Category: Aging

‘Fear Of Falling’: How Hospitals Do Even More Harm By Keeping Patients In Bed

In what experts call an “epidemic of immobility,” older hospital patients remain stuck in bed, their movements tracked by loud and ineffective bed alarms, losing muscle mass that’s key to their health and daily functioning.

As Medicare Enrollment Nears, Popular Price Comparison Tool Is Missing

For more than a decade, customers used the online plan finder to compare dozens of policies. Yet after a redesign of the website, the search results no longer list which plan offers a customer the best value. Federal officials say it will be fixed before enrollment begins next week.

Trump’s New Order For Medicare Packs Potential Rise In Patients’ Costs

The president’s directive, which he said is designed to give beneficiaries more choices in their health care, could lead to higher costs for seniors. Final rules are to be written by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Delicate Issue Of Taking Away A Senior’s Smartphone

Knowing when — and how — to limit a loved one’s access to digital devices is akin to taking their car keys.

How Cruise Ship Passengers Should Prepare For Sickness Or Injury At Sea

Passengers on massive cruise ships could be struck by norovirus or accidents ranging from falls to broken bones. Then what?

Voices: How Should California Address The Needs Of Its Aging Population?

By 2030, an estimated 1 in 5 Californians will be 65 or older, and the state is creating a “master plan” to address their needs. Lawmakers, advocates, local officials and others gathered in Sacramento on Monday to tackle issues of greatest concern, such as long-term care and housing for low-income seniors.

In Search Of Age-Friendly Health Care, Finding Room For Improvement

Simple alterations — like better signs, seating, parking or door design — can make it easier for older patients to navigate health care facilities. Here are several changes doctors’ offices, clinics and hospitals could make.

Millions Of Diabetes Patients Are Missing Out On Medicare’s Nutrition Help

Health experts say the little-used benefit represents a lost opportunity for older adults to improve their health — and for the program to save money by preventing costly complications from diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Watch: Five Things To Know About Hunger Among America’s Aging

One out of every 13 seniors in America struggles to get enough food to eat while the federal program intended to help hasn’t kept pace with the graying population. KHN Midwest editor/correspondent Laura Ungar explains what you need to know about this largely hidden problem.

Starving Seniors: How America Fails To Feed Its Aging

One out of every 13 older Americans struggles to find enough food to eat while the federal program intended to help hasn’t kept pace with the graying population.