“Eating more meat and eggs lowers dementia risk in men,” by Alicia Lasek, McKnight’s LTC News “Men whose diet contained more choline, a nutrient found in a variety of foods, had a 28% lower risk of dementia than those with a comparably low intake, a Finnish investigation has found. … Major contributors of choline in the American diet are eggs, meat, poultry, fish, dairy foods, pasta and rice. The recommended daily intake is 425 mg/day for women and 550 mg/day for men. Two hard-boiled eggs provide up to 300 mg of choline.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President,
Read More

“Financial Performance of Medicare Advantage, Individual, and Group Health Insurance Markets,” by Gretchen Jacobson, Rachel Fehr, Cynthia Cox, and Tricia Neuman, Kaiser Family Foundation “Medicare-for-All proposals have sparked discussion about the role of private health insurance in the U.S. health care system. Some of the current Medicare-for-All proposals would essentially eliminate private insurance. Others would allow private insurers to administer benefits under the new public program, similar to the role of Medicare Advantage plans today, which serve as a private-plan alternative to traditional Medicare. Another set of proposals would create a new Medicare-like public plan option, but preserve a role for private health insurance,
Read More

“Report Sounds Alarm on Medication Overload Among Older Americans,” by Liz Seegert, Next Avenue “Experts on aging are sounding the alarm about another U.S. drug crisis: Too many older adults taking too many medications. This trend is leading to a surge in adverse drug events (ADE) over the past two decades. The rate of emergency department visits by older adults for adverse drug events doubled between 2006 and 2014. That’s a problem as serious as the opioid crisis, but whose scope appears to remain virtually invisible to families, patients, policymakers and many clinicians, according to a recent report by the Lown
Read More

“US seniors fulfill dreams, fight depression with virtual reality,” by Leila Macor, TechXplore “‘We use virtual reality to fulfill seniors’ wishes,’ said Ivanovitch, a digital humanities doctor. Through VR, seniors can go places they’ve never been and check destinations off their bucket lists. VR Genie, which is run by the nonprofit organization Equality Lab, is funded by Miami-Dade County’s Mayor’s Age Friendly Initiative through a mini grant. The goal is to provide nursing homes with VR helmets as soon as Ivanovitch, 35, compiles a more extensive ‘dream library.’”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care
Read More

“The Benefits of Hiring a Companion for an Older Adult,” by Marijke Vroomen Durning, Next Avenue “More than 34 million family members and friends in the United States provide care to older adults, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. … Getting help often involves hiring a home health care aide who can do tasks like bathing, toileting and dressing. Not all caregivers need someone to provide that level of care, though. Some may just need a helper to give them a little time to themselves or to run errands and do tasks that wouldn’t otherwise get done. For these
Read More

““American seniors employed at record-high levels,” by Brittany De Lea, Fox Business,” by Brittany De Lea, Fox Business “As the record-long U.S. economic expansion continues, more seniors than ever appear to be putting off retirement. According to data from Deutsche Bank Securities chief economist Torsten Slok, the employment to population ratio for those aged 65 and over hit 20 percent in July – a record high.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): New long-term care plan: work until you drop.
Read More

“New NAIC Long-Term Care Insurance Squad May Keep Some Work Private,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor “State insurance regulators might keep part of a major new long-term care insurance (LTCI) rate review regulation effort behind closed doors. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners formed a top-level Long-Term Care Insurance Task Force in April, to get the heads of state insurance regulatory agencies directly involved with addressing LTCI issuers’ plea for states to handle LTCI premium increase requests in a similar way. Thirty-six states agreed to join the task force, and 25 commissioners cared enough to show up for an in-person meeting in June, Scott
Read More

“Things I Think: Good, Bad news,” by Gary Tetz, McKnight’s LTC News “Bad news, people. Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented. That might actually sound like good news, especially for those destined to be in our care. But here’s the dark side: Recent research suggests avoiding this dreaded disease might actually require personal responsibility and making better choices. Darn it, I knew there was a catch. A recent study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference identified five lifestyle habits that combined could reduce the risk by 60%. They’re just simple little things: eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, don’t smoke,
Read More

“Secret shoppers in LTC,” by Eleanor Feldman Barbera, McKnight’s LTC News “Posing as customers, ‘secret shoppers’ deliver the inside scoop to management about their experiences with various service providers. They can be invaluable to management in all kinds of situations, including long-term care, though there are special challenges there. … Even leaders who regularly walk the floors of their facilities know that the interactions between workers and their charges are different when senior managers aren’t observing. Discovering details of the day-to-day experiences of residents, families and staff can offer valuable insights that improve care quality, increase satisfaction and make a facility
Read More

“Medicare Advantage Hasn’t Always Prioritized Skilled Nursing — But That’s Changing,” by Maggie Flynn, Skilled Nursing News “If skilled nursing facilities want to improve their relationship with managed care payers — particularly the ever-expanding Medicare Advantage plans — they have to ensure that they understand the payers’ pain points. … Managed Medicare plans have long been a thorn in the side of SNF providers, with lower reimbursements and intense length-of-stay pressures, but despite the challenges of managed care, many states see managed long-term supports and services (MLTSS) as the only way to manage their budgets as their populations age.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen
Read More