We turn to doctors to save our lives – to heal us, repair us, and keep us healthy. But when it comes to the critical question of what to do when death is at hand, there seems to be a gap between what we want doctors to do for us, and what doctors want done for themselves. In this Radiolab podcast, Producer Sean Cole introduces us to Joseph Gallo, a doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins University who discovered something striking about what doctors were not willing to do to save their own lives. As part of the decades-long Johns…
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As a Market Watch story explains, a program that involves training doctors has proven successful in minimizing senior financial abuse. The Elder Investment Fraud and Financial Exploitation program was launched in 2009. It involves the training of thousands of doctors to ask general, but helpful questions when their senior patients visited for appointments. Considering the frequency with which seniors have medical appointments, it is natural place for basic inquiries about their financial situation to be tested. As part of the program the doctors ask questions like: -Have you given power of attorney to another person? -Has someone asked you to…
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Depression is a common problem in seniors, but it is rarely diagnosed. Even though those over the age of 65 account for 16 to 25 percent of all suicides in the country, there is very little treatment or services geared towards seniors. How can you make sure your aging parent isn’t in danger? Some Common Causes of Senior Depression Adapting to a move from home to an apartment or retirement facility. Chronic pain. Feelings of isolation or loneliness as children move away and their spouse and close friends die. Loss of independence (problems getting around, caring…
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Prescription drugs are of particular concern. In a recent survey, 49% couldn't name a single drug their parents took. Ask parents about their medications and, if necessary, do research, experts say. Find out the dose, what it's for, who prescribed it and why. People 65 and older account for about a third of all medications prescribed in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health, and older patients are more likely to have long-term and multiple prescriptions, which could lead to unintentional misuse. "It's kind of a never-ending process for caregivers," says Sandy Markwood, head of the National Association…
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Home health agencies, hospitals and consumer groups are complaining that a new rule intended to curb unnecessary Medicare spending will make it harder for senior citizens to get home care services. Under the requirement, which is to take effect Friday, Medicare beneficiaries will have to see doctors 90 days before or 30 days after starting home health services in order for the home health agencies to be reimbursed. Those face-to-face visits may be a burden for some home-bound frail seniors, as well as those who live in rural areas, the industry says. Under current law, doctors must prescribe home health…
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The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published an article suggesting steps they can take to mitigate the damage.
The Kaiser Family Foundation Report explores factors that appear to drive relatively high rates of hospitalizations, based on interviews with doctors, nursing home staff and families in four cities. Key factors include liability concerns, limited onsite staff capabilities, difficulty reaching residents' physicians for care instructions on nights and weekends, better and more timely access to diagnostic tests in hospitals, and patient preferences. Physicians with patients in a long-term care facility say it is more convenient and potentially in their financial interest to see patients in the hospital, based on their understanding of coverage and payment policy.
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