Archives: July 2011

New Quality Site

A consolidated site to compare a host of quality reports on your hospital is now available. Robert Wood Johnson has launched the National Directory for Comparing Health Care Quality. No new quality data is available but it pulls together a host of publicly available quality reports into one site.ξ Through...

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Lithium May Prevent Parkinson’s Disease

Michael J. Fox, Parkinson’s Sufferer The Journal of Neuroscience Research reports that the drug lithium has been found to greatly prevent the buildup of the toxic proteins and brain cell loss linked to Parkinson’s disease. Commonly used to treat bipolar disorder, it has demonstrated a neuroprotective effect in diseases such...

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New Administration Wellness Strategy Announced

Government health officials recently announced the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy (PDF), a plan aimed at increasing the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life.ξ This Strategy envisions a prevention-oriented society where all sectors recognize the value of health for individuals, families, and society and...

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$3 Trillion in Lost Benefits Suffered by Caregivers

A new Met Life study shows that almost 10 million adults over the age of 50 are becoming caregivers for their own parents, resulting in a loss of $3 trillion in wages, pension and Social Security benefits for time taken off from work. The MetLife Mature Market Institute, the National...

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Technology Does Not Necessarily Improve NH Care According to Residents

A new study suggests that comprehensive health information technology (HIT) does not lead to any measurable positive or negative effects on the health outcomes of elderly nursing home residents.ξ The study evaluated the impact of implementing a comprehensive HIT system on resident clinical, functional, and quality of care outcome indicators...

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High Levels of Physical Activity Could Reduce Silent Stroke Risk

Researchers at Columbia University and the University of Miami found the risk of silent strokes was 40% lower in older people who reported high levels of physical activity. The researchers recorded the exercise habits of 1,238 participants, who were on average 70 years old and have never had a stroke....

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Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)

Under the Affordable Care Act a new federal insurance program for those with pre-existing conditions was created. It will provide a health coverage option for you if you: have been uninsured for at least six months have a pre-existing condition have been denied coverage (or offered insurance without coverage of...

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CLASS Act Could Be on Chopping Block

The Community Living Assistance and Supportive Services (CLASS) Act is under threat of repeal and Leading Age is leading a charge to save it. Since this Act could become a viable means to pay for long-term care you may want to get involved. Here’s how. Congressional Call-In for CLASSOn Tuesday,...

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Workplaces Need Caregiver Affinity Groups

Fran Melmed writing for TLNT recently reported on the need for more caregiver affinity groups in the workplace. Citing the Pew Internet Projectäó»s latest study on the social life of health information, Pew found that caregivers use social network sites for updates and gathering information support more than other online...

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More Praying About Their Health

Investigators at the University of Massachusetts surveyed 30,080 adults in 2002 and 22,306 adults in 2007 and discovered that more Americans are praying about their health. In 2002, 43% of those surveyed said they prayed about their health.ξ That number jumped to 49% in 2007, according to The New York...

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