November 20th, 2008

Researchers are reporting that the largest and longest independent clinical trial to assess ginkgo biloba’s ability to prevent memory loss has found that the supplement does not prevent or delay dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

The study is the first trial large enough to accurately assess the plant extract’s effect on the incidence of dementia, experts said, and the results dashed hopes that it is an effective preventative. In fact, there were more cases of dementia among participants who were taking ginkgo biloba than among those who were taking a placebo, though the difference was not statistically significant.

For the trial, researchers from five academic medical centers in the United States recruited 3,069 community volunteers 75 and older. Most were cognitively normal, but 482 had mild cognitive impairment.

About half were given two doses of 120 milligrams of ginkgo biloba extract daily, while the other half were provided with placebo pills. Neither the participants nor the doctors knew who was receiving which pills. They were followed for a median of 6.1 years and assessed every six months for dementia.

During the study period, 523 cases of dementia were diagnosed. Of those, 246, or 16.1 percent, were in placebo users, and 277, or 17.9 percent, were in people taking ginkgo biloba.

 

 

Source:wallstreetjournal.com

November 17th, 2008

1. Daily Living Plan: Make sure the assisted living or senior living facility offers lots of activities that allow residents to be active. They should include great socializing events, exercise classes, educational seminars, religious services, and outings.
2. Medical Staff: Check to see who the resident geriatrician is and what credentials the nurses have. There should be an ambulance service and a quality hospital nearby with the patients’ medical charts. Also check to see that menus are approved by a nutritionist;
3. Talk to residents!!!!: Ask current residents for their opinion on the facility and services. You can get the best information for the residents! The will tell you the good and the bad of the place.
4. Room Accomidations and Facility Basics: Make sure the facility has showers with moveable showerheads, handrails, good lighting, emergency electricity generators, emergency help buttons and adequate personnel.

November 17th, 2008

I recently read an interesting article about PACE. Here is more information about the program.

PACE is an All-inclusive Care Program for the Elderly . The model is centered around the belief that it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in the community whenever possible.

According to the National PACE Association, there are 16,000 participants in PACE nationwide. The average client is 80 and takes eight prescription medications. Participants have to be 55 or older, certified by their state to need nursing home care and be able to live safely in the community.

Each PACE program receives a fixed amount per person from a patient’s state Medicaid program — usually 85% to 90% of estimated nursing home costs. Medicare funds come through a risk-adjusted formula in which the program receives more for sicker enrollees. PACE becomes both the patient’s insurer and care provider and is obliged to pay for all of the patient’s medical care from the point of enrollment forward.

Services include:

Delivering all needed medical and supportive services, the program is able to provide the entire continuum of care and services to seniors with chronic care needs while maintaining their independence in their homes for as long as possible. 

Care and services include:

• Adult day care that offers nursing; physical, occupational and recreational therapies; meals; nutritional counseling; social work and personal care
• Medical care provided by a PACE physician familiar with the history, needs and preferences of each participant
• Home health care and personal care
• All necessary prescription drugs
• Social services
• Medical specialists such as audiology, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, and speech therapy
• Respite care
• Hospital and nursing home care when necessary

The benefits of PACE are that participants are supported by a coordinated medical team that the federal government hopes will cut costs and improve life for the elderly.

November 14th, 2008

Approximately 3.8 million seniors reside in some type of aging services facility, according to the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. They live in roughly 17,000 nursing homes, 39,500 assisted-living facilities, 2,250 continuing care retirement communities, and other senior housing units.

The distressed housing market, and a deepening recession threaten a huge decline in the senior housing indusrty . Across the spectrum of senior housing; life-care communities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes people at all levels of income are dealing with financial challenges.

Primary residences are the greatest source of wealth for most retirees, and the sale of those homes is the most common way to generate retirement-community entrance fees, which range from $100,000 at the low end, upwards of $500,000 and much more at the highest-end communities.

Income from pensions and investments is a major source of monthly maintenance payments across the spectrum of senior housing. Financial support from children and other family members often enables retirement home occupants to make ends meet.

November 12th, 2008

Shares of Emeritus fell 15 percent today. The shares dropped from $1.56 to $8.82, their lowest level in four years. Emeritus is a nationwide provider of assisted senior housing also reported a third-quarter loss of $23.1 million.

The Seattle company, one of the largest in its field, wasn’t the only senior housing company battered by the market. Leading competitors Sunrise Senior Living and Brookdale Senior Living fell 21 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

Emeritus’ third-quarter revenue of $193 million was up from $187 million in the second quarter, while its net loss shrank from the second-quarter loss of $25.2 million.

November 12th, 2008

The Silver Alert system notifies law enforcement agencies and the general public when an adult has disappeared or has gone missing. Recent reports suggest that up to 14 million seniors will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the next few decades, and that up to half of them are likely to wander. The bill would allow for up to $5 million per year between 2009 and 2013 to be spent implementing the silver alert system.

The bill, the National Silver Alert Act (H.R. 6064), also would reauthorize Kristen’s Act, which was established to create a national database to track missing adults who are endangered due to age or diminished mental capacity. The Kristen’s Act re-authorization would provide an additional $4 million per year over the next decade to help families locate and recover missing adults.

November 12th, 2008

Brookdale Senior Living Inc. shares lost more than a third of their value Thursday, plunging for a second-straight day in the wake of weak third-quarter results.

Stock in the nation’s largest provider of senior-care facilities fell $3.43, or 36.5 percent, to close at $5.96, after sinking as low as $5.89, the lowest level in Brookdale’s three years as a publicly traded company.

On Wednesday, the stock lost 15.5 percent, to finish at $9.39.Analysts raised questions about the company’s balance sheet and cost pressures and suggested its difficulties are likely to continue into 2009.

source: associated press

November 12th, 2008

A form of vitamin B3, Nicotinamide has been found to get rid of Alzheimer’s disease-related memory problems in lab mice, according to new research. Vitamin B3 is available over the counter at a low price.

The study showed that when mice that were bred to exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer’s received the human equivalent of two or three grams of B3, they acted as if they had never developed the disease, said one University of California researcher.

The vitamin acts in the brain to clear tau “tangles,” of Alzheimer’s disease. While the vitamins are available over the counter and are relatively safe, researchers warn that high doses such as the ones used in the study could potentially be dangerous. Researchers are currently enlisting people for human trials. Their research appears in the November 5 online version of the Journal of Neuroscience.

November 12th, 2008

As demand for hospice care has increased, so have the number of programs nationwide. Today, there are about 4,700 providers, up from about 3,300 five years ago, according to NHPCO. While the majority of providers are nonprofits, the for-profit sector is growing, accounting for 47.1 percent of hospice agencies last year.

Hospice is intended for any person who has a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less to live. Depending on the needs of each patient, care can include pain management, medications, medical supplies and equipment, and assistance with the emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of dying. A hospice team usually consists of nurses, home health aides, social workers, bereavement counselors, and clergy, as well as a hospice physician and the patient’s personal physician.

The benefit for Medicare and Medicaid patients is remarkably magnanimous. Medicare pays out $601 per patient per day for inpatient hospice care (and $789 per day for the typical patient who gets 24-hour home care), yet there are no copays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket expenses for the beneficiary. Private insurer hospice benefits offer a variety of hospice services, though they’re typically not as generous, according to the Hospice Association of America. To get Medicare or private insurance to cover hospice care, a patient needs only a physician’s referral. Hospice care is usually provided in the patient’s home. It can also be made available at a special hospice residence designed with a homelike atmosphere, or in assisted living or skilled nursing facilities.

November 4th, 2008

The Senior Lending Network(R), a leader in reverse mortgages, announced today the company is further developing and strengthening its brand to reflect its new tagline, “We can change your life.” In line with this strategy, Senior Lending Network also is introducing an enhanced logo, which better reflects its trustworthy reputation and consolidates all of its sub-brands under the Senior Lending Network name.

“We are committed to helping seniors,” stated David Peskin, chief executive officer of Senior Lending Network. “And we believe this updated brand reinforces the strength and stability of our company. These days, with current economic conditions as they are, we are seeing more seniors turn to Senior Lending Network to change and improve their lives.
We anticipate that the need for a Senior Lending Network reverse mortgage will continue to increase, especially as more and more baby boomers turn 62.”

This brand evolution is the result of one-on-one interviews with customers, partner brokers and staff, to understand why homeowners seeking reverse mortgages choose Senior Lending Network over other lenders. The interviews revealed that the ‘Senior Lending Network’ name is well known and highly regarded, and seniors have an emotional connection to receiving a reverse mortgage from this established brand.

To consolidate its position as one of the most trusted lenders for reverse mortgages, the company is simplifying its sub-brand structure to one brand: World Alliance Financial Corp. is now Senior Lending Network (for the Corporate and Retail Divisions); Lender Lead Solutions is now Senior Lending Network (Wholesale Division) and Lender Lead Solutions University is now Senior Lending Network University. The company also will continue to work with Robert Wagner, a trusted spokesperson whose reputation resonates with both seniors and their caregivers.

The company hopes these changes will further strengthen the relationship between seniors and Senior Lending Network.