Why Glaring Quality Gaps Among Nursing Homes Are Likely To Grow If Medicaid Is Cut
Medicaid covers about two-thirds of nursing home residents, but it pays less than other types of insurance.
As Loyal Donors Age, Industry Is Out For Young Blood
Nearly 60 percent of the U.S. blood supply is provided by people older than 40 — and most of that is from folks in their 50s and 60s. Why is it so hard to find young donors?
Nowhere To Go: Young People With Severe Autism Languish In Hospitals
Some teens and young adults are spending weeks or even months in retrofitted emergency rooms — even in mesh-covered tents — until specialized care can be found. ‘It’s a huge problem,’ one doctor says.
Money-Saving Offer For Medicare’s Late Enrollees Is Expiring. Can They Buy Time?
Sept. 30 marks the end of Medicare’s temporary offer to waive penalties for certain late Medicare enrollees with Affordable Care Act insurance coverage.
Con dibujos, cuidadores encuentran apoyo para atender a un ser querido
Un proyecto con dibujos ayuda a los cuidadores a entender los lazos de afecto y apoyo que los rodean, lo que mejora la forma en que cuidan de un ser querido, y sus propias vidas.
Caregivers Draw Support By Mapping Their Relationships
Innovative CareMaps tool helps caregivers understand their roles and take steps to improve their lives.
Nursing Home Disaster Plans Often Faulted As ‘Paper Tigers’
Too often enforcement of rules for dealing with crisis is lax, advocates for nursing home residents say.
As Care Shifts From Hospital To Home, Guarding Against Infection Falls To Families
Despite a lack of medical training, relatives increasingly are assigned complex, risky medical tasks at home, such as maintaining catheters. If done incorrectly, blood clots, infections, even death can result.
This Gift Voucher Might Just Get You A Kidney
A retired California judge came up with the idea of donating his kidney to a stranger now to maximize his grandson’s prospects for such a donation later. The idea caught on.
Quiz: How Well Are You Paying Attention?
To strengthen your core knowledge of health care policy, it helps to be a regular reader of Kaiser Health News. Here’s a pop quiz to gauge what you have learned.
A Rare Dementia Gene Runs In The Family, But He’s Fine — So Far
A Washington state man inherited the mutated gene that stole his mother’s mind. He doesn’t have the disease, and doctors don’t know why.
Shedding New Light On Hospice Care: No Need To Wait For The ‘Brink Of Death’
Hospice care often prompts fear and misunderstanding, but the services provided can lead to less pain and trauma at the end of life.
The Secret To Chronic Happiness As You Age
Happy doesn’t always mean healthy. These older adults are still finding joy in spite of their physical challenges.
Algunos pacientes con cáncer de tiroides pueden retrasar la cirugía
Alrededor de un tercio de los pacientes con un tumor de tiroides de crecimiento lento, llamado cáncer de tiroides papilar, son elegibles para retrasar el tratamiento, según un nuevo estudio.
Some Thyroid Cancer Patients Can Safely Delay Surgery
Study suggests that many small tumors are sleepy, not deadly.
Soul Purpose: Seniors With Strong Reasons To Live Often Live Stronger
New research bolsters evidence that older adults with a sense of purpose are less likely to see their health decline with age. The question is: How does one cultivate more meaning and motivation in life?
Elder Abuse: ERs Learn How To Protect A Vulnerable Population
An emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Hospital trains staff to recognize signs of elder abuse and help victims.
Dying At Home In An Opioid Crisis: Hospices Grapple With Stolen Meds
As more patients receive hospice care at home, some of the powerful, addictive drugs they’re prescribed are ending up in the wrong hands.
Despite Advance Directive, Dementia Patient Denied Last Wish, Says Spouse
Oregon court says Alzheimer’s patient Nora Harris must be spoon-fed. But her husband says she never wanted to live like this.
Medicare Unveils ‘Skeletal’ Site For Hospice Comparison Shopping
This is the first federal website designed to help families choose a hospice, but experts aren’t impressed.
