“Flu more deadly for U.S. seniors than coronavirus, say doctors,” by Alicia Lasek, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “The coronavirus currently plaguing China and spreading global fears has been particularly deadly for elderly people with pre-existing health conditions. Yet it is not nearly as menacing as seasonal flu, physician specialists recently told Kaiser Health News. Influenza rarely gets the sort of attention that 2019 Novel Coronavirus is getting, even though it kills more Americans each year than any other virus, the doctors pointed out. Familiarity breeds indifference, one physician reminded the news outlet.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for
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“Living near major roads linked to risk of dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and MS,” Science Daily   Quote: “Researchers from the University of British Columbia analyzed data for 678,000 adults in Metro Vancouver. They found that living less than 50 metres from a major road or less than 150 metres from a highway is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and MS — likely due to increased exposure to air pollution.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Besides, the road noise will drive you nuts anyway.    
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“Burnout generation gap: Gen X healthcare workers fare worse than millennials, boomers,” by Hailey Mensik, HealthCareDive   Quote: “Physicians ages 40 to 54, or those belonging to Generation X, experience burnout at a higher rate than their older and younger coworkers, according to a new report from Medscape. Nearly 48% of Gen X physicians reported burnout, compared with 38% of millennials and 39% of baby boomers. Among all generations, bureaucratic tasks including charts and paperwork were cited most frequently as a factor for professional dissatisfaction and burnout, followed by long hours. … Half of all physicians surveyed said they would take a
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“39% of adults in their 70s view Social Security as ‘a lifeline’,” by Lois A. Bowers, McKnight’s Senior Living   Quote: “Thirty-nine percent of respondents to a new survey who were aged 70 to 79 said they plan to rely on Social Security in retirement ‘a lot, as a lifeline to keep me afloat,’ suggesting both challenges and opportunities ahead for senior living operators. An additional one-third (33%) in that age group who participated in TD Ameritrade’s ‘Road to Retirement Survey’ said they plan to rely on Social Security ‘some,’ and 27% said ‘a little, as a cushion when I need it.’
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“How to Survive as a Caregiver: Six Essential Tips,” by Dorothy Kelley, Today’s Caregiver   Quote: “Have you ever found yourself thrust into a job that you would never have applied for, and for which you didn’t have the background or training? For which you felt you were unsuited in so many ways?  And for which you are not allowed to quit or retire?  That scenario might be the stuff of most people’s nightmares, but for millions of Americans, it is the reality of life as a caregiver.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Anyone who
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What The 2020s Have In Store For Aging Boomers,” by Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News   Quote: “Within 10 years, all of the nation’s 74 million baby boomers will be 65 or older. The most senior among them will be on the cusp of 85. Even sooner, by 2025, the number of seniors (65 million) is expected to surpass that of children age 13 and under (58 million) for the first time, according to Census Bureau projections. … What lies ahead in the 2020s, as society copes with this unprecedented demographic shift? I asked a dozen experts to identify important trends.
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“NAIC Prepares to Collect State-by-State LTCI Rate Data,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor   Quote: “State insurance regulators are getting ready to collect data that could shape a dispute over how some states handle requests for long-term care insurance (LTCI) rate increase requests. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) says it plans to pay a contractor $110,000 to collect detailed, state-by-state LTCI rate information. The contractor will begin developing the LTCI rate ‘data call,’ or questionnaire, in February, according to a data call project impact statement posted on the NAIC’s website. A link to the LTCI rate data call fiscal impact
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“There are at least 4 different ways of aging, scientists say,” by Erika Edwards, NBC News   Quote: “Anyone who has attended a class reunion has seen firsthand that people age in different ways. Some former classmates appear to have aged a century within just a few decades, while others look just as they did fresh from 11th grade English class. Now, a study published Monday in Nature Medicine takes a deeper look at what’s going on at a molecular level, offering a possible explanation for why we age differently, and raising the tantalizing possibility that we could one day have an impact
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“40% of Older Americans Rely Solely on Social Security for Retirement Income,” by National Institute on Retirement Security, Advisor Magazine   Quote: “Only a small percentage of older Americans, seven percent, receive income from Social Security, a defined benefit pension, and a defined contribution account. Retirement income from these three sources is widely considered to be the ideal situation to ensure retirement security, particularly for the middle class. Retirees with these three sources of income are far less likely to face poverty and economic hardship. A new report also finds that a large portion (40 percent) of older Americans rely only
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“Growing gap between what insurers and Medicare spend on hospital stays,” by Jack Craver, BenefitsPRO     Quote: “A new analysis takes a look at the difference between what private health plans and Medicare pay for hospital stays. The analysis, published by Thomas M. Selden in Health Affairs, examines the cost of hospital stays from 2000 to 2016. Between 2000 and 2012, the cost of inpatient hospital stays rose much faster for privately insured patients than Medicare enrollees. At the beginning of the millennium, private plans were only paying 10 percent more than Medicare, but that gap grew to 75 percent by
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