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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Elderly Diabetics Treated with Insulin Much More
Likely to be Hospitalized for Hypoglycemia
The risks of hypoglycemic
conditions in elderly should be considered in
decisions to prescribe and intensify insulin,
March 10, 2014 - Elderly patients 80 years or older
treated with insulin for diabetes were more than twice as likely to
visit the emergency department (ED) and nearly five times more likely to
be hospitalized for insulin-related hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and
insulin-related errors (IHEs).than patients 45 to 64 years old.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Next Step for Smart Phones is
Keeping Tabs on Patients; Hi-Tech Moving into Health Care
Health care providers seek to monitor
patients remotely through new technologies, aiming to identify problems
early, cut costs and inefficiencies
By
Daniela Hernandez, KHN Staff Writer
This story was produced in
collaboration with
WIRED
March 10, 2014 - Dr. Eric Topol, a
cardiologist at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, knows when his
patients’ hearts are racing or their blood pressure is on the rise, even
if they’re sitting at home. With high-risk patients hooked up to
“personal data trackers” - a portable
electrocardiogram built into a smartphone case, for instance - he
and his researchers can track the ups and downs of patients’ conditions
as they go about their lives.
Read more...
Medicare and Medicaid News
Medicare Officials Back Away From
Changes to Prescription Drug Plan
By Mary Agnes Carey, Kaiser Health
News,
Capsules: The KHN Blog
March 10, 2014 -
Facing heavy bipartisan opposition on Capitol
Hill as well as from patient groups, businesses, insurers and others,
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said
Monday it did not plan to move ahead “at this time” with
several proposed changes to the Medicare prescription
drug program.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Senior Citizens May Soon Have Blood
Test to Predict Alzheimer’s Risk with 90% Accuracy
Report in Nature Medicine on
discovery in study of seniors over age 70; NPR reports on consequences
of knowing – see
video in story
March 9, 2014 – If you are a senior
citizens over age 70 a new blood test can predict with 90 percent
accuracy if you will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the next two or
three years. The new discovery still must go through clinical testing
before being available for general use but now seniors will have to
consider if this is information they really want to know.
Read more...
Opining of a Cranky Old Man
Huzzah!
For Daylight Saving - Don’t Forget to Leave
Off the 's'
The clock in the car is always troublesome so if necessary just cover it
with tape.
By Bill Kalmar, Retiree
March 9, 2014 - The arrival today of daylight
saving time (DST) marks the official arrival of spring, at least in my
mind. And notice I said saving time, not savings time. Evidently
over the years this event has taken on a different identity with the
addition of an “s.” And frankly until recently I always opted for the
plural. It’s a joyous time of the year, no matter how you pronounce it.
Read more...
Social Security Q&A
Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances Speed
Disability Decision for Desperate Americans
Switching between government non-Social Security
employment and that covered by Social Security gets complicated
March 8, 2014 – Many of us who depend on Social
Security for helping fund our retirement may forget it also plays a
critical role for U.S. citizens who become disabled and are forced into
retiring before they are old enough to collect normal benefits. The
Social Security Q&A this week answers a question from someone desperate
for this help. The column also addresses a frequent concern of those who
switch back and forth in work situations not always contributing to
Social Security – it gets complicated.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Memory Decline in Seniors May Be Reversed by New
Drug Therapy
The drug the researchers tested blocked GABA
receptors, restoring working memory in aged rats to the level of younger
rats.
March 8, 2014 - It may seem normal, at least for
senior citizens - as we age, we misplace car keys, or can’t remember a
name we just learned, or a meal we just ordered. But University of
Florida researchers say memory trouble doesn’t have to be inevitable for
seniors, and they’ve found a drug therapy that could potentially reverse
this type of memory decline.
Read more...
Medicare and Medicaid News
How Proposed Medicare Part D Changes
Are Playing On Capitol Hill
Many considered this a program that
didn’t need fixing, Medicare says they want to make it better but there
is opposition – see video in story
March 7, 2014 - Officials at the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are proposing to remove some
drugs from Medicare’s prescription drug plans and limit how many plans
insurers can offer. Mary Agnes Carey, Kaiser Health News, and CQ Roll
Call’s Emily Ethridge discuss on this video. Text and an audio link are
below.
Read more...
Medicare and Medicaid News
Administration Faces Opposition To
Changes In Medicare Prescription Drug Program
Officials say they want to help
beneficiaries make good choices and save taxpayers money
By
Mary Agnes Carey, KHN Staff Writer
March 7, 2014 - Medicare’s
prescription drug program was controversial when it arrived, but a
decade later it is widely considered to be a Washington success story.
Now, though, the Obama administration is proposing a series of
significant changes to fix what critics say isn’t broken.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
One Drink Appears To Be Too Many for Baby Boomers
and Senior Citizens
Older drivers may not imbibe enough alcohol to put
them over legal driving limit but just one drink can affect their
driving abilities – See video report in story
By Morgan Sherburne, Science Writer, UF Health.
March 7, 2014 - You may have only had one glass of
wine with dinner, but if you’re 55 or older, that single serving may hit
you hard enough to make you a dangerous driver. So, baby boomers and
senior citizens, what you suspected is true: you can’t party like you
used to.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Alzheimer’s Disease May Kill Many More in U.S. Than
Currently Reported
Study finds death rate more than four times higher
after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in people age 75 to 84 and nearly three
times higher in people age 85 and older
March 6, 2014 - A new study suggests that
Alzheimer’s disease may contribute to almost as many deaths in the
United States as heart disease or cancer, but the AD deaths are
under-reported due to confusion by those completing the death
certificates. Analysis of deaths among senior citizens points to vastly
more deaths related to AD than reported, the study shows.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Binge Drinking is Frequent Among Older People and
Significant Public Health Problem
Among older moderate drinkers, those who binge drink
have a significantly greater death risk than regular moderate drinkers
March 5, 2014 - A study of the association between
binge drinking and mortality among moderate-drinking older adults has
found that those who engage in binge drinking have more than two times
higher odds of dying within 20 years in comparison to regular moderate
drinkers. It is believed to be the first study of binge drinking among
older people who are considered moderate drinkers based on average
consumption over time.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Risk for Senior Citizens of Depression and Dementia
Increases After Hospitalization
Dementia and depression may impair ability to care
for themselves, increasing their risk for hospitalization and
re-hospitalization.
By Katherine Kahn, HBNS Contributing Writer
March 5, 2014 - People over age 65 who have been
hospitalized are at significantly greater risk for dementia or
depression, finds a new study in
General Hospital
Psychiatry.
Read more...
Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors
 Salvatore Caruso,
108, maintained a low-protein plant-based diet for the majority of his
life. |
Live Longer: Don’t Eat Animal
Proteins in Middle Age, Wait Until You are Senior Citizen
Middle-aged people who eat lots of
proteins from animal sources - including meat, milk and cheese - more
susceptible to early death in general
March 5, 2014 – Okay, here is the
latest research pointing the way to a longer life. Eating a diet rich in
animal proteins during middle age – about age 50 to 65 – makes your four
times more likely to die from cancer than those eating a low-protein
diet. But, don’t make skimping on protein a life-long habit. Senior
citizens at about age 65 need to switch to more protein in their diet,
which will protect them from disease.
Read more...
Medicare & Medicaid News
Medicare Reports One Third of
Skilled Nursing Patients Harmed in Treatment; Most Preventable
Medicare’s inspector general of
skilled nursing facilities reports nearly 22,000 patients were injured
and more than 1,500 died in a single month - a higher rate of medical
errors than hospitals.
By
Marshall Allen,
ProPublica
March 4, 2014 - One-in-three
patients in skilled nursing facilities suffered a medication error,
infection or some other type of harm related to their treatment,
according to a
government report released today that underscores the widespread
nature of the country’s patient harm problem.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Burst of Anger Greatly Increases Risk of Heart
Attack, Stroke and Brain Aneurysm for Many
‘…Overall risk for people without other risk factors
like smoking or high blood pressure is relatively small’
March 4, 2014 – Warning people they are going to
have a heart attack if they don’t calm down is, perhaps, better advice
than you have imagined. New research says the risk of a heart attack in
the two hours following an outburst of anger is five times greater than
when we are calm. And, the risk of a stroke jumps almost four times.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Lend Us Your Ears: Note Takers Help the Elderly at
Their Doctor Visit
"There are four ears listening to what the doctor
says"
By Susan Jaffe, Kaiser
Health News
March 1, 2014 - It used to be difficult for
Edith Couturier, an 85-year-old resident of the District of
Columbia, to explain to her adult children on the West Coast all the
details of her medical appointments. But now she doesn't go alone —
she takes along a volunteer "medical note taker."
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Acute Pancreatitis May Be Early Warning of
Pancreatic Cancer, Especially for Senior Citizens
Early discovery of pancreatic cancer offers much
greater opportunity for survival; researchers want esophageal ultrasound
screening after acute pancreatitis
Feb. 28, 2014 – Pancreatic cancer is one of the
most feared, due to its low survival rate, which is primarily due to the
late discovery of the disease. Researchers seeking a way to find this
cancer earlier and, hopefully, save lives have found what appears to be
an early warning sign – acute pancreatitis - for many who will be hit
with this cancer and their discovery may be most important for senior
citizens age 70 and older.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Aging Men
Find Life Gets Better Until Late 60s When Hassles Become Too Much
Some senior men continue
to find happiness late in life despite dealing with family losses,
declining health, or a lack of resources Oregon State study finds
By Mark Floyd, Oregon State University
Feb. 27, 2014 - A new study of how older men approach
their golden years found that how happy individuals are remains
relatively stable for some 80 percent of the population, but perceptions
of unhappiness – or dealing with “hassles” – tends to get worse once you
are a senior citizens at about 65 to 70 years old.
Read more...
Social Security Q&A
What is Proper Retirement Portfolio? Social
Security Has Tips and Links to Help
Q&A also has details on getting SSA number for child
adopted from another country
Jan. 27, 2014 – Too many of today’s senior citizens
probably regret they did not start preparing for the financial
challenges of retirement much earlier. The Social Security Q&A column
this week has some suggestions and references to online sources of help.
Read more...
Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens
How You Rate Your Physical Fitness in Middle Age an
Indicator of Dementia Risk
Rating yourself in poor physical condition at about
50 increases dementia risk by four
Feb. 26, 2014 - How would you rate your own
physical fitness? Is it good, satisfactory or maybe even poor?
Surprisingly, your answer may reveal your future risk of developing
dementia.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Quick Screening on Electronic Pad in Waiting Room
Tells Doctor if Patient Depressed
Seniors may need to brush up on their iPad skills if
new device becomes popular tool for screening patients in waiting rooms
By Valerie DeBenedette,
HBNS Contributing Writer
Feb. 25, 2014 – A quick screening on a electronic
pad in the doctor’s waiting room appears to have the ability to easily
recognize depression and anxiety in patients, who were actually there to
visit the physician about another ailment. The results can be sent
directly to the waiting doctor for immediate action.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Death of Partner Linked with Increased Risk of Heart
Attack, Stroke in Seniors for 30 Days
Large study concludes bereavement does greatly
increase risk but it is still small
Feb. 24, 2014 – A large study has confirmed what
many have suspected – the risk of a heart attack or stroke increases
during the 30 days following the death of a partner, at least for
seniors. But, the good news from this large study is that only a small
fraction of surviving partners suffers these potentially deadly events.
The bad news is that the risk is about double of that for those not
suffering from this bereavement.
Read more...
Medicare and Medicaid News
Impact Of Medicare Advantage Cuts On
Seniors Sharply Disputed
Several changes in Medicare for 2015 were announced
on Friday by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services but headlights are
on cuts in funding to MA plans
By
Phil Galewitz, KHN Staff Writer
Feb. 24, 2014 - Seniors enrolled in
Aetna’s Medicare Advantage plan In Baltimore County, Md., saw their
monthly premiums rise from $33 to $51 this year. Enrollees in HealthNow
New York, a Medicare HMO in upstate Erie County, saw their premiums jump
from zero to $28 a month. The health insurance industry points to these
examples as some of the more extreme cases of beneficiaries feeling the
sting of federal funding cuts to Medicare Advantage plans that cover
nearly 16 million senior citizens.
Read more...
Medicare and Medicaid News
Obama Administration Proposes 1.9
Percent Cut in Medicare Advantage Payments
News release by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services on several changes for 2015 is published below this news report
By
Mary Agnes Carey, KHN Staff Writer
Feb. 24, 2014 - An Obama
administration announcement about payment rates for Medicare Advantage
plans in 2015 has set off a dispute about how large – or small – the
changes really are. Late Friday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services announced
proposed rates that officials
said could mean payment reductions of 1.9 percent for the private plans
in the program.
Read more...
Medicare & Medicaid News
Quality Ratings Added to Physician Compare Website
for Medicare, Medicaid Patients
Diabetes and heart disease measures
among new quality ratings
Feb. 24, 2014 - The Physician
Compare website designed to help Medicare and Medicaid
patients make informed choices in finding physicians and
other health are professionals, has been enhanced by the
addition of quality measures to indicate the performance
achieved by hundreds of thousands of these care
providers in treating specific conditions.
Read more...
Social Security News
Disabled Veterans to Receive Faster Claims Processing by Social Security
Veterans must have a VA disability compensation rating of 100% P&T and
show proof of their disability rating with their VA Notification Letter
Feb. 20, 2014 - Social Security announced yesterday a new initiative to
expedite disability claims for veterans with a Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) disability compensation rating of 100% Permanent & Total
(P&T). Under the new process, Social Security will treat these
veterans’ applications as high priority and issue expedited decisions,
similar to the way the agency currently handles disability claims from
Wounded Warriors. The program begins March 17.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Loneliness in Older People May
Increase Chance of Death by 14 Percent
Retiring to a warmer climate among
strangers isn’t necessarily a good idea, if it means you are
disconnected from the people who mean the most to you
By
William Harms
Feb. 18,
2014 - Feeling extreme loneliness
can increase an older person’s chances of premature death by 14 percent,
according to research by psychologist John Cacioppo, one of the nation’s
leading experts on loneliness.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Connecting Families with Long-Forgotten Cremated
Remains Is Goal of New Website
Thousands of cremated remains stacked up around the
country go unclaimed
Feb. 18, 2014 – Thousands of cremated remains in
the U.S. go unclaimed each year and line the storage shelves of funeral
homes, cremation providers and government agencies across the country. A
new website, founded by Michael Neal, a funeral director in Washington,
Pa., is aimed at linking these remains with their loved ones.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Older Muscle Stem Cells Rejuvenated
to Function Like Younger Cells, May Help Elderly Repair Muscle
Stanford researchers pinpoint why
normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength
and mobility after muscle injury
By
Krista Conger
Feb.
17, 2014 - Researchers at the
Stanford University School of Medicine have pinpointed why normal
aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and
mobility after muscle injury: Over time, stem cells within muscle
tissues dedicated to repairing damage become less able to generate new
muscle fibers and struggle to self-renew.
Read more...
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