Judith Graham

Judith Graham was a contributing columnist for KFF Health News until January 2025.

Cognitive Rehab May Help Older Adults Clear Covid-Related Brain Fog

KFF Health News Original

People whose brains have been injured by concussions, traumatic accidents, strokes, or neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease can benefit from targeted therapy. Experts also employ therapies for long-covid patients with memory and language problems.

‘True Cost of Aging’ Index Shows Many Seniors Can’t Afford Basic Necessities

KFF Health News Original

The Elder Index, developed by researchers at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, shows that nearly 5 million older women living alone, 2 million older men living alone, and more than 2 million older couples have incomes that make them economically insecure.

Seniors With Prediabetes Should Eat Better, Get Moving, but Not Fret Too Much About Diabetes

KFF Health News Original

About half of adults 65 and older have above-normal blood sugar levels that put them in the prediabetes category. Although that is a signal to improve your eating habits and get more exercise, researchers say only a small percentage of the group will develop diabetes.

¿Eres mayor y tienes síntomas de covid persistente? Esto es lo que deberías hacer

KFF Health News Original

Pero hay que tener en cuenta que muchos médicos de atención primaria no saben cómo identificar y tratar covid persistente. Si tu médico no puede ayudarte, considera que te remita a un especialista que atienda a pacientes con covid a largo plazo. Además, ármate de paciencia: las esperas para las citas son largas.

‘That’s Just Part of Aging’: Long Covid Symptoms Are Often Overlooked in Seniors

KFF Health News Original

Millions of older adults are grappling with long covid, yet the impact on them has received little attention even though research suggests seniors are more likely to develop the poorly understood condition than younger or middle-aged adults.

It’s Your Choice: You Can Change Your Views of Aging and Improve Your Life

KFF Health News Original

Becca Levy of Yale University talks with “Navigating Aging” columnist Judith Graham about how people can alter ingrained perceptions of aging — which are often formed unconsciously and are unrecognized.

To Families’ Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesn’t View Them as Essential Caregivers

KFF Health News Original

Relatives who often provide vital caregiving for nursing home residents say the lockdowns during the covid pandemic showed the need for family members to visit in person with their loved ones. About a dozen states have passed laws guaranteeing that right, and California is considering one.

Despite Seniors’ Strong Desire to Age in Place, the Village Model Remains a Boutique Option

KFF Health News Original

Membership-based villages help arrange services for seniors — such as handyman help or transportation to appointments — and provide social connections through classes, leisure opportunities, or community events. Despite great promise, they have been slow to expand because of difficulties raising funding and keeping people interested.

Patients Divided Over Alzheimer’s Drug: Is It a ‘Risk I’m Willing to Take’ or Just a ‘Magic Pill’?

KFF Health News Original

Medicare has proposed limiting coverage of Aduhelm, the costly new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and several prominent groups representing patients and their families are pressing the program to make it more widely available. But among individuals facing the disease, the outlook is more nuanced.

Families Complain as States Require Covid Testing for Nursing Home Visits

KFF Health News Original

Relatives say it is important they be allowed to go into nursing homes because staff shortages are affecting care. And many are still upset about lengthy separations from loved ones during lockdowns earlier in the pandemic.

As Covid Hits Nursing Homes’ Finances, Town Residents Fight to Save Alzheimer’s Facility

KFF Health News Original

Fear of covid has kept some adults from moving to nursing homes, and many facilities are in trouble financially. When Nevada, Missouri, officials announced they were planning to close a home specializing in dementia care, members of the community rose up in protest.