 2, 2011 - Medicare will
WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 16, 2011 - At her home health care agency here, Venus Ray quizzes 65 job applicants
assembled before her: Can they cook? Do they know the right way to wash their hands? Can they safely transfer patients into
wheelchairs? If they give wrong answers, speak English poorly or — God forbid — forget to turn off their cell phones, she asks them to
leave. Read more...
8/23/11
- Mabel Pratt Bean, 92, Weymouth, plays the piano for people over the telephone. She doesn't get out as much anymore but she calls
friends, and others who would like to have a spirit lifting song played for them. “Are you busy? It’s Mabel,” she’ll say, when she calls
up a friend, family member, or someone who could use an uplifting tune.
July 11, 2011 – Senior citizens – people age 65 and older – no longer have to get separate vaccinations to prevent
tetanus and diphtheria. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the Boostrix vaccine, which will prevent both of these diseases,
plus pertussis (whooping cough), which is increasing among the elderly. 
