Category: Aging

A Ministroke Can Have Major Consequences

What are known as transient ischemic attacks can eventually lead to cognitive declines as steep as those following a full-on stroke, new research finds.

Californians Receiving In-Home Care Fear Medicaid Cuts Will Spell End to Independent Living

Bay Area senior Carol Crooks doesn’t know where congressional Republicans will land on Medicaid cuts as they look to fund a tax bill, but her health has already deteriorated as she worries about losing the help she needs to remain in her Oakland apartment — and out of a nursing home.

Honey, Sweetie, Dearie: The Perils of Elderspeak

A new training program teaches workers to stop the baby talk and address older people as adults.

At Social Security, These Are the Days of the Living Dead

In recent weeks, Social Security has been plagued by problems related to technology, system errors, and even the marking of living people as dead.

Trump Administration Retreats From 100% Withholding on Social Security Clawbacks

The Social Security Administration will now withhold 50% of many recipients’ monthly benefits to claw back alleged overpayments — down from the 100% it announced in March, but way up from the 10% cap imposed under former President Joe Biden.

When They Don’t Recognize You Anymore

People with dementia often forget even close family members as the disease advances. “It can throw people into an existential crisis,” an expert said.

When Hospitals Ditch Medicare Advantage Plans, Thousands of Members Get To Leave, Too

Breakups between health providers and Advantage plans are increasingly common. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has allowed whole groups of patients to leave their plans.

Medi-Cal Under Threat: Who’s Covered and What Could Be Cut?

Federal law requires states to offer health insurance to many people with low incomes or disabilities. But some states, including California, are far more generous than what’s required. Budget pressures may force lawmakers to cut benefits that have led to a historic low in the uninsured rate.

Federal Judge Blocks Mandate on Nursing Home Staffing

A federal judge in Texas blocked a Biden administration rule to boost staffing at nursing homes. The decision comes even though many homes lack enough workers to maintain residents’ care.

Immigration Crackdowns Disrupt the Caregiving Industry. Families Pay the Price.

Families, nursing facilities, and home health agencies rely on foreign-born workers to fill health care jobs that are demanding and do not attract enough American citizens. The Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies threaten to cut a key source of labor for the industry, which was already predicting a surge in demand.