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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Fewer people will take statins if new heart standards are widely adopted
By
Kristen Fischer
Jun 10, 2024
If American Heart Association guidelines passed in November 2023 are widely adopted, about 40% fewer people would meet the criteria to be on statins, a new study shows.
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...
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...
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.
Bill would create federal Parkinson’s disease council
By
Kristen Fischer
May 28, 2024
The US Senate and House of Representatives have approved the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, which is expected to receive presidential approval next. The initiative ultimately would create a federal...