MA enrollees receive less intensive end-of-life care, study finds
By
Donna Shryer
Jul 21, 2024
A new study published in JAMA Health Forum reports that Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees receive less intensive end-of-life care compared to those in traditional Medicare (TM). To identify this conclusion,...
Simple test best to predict hip fracture risk in older adults, new study finds
By
Donna Shryer
Jun 30, 2024
Researchers recently evaluated three tools to help predict risk of hip fracture in adults aged 80 and older, a population that accounts for 70% of hip fractures in the United States. The three processes...
Opinion: Improving nursing home care goes beyond helping nurses
By
Kristen Fischer
May 30, 2024
An editorial published Monday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society points out flaws in moves to improve nursing home care outlined in a report published in March.
Amazon expands mail-order subscriptions to Prime members on Medicare
By
Kristen Fischer
Jun 19, 2024
Amazon.com is letting Prime members on Medicare join its RxPass mail-order prescription service for just $5 a month. The move could save older adults more money on out-of-pocket costs for generic prescription...
Screening tool predicts older adults’ need for end-of-life care intervention
By
Donna Shryer
Jun 02, 2024
A computerized tool can accurately identify older adults visiting the emergency department who have a high risk of dying within six months, a new study found. The tool, called the Geriatric End-of-Life...
Report: Polypharmacy climbed among older adults from 1999 to 2020
By
Kristen Fischer
Jul 02, 2024
The number of older Americans over the age of 65 not living in healthcare facilities who used prescription medications rose from 1999 through the mid-2000s and hasn’t changed much since. The percentage...
President signs National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act into law
By
Kristen Fischer
Jul 05, 2024
President Biden last week signed the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act into law, which puts the framework in place to advance research and initiatives that prioritize Parkinson’s disease care in...
New criteria for diagnosing, staging Alzheimer’s stirs controversy
By
Kristen Fischer
Jul 01, 2024
The Alzheimer’s Association set out new criteria for diagnosing and staging Alzheimer’s based on recent advancements, especially biomarkers that can biologically detect the disease instead of relying...
Study: Treating heart rate over rhythm in Afib linked to greater cognitive decline rates
By
Kristen Fischer
May 20, 2024
A new study examined how treatments for atrial fibrillation (Afib) affected cognitive decline and frailty. Treating heart rate compared to rhythm was linked to a greater rate of cognitive decline, the...
Older adults in cancer clinical trials don’t have more ER, observational visits, data shows
By
Kristen Fischer
Jun 05, 2024
Older people in clinical trials for cancer didn’t have significantly more emergency room or observational visits compared to those not in trials, but they underwent more hospitalizations, according to...