“Older Americans Are Awash in Antibiotics,” by Paula Span, New York Times “Patients over age 65 have the highest rate of outpatient prescribing of any age group. A new C.D.C. study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, points out that doctors write enough antibiotic prescriptions annually — nearly 52 million in 2014 — for every older person to get at least one. Because the researchers used a national pharmacy database that tracked only outpatients, the study likely underestimates the problem.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): That’s not the only problem. Our next clipping
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“Grandparents Are a Major Economic Force: AARP,” by Michael S. Fischer, ThinkAdvisor “The number of grandparents in the U.S. has increased by 24% to 70 million since the turn of the century, and they spend an average of $2,562 a year — about $179 billion — on their grandchildren, AARP reported Tuesday. … AARP’s research showed that grandparents have four to five grandchildren, on average, down from six to seven in 2011. Forty percent of grandparents are in the workforce today, up from 24% in 2011. … Nine in 10 grandparents in the study said they provided some kind of financial support
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“5 Design Don’ts for Senior Living Communities,” by Mary Cook, Multi-Housing News “Consider the realities of aging: Eyesight, hearing and sense of smell fades, mobility becomes more challenging, once-easy daily activities cause frustration, friends change. These normal changes must be integrated into senior living design to create comfortable homes and foster positive experiences that meet aging residents’ needs. Rather than do’s, ‘design don’ts’ tell the real story. Here’s what builders, developers and operators should avoid in senior living projects.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Boomers are the high maintenance generation.
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“4 Ways Researchers Are Still Fighting Alzheimer’s,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor “Scientists told the Senate Special Committee on Aging earlier this week that there are many promising Alzheimer’s disease detection and treatment research projects under way right now. Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, said increased research budgets and new gene sequencing technology are helping researchers learn more about how human genetics — and, possibly, microbes — lead to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. … Here are four hot areas of dementia research that Hodes and other witnesses discussed at the Alzheimer’s research hearing.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses,
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“Caring for Aging Parents is Not a Family Affair,” Advisor Magazine “For most families, caring for mom or dad as they age is not a family effort. According to new data from Northwestern Mutual’s latest C.A.R.E. Study, the responsibility most likely falls on the shoulders of one sibling, rather than being shared among all the children.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): You you’re the one, you probably know you are. If so, take the lead now to wake up your siblings and get ahead of the problem with LTC planning.
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