Intel Announces Research Initiative With IDA Ireland To Allow Older People To Remain Independent, Longer

To address the growing wave of ageing citizens in Europe and around the world, Intel Corporation, in conjunction with the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Ireland, today announced a multi-million-dollar research initiative aimed at developing innovative technologies that will help people "age in place" from wherever they choose to live.

Connecting Tags; community-based, long term care, AT, tech, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Center To Advance Palliative Care Launches New Web Site

The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) announced today that is has officially launched its new website for patients and families, www.getpalliativecare.org. The site is designed to provide patients, family caregivers, doctors and policymakers with clear, concise palliative care information that can often be confusing to most consumers. The site is intended to be useful in the decision-making process and includes a comprehensive national directory of hospitals providing palliative care.

Connecting Tags; tool, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Center To Advance Palliative Care Launches New Web Site

The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) announced today that is has officially launched its new website for patients and families, www.getpalliativecare.org. The site is designed to provide patients, family caregivers, doctors and policymakers with clear, concise palliative care information that can often be confusing to most consumers. The site is intended to be useful in the decision-making process and includes a comprehensive national directory of hospitals providing palliative care.

Connecting Tags; tool, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

CMS Proposes Increase In Medicare Reimbursements For Long-Term Care Hospitals

CMS on Thursday proposed a 0.71% increase in standard Medicare reimbursement rates for long-term care hospitals for 2008, CQ HealthBeat reports. In addition, CMS proposed to extend the "25% rule" -- which reduces Medicare reimbursements for LTCHs located within acute care hospitals that accept more than 25% of their patients from the host facilities -- to cover all LTCHs that accept more than 25% of their patients from one hospital.

Connecting Tags; Medicare, long term care, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Statehealthfacts.org Updates Information On Medicaid, SCHIP Programs, Medicare Part B

New data, Statehealthfacts.org: Statehealthfacts.org recently posted new and updated information on Medicaid, SCHIP programs and Medicare Part B for all states and the nation. The updated information includes data from July 2006 on Medicaid eligibility for children, parents and pregnant women, and SCHIP eligibility. There also are updated data on children's Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment and renewal practices as of July 2006. The updated information includes monthly Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment data for June 2005 and the percent change in Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment from June 2004 through June 2005. SCHIP spending data for fiscal year 2006 also are available for state, federal and total expenditures, along with federal expenditures by year from 1998 to 2006. In addition, new data on the number of beneficiaries who are subject to Medicare Part B income-related monthly adjustment amounts in 2007 are available (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 1/25).

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Smart House For People With Dementia

A groundbreaking home that uses the latest smart technology to give people with dementia and other serious long-term health conditions greater independence has been showcased for the first time in Bristol.

Connecting Tags; AT, LTC, Medicaid, community-based, tech, choice, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Questions arise over Medicaid waiver program

a debate about whether the program's budget was given $4.5 million more than it needs for this fiscal year is dividing supporters of the idea. And it could mean disabled or elderly Vermonters are not getting as much care as they should, according to advocates.

"The program is more successful than we thought it would be," said Patrick Flood, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Aging and Disabilities. The costs to run the program have turned out to be lower than expected when the budget was drawn up last year, and that money can be used for other needs, Flood said

Michigan set to focus on helping an expanding elderly population

LANSING -- As the son of Irish immigrants, Mike Cox didn't get to spend time with his faraway grandparents or share their burdens as they grew old.

But spending time in nursing homes talking about identity theft has opened the state attorney general's eyes to the problems facing seniors, whose ranks will soon swell with baby boomers.

"I want to get the office prepared for the demographics of Michigan and where we're headed," he told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "Our challenge is, 'What ways do we get better at serving an aging Michigan?' "

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, long term care, rights, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Role Of Anesthetics In Alzheimer's Disease

nhaled anesthetics commonly used in surgery are more likely to cause the aggregation of Alzheimer's disease-related plaques in the brain than intravenous anesthetics say University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers in a journal article published in Biochemistry. This is the first report using state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic technique to explain the detailed molecular mechanism behind the aggregation of amyloid B (AB) peptide due to various anesthetics.

Connecting Tags; Medicare, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

People with Disabilities Transition to Community Settings

After a required planning phase, a new "Money Follows the Person" grant will help 900 people with disabilities go from living in nursing homes and institutions to living in the community.

The Nebraska Health and Human Services System (HHSS) will receive $202,500 the first year to develop a statewide long-term care plan, and will receive a total of $27,538,984 over five years to develop community services for individuals with disabilities. Nebraska is one of 17 states to receive this grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Connecting Tags; LTC, Medicaid, choice, community-based, rights, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease Slowed By Learning

Learning appears to slow the development of two brain lesions that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, scientists at UC Irvine have discovered. The finding suggests that the elderly, by keeping their minds active, can help delay the onset of this degenerative disease.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, long term care, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

States Get Federal Backing To Build More Efficient, High Quality Medicaid Systems, USA

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today awarded $103 million to 27 states across the nation to fund implementation of new ways to improve Medicaid efficiency, economy and quality of care.

States will use the funds to implement innovative systems to get more value out of the money they spend providing health care to their low-income elderly, children and disabled citizens.

Connecting Tags; long term care, Medicaid, community-based, rights, tool, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Statement from Mark Kissinger, President, Home Care Association of New York State

With the rapid rise in New York's elderly population, we must find innovative and affordable ways to meet the care needs of all New Yorkers. Home care is an important part of the equation and we look forward to working with Governor Spitzer and the Legislature to expand New Yorkers' access to this preferred care option for caregivers and patients and to building a better, stronger health and long term care system across New York State.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, Medicare, community-based, long term care, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

A System In Need Of Change -- Restructuring Payment Policies To Support Patient-centered Care

A policy paper with proposals to restructure conventional American health care fee-for-service payment policies has been released by The American College of Physicians (ACP) at its annual report on "The State of the Nation's Health Care."

"A System in Need of Change: Restructuring Payment Policies to Support Patient-Centered Care" offers a series of nine recommendations to address inadequacies in the current Medicare physician payment and delivery system.

Connecting Tags; Medicare, Medicaid, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

U.S. Seniors' Debt Increasing Amid Rising Health Care Costs, Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits Cuts

An increased number of seniors have "turned to credit cards and home equity to pay medical bills" at a time when "more employers are cutting back on retiree medical and pension benefits," USA Today reports. According to USA Today, "many seniors live on fixed incomes," and an "illness or disability can plunge them into crushing debt."

Connecting Tags; Medicare, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Bill aims to give people choices on long-term care

CHEYENNE -- Sixty-one-year-old Virginia Snow of Torrington is unable to walk because of childhood spinal tumors. She uses what she calls a "scooter" to get around her home, where she lives alone with her cats and a dog.

Because of her disability, she needs considerable help, which she gets from homemaking services through the local senior center as well as Meals on Wheels. The Independent Living Program pays mileage to anyone who drives her anywhere.

Connecting Tags; LTC, Medicaid, community-based, rights, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Agitated Behavior In Dementia Significantly Reduced By Regular Acupressure

Acupressure can significantly reduce agitated behaviour in older patients with dementia, according to a study published in the February issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Researchers at the National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan found that providing 15-minute treatment sessions twice a day for five days a week yielded considerable benefits, including reductions in verbal and physical attacks and wandering.

Connecting Tags; long term care, tool, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Medicare, Social Security Obligations Could Harm Future U.S. Economy, Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke Says In Senate Testimony

Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke on Thursday at a Senate Budget Committee hearing said that if "early and meaningful action is not taken" by Congress to address the rising costs of retirement and medical services for baby boomers, "the U.S. economy could be seriously weakened, with future generations bearing much of the cost," the AP/Bergen Record reports.

Connecting Tags; long term care, economics, Medicaid, Medicare, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Elderly's Ability To Manage The Cold May Be Due In Part To Some Aging Processes Of The Body

Hypothermia - when the body's temperature drops significantly below normal - is especially deadly for the elderly. Older people become hypothermic despite the fact that they are more likely to live inside a home than on the street, and nearly half who become hypothermic die.

Hospitality Industry Incorporates Health Care Into Its Products

The Chicago Sun-Times on Monday examined how "health-conscious baby boomers are prompting the hospitality industry to think beyond facials and yoga classes" into health care. The Sun-Times profiled a new Valentine's Day package offered by the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago that includes a one-night stay in a suite, a couple's massage, a dinner and an extensive physical exam at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Center for Partnership Medicine.

Can LTC on a cruise be far behind?

Connecting Tags; community-based, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Pooling Resources Best Choice For Future Long-Term Care, Op-Ed States

Splitting costs for long-term care among several elderly individuals by sharing an apartment and a health aide may be the solution to the impending financial shortfall of the baby-boom generation, psychologist Ira Rosofsky writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, long term care, community-based, economics, peer, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Seniors, Democrats ask: Must drugs be so costly?

The pharmaceutical industry says it plows profits back into research and development, but some question that argument. Drug manufacturers receive the bulk of a drug's retail price , said Stephen Schondelmeyer , a University of Minnesota researcher who tracks drug pricing. Such branded drug makers as Pfizer Inc. spend, on average, 30 percent of that to cover manufacturing, shipping, and distributing products, he says, quoting federal government research. They devote roughly 13 percent to research and development that can lead to new therapies and expanded uses for existing drugs. Six percent pays for taxes and such expenses as defending against product liability lawsuits.

But they spend 31 percent on such administrative expenses as sales and marketing.

A Government Accountability Office report released last month said the drug industry's spending on prescription drug advertising grew twice as fast as research and development spending. The GAO found that costly advertising contributed to increases in drug spending.

Connecting Tags; economics, long term care, Medicare, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

LTC Reform from Elderweb

There is lots of discussion about how to improve healthcare and long term care. These policy discussions potentially impact everyone who is using and paying for the long term care system.

Connecting Tags; long term care, community-based, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Folic Acid Increases Mental Agility In The Elderly

Taking supplements of folic acid may significantly improve cognitive function in older men and women.

This is the conclusion of a Dutch study to be published in the Lancet.

Connecting Tags; long term care, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Bush Administration Acknowledges Proposed Medicaid Rule Would Reduce Funding For Rural Hospitals, Nursing Homes

CMS on Friday made public a proposed rule under which state Medicaid reimbursements to health care providers operated by local governments could not exceed actual costs, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports. Under the rule, health care providers, rather than state and local governments, would have to receive all Medicaid reimbursements to which they are entitled.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, long term care, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Bias in Long-Term Care Favors Nursing Homes, Government

Bias pervades America's long-term care (LTC) service delivery and financing system.

The system is biased in favor of nursing home care--which Medicaid pays for but which most people would rather avoid. It is biased against home- and community-based care--which Medicaid is much less likely to pay for, but which most aging Americans prefer when they require LTC.

Perhaps most importantly, LTC in the United States is biased toward public financing (Medicaid and Medicare) and against private financing alternatives such as long-term care insurance (LTCi) and home equity conversion.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, Medicare, community-based, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Relationship Between Delirium And Dementia

Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, is one of the most devastating conditions of older age. Currently affecting nearly 7 million individuals in the U.S. and 24 million worldwide, dementia leads to total loss of memory and the ability to function independently making it one of people's greatest fears of aging.

Delirium is an acute confusional state, a common and serious complication in older individuals that often follows surgery or serious illness. Sometimes accompanied by disorientation, paranoia and hallucinations, delirium develops in 14 to 56 percent of all hospitalized seniors, complicating hospital stays for over 2.5 million older individuals in the U.S. each year.

Connecting Tags; long term care, Medicare, Medicaid, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Rounds Up Health Issues in State of the State Addresses

Arkansas: In his Jan. 10 speech, Gov. Mike Beebe (D) said the governor's office needs to work with the state Department of Health and Human Services to educate state residents about long-term care options under the Elder Choices Medicaid Waiver "so that families, doctors and patients -- not Medicaid regulations -- make choices for seniors based on less restrictive care" (Beebe speech text, 1/10).

New Hampshire: In his Jan. 4 speech, Gov. John Lynch (D) said the state should help seniors stay in their own homes and communities "not with arbitrary rules, or by making it difficult for eligible seniors to receive Medicaid," but rather by "ensuring that there is the community care available" to give them "quality care and respect." Lynch said he would make health care more affordable and accessible by adopting new technologies, noting that New Hampshire is the first state to institute "an aggressive timetable" -- October 2008 -- for enabling all health care providers to write prescriptions electronically. "Electronic prescribing will reduce medical errors, save lives and save tens of millions of dollars a year in health care costs," he said. Lynch also said the state "must act to expand [the] children's health insurance program this year" (Lynch speech text, 1/4).

North Dakota: In his Jan. 3 speech, Gov. John Hoeven (R) said that the state will "continue to enhance quality services for the people who need them most" by providing "Medicaid funding for low-income individuals, persons with disabilities and seniors to ensure they have access to quality health care." In addition, Hoeven said he would provide "support for long-term care, and also for home- and community-based care" (Hoeven speech text, 1/3).

Virginia: In his Jan. 10 speech, Gov. Tim Kaine (D) said he will work to promote preventive health programs. Kaine also said the state must work with health care providers to increase transparency and put more focus on health care quality and patient safety "to enhance the quality and consistency of care we receive for our medical dollar [and] encourage a more cost-effective use of the system." In addition, Kaine said he has established a Health Reform Commission to identify and address "the growing demand for long-term care services without bankrupting the state treasury." He also noted that he has included start-up funds in his fiscal year 2007-2008 budget for a proposal that would create a "more integrated system of acute and long-term care for the elderly" (Kaine speech text, 1/10).

Wyoming: In his Jan. 10 speech, Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) said there is a "set of proposals that will be submitted" to the state Legislature "intended to help address the elderly and the citizens who have some of the toughest health problems that we deal with." He said the state will work to adopt "strategies to try to keep [the elderly] in their homes," rather than in nursing homes. Freudenthal noted a proposal to fund high-risk insurance pools, which he said would lower rates for individuals struggling to obtain insurance. He said that expanding coverage within the pool would cost an estimated $5 million, adding, "if we don't make this high-risk insurance pool work, we sooner or later are going to pick these folks up on Medicaid or any other number of programs, but by the time we pick them up, we will have made them essentially impoverished" (Freudenthal speech text, 1/10).

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, long term care, community-based, economics, waiver, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Medicaid not financially viable: Commission

The Medicaid program as currently structured is not financially sustainable, according to a report from the Medicaid Commission established by HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt. Expenses for dual eligibles—elderly and disabled individuals entitled to both Medicare and Medicaid—consume the lion's share of Medicaid spending. The need for long-term care services will grow beyond the ability of the federal and state governments to provide as the "baby boom" generation ages.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, community-based, long term care, choice, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Cape Care outlines its strategy

The Cape’s proposed universal health care system is showing signs of progress.

“We’re talking about a grassroots bottom-up policy-creating process,” O’Malley said.

What the program would eventually offer is still being discussed. The business plan and outline of the benefit package is being studied based on similar plans already in effect in California and Vermont. Services that aren’t currently available are also being considered, including long-term care and pharmacy services.

For more information, go to www.capecare.info.

Connecting Tags; long term care, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

AARP spends day at Capitol

LITTLE ROCK — Three little words — “Go get ’em” — inspired hardy cheers and echoing applause from a sea of red Wednesday in the rotunda of the State Capitol in Little Rock.

Many also wore “Choices in Care” buttons or held “No Payday Loans” signs because the AARP Arkansas Day at the Capitol gave members throughout the state a chance to raise awareness and voice support for House Bill 1036 (fines for abusive payday lending) and a House bill to create options counseling for long-term care, and opposition to shielding nursing homes from liability for abuse and neglect, also known as “tort reform.”

Connecting Tags; economics, long term care, Medicaid, rights, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Clostridium Difficile-Associated Disease In The Long-Term Care Setting

Healthcare professionals who work in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) should be aware of the emergence of a new strain of Clostridium difficile that produces greater quantities of toxins A and B, is more resistant to fluoroquinolones, and is associated with higher rates of morbidity and mortality.

Commonly seen in residents of LTCFs, it is urgent that medical directors, consultant pharmacists, and registered nurses who work in these facilities learn about the changing epidemiology of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD), the epidemic strain of C. difficile, and the characteristics of patients with CDAD, especially the markers associated with more severe disease.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, Medicare, long term care, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Toolkit Discusses Methods For Reducing Racial, Ethnic Health Disparities Among Medicaid Managed Care Beneficiaries

"Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities: A Quality Improvement Initiative in Medicaid Managed Care Toolkit," Center for Health Care Strategies: The toolkit examines the experiences of a workgroup -- comprising 10 Medicaid health plans and a state primary care case management association -- that adopted strategies to identify and address racial and ethnic health disparities in birth outcomes and immunizations, asthma care and diabetes care (Martin, "Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities: A Quality Improvement Initiative in Medicaid Managed Care Toolkit," January 2007).

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

How penalty funds are used nationally in Nursing Home Care

National Study on Use of Civil Money Penalties to Protect Nursing Home Residents. Federal Civil Monetary Penalties (CMPs) and State CMPs/fines are imposed by the regulatory agencies that license nursing homes if a nursing home does not comply with regulatory standards. These fines can be used to fund innovative programs to improve the lives of nursing home residents. This study, supported with a grant from the Commonwealth Fund, examines how states are currently using these funds, provides recommendations for way to make concrete improvements for resident quality of life and care, and provides tools for all stakeholders - families, residents, advocates, ombudsmen and providers - to help realize the potential of CMPs. 2006

Connecting Tags; long term care, rights, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Caregiving For Those At End Of Life Rewarding Despite Challenges, Survey Finds

Family or friends served as informal caregivers to almost three-quarters of disabled older adults living in the community during their final year of life, according to an article in the January 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. More than two-thirds of these caregivers found their role rewarding despite providing more than 40 hours of care per week and making little use of caregiver-focused supportive services.

Connecting Tags; community-based, peer, tool, choice, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Recent Medicaid Developments In Florida, Minnesota

See the Minnesota part of the article half-way down the page. It discusses LTC insurance.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, economics, long term care, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

NEJM Commentary Discusses Democrats' Agenda; Report Examines Prescription Drug Supply Chain; Health Spending Among Higher-Income Countries Analyzed

Health Care on the Hill -- Democrats Set the Agenda," New England Journal of Medicine: The commentary by John Iglehart, an NEJM national correspondent, discusses Democrats' "ambitious policy agenda" and the likely challenges lawmakers will face in pushing for legislation to allow federally negotiated discounts for the Medicare prescription drug benefit, overturn larger payments to Medicare Advantage plans and expand children's health insurance programs (Iglehart, NEJM, 1/4).

Connecting Tags; Medicare, waiver, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Beneficiaries Experience Less Difficulty In Program's Second Year, Health Officials, Senior Representatives, Pharmacis

The commencement of the Medicare prescription drug benefit's second year has gone more smoothly than the first year as hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries are entering the program or changing plans, federal health officials and representatives of seniors and pharmacists said Wednesday, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Connecting Tags; Medicare, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

End-Of-Life Care: Bioethical Perspectives And Conflict Resolution

End-of-life care is vitally important to patients, their families, medical providers, and the public. Yet no consensus has emerged on the type and duration of medical treatments that are appropriate at the end of life. How do we decide when to say enough is enough? How do we resolve conflicts among family members and among families, the patient, and doctors?

Connecting Tags; rights, long term care, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Insomnia In Older Patients Neglected: Treatment Could Improve Mental And Physical Health

The sleep problems of older people are often not addressed by their primary care physicians, even though treatment of those sleep disorders could improve their physical and mental health and enhance their quality of life.

That's the finding of new research from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, Medicare, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Medicaid News In New Jersey, Virginia

Newspapers recently reported on Medicaid developments in New Jersey and Virginia. Summaries appear below.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

State program offers long-term care aid

A new state Partnership program will offer Medicaid help to people who use long-term care policies to pay for nursing home or home care, saving the state big money.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, long term care, economics, community-based, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Medicare Prescription DrugBenefit Enrollment Deadline Will Be Extended For Seniors Who Did Not Receive Timely Information About Their Current Coverage

Medicare beneficiaries who did not receive timely information about benefit and cost changes for their current Medicare prescription drug plans will have until Feb. 15 to select coverage for 2007, Reuters reports (Reuters, 12/29/06). Beneficiaries had until Dec. 31, 2006, to enroll in or change Medicare drug plans, although administration officials had urged beneficiaries to act by Dec. 8, 2006, to avoid problems.

Connecting Tags; Medicare, long term care, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Nursing homes have three years to add sprinklers

Nursing homes in New Jersey will be required to have automatic sprinklers under an amendment to the state's Uniform Fire Code.

The rule went into effect Tuesday, said Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass Levin.

Final CMS Rules on Seclusion and Restraint

The link opens a PDF file from the Federal Register of the Final CMS rule on Seclusion and Restraint in Medical Settings.

Connecting Tags; rights, abuse, Medicaid, Medicare, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Cost Of Caring For Elderly Parent Affecting Retirement For Baby Boomers

Health care costs are "astronomical" for many elderly people who are cared for by their adult children, "compromising the retirement of baby boomers who were expecting inheritances rather than the shock of depleted savings," the New York Times reports. More than 15 million adult children nationwide are providing care for their elderly parents, including paying part or all of their housing, medical supplies and incidental expenses, surveys show.

Connecting Tags; long term care, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Use Of Online Social Networks To Discuss Medical Conditions Increasing

Two newspapers recently published articles addressing the increased use of online social networking for health care. Summaries appear below.

Connecting Tags; tech, peer, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

States Becoming More Aggressive In Medicaid Estate Recovery Programs

The Christian Science Monitor last week examined how federally mandated Medicaid estate-recovery programs "have produced confusion, anger and even lawsuits." According to the Monitor, some states are becoming more aggressive in claiming Medicaid beneficiaries' estates after their deaths. States often "target the home because it's all that's left after beneficiaries have spent their assets to pay for nursing home care," the Monitor reports.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

AARP Applauds Governor's Outline for Rx and Long-Term Care Reform

Today, in his first State of the State, Governor Spitzer has set the goals of changing the way New York State buys its prescription drugs and reshaping our approach to long-term care. AARP applauds him for these initiatives.

AARP is encouraged by the Governor's plan to allow New York State to better utilize its bargaining power to get lower prices on prescription drugs as a critical move towards curtailing drug costs.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, Medicare, LTC, community-based, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Wall Street Journal Examines HIPAA Loopholes

"[I]ncreasingly complex confidentiality issues" in federal medical privacy rules "are affecting patients and their insurance coverage," the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the Journal, complaints of privacy violations "have been piling up." Between April 2003 and Nov. 30, 2006, HHS received 23,896 complaints related to medical-privacy rules.

Connecting Tags; rights, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

President Bush Signs Bill To Provide $289M For Respite Care Volunteer Training, Other Services

President Bush on Thursday signed the Lifespan Respite Care Act bill (HR 3248) sponsored by Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) that provides $289 million over five years for states to train volunteers and provide other services to family caregivers, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports. Ferguson said, "This important law not only recognizes the selfless sacrifices made by millions of family caregivers but also sends them an important message -- help is on the way" (AP/Long Island Newsday, 12/22).

Connecting Tags; LTC, community-based, choice, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Florida Lawsuit Highlights Problems With Do No Resuscitate Orders

USA Today on Tuesday profiled the case of Madeline Neumann, a Florida woman with Alzheimer's disease whose granddaughters filed a lawsuit against her nursing home and physician because they did not follow her do-not-resuscitate order.

Connecting Tags; long term care, rights, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Report Profiles Medicaid Beneficiaries With High-Cost Medical Needs

"Profiles of Medicaid's High Cost Populations," Kaiser Family Foundation: The report, by Jeffrey Crowley of the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute and Molly O'Malley of Kaiser's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, examines six populations of Medicaid beneficiaries with high-cost health needs. The report discusses the medical conditions of the beneficiaries, the need for services and support, and the role Medicaid plays in addressing beneficiaries' needs (Crowley/O'Malley, "Profiles of Medicaid's High Cost Populations," 12/19).

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, economics, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Indiana University Pursues Dementia Research With Fourth NIH Center Grant

The exploration of dementia will continue at the Indiana University School of Medicine with the renewal of a National Institutes of Health grant for $7.3 million to fund the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center. This is the fourth renewal of the original center grant which was awarded in 1991.

The NIH-funded Alzheimer disease centers are comprehensive programs that foster interdisciplinary research for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer disease and other dementias. Health-care delivery and other support services for patients and their families are part of the centers’ focus.

There are 29 NIH-funded Alzheimer disease centers in the United States.

Connecting Tags; Medicaid, community-based, long term care, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy

Non-Drug Treatments For Dementia Show Promise, Experts Say

Memory training and other non-drug treatments may one day help older adults ward off declines in mental function, according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in an editorial in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"The latest research suggests that mental training and physical activity both have promise for preventing declines in cognition," said Sally A. Shumaker, Ph.D., lead author on the editorial. "It's possible to envision a future treatment approach that combines lifestyle and drug treatments to meet the specific needs of each individual."

Connecting Tags; long term care, community-based, fan-the-flame, copower, prosynergy