Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Older Americans Without Adult Children Need To Be Proactive In Creating Aging Plans, Experts Say
The New York Times: Single? No Kids? Don’t Fret: How To Plan Care In Your Later Years
Sarah Peveler lacks a support system that many older people count on: their adult children. But Ms. Peveler, 71, who is divorced and childless, said she was determined not to let fear of an uncertain future get the best of her. To help avoid the potential perils of a solitary old age, Ms. Peveler is carrying out a multipronged, go-it-alone plan. A key part of it was to find a small community where she could make friends and walk nearly everywhere, without worrying about the hazards of ice and snow. (Garland, 4/23)
The San Jose Mercury News: How Dementia Can Drain A Family’s Life Savings
If Denis Winter suffered from heart failure, cancer or almost any other deadly disease, his family could rest assured that his care would be largely covered by insurance. But Winter has Alzheimer’s disease. So the extraordinary cost of his care — $8,500 a month, or $102,000 a year — is borne entirely by his wife, Linda. It is quickly draining their lifetime of savings. (Krieger, 4/15)
The Washington Post: HIV-Infected People Are Living For Years, But Age-Related Diseases Set In Early
David Hardy has been treating HIV-infected patients since the early 1980s, when the epidemic began. In those days, people newly diagnosed with AIDS lived for only about six months. Hardy, an infectious-disease specialist and internist, was ecstatic when powerful new drug combinations came into widespread use in 1996, enabling HIV-infected people to measure their lives in decades rather than months. But in recent years, his euphoria has turned bittersweet. (Cimons, 4/14)
The Washington Post: Aging People Are Feeling Younger
We’ve heard all the cliches about aging: “You’re as young [or old] as you feel.” “Age is just a number.” “You’re not getting older, you’re getting better.” “Seventy is the new 50.” Well-intentioned, perhaps. Offensive, to some. Patronizing, to be sure. But could they be true? Maybe science has started to catch up with these tired phrases. Researchers have discovered that many people feel good about themselves as they get older. (Cimons, 4/14)
The Washington Post: Steps To Take To Live An Active And Happy Life When You're Old
In good weather, Sylvia Lask logs thousands of steps a day on her Fitbit as she pushes down New York City sidewalks with her walker. As frequently as once a week, she heads to Albany, walker and all, to lobby state government officials about mental-health issues. Florence Lee drives in to Manhattan on her own from Queens on Thursday nights during the New York Philharmonic’s season for performances of the vaunted orchestra. Larry White still travels around New York State, as he has for the past 10 years, to help prison inmates manage long sentences. (Bruno, 4/14)
The New York Times: The Clinical Trial Is Open. The Elderly Need Not Apply.
Dr. Ken Covinsky, a geriatrician and researcher, was sitting in his office at the San Francisco VA Medical Center last month, browsing through a medical journal on his computer. When he came across a study of sodium excretion, he waded into the abstract. The research team, mostly based at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had used 24-hour urine collections to estimate how much salt Americans take in each day. (Span, 4/13)
