Eldercare, Aging and Long Term Care

Will Older Men Give Up the PSA Test? - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog

2008-08-05T08:06:18-07:00

Will Older Men Give Up the PSA Test? - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog.

Men ages 75 and older should not be screened for prostate cancer. This is the important and definitive conclusion of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which for the first time has made a specific recommendation about the value of screening for prostate cancer.

To many doctors, the new guidelines will not come as a shock. Quite a few believe that because prostate cancer often progresses slowly, not causing symptoms for 10 years or longer, it’s inappropriate to look for it in healthy older men. A man aged 75 or older may well die of another cause long before his prostate cancer becomes a problem. And treatment of prostate cancer has significant drawbacks, often leading to impotence, incontinence and a variety of other complications that reduce a patient’s quality of life.But what doctors know and what happens in practice often are two different things. Prostate screening involves a simple blood test to check for prostate-specific antigen, or PSA. Many doctors find it easier just to do a PSA test than take the time to explain the pros and cons to a patient.

Patients themselves, many accustomed since their late 40s or early 50s to getting tested, aren’t always comfortable with the idea of stopping the screening once they reach older age.

Immigrants Deported, by U.S. Hospitals - Series - NYTimes.com

2008-08-03T07:20:57-07:00

Immigrants Deported, by U.S. Hospitals - Series - NYTimes.com.

(Bloggers Note: This shocking story, while not specifically on aging, does have related implications.)

Eight years ago, Mr. Jiménez, 35, an illegal immigrant working as a gardener in Stuart, Fla., suffered devastating injuries in a car crash with a drunken Floridian. A community hospital saved his life, twice, and, after failing to find a rehabilitation center willing to accept an uninsured patient, kept him as a ward for years at a cost of $1.5 million. What happened next set the stage for a continuing legal battle with nationwide repercussions: Mr. Jiménez was deported — not by the federal government but by the hospital, Martin Memorial.

After winning a state court order that would later be declared invalid, Martin Memorial leased an air ambulance for $30,000 and “forcibly returned him to his home country,” as one hospital administrator described it.

Since being hoisted in his wheelchair up a steep slope to his remote home, Mr. Jiménez, who sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, has received no medical care or medication — just Alka-Seltzer and prayer, his 72-year-old mother said. Over the last year, his condition has deteriorated with routine violent seizures, each characterized by a fall, protracted convulsions, a loud gurgling, the vomiting of blood and, finally, a collapse into unconsciousness.

“Every time, he loses a little more of himself,” his mother, Petrona Gervacio Gaspar, said in Kanjobal, the Indian dialect that she speaks with an otherworldly squeak.

Simulating Age 85, With Lessons on Offering Care - NYTimes.com

2008-08-03T06:34:06-07:00

Simulating Age 85, With Lessons on Offering Care - NYTimes.com.

As the population in the developing world ages, simulation programs like Xtreme Aging have become a regular part of many nursing or medical school curriculums, and have crept into the corporate world, where knowing what it is like to be elderly increasingly means better understanding one’s customers or even employees — how to design signs or instrument panels, how to make devices more usable.

Seniors Tap Into Texting - washingtonpost.com

2008-08-01T10:04:06-07:00

Seniors Tap Into Texting - washingtonpost.com.

For wireless companies, senior citizens are a relatively underserved market. About 50 percent of seniors over age 65 own a cellphone, compared with nearly 90 percent of consumers 18 to 29, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Two percent of seniors own a BlackBerry or other PDA, compared with 17 percent of their younger counterparts. Six percent of seniors have sent a text message, while 75 percent of the younger group are ravenous texters.

"It's becoming a more acceptable piece of technology for older adults," said Jane Silberman, co-director of the Montgomery County Oasis chapter, which also holds classes that teach members how to use computers and surf the Internet. Yesterday's event had a 72-person waiting list. Cellphones "used to be there just for safety reasons, but it's become a tool they're comfortable with," Silberman said.

Here Are the Details of that Delirious Alzheimer's Study | Psychology Today Blogs

2008-08-01T06:24:54-07:00

Here Are the Details of that Delirious Alzheimer's Study | Psychology Today Blogs.

Say it ain't so, BBC! Did you really report the singles-bashing headline, "Singles face Alzheimer's risk"? I'd only call it singles-bashing if this turned out to be still another matrimanical scare story, with little basis in science. So let me explain, BBC, why even you have been mugged by the Marriage Mafia.

Uniqueness of Korean Cuisine(II): Kimchi

2008-07-31T06:30:34-07:00

Uniqueness of Korean Cuisine(II): Kimchi.

The average lifespan of Koreans continues to rise, according to the 2008 Korean Health Data Report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Koreans are now living 79.1 years, above the OECD average lifespan of 78.9 years. The data links longevity, among other things, to health care expenditure per capita. But South Korea goes against the trend. According to the report, Korea, with an above-average lifespan, ranks 28th out of the 30 OECD countries in terms of health care expenditures, based on GDP. Is Korea's diet the key contributor to longevity in the Land of the Morning Calm?

Korea has one of the smallest pool of doctors of the 30 OECD countries. Koreans live longer lives and spend far less on health care than other leading countries such as Japan. And although Japanese live slightly longer, they are spending significantly more public and private money on healthcare. While individual health care spending in Korea is rising, it remains below the OECD average and well below that of Japan. South Koreans also work more hours than all the members of the OECD. With elevated stress levels from longer work hours, why do Koreans require less health care while living longer lives?

Nursing Home Contracts

2008-07-30T08:21:15-07:00

Nursing Home Contracts.

Making the decision for nursing home care for a parent is often an emotional and exhausting experience. You will be worried about the kind of care your parent will get and his emotional reaction to the move. One of the last things you want to worry about is the paperwork, but the nursing home contract is one of the most important things you should pay attention to.

The nursing home contract is the "Admission Agreement" that nursing homes will ask you or your parent to sign. This contract describes in detail the rights and responsibilities of both the patient and the nursing home. By signing the Admission Agreement, you are agreeing to what it says, whether you have had a chance to read it or not.

Male lust is blind, research suggests - Telegraph

2008-07-29T13:02:57-07:00

Male lust is blind, research suggests - Telegraph.

Men have long been accused of judging women on looks alone, but even the plainest Jane can get their hormones raging, a study has found.

New Alzheimer's drug is twice as effective as current treatments - Telegraph

2008-07-29T12:56:08-07:00

New Alzheimer's drug is twice as effective as current treatments - Telegraph.

The results of the new Alzheimer's trial are striking because they mark a promising debut for one of a new family of drugs aimed at a novel target in the brain.

Cases - For Elderly, a Little Fall, a Big Worry - NYTimes.com

2008-07-29T10:28:07-07:00

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people over 65. An older person may seem independent, but friends and relatives should routinely survey homes and apartments for slippery surfaces, clutter or other fall-inducing conditions. Something as seemingly innocuous as a loose rug can lead to a dire medical outcome.

Cases - For Elderly, a Little Fall, a Big Worry - NYTimes.com.