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Senior Citizen Alerts
National Flu Vaccination Week Opens with Senior
Citizens as Prime Targets
60 percent of flu-related hospitalizations in the
U.S. occur in senior age group; learn about extra-strong vaccine for
senior citizens - flu locator
Dec. 9, 2013 - National Influenza Vaccination Week
opened Sunday and seniors are prime targets of the campaign by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Senior citizens – age 65 and
older – last year recorded the highest flu-related hospitalization rates
since the CDC began tracking this information during the 2005-2006 flu
season.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Age Shouldn't Limit Access to Transplants for MDS,
Study Suggests
Comparing recipients who were 60 to 65 with those
over 66, there were no statistically significant differences in overall
survival
Dec.9,
2013 - Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who were as old as
74 fared as well with stem cell transplantation as did patients in the
60-to-65 age range, according to a study from Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of
Hematology.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Cardiovascular Complications, Hypoglycemia Common in
Senior Patients with Diabetes
Advancing age and the duration of time a patient has
diabetes can predict complication and mortality rates from the disease
Dec. 9, 2013 - Cardiovascular complications and
hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) were common nonfatal complications in
seniors 60 years of age and older with diabetes, according to a study
published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Lung Cancer Screening with Low-Dose CT Produces
Dangerous Overdiagnosis
False diagnosis may cause additional cost, anxiety,
and sometimes death from cancer treatment
Dec. 9, 2013 – More than 18 percent of all lung
cancers detected by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) appeared to
represent an overdiagnosis, according to a study of patients between the
ages of 55 and 74 years published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a
JAMA Network publication.
Overdiagnosis cases represent an important potential harm because
they incur additional cost, anxiety, and death associated with cancer
treatment.
Read more...
Medicare and Medicaid News
Fewer Medicare Patients Return to
Hospital in First Year of Medicare Penalties
Medicare targeting rehospitalizations
as a significant indicator of gaps in medical quality in the nation’s
hospitals
By Jordan Rau, Kaiser Health News Blog
Dec.
9, 2013 - During the first eight months of this year, fewer than 18
percent of Medicare patients ended up back in the hospital within a
month of discharge, the lowest rate in years, the government reported
Friday. This drop occurred during the first year that Medicare
financially penalized hospitals for their readmission rates, and the
government seized on the decrease as evidence the incentives are having
an effect.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Inflammatory Response in Mild
Traumatic Brain Injury Beneficial During Early Hours
Concussion secrets unveiled as NIH
scientists film early damage and describe brain’s response to injury -
see video
Dec. 9, 2013 - There is more than meets the eye following even a mild
traumatic brain injury, a serious health concern for seniors.
Approximately 22% of all TBI-related hospitalizations involved
adults aged 75 years and older. While the brain may
appear to be intact, new findings reported in Nature suggest that
the brain’s protective coverings may feel the brunt of the impact.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Politics
Protect Low-Income People with Medicare Urged by
Aging, Disability, Faith-Based Groups
60
organizations call for Congress to make Medicare QI Program permanent
Dec.
9, 2013 – The National Council on Aging
(NCOA) and 59 other diverse national organizations are urging Congress
to make the low-income Medicare Qualified Individual (QI) program
permanent as part of the Medicare physician payment (SGR) bill,
scheduled to be considered by the Senate Finance
and House Ways and Means
Committees this week.
Read more...
Medicare and Medicaid News
Judge Stops UnitedHealthcare from Dropping
Physicians from Medicare Advantage Plan
Judge's order stopping last minute changes by
Medicare Advantage plan in Connecticut could have national impact
By
Susan Jaffe, Kaiser Health News
Dec. 6, 2013 - In a decision that could
have national implications, a federal judge in Connecticut
blocked UnitedHealthcare late Thursday from dropping an
estimated 2,200 physicians from its Medicare Advantage plan in
that state. The Medicare deadline for enrolling in new plans
ends tomorrow, leaving little time for seniors to find plans
which include their preferred physicians or switch to
traditional Medicare.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Deaths from Stroke Decline Dramatically in U.S. with
Better Prevention, Treatment
Stroke deaths fell
23% in 10 years; ‘One of the
greatest public health achievements of the 20th and 21st centuries’
Dec. 5, 2013 — Stroke deaths in the United States
have declined dramatically in recent decades due to improved treatment
and prevention, according to a scientific statement published in the
American Heart Association journal Stroke.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Longer Survival of Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Patients Using Docetaxel Prompts Data Release
Three-year survival rate of 69
percent when chemotherapy drug docetaxel given at start of standard
hormone therapy
Dec. 6, 2013 - Men with
hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer who received the
chemotherapy drug docetaxel at the start of standard hormone therapy
lived longer than patients who received hormone therapy alone. Due to
the success the results were released early from the National Institutes
of Health-supported randomized controlled clinical trial.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Solution to Melanoma’s Resistance to Drug Therapy is
Goal of Team Funded by NIH
The deadliest of skin cancers a growing problem with
increasing number of seniors
Dec. 5, 2013 - Melanoma remains the deadliest, most
aggressive form of skin cancer, primarily due to the resistance of the
advanced cancer to drug therapy, despite the new BRAF inhibitors that
show success in early treatment. And, it is a growing threat, since in
often attacks seniors, the most rapidly increasing age group. There
is new hope, however, from a $12.5 million grant by the National
Institutes of Health to a team of melanoma scientists to find a solution
to melanoma’s drug resistance.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Alerts
Some
HeartStart External Defibrillators Do
Not Work Warns FDA in Urging Better
Inspection
FDA
issues new safety communication on HeartStart automated external
defibrillators from Philips Healthcare
that were recalled earlier
Dec. 5, 2013 - Certain
HeartStart automated external
defibrillator (AED) devices made by
Philips Medical Systems, a division
of Philips Healthcare, may be unable
to deliver needed defibrillator
shock in a cardiac emergency
situation, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration said today in a new
safety communication for users of
these previously recalled devices.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Older People Make Mistakes Using Shape, Size, Color
to ID Their Drugs
People over 50 who identified blood pressure
medication by shape, size or color instead of name had poorer adherence,
poorer blood pressure control and an increased risk of hospitalization
By Stephanie Stephens, HBNS Contributing Writer
Dec. 5, 2013 - Older people who identify their
blood pressure medications by shape, size and color instead of by name
may risk poor blood pressure control and increase their risk of
hospitalization, finds a recent study in the
Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives. Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Carbon Monoxide Prevents Growth in Prostate, Lung
Tumors; Enhances Chemotherapy
Opens possibility of new cancer therapy to take
advantage of powerful chemotherapy drugs making them more potent and
limiting terrible side effects, damage to normal cells
Dec. 4, 2013 – It is hard to imagine anything good
coming from carbon monoxide, the highly toxic gas the shoots out your
auto exhaust, but a new study says it can play a role in treating
cancer. It can prevent tumor growth in prostate and lung cancers and can
amplify the effectiveness of chemotherapy 1,000-fold – while sparing
noncancerous tissue from chemo's sometimes debilitating side effects.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
New Insights Into How Cancer Develops May Lead to New Early Screening Opportunity
A new appreciation of the genetic changes that occur
as precancerous cells turn malignant could help
researchers design new early detection screening
strategies
Dec. 4, 2013 –
Researchers at
Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
studying the precancerous condition
Barrett’s esophagus have shown that rather
than resulting from a steady accumulation of
small genetic mutations, cancer arises a few
years after cells begin to undergo large,
drastic mutations. This insight could help
researchers detect cells on the cusp of
becoming malignant and distinguish benign
from dangerous pre-cancerous conditions.
Read more...
ealth & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Link Between Obesity and Cancer for Older People
Confirmed by Radiographic Imaging
Radiographic imaging exposes relationship between
obesity and cancer in aging population; women with more overall fat
mass, more visceral fat had a higher risk of cancer; fat puts older men
at risk even with healthy BMI
Dec. 4, 2013 - The negative impact of fat on
long-term health, particularly of older people, has been confirmed by
the first use direct radiographic imaging of adipose (fatty) tissue
rather than estimates like body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference.
The study focused on the relationship between obesity and cancer risk in
aging populations.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Rheumatoid Arthritis Disability, Distress Cut in
Half in Last 20 Years
RA patients have better opportunity of living valued
life than patients with this autoimmune disease two decades ago
Dec. 3, 2013 - New research reveals that patients
with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), common in seniors, have an easier time
with daily living today than did patients diagnosed two decades ago. The
study reveals anxiety, depressed mood and physical disability have been
cut in half over the last 20 years. Researchers believe a reduction in
disease activity is partly responsible for this positive change.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Helpful Information for Seniors, Caregivers
Introduced by Emeritus Senior Living
Video series of safety tips, holiday help with
Alzheimer’s patients and website on living with dementia all available
free
|
 See
sample of Maude video on helpful hints for eldercare providers
and seniors in story. |
Dec. 3, 2013 – Emeritus Senior Living is promoting
their services for seniors and their caregivers with innovative
information services that are providing useful and helpful information.
The latest include tips on celebrating the holidays with an Alzheimer’s
patient, a video series providing tips to help seniors and caregivers
lead safer and healthier lives and a new website with a variety of
resources for people living with dementia.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
When Palliative Care Is The Best
Care: Growing Rapidly in Hospitals
Hospitals around U.S. increasingly
starting palliative care, designed to relieve seriously
ill patients’ pain, stress and symptoms regardless of
how long they will live
By
Anna Gorman, KHN Staff Writer
Dec. 3, 2013 - Leanne Henry
winced. Five weeks had passed since her liver
transplant, and she hurt just lying still. Katie Schlenker softly
touched her leg. “Are you still in a lot of
pain?” Henry, a petite mother of
five who has been hospitalized since early
September, closed her eyes and nodded. “It’s not
like an ache,” she told her doctor. “It’s pain
that just won’t go away.”
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Half of all women and a
quarter of men older
than 50 will break a
bone due to
osteoporosis:
findings to help
physicians guide
treatment options for
women:
Dec. 2, 2013 – A study
comparing the efficacy
and tolerability of two
popular osteoporosis
drugs, denosumab and
zoledronic acid, found
that denosumab had a
significantly greater
effect on increasing
spine bone mineral
density and zoledronic
acid caused more flulike
symptoms. These findings
were presented recently
at the American Society
for Bone and Mineral
Research’s annual
meeting.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Half of Senior Citizens Afflicted by Bothersome Pain
in Last Month
Pain prevalence was higher in women; older adults
with obesity, musculoskeletal conditions, and depressive symptoms; need
for public health action for elderly
Dec. 2, 2013 – More than half of senior citizens in
the United States – an estimated 18.7 million people – have experienced
bothersome pain in the previous month, impairing their physical function
and underscoring the need for public health action on pain. Many of
those interviewed by investigators for a study published in the current
issue of PAIN reported pain in multiple areas.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
First Batch of Alzheimer's Genomic
Data Released to Researchers Seeking Prevention, Treatment
Genome sequence considered a key to
identifying clues to cause of AD and the development of new diagnostics
and treatments; researchers have rapid access -
see video 'what is a gene'
Dec. 2, 2013 – The battle to slow
the spread of Alzheimer’s disease is expected to get a significant boost
after the release today of the first batch of genome sequence data from
the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP). Genome sequencing —
determining the order of chemical letters in a cell’s DNA — is
considered a key to identifying new clues to the fundamental cause of
Alzheimer’s disease and the development of new diagnostics and
treatments.
Read more...
Medicare and Medicaid News
Medicare Seeks To Curb Spending On
Post-Hospital Care That Varies Widely
Study shows cost of care after
leaving the hospital varies widely; Over 25% of Medicare spending in
Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and
Massachusetts for post-acute care – check your state
By
Jordan Rau, KHN Staff Writer
Dec. 2, 2013 - After years of
trying to clamp down on hospital spending, the federal government wants
to get control over what Medicare spends on nursing homes, home health
services and other medical care typically provided to patients after
they have left the hospital.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
High Cholesterol Fuels Growth, Spread of Breast
Cancer; Statins Diminish Effect
‘Very significant finding’ especially for older
women, suggests there may be
simple way to reduce the risk of breast cancer by keeping cholesterol in
check
Dec. 1, 2013 – A byproduct of cholesterol functions
like the hormone estrogen to fuel the growth and spread of the most
common types of breast cancers, researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute
report. And, they also found that anti-cholesterol drugs, such as
statins, appear to diminish the effect of this estrogen-like molecule.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Longevity & Statistics
Sexual Frustration Causes Faster Aging, Serious
Health Problems
Fruit flies with better sex lives live longer in U.
Michigan Study; aging and physiology are influenced by how the brain
processes expectations and rewards
Dec.
1, 2013 - It has long been accepted that for many species the
expectation of food that does not become available shortens their lives.
Now, researchers have found the same is true when it comes to
expectations of sex that is denied. At least it appears to be true for
male fruit flies.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Senior Citizens Less Likely to Get Dementia,
Alzheimer’s, Says New Study
Dementia in aging populations have declined,
particularly in older people most likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease
Nov.
28, 2013 - The holiday season has certainly been made a happy
one for senior citizens by the research news that says several recent
studies show how age-adjusted rates for dementia in aging populations
have declined, particularly in those older people most likely to develop
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Read More...
Medicare & Medicaid News
Medicare Saving Big Bucks for
Seniors and Taxpayers, Says CMS
|
 Medicare
Open Enrollment
for health and drug plans ends Dec. 7. For more information, compare
benefits, prices, including state-by-state fact sheets,
Click. |
News on Obamacare savings on
prescription drugs for seniors; new information shows historically low
growth in Medicare spending; open enrollment almost over
Nov. 26, 2013 – The Affordable Care
Act (Obamacare) may be having problems kicking off the health care
exchanges for younger Americans, but for seniors it has saved billions
of dollars, according to news today from the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services. And, the agency adds, it has reached historically low
levels of growth in Medicare spending.
Read more...
Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens
Obesity, Large Waist Linked to Hearing Loss for
Women; Physical Activity Lowers Risk
Study raises questions about hearing loss being
associated only with aging
Nov. 25, 2013 – If women need another reason to
maintain a smaller waist and a lower body mass index (BMI), new research
has it for them. A study from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) finds
that a higher BMI and larger waist circumference are each associated
with higher risk of hearing loss, but, a higher level of physical
activity is associated with lower risk of hearing loss in women.
Read more...
Sex and Romance for Senior Citizens
Sexual Regrets Have Not Changed for Men or Women
Overtime, Study Finds
Large study examines potential evolutionary role of
'sexual regret' in human survival and reproduction
Nov. 25, 2113 – It has been awhile since many
senior citizens had to worry about their sexual regrets. They may be
surprised, however, that the largest and most in-depth study to date on
regret surrounding sexual activity of men and women finds there has not
been much change from even since the days when contraception was not
very available or reliable.
Read more...
Retirement News
Free Health Care Costs Calculator for Retirement
Planning Released by AARP
Only one
third of Americans close to retirement age have taken
steps to save for major expense of health care
Nov.
25, 2013 - Today, AARP launched a free online
Health Care Costs Calculator, which it describes as a major addition to
their Ready for Retirement suite of planning tools. In a survey
accompanying the release of the calculator, AARP found that just one
third (36%) of older Americans have taken any steps to save for
out-of-pocket health care expenses...
Read more
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Do You Poop Your Pants? Should be Asked Older
Patients by All Physicians
Bowel leakage affects 1 in 5 women over 40, yet few
seek help for this fixable medical problem
Nov.
22, 2013 - “Do you poop your pants?” is a question few physicians ask
their adult patients, but one that Dana Hayden, MD, colorectal surgeon
at Loyola University Health System, believes should be at the top of the
list. She points out that 15 million women ages 40 and older (1 in 5)
suffer from accidental bowel leakage, which is not a part of normal
aging.
Read more...
Caregiver & Elder Care News
Senior Citizen Alerts
Tips for Senior Citizens to Protect
Against Health Care Scams
Scammers are trying to con seniors
into giving out sensitive information while signing them up for plans
they do not need
Nov. 21, 2013 - Fraudsters are
capitalizing on the rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and
Medicare’s Open Enrollment. The shifts in the healthcare landscape have
prompted some criminals to carry out health care scams targeting
seniors, according to the Senate Special Committee on Aging.
Read more...
Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors
Seniors Favorite Drink Coffee May Improve Blood Flow
in Small Vessels
New study takes us one step closer to understanding
how coffee might benefit cardiovascular health; previously linked to
lower risk of dying from heart disease, stroke
Nov.
20, 2013 – The caffeine in a cup of coffee appears to improve your blood
flow by helping your small blood vessels work better, according to
research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific
Sessions 2013.
Read more...
Medicare & Medicaid News
Medicare's Failure to Track Doctors Wastes Billions on Name-Brand Drugs
Investigative reporters with ProPublica found over
$300 million was paid in 2011 due to only 913 doctors choosing name
brand drugs - see video
by Charles Ornstein, Tracy Weber and Jennifer LaFleur,
ProPublica
Nov. 20, 2013 - Medicare is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars a year by failing to rein in doctors who routinely give patients pricey name-brand drugs when cheaper generic alternatives are available. ProPublica analyzed the prescribing habits of 1.6 million practitioners nationwide and found that a tiny fraction of them are having an outsized impact on spending in Medicare's massive drug program.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Drug Tasquinimod May Improve Survival in Men with
Metastatic Prostate Cancer
An oral therapy that activates the body's immune
system to fight cancer, also known to block tumor blood vessel growth
Nov. 19, 2013 - An investigational prostate cancer
treatment slows the disease's progression and may increase survival,
especially among men whose cancer has spread to the bones, according an
analysis led by the Duke Cancer Institute. The drug tasquinimod, a new
candidate for treating advanced and recurrent prostate cancer, adds
long-term survival and safety data.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Genetic Testing Improves Warfarin Dosing But Not
Optimal Dose in Second Study
Predicting right dose of warfarin for older patient
can be tricky; two studies of genetics use in warfarin therapy presented
at American Heart Association’s
Scientific Session; patients with atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, and
in second study stroke
DALLAS,
Nov. 19, 2013 — Obtaining genetic information before starting warfarin
therapy helped patients increase the effectiveness of treatment while
reducing the risk of over-anticoagulation and improper dosing in a
late-breaking clinical trial presented at the American Heart
Association’s Scientific Sessions 2013. Another study presented,
however, found genetics did not prove useful in predicting optimal doses
of warfarin.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Sudden Cardiac Arrests Not Always That Sudden; Early
Warnings Signs Sometimes
More than half of men studied who had a sudden
cardiac arrest had symptoms up to a month before
Nov. 19, 2013 - Sudden cardiac arrest isn’t always
so sudden, according to research presented at the American Heart
Association’s Scientific Sessions 2013. In a study of middle-age men up
to age 65 in Portland, Oregon, more than half had possible warning signs
up to a month before their hearts stopped abruptly.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Clinical Trial Open to Test Innovative Vaccine to
Train Immune System to Fight Melanoma
Unique attempt to manipulate immune system to attack
cancer in a more effective and specific manner; enrolling for clinical
trial
Nov. 19, 2013 - Loyola University Medical Center,
Maywood, Illinois, is enrolling melanoma patients in the first clinical
trial in the Midwest of an experimental vaccine that trains a patient's
immune system to fight the deadly cancer. The risk of melanoma increases
with age and the average age at the time it is found is 61.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Cognitively Impaired Seniors Less Likely to Return
to Hospital if Released to Nursing Home
Nursing home ensures medication adherence; know how
to handle social and behavioral issues
Nov. 19, 2013 - Cognitively impaired senior
citizens released from the hospital are less likely to be rehospitalized
within 30 days if they go to a nursing home than if they return to their
own home or the home of a family member, according to an Indiana
University and Regenstrief Institute study.
Read more...
Medicare & Medicaid News
Report Finds Rapid Growth in
Medicare Observation Services that Can Cost Seniors
Raises concerns about clinical
benefit and out-of-pocket costs for seniors, quality of care
Nov. 14, 2013 – AARP Public Policy
Institute released a new report today examining the use of hospital
"observation status" for Medicare patients. Hospital emergency rooms
sometimes hold patients for observation before admitting them or sending
them home. This observation status has grown rapidly and for Medicare
patients the distinction is important because it can affect
out-of-pocket costs. Use of observation status as a substitute for
admission also raises concerns about quality of care.
Read more...
Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens
Older Men Lower Stroke Risk by Walking Daily at Any
Pace
Older men who walked at least one to two hours each
day at any pace had a reduced risk of stroke
Nov. 14, 2013 — Older men who walked at least one
to two hours each day compared to less than half an hour per day had a
reduced risk of stroke, in a large
population-based study reported in the American Heart Association
journal Stroke.
Read more...
Social Security News
Strategies for Couples in Choosing How to Receive
Social Security Explored in SSA Q&A
Also, how long does it take to get a replacement
Social Security card?
Nov.
14, 2013 - There are various strategies on how o tyou receive your Social
Security benefits. How to delay your benefits and receive them as a
spouse is one of the answers in this weeks Q&A by Oscar Garcia,
Informational Specialist with the Social Security Administration. And,
he has an easy but important answers about how fast you can replace your
card. Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Alzheimer's,
Dementia Not Linked in Older People
Very large study in England looked for links between
these diseases closely associated with aging
Nov. 14, 2013 – Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia
and the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are all
strongly associated with advancing age. A very large study of patients
in England has determined, however, that there is no association between
having AMD and then developing dementia or AD.
Read more...
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Nov. 22, 2013 – A new survey of nearly 400 aging
parents and adult children finds the children are generally more
concerned about their aging parent's wellbeing than the older adult is
about his or her own situation.
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