_ Money Matters Help for Navigating The Medicare Maze By article Navigating the Medicare system can be frustrating and even frightening for many people, but the National Council on Aging has … Read More→
_ Medical Care Choosing the Right Doctor for You By article EditorΓÇÖs Note: You might be looking for a new doctor for any number of reasons ΓÇô youΓÇÖve moved, for example, … Read More→
Pain Management Massage Therapists: Pain Relief and Relaxation By article Licensed massage therapists are allied health professionals who can have a significant impact on your well-being. Unfortunately, they are also … Read More→
Money Matters Seniors Still Have Financial Savvy! By article Being an older adult doesn’t spell doom when it comes to making important financial decisions, according to a team of … Read More→
_ Breast Cancer Update: Testing for the Breast Cancer Gene By Jane Farrell article Should you be tested to see if you have the breast-cancer gene? Here, experts from the federal Centers for Disease … Read More→
Too Many Patients Are Delaying Hospice Care By article Although hospice can benefit terminally ill patients over a period of time, one in six cancer patients enroll it in … Read More→
_ Making Surgery as Easy as Possible By Jane Farrell article Have you been told by your doctor that you need surgery? If so, you're not alone. Millions of older Americans have surgery each year. Your primary care doctor may suggest a surgeon to you, and your state or local medical society can tell you about your surgeon's training. Try to choose a surgeon who operates often on medical problems like yours.
_ Medical Care For-Profit Home Care: Higher Costs, Lower Quality By Sondra Forsyth article For-profit home health agencies are far costlier for Medicare than nonprofit agencies, according to a nationwide study done at the City University of New York School of Public Health and published Monday, August 4th 2014 in the August issue of the journal Health Affairs. Overall cost per patient was $1,215 higher at for-profits, with operating costs accounting for $752 of the difference and excess profits for $463. Yet the quality of care was actually worse at for-profit agencies than at non-profits, and more of the patients required repeat hospitalizations.
_ Mental & Emotional Health When It's More Than Just Anxiety By Jane Farrell article Although thereΓÇÖs a lot of talk about depression, another condition ΓÇô Generalized Anxiety Disorder ΓÇô doesnΓÇÖt get nearly as much attention. And that can make it harder for friends and family to understand whatΓÇÖs happening when someone they love has GAD. Here, from the National Institute of Mental Health, are some things you should know: What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
_ Aging Well ThereΓÇÖs No Place Like Home ΓÇô For Growing Old By Sondra Forsyth article ΓÇ£The stairs are getting so hard to climb.ΓÇ¥ ΓÇ£Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner.ΓÇ¥ ΓÇ£IΓÇÖve lived here 40 years. No other place will seem like home.ΓÇ¥ These are common issues for older people. And, you may share the often-heard wishΓÇöΓÇ£I want to stay in my own home!ΓÇ¥ The good news is that with the right help you might be able to do just that.
_ Money Matters The Documents Every Woman Should Have By Jane Farrell article ThereΓÇÖs more to managing your money than the shoebox filled with crumpled receipts under your bed. According to Patrice C. Washington, Money Maven of the Steve Harvey Morning Show, organizing paperwork and keeping track of financial and legal documents is imperative to your financial well-being. ΓÇ£It is hard to stay on top of your finances if documents are scattered about,ΓÇ¥ Washington says. ΓÇ£On top of that, many women donΓÇÖt know which types of documents they need or even where to start.ΓÇ¥
_ Cancer Center 12 Things To Do after Your Cancer Diagnosis By Sondra Forsyth article By James Tamkin M.D. and Dave Visel This article originally appeared on DemosHealth.com. It is adapted from The Myeloma Survival Guide. As a newly diagnosed cancer patient, you are beginning a long, complicated, physically and mentally taxing journey. Here are twelve things to start doing now to make your journey a little easier.
_ Safe Traveling with Diabetes By Jane Farrell article Getting out of your routine is part of the fun of vacation and traveling. But donΓÇÖt forget your medications and your care routine, especially if you have diabetes, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says. Experts at the federal agency, part of the National Institutes of health, say that travel factors such as meals away from home, a change in physical activity, and different time zones can affect your management of your conditions.
_ Aging Well Caregiving Medical Care Long-Term Care Must Be Improved By Sondra Forsyth article As millions of Americans struggle to help loved ones with dementia, policymakers should consider more ways to improve long-term services and supports for the soaring numbers of people with the debilitating condition and their caregivers, according to a new RAND Corporation study done in June 2014. Thereport also offers possible ways to achieve those goals.
_ Mental & Emotional Health Mental Illness: What's Normal, What's Not By Jane Farrell article What's the difference between mental health and mental illness? Sometimes the answer is clear, but often the distinction between mental health and mental illness isn't so obvious. For example, if you're afraid of giving a speech in public, does it mean you have a mental health condition or a run-of-the-mill case of nerves? Or, when does shyness become a case of social phobia? Here's some help in telling the difference. It's often difficult to distinguish normal mental health from mental illness because there's no easy test to show if something's wrong.
Mental & Emotional Health Depression & Diabetes Linked to Early Death in Seniors By Jane Farrell article A study led by the University of Californina, Los Angeles and published in June 2014 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that among adults 65 and older with diabetes, depression is linked with a far greater chance for early death than it is for diabetics of the same age who do not have depression.
_ Regular Doc Visits Help Prevent Skin Cancer Deaths By article The risk of dying from, melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer is significantly reduced with regular doctor visits, according to a study done in Detroit at Henry Ford Hospital. The researchers believe that this is the first study to link melanoma mortality with routine health care use.
_ For Older COPD Patients, Common Meds Pose a Risk By article A group of drugs commonly prescribed for insomnia, anxiety, and breathing issues "significantly increase the risk" that older people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as emphysema, need to visit a doctor or Emergency Department for respiratory reasons. That is the finding of research done at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and published online on april 17th 2014 in the European Respiratory Journal.