Nursing homes weigh pros, cons of new weight loss drugs as limited Medicare coverage kicks in
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 22, 2024
A recent decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to cover popular new weight loss drugs that provide additional health benefits could be a “game changer” for potentially thousands...
Medicare audits ‘ramping up’ with isolation coding in the crosshairs
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 22, 2024
Auditors are paying special attention to isolation and quarantine coding amid already heightened Medicare nursing home audits that are expected to increase in coming months, experts warn.
AI could play role in preventing prescribing of unnecessary drugs in older adults
By
Kristen Fischer
Apr 19, 2024
A new study finds that artificial intelligence could encourage doctors to stop prescribing drugs that aren’t necessary — especially in older folks who tend to be on multiple medications. The report...
Air pollution harms cognitive health, but living near green spaces can protect it: studies
By
Kristen Fischer
Apr 19, 2024
Two recent studies showed how the environment can affect people’s dementia risks. A report published April 3 in Environmental Health Perspectives looked at the effects of air pollution on...
Report: Some older adults still use marijuana, and doctors need to know about it
By
Kristen Fischer
Apr 19, 2024
Among older adults living in states where recreational marijuana is illegal, 20% have a history of using it and 5% did so in the past year. Rates could be higher in regions that have legalized recreational...
Measles posing intensified threat to nursing home patients, personnel
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 19, 2024
Measles outbreaks have drawn headlines in recent weeks as the number of cases and outbreaks in more than a dozen US states is already the highest since 2019. The highly infectious disease poses multiple...
Older adults with diabetes had worse functional declines during pandemic, study finds
By
Kristen Fischer
Apr 18, 2024
About 1 in 5 older adults with diabetes who didn’t have functional limitations before the pandemic developed them during that time. The same happened to 1 in 8 of older adults without diabetes, according...
People with disabilities have higher risk for hospitalizations during extreme heat: study
By
Kristen Fischer
Apr 18, 2024
With the summer approaching, the United States is about to experience warmer weather, and this can be especially difficult for older adults. According to a new study, heat waves raise the risk for emergency...
Report: Accelerated aging linked to early-onset cancers
By
Kristen Fischer
Apr 18, 2024
People under the age of 55 are more likely to experience accelerated aging, and that’s linked to more early-onset solid tumors, according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer...
Families press for nationwide ‘essential caregiver’ rights
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 18, 2024
More than four years after nearly all visitors were barred from US nursing homes amid a spreading pandemic, consumer advocates are pushing to enshrine permanent access for essential caregivers into federal...