Individuals genetically hardwired for higher concentrations of triglycerides may have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, according to a meta-analysis that connects the dots between triglyceride levels and heart problems.
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Friday, May 7, 2010
Genetically Determined Triglycerides Linked to CHD
By Nancy Walsh, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today
Individuals genetically hardwired for higher concentrations of triglycerides may have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, according to a meta-analysis that connects the dots between triglyceride levels and heart problems.
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Individuals genetically hardwired for higher concentrations of triglycerides may have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, according to a meta-analysis that connects the dots between triglyceride levels and heart problems.
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Oldest Old Sleep Well in China from MedPage Today
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Sleep doesn't evade older adults because of aging alone, researchers affirmed in a population-based, Chinese study with the largest-ever cohort of the very elderly.
Factoring in health and other variables, centenarians in China were 70% more likely to report good quality sleep than younger seniors ages 65 to 79 (P<0.001), according to Danan Gu, PhD, of Portland State University in Portland, Ore., and colleagues.
All other factors being equal, good sleep quality was 19% more common among respondents in their 80s and 38% more likely among those in their 90s, compared with those from ages 65 to 79 (P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively).
"These findings may support the argument that sleep problems at old and oldest-old ages likely arise from a variety of physiological and psychosocial factors rather than aging per se," Gu's group wrote in the May 1 issue of SLEEP.
Another possibility is that people change their perception of "acceptable" sleep with advancing age, they suggested.
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Thursday, May 6, 2010
Health Reinsurance Fund for Early Retirees Announced from MedPage Today
By Joyce Frieden, News Editor, MedPage Today
Employers who provide health insurance for early retirees will soon be getting some help from the federal government -- to the tune of $5 billion.
"Rising costs have made it hard for employers to provide quality, affordable health insurance for workers and retirees," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.
"As a result, many Americans who retire before they are eligible for Medicare are worried about losing health insurance coverage through their former employers, putting them at risk of losing their life savings due to medical costs. This new program will provide much-needed relief so that employers can provide more retirees with quality, affordable insurance, starting this year."
The recently passed healthcare reform law includes $5 billion in reinsurance money to help employers maintain coverage for retirees age 55 and older who are not yet eligible for Medicare. The money will pay for 80% of the cost of an enrollee's health benefits between $15,000 and $90,000.
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Employers who provide health insurance for early retirees will soon be getting some help from the federal government -- to the tune of $5 billion.
"Rising costs have made it hard for employers to provide quality, affordable health insurance for workers and retirees," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.
"As a result, many Americans who retire before they are eligible for Medicare are worried about losing health insurance coverage through their former employers, putting them at risk of losing their life savings due to medical costs. This new program will provide much-needed relief so that employers can provide more retirees with quality, affordable insurance, starting this year."
The recently passed healthcare reform law includes $5 billion in reinsurance money to help employers maintain coverage for retirees age 55 and older who are not yet eligible for Medicare. The money will pay for 80% of the cost of an enrollee's health benefits between $15,000 and $90,000.
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Court: Theaters must offer services for disabled | Arizona local news - Mesa, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler | eastvalleytribune.com
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Theater owners have to make special devices available to ensure those with hearing and vision disabilities can enjoy the movies, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.
In a unanimous decision, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by attorneys for the Arizona-based Harkins theater chain that nothing in federal law requires them to purchase and install the necessary equipment. The judges said the kinds of devices at issue here clearly fall within the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Parsing the New Law on Long-Term Care - NYTimes.com
By PAULA SPAN
The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or Class Act, the first national plan to help the great majority of Americans who have no insurance for long-term care, became law in March. Even though there was little fanfare — the measure was just one piece of the broader health care overhaul — the idea had been hugely important to Mr. Kennedy and his staff, who had been working on the current version of the plan since 2003.
The program underwent a number of changes during the health care debate, so some projections are now out of date. And many details have yet to be established by the secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius, who is going to be one busy woman for the next couple of years.
But we do know enough to answer some basic questions. Four experts helped respond to some of the many queries from readers on the New Old Age blog. They are Howard Bedlin, vice president for advocacy at the National Council on Aging; Barbara Manard, a health economist with the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging; Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance; and Connie Garner, who after 17 years is about to leave her job on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
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The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or Class Act, the first national plan to help the great majority of Americans who have no insurance for long-term care, became law in March. Even though there was little fanfare — the measure was just one piece of the broader health care overhaul — the idea had been hugely important to Mr. Kennedy and his staff, who had been working on the current version of the plan since 2003.
The program underwent a number of changes during the health care debate, so some projections are now out of date. And many details have yet to be established by the secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius, who is going to be one busy woman for the next couple of years.
But we do know enough to answer some basic questions. Four experts helped respond to some of the many queries from readers on the New Old Age blog. They are Howard Bedlin, vice president for advocacy at the National Council on Aging; Barbara Manard, a health economist with the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging; Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance; and Connie Garner, who after 17 years is about to leave her job on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
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Monday, May 3, 2010
Frail and elderly people wait years for basic disability equipment - Telegraph
By Laura Donnelly, Health correspondent
Frail pensioners are being forced to wait up to eight years for vital improvements to be made to their homes to help them live independent lives again, an investigation has found.
A Sunday Telegraph investigation has revealed:
* One third of local authorities have left infirm and disabled people waiting for more than three years for disability adaptations to their homes;
* Staffordshire County Council admitted to a delay of eight years, while nine more authorities disclosed that their longest delays were five years and more;
* Many elderly people waited so long for help that they were moved into care homes before help was provided. While most councils refused to supply this data, those that did admitted to 97 such cases in 2008/9, equating to more than 300 cases a year across the country.
Each year around 40,000 people – mostly elderly – are awarded a "disabled facilities grant" for adaptations to the home, such as handrails, ramps and stairlifts.
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Frail pensioners are being forced to wait up to eight years for vital improvements to be made to their homes to help them live independent lives again, an investigation has found.
A Sunday Telegraph investigation has revealed:
* One third of local authorities have left infirm and disabled people waiting for more than three years for disability adaptations to their homes;
* Staffordshire County Council admitted to a delay of eight years, while nine more authorities disclosed that their longest delays were five years and more;
* Many elderly people waited so long for help that they were moved into care homes before help was provided. While most councils refused to supply this data, those that did admitted to 97 such cases in 2008/9, equating to more than 300 cases a year across the country.
Each year around 40,000 people – mostly elderly – are awarded a "disabled facilities grant" for adaptations to the home, such as handrails, ramps and stairlifts.
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Saturday, May 1, 2010
Premature Adult Mortality Falls but Gender Gap Widens from MedPage Today
(Editor's note: US specific information is at the end of this post)
By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Although worldwide adult mortality rates have been dropping overall for the past four decades, the gap between men and women, who have lower mortality risk, has widened, researchers found.
From 1970 to 2010, the probability that a 15-year-old would die before turning 60 dropped by 19% for men and 34% for women, according to Christopher Murray, MD, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues.
During that period, the difference between mortality risk in men and women grew from 63 per 1,000 to 80 per 1,000, the researchers reported online in The Lancet.
"I think the widening gap between males and females is brought about to a large extent by the bigger impact of the Soviet Union collapse -- social dysfunction, high alcohol use -- on males than females," Murray told MedPage Today.
Also contributing is the HIV epidemic's disproportionate effect on males in certain parts of the world, he said.
Murray and his colleagues set out to evaluate worldwide trends in premature adult mortality from 1970 to the present, a topic that has not received as much attention as child health.
They argued, however, that "the prevention of premature adult death is just as important for global health policy as the improvement of child survival," noting that declining child mortality and aging populations lead to a larger proportion of deaths occurring among adults.
The researchers compiled 3,889 measurements of adult mortality for 187 countries using vital registration data, census data, and information on deaths in the household and among siblings.
Using the data, the Murray and his colleagues calculated yearly estimates of the probability of a 15-year-old dying before reaching 60.
Aside from the widening gap between male and female mortality, Murray said one of the most dramatic findings was the growing disparity between the best-off and worst-off countries since 1970.
Mortality probabilities for men ranged from 182 to 413 per 1,000 in 1970 and from 77 to 579 per 1,000 in 2010, an increase in the intercountry spread of 117%. A similar phenomenon was seen among women as well.
The drivers, Murray said, were worsening mortality risks in eastern Europe, central Asia, and many parts of Africa, accompanied by dramatic improvements in other parts of the world.
In southern Africa in particular, the mortality risks in 2010 for men (578 per 1,000) and women (446 per 1,000) exceed those seen in Sweden in the middle of the 18th century (493 per 1,000 for men and 437 per 1,000 for women).
Differing trends in tobacco and alcohol use, the spread of HIV, and the prevalence of key risk factors for noncommunicable disease, such as obesity and physical inactivity, are the main factors contributing to the disparity between nations.
Among high-income countries, in the U.S. the rate of decline in mortality risk was less than 1.5% per year from 1970 to 2010, much slower than in many other developed countries.
In 1990, the U.S. ranked 34th in female mortality and 41st in male mortality. Those ranks dipped further in 2010, to 49th for women and 45th for men, trailing all of Western Europe and several other countries.
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By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Although worldwide adult mortality rates have been dropping overall for the past four decades, the gap between men and women, who have lower mortality risk, has widened, researchers found.
From 1970 to 2010, the probability that a 15-year-old would die before turning 60 dropped by 19% for men and 34% for women, according to Christopher Murray, MD, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues.
During that period, the difference between mortality risk in men and women grew from 63 per 1,000 to 80 per 1,000, the researchers reported online in The Lancet.
"I think the widening gap between males and females is brought about to a large extent by the bigger impact of the Soviet Union collapse -- social dysfunction, high alcohol use -- on males than females," Murray told MedPage Today.
Also contributing is the HIV epidemic's disproportionate effect on males in certain parts of the world, he said.
Murray and his colleagues set out to evaluate worldwide trends in premature adult mortality from 1970 to the present, a topic that has not received as much attention as child health.
They argued, however, that "the prevention of premature adult death is just as important for global health policy as the improvement of child survival," noting that declining child mortality and aging populations lead to a larger proportion of deaths occurring among adults.
The researchers compiled 3,889 measurements of adult mortality for 187 countries using vital registration data, census data, and information on deaths in the household and among siblings.
Using the data, the Murray and his colleagues calculated yearly estimates of the probability of a 15-year-old dying before reaching 60.
Aside from the widening gap between male and female mortality, Murray said one of the most dramatic findings was the growing disparity between the best-off and worst-off countries since 1970.
Mortality probabilities for men ranged from 182 to 413 per 1,000 in 1970 and from 77 to 579 per 1,000 in 2010, an increase in the intercountry spread of 117%. A similar phenomenon was seen among women as well.
The drivers, Murray said, were worsening mortality risks in eastern Europe, central Asia, and many parts of Africa, accompanied by dramatic improvements in other parts of the world.
In southern Africa in particular, the mortality risks in 2010 for men (578 per 1,000) and women (446 per 1,000) exceed those seen in Sweden in the middle of the 18th century (493 per 1,000 for men and 437 per 1,000 for women).
Differing trends in tobacco and alcohol use, the spread of HIV, and the prevalence of key risk factors for noncommunicable disease, such as obesity and physical inactivity, are the main factors contributing to the disparity between nations.
Among high-income countries, in the U.S. the rate of decline in mortality risk was less than 1.5% per year from 1970 to 2010, much slower than in many other developed countries.
In 1990, the U.S. ranked 34th in female mortality and 41st in male mortality. Those ranks dipped further in 2010, to 49th for women and 45th for men, trailing all of Western Europe and several other countries.
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FDA Approves Prostate Cancer Vaccine from MedPage Today
Image via WikipediaThe FDA approved the immunotherapeutic agent sipuleucel-T (Provenge) for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, almost three years after the agency rejected an advisory group's recommendation in favor of the drug.
The approval makes the agent available for treatment of men with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic prostate cancer.
"The availability of Provenge provides a new treatment option for men with advanced prostate cancer, who currently have limited effective therapies available," Karen Midthun, MD, acting director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.
Often described as a vaccine, sipuleucel-T is an autologous cellular immunotherapy designed to stimulate a patient's immune system to mount a response against prostate cancer.
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VETERANS’DISABILITY BENEFITS Expanded Oversight Would Improve Training for Experienced Claims Processors
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The Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-389) mandated that GAO evaluate the Department of Veterans Affairs VA training for disability claims processors. This report answers the following two questions: (1) How appropriate is the training provided to experienced disability claims processors? (2) How adequate is the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) monitoring and assessment of this training? To address these questions, GAO conducted a web-based survey of a nationally representative sample of claims processors, interviewed VBA headquarters and regional office officials, and reviewed VBA training material, relevant federal statutes, regulations, and court cases.
What GAO Recommends
GAO recommends that VBA (1) adopt procedures for routinely monitoring and ensuring compliance with annual training requirements, including more fully using its available electronic data to ensure that training requirements are met, (2) develop clear written guidance on the types of activities all regional offices should and should not count toward completion of annual training requirements, and (3) develop and implement a written strategy for routinely assessing the appropriateness of the training regional offices provide to experienced claims processors.
In its comments, VA generally concurred with GAO’s conclusions and concurred with all of GAO’s recommendations.
Read/Download Complete Report)
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Secretary Sebelius Announces New Members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today
the appointment of five new members to the Interagency Autism
Coordinating Committee (IACC), a federal advisory committee created in
an effort to accelerate progress in autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
research and services.
The committee is composed of a diverse group of federal officials from HHS agencies and the Department of Education, as well as public members that include people with ASD, parents of people with ASD, and leaders of national ASD advocacy and research organizations.
In January 2009, the IACC released its first strategic plan for autism research. The IACC released a second edition of its strategic plan in January 2010.
New Members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.
As chief science officer for Autism Speaks, Dr. Dawson works with the scientific community and stakeholders to shape and expand the foundation's scientific vision. She also is a licensed clinical psychologist with a research focus on early detection and intervention, early patterns of brain dysfunction and the identification of biological markers for autism genetic studies. Dr. Dawson also serves as research professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, adjunct professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and professor emeritus of psychology at University of Washington.
Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D.
Dr. Fischbach is the scientific director for the Simons Foundation where he oversees the Autism Research Initiative. He has spent his career as a neuroscientist studying the formation and maintenance of synapses, the junctions between nerve cells which allow signals to be transmitted. Before joining the Simons Foundation, Dr. Fischbach served as the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke from 1998 to 2001 and as the Executive Vice President of Columbia University Medical Center and Dean of the faculties of medicine from 2001 to 2006.
Ari Ne'eman
Mr. Ari Ne'eman is the founding president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, where he works to increase the representation of autistic people in public policy discussions. He is an adult on the autism spectrum and a leading advocate in the neurodiversity movement. Mr. Ne'eman has served on the New Jersey Adults with Autism Task Force and the New Jersey Special Education Review Commission, where he authored a minority report advocating legislative action against the use of aversives, restraint and seclusion. He is a board member of TASH, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, and is involved with the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education.
Denise D. Resnik
Denise Resnik is the co-founder and board development chair of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). She is the mother of an 18-year-old son with autism. Ms. Resnik serves on the Autism Speaks Family Services Committee and Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) Steering Committee. She participated in the 2006 NIMH Autism Matrix Review and the IACC Scientific Workshops to develop the IACC Strategic Plan and subsequent updates.
Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of California, Davis
Dr. Marjorie Solomon is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She serves on the Faculty of the Medical Investigation of Neurological Disorders (MIND) Institute and the Autism Research Training Program where she conducts research on a social skills training intervention for high-functioning children with ASD, incorporating parents and siblings in the research. In addition to her clinical research work, Dr. Solomon studies cognition and learning in high-functioning individuals with ASD.![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=10eecd03-b392-428d-b191-75669b2cf52a)
The committee is composed of a diverse group of federal officials from HHS agencies and the Department of Education, as well as public members that include people with ASD, parents of people with ASD, and leaders of national ASD advocacy and research organizations.
In January 2009, the IACC released its first strategic plan for autism research. The IACC released a second edition of its strategic plan in January 2010.
"Today I am pleased to announce new members of the IACC, who will bring additional points of view and expertise to the committee," Secretary Sebelius said.ASDs are a group of developmental disabilities that cause major social, communication and behavioral challenges with symptoms that present before age 3. ASDs affect each person in different ways and can range from very mild to severe. People with ASDs share some similar symptoms, such as problems with social interaction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that an average of 1 in every 110 children in the United States has some form of ASD.
"I look forward to hearing from the committee members on important matters that affect people with autism and their families as we continue our efforts to address this urgent public health challenge."
New Members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.
As chief science officer for Autism Speaks, Dr. Dawson works with the scientific community and stakeholders to shape and expand the foundation's scientific vision. She also is a licensed clinical psychologist with a research focus on early detection and intervention, early patterns of brain dysfunction and the identification of biological markers for autism genetic studies. Dr. Dawson also serves as research professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, adjunct professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and professor emeritus of psychology at University of Washington.
Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D.
Dr. Fischbach is the scientific director for the Simons Foundation where he oversees the Autism Research Initiative. He has spent his career as a neuroscientist studying the formation and maintenance of synapses, the junctions between nerve cells which allow signals to be transmitted. Before joining the Simons Foundation, Dr. Fischbach served as the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke from 1998 to 2001 and as the Executive Vice President of Columbia University Medical Center and Dean of the faculties of medicine from 2001 to 2006.
Ari Ne'eman
Mr. Ari Ne'eman is the founding president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, where he works to increase the representation of autistic people in public policy discussions. He is an adult on the autism spectrum and a leading advocate in the neurodiversity movement. Mr. Ne'eman has served on the New Jersey Adults with Autism Task Force and the New Jersey Special Education Review Commission, where he authored a minority report advocating legislative action against the use of aversives, restraint and seclusion. He is a board member of TASH, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, and is involved with the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education.
Denise D. Resnik
Denise Resnik is the co-founder and board development chair of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). She is the mother of an 18-year-old son with autism. Ms. Resnik serves on the Autism Speaks Family Services Committee and Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) Steering Committee. She participated in the 2006 NIMH Autism Matrix Review and the IACC Scientific Workshops to develop the IACC Strategic Plan and subsequent updates.
Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of California, Davis
Dr. Marjorie Solomon is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She serves on the Faculty of the Medical Investigation of Neurological Disorders (MIND) Institute and the Autism Research Training Program where she conducts research on a social skills training intervention for high-functioning children with ASD, incorporating parents and siblings in the research. In addition to her clinical research work, Dr. Solomon studies cognition and learning in high-functioning individuals with ASD.
50 New York City Senior Centers Expected to Close - NYTimes.com
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By DAVID W. CHEN
Convinced that the deteriorating budget situation in Albany leaves it no other choice, the Bloomberg administration plans to close as many as a quarter of the city’s more than 300 senior centers by July 1, with Manhattan being hardest hit.
Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, the commissioner of the Department for the Aging, said in an interview on Thursday that 50 senior centers would definitely be closed — selected largely on the basis of three criteria: the fewest meals served, the fewest hours open and the most maintenance or management problems. She also said another 25 centers would be notified soon that they could be closed on July 1 if the city received less money from Albany than it currently anticipates.
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The National PACE Association Encourages Seniors to Consider Options During “Older Americans Month”
May is Older Americans Month and a
great time to
reiterate to your aging loved ones just how important it is to plan for
their
long term care needs.
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“Too
often we find ourselves trying to learn about our long term care options
in the
midst of a crisis when we have to make decisions very quickly,” said
Shawn Bloom, President and CEO of the National PACE Association. “Many
loved ones have the goal of remaining at home, which is much more likely
if
families take the time to educate themselves and plan in advance.” The
celebration of Older Americans Month can provide the opportunity to have
the
difficult discussion with elderly family members and friends about their
plans
for their future.
With
the recession impacting state budgets and national health care reform
changing
the health care landscape, the National PACE Association is using the
May
celebration of Older Americans Month to urge families to look more
closely at
how aging loved ones are planning for their care needs. For some
families this
means having the tough conversations about the eventuality that a loved
one may
need to access long term care services and supports. To assist families
better
understand their long term care options, the National PACE Association
encourages families to visit www.PACE4You.org, an easy-to-understand
Web site that provides background on the Program of All Inclusive Care
for the
Elderly (PACE) model of care.
When
the time comes to make these difficult decisions many people are unaware
that
PACE programs exist as an option that will allow a loved one in need of
nursing
home care to remain at home. PACE is rapidly growing as an innovative
model of
care that provides older Americans with the care services and supports
that
enables them to live in their own homes and age with dignity.
Developed
more than 30 years ago, the PACE model of care provides an innovative
alternative to nursing homes paid for by Medicare and Medicaid. The
common
sense approach that the PACE team uses to provide medical care and
coordinate
support services helps keep people in their homes so they can be near
friends
and family.
It
is the hands-on approach and individualized patient attention that makes
PACE
unique from every other long term care option and so successful in
helping
seniors remain healthy and independent. To help families understand and
learn
more about PACE programs, The National PACE Association’s Web site, www.PACE4You.org, is an easy-to-understand
portal that provides background on the PACE model of long term care.
Visitors
can view a PACE video that tells the stories of PACE participants and
their
families, read testimonials and access a PACE Program Finder that helps
people
find a PACE program in their community.
“As
society gets older and 77 million Baby Boomers near retirement, it’s
crucial to provide education on long term care options. Technological
advancements have allowed people of all ages, from seniors to
caregivers,
access to medical care information online,” said Bloom “Because of
this, www.PACE4You.org was created to offer a
straight-forward, yet
comprehensive resource featuring the benefits of coordinated care to
improved
quality of life that a PACE program offers.”
With
73 PACE programs now operating in 30 states, older Americans around the
country
have an even greater opportunity to benefit from the PACE approach. The
popularity of these programs has increased quickly because PACE
effectively
maintains the health, independence and dignity of seniors with long term
care
needs as they age by emphasizing preventive and primary care as well as
nutrition,
transportation and most other services that support the health and
well-being
of program participants.,
At
the core of PACE is a team of caregivers that forms a medical home for
each
participant to ensure all aspects of their medical, social, and
therapeutic
needs are met. Although consider by many to be a cutting edge care
concept,
PACE has employed the medical home model since its inception. “The care team is the magic of PACE. It’s
this
team of providers, who know their patients so well and interact with
them
daily, who make it possible for seniors to live at home and age with
dignity,” said Bloom. “By coordinating the care needs of each
senior, the PACE team provides the helping hands so important to the
health and
well being of aging adults.”
PACE
programs’ documented results in preserving wellness, supporting healthy
outcomes, and promoting quality of life help reduce hospital visits and
avoid
nursing home admissions.
By
avoiding these costs, PACE programs reduce expensive care interventions
and
provide families with piece of mind that their loved one is receiving
the best
possible care in the most appropriate setting.
“Older
Americans Month is a great opportunity for Americans to begin talking
with
their loved ones about where and how they want to receive care when the
time
comes,” said Bloom. “By going to www.PACE4You.org, people can
learn more about PACE, its availability, and why it may be the best care
option
for them.”
About
NPA:
The
National PACE Association works to advance the efforts of Programs of
All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to support, maintain,
safeguard and
promote the provision of quality, comprehensive and cost-effective
health care
services for frail older adults. More information on NPA and PACE is
available
at www.npaonline.org.
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