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Seniors

Senior advocacy groups call for rights, protections for LGBT seniors

March 18, 2010

State and federal lawmakers should find a way to legally recognize same-sex elderly couples to extend social supports, financial security and healthcare benefits to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors, a new report contends.

National long-term care resource center for GLBT elders to be established

February 18, 2010

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has disclosed an award of $900,000 for the first-ever national resource center to assist gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors in planning for their long-term care needs.

England knows how to swing: Playground for seniors to open this spring

February 16, 2010

Who says kids get to have all the fun? Seniors in London will soon get to enjoy a playground designed specifically for them.

Handgrip strength linked to all-cause mortality in study

February 10, 2010

Evaluating the handgrip strength of very old seniors could be an effective way to evaluate risk for death, according to a recently published study.

Hispanic seniors experience quality disparity in nursing home care, report finds

January 06, 2010

Hispanic seniors are much more likely to live in nursing homes of "inferior quality" than white older adults, according to a recently released report from Brown University.

Senate inching closer to passing bill with CLASS Act in it

Liza Berger December 23, 2009

It appears increasingly likely that proponents of the CLASS Act will have "happy holidays" after all.

HHS encouraging everyone to receive H1N1 vaccine

December 18, 2009

The Department of Health and Human Services Thursday widened its H1N1 flu vaccination campaign to those who are not considered at high risk of contracting the illness.

HHS to release $27 million to fight chronic disease among older adults

December 17, 2009

The Department of Health and Human Services is disbursing $27 million in stimulus package funds to bolster care and prevention of chronic conditions among the elderly through the HHS' Administration on Aging (AoA), it said Wednesday.

Senators focus on Medicare spending, seniors services early in debate over healthcare reform bill

December 03, 2009

As Senate Democrats and Republicans began debating their healthcare bill this week, Medicare spending reductions and their effect on seniors emerged as major topics.

White House rejects claims that proposed Medicare cuts would hurt care for seniors

November 17, 2009

A recent report has rekindled some of the controversy surrounding proposed cuts to Medicare under current healthcare reform proposals. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Saturday released an analysis that suggests nursing homes and hospitals would no longer accept Medicare patients if healthcare reform passes.

Seniors at higher risk of death from H1N1

November 17, 2009

More seniors are likely to die from H1N1 if they contract it than younger people, according to two new reports.

Nearly one-fourth of seniors with heart failure return to hospital

November 13, 2009

Roughly one out of every four seniors who experience heart failure wind up back in the hospital within 30 days, according to a new report.

An argument for the SHIFT model of senior care

Jeff Petty November 12, 2009

Here's a new concept in aging services: the Senior Health and Housing Initiative For Transformation (SHIFT). It would provide an all-inclusive approach to care in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) setting.

Slow walking seniors more at risk for cardiovascular disease, report finds

November 12, 2009

Seniors who walk quickly are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than their slower walking peers, a new study finds.

Hope: A hazard to your health?

Liza Berger November 04, 2009

Results of a new study have left me feeling a bit hopeless.

Tai Chi helps reduce pain for seniors with osteoarthritis, study finds

November 02, 2009

Seniors with osteoarthritis pain may benefit from a popular Chinese martial art. Practicing two hours of Tai Chi per week has been shown to reduce pain in older adults, a new study found.

Online social supports could reduce seniors' depression, save healthcare spending

October 19, 2009

Getting seniors to use the Internet more could simultaneously reduce rates of depression among the elderly and cut healthcare costs, according to a new report from The Phoenix Center.

Seniors' H1N1 immunity could come from seasonal flu exposure, vaccinations

October 16, 2009

Seniors' apparent immunity from swine flu could indicate that the human population, as a whole, has a preexisting immunity to H1N1. Such thinking would help explain why H1N1 symptoms have been generally mild, researchers said Wednesday.

Higher doses of vitamin D help prevent falls, study finds

October 07, 2009

Seniors aged 65 and older can significantly reduce their risk of falls by taking vitamin D supplements every day. But they need to take more of the vitamin than previously thought, according to the results of a new study.

CDC recommends pneumonia vaccine and flu vaccine for seniors this year

October 02, 2009

Seniors aged 65 and older should consider getting vaccinated against pneumonia as well as the seasonal influenza strain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend in a new report.

Older women sleep more than they think, study suggests

October 02, 2009

When it comes to objectively comparing sleep quality, elderly men don't catch as many z's as women, according to a new study that compares subjective reporting to objective sleep measurements.

Insulin could help seniors grow muscle, study finds

September 28, 2009

A double dose of insulin could help spur muscle growth in the elderly, a new study finds.

Avoiding chronic conditions saves money, increases longevity, study finds

September 25, 2009

Preventing chronic conditions could both save significant amounts of money and add healthy years to the lives of the elderly, according to a new report.

Exercise increases chances of staying functional in extreme old age, study finds

September 17, 2009

It's never too late to reap the benefits of physical activity, authors of a new report say. They found that exercise increases functionality and life span, even among the oldest of the old.

Senate Aging Committee to hold panel discussion on impact of healthcare reform on seniors

September 16, 2009

The Senate Special Committee on Aging will host a discussion and briefing Thursday about the potential effects of healthcare reform on seniors.

CMS proposes covering HIV screening for Medicare beneficiaries

September 11, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week proposed covering voluntary HIV screening for Medicare beneficiaries at increased risk of infection and those who are pregnant.

New research highlights problems with beta-blockers for hypertension among seniors

August 31, 2009

Beta-blockers, a once-popular treatment for seniors with high blood pressure, are now known to be less effective at preventing stroke than other blood pressure treatments. New research from the University of Leicester sheds light on some reasons why.

New HHS report details benefits of healthcare reform efforts for seniors

August 28, 2009

In recent weeks, many U.S. seniors have spoken out against healthcare reform. In a new report, the Department of Health and Human Services stresses that reform is necessary to save the Medicare program.

AHRQ: Healthcare spending on seniors increases by more than $100 billion in 10 years

August 28, 2009

Healthcare spending for seniors rose steadily from 1996 to 2006, according to a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Half of Americans could catch swine flu, healthcare workers still reluctant to get vaccinated

August 26, 2009

Slightly less than half the population of the United States could become infected with the H1N1 flu this fall and winter, according to a presidential panel. That trails findings that healthcare workers are still hesitant about receiving the H1N1 vaccine.