CDC safety panel: J&J vaccine benefits outweigh rare neuro risks seen in older adults
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 26, 2021
The benefits of the shot — including reduced hospitalization, intensive care unit admission and death — outweigh the risk of contracting Guillain-Barre syndrome, the Advisory Committee on Immunization...
New cases of antifungal-resistant yeast infections in nursing homes alarm CDC
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 26, 2021
For the first time, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has identified U.S. nursing home residents and hospital patients with candida auris yeast infections that resist all first-line antifungal...
Online tool helps take guesswork out of COVID-19 testing in long-term care facilities
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 23, 2021
The LTCF Simulation dashboard uses facility and community data — such as proposed test schedules, number of shift workers, vaccination rates and community case prevalence — to help LTC administrators...
Early dementia risk disclosure encourages help from family members
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 16, 2021
Family members of older adults value early dementia risk information provided by clinicians, a new study finds. When interviewed about their post-disclosure reactions, some said the knowledge prompted...
Dementia diagnostics more accurate when patients recall Cinderella story
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 15, 2021
Narrating an overlearned story, such as the Cinderella fairy tale, gave the most accurate results, identifying Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment with 78% accuracy, investigators say.
Require COVID-19 vaccination of all healthcare workers, seven clinical groups say
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 14, 2021
Their evidence-based verdict: healthcare institutions and facilities — including long-term care facilities — should require that their personnel be vaccinated as a condition of employment.
CMS to weigh national Medicare coverage for Aduhelm, other Alzheimer’s drugs
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 14, 2021
The agency is considering whether to establish a national coverage policy for monoclonal antibody drugs that treat Alzheimer’s disease, including the newly approved drug aducanumab (Aduhelm).
Seniors’ sense of smell weakens, but not their enjoyment of food, researchers find
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 13, 2021
The sense of smell declines with age, but this loss doesn’t happen across the board, a new study shows. The findings may help care providers improve the meals and dining experiences of older adults in...
Elder frailty a key predictor of survival following ICU admission, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 08, 2021
Severity of baseline frailty is a strong predictor of one-year survival in older adults facing critical illness. It also is key to informing treatment plans and goals of care for these individuals, researchers...
Survey of physicians supports recognition of PALTC medicine as a specialty practice
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 08, 2021
The results highlight the “unique and specific nature of medical care provided by attending physicians across a range of PALTC settings,” concluded a task force of industry experts.