(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
Unpaid family members and friends who care for loved ones want to provide that care, but they sacrifice their own financial, medical and social needs to do it. This is one of the main findings from a recent survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC… Continue reading
(This article previously appeared on APlaceforMom.com.) Millions of veterans who need long-term care are missing out on the benefits they’ve earned because they don’t know about them. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Aid & Atte… Continue reading
(This article previously appeared on APlaceforMom.com.) Millions of veterans who need long-term care are missing out on the benefits they’ve earned because they don’t know about them. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Aid & Atte… Continue reading
(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
There’s an old political slogan: “As Maine goes, so goes the nation.” Well, if that’s true, and if Maine residents approve a long-term care ballot initiative on Election Day, families across America may get help paying for vital home care and home care… Continue reading
Mom’s terminal cancer diagnosis took her by surprise. “I always thought I would just fall over dead while I was walking across the backyard,” she told me. “Not me,” I responded. “I’m planning to go out like Uncle Ernest: Go to bed healthy and wake up d… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This content is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation, a Next Avenue sponsor.) Health care is deeply personal — especially as we age and face serious illness. Although it may not feel like the easiest conversation to have with our… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: The Centers for Disease Control — CDC — reported Thursday its estimate of the overall effectiveness of this season’s influenza vaccination is 47 percent. For people age 50 and older, the estimate is just 24 percent. Yet, the CDC continu… Continue reading
Beth came up to me, tears in her eyes. “My cousins came into town,” she lamented. Normally this would not seem like a big deal, but Beth’s cousins were diametrically opposed to the idea of her moving her mother — their aunt — into a long-term dementia … Continue reading