Senior Alerts
The Hidden Drug Problem: Seniors Medication Overload
By Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, the President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. August 20, 2019. An Interview with the Institue for Healthcare Improvement. In a recent Health Affairs article, you and Shannon Brownlee of… Read More
Drugs Causing Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
What Is an Ototoxic Drug? According to Neil Bauman, Ph.D., “Ototoxic drugs are those medications that can cause ototoxic (ear damaging) side effects to your ears. Such drugs can cause hearing loss, hyperacusis, tinnitus, and other...
Millions Of Diabetes Patients Are Missing Out On Medicare’s Nutrition Help
By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News, Sep 09, 2019. Louis Rocco has lived with diabetes for decades but, until he met with a registered dietitian in August, he didn’t know eating too much bread was dangerous… Read More
Social Security Error Jeopardizes Coverage for 250,000 Seniors
Social Security Error Jeopardizes Medicare Coverage For 250,000 Seniors By Susan JaffeSHOTS NPR, Kaiser Health News. A quarter of a million Medicare beneficiaries may be receiving bills for as many as five months of premiums… Read More
Common Medications Can Masquerade As Dementia In Seniors
By all accounts, the woman, in her late 60s, appeared to have severe dementia. She was largely incoherent. Her short-term memory was terrible. She couldn’t focus on questions that medical professionals asked her. By Judith… Read More
A Fall Can Be Deadly – Medications Can Affect Your Balance
Medications can be lifesaving by performing critical tasks such as keeping blood sugar at safe levels, hearts thumping rhythmically, and moods afloat. Yet side effects and interactions between drugs (both prescription and nonprescription drugs) may...
The Danger of Postoperative Delirium in Older Adults
From the American Geriatrics Society. Delirium is an acute decline in cognitive function and attention and represents acute brain failure. Postoperative delirium is recognized as the most common surgical complication in older adults, occurring in… Read More
Costly Confusion – Medicare’s Wellness Visit Isn’t The Same As An Annual Physical
Medicare does not cover an annual physical exam and patients who get them may be on the hook for the entire amount. By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News. When Beverly Dunn called her new primary… Read More
Big Pharma Gave Money To Patient Advocacy Groups Opposing Medicare Changes
By Sydney Lupkin and Elizabeth Lucas and Victoria Knight. Dozens of patient advocacy groups, like the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, recently appeared in national advertisements objecting… Read More