Latest KFF Health News Stories
Paradise Lost: Wildfire Chases Seniors From Retirement Havens To Field Hospitals
Having fled quickly — often without medications, wheelchairs or pets to comfort them — refugees from the Camp Fire manage as best they can in makeshift shelters miles from home. A virus is spreading, and medical attention is spotty.
Who Knew? Life Begins (Again) At 65
Turning 65 is far more life-changing than turning 21 ever was.
The Storm Within: Protecting Loved Ones With Dementia During Florence
For families living with dementia, natural disasters can be particularly terrifying, heightening confusion, disorientation, anxiety and paranoia.
Day-Tripping To The Dispensary: Seniors In Pain Hop Aboard The Canna-Bus
Marijuana dispensaries are reaching out to seniors seeking help with the aches and pains of aging. They’re discovering an array of products, and some interesting side effects.
Creating Rituals To Honor The Dead At Long-Term Care Facilities
Death and its companion, grief, are often ignored at nursing homes and assisted living centers. Yet ignoring the loss can lead to depression, staff burnout and other problems.
HHS Watchdog To Probe Enforcement Of Nursing Home Staffing Standards
The study follows a Kaiser Health News and New York Times investigation that found nearly 1,400 nursing homes have reported fewer registered nurses on duty than Medicare requires or failed to provide reliable staffing information to the government.
Feel Like The Last Friend Standing? Here’s How To Cultivate New Buds As You Age.
Seniors who outlive their friends — and sometimes family members — know it’s tough to make new friends. But they also know it’s essential to well-being.
‘They Deserve It’: In Foster Homes, Veterans Are Cared For Like Family
With the motto “Where Heroes Meet Angels,” a small Veterans Affairs effort pairs vets in need of nursing home care with caregivers willing to share their homes. Medical foster homes save money, but it’s difficult to find enough spaces for all those who could benefit.
Family Caregivers Are Getting A Break — And Extra Coaching
Across the country, community groups, hospitals and government agencies are stepping in to support the estimated 42 million family caregivers.
Is There Such A Thing As Normal Aging?
Our experts track the signs of normal aging from ages 50 to 100 — and there are some surprises.
New Technologies Help Seniors Age In Place — And Not Feel Alone
Motion sensors, Alexa and other voice-assistive technologies give seniors the tools they need to live independently and safely.
Oregon Couple’s Final Days Captured In Intimate Aid-In-Dying Video
Dr. Charles Emerick and his wife, Francie, died together last spring after both being diagnosed with terminal illnesses. First, they let their daughter turn on the camera.
Skip The Rocking Chairs For These Rock Stars Of Aging
Two women, 80 and 91, from opposite poles, agree on the art of aging.
‘Put The Fire Under Us’: Church Spurs Parishioners To Plan For Illness And Death
Pastor Gloria White-Hammond wants to get all 600 congregants to write down their end-of-life wishes and discuss them with their families.
An Overlooked Epidemic: Older Americans Taking Too Many Unneeded Drugs
Researchers estimate that 25 percent of people ages 65 to 69 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions. But some doctors are trying to teach others about “deprescribing” or systematically discontinuing medicines that are inappropriate, duplicative or unnecessary.
Retirement’s Revolving Door: Why Some Workers Can’t Call It Quits
Baby boomers are deciding to return to the workplace because they miss the challenges, the accomplishments — and, most important, the people.
This Thanksgiving, Carve Out Time To Talk About End-Of-Life Wishes
A vital tradition is gaining steam as more families use the holiday gathering to discuss and document advance-care plans.
For Active Seniors, Cohousing Offers A Cozier Alternative To Downsizing
Far from a commune or coop, these planned villages are no less about cooperation and community.
New ‘Instructions’ Could Let Dementia Patients Refuse Spoon-Feeding
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can say in advance if and when they want caregivers to stop offering food and fluids by hand.
Amid For-Profit Surge, Rural Hospice Has Offered Free Care for 40 Years
Tiny Washington state hospice accepts no federal funds, relies on community volunteers and donations to serve the dying.
