For Smart Phone Users
THIS PAGE IS BEST VIEWED IN
LANDSCAPE MODE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2024
NEW EMAIL:
THESENIORLOG-USA@HOTMAIL.COM
“Trying to be happy by accumulating possessions
is like trying to satisfy hunger by taping
sandwiches all over your body”
George Carlin
Americans will lose
full Social Security benefits
in 11 years,
according to the program's trustees —
a year later than expected
By Ayelet Sheffey and Juliana Kaplan
Full Social Security benefits are expected to run out in 2035, per the program's trustees.
That's a year later than expected, and at that point, 83% of the benefits will be available.
Still, the uncertain fate of the program worries retirees who rely on Social Security.
As more Americans fear being unprepared for retirement — and rely solely on Social Security — those full benefits might not be long-lived.
Read more
Readmission Rates
After Major Surgery
High for Older Adults
Readmission rates highest for those
with frailty and probable dementia
By Lori Solomon
Older adults face high rates of readmission within 180 days of major surgery, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in JAMA Network Open.
Yi Wang, Ph.D., from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues estimate the number of hospital readmissions within 30 and 180 days after major surgery among community-living U.S. residents aged 65 years and older. The analysis included 1,477 participants in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (1,780 major surgeries).
The researchers found that the weighted rates of hospital readmission were 11.6 percent for 30 days and 27.6 percent for 180 days. Within 180 days, the highest readmission rates were seen among participants aged 90 years and older (36.8 percent), those undergoing vascular surgery (45.8 percent), and persons with frailty (36.9 percent) or probable dementia (39.0 percent). With death as a competing risk in age- and sex-adjusted models, the hazard ratios for hospital readmission within 180 days were 2.29 for frailty and 1.58 for probable dementia.
Read more
Does Assisted Living
Provide Assistance
And Promote Living?
By Sheryl Zimmerman, Robyn Stone, Paula Carder, and Kali Thomas
Assisted living has promised assistance and quality of living to older adults for more than eighty years. It is the largest residential provider of long-term care in the United States, serving more than 918,000 older adults as of 2018. As assisted living has evolved, the needs of residents have become more challenging; staffing shortages have worsened; regulations have become complex; the need for consumer support, education, and advocacy has grown; and financing and accessibility have become insufficient. Together, these factors have limited the extent to which today’s assisted living adequately provides assistance and promotes living, with negative consequences for aging in place and well-being. This Commentary provides recommendations in four areas to help assisted living meet its promise: workforce; regulations and government; consumer needs and roles; and financing and accessibility. Policies that may be helpful include those that would increase staffing and boost wages and training; establish staffing standards with appropriate skill mix; promulgate state regulations that enable greater use of third-party services; encourage uniform data reporting; provide funds supporting family involvement; make community disclosure statements more accessible; and offer owners and operators incentives to facilitate access for consumers with fewer resources. Attention to these and other recommendations may help assisted living live up to its name.
Read more
A healthy lifestyle
can mitigate genetic risk
for early death by 62%
By Madeline Holcombe
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
That risk could be mitigated by about 62% in people with a genetic predisposition, said lead author Dr. Xue Li, dean of the School of Public Health at Zhejian Univeristy School of Medicine in China.
Many studies have shown the connection between a healthy lifestyle and longevity and others have underscored the genetic component in lifespan, but the report published Monday in the journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine explored how the two come together.
Read more
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY
COMMUNICATE
WITH YOUR DOCTOR
BY ALISA SABIN
A 2021 AHIMA Foundation survey found 76% of respondents don’t leave their doctor’s office on a positive note. Poor communication between patient and doctor may adversely affect medical care. Successful physician-patient dialogue is the cornerstone of health. These conversations often prove challenging. There are things you can do to enhance the communication during your doctor’s visit. The following are some tips to optimize discourse.
Focus on What Is Important to You
Unfortunately, there may be time constraints at your doctor’s visit, and it is very possible only one issue is able to be addressed at each visit. So, make sure you start off talking about the main issue you want addressed. Keep in mind, if the appointment is already made to address a chronic health issue like diabetes or hypertension, that is probably what will be discussed. If you have a different problem you want addressed, it is best to schedule a separate appointment for that, so full attention can be focused on your main concern.
Read more
Other stories...
New Staffing Mandates
for Long-Term Care Facilities
By Troutman Pepper
Last month, on April 22, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities final rule, which will apply to any long-term care (LTC) facilities that receive federal funding. According to CMS, the adoption of these minimum staffing standards is meant to address perceived chronic understaffing of LTC facilities that CMS believes may lead to sub-standard patient care. Perceived understaffing of LTC facilities has been a primary concern of CMS for some time, particularly after the LTC sector lost nearly 200,000 jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Older brains feel ‘reward’ from music,
even if they don’t like it
By Ashley Joannou
The brains of older adults feel a sense of reward when listening to music, even if it’s a song they don’t particularly like, a researcher at British Columbia’s Simon Fraser University says.
Read more
Sleaze vs Morality
A candidate running for the position of President of the United States finds themselves in a courtroom, facing charges of falsifying business records in order to conceal a hush money payment made to a porn star with whom they had engaged in a sexual relationship, all while their wife and newborn son were waiting at home. Setting aside the legal aspects of the case, one cannot help but wonder, "Would anyone in their right mind vote for such a morally questionable individual?" Surprisingly, they did, and if the polls are accurate, they will do so again. This begs the question, "What has happened to the moral compass of our nation?"
There was a time when we held our elected leaders to a higher moral standard than the average citizen. One had to possess near sainthood-like qualities to even be considered as a candidate, regardless of political affiliation. Potential candidates underwent rigorous scrutiny and vetting before their names could even grace the "A" list of possible candidates. Only then would they receive the support of their respective parties. Occasionally, someone would slip through the cracks, but their misdeeds would inevitably come to light, leading to their resignation or removal from office once the news became public. They would be ostracized by their colleagues, and no one wanted any association with them. However, it seems that this no longer holds true. Nowadays, the more morally questionable a candidate is, the more they are admired by the electorate and even by fellow politicians. So what happened?
For one, the rise of social media and a 24 hr. news cycle. Scandals come to light faster and bigger capturing the public’s attention. Constant exposure to all this sensationalism has negated the moral aspects of their actions to one of just another form of entertainment.
Secondly, there has been a growing dislike with the political establishment. Many voters feel disconnected from the traditional political elite and are seeking candidates who they perceive as outsiders or disruptors. This has led to a willingness to overlook moral shortcomings in favor of someone who promises to shake up the system and bring about change. And if those disruptors happen to have a questionable background, who cares. Also, they may justify their support by arguing that the ends justify the means, or that the candidate's personal life is separate from their ability to govern effectively.
Add to that the view people now have of politicians as being inherently corrupt and dishonest, leading them to believe that all candidates are flawed in some way. This cynicism has lowered the bar for moral expectations, as people may feel that no candidate is truly virtuous.
Of curse, we can’t forget the cult following of some charismatic and captivating individuals which can often overshadow their moral failings with their ability to connect with voters on an emotional level.
The moral compass of our nation has changed, allowing for the acceptance and even support of morally questionable candidates. We now face the problem of how we can turn the country around before these changes become permanent and threaten our democracy….
New Poll Finds Older Americans
Believe Medicare Should Cover
Weight-Loss Drugs
According to the latest University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, about three in four older Americans (76 percent) believe Medicare should cover the cost of weight-loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Zepbound.
More than four out of five older adults (83 percent) think insurance companies should pay for drugs that help people with obesity manage their weight, according to poll results from more than 2,600 people ages 50 to 80 years.
A 2003 law currently prohibits Medicare from covering medications specifically for weight loss, although the federal insurance program can cover drugs that help people with type 2 diabetes manage their weight, researchers said in background notes.
Read more
Let’s have an honest
conversation
about what to
expect as you age
By Judith Graham
How many of us have wanted a reliable, evidence-based guide to aging that explains how our bodies and minds change as we grow older and how to adapt to those differences?
Creating a work of this kind is challenging. For one thing, aging gradually alters people over decades, a long period shaped by individuals’ economic and social circumstances, their behaviors, their neighborhoods, and other factors. Also, while people experience common physiological issues in later life, they don’t follow a well-charted, developmentally predetermined path.
“Predictable changes occur, but not necessarily at the same time or in the same sequence,” said Rosanne Leipzig, vice chair for education at the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “There’s no more heterogeneous a group than older people.”
Read more
Joint Pain In Winter:
7 Tips To Reduce
Joint Stiffness
And Protect Your
Bones From Cold
By Satata Karmakar
The characteristics of winter conditions can vary based on geographical location, but several common features are associated with this season. Winter brings colder temperatures, reduced humidity, shorter daylight hours, and fluctuating barometric pressures. The seasonal shift towards winter brings about transformations in the landscape, and these changes notably impact joints, particularly in individuals with pre-existing joint diseases.
The effect of winters on people with existing joints may have individual variations and also differ from the type of arthritis. Many people, especially with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, commonly report heightened joint pain and stiffness, particularly during early morning hours, with gradual improvement as the day progresses.
In an exclusive interaction with TheHealthSite.com, Dr. Sandeep Yadav, Rheumatologist at P. D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Khar, highlighted the various risk factors that contribute to increased joint pain and stiffness. Scroll down to learn how you can protect your bones during the chilly months.
Read more
Ruminations on the Word 'Old'
Semantics, pragmatics and
other meanings of this
often weighted word
By Vanessa Nirode
Recently, a friend questioned my oft use of the word 'old' when referring to myself. Of a similar age, she doesn't consider herself old at all. The fact that I describe myself with that particular adjective annoys her. She doesn't understand why I would ever present myself this way.
"When I turned 50, I was inordinately happy. I found it profoundly significant that I had made it to the second half of my life.
I was proud of myself," I thought about this for a few weeks after she brought it up and have realized that I regard old differently than many other people do. To me, old is not a negative, not something to be kept secret for fear someone may think less of me. In fact, something I find annoying is when I say, "I'm old; I've been doing XXX for almost 40 years," and someone immediately replies, "You're not old!"
To me, old is not a negative, not something to be kept secret for fear someone may think less of me.
My argument is that in the context of what I was referencing, I am.
Learn more
Best Health Insurance Plans
For Senior Citizens
To Look Forward To In 2024
By Dipen Pradhan
Health insurance is a must when you or elders in the family start to get older by day. Insurance companies in India offer health plans that are specifically designed for senior citizens. Generally, an entry age for such a policy is 60 years and above, and covers various medical needs including the cost of in-patient hospitalization, pre-and post-hospitalization, modern treatment, home treatment, etc.
However, not all senior citizen health policies provide similar benefits. There’s a compulsory co-payment condition, sub-limits on room rents, etc. Also, health insurance plans have a certain limit on sum insured, which depends on the premium amount insured chooses to pay.
For this reason, we’ve analyzed 30 major products, and chose the best health insurance plans for senior citizens to help you make the right decision.
Read more
A Sandwich By Any Other name…
The Earl of Sandwich enjoyed his time at the gaming tables. So much so that he didn’t want to leave his marathon gambling sessions to have a meal. Instead, he had a servant bring him a slice of roast beef between two pieces of bread—a meal he could eat with his hands without having to leave the table. His fellow gamblers found this eccentricity of the Earl’s amusing, but they also soon began to see the logic of it. Supposedly some to them began to tell the waiters to bring them “one like Sandwich.” And thus the now ubiquitous “sandwich” acquired its name.
Lord Sandwich was an interesting character, whose life included numerous Dose-worthy episodes. But it is as the namesake of the sandwich that he is best remembered.
John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, died in London at age 73, on April 30, 1792, two hundred thirty-two years ago today.
By the way, it is often said that Montagu “invented” the sandwich. That is not true. He was certainly not the first person to come up with the idea of making a meal out of two slices of bread with something in between. But he did help popularize the notion in the English-speaking world and he did give it a name. In fact, within a few decades of his death “sandwich” had entered the language not only a noun, but also a verb—meaning to place something between two other things.
NEXT EDITION
FRIDAY MAY 10, 2024
©2024 Bruce Cooper
-30-
*************