“How the Medicaid Debate Affects Long-Term Care Insurance Decisions,” by Ron Lieber, New York Times “Something will have to give if we are to take the senators responsible for this bill at their word, and plenty of readers are taking them literally. So the question I’ve heard most in the last two weeks is this: How seriously should I consider getting some kind of insurance to cover my care in case big Medicaid cuts are on the horizon? . . . Given how strapped Medicaid is likely to become and how many more of us will live long enough to
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“NIC: Assisted Living Occupancy Plummets to Record Low,” by Mary Kate Nelson, Senior Housing News “Assisted living occupancy is continuing to fall nationwide, according to data released Wednesday by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). The average occupancy rate for assisted living properties across the country fell to 86.5% in the second quarter of 2017. That’s 0.7 percentage points lower than the average occupancy rate in the first quarter of 2017, and 1.4 percentage points lower than the average occupancy rate recorded a year earlier. The second quarter’s average assisted living occupancy rate is also tied for the
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“Chocolate consumption could improve cognitive function,” by Alyssa Salela, McKnight’s Senior Living “Daily intake of cocoa or chocolate could improve cognitive performance, especially in vulnerable populations such as the elderly, according to a recent review of literature on the topic. . . . In the studies examined in the review, flavanols were shown to improve attention, processing speed, working memory and verbal fluency when ingested daily anywhere from five days to three months. The effects were greatest when a person’s memory was beginning to decline or if the person had other mild cognitive impairments.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President,
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“New BPC Report Suggests Fixes to LTC Financing Challenge,” by Melanie Waddell, ThinkAdvisor “Financing of long-term care continues to plague lawmakers in Washington as people live longer and the rate of dementia and Alzheimer’s cases continues to skyrocket, driving the increased need for long-term care coverage. Just-released research by the Bipartisan Policy Center sets out recommendations for improving the financing and delivery of long-term care.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): I watched the presentation of this “new research” today. I’m sorry to say: “Don’t bother.” Old ideas sprinkled with a few new recommendations
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