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Observational cohort study of long COVID among 2 million elderly adults

Research estimates the incidence of long COVID and long Flu among Medicare patients using the World Health Organization (WHO) consensus definition. The study compares the incidence, symptomatology, and healthcare utilization between long COVID and long flu patients.

20 Apr 2023

California’s Medicaid experiment spends money to save money — and help the homeless

Sporting a bright smile and the polished Super Bowl ring he won as a star NFL player in the late 1980s, Craig McEwen doesn't fit the archetype of someone teetering on the brink of homelessness.

19 Apr 2023

Soaring healthcare costs for RSV-related complications in US seniors 60 plus

In a recent study published in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases, researchers explored the correlation between complications caused by a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the associated healthcare costs.

18 Apr 2023

Practicing and listening to music could prevent working memory decline

Normal aging is associated with progressive cognitive decline. But can we train our brain to delay this process? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), HES-SO Geneva and EPFL has discovered that practicing and listening to music can alter cognitive decline in healthy seniors by stimulating the production of grey matter.

17 Apr 2023

People with Down syndrome are living longer, but the health system still treats many as kids

It took Samantha Lesmeister's family four months to find a medical professional who could see that she was struggling with something more than her Down syndrome.

17 Apr 2023

The rate of older Californians dying of malnutrition has accelerated

A growing number of California's oldest residents are dying of malnutrition, a yearslong trend that accelerated during the covid pandemic.

13 Apr 2023

The ‘unwinding’ of Medicaid

Several states have begun the herculean task of redetermining how many of an estimated 85 million Americans currently receiving health coverage through the Medicaid program are still eligible.

6 Apr 2023

Fatigue is common among older adults, and it has many possible causes

Nothing prepared Linda C. Johnson of Indianapolis for the fatigue that descended on her after a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer in early 2020.

4 Apr 2023

Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections found to be low among vaccinated nursing home residents

A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Directors (JAMDA) found that the risk of severe COVID-19 illness among nursing home residents with complete vaccination are low.

3 Apr 2023

What impact does BMI have on the psychological health of oldest old individuals?

A recent study aimed to determine the association of mental health issues associated with BMI and gender in the oldest old population.

31 Mar 2023

Study reveals dramatic rise in drug overdose fatalities among older adults in the past two decades

Overdose mortality among people age 65 and older quadrupled over 20 years, suggesting the need for greater mental health and substance use disorder policies addressed at curbing the trend, a new research paper finds.

29 Mar 2023

The policy, and politics, of Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage, the private-sector alternative to original Medicare, now enrolls nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries.

23 Mar 2023

Being ‘socially frail’ comes with health risks for older adults

Consider three hypothetical women in their mid-70s, all living alone in identical economic circumstances with the same array of ailments: diabetes, arthritis, and high blood pressure.

23 Mar 2023

Decision tool halves the use of antibiotics against urinary tract infections

As an international study involving University of Gothenburg researchers has shown, a decision tool for health professionals has proved capable of halving the use of antibiotics against urinary tract infections while maintaining patient safety.

22 Mar 2023

A lot of thought, little action: Proposals about mental health go unheeded

Thousands of people struggle to access mental health services in Florida. The treatment system is disjointed and complex.

22 Mar 2023

Mental health care by video fills gaps in rural nursing homes

Bette Helm was glad to have someone to talk with about her insomnia.

21 Mar 2023

Delirium linked with 40% acceleration in the rate of cognitive decline

Research published today in the JAMA Internal Medicine finds that developing postoperative delirium is associated with a 40% faster rate of cognitive decline over those who do not develop delirium.

20 Mar 2023

Seniors with anxiety frequently don’t get help. Here’s why.

Anxiety is the most common psychological disorder affecting adults in the U.S. In older people, it's associated with considerable distress as well as ill health, diminished quality of life, and elevated rates of disability.

10 Mar 2023

Dementia the strongest risk factor for infection with COVID-19 in older people

In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, dementia was the dominant risk factor for the disease among residents of Swedish nursing homes.

8 Mar 2023

Eliminating medication copays does not reduce cardiovascular-related chronic conditions

Providing medications for chronic diseases—for example, cholesterol-lowering, blood pressure and diabetes medications—free of charge for three years did not have a significant impact on serious health outcomes associated with those conditions among low-income seniors in Canada, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology.

5 Mar 2023