Reporters for NPR traveled across North and South Dakota to see the challenges older adults in rural areas face when they need medical care — and to see what it’s like for the people trying to help.
Category: NPR
Patients are struggling to fill obesity drug prescriptions
Drug manufacturers have declared obesity drugs to be “available,” but patients are still struggling to fill prescriptions.
In a rural small town, a group of locals steps up to support senior health
Health care options for older adults in small rural towns can be lacking. In Glen Ullin, N.D., some community members are trying to bridge the gaps in care.
Why farmers worry about the costs of long-term care
Farmers are often “land rich, cash poor.” Those who need nursing home care might have to sell or break up their farm to pay for it.
The cost of senior care: Why aging farmers fear the nursing home
Small family farmers are often “land rich, cash poor,” and nursing homes and other types of long-term care are expensive. Many worry about sacrificing their land to pay for care at the end of life.
Measles cases are up and childhood vaccinations are down
For about three weeks in 2000, there were zero measles cases in the United States. It was declared eradicated.
Fast forward to 2024, and measles cases are surging, especially in Oregon where the state is facing the worst outbreak since the early 1990s.
This is happening as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the vaccination rate among kindergartners is dropping, and more and more parents are seeking exemptions to school vaccine requirements.
People are vaccinating their children at lower and lower rates. What does that mean for kids as they head back to school, and for infectious and deadly diseases like measles?
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
Vermont allows out of state patients to end their lives with medical supervision
Vermont allows terminally ill people from out-of-state to end their lives in Vermont with medical supervision. But doctors who provide the service say they’re struggling to serve everyone.
Long-term care for aging farmers is challenging to obtain. Here’s why.
Read the full post on NPR Topics: Health Care
Why farmers worry about the costs of long-term care
Farmers are often “land rich, cash poor.” Those who need nursing home care might have to sell or break up their farm to pay for it.
Drug makers including Pfizer are starting to sell drugs directly to consumers
Some drugmakers are getting into the telehealth business in a move that might allow them to sell drugs directly to patients.
