Jan 29 Why hospice care could benefit your loved one sooner than you think By Leah Eskenazi, Family Caregiver Alliance Bettina’s dad Paul (89 years), a once robust and active man, was getting weaker every day due to heart failure. They met with a surgeon to consider his options but the proposed medical intervention was fraught with complications and no… Continue reading
Jan 14 How to prepare the health care system for an aging population By Laura Santhanam Taking a look at hospital discharges is one method researchers are using to understand what shifts in an aging population could mean for the health care system. Continue reading
Jan 11 Medicare begins paying doctors to coordinate chronic care for seniors By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press Starting this month, Medicare will pay primary care doctors a monthly fee to better coordinate care for the most vulnerable seniors - those with multiple chronic illnesses - even if they don't have a face-to-face exam. Continue reading
Jan 09 Navigating the complexity of a long-term care insurance policy By Laura Santhanam Long-term care insurance plans can be difficult to understand and families who use them are sometimes faced with navigating complex rules, all while caring for a loved one. Bradley Frigon with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys says the… Continue reading
Jan 08 How emerging technologies can help with care for ill or frail family members By Bonnie Lawrence, Family Caregiver Alliance We get news every day of remarkable developments in the tech world that claim to make our lives better, easier, or more organized. For families and friends caring at home for ill or frail adults, innovations in health technology promise… Continue reading
Jan 05 Experimental program helps seniors move out of the nursing home By Sarah Jane Tribble, WCPN The average costs for an individual in the experimental program (which is called Money Follows the Person) is $49,000. Under traditional Medicaid it costs about $64,000 annually for nursing home care in Ohio. Continue reading
Dec 24 Why and when denial is good for caregivers By Sherri Snelling, Next Avenue A persistent state of denial paralyzes caregivers and can ultimately impede the advocacy and support your loved one needs. And yet, some experts believe denial can be an effective tool for caregivers. Going there temporarily can let you focus on… Continue reading
Dec 19 Watch Teens and elders bridge generation gap and digital divide By PBS NewsHour There are fewer and fewer opportunities for senior citizens and millennials to encounter one another in daily life. The NewsHour’s Mary Jo Brooks reports from Denver on two organizations that pair adolescents to help elders with household tasks and digital… Continue watching
Dec 19 89-year-old retired educator writes an ode to young mentors By Mary Jo Brooks Eighty nine year-old retired educator Kevin Bunnell writes a poem in honor of the 16-year-old Mikinly Sullivan, who once a week comes to the Frasier Meadows retirement community in Boulder, Colorado as part of a Cyber Seniors program. The program… Continue reading
Dec 18 The secret ingredient for getting through holiday stress? Gratitude By Leah Eskenazi, Family Caregiver Alliance Navigating through a jolly holiday season and wishes for a wonderful new year when living with a chronic, debilitating health condition or caring for someone might have you thinking, “this is no holiday!” But researchers are documenting how expressing thanks… Continue reading