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Dementia Action Collaborative Fall Webinars
Established in 2016, the Dementia Action Collaborative (DAC) is a group of public-private partners committed to preparing Washington state for the growth of the dementia population. The Collaborative is offering 2 Fall Webinars (click for more information)
Read moreWeak federal oversight endangers health and safety of assisted living residents
GAO report shines a long-overdue light on Medicaid-funded assisted living. Federal funding of assisted living is large and growing, but to this point the federal government has not adequately ensured the quality of assisted living care. This lack of oversight has had tragic consequences for an unfortunately large number of older Americans. The GAO report was requested by a bipartisan group of senators, and its publication should prompt Congress
Read more‘Long overdue’ Alzheimer’s planner helps anyone figure out next steps
Advanced directives generally aren’t given much attention until a medical crisis descends on an individual or family. A University of Washington doctor decided to change things up. Barak Gaster, a primary-care physician at the UW School of Medicine, came up with a five-page summary of options for those who want to get ahead of an Alzheimer’s or other dementia diagnosis. His Health Directive for Dementia, available for download free online, http://bit.ly/2naq3Hi,
Read moreGov Inslee signs bill guaranteeing paid family leave in Washington
OLYMPIA — Washington state is now among a handful of states that guarantee paid family leave, after Gov. Jay Inslee’s signing Wednesday of a bipartisan plan approved by the Legislature. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/inslee-signs-plan-for-paid-family-leave/
Read moreVariations In Life Expectancy and Mortality Rates by State LD, 2012-2014
This is a recent publication from the Health Care Research Center of WA Office of Financial Management. (please click above) This is a lengthy report and will take a minute or so to load.
Read moreNew rules give nursing home residents more power
About 1.4 million people living in nursing homes across the country can now be more involved in their care under the most wide-ranging revision of federal rules for such facilities in 25 years. The changes reflect a shift toward more “person-centered care,” including requirements for speedy development of care plans, more flexibility and variety in meals and snacks, greater review of a resident’s drug regimen, better security, improved grievance
Read moreWho Will Care for the Caregivers?
There are some 40 million Americans like my patient’s daughter. Every day, they help a parent, grandparent, relative or neighbor with basic needs: dressing, bathing, cooking, medications or transportation. Often, they do some or all of this while working, parenting, or both. And we — as doctors, employers, friends and extended family — aren’t doing enough to help them. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/upshot/who-will-care-for-the-caregivers.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_up_20170120&nl=upshot&nl_art=2&nlid=71924083&ref=headline&te=1
Read moreAging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA) Report
Linked below is the report given by Bill Moss, Assistant Secretary, ALTSA DSHS, to the Legislature on January 17, 2017. ALTSA report
Read more2016 Final Report of the Aging & Disability Joint Legislative Executive Committee
The purpose of the committee is to identify key strategic actions to prepare for the aging of the population in Washington, including state budget and policy options, by conducting at least, but not limited to, the following tasks: (i) Establish a profile of Washington's current population of older people and people with disabilities and a projection of population growth through 2030; (ii) Establish an inventory of services and supports currently
Read moreLove and Burnout: Caregivers, Too, Need Care
Though caregiving can be a profound and moving journey, caregivers’ needs are often overlooked. The health care system is mainly focused on patients; caregivers who are slowly burning out can slip by unnoticed until it is too late. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/03/your-money/caregivers-alzheimers-burnout.html
Read morePrivate Equity Pursues Profits in Keeping the Elderly at Home
DENVER — Inside a senior center here, nestled along a bustling commercial strip, Vivian Malveaux scans her bingo card for a winning number. Her 81-year-old eyes are warm, lively and occasionally set adrift by the dementia plundering her mind. Dozens of elderly men and women — some in wheelchairs, others whose hands tremble involuntarily — gather excitedly around the game tables. After bingo, there is more entertainment and activities: Yahtzee,
Read moreDisabled families get great tool to build a future
Tax-free savings should not be restricted to families with college-bound kids ABLE Act started as a federal initiative, now spreads to Washington Investment accounts will open by next year Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/editorials/article65057557.html#storylink=cpy
Read moreNew ‘purple card’ system would help people with dementia
Now state lawmakers are considering legislation that would create a “purple card alert system” modeled on Fraley’s idea. Madeleine and Larry Fraley.The legislation (HB 2835) directs the Department of Social and Health Services to develop a purple card asking recipients to be accommodating to the person with dementia. The department also would promote the card among first responders, businesses and the general public. An amended bill passed
Read moreEducation May Cut Dementia Risk, Study Finds
The risk of developing dementia is decreasing for people with at least a high school education, according to an important new study that suggests that changes in lifestyle and improvements in physical health can help prevent or delay cognitive decline. The study, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, provides the strongest evidence to date that a more educated population and better cardiovascular health are contributing to a
Read moreIs It Better to Die in America or in England?
WE frequently hear complaints about how people near the end of life are treated in America. Patients are attached to tubes and machines and subjected to too many invasive procedures. Death occurs too frequently in the hospital, rather than at home, where the dying can be surrounded by loved ones. And it is way too expensive. Each year, the care of dying seniors consumes over 25 percent of Medicare expenditures. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/opinion/is-it-better-to-die-in-america-or-in-england.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=Moth-Visible&moduleDetail=inside-nyt-region-1&module=inside-nyt-region®ion=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region
Read moreJoint Legislative Executive Committee on Aging & Disability Issues – 2015 Addendum Report
This document comprises the first requirement of the Committee: an addendum report due to the legislature by December 10, 2015. The second requirement mandates that the Committee issue final recommendations by December 10, 2016. As required by ESSB 6052, the addendum report to the legislature must include the following: 1. A description of the oversight role for Residential Care Services, the Long-Term Care Ombuds, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Read moreState elected officials write in support of Skagit County nursing homes
State elected officials have voiced support for the skilled nursing homes in Skagit County, requesting that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services adjust the county’s wage index. The wage index in part determines reimbursement rates for care provided by the nursing homes. The requested adjustment would mean the reimbursement rates would increase. http://www.goskagit.com/all_access/state-elected-officials-write-in-support-of-skagit-county-nursing/article_8647da13-e36f-5e37-8069-647016b9c97e.html
Read moreKarma Bites Back: Hating on the elderly may put you at risk of Alzheimer’s
Next time you're stuck behind a slow-moving older person and find yourself entertaining negative stereotypes about aging, consider this: A new study finds that people who were inclined to believe that older people were slower, unhappier and less sharp than the rest of us are more likely -- when, decades later, they become older themselves -- to exhibit the brain changes seen in those with Alzheimer's disease. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-negative-aging-alzheimers-brain-20151207-story.html
Read moreWhat Banks Are Doing to Halt Elder Abuse
An increasing number of banks and credit unions are implementing fraud-prevention initiatives to prepare for the onslaught of aging Americans expected to developAlzheimer’s disease. They are training tellers “to flag potential suspicious behavior, such as coercion by family members, frequent withdrawals of large sums of money in a short period of time or transferring large sums of money,” said Ramsay Alwin, vice president of economic security
Read moreAging Boomers Face Big Threat From Alzheimer’s
As the baby boomers age, the increasing number of patients with Alzheimer’s disease will take a serious toll on caregivers and families, and the costs associated with that care are expected to weigh heavily on the nation’s health care system. A new study projects that the disease will be responsible for 25 percent of all Medicare spending by 2040. http://www.nextavenue.org/aging-boomers-face-big-threat-from-alzheimers/
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