Aging News Alert

Utah

 

UT School Helps Train 10,000 Boomers for Healthcare Jobs

Salt Lake Community College is selected to join the Plus 50 Encore Completion Program, a national effort aimed at training 10,000 Boomers for new jobs in healthcare, education and social services. The program is sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges.

read complete story

'Positive' Caregiver Coping Strategies Affect Dementia Progression Rate

This is the first published academic research to show evidence that environmental factors (e.g., aspects of the care environment) can slow the progression of Alzheimer¹s disease.

read complete story

Merger Creates Full-Service Marketing Communications Agency

The newly combined firm delivers concept-to-completion corporate marketing services -- everything from printed collateral and signage to the full gambit of public relations strategies and tactics.

read complete story

Fund to Make $33 Million in Grants to Nonprofits

The Fund this year has already awarded dozens of nonprofits -- organizations serving seniors, youth, and people afflicted by alcoholism and/or dug abuse -- totaling $9.5 million.

read complete story

Stimulus Bill Overhaul Seen Likely In Senate

Fearing passage of economic stimulus legislation without some measure of Republican support might bog down future legislation the Obama administration wants, President Barack Obama dispatches Vice President Joe Biden to wrestle with his former Senate GOP colleagues over a workable compromise. But Republican senators are treading gingerly following approval of HR 1 in the House Jan. 29.

read complete story

CMS Launches Medicare Personal Health Record Pilot Program

This pilot program is intended to offer beneficiaries with original Medicare the opportunity to choose one of the personal health record (PHR) products offered by the companies selected for the pilot. PHRs will allow beneficiaries to maintain their health record information electronically, and Medicare will add claims data directly to the PHRs for this pilot.

read complete story

Time For Annual Rx Drug Checkup For Seniors On Medicare

Seniors hurt by the recent economic downturn can find a way to save precious dollars on prescription drugs. The open enrollment season for Medicare Part D began on Nov. 15, which means now is the perfect time for people with Medicare to re-evaluate their prescription drug coverage. MyMedicareMatters.org, a program of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), can help people learn how to review and evaluate their plan options to make sure that they have selected the right plan for 2009.

read complete story

Senate Finance Panel OKs Bills To Boost Foster Care, Adoption, Fight Elder Abuse

The Senate Finance Committee has approved by voice vote the Chairman’s Mark to the proposed Improved Adoption Incentives & Relative Guardianship Support Act, the Patient Safety & Abuse Prevention Act, and the Elder Justice Act.

read complete story

CBO Updates Long-Term Projections For Social Security

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) regularly prepares long-term projections of the future paths of revenues and outlays for the Social Security program. In its latest report, CBO presents projections for the 75-year period from 2008 through 2082. The projections differ somewhat from earlier results because of newly available programmatic and economic data, updated assumptions about future demographic and economic trends, and improvements in CBO’s models.

read complete story

Hearst Foundations Offer Health Grants

  The William Randolph Hearts Foundations award grants to support programs that seek to improve and assure access to quality healthcare for underserved populations, including the elderly. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.           ...

read complete story

Medicaid Provides Older Americans Limited Access To Home, Community-Based Services

A new report by AARP's Public Policy Institute finds promising signs and mixed results among state government efforts to balance long-term care (LTC) options under Medicaid. According to the report, only four states spent more than 50% of their Medicaid LTC dollars for older people providing home and community based services.

read complete story

DMEPOS Audio Conference/Q&A Session Slated

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on July 15, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. will host an audio conference and question & answer session regarding Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) supplier accreditation. This audio conference is the third in a series of four designed to provide guidance to DMEPOS suppliers regarding accreditation.

read complete story

Senate Republicans Blasted For Failing To Support Medicare Bill

Last night, the Senate, in a 58-40 vote, fell two votes short of the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to the Senate floor for an up-or-down vote. Earlier in the week, the House of Representatives passed the same bill with a vote of 355-59, a margin well in excess of the two-thirds necessary to override a threatened veto by President Bush.

read complete story

NCOA: Low Income Beneficiaries May Lose Help

Unless the Senate acts this week to pass HR 6331, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) fears that low-income Medicare beneficiaries -- people who are already struggling with increased food and gasoline costs -- could lose an important benefit. The House recently passed the bill by an overwhelming bipartisan margin.

read complete story

CDC: Traumatic Brain Injuries Can Result From Senior Falls

Traumatic brain injuries due to falls caused nearly 8,000 deaths and 56,000 hospitalizations in 2005 among Americans 65 and older, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) released in the June issue of the Journal of Safety Research.

read complete story

Panel Presentation In Creating Aging-Friendly Communities

Panelists in a June 19 online forum will talk about identifying and engaging stakeholders in efforts to create aging-friendly communities and discuss the possible needs and interests of community members, government, non-profit organizations, funders, and the faith-based community. Participants will learn about strategies and best practices to help actively engage these stakeholders in supporting local efforts to create more aging-friendly communities.

read complete story

New Guide Offers Seniors Good Advice On 'Legal Matters'

The MetLife Mature Market Institute has updated its Since You Care guide titled, "Legal Matters." The guide contains useful information about aging-related legal matters, healthcare planning, and financial decisions for older Americans and those who care for them. It is available free to the public....

read complete story

Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Awards Program

The principal goal of the Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Award program is to raise awareness across the nation about healthy synergies that can be achieved by communities combining Smart Growth principles and Active Aging concepts. Applications are due Sept. 12

read complete story

Women With Osteoporosis Seen Not Doing Enough To Stay 'Strong To The Bone'

A new nationwide survey conducted by Harris Interactive of over 1,000 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis found that about one in three women had not currently been prescribed medication and more than half reported they do not know enough about this potentially serious disease.

read complete story

'Cash & Counseling' Option Gaining Popularity Among States

A non-traditional Medicaid program, Cash and Counseling -- basically a stipend to hire helpers to allow elders to stay in their homes and avoid tapping into the overburdened home-healthcare industry -- is rapdily spreading across the country.

read complete story

One In Four Disabled Seniors Use Risky Or Ineffective Medicines

Roughly a quarter of Americans with disabilities age 65 and older reported using at least one prescription drug deemed inappropriate for persons his or her age, according to the latest data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

read complete story

Dementia Blood Test Poised To Debut This Year

A blood test capable of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease with more than 90% accuracy is poised to hit the U.S. market as soon as this summer, according to the Society of Chemical Industry.

read complete story

EPA Updates Information on Climate Change and Older Adults

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently added information about climate change and older adults to its website.

read complete story

EEOC Rule May Mean Second Class Status for Some Medicare Beneficiaries

As a result of new rules adopted by the EEOC, advocates will need to monitor the trend in retiree coverage and be familiar with Medicare protections available to beneficiaries when employer coverage is reduced or eliminated.

read complete story

Stenting, Photodynamic Therapy Improves Survival in Late Stage Liver Cancer Patients

A combined therapeutic approach of stenting and photodynamic therapy may improve survival rates for patients suffering from advanced liver bile duct cancer, according to a new study.

read complete story

Boxer Introduces Health & Long-Term Care Workforce Bill

The proposed "Caring for an Aging America Act" would address the emerging gap between the increasing number of older Americans and the serious lack of providers trained in caring for their medical, health and social support needs.

read complete story

What Medicare's '45% Trigger' Means And Why It Matters

The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, best known for creating the Medicare Prescription Drug program,included a little-discussed provision that could dramatically alter the entire Medicare program.

read complete story

Analysis: Cost of Providing Care to Seniors Continues To Rise

A new analysis shows that the federal government spends more on seniors than on any other group or program.

read complete story

Senate Dems Grill Leavitt on Bush's Plan for Medicare

Senate Finance Committee Democrats on Wednesday sharply criticized President Bush's health proposals in the FY 2009 budget request released by the Whit House on Monday (Feb. 4).

read complete story

Bush Expected to Soon Reveal Physician Fee Proposal

President Bush likely will unveil his proposal for changing the Medicare physician fee formula during his State of the Union address on Monday, Jan. 28.

read complete story