Why Some Home Health Agencies Are Cutting Patients’ Services

(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) Craig Holly was determined to fight when the home health agency caring for his wife decided to cut off services Jan. 18. The reason he was given by an agency nurse? His wife was disabled but sta… Continue reading

Patients Struggle to Get Their Medical Records

(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) Medical records can be hard for patients to get, even in this digital information age. But they shouldn’t be: Federal law guarantees that people have a right to see and obtain a copy of their me… Continue reading

Study: Older Adults Trust Physicians to Be Their Advocates

(This piece was originally published by the Association of Health Care Journalists and is being republished with that organization’s permission.) Older adults rarely ask for referrals to specialists, specific prescriptions, express concerns or follow-u… Continue reading

What Matters? Don’t Let Health Care Get in the Way

(Editor’s note: This content is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation, a Next Avenue sponsor.) When it comes to health care, what matters varies from person to person and differs depending on your state of health or illness. For one person, it mi… Continue reading

The Importance of Having, or Being, a Patient Advocate

My mother sat in her recliner all day, barely communicative with no appetite. She had trouble walking to the bathroom by herself and couldn’t take care of her little dog. After suffering a heart attack at 79, she’d returned home two weeks prior. I met … Continue reading