Category: Aging

States Allow In-Person Nursing Home Visits As Families Charge Residents Die ‘Of Broken Hearts’

Half the states are rolling back strict policies that have kept family members out of nursing homes because of fears of spreading the coronavirus.

Life Beyond COVID Seclusion: Seniors See Challenges And Change Ahead

Some are grieving the loss of precious time in late life. Others are adjusting their ideas of what is possible and making the best of it.

What Seniors Should Know Before Going Ahead With Elective Procedures

People who put off care as COVID-19 surged are easing back into the medical system. Here’s how to know if it’s safe.

‘I Couldn’t Let Her Be Alone’: A Peaceful Death Amid the COVID Scourge

For three years, staffers at UCLA Health have been quietly fulfilling final wishes for dying patients in the intensive care unit. Amid the isolating forces of the pandemic, their work has become all the more meaningful.

Seniors In Low-Income Housing Live In Fear Of COVID Infection

On their own in dirty buildings with little guidance or support, vulnerable older residents worry about unchecked transmission of the potentially deadly virus. “We felt abandoned.”

Federal Help Falters As Nursing Homes Run Short Of Protective Equipment

More than 3,000 nursing homes reported less than a week’s worth of supplies, and 653 said they had run out entirely at some point. Stopgap FEMA equipment has not reached many facilities, and packages that have arrived have fallen short of promises.

When A Doctor No Longer Accepts Medicare, Patients Left Holding The Bag

As doctors look for alternative ways to charge patients for care, some Medicare enrollees may lose access to their physicians.

Must-Reads Of The Week

KHN senior correspondent Jordan Rau takes a spin through this week’s essential health care news.

Montana’s Tribal Nations Preserve COVID Restrictions To Preserve Their Cultures

Some of Montana’s Native American nations are holding firm on coronavirus protections even as the rest of Montana reopens. They’ve got more at stake, they say, in protecting their elders who preserve their endangered culture.

For Seniors, COVID-19 Sets Off A Pandemic Of Despair

The guidance to stay sheltered as society slowly reopens wears on older Americans, who have a growing sense of isolation and depression.