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ALFA recognizes Emeritus Senior Living with 2010 Best of the Best Award

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) has awarded Emeritus Senior Living, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, its prestigious 2010 Best of the Best Award, a national recognition reserved for the nation's most innovative and effective business practices in the senior living industry. 2010 winners will be profiled in the May/June issue of ALFA's flagship magazine, Assisted Living Executive.

25 May 2010

HHS 'special mailing' on health law's immediate Medicare benefits sparks GOP grumbles

CQ HealthBeat: "Education or propaganda? Or 'beyond propaganda?' The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday that it will soon send Medicare beneficiaries a special mailing on 'the immediate benefits they may see' from the health care overhaul law. Getting accurate information about key provisions of the law will help Medicare enrollees 'to be on the alert for any scams asking for personal information,' explained acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner in an agency news release Monday.

25 May 2010

Aging-at-home concept should provide mobility assistance, says AAHomecare president

At a town hall meeting a year ago, President Obama said that home-based care could play a major role in controlling Medicare costs by keeping older people out of more expensive institutional care.

25 May 2010

Round-up: Mississippi struggles with mental health services funding cuts; A drug discount bill advances in Mass.

"Lawmakers earlier this year vigorously fought Gov. Haley Barbour's proposal to close four state mental health hospitals and six crisis centers as a budget-saving measure. Now, nonprofit-run centers that offer front-line services for the mentally ill in some of the poorest communities across Mississippi could face closure."

25 May 2010

Lawmakers could vote this week on three-year 'doc fix,' COBRA subsidy extension

Before they leave for the Memorial Day recess, lawmakers face legislation which includes a provision on Medicare payments to physicians and an extension of the COBRA subsidy to newly laid-off workers.

24 May 2010

Research roundup: Lessons from Medicare Part D; Evaluating medical homes; Insuring young adults

Lessons Learned: Who Didn't Enroll In Medicare Drug Coverage In 2006, And Why? - With data from the 2005 and 2006 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, this study examines enrollment of those who were previously without either public or private sources of prescription drug coverage. The authors report "63 percent of all eligible seniors and 69 percent of low-income beneficiaries were enrolled in Part D in 2006.

24 May 2010

Democrats push three-year Medicare 'doc fix' as part of larger tax bill

A proposal to stop planned payment cuts to Medicare doctors for three years is in a bill extending tax cuts and lengthening unemployment benefits.

21 May 2010

Consumers roundup: More patients choose high-deductible plans; Many neglect doctors medication directions

"The number of Americans enrolled in high-deductible health plans has risen to more than 10 million but still represents a small portion of the insurance market, according to a report from insurance group America's Health Insurance Plans. Enrollments in these high-deductible health plans, which typically are paired with tax-free health savings accounts or health-reimbursement arrangements, are up about 25 percent from last year, the report said" (5/20).

21 May 2010

More than 44% Canadian seniors living in residential care homes diagnosed with depression: CIHI study

More than two in five (44%) Canadian seniors living in residential care homes are diagnosed with or have symptoms of depression, according to a new study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

21 May 2010

Ariz. tax hike only a band-aid, and other state tales of budget woes

The Wall Street Journal: States are being squeezed by "shrinking state budgets and rising health-care costs" and often vulnerable residents are paying the price. Barbara Hickey, 67 of Florence, S.C., is one of them. She is confined to a motorized wheelchair, lives alone and "relies on certified nurse's assistants to get her in and out of bed, bathed, clothed and fed."

21 May 2010

Safeway Step receives 2010 Caregiver Friendly Award

Safeway Safety Step, LLC has recently been recognized by two national organizations renowned for their service and education in aiding caregivers and seniors remaining in their homes or aging in place. The Safeway Step is a product and installation method designed to provide an economical renovation option for individuals and facilities interested in easier access into the bathtub area.

20 May 2010

Seniors, low-income earners more likely to be long-term users of benzodiazepines: Study

Drugs to treat anxiety and sleep disorders are still being prescribed for extended periods to British Columbian patients - and increasingly so for baby boomers - despite warnings against long-term use, according to a University of British Columbia study.

20 May 2010

Non-adherence to medication increases risk of falling in older adults

Older adults increase their chances of falling by not taking their medications as directed, according to an article in the latest edition of the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences (Volume 65A, Number 5). This new information comes from a recent study of Boston-area residents over age 70, which found that those who sometimes neglected their medications experienced a 50 percent increased rate of falls compared with those who did not.

20 May 2010

Health care high school to open in Chicago

Crain's Chicago Business reports that, in the fall, the city will open its "first charter high school specializing in health care, a move local hospitals hope will help relieve chronic workforce shortages. ... Juniors and seniors will be able to earn credits by shadowing hospital workers and interning as assistant nurses and in other professions."

20 May 2010

Use of life-ending drugs without explicit patient request occurs in hospital, among elderly patients

Despite fears to the contrary, the use of drugs to end life without patient request has not increased since euthanasia was legalized in Belgium, states an article in CMAJ.

19 May 2010

Physicians opting out of some insurance create two-tiered medical system

The Fiscal Times: "A small but growing number of physicians are ... abandoning traditional insurance-based practice to offer VIP treatment, including more time with patients, in return for upfront fees. In one common setup, often called concierge or retainer-based medicine, a primary care doctor charges an annual fee ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 just to get in the door.

19 May 2010

Market for telehealth and home health monitoring to grow up to $7.7 billion by 2012: Survey

AMERICAN TELEMEDICINE ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING - Health care delivery in the United States will undergo dramatic changes over the next 10 years through the adoption of telehealth, according to a national survey of health care and information technology professionals sponsored by Intel Corporation.

19 May 2010

PCMA releases statement on AARP's report on price increase in brand name prescriptions

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association released the following statement on a new report from AARP that found that the price of brand name prescriptions most widely used by Medicare beneficiaries increased by 9.7 percent in the 12 months ending with March 2010 and was much higher than the rate of increase observed during any of the prior eight years

19 May 2010

To sell plan, White House officials focus on four key aspects of health reform

White House officials eager to sell the most popular aspects of the health reform law are focusing on four areas to gain votes and popularity for key lawmakers ahead of November's midterm elections.

19 May 2010

Altered blood flow leads to falls in elderly people: Research

A new study shows that altered blood flow in the brain due to high blood pressure and other conditions may lead to falls in elderly people. The research will be published in the May 18, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Each year, unintentional falls in the United States account for more than 16,000 deaths and 1.8 million emergency room visits.

18 May 2010

Seniors News and Research

ALFA recognizes Emeritus Senior Living with 2010 Best of the Best Award

HHS 'special mailing' on health law's immediate Medicare benefits sparks GOP grumbles

Aging-at-home concept should provide mobility assistance, says AAHomecare president

Round-up: Mississippi struggles with mental health services funding cuts; A drug discount bill advances in Mass.

Lawmakers could vote this week on three-year 'doc fix,' COBRA subsidy extension

Research roundup: Lessons from Medicare Part D; Evaluating medical homes; Insuring young adults

Democrats push three-year Medicare 'doc fix' as part of larger tax bill

Consumers roundup: More patients choose high-deductible plans; Many neglect doctors medication directions

More than 44% Canadian seniors living in residential care homes diagnosed with depression: CIHI study

Ariz. tax hike only a band-aid, and other state tales of budget woes

Safeway Step receives 2010 Caregiver Friendly Award

Seniors, low-income earners more likely to be long-term users of benzodiazepines: Study

Non-adherence to medication increases risk of falling in older adults

Health care high school to open in Chicago

Use of life-ending drugs without explicit patient request occurs in hospital, among elderly patients

Physicians opting out of some insurance create two-tiered medical system

Market for telehealth and home health monitoring to grow up to $7.7 billion by 2012: Survey

PCMA releases statement on AARP's report on price increase in brand name prescriptions

To sell plan, White House officials focus on four key aspects of health reform

Altered blood flow leads to falls in elderly people: Research

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