November 2012 - New Old Age at the New York Times

Forced to Choose: Nursing Home vs. Hospice

Almost a third of elderly people are receiving end-of-life care in nursing homes, partly because they chose to use Medicare's skilled-nursing facility benefit for a nursing home bed rather than hospice care in their own home. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 30 2012 3:01 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: nursing homes, End-of-Life Care, hospice, skilled-nursing facility benefit

New Help for Hoarders

In the three years since this blog wrote last about the problem of older people who hoard, new treatments and services have become available. Read More...

Published Thu, Nov 29 2012 2:01 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: hoarding, News & Research, metal health

Doctor's Orders? Another Test

A new study suggests older patients are undergoing too many diagnostic tests -- the kind that help doctors figure out what is wrong. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 28 2012 3:48 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: Medical Issues, screening, florida, diagnostic tests, medical tests

New Efforts to Close Hospitals' Revolving Doors

Spurred by new financial penalties that Medicare started imposing in October on places with too many readmissions, hospitals are doing more outreach and intervention to make sure patients are following their discharge program. Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 27 2012 2:21 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: Health Care, Medicare, health care system, prevention, hospital readmissions, aftercare

Turning a Home Into a Hospital

The idea of hospice care in one's home is overwhelming, but it can bring its own rewards, too. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 26 2012 4:55 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: End-of-Life Care, hospice, Calvary Hospice, Linda Beeler

Help by the Hour, or Less

Mission Healthcare in San Diego, Calif., decided that clients should be able to specify how much help they want in 15-minute increments. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 23 2012 3:33 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: Finances & Legalities, home health aides, Mission Healthcare, home healthcare, home care agency

Patience, Consciousness and White Lies

Parenting our kids was good practice for the issues we face with our parents. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 21 2012 3:39 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: Family Relationships, driving, independence, helicopter parenting

Signing Up to Help Fight Alzheimer's

A registry of people willing to participate in Alzheimer's studies was formed. Its goal: to provide information, raise public awareness, debunk nonsense and help accelerate the pace of research. Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 20 2012 4:26 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: Medical Issues, Alzheimer's, The Alzheimer's Association, TrialMatch, Army of Women, Alzheimer's Prevention Registry, Banner Alzheimer's Institute

Managing the Assisted Living vs. Hospice Dilemma

When hospice services are brought into assistant living facilities for older residents with terminal illnesses, problems can arise. Here are tips for making sure there is good communication between families, hospice staff, assisted living staff and paid...

Published Mon, Nov 19 2012 2:44 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: assisted living, End-of-Life Care, palliative care, hospice, Centura Health At Home, Assisted Living Federation of America, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Assisted Living vs. Hospice: Who's in Charge?

Arranging for hospice care in assisted living facilities can present challenges. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 16 2012 3:08 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: assisted living, End-of-Life Care, hospice, Centura Health At Home, Assisted Living Federation of America

Fighting Off Age at the Pharmacy Counter

Sales of medications that target symptoms of normal aging are soaring, according to data recently released at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 14 2012 8:42 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: News & Research, aging, Express Scripts Inc|ESRX|NASDAQ, American Public Health Association, Express Scripts, Viagra

What Chemo Can't Do

Patients with late-stage lung and colon cancer often don't realize that chemotherapy will not cure them, a new study finds. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 12 2012 9:52 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: End-of-Life Care, life expectancy, Cancer

The Emotional Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Older adults suffer disproportionately in the aftermath of traumas like Hurricane Sandy. Here are some ways to help them. Read More...

Published Sat, Nov 10 2012 3:38 AM by The New Old Age

Filed under: Uncategorized, disaster preparedness, Hurricane Sandy, trauma

More Time to Enroll in Medicare If You Live in Storm Areas

Federal officials have extended the Dec. 7 deadline to enroll in a private medical or drug plan for next year for those still coping with storm damage. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 09 2012 3:17 PM by The New Old Age

Filed under: Health Care, Medicare, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hurricane Sandy

Old, Frail and in Harm's Way

In a major disaster like Hurricane Sandy, the frail elderly often need more than the help of family and friends. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 05 2012 2:42 PM by The New Old Age

Filed under: Housing, disaster preparedness, Gerontological Society of America, Jewish Home Lifecare, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy