AARP on Hot Seat Again over Healthcare Reform

A Washington Post article examines AARP’s strong endorsement of healthcare reform. According to the Post the AARP collected more than $650 million in royalties and other fees last year from the sale of insurance policies, credit cards and other products that carry the AARP name. It does not directly sell...

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Young Adults Think They May Never Retire

One of the platforms I stand for is to educate people about aging issues sooner in life so that they do not become a crisis situation later. So this study is of interest. According to the Northwestern Mutual Foundation’s financial literacy Web site, most young adults think they’ll need to...

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Brain Inflammation a Help for Alzheimer’s?

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Florida have conducted studies that suggest brain inflammation is not a trigger that leads to a build-up of Alzheimer’s disease-causing plaques. It could actually be manipulated to cleanse the brain of those plaques. Researchers induced inflammation in the brains of laboratory mice predisposed to...

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Medicare Part A to Increase in 2010

The Medicare Part A deductible will increase by $32 in 2010 to $1,100. The deductible applies to care in a skilled nursing facility, inpatient hospital, hospice and certain home healthcare services. Beneficiaries must pay an additional $275 for days 61 through 90 in 2010, and $550 for lifetime reserve days....

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Brookdale to Acquire Some Sunrise Facilities

Sunrise Senior Living has entered into an agreement to sell 21 owned assisted living communities, located in 11 states, to an affiliate of Brookdale Senior Living Inc., for $204 million. The closing date is currently scheduled for November 16, 2009. “This is another important step in our restructuring process and...

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Should advanced dementia be considered a terminal illness?

That is the question this article in Scientific American asks readers. And perhaps they have a point. If we look at dementia in the whole we would probably help better ease the pain of those battling it and avoid unnecessary medical procedures. What scares me is that some will interpret...

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Fall Prevention Needs to Be Stepped Up

Fall prevention (not the season – I love fall!) needs to be stepped up. In fact, the long-term care arena and smart administrators should adopt fall prevention as a strategic cause. Here is more reasons why. Three in 10 elderly patients who sought care in an emergency room after a...

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Healthcare Reform – Extreme Makeover: Healthcare Edition

There is an excellent article in The Atlantic by David Goldhill entitled How American Health Care Killed My Father. There has been something that in my gut has been annoying me about the whole health care reform debacle and Goldhill has hit it. Essentially, reform does not reform if you...

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AAHSA Call-In Day – Let Your Voice Be Heard in Reform

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is sponsoring a call-in day today in support of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. AAHSA is urging administrators, staff, residents, family members and members of the public to contact their senators and express their support for...

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