Building Choice into Long Term Care

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 11:40:40 GMT

Critics oppose stop-treatment law
Austin American-Statesman (subscription) - Austin,TX,USA
... Despite worries voiced by disability rights activists, hospitals don't apply the ... His amendment to a Medicaid bill last year proposing life-sustaining treatment ...

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 11:14:36 GMT

Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Michigan And Blue Care Network Raise Awareness Of Depression And Suicide In Aging Populations. Working to reduce the social stigma of depression and increase Michigan residents' awareness of depression so they can access care, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) and its HMO affiliate, Blue Care Network (BCN) of Michigan, are sponsoring a broad-reaching educational initiative aimed at educating policy makers and front line workers about the issue of depression and suicide in older populations. [click link for full article] [Seniors / Aging News From Medical News Today]

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:11:38 GMT

Massachusetts Pilot Project Will Pay Relatives $18,000 Annually To Care For Elderly, Disabled. Massachusetts on Dec. 1 will launch a pilot project that will pay family members about $18,000 annually to care for an elderly relative or a relative with a disability at home, the Boston Globe reports. The program, which was enacted by the state [click link for full article] [Caregivers / Homecare News From Medical News Today]

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:11:03 GMT

Men Increasingly Provide Home Care For Family Members. The Los Angeles Times on Monday examined how both men and women "are playing a crucial role" in providing home care for seriously ill family members, contradicting the stereotype that "[d]utiful daughters and nurturing wives" dominate the role. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today]

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:10:29 GMT

The Alliance For Aging Research Unveils New Resource For Family Caregivers Of Alzheimer's Patients. The Alliance for Aging Research has partnered with the National Family Caregivers Association to develop a new resource to educate family caregivers on how to care for themselves while caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today]

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 14:27:56 GMT

Issue Brief Examines Spending By Medicaid Beneficiaries Receiving Long-Term Care. "Medicaid's Long-Term Care Beneficiaries: An Analysis of Spending Patterns," Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: The issue brief by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured examines costs related to Medicaid beneficiaries who use long-term care and acute care services. [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today]

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 18:41:55 GMT

State Watch | Massachusetts Pilot Project Will Pay Relatives ...
Kaiser network.org - Washington,DC,USA
... a disability at home, the Boston Globe reports. The program, which was enacted by the state Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the state Office of Medicaid, ...

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 12:17:33 GMT

Dementia Care Intervention Eases Burden For Families. Intervention sessions, individually tailored to help people caring for family members with dementia, show promise in reducing rates of clinical depression, according to a multi-site study co-authored by a University of Alabama researcher.Study results, publishing in the Nov. 21 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, indicate the intervention strategies can also significantly ease the burden and improve the quality of life for the caregiver. [click link for full article] [Alzheimer's / Dementia News From Medical News Today]

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 12:17:04 GMT

New Guide Designed For Eldercare Service Providers And Trainers. Nursesbooks.org, the publishing program of ANA has just released a dynamic, new practical guide created from interviews with nurses, educators, doctors, social workers, chaplains and long-term care administrators. Transformation Eldercare and its companion Facilitator's Guide are presents a wide array of practical concepts, resources, and higher education and training programs which can be applied to professional practice and for individual care givers of the elderly. [click link for full article] [Nursing News From Medical News Today]

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 11:54:48 GMT

Wider Use Of Home Oxygen Therapy Could Save Thousands Of Lives, Says RAND Study. A study expected to be published in the December issue of the medical journal Chest shows that Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receive only about half of the recommended medical care, with care varying significantly based on individual conditions. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. [click link for full article] [Caregivers / Homecare News From Medical News Today]

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 11:53:06 GMT

Federal Medicaid Commission Recommends More Flexibility For States; Some Democrats Oppose Proposal. A federal Medicaid commission appointed last year by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday issued a report to Congress that recommended placement of the sickest beneficiaries in managed care plans and additional flexibility for states to administer benefits under the program, CQ HealthBeat reports (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 11/17). [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today]

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 11:50:58 GMT

CMS Announces Accreditation Organizations For Suppliers Of Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics And Supplies, USA. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the names of eleven national accreditation organizations that will accredit suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) as meeting new quality standards under Medicare Part B. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today]

Home for the "Oldest Old"

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:23:07 GMT

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past 20 years, there has been a significant decline away from nursing home settings, particularly among the "oldest old" -- persons 85 and older. The Lewin Group, a nationally recognized health care and human services consulting firm, today released a new study describing this and other changes in the way frail older adults are supported in the United States. The study shows that since 1999, there has been an absolute decline of over eight percent in the number of nursing home residents age 65 and older -- from 1.44 million to 1.32 million.

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:24:48 GMT

U.S. Business Group Calls On Hospitals To Waive Payments For Certain Medical Errors. A group of large U.S. employers on Wednesday called on U.S. hospitals to apologize and waive costs for "never" events -- medical errors that the employers say should never occur and for which patients should not be billed -- the Chicago Tribune reports. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today]

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:14:42 GMT

The Role Of Metals In Alzheimer's Disease Explored. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating condition and its causes are still largely unknown. Various metals have been implicated as possible contributors to the development of AD. In a special double issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease published in November 2006, guest editors Andrei C. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today]

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:14:07 GMT

Depressed Seniors In Primary Care Benefit Most From Team Approach. Depressed older adults being treated in primary care settings do better with psychosocial therapies than with antidepressant medicines, suggests a new review of evidence.Furthermore, older adults with depression have the best response when these cognitive-behavioral therapies are delivered by interdisciplinary health teams, say reviewers led by psychologist Karyn Skultety. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today]

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:24:27 GMT

Medicare.gov Data Updates. This week data was updated on following Medicare.gov tools:
Medicare Options Compare
Medicare Options Compare
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder [Medicare.gov Site Updates]

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:23:19 GMT

Pharmacy Care Program Can Increase Medication Adherence In Elderly. Elderly patients will adhere more closely to their medication regimens if they have the benefit of a comprehensive pharmacy care program that includes patient education, specially packaged medications, and pharmacy follow-up, according to a study published today on the Journal of the American Medical Association's Web site (visit http://jama.ama-assn.org/). [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today]

http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=1010024WZURJ

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:14:26 GMT

Older people fall for a variety of reasons. Like young people, sometimes they trip on something, said Dr. Jeff Lesesne, a geriatrics specialist at Atlanta's Emory University. But he said many falls are associated with conditions of aging: vision loss; deterioration of the inner ear and other changes that affect balance; and loss of strength that prevents seniors from recovering from a stumble.

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 11:15:52 GMT

Custom-Packaged Pills Cut Confusion. In a new study, elderly people with heart disease were more likely to stick to complicated medication schedules when the pharmacist gave them their pills in morning, noon, and evening blister packs rather than pill bottles. [WebMD Health Headlines]

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 11:14:28 GMT

Alzheimer's Foundation Of America Sets Standard Of Excellence For Dementia Settings. As part of its ongoing efforts to raise the bar on dementia care, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) has developed a nationwide standard of excellence for settings that provide care to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. The new initiative, called Excellence in Care, involves on-site evaluations of dementia care settings and assistance in meeting the comprehensive set of standards. [click link for full article] [Alzheimer's / Dementia News From Medical News Today]

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 11:04:27 GMT

Kaiser Family Foundation Updates Medicare Drug Benefit Resources, Releases 'Snapshots' On Health Insurance. "Resources on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit," [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today]

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 11:03:48 GMT

Dems Call for Closing the "Donut Hole" in Medicare Plan. Last week, Democratic members of Congress and leaders of a group called Campaign for America's Future (CAF) held a press conference urging an end to the "donut hole" in prescription drug coverage for millions of seniors who receive Medicare. [Op Ed News - Medicare/Medicaid]

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 11:03:17 GMT

Counseling Alzheimer's Caregivers Postpones The Nursing Home. A program of individual and family counseling sessions and ongoing support for people who are caring for a husband or wife with Alzheimer's disease has a major impact on how long they can keep their spouses at home with them. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are a major reason why people are placed in nursing homes in the United States. [click link for full article] [Alzheimer's / Dementia News From Medical News Today]

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 11:12:00 GMT

Mississippi Administrators, Licensees Owe No Duty To Nursing Facility Residents. JACKSON, Miss. - The Mississippi Supreme Court on Oct. 26 found that a nursing home administrator and facility licensee do not owe a duty of care or a fiduciary duty to nursing home residents, saying such a requirement would be duplicative of the duties already owed by the nursing home business owner or proprietor (Guy J. Howard, et al. v. The Estate of Earline B. Harper, by and through Talmadge L. Harper, administrator of the Estate of Earline B. Harper, et al., No. 2005-IA-00115-SCT, and Guy J. Howard, et al. v. The Estate of Melvin Thead, by and through Sandra Patton, adminstratrix of the Estate of Melvin Thead, et al., No. 2005-IA-00117-SCT, Miss. Sup.; 2006 Miss. LEXIS 626). Full story on lexis.com [LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Nursing Home Liability Legal News]