Friday, 29. June 2007
The Kentucky Medicaid program will be able to fund the $5.7 billion annual cost of the program, avoiding a deficit that in 2005 was projected to range from $125 million to $675 million, Health and Family Services Secretary Mark Birdwhistell said on Monday, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. [click link for full article]
Friday, 29. June 2007
The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee on Tuesday held a hearing to consider proposals to revise the Medicare reimbursement system for anemia medications administered to kidney dialysis patients, Dow Jones reports. [click link for full article]
Friday, 29. June 2007
The motivation of mid-size employers to automate their 401(k) plans and the underlying drivers such as the prevalence and understanding of automatic 401(k) plan features are explored in this national AARP telephone survey of 800 mid-size employers. (26 pages)
Friday, 29. June 2007
USA Today as part of a five-day series on elder care on Wednesday examined siblings who care for their elderly parents. [click link for full article]
Friday, 29. June 2007
Many people with early dementia are capable of driving safely, say researchers in this week’s BMJ. Society’s perception of older drivers tends to be negative, write Professor Desmond O’Neill and colleagues. Yet surveys of drivers aged more than 80 consistently show prudent driving behaviours. Furthermore, stopping driving can limit access to family, friends, and services and is an independent risk factor for entry into a nursing home. [click link for full article]
Friday, 29. June 2007
Older people are especially at risk from heat-related health problems such as heatstroke and heat exhaustion. With the heat wave we are currently experiencing, now is not the time to do chores, run errands or weed your garden. “Heat can be miserable for all ages, but potentially life threatening for older persons,” according to Lois Aronstein, State Director, AARP New York. [click link for full article]
Thursday, 28. June 2007
USA Today on Tuesday published two articles on issues related to elder care as part of a five-day series. Headlines and summaries appear below.” [click link for full article]
Thursday, 28. June 2007
Cyclical, long-term estrogen injections protected brain cells from age-related deterioration, according to a new study conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The study suggests that age is a factor in estrogen treatment and sheds light on the intricate relationship between mind, age, and hormones. The study is published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [click link for full article]
Thursday, 28. June 2007
In this 2007 report prepared for AARP by Towers Perrin, concerns about low levels of 401(k) participation and the need to make these plans more valuable to support a range of workforce goals are reviewed. This report helps employers better understand recent trends in 401(k) design and the positive effects they can have for both employees and employers. (21 pages)
Thursday, 28. June 2007
With Presidential debates failing to address America?s top domestic issues, the Divided We Fail group announced a debate question tracker will debut after this week?s PBS forum at Howard University. Only 6.4 percent of total questions asked in the first five national debates focused on health care and financial security.