Category: Aging

HHS Watchdog To Probe Enforcement Of Nursing Home Staffing Standards

The study follows a Kaiser Health News and New York Times investigation that found nearly 1,400 nursing homes have reported fewer registered nurses on duty than Medicare requires or failed to provide reliable staffing information to the government.

For Nursing Home Patients, Breast Cancer Surgery May Do More Harm Than Good

A new study of 6,000 older patients shows little gain from surgeries for breast cancer.

Earwax, Of All Things, Poses Unrecognized Risk In Long-Term Care

Up to two-thirds of residents in nursing homes may have impacted earwax, which can worsen hearing loss, falls and cognitive decline.

A Late-Life Surprise: Taking Care Of Frail, Aging Parents

More and more older adults, age 60 and older, care for their elderly parents and face physical, emotional and financial stress.

The Man Who Sold America On Vitamin D — And Profited In The Process

The doctor most responsible for turning the sunshine supplement into a billion-dollar juggernaut has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the vitamin D industry, according to government records and interviews.

Learning To Live Well With Dementia

Two leading experts on caring for people with Alzheimer’s offer ways to make life better for patients and their caregivers.

How Soon Is Soon Enough To Learn You Have Alzheimer’s?

Only about half of people with Alzheimer’s symptoms get a diagnosis, partly out of fear of an incurable decline, doctors suspect. But Jose Belardo says facing the future allows him to plan for it.

No Gaps In Understanding: Here’s Your Primer On Medigap Coverage

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.

‘Like A Ghost Town’: Erratic Nursing Home Staffing Revealed Through New Records

Daily nursing home payroll records just released by the federal government show the number of nurses and aides dips far below average on some days and consistently plummets on weekends.

A Hospital’s Human Touch: Why Taking Care In Discharging A Patient Matters

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.