Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Aging Roundup: Emergency Care; Elder Abuse; Alzheimer's; And Holiday Cheer
The Washington Post: Elder Abuse Happens More Than You Think. How To Spot The Signs.
Scams. Shady caregivers. Poor care. Elder mistreatment has many faces — from financial exploitation to physical and emotional abuse. About 10 percent of those 60 and older are reportedly affected by it in the United States. The chances of being abused rise for people who are in poor physical health, have experienced previous traumatic events or have dementia. Can you spot the signs of elder abuse? (Blakemore, 12/9)
The Washington Post: Emergency Care For Elderly Can Be Dangerous
In 2005, when physician Kevin Biese was a medical resident in Boston, a 92-year-old woman with a urinary tract infection arrived by ambulance at a hospital emergency room. Her behavior — confusion and lethargy — suggested she also was suffering from hypoactive delirium, a cognitive disorder. She was alone, without family or friends. The doctors decided to admit her, but a bed wasn’t yet available. So she had to wait. “She spent 24 hours on a cot in the hallway,” Biese recalls. “She came in during the day on a Thursday and was still there Friday morning. I got mad.” (Cimons, 12/8)
The Wall Street Journal: At Senior Centers, Holiday Cheer Is Targeted To Particular Age Issues
On a recent afternoon, Olga Calderon stretched her arms and practiced breathing exercises with a strand of sparkly holiday garland twirled around her fingers. The 73-year-old was at Sunnyside Community Services in Queens with about a dozen other older New Yorkers to take part in a regular group session that, during the holidays, is attuned to the unique pressures that some older people feel during this season: loneliness over loved ones who have died, worries about money and travel, and fears of icy sidewalks. (West, 12/9)
The Washington Post: Speaking Two Languages May Help The Aging Brain
Even when you’re fluent in two languages, it can be a challenge to switch back and forth smoothly between them. It’s common to mangle a split verb in Spanish, use the wrong preposition in English or lose sight of the connection between the beginning and end of a long German sentence. So, does mastering a second language hone our multitasking skills or merely muddle us up? (Skibba, 12/8)
NPR: Seniors Who Exercise Regularly May Have Younger Hearts, Muscles
We know we need to exercise for our health, but a lifelong exercise habit may also help us feel younger and stay stronger well into our senior years. In fact, people in their 70s who have been exercising regularly for decades seem to have put a brake on the aging process, maintaining the heart, lung, and muscle fitness of healthy people at least 30 years younger. (Neighmond, 12/10)
The Washington Post: Geriatricians Treat The Elderly But It's Not Easy To Know When You Need One
Once, turning 65 typically meant retirement, Medicare and the inevitable onset of physical decline. It also often signaled the need to search for a geriatrician, a doctor who specializes in caring for the complex medical problems of the elderly. But many of today’s older Americans are healthy, vigorous and mentally sound, with no urgent need to change doctors. They aren’t afflicted with age-related diseases or functional impairments. This raises interesting questions about when — and whether — those 65 and older need to make that switch. (Cimons, 12/8)
The Washington Post: Many Alzheimer's Patients Experience Strong Mood Swings Late In The Day. Scientists Aren't Sure Why.
Linda is one of millions worldwide who experience a clinical phenomenon called sundowning, typically seen in people suffering from dementia or cognitive impairment. Also known as sundown syndrome, sundowning refers to the emergence or worsening of neuropsychiatric symptoms such as agitation, aggression and disorientation in the late afternoon or early evening. Like some sort of spell has been cast, their behavior can switch from normal to highly erratic come nightfall. (Kim, 12/8)
The Washington Post: Alzheimer’s Leaves Marine With New Mission: Saving His Daughter
Andres Martin was on the couch in his Maryland home, surrounded by his family, when he started talking about how people view Alzheimer’s. They think of 70-year-olds and 80-year-olds, he said. They think of people who have already lived full lives. People who have already had children and maybe grandchildren. “That is not what it is,” Martin said. “This,” he said, gesturing toward his toddler daughter, who moments earlier had been blowing kisses, “is Alzheimer’s right here.” (Vargas, 12/8)
Chicago Tribune: Longtime Hospice Nurse Hopes To Fill Void In Care For Caregivers With Palos Facility
There are many scenarios that thrust people into the role of a non-professional caregiver, and as the Baby Boomer generation ages, it’s a role that’s becoming more common. But who’s out there to help the helpers? It’s a question a local nurse hopes to answer with the opening of the Caregiver Resource Center in Palos Health hospital in Palos Heights. ...[Kathy Beary] said the facility provides resources specifically for the people who find themselves in the position of providing care for a family member or loved one who is sick and in need of care. The adults who find themselves giving care are often overwhelmed, full of questions, and in need of emotional support themselves, she said. (Dargis, 12/7)
