Assisted Living Kicks Out The Frail ’Cause ‘We Can’t Take Care Of You Any Longer’
By Judith Graham
September 6, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Is there anything families can do to fight these evictions?
Crear rituales para honrar a los muertos en los centros de vida asistida
By Judith Graham
September 4, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Nuevos programas de ayuda abordan un problema pocas veces tratado: el dolor de amigos de residencia y personal cuando muere un adulto mayor en un centro de vida asistida.
No Gaps In Understanding: Here’s Your Primer On Medigap Coverage
By Judith Graham
July 26, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Seniors often don’t realize that private insurers are required to offer Medigap policies, or supplemental insurance, only when people first sign up for Medicare.
Suspension Of California’s Aid-In-Dying Law Leaves Sick Patients In Limbo
By JoNel Aleccia
June 5, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Doctors have stopped writing lethal prescriptions and pharmacists have stopped filling them after a court fight over how the law was enacted.
Creating Rituals To Honor The Dead At Long-Term Care Facilities
By Judith Graham
September 4, 2018
KFF Health News Original
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.
Medicare Financial Outlook Worsens
By Phil Galewitz
June 5, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The Medicare board of trustees said the program’s hospital insurance trust fund could run out of money by 2026, three years earlier than previously forecast.
Barbara Bush’s End-Of-Life Decision Stirs Debate Over ‘Comfort Care’
By Melissa Bailey and JoNel Aleccia
April 16, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The former first lady’s announcement “not to seek additional medical treatment” and to focus on “comfort care” shone a light on end-of-life choices.
9/11 Detective Who Pleaded With Congress Over Victims Fund Dies Of Cancer At Age 53
July 1, 2019
Morning Briefing
Despite his illness, Luis Alvarez appeared with comedian Jon Stewart to urge Congress to authorize longterm health care funding for 9/11 first responders. “You all said you would never forget. Well, I’m here to make sure that you don’t,” the former New York City police detective told lawmakers at the hearing. Alvarez was admitted to a hospice within a few days of his testimony.
‘No One Is Coming’: Hospice Patients Abandoned At Death’s Door
By JoNel Aleccia and Melissa Bailey
Photos by Heidi de Marco
October 26, 2017
KFF Health News Original
U.S. hospice agencies promise to be available around-the-clock to help patients dying in their homes. But a Kaiser Health News investigation shows that in an alarming number of cases, that promise is broken.
A Hospital’s Human Touch: Why Taking Care In Discharging A Patient Matters
By Judith Graham
July 12, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Patients and caregivers often feel abandoned and lose trust in health care professionals when they sense a lack of caring during transitions. With it, they feel better able to handle concerns and act on their doctors’ recommendations.
Seeking A Peaceful Death Amid The Flames
By April Dembosky, KQED
October 27, 2017
KFF Health News Original
During Northern California’s recent wildfires, dozens of hospice patients who had hoped to spend their last days in the comfort of their homes had to be relocated to evacuation shelters, assisted living facilities and relatives’ homes instead.
Amid For-Profit Surge, Rural Hospice Has Offered Free Care for 40 Years
By JoNel Aleccia
October 20, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Tiny Washington state hospice accepts no federal funds, relies on community volunteers and donations to serve the dying.
Hospice Workers Who Care For The Dying Don’t Plan Ahead Themselves
By JoNel Aleccia
November 7, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Fewer than half of health care workers at a nonprofit Florida hospice had completed advance directives for end-of-life care.
As Doctors Drop Opposition, Aid-In-Dying Advocates Target Next Battleground States
By Melissa Bailey
January 26, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Will efforts to expand the practice to Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Hawaii succeed this year?
At Some Veterans Homes, Aid-In-Dying Is Not An Option
By JoNel Aleccia
February 13, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Citing fears of losing federal funds, California is the latest state to require discharge of terminally ill residents from state veterans homes if they plan to end their lives with lethal drugs.
Emotions Flow After Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Bill To Extend 9/11 Victims Fund: ‘Today Is That Day That They Can Exhale’
July 24, 2019
Morning Briefing
The legislation would ensure that the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is funded for the next seven decades at a cost of $10.2 billion over the next 10 years. Emotions were high in recent weeks after comedian Jon Stewart shamed Congress for how it treated the first responders. “The country has moved on, and rightfully so,” said Michael O’Connell, a retired lieutenant with the New York Fire Department. But “it’s in front of our eyes,” he added. “We’re in hospices. We’re seeing people pass away right in front of our very eyes.”
Families Worried About Alzheimer’s Turn To Expensive PET Scans For Early Diagnosis, But Test Has Downsides, Experts Warn
August 5, 2019
Morning Briefing
The test, which reveals if amyloid is forming in the brain, can cost $5,000 to $7,000 and isn’t covered by insurance. But don’t rush to judgement, experts warn: amyloid occurs commonly in older people’s brains, yet not everyone with amyloid will develop dementia. Nor does a negative PET scan mean someone won’t develop dementia. Public health news also looks at: racism, binge drinking, trust in science, stylish clothes for disabled teens, heatstroke, sun screen safety, alternative pain management, art therapy, unproven stem cell injections, hospice care, nut allergies and dying well.
Reverberations From War Complicate Vietnam Veterans’ End-Of-Life Care
By April Dembosky, KQED
January 4, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Vietnam veterans’ wartime experiences — and their lasting psychological toll — can make it harder to treat their physical and emotional pain as they approach death.
Never Too Late To Operate? Surgery Near End Of Life Is Common, Costly
By Liz Szabo
February 28, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Nearly 1 in 3 Medicare patients undergo an operation in their final year of life.
Choosing Between Death And Deportation
By Dan Gorenstein
May 18, 2018
KFF Health News Original
What happens when an undocumented immigrant has a life-threatening diagnosis? Much depends on where the person lives. And even in states with generous care for a dire illness, a patient can face difficult life-and-death choices.