“Yogurt every day keeps Alzheimer’s away? Probiotics, strong gut health may be key to avoiding dementia,” Study Finds   Quote: “As of 2021, a whopping 6.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and this number is projected to rise 22% by 2025. Globally, the number of people with dementia is predicted to triple to around 150 million by 2050 because of aging populations. While there’s no cure for the Alzheimer’s, new research indicates that the bacteria in our gut could stave off the disease.”     LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: It appears there are
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“BREAKING: It’s official: Nursing homes must vaccinate employees or lose Medicaid, Medicare funding,” by Danielle Brown, McKnight’s LTC News     Quote: “President Joe Biden announced late Wednesday afternoon that U.S. nursing homes must use workers vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing vital Medicare and Medicaid funding. Overall nursing home staff vaccination rates have lagged around 60%, with many far below that, according to federal statistics. This, despite nursing homes being the deadliest places affiliated with COVID-19, accounting for approximately one-third of all coronavirus deaths in the U.S. …The administration edict carries powerful implications for providers. About 60% of all
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“Is The WISH Act A Real Fix For Long-Term Care Costs?,” by Elizabeth Bauer, Forbes   Quote: “Regular readers know that one of my pet peeves are legislation names with too-clever acronyms, and the WISH Act is pure cringe, on this metric: it’s the Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home Act, introduced by Rep Tom Suozzi (D-NY) at the beginning of July. … Would Suozzi’s plan pass? It seems unlikely, given the absence of any co-sponsors, and our current political times in general. … Is this the right or the wrong approach? There is no perfect answer here, but a waiting
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“Guest Opinion: Stop, rethink Washington state’s long term care law,” by Don C. Brunell, Sequim Gazette Quote: “Gov. Jay Inslee and Democrats who control the state legislature need to postpone implementing the sweeping ‘Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program’ to determine its future financial viability and find better alternatives for coverage.”     LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: True, but maybe it’s even better to let this boondoggle proceed and collapse of its own weight as a warning to other states that may be contemplating a similar experiment.           Subscribe
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“Kaiser study finds severe workforce shortages challenging HCBS providers,” by Diane Eastabrook, McKnight’s Senior Living Quote: “In a survey of states that concluded in mid-July, Kaiser found many home-and-community-based services (HCBS) agencies that battled a worker shortage also reported enrollees and their families declined services due to fears of coronavirus exposure. To minimize service interruptions, some states reported using Medicaid emergency authorities to provide services through telehealth when possible.”     LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: Who’s better off? Someone with LTC insurance who can pay market rates for private home care? Or someone
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