Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dutch Move Away From Medical Approach To Alzheimer's And More Toward Reducing Stress
The New York Times: Take A Look At These Unusual Strategies For Fighting Dementia
“We’re lost,” said Truus Ooms, 81, to her friend Annie Arendsen, 83, as they rode a city bus together. “As the driver, you should really know where we are,” Ms. Arendsen told Rudi ten Brink, 63, who sat at the wheel of the bus. But she was joking. (Schuetze, 8/22)
Sacramento Bee: How UCD Research Could Unlock Clues To Alzheimer’s
Medical researchers know the enemy that 12-year-old Jordan Lang and at least 66 other children are confronting. It’s a gene mutation that also has been linked to autism, Alzheimer’s disease and even cancer. What researchers lack is a treatment or cure and — until now — the funding for the work they must do to find one, said UC Davis researchers Kyle Fink and Jan Nolta. (Anderson, 8/22)
In other news on aging —
MPR: Improving The Way Health Care Workers Talk About Death
End of life care prompts a lot of difficult decisions; figuring out how to start a conversation about death shouldn't be one of them. A national survey found that about 46 percent of physicians feel uncertain about what to say. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article urging doctors and hospitals to focus on providing high-quality end of life care that is in line with what the patient's desires. (Miller and Fornoff, 8/22)
Kaiser Health News: A Late-Life Surprise: Taking Care Of Frail, Aging Parents
“This won’t go on for very long,” Sharon Hall said to herself when she invited her elderly mother, who’d suffered several small strokes, to live with her. That was five years ago, just before Hall turned 65 and found herself crossing into older age. In the intervening years, Hall’s husband was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and forced to retire. Neither he nor Hall’s mother, whose memory had deteriorated, could be left alone in the house. Hall had her hands full taking care of both of them, seven days a week. (Graham, 8/23)
