Elder Care News
Center for Medicare Advocacy Report Says HHS Weak on
Enforcing Nursing Home Errors
Analysis of 2007 decisions by appeals board calls for
stricter oversight
June 3, 2008 – A recently released review of
nursing home decisions made in 2007 by the Department of Health and
Human Services' Departmental Appeals Board (DAB) highlights serious
failures in care that cause residents to suffer unnecessary pain,
injury, trauma, and death, according to the Center for Medicare
Advocacy, publisher of the report. Read
more...
Aggression Between Residents in Nursing Homes More
Common than Widely Believed
Little attention from researchers; few proven
solutions to altercations
By Sheri Hall
June
3, 2008 - When people hear about elder abuse in nursing homes, they
usually think of staff members victimizing residents. However, research
by Cornell faculty members suggests that a more prevalent and serious
problem may be aggression and violence that occurs between residents
themselves. Read
more...
Heart Failure Patients Need Palliative Care as Much
as Cancer Patients
'Palliative care has been markedly under-used in
heart failure patients'
May 2, 2008 - People suffering from heart failure
endure symptoms, depression and need for spiritual support even more
severe than many of those suffering from advanced lung and pancreatic
cancer. Researchers say, however, these heart outpatients do not receive
equal concern and palliative care, and suggest it is time for a change.
Read more...
Researchers Find It Tough Getting Senior Citizens
and Others to Take Their Medicine
The most effective strategies did not lead to major
improvements in adherence or health
May 1, 2008 - Much has been written about the
problem of senior citizens failing to take their prescribed medicines. A
new study, however, shows it is not just a problem among older people
and it appears almost hopeless. Patients of all ages often do not take
the medicines their doctors prescribe, and this new review of existing
research suggests that there is no proven way to get them to follow
directions for long periods.
Read more...
Long-Term Care Costs Jump 25% Over 2004; Workforce
Shortage Fuels Continued Climb
Genworth Survey finds average annual cost for a week
in adult day health care facility is $15,236
April 30, 2008 - Not only has the cost of long-term
care in U.S. nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in the home
increased for the fifth consecutive year, but the nation faces an
impending shortage of direct-care workers, further driving up long term
care costs. Those are two of the key conclusions drawn from cost of care
research by
Genworth Financial (NYSE:GNW).
Read
more...
Martha Stewart Headlines Hearing Tomorrow of Senate
Aging Committee on Long-Term Care Workforce
Stewart will share her experience as a caregiver for
her mother
April 15, 2008 – The hearing of the Senate Special
Committee on Aging – usually a rather colorless affair – will get a shot
of excitement on Wednesday when Martha Stewart appears to discuss the
role of family caregivers in providing essential services and support
for loved ones. The hearing will be at 3 p.m. in Room 562 of the Dirksen
Senate Office Building.
Read more...
Strokes, Deaths Reduced Among Very Elderly with
Hypertension by ‘Water Pill’
Indapamide, (Lozol) declared “very beneficial” to
those 80 and over
April 4, 2008 - Results of research presented at
the American College of Cardiology’s 57th Annual Scientific Session show
that treatment of high blood pressure based on indapamide sustained
release (SR) 1.5mg is beneficial in very elderly people with high blood
pressure to reduce fatal strokes and cardiovascular events as well as
all-cause mortality.
Read
more...
Treating Wife’s Stress May Be Indirect Care for Men
With Prostate Cancer
When couple dealing with cancer, a partner’s
psychological distress might drag down the well-being of either person
By Taunya English, Associate Editor,
Health Behavior News Service
March
24, 2008 - When a couple is dealing with cancer, a partner’s
psychological distress might drag down the well-being of either person,
according to a new study of 168 married couples.
Read
more...
Sandwiched Mother/Daughters Not Prepared to Care for
Aging Parents
Many reluctant to ask for help or don't
know where to turn.
March 20, 2008 - The first survey of social workers
who provide services to sandwich generation women -- women between the
ages of 35 and 54 who are "sandwiched" by the needs of their children
and their aging parents -- found that this group, which typically
shoulders a family's caregiving burdens, is ill-prepared for the
challenges of caring for older relatives.
Read more...
Caregivers of Family Heart Patients Appear to
Increase Their Own Risk
Because stress and depression can raise the risk of
heart disease
March 17, 2008 - Being a caregiver for a family
member recently hospitalized with heart disease can affect the
caregiver’s mental health – and possibly the caregiver’s own heart
health, according to research presented today. Researchers found these
results when studying psychological strain and depression in people who
provided most or all of a patient’s care.
Read more....
A Little More Financial Support for
Elderly Poor Seems to Improve Health
Research shows poverty is bad for your health; small
investment by government may save big on health care
By Susan Kuchinskas, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service
March 10, 2008 - A modest boost in financial
support to the elderly poor might reduce old-age disability and be a
good investment in public health, according to a large-scale, nationwide
study.
Read more....
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Antibiotic Use for Dying Nursing Home Patients with
Advanced Dementia Raises Questions
Frequent use two weeks before death may
endanger other patients
Feb. 25, 2008 - Antibiotics appear to be frequently
prescribed to individuals with advanced dementia in nursing homes,
especially in the two weeks before death, according to a report in the
February 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals. An editorial in the issue asks if this is really good for the patients and if it
does not increase risk for the other patients.
Read more...
Elder Care News
Senators Grassley, Kohl Offer Bill for Better
Information on Nursing Home Compare
Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement
Act of 2008
| |
Below Story |
|
| |
> Bill summary
> Statements by Kohl and Grassley |
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Feb. 15, 2008 - Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking
Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, joined yesterday with Sen.
Herb Kohl, Democrat Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, to
introduce legislation aimed at improving the quality of care in nursing
homes with more and better information for consumers on the Nursing Home
Compare Website published by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services.
Read more...
More Nursing Homes Added to List of Underperformers
by CMS
CMS expands information available
about nursing homes
Feb. 12, 2008 - More nursing homes across the
country were added today to the list of “underperforming nursing homes”
that is being made public by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS). The number on the list is now 131 active facilities.
Read more...
Few Strategies Exist to Prevent MRSA Infection
Spread in Nursing Homes
Residents vulnerable because infection with the bug
tends to increase with advancing age
By Christe Bruderlin-Nelson, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service
Jan.
23, 2008 - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
is making news as a dangerous, sometimes fatal disease for hospital
patients, and in recent cases, students. MRSA is also a major source of
illness acquired in nursing homes, yet few studies have looked at how to
prevent its spread among elderly residents, according to a new review.
Read
more...
Nursing Home Report Card by CMS Makes the Grade and
Improving Care
‘..study provides evidence that quality report
cards are useful tools’
By Katherine Kahn, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service
Jan. 23, 2008 - A national, Web-based report card
on nursing homes is improving some aspects of nursing home care, a new
study finds. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began
publishing the “Nursing Home Compare” report card results on the Web in
2002. The site gives detailed information about the past performance of
every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country.
Read more...
Risk of
Falling Is Overlooked as the Major Cause of Fractures in the Elderly
Evidence says
fall prevention can reduce falls by up to 50%
Jan. 18, 2008
– There has been a splash of recent news on the benefits of vitamin D2
with calcium in preventing bone loss and resulting fractures in senior
citizens. A new report, however, says this is the wrong focus for
preventing factures in the elderly: it should be on preventing falls.
Read more...
VA Hospice Care Grows as Veterans over 85 Expected
to Triple
Nearly half of veterans dying in VA
facilities received palliative care
Jan. 16, 2008 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) is providing hospice and palliative care to a growing number of
veterans throughout the country as the need continues to rise for care
and comfort at the end of life. Nearly 9,000 veterans were treated in
designated hospice beds at VA facilities in 2007, and thousands of other
veterans were referred to community hospices to receive care in their
homes. Read
more...
Congestive Heart Failure Leads to Disability,
Nursing Homes for Senior Citizens
Prevalence of condition imposes ‘significant
burden’ on families, health care system and long-term care facilities:
U-M researchers
Jan. 7, 2008 – Okay, modern medicine is allowing
millions of senior citizens that have survived heart attacks or other
cardiovascular disease to live much longer. But, eventually, most of
these patients ease into congestive heart failure, which presents new
challenges in the effort to extend life even more. New research shows
these CHF patients are most likely to experience disability and need
nursing home care.
Read more...
Home Intervention Program Makes Life Better for
Low-Income Elderly
| |
Watch video - link
below news story. |
|
GRACE program developed to improve quality of care
for low-income seniors
Dec. 12, 2007 - A home-based geriatric care program
for low-income seniors resulted in higher-quality medical care,
improvement in quality of life and fewer emergency department visits,
but did not appear to prevent decline in physical functioning, according
to a study in the December 12 issue of the Journal of the American
Medical Association (JAMA).
Read more...
Online Tools from AHRQ Help Healthcare Providers,
Patients with Safer Care
Primary goal of online access tools is to help reduce
medical errors
Dec.
7, 2007 - An array of toolkits designed to help doctors, nurses,
hospital managers, patients and others reduce medical errors was
released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Read more...
Unpaid Caregiving Extracts Hidden Costs from Labor
Force, Economy
Hard-pressed caregivers often first to drop out of
labor force
By Taunya English, Associate Editor
Health Behavior News Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - People who provide intensive and
time-consuming care to others at home - such as assisting with feeding,
bathing and toileting - are the caregivers who are most vulnerable to
dropping out of the labor force, according to a new systematic review of
studies on unpaid caregivers.
Read more...
Features for Senior Citizens
Senior Citizens to See High Tech Sensors in Homes,
on Bodies to Monitor Health
Over 3.4 million seniors to be
using these devices by 2012
Dec. 6, 2007 – Senior citizens who do not take
kindly to high tech devices had better get more comfortable with them
because there is an increasingly good chance they will have them
managing their home and body in the years ahead. A new projection says
that by 2012 more than 3.4 million senior citizens in the U.S. will be
using networked sensor applications to monitor and improve their health.
Read more...
Medicare News
Ouch! CMS Publishes Online List of Poorest
Performing Nursing Homes
Wants to help people choose nursing homes for long-term care
Nov. 29, 2007 – Ouch! The Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) today released the first ranking of the nation’s
poor-performing nursing homes, which it identifies as “Special Focus
Facilities.” CMS says the purpose is to help people choose nursing homes
for long-term care. Read
more...
Elder Care News
Personal, Financial Sacrifices of Family Caregivers
Detailed in New Study
Study also uncovers significantly higher costs
related to caregiving
Nov.
24, 2007 – Half of those caring for a loved one 50 years or older are
spending on average more than 10 percent of their annual income on
caregiving expenses and often sacrifice their own long-term financial
and personal well-being to do so, according to the Evercare/National
Alliance for Caregiving Study released this week.
Read more...
Eye Glasses for Nursing Home Residents May Improve
Life, Decrease Depression
Nov. 12, 2007 - Nursing home residents who received
eyeglasses for uncorrected refractive error were found to have improved
quality of life and decreased symptoms of depression when compared to
those with refractive error who had not received eyeglasses, according
to a report in the November issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals.
Read more...
‘Slow Code’ Token Resuscitation on Hopelessly Ill
Prolongs Suffering
Some say 'slow codes' are going through the motions, being
kinder to desperately ill, usually elderly patients
Nov. 2, 2007 – Most people, even senior citizens
who are more familiar than most with medical terminology, have never
heard of “slow codes.” This gruesome practice is when the medical staff
goes through the motions of attempting to resuscitate an extremely ill
patient but it is just for show. Resuscitating hopelessly ill patients
too slowly to save their lives can be an invasive and undignified
procedure that prolongs death and suffering, says nursing ethics
lecturer Jacinta Kelly.
Read more...
Elderly
and Disabled Not at Higher Risk of
Physician-Assisted Death
Terminal sedation, legal in the U.S. since 1997,
may account for up to 44% of deaths
Sept. 28, 2007 - Claims that vulnerable groups,
such as the elderly and people with physical or mental disabilities, are
at an increased risk of physician assisted death are not supported by
evidence, says an expert in this week’s BMJ.
Read
more...
Cancer Patients and Spouses Report Similar Emotional
Distress
Michigan U. study says phase of illness plays big
role in distress, intervention should target spouses, too
Sept. 20, 2007 – Cancer is a major killer of senior
citizens – number two behind heart disease – and it does not come as
news to many of those over age 65 that a diagnosis of cancer brings a
shared suffering between patient and spouse. A new study from the
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center confirms that spouses
report similar physical and emotional quality of life as the patient.
Read more...
More Children, Teenagers Becoming Caregivers to Ill,
Elderly Relatives
Aug. 27, 2007 - A growing number of children and
teenagers are taking on the responsibility of caring for family members
with debilitating illness, the
Washington Post reports. As many as 1.4 million young
people ages eight to 18 in the U.S. care for a chronically ill or
disabled relative, according to a 2005 survey by the
United Hospital
Fund and the
National Alliance
for Caregiving.
Read more...
Study Offers New Look at “Self-Neglect” Among the
Elderly
Senior citizens who self-neglect are those with
impairment in activities of daily living
By Becky Ham, Science
Writer,
Health Behavior News Service
Aug. 1, 2007 - Many older adults who cannot take
care of the tasks of daily life such as eating and bathing are battling
a multitude of health problems with little help from family or others in
their community, according to a new study.
Read more...
Hip Protectors Do Not Stop Hip Fractures Among
Elderly in Nursing Homes
340,000 hip fractures a year may double or triple
by mid-century
July 24, 2007 - Use of an energy-absorbing hip
protectors did not protect against hip fracture by elderly nursing home
residents, according to a new study that ended due to lack of
effectiveness of the protectors. This adds to increasing evidence that
hip protectors, as currently designed, are not effective for preventing
hip fractures.
Read more...
'GatorElderaide' May be Next Magical Product from University Known for
Gatorade
UF and IBM create blueprint for ‘smart’ system monitoring
vital signs, activities of elderly and transmitting to caregivers
July 24, 2007 – The university that gave us Gatorade
for athletes may now have a winning product for senior citizens – it could
be called "GatorElderAide". The University of Florida has linked up with IBM
to create the first-ever roadmap for widespread commercial development of
“smart” devices that, for example, take a person’s blood pressure,
temperature or respiration rate the minute a person steps into his or her
house – then transmit it immediately and automatically to doctors, family or
other caregivers.
Read more...
Spouses' Guesses About End-of-Life Wishes are Often
Not Accurate
Women no more accurate at predicting spouse's wishes
than men
By ElderLawAnswers.com
June 29, 2007 - Most older adults who are married
name their spouses to make health care decisions for them should they
become incapacitated and unable to convey their wishes to care
providers. The common way to do this is through a durable power of
attorney for health care, also called a health care proxy. But how
accurate are spouses at knowing what their spouse would want to do in a
particular situation?
Read more...
USA Today
Series Examines Issues Important to Caregivers for the Elderly
ABC News presents video on three of the reports, links below
June 25, 2007- USA
Today on Monday published several articles on issues
related to elder care as part of a five-day series. Headlines and
summaries appear below. Below are also links to ABC News reports on some
of the USA Today reports.
Read more...
Sleep Problems Among the Elderly Linked to Suicide
Risk
Many older adults get less sleep than needed due to
trouble falling asleep
June 14, 2007 - Self-reported sleep complaints
among the elderly serve as a risk factor for completed suicide,
according to a research abstract that focused on data that were
collected among 14,456 community elders over a 10-year period. It will
be presented Thursday at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the
Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).
Read more...
Supreme Court Says Home Health Care Workers Not
Entitled to Minimum Wage, Overtime Pay
1974 law exempts "companions" for the elderly and
sick
June 12, 2007 - The Supreme Court on Monday in a
9-0 decision ruled that federal minimum wage and overtime laws do not
apply to home care workers, the
AP/Lincoln Journal Star reports.
Read more...
End-of-Life Planning Influenced by Education,
Religion, Death of Loved One
Researchers probe senior citizen planning for final
care
June 7, 2007 - As a brain-damaged woman named Terri
Schiavo lived her final days in 2005, her family's bitter feuding
imparted a tragic lesson about the importance of specifying one's wishes
for end-of-life medical treatment. Yet, beyond headline-grabbing cases
such as Schiavo's, what truly motivates people to plan for medical care
at life's end? Read
more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Elderly Patients Not Responding to Depression
Therapy Improve with Second Drug
84% of depressed elderly have problems in initial
treatment
June 1, 2007 – Up to 84% of the elderly with
depression either fail to respond to the initial treatment or relapse in
the first six to 12 weeks. Chances for these people to recover have been
found to improve with the addition of a second drug to the treatment,
finds a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study.
Read more...
Elder Care News
Only Nursing Homes Close to Adequate Staffing are in
States with High Standards
Raising state minimum staffing ratio has a direct
impact on quality of care for senior citizens
May 30, 2007 - The majority of the nation's elderly
and disabled in nursing homes remain in situations where staffing is
well below national recommendations for safe care, a new study found.
But, states that set high staffing standards for elder care in nursing
homes are the only ones that come close to having enough staff nurses to
prevent serious safety violations.
Read more...
Nursing Home Quality Campaign Celebrates 5,000
Participating Facilities
Focus on campaign during National
Nursing Home Week, Older Americans Month
May 20, 2007 - Steering Committee members of the
Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign this week
announced that over 5,000 facilities have joined the unprecedented
two-year voluntary campaign to improve the quality of care in the
nation’s nursing homes.
Read more...
Elderly Less Likely to Enter Nursing Home in States
with More Services
States vary greatly in services such as personal
care, adult day care, nutrition, transportation
May 15, 2007 - Senior citizens who do not have
children to help care for them are less likely to have to go into a
nursing home if they live in a state that spends more on home- and
community- based services, researchers have found.
Read more...
Some Nursing Homes that Repeatedly Provide
Low-Quality Care Subject to Minimal Penalties
GAO report: nursing homes often avoid penalties
by temporarily improving care quality and then resume noncompliant
practices
April 23, 2007 - Nursing homes with repeated safety
compliance problems usually face only minimal penalties from the federal
government, according to a
Government
Accountability Office report, the
New York Times
reports. Read
more...
Chair of Senate Aging Committee Backs New Bill to
Stop Elder Abuse
Kohl joins Sen. Lincoln, Sen. Hatch to introduce
Elder Justice Act
March 30, 2007 - U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI),
Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, today hailed the
introduction the Elder Justice Act of 2007, introduced by Senator Orrin
Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR). Chairman Kohl, an
original co-sponsor of the legislation, said, "We are finally saying
enough is enough - elder abuse is unacceptable and we are going to act
to stop it."
Read more...
New UK Study Finds Lack of Care for Older Breast
Cancer Patients
U.S. study in 2000 found less aggressive cancer and
treatment in elderly women; another last year found elderly not getting
exams
March
29, 2007 - Compared to younger women, older women with breast cancer are
less likely to be diagnosed via needle biopsy and triple assessment,
less likely to undergo surgery and less likely to receive radiotherapy,
say researchers in this week's British Journal of Cancer. Such
management of older women is likely to lead to higher rates of local
recurrence of the disease and higher than necessary mortality. A U.S.
study in 2000 also found less aggressive treatment of elderly patients
and another last year says elderly not being given breast exams.
Read more...
New Research Finds Patients Do Live Longer Under
Hospice Care
Hospice patients lived an average 29 days longer
reports NHPCO
March 25, 2007 – A new study published in the March
2007 issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management reports that
hospice care may prolong the lives of some terminally ill patients.
Among the patient populations studied, the average survival was 29 days
longer for hospice patients than for non-hospice patients.
Read more...
Sustained Levels of Stress Hormone Put Caregivers at
Risk of Health Problems
Case Western Reserve finds culture, religion ward off depression
Feb. 21, 2007 - Having positive cultural beliefs
about caring for elders and strong religious beliefs can ward off
depression and other mental health difficulties for female caregivers of
spouses and parents with dementia, but sustained elevated levels of the
stress hormone, cortisol, puts these women at risk for physical health
problems, according to a study published in the American Journal of
Geriatric Psychology.
Read more...
Better
Communications in ICU about End-of-Life Care Benefits Family
Reduces symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression in family
members
February
1, 2007 - An intervention to improve communication between clinicians in the
Intensive Care Unit and family members of a dying patient significantly
reduces feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression in the family members,
according to a study that appears today in the New England Journal of
Medicine.
Read more...
Caregiver Training in Community Colleges Funded by
MetLife Foundation
International Longevity Center seeking schools for
$25,000 grants
January 31, 2007 – Those interested in a career as
a caregiver for senior citizens in their homes may find an opportunity
for professional training coming to a community college near their home.
The Caregiving Project for Older Americans, a collaboration between the
International Longevity Center-USA and the Schmieding Center for Senior
Health & Education, will launch a new initiative to support the
development of home-based caregiver training programs in community
colleges. MetLife Foundation awarded a $475,000 grant to ILC-USA to
implement the demonstration project.
Read more...
New Company Has New Ideas on Helping Elderly Stay at
Home Longer
Private company, Dovetail, joins national efforts
to extend living at home
January 25, 2007 – A major goal of many new
government programs, senior citizen advocates and seniors themselves is
to find better ways that will allow the elderly to stay in their own
homes longer, rather than moving to a care facility. Late last year a
private company, using new technology, introduced a program in the
Boston area for older people to stay in their homes through better ways
to monitor and manage their health and medication requirements.
Read more...
New Technology Safe Home for People with Dementia Opens in England
Designed to provide patients greater independence
January
24, 2007 – A constant worry of caregivers
for people with dementia is wandering. But, imagine a home where the
lights automatically come on if entered by the wandering patient and a
voice would encourage them to go back to bed. These are just some of the
features in a groundbreaking home that uses the latest smart technology
to give people with dementia and other serious long-term health
conditions greater independence that will be showcased for the first
time in Bristol, England tomorrow.
Read more...
Older Adults Double Their Risk of Some Fractures
with Daily Antidepressant
High rate of SSRI use among elderly persons in
particular
January 23, 2007 – Older adults, defined for this
study as 50 years and older, double their risk of "some fractures" with
the daily use of antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), according to a report in the January 22,
2007 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals. Read
more...
Caregiving for Elderly at End of Life Rewarding
Despite Challenges
Family or friends care for almost 75% of older adults
living in community in last year of life
January 8, 2007 - Family or friends served as
informal caregivers to almost three-quarters of disabled older adults
living in the community during their final year of life, according to an
article in the January 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals. More than two-thirds of these caregivers
found their role rewarding despite providing more than 40 hours of care
per week and making little use of caregiver-focused supportive services.
Read
more...
Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Elderly Men Survive Prostate Cancer 'Significantly'
Longer if Treated
Editorial says best care achieved not by treating
more patients but by treating them more discerningly
December 22, 2006 – One of the most explored
questions pertaining to the health of male senior citizens – should
prostate cancer be treated - was probed again this month by an article
in JAMA. The report on an observational study suggests that elderly men
who received treatment for localized prostate cancer survived
significantly longer than men who did not receive treatment. The
investigators, however, emphasize the importance of validating these
results in randomized trials.
Read more...
Elderly Can Be Trained to Improve Cognitive Ability, Manage Daily
Activities
Limited evidence that
cognitive interventions reduce age-related decline
December
20, 2006 – You are never too old to learn, has been proven again. Older
people – the average age in this program was almost 74 - who received
specific cognitive training saw their cognitive function improve and stay at
this level for up to 5 years afterwards. More importantly, they also had
less of a decline in the ability to perform daily activities, as compared to
those who did not receive the training.
Read more...
Major Structural Reform of Health Care Needed to
Meet Growing Needs of Older Americans
December 6, 2006 – The U.S. health care system is
not meeting the needs of senior citizens and a new policy report by the
International Longevity Center-USA calls for major reforms to make it
"proactive, rather than reactive" to meet the special - and mostly unmet
needs - of older adults in an aging population. The report focuses on
eight areas of concern.
Read more...
Big Bias in Breast Cancer Screening Puts Older Women
at Bottom of List
Those under 75 about
1.5 times more likely to receive a breast exam
November 28,2006 - Researchers have found a
disturbing bias in the medical judgments made about who gets screened
for breast cancer. Guess who is at the bottom? – senior citizens,
particularly those on Medicare or Medicaid. And, it is even worse if the
women are age 75 or older. Another group not likely to get a clinical
breast exam and a recommendation for a mammogram is women who do not get
routine exams from an obstetrician and gynecologist.
Read more...
Depressed Senior Citizens in Primary Care Benefit
Most From Team Approach
By Laura Kennedy, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Services
November 21, 2006 - Depressed older adults being
treated in primary care settings do better with psychosocial therapies
than with antidepressant medicines, suggests a new review of evidence.
Read
more...
Hospital Dumping of the Old and Demented Hits Los
Angeles Court
LAPD accuses several
hospitals of
dumping patients on skid row
November 17, 2006 - The hospital staff called a cab and paid the driver
to take older woman with dementia to skid row and drop her off,
according to a Los Angeles Times story reporting on “the first criminal
prosecution of a medical center accused of ‘dumping’ patients on skid
row.” Earlier this year the 63-year-old patient, Carol Ann Reyes, was
videotaped leaving in the taxi from Kaiser Permanente’s Bellflower
hospital in LA. Taken away in her gown and socks, she was found
wandering skid row streets.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Falls Have Become the Leading Cause of Injury Deaths
for Senior Citizens
CDC says that men more likely to
experience fatality than women
November 16, 2006 - Fall-related death rates for
men and women 65 years and older increased significantly from 1993 to
2003, according to a report released today in the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Read more...
Elder Care News
Pharmacy Care Program Helps Elderly Patients Take
Their Medications Better
Program also results in better health for those who
take their meds
November 13, 2006 – Diagnosing an ailment and
finding the right medicine to treat it is seldom the end of the problem
when treating the chronically ill elderly. Often, just as challenging,
is assuring they take the medicine as prescribed. A new pharmacy care
program for elderly patients was able to improve the rate of adherence
to their medication to 96.9 percent. And, there was a significant
improvement in their health.
Read more...
Veterans are 28 Percent of U.S. Deaths and Need to
be Aware of End-of-Life Care
National hospice, palliative care group reaches
out on Veterans Day
November 9, 2006 – More than 50,000 U.S. military
veterans die each month, about 28 percent of all deaths in the nation,
according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization,
which is using the celebration of Veterans Day on Saturday to urge
Americans who may know of a veteran needing the special care hospice
provides, to contact the organization.
Read more...
Caregivers for Elderly Cope with Humor and
Thinking that Others Have it Worse
Caregivers need emotional support as well as
practical help
November 6, 2006 - Seeing the funny side of
things and realizing that other people are worse off than themselves
are the two top coping strategies used by people caring for someone
over age 75, according to research in the November issue of Journal
of Clinical Nursing. This is National Family Caregivers Month in the
U.S. Read
more...
Top Ten Ways to Celebrate National Caregivers Month
Over 50 million provide $306 billion a year in free
service
November 3, 2006 - Over 50 million Americans are
recognized this month during National Family Caregivers Month, according
to the National Family Caregivers Association, which is offering ten
ideas on how to honor these caregivers during November.
Read more...
Falls by Elderly Men May Be Caused by Low
Testosterone Levels
October 23, 2006 - Low testosterone levels may be
associated with a higher risk of falling in older men, according to a
report in the October 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals. And, it leads the authors to suspect that
low testosterone in these senior citizens may also indicate higher risk
for other problems.
Read more...
NIHSeniorHealth Website Adds Information on
Preventing Falls
Each year 1.6 million seniors go to the emergency
room due to falls
October 17, 2006 - Each year, more than 1.6 million
older Americans go to the emergency room for fall-related injuries.
Among older adults, falls are the number one cause of fractures,
hospital admissions for trauma, loss of independence and injury-related
deaths, but falls are not an inevitable part of life, even as a person
gets older. Information about the risks of falling and what you can do
to prevent falls has just been added to NIHSeniorHealth.gov.
Read more...
Caregivers – Stressed and Depressed – Sink into
Downward Health Spiral
Lack of personal healthcare diminishes ability to care for others
September 25, 2006 – Most caregivers find
themselves in a downward health spiral that threatens their ability to
provide care, as a result of the stress and worry of taking care of
others. Millions of these caregivers neglect their own physical and
mental health and spiral into depression, extreme fatigue, poor eating,
insufficient exercise and taking too many medications to try and offset
the decline. These are some of the findings of a study by Evercare
released today with the National Alliance for Caregiving.
Read more...
Many Elderly Caregivers Do Not Know How to Make
Homes Fall-Safe
Home Safety Council finds many homes lack
critical safety elements
September 20, 2006 - Studies show that one-third of
senior citizens aged 65 or older - or nearly 12 million people -
experience falls each year and almost 5,000 die from falls in the home.
The Home Safety Council went to caregivers to find out why more is not
being done to make homes safer for the elderly and found that many just
do not know what to do to make them safer.
Read more...
Bathing Problems Common in Older Adults Can Be
Prevented
Study finds safety problems among many who bathe
without help
B
Katie Gazella, U-M Health System
September
14, 2006 - Getting in and out of the bathtub or shower can be a perilous
journey for older adults, including those as young as 60, even when they
have bathrooms already equipped with safety features, according to
research by the University of Michigan Health System.
Read more...
Feds Release $80 Million for Low Income Energy Help
in 14 States
Elderly among target groups for help in home
heating this winter
September 13, 2006 - Cold winter nights can be life-threatening for many
elderly Americans who cannot afford to properly heat their homes. There
is, however, federal government assistance available for these seniors
and other low-income Americans through the Low Income Home Energy
Assistance Program. Health and Human Services yesterday released $79.9
million from this program for 14 states to use for heating assistance
this fall and winter.
Read more...
Preventing Falls May Be Key to Avoiding Disability
in Elderly
By Patricia McAdams, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service
September 8, 2006 - Physical inactivity, depression
and falls all increase risk of developing a disability in later life.
But targeting falls may be a particularly effective way to reduce the
nation’s disability levels, according to a new study.
Read more...
Elderly Continue to Struggle in Katrina Aftermath
'One way or the other I am going back to New
Orleans,' a woman said
August 22, 2006 - Aging families affected by
Hurricane Katrina have experienced both physical and emotional problems
in the aftermath of the disaster, and many yearn to “go back home,”
according to preliminary findings from a team of researchers.
Read more...
Nursing Home Hospice Care Reduces End-of-Life
Hospitalizations
By Katherine Kahn, Contributing Writer
Health Behvior News Service
August 18, 2006 - Nursing home residents in hospice
care have about half the chance of being admitted to a hospital in their
last 30 days of life compared to peers who don’t receive hospice care, a
large new study confirms.
Read more...
Elder Care Website and Book Target Baby Boomer
Caregivers
Doctor Marion launched by company claiming to be
first with such media for boomers
August 14, 2006 – Older adults carrying for even
older parents is a growing trend as American life spans continue to
lengthen. The latest effort at serving the need for caregiving
information is a new Website that also promotes an upcoming book. Marion
Somers, Ph.D., who calls herself "Doctor Marion," has announced her site
is online now and her book will be published next month.
Read more..
Elder Care News and Information
Consumer Reports finds Not-for-Profit Nursing Homes
Best
Launches its own
guide to nursing homes online
August 7, 2006 – Consumer Union, publisher of
Consumer Reports, thinks they have found a better way for senior
citizens and caregivers to choose a nursing home. The magazine has
launched its own online nursing home guide and issued a statement that
not-for-profit nursing homes are providing better care than are
for-profit homes.
Read more...
Caregivers Learning to Manage Illness also Helped in
Coping with Death
Original goal was
easing burden of caring for relative with dementia
August 3, 2006 - An intervention aimed at
preventing depression and easing the burden of caring for a relative
with dementia also helps to prevent complicated grief and depression
following the death of the loved one, according to a University of
Pittsburgh-led study. The findings could help the
millions of American families caring for relatives with dementia.
Approximately 4.5 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease live at
home with 75 percent cared for by family members.
Read more...
New Coalition Targets Improved Quality of Life in
Nursing Homes
Residents, staff to benefit as quality summit
kicks off September 29
August 1, 2006 - A new, broad-based coalition of
long-term care providers, caregivers, medical and quality improvement
experts, government agencies, and consumers is launching an initiative
to improve quality of care and quality of life for the country’s 1.5
million nursing home residents. The two-year, voluntary campaign,
Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes, will kick off at a
national Quality Summit in Washington, D.C., on September 29, 2006.
Read more...
Vision Screening for Elderly Not Working: Lacks
Follow-up
Older people often fail to report vision problems,
just accept it
By Glenda Fauntleroy, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service
July 28, 2006 - Vision screening tests are
recommended for older people who frequently suffer from problems with
their sight. However, a new review found there is no evidence that
community-based screening of the elderly results in any improvements in
their vision. Read
more...
Eight Hospice Units Honored by National Organization
July 21, 2006 – Three hospice groups received
special awards and five more got special recognition at the annual
Leadership Summit of the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization earlier this month.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health News
Efforts to Keep Dementia Patients from Wandering
Just Not Working
Wandering not always a problem and safe walking
should be promoted
By Becky Ham, Science Writer
Health Behavior News Service
July 21, 2006 - Everything from multicolored lights
to garden walks has been suggested as ways to keep people with dementia
from wandering, but there is little evidence to show that any of these
interventions work, according to a new analysis.
Read more...
Hyperthermia: When It's Too Hot for
Elderly People's Health
By National
Institute on Aging - click
July 13, 2006 - Irene is retired, she loves to work in her garden.
Because she has always spent hours outside, she thinks the heat and
humidity of Midwestern summers don’t bother her. Then last year an
unusual heat wave hit her area. Every day the temperature was over 100°
F, and the humidity was at least 90%. Five days into the heat wave, her
daughter Kim came over because Irene sounded confused on the phone.
Read more...
Study Shows 20 Percent of Senior Citizens at Risk
for Heat-Related Illness
Company
offers tips for
keeping elderly safe from heat
July 13, 2006 - The results of a new study indicate
that 20 percent of seniors may be at risk of a heat-related illness
during the summer, due to the temperature in their residence exceeding
90 degrees. The data was obtained using QuietCare, an early detection
and warning system that the company says provides caregivers with around
the clock information and alerts about the safety and well-being of
elderly, while maintaining their privacy and independence.
Read more...
Training More Physicians to Treat the Elderly is
Goal of New Grant
'Almost all physicians will be caring for older
adults in the years to come'
July 10, 2006 – As a step toward providing the U.S.
with more doctors skilled in treating the elderly, a $2-million dollar
grant has been awarded to Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva
University and Montefiore Medical Center. The initiative, funded by the
Donal W. Reynolds Foundation of Las Vegas, is known as the GeriEd
Program, which will contain both educational and clinical components.
Read more...
Elderly Achieve Increase in Independent Living and
Life with New Program
'We can teach older people strategies that appear
to have a survivorship benefit'
July 9, 2006 – Elderly senior citizens can extend
the time they live independently and also their lives with a
personalized program of occupational and physical therapy, complimented
by a few home modifications, according to a research team at Thomas
Jefferson University.
Read more...
Hospice Organization to Launch National Quality
Initiative to Improve Care
Goal to improve
hospice and palliative care delivery and outcomes
July 3, 2006 - This September, the National Hospice
and Palliative Care Organization will launch a national, quality
initiative designed to help hospice providers build organizational
excellence and improve hospice and palliative care delivery and
outcomes. The Quality Partners program will be unveiled at NHPCO’s
annual Management and Leadership Conference in New York City, September
11 – 13, 2006.
Read more...
More Efforts this Year to Protect Elderly in Nursing
Homes from Disasters
Educational program for long-term care providers
developed by non-profit
June 22, 2006 – Few, especially senior citizens,
will forget last year's nightmare of
St. Rita’s Nursing Home, where the owners were charged with 34 counts of
negligent homicide, following the destruction by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. That horror is spurring
action this year to better protect older Americans living in long-term
care communities. Earlier this month, for example, long-term care
providers in St. Petersburg, Florida, took part in PREPARE - a new
educational training program designed to protect seniors in long-term
care facilities from disasters such as hurricanes, pandemics,
bioterrorism and other disasters.
Read more...
Eldercare News & Information
Hospice Community Applauds AMA Support of Advance
Directives
AMA builds on lessons from Terri Schiavo for
end-of-life planning
June 15, 2006 - The American Medical Association
voted during its Annual Meeting this week to increase efforts to educate
patients about the importance of end-of-life planning. The action
received applause from the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization, which has more than 15,000 hospice and professional
members. Read
more...
Geriatric Care Mangers Emerging as Important
Contributors to Eldercare
National association now has over two thousand
members
June 6, 2006 – Geriatric care managers, unknown 20
years ago, are emerging into an important piece of the network for the
care of the elderly. The New York Times explored the industry in an
article on Saturday and found they "are growing increasingly popular as
people live longer and want to grow old in their homes." The number of
certified geriatric managers totals about 2,041 today, compared with
about 50 in 1986, when the National Association of Professional
Geriatric Care Managers was formed, according to the newspaper.
Read more...
Family Caregivers of Stroke Patients Get Little Information, Support
June 6, 2006 - Stroke and brain injury patients living at home receive the bulk of
their care from family members, but these volunteer caregivers get
little preparation, information or support from health care
professionals and home health agencies, according to a new study.
Read more...
June 3, 2006 – A basic national health program was
the key recommendation in a report released yesterday by the Citizens'
Health Care Working Group, which was created by the 2003 Medicare
Modernization Act. That is earthshaking news but, as most
recommendations by government working groups, it will probably not
create many waves. Senior citizens, already covered by a national health
plan, will be more interested in a recommendation to restructure the way
palliative care, hospice care and other end-of-life services are
financed and provided, so people in need have increased access to these
services. Read
more...
May 31 – Following a report by the Government
Accountability Office in March that found "about 700 registered sex
offenders" living in nursing homes or intermediate care facilities for
people with mental retardation (ICF-MR) during 2005, a researcher has
received a grant to study the presence of potentially violent and
dangerous residents, including sexual predators, living in the nation’s
nursing homes. Read
more...
May 17, 2006 - Physicians are sometimes reluctant
to aggressively treat the elderly for hypertension because of some risks
and an assumed lack of benefits. A new study presented today, however,
may change some minds. The findings indicate that cognitive function is
adversely affected by exaggerated blood pressure variability, or the
difference between systolic and diastolic readings, in elderly patients
80 years of age and older.
Read more...
May 16, 2006 - If you’re more than 80 years old,
carrying a few extra pounds might not be such a bad idea. In fact, it
may be beneficial. That’s one of the findings from a joint UC Irvine and
University of Southern California analysis of body mass index (BMI) and
mortality rates from participants of a large-scale study based in a
Southern California retirement community.
Read
more...
May 15, 2006 – New Zealand is awash in controversy
today over a photo essay that shows elderly residents of two nursing
homes naked as they shower, dress and use the toilet. The photos appear
in the May issue of Kaitiaki, The Journal of the New Zealand Nurses'
Organization. Read
more...
April 25, 2006 – Although it is difficult to find
this surprising, a study of older people with advanced chronic illnesses
has found them more likely to accept treatments that result in
mild-to-severe functional disability as their health declines.
Read more...
April 24, 2006 - Middle-aged women who become
caregivers for ill or disabled family member are more likely to leave
their jobs altogether than reduce their hours, according to a new
Indiana University study. The study also found that unpaid family leave
proved most useful in helping caregivers keep their jobs.
Read more...
April 4, 2006 – Elderly patients with any form of
depression less than major depression are more than five times as likely
as healthy seniors to descend into major depression within a year,
according to a study published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The study's authors believe that perhaps millions of elderly patients
who do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of major depression are
indeed depressed, suffering and not being treated for it.
Read more...
March 18, 2006 - Senior citizens age 70 and older
who continued taking the antidepressant that helped them recover from
their first episode of depression were 60 percent less likely to
experience a new episode of depression over a two-year study period than
those who stopped taking the medication, according to a study funded by
the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National
Institutes of Health. The study helps answer a major question in the
treatment of depression — when to discontinue medication.
Read more...
March 3, 2006 - In a study to determine how older
people progress through different states of frailty, researchers at Yale
School of Medicine have found that the physical symptoms that mark
frailty are often reversible and therefore can be altered by
intervention. Read
more...
March 2, 2006 – It could be just what the doctor
ordered for a senior citizen or their caregiver – a Website that will
automatically send a reminder to have a cholesterol test. Actually, this
service by the College of American Pathologists will email reminders on
four other types of health testing and to donate blood.
Read more...includes
more free email reminder services.
Jan. 26, 2006 – Senior citizens and their
caregivers should be alert to this warning of a threat to life that is
occurring in hospitals. Medication errors cause more than 7,000 deaths a
year in U.S. hospitals. Many of these can be prevented if more attention
is paid to the accuracy of medications given to patients as they are
moved from one area of a hospital to another, from supervision of one
healthcare worker to another or to any other new care setting. This
caution flag was waved yesterday by the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Read more...
Jan. 23, 2006 – Researchers at the University of
Michigan set out to explore how older Americans feel about their
personal care as they near the end of their lives. They were surprised
by the diversity of views and found some significant differences
determined by race, ethnic group and sex.
Read more...
Jan. 18, 2006 – Senior citizens were among the
least likely coronary artery disease (CAD) patients to consistently take
beta blockers, cholesterol-lowering drugs and other medications that
could extend their lives, according to recent research. Nearly half of
all CAD patients in this seven-year study admitted they do not take
their drugs regularly. Joining seniors as the worst offenders are those
with heart failure, smokers and diabetics.
Read more...
Jan. 9, 2006 – A professional study in 2002 found
that "animal-assisted therapy can effectively reduce the loneliness of
residents in long-term care facilities. There have been several studies
since supporting positive results with animals visiting elderly patients. A
new study by the same researcher, however, has a new twist. Nursing home
residents feel much less lonely after spending time alone with a
dog than they did when they visited with a dog and other people.
Read more...
Jan. 9, 2006 - Despite increased national attention
on end-of-life issues, only one in four U.S. hospitals has patient care
policies addressing end-of-life or palliative care, according to a new
study of hospitals and critical care units conducted by the American
Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
Read more...
Jan. 4, 2006 – Despite what many may assume, senior
citizens with alcohol problems do not get worse treatment than their
sober peers when they are hospitalized for a heart attack, according to
new research on Medicare patients across the U.S.
Seeking
assistance for an elderly relative? Follow this link to a list of helpful
Websites we have put together. 
