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As covid slogs on, seniors find fortitude waning and malaise growing

Late one night in January, Jonathan Coffino, 78, turned to his wife as they sat in bed. "I don't know how much longer I can do this," he said, glumly.

18 Feb 2022

Why millions on Medicaid are at risk of losing coverage in the months ahead

The Biden administration and state officials are bracing for a great unwinding: millions of people losing their Medicaid benefits when the pandemic health emergency ends. Some might sign up for different insurance. Many others are bound to get lost in the transition.

14 Feb 2022

Spice could play a key role in reducing salt intake among seniors

Montero, M.L., et al. (2022) Saltiness perception in white sauce formulations as tested in older adults. Food Quality and Preference. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104529.

3 Feb 2022

Staff preconceptions about minoritized groups linked to variability in advanced dementia care

A new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine found several factors – including staff assumptions about minoritized groups – may play a role in the variability in the quality of care provided to U.S. nursing home residents with advanced dementia.

24 Jan 2022

Why Medicare doesn’t pay for rapid at-home covid tests

What group is especially vulnerable to the ravages of covid-19 even if fully vaccinated and boosted? Seniors. And who will have an especially tough time getting free at-home covid tests under the Biden administration's plan? Yes, seniors.

24 Jan 2022

Families complain as states require covid testing for nursing home visits

As covid-19 cases rise again in nursing homes, a few states have begun requiring visitors to present proof that they're not infected before entering facilities, stoking frustration and dismay among family members.

20 Jan 2022

A new paradigm is needed: Top experts question the value of advance care planning

For decades, Americans have been urged to fill out documents specifying their end-of-life wishes before becoming terminally ill — living wills, do-not-resuscitate orders, and other written materials expressing treatment preferences.

6 Jan 2022

As covid hits nursing homes’ finances, town residents fight to save Alzheimer’s facility

Marvin Querry, 86, was on his tractor, planting rye on his 770-acre western Missouri farm, when the call came in early November.

4 Jan 2022

Nursing homes bleed staff as amazon lures low-wage workers with prime packages

The sleek corporate offices of one of Amazon's air freight contractors looms over Villaspring of Erlanger, a stately nursing home perched on a hillside in this Cincinnati suburb.

23 Dec 2021

As patients fell ill with covid inside hospitals, government oversight fell short

One by one, the nurses taking care of actress Judi Evans at Riverside Community Hospital kept calling out sick.

23 Dec 2021

‘The charges seem crazy’: Hospitals impose a ‘facility fee’ — for a video visit

When Arielle Harrison's 9-year-old needed to see a pediatric specialist at Yale New Haven Health System in June, a telehealth visit seemed like a great option. Since her son wasn't yet eligible to be vaccinated against covid-19, they could connect with the doctor via video and avoid venturing into a germy medical facility.

17 Dec 2021

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Oh, oh, omicron

This week, the U.S. passed the milestone of 800,000 dead from covid-19, as hospitals are starting to fill following the Thanksgiving holiday and the ominous omicron variant starts to spread rapidly.

16 Dec 2021

Survey shows significant decrease in percentage of adolescents reporting substance use in 2021

The percentage of adolescents reporting substance use decreased significantly in 2021, according to the latest results from the Monitoring the Future survey of substance use behaviors and related attitudes among eighth, 10th, and 12th graders in the United States.

15 Dec 2021

Survey finds increase in American adults skipping medical care due to cost

Nearly one-third (30%) of Americans skipped needed medical care in the past three months due to cost, the highest reported number since the COVID-19 pandemic began and a threefold increase from March to October, according to the latest survey from the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization West Health and Gallup, the global analytics and advice firm.

14 Dec 2021

West Virginia Sen. Manchin takes the teeth out of Democrats’ plan for seniors’ dental care

Sharon Marchio misses having teeth for eating, speaking and smiling. For the past few years, after the last of her teeth were extracted, she's used dentures. "My dentist calls them my floating teeth because no matter how much adhesive you use, if you eat something hot or warm, they loosen up and it is a pain," said Marchio, 73, of Clarksburg, West Virginia.

10 Dec 2021

Health experts worry CDC’s covid vaccination rates appear inflated

For nearly a month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's online vaccine tracker has shown that virtually everyone 65 and older in the United States — 99.9% — has received at least one covid vaccine dose.

9 Dec 2021

Consuming a diet of pro-inflammatory foods linked to frailty risk in middle-aged and older adults

Results of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicate that regularly consuming a diet of pro-inflammatory foods (e.g., those rich in simple carbohydrates or in saturated fats) is associated with increased likelihood of developing frailty in middle-aged and older adults.

8 Dec 2021

Urinary incontinence could contribute to increased risk of falls in older adults

A team of University of Alberta researchers focused on aging Albertans has found that urinary incontinence could be a contributing factor in falls among older adults.

7 Dec 2021

Most U.S. states failed to prioritize cancer patients for COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Almost two-thirds of U.S. states failed to prioritize cancer patients for COVID-19 vaccinations, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

2 Dec 2021

For older adults, smelling the roses may be more difficult

The reports from covid-19 patients are disconcerting. Only a few hours before, they were enjoying a cup of pungent coffee or the fragrance of flowers in a garden. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, those smells disappeared.

1 Dec 2021