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Home care and hospice providers set to participate in NAHC's March on Washington

This weekend, hundreds of home care and hospice providers arrive in Washington, DC, for the National Association for Home Care & Hospice March on Washington taking place March 22-25, 2015. NAHC’s conference will raise awareness of key policy issues impacting providers and their ability to care for the growing number of Americans who rely on home health.

20 Mar 2015

Health care system-level factors may increase likelihood of medication adherence among seniors

Specific system-level factors controlled by health care systems - including prescriptions with a medication supply greater than 90 days, mail-order pharmacy use, and lower copayments and out-of-pocket maximums - nearly doubled the likelihood that patients adhered to prescribed heart and diabetes medications, according to a new study published in the journal Medical Care.

18 Mar 2015

Obese older adults have higher rate of hospitalizations, ER admissions

Obesity is associated with substantial increases in older adults' hospitalizations, emergency room admissions and use of outpatient health care services, according to a new study of 172,866 Medicare Advantage members throughout the U.S.

9 Mar 2015

Raising sale age for tobacco products to 21 may prevent adolescents from taking up smoking

Raising the minimum age to buy cigarettes to 21 would save lives by preventing adolescents from ever taking up smoking, a new report suggests.

4 Mar 2015

Autism Speaks' affiliate DELSIA announces new funding for clinical trial of cognitive video game

Autism Speaks' not-for-profit affiliate Delivering Scientific Innovation for Autism has announced new funding for clinical testing of a cognitive video game designed to improve executive function skills in children and adolescents with autism.

3 Mar 2015

New study examines risk factors for use of synthetic marijuana among teens

Synthetic cannabinoids ("synthetic marijuana"), with names like Spice, K2, Scooby Doo and hundreds of others, are often sold as a "legal" alternative to marijuana. Often perceived as a safe legal alternative to illicit drug use, synthetic marijuana use was associated with 11,561 reports of poisonings in the United States between January 2009 and April 2012.

3 Mar 2015

Governor Tom Wolf announces new initiative to improve care for seniors in Pennsylvania

Today, Governor Tom Wolf unveiled a package of legislative and budgetary actions to provide choice and protections for seniors as they age. Governor Wolf, the Department of Human Services and the PA Department of Aging are committed to increasing opportunities for seniors to receive care in a home or community-based setting.

28 Feb 2015

Honourable Alice Wong highlights government's work to tackle issues facing seniors in Canada

The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), highlighted the Government of Canada's work to tackle issues facing seniors in Canada in a speech delivered during her visit to the Richmond Hill Mon Sheong Care Complex.

28 Feb 2015

Study shows physical similarities, differences between extrovert types in the brain

Everyday experience and psychological studies alike tell us that there are two different types of extroverts: The gregarious "people-persons" who find reward in sharing affection and affiliation with others, and the ambitious "go-getters" who flash those bright-white smiles in their pursuit of achievement and leadership agendas.

27 Feb 2015

NUS, Washington University jointly open new research institute to address social challenges

The National University of Singapore Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has partnered the Washington University in St. Louis to set up a dedicated research institute - the Next Age Institute (NAI) - to study, design and test social innovations to address complex social issues surrounding families, communities and societies in Singapore and around the world.

23 Feb 2015

NCOA, DPS Health form strategic alliance to improve health of older Americans

The National Council on Aging has formed a multi-year strategic alliance with DPS Health, a leader in clinically-proven online and mobile behavior change interventions for the emergent-risk population.

19 Feb 2015

Study finds link between type 2 diabetes and reduction of certain cognitive abilities

Type 2 diabetes is associated with worse performance on cognitive tests measuring abilities involved in the control of emotions, behaviours and thought, says a new study from the University of Waterloo.

15 Feb 2015

Smart watch that remotely monitors real-time health status of older adults

The trend of wearable devices (smart accessories) like bracelets, sunglasses and watches, is rarely focused on the elderly population. However, Mexican Francisco Lopez-Lira Fennel, who lives in Spain, wants these devices to be used by older adults benefiting them with the first smart watch that remotely monitors real-time health status.

9 Feb 2015

Prevalence of geriatric conditions among older, insured patients with diabetes vary little by ethnicity

In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers found that the prevalence of geriatric conditions and diabetic complications among older, insured patients with diabetes did not vary significantly by ethnicity.

9 Feb 2015

Medicare coverage of CT lung cancer screening can save more lives

Medicare's final decision to cover computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening gives seniors at high-risk for the disease access to care that can save more lives than any cancer screening test in history.

8 Feb 2015

Free dementia workshops to be held at Houston's Alzheimer's Association

Since December 2003, Marsene Boldt, RN, has been providing care services for Houston area residents with her At Your Side Home Care location at 16868 Royal Crest Dr.

4 Feb 2015

Home health leaders raise concerns over proposed budget cuts and copayments on Medicare beneficiaries

Leaders in the home health community raised concerns today in response to President Obama's Fiscal Year 2016 budget that calls for the re-imposition of a copayment on Medicare home health beneficiaries.

4 Feb 2015

Greater Chicago Food Depository receives $1 million to support hunger-relief among older adults

The Greater Chicago Food Depository received $1 million Thursday from Chicago-based real estate investment trust Ventas, Inc. to support hunger-relief among older adults.

31 Jan 2015

Childhood stress, psychiatric disorders linked to cellular changes that cause aging

In a new study published online in Biological Psychiatry on January 16, 2015, researchers from Butler Hospital identify an association between biological changes on the cellular level and both childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders.

21 Jan 2015

Almost 42% of US drinkers use alcohol-interactive prescription medications, study finds

Approximately 71 percent of American adults drink alcohol. While alcohol interacts negatively with a number of commonly prescribed medications, little is known on a population level about the use of alcohol-interactive (AI) prescription medication among US drinkers. A new study has found that almost 42 percent of drinkers in the US population have used one or more alcohol-interactive prescription medications.

17 Jan 2015