transportation

The Special Challenges Of Nearly 11 Million Seniors Who Live In Rural Communities

When we think about older adults in the US, we usually focus on those living in cities or suburbs. By doing so, we forget about the rural elderly, who represent an outsized share of people living in these communities and who have very special challenges. According to a new report by the US Census bureau, about 10.6 million older adults [...]

By |2019-10-28T10:33:36-04:00October 28th, 2019|aging in place|1 Comment

Medicare Advantage Plans Are Expanding Personal Supports and Services For 2020

In 2020, Medicare beneficiaries will have more opportunities to join Medicare Advantage (MA) managed care plans that offer limited personal supports and services such as home care, non-medical transportation, nutrition programs, and home modifications. The benefits, first allowed by the federal government for 2019, are not full-blown long-term care, but they do provide critical services and supports that may make [...]

By |2019-10-07T16:49:44-04:00October 7th, 2019|Medicare|17 Comments

Urging Doctors and Health Systems To Recognize The Importance Of Social Supports To Patients 

The influential National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) has called for a major initiative to better integrate heath care and social supports. The group, formerly known as the Institute of Medicine, has published a white paper on the subject that should encourage both policymakers and medical practitioners to pay more attention to the importance of social supports to [...]

By |2019-10-02T10:56:00-04:00October 2nd, 2019|social determinants of health|0 Comments

When It Comes To Helping Patients Find Social Supports, Docs Say, “Not My Job.”

A doctor diagnoses your mother with heart disease. She can no longer drive and you know she needs help with transportation to her medical appointments. You ask for advice---and get a blank stare. Or you are dismissed. A growing body evidence shows that social supports may improve the overall well-being of people with medical conditions, especially chronic illness (here and [...]

By |2018-05-21T13:35:19-04:00May 21st, 2018|Health Care|0 Comments

Congress Cuts or Freezes Most Senior Services Programs in New Budget Deal

Congress is about to agree to a bipartisan budget for 2014 that will at best freeze federal spending for many critical senior services. In a few cases, the fiscal plan will increase funding a bit from the low levels driven by last year’s across-the-board “sequester” spending cuts. But for the most part, programs will have to meet growing demand for [...]

By |2014-01-15T17:21:32-05:00January 15th, 2014|Aging, Federal senior services programs|0 Comments

Where is the Best Place To Age In the World? Hint: It isn’t the US

Where in the world would you want to age? According to a comprehensive new study by the group HelpAge International, you want to live your golden years in…Sweden. True, it’s cold. Really cold. But based on more than a dozen key indicators, including income security, health status, employment and education, and ability to live independently, Northern European countries such as [...]

By |2013-10-11T17:53:06-04:00October 11th, 2013|Aging, Health Care|0 Comments

Looking at Long-Term Care as the Government’s Role Shrinks

On Tuesday, Nov 8, I'll be moderating an important discussion on the future long-term care in an era of shrinking government. My fellow panelists will be Robyn Stone, author of Long-Term Care for the Elderly and senior vice president for research for LeadingAge, a trade group that represents non-profit providers ; Len Fishman, the CEO of Hebrew Senior Life, an innovative senior services provider in Boston, [...]

Dealing with the Loneliness of Aging

My dad, who had congestive heart failure, lived on the second floor of a garden apartment building that had no elevator. As the disease made him weaker, he could no long walk down the stairs. And for the last year of his life, he was trapped in his own apartment. An "outing" was a slow walk, and eventually, a wheelchair ride about 100 feet to the [...]

By |2011-09-07T14:56:23-04:00September 7th, 2011|Aging, aging in place, Senior housing, transportation|11 Comments