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Are you an optimist? Could you learn to be? Your health may depend on it.

When you think about the future, do you expect good or bad things to happen? If you weigh in on the "good" side, you're an optimist. And that has positive implications for your health in later life.

13 Dec 2022

Study: Copayment elimination in primary care for the over-85s did not increase healthcare visits

Introducing copayment elimination in primary care in Sweden for the over-85s has not caused a rise in the number of health care visits.

12 Dec 2022

To attract in-home caregivers, California offers paid training — and self-care

One November afternoon, Chris Espedal asked a group of caregivers — all of whom work with people who have cognitive impairments, behavioral health issues, or complex physical needs — to describe what happens when their work becomes too much to bear.

9 Dec 2022

Exploring COVID-19 vaccination prioritization strategies for primary and booster doses

Researchers evaluated the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, prioritizing options for primary and booster doses.

8 Dec 2022

A family death during the holidays prompts questions and reflection

It wasn't the Thanksgiving holiday any of us had expected. Two weeks before, my 94-year-old father-in-law, Melvin Zax, suffered a stroke after receiving dialysis and was rushed to a hospital near his residence in western New York.

8 Dec 2022

Paxlovid has been free so far. Next year, sticker shock awaits.

Nearly 6 million Americans have taken Paxlovid for free, courtesy of the federal government. The Pfizer pill has helped prevent many people infected with covid-19 from being hospitalized or dying, and it may even reduce the risk of developing long covid.

7 Dec 2022

Assisted living facilities pressed to address growing needs of older, sicker residents

Assisted living communities too often fail to meet the needs of older adults and should focus more on residents' medical and mental health concerns, according to a recent report by a diverse panel of experts.

5 Dec 2022

More than half of U.S. adults weren’t concerned about the flu season, survey shows

As flu-related hospitalizations soar to record early season levels, the American Heart Association, a global force for longer, healthier lives for all, is concerned many people will be caught off-guard by this health threat and urges prompt vaccination against the virus.

30 Nov 2022

Mediterranean diet provides many benefits to overweight and obese seniors

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines overweight and obesity as excessive fat accumulations, posing health risks. A Spanish survey indicated a significant increase in obesity (from 7.4 % to 17.4%.) between 1987 and 2017. Interestingly, it was observed that obesity is more prevalent in men than in women who are below 65 years of age. However, beyond the age of 65, obesity in women outnumbered men.

29 Nov 2022

An unexplained injury discovered after eye surgery. What should happen next?

When Jerry Bilinski, a 67-year-old retired social worker, scheduled cataract surgery with Carolina Eye Associates near his home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he expected no drama, just a future with better vision.

29 Nov 2022

An analysis of COVID-19's dynamics, its impact on various age groups, anti-vaxxers and re-infection

Researchers developed a novel model to estimate SARS-CoV-2 infections and associated mortality by age.

28 Nov 2022

Should older seniors risk major surgery? New research offers guidance

Nearly 1 in 7 older adults die within a year of undergoing major surgery, according to an important new study that sheds much-needed light on the risks seniors face when having invasive procedures.

28 Nov 2022

Audits — hidden until now — reveal millions in Medicare Advantage overcharges

Newly released federal audits reveal widespread overcharges and other errors in payments to Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors, with some plans overbilling the government more than $1,000 per patient a year on average.

21 Nov 2022

Medicare plan finder likely won’t note new $35 cap on out-of-pocket insulin costs

A big cut in prescription drug prices for some Medicare beneficiaries kicks in next year, but finding those savings isn't easy.

15 Nov 2022

Sick profit: Investigating private equity’s stealthy takeover of health care across cities and specialties

Two-year-old Zion Gastelum died just days after dentists performed root canals and put crowns on six baby teeth at a clinic affiliated with a private equity firm.

14 Nov 2022

Homelessness among older people is on the rise, driven by inflation and the housing crunch

On a recent rainy afternoon in this small town just outside Glacier National Park, Lisa Beaty and Kim Hilton were preparing to sell most of their belongings before moving out of their three-bedroom, two-bathroom rental home.

10 Nov 2022

New ‘guard rails’ could significantly bolster high quality care using telehealth

Today's telemedicine providers are only scratching the surface of what's possible in providing high-quality healthcare to people who need it most-;and especially to older adults who benefit greatly from its accessibility, according to researchers and clinical experts from West Health.

7 Nov 2022

Hurricane Ian’s deadly impact on Florida seniors exposes need for new preparation strategies

All kinds of natural disasters — hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, dangerous heat waves — pose substantial risks to older adults. Yet, not enough seniors prepare for these events in advance, and efforts to encourage them to do so have been largely unsuccessful.

2 Nov 2022

Hospitals said they lost money on Medicare patients. Some made millions, a state report finds.

Atrium Health, the largest hospital system in North Carolina, has declared publicly that in 2019 it provided $640 million in services to Medicare patients that were never paid for, by far the largest "community benefit" it provided that year.

25 Oct 2022

Drivers in decline: A shortage of volunteers complicates access to care in rural America

Several times a month, Jim Maybach drives 5 miles from his house in Hay Creek, Minnesota, toward the Mississippi River.

24 Oct 2022