Aging & Medicare 040820
Nursing Homes Have Thousands Of Ventilators That Hospitals Desperately Need
Joanne Faryon
The prospect raises a grim dilemma: Should doctors take people off life support in order to save COVID-19 patients who might recover?
Inside Meals On Wheels’ Struggle To Keep Older Americans Fed During A Pandemic
Bruce Horovitz
Its older volunteers are staying home and its clients, mostly age 75 and up, are more vulnerable than ever.
‘Staying Away From Grandma’ Isn’t An Option In Multigenerational Homes
Cara Anthony
About 1 in 5 U.S. residents live in multigenerational households. Many of those have three or more generations all under one roof. While the living arrangement has financial and emotional benefits, those families face a unique set of challenges as COVID-19 continues to spread.
Pandemic Delays Federal Probe Into Medicare Advantage Health Plans
Fred Schulte
Government officials want to focus on fighting COVID-19 instead of recouping overcharges that run into the millions.
Sheltered At Home, Families Broach End-Of-Life Planning
JoNel Aleccia
Barbara Dreyfuss died March 1 after contracting COVID-19 at a Seattle-area nursing home. Her earlier decision to document her final wishes may offer an example for families as the deadly virus spurs interest in end-of-life care.
Resurge la telemedicina, por miedo al coronavirus y cambios en los pagos
Phil Galewitz
Millones de estadounidenses buscan atención conectándose electrónicamente con un médico, muchos por primera vez. Una práctica segura para atender a ciertas condiciones y seguimientos.
Telemedicine Surges, Fueled By Coronavirus Fears And Shift In Payment Rules
Phil Galewitz
Millions of Americans are suddenly seeking care by connecting with a doctor electronically. Helping drive that trend, medical providers can now charge as much as they would for an office visit.
Federal Judge Rules Medicare Patients Can Challenge ‘Observation Care’ Status
Susan Jaffe
Hundreds of thousands of people will be able to appeal hospitals’ decisions to classify them as “observation care” patients instead of inpatients, under a ruling last week in a class action suit.
‘Red Dawn Breaking Bad’: Officials Warned About Safety Gear Shortfall Early On, Emails Show
Rachana Pradhan and Christina Jewett
As President Donald Trump called the nation “in good shape” to handle COVID-19, a cache of emails released by officials in Washington state show that top public health authorities feared gear shortages and doctor safety in the early epicenter of sickness and deaths.
Should You Bring Mom Home From Assisted Living During The Pandemic?
Judith Graham
Families are weighing the challenges of providing home care with the isolation or potential danger of leaving folks in senior housing or long-term care.
Shortfall Of Comfort Care Signals Undue Suffering For Coronavirus Patients
Liz Szabo
Families worry that overwhelmed hospitals won’t be able to provide palliative care for loved ones stricken with COVID-19.
Look-Up: Check Out Infection Records Of 15,000 U.S. Nursing Homes
This online map shows which of the 15,000 nursing homes in the U.S. have been cited for infection-control violations and how serious those infractions are.
How Well Does Your Nursing Home Fight Infections? Look It Up Here
Jordan Rau and Elizabeth Lucas
More nursing homes have been faulted for failing to follow practices designed to prevent and control infections than for any other type of error. Such lapses have become matters of heightened concern with the spread of the coronavirus this spring, especially as the virus is a bigger threat to the elderly.
Millions Of Older Americans Live In Counties With No ICU Beds As Pandemic Intensifies
Fred Schulte and Elizabeth Lucas and Jordan Rau and Liz Szabo and Jay Hancock
A Kaiser Health News analysis shows that counties with ICUs average one ICU bed for every 1,300 older residents, those most at risk for needing hospitalization.
Amid Pandemic, Programs Struggle To Reach Vulnerable Seniors Living At Home
Judith Graham
Older adults are at serious risk during this pandemic and have been advised to avoid contact with others. Yet many still need essential services, and programs are scrambling to adapt.
Does Everyone Over 60 Need To Take The Same Coronavirus Precautions?
Judith Graham
Just how careful should older people be? Here’s what geriatricians think is reasonable.
Coronavirus Patients Caught In Conflict Between Hospital And Nursing Homes
Judith Graham
Hospitals need to clear out patients who no longer need acute care. But nursing homes are alarmed at the prospect of taking patients who may have the coronavirus.
Coronavirus: ¿todos los mayores de 60 años necesitan tomar las mismas precauciones?
Judith Graham
¿Son necesarias las precauciones como las que respaldan los CDC para todos los adultos mayores?, ¿Incluso en áreas donde el nuevo coronavirus todavía no parece estar circulando ampliamente?
¿Deberías sacar a tus padres de hogares y llevarlos a tu casa durante la pandemia?
Judith Graham
Las familias se enfrentan a ese dilema. En los hogares de vida asistida los adultos mayores tienen alimentos y cuidado médico. En la casa tienen el amor de la familia.
Escasez de cuidados paliativos provoca dolor extra a pacientes con coronavirus
Liz Szabo
A algunos expertos les preocupa que la escasez de estos profesionales pueda dejar a muchos pacientes de COVID-19 en estado grave en una situación de angustia.