The scoring system government agencies use to rate nursing home quality does not provide an adequate evaluation because they do not take into account the degree of cognitive impairment of their patient populations and whether facilities include a specialized dementia unit according to a new study. Focusing on statistics from Minnesota, researchers from Indiana University [...]
Small group homes for people with dementia provide good quality care and a domestic environment where people can live as individuals and families can get involved. But tension can arise when it comes to deciding who takes responsibilities for certain practical and caring tasks. Those are the key findings of a study of two group [...]
Higher flu vaccination rates for health care personnel can dramatically reduce the threat of flu outbreak among nursing home residents, according to a study published in the October issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The study, which focused on nursing homes in New Mexico, [...]
People lose 30% of their muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. However, maintaining muscle strength in old age is enormously important in order to maintain mobility and to be able to lead an independent life and manage everyday tasks independently. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Frank Mayer and [...]
The network of public services that supports California’s low-income, disabled elderly is fragile, affecting the ability of these vulnerable residents to live independent lives in their own homes, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. This policy note reports the first findings from a yearlong effort to follow the [...]
Falling down is hazardous to a senior citizen’s health, yet fewer than half of all seniors see a doctor after a fall. And those who don’t seek medical attention are far less likely to engage in any of the six widely recommended activities — such as a review of their medications or getting a cane [...]
Retirees who transition from full-time work into a temporary or part-time job experience fewer major diseases and are able to function better day-to-day than people who stop working altogether, according to a national study. And the findings were significant even after controlling for people’s physical and mental health before retirement. Read full article via Science [...]
The NHS has an ‘addiction to crisis’ and runs most efficiently when under pressure responding to new policies, adverse incidents and deadlines, a major report has found. This means the NHS will either be well-placed to cope with the impending financial squeeze on public services due to the recession, or will struggle because the slow [...]
Government ‘must triple’ dementia research funding or ‘pay price’, scientists warn Elderly woman with carer31 of the UK’s leading dementia scientists have signed an open letter calling on the government to use today’s 21st July ministerial summit on dementia research to end “years of underfundingâ€. They are calling for a threefold increase in investment into [...]
Sunrise Senior Living announced in an 8-K filing earlier this week that it had entered into standstill/amended agreements with some of its lenders extending the term of previous agreements for its Hannover and München communities. The amendments expire on April 30, 2009 and shall automatically terminate upon the occurrence of an event of default, as [...]
