Latest Senior Health News

29Jun
2022

Staffing Shortages Have U.S. Nursing Homes in Crisis

Staffing Shortages Have U.S. Nursing Homes in CrisisWEDNESDAY, June 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- There's a shortage of nursing home beds for the elderly in America due to a severe staffing crisis that has caused long-term care facilities to cut back on new admissions, new research shows.Three out of five nursing homes (61%) have limited new admissions due to staffing shortages, according to a survey conducted by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) of 759 nursing home providers.And nearly three out of four (73%) are concerned that they’ll have to close their facilities over staffing problems, the survey found."We project that more than 400 nursing homes could close this year due to this workforce and economic crisis," said Beth Martino, senior vice president of public affairs for the...

Could Getting Your Flu Shot Help Prevent Alzheimer's?

29 June 2022
Could Getting Your Flu Shot Help Prevent Alzheimer`s?WEDNESDAY, June 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A yearly flu shot may do more than protect you from a nasty bout of influenza: New research suggests it may help guard against Alzheimer’s disease as well.People who were vaccinated at least once over four years were 40% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s during that period, the study found."It might be that by preventing the infection or reducing the severity of infection, we're mitigating the damage that influenza can cause in the brain, especially in those 65 and older," said lead author Dr. Avram Bukhbinder, a resident in the Division of Child Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston."An interesting piece of this puzzle is that it's not just the influenza vaccine that seems to have this protective effect on Alzheimer's...

Vision Issues Could Raise Odds for Dementia

29 June 2022
Vision Issues Could Raise Odds for DementiaWEDNESDAY, June 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Untreated vision loss may put an older adult at an increased risk for dementia, though it's not clear why, according to a new study.Researchers found that the likelihood of having some form of cognitive impairment was 137% higher in seniors who had trouble seeing than in those without vision issues. Cognitive impairment is a general term for problems with thinking and memory. "Although the reasons behind this remain unclear, it suggests that diagnosing and treating eye conditions may be beneficial -- both to improve a person's quality of life and also to potentially slow down or stop memory loss," said lead researcher Beibei Xu, an associate professor at Peking University in China.For the study, recently published in the journal Aging &...

COVID Boosters Raise Antibody Levels by 85% in Nursing...

27 June 2022
COVID Boosters Raise Antibody Levels by 85% in Nursing Home ResidentsMONDAY, June 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Getting a COVID-19 booster shot can significantly increase an at-risk person's immunity and protect against the contagious Omicron variant.New research focusing on nursing home residents and their caregivers found a third dose of vaccine boosted antibodies by more than 85%, with high levels of Omicron-specific immunity. The study authors said the results underscore the importance of boosters for all older adults."There are tens of millions of community-dwelling older adults similar to the nursing home population but are living at home," said lead author Dr. David Canaday, a professor of infectious diseases at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. "This data shows this group of frail, older adults with similar clinical...

Tough Choices: When It's Time to Move From Home to Assisted Living

26 June 2022
Tough Choices: When It`s Time to Move From Home to Assisted LivingSUNDAY, June 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- While 8 in 10 Americans ages 65 and older say they want to age in their homes, it's not always possible when health declines.Knowing when a loved one needs a more supportive environment, such as assisted living, continuing care retirement community or a nursing home, can be challenging. Though "aging in place" remains a cherished goal, seniors are fretting less about it these days, a recent Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs poll found.An expert in geriatric mental health offers some guidelines for knowing if independent living is still realistic or if someone needs more care, whether through moving or a home visitation service.Dr. Molly Camp is an associate professor of psychiatry at University of Texas Southwestern Medical...
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