E.V.O.O. (you Rachel Ray fans know that) extra virgin olive oil might help prevent Alzheimer’s disease according to a study that will appear in the Oct 15 edition of the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. Specifically, the compound oleocanthal in extra-virgin olive oil has been found to alter the structure...
Archives: September 2009
Intergenerational Programs – Kindergarten in the Nursing Home
Loneliness, helplessness and boredom – these are just three of the things that plague elders especially residents of long term care facilities. Lack of education about aging, interacting with elders, learning from elders – these are just three of the things that plague society. So what better way to start...
Special Focus Facilities – add more to the list says GAO
The governmentÛªs Special Focus Facility (SFF) program should add 450 nursing homes according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GOA). The GAO wants to include 580 of the poorest performing facilities nationwide-a more than four-fold increase over the 136 facilities currently singled out by the program. It...
Is Genesis Speaking for the Whole Nursing Home Industry in Opposing Reform?
The Center for Medicare Advocacy contends that Genesis Healthcare has been lobbying residents against HR 3200, the reform bill dubbed “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act.” If you remember Humana got in some hot water with the Department of Health and Human Services over their stand on reform. The Center’s leaders...
Intergenerational Programs ÛÒ Kindergarten in the Nursing Home
Loneliness, helplessness and boredom ÛÒ these are just three of the things that plague elders especially residents of long term care facilities. Lack of education about aging, interacting with elders, learning from elders ÛÒ these are just three of the things that plague society. So what better way to start...
Preventing Chronic Conditions Adds Healthy Years
Chronic conditions affect up to 90% of seniors. A new study suggests something that should be somewhat obvious – preventing chronic conditions could both save significant amounts of money and add healthy years to the lives of the elderly. Duh! Chronic conditions include diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Researchers...
Emergency Alert Pendant Poses Hazard
The Philips Lifeline Personal Help Button Necklaces pose a possible hazard according to the FDA. There have been at least six reports of serious injury or death associated with the emergency alert pendants. The emergency alert pendant is designed not to break away when tugged; yet because of its durability...
Simple Test For Stroke Better Than MRI
According to Dr. David E. Newman-Toker of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a simple, one-minute eye movement exam worked better than magnetic resonance imaging to distinguish new strokes. People experiencing a stroke have eye-movement alterations that correlate with stroke-damage to various brain areas — and these are distinct...
Is Medicare Advantage an Advantage?
It would appear the Medicare Advantage programs, Medicare HMOs if you will, actually provide better care. Health plan industry trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans has released a study concluding that Medicare Advantage plans may be doing a better job of controlling costs and preventing harm to patients. AHIP looked...
Physical Activity Good At Any Age
In my Meaning of Life keynote I talk about eight things that I have learned from seniors about living an active, full, quality life. I use my 88-year-old mother’s schedule to show particularly how her ability to keep active and busy has contributed to her quality of life, still living...