‘Geriatric Champions’ Are Changing Medicine for Good

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a series for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) Dr. Subhechchha Shah recently saw an 80-year-old patient with a long list of medical ills, including chronic pain from multiple back surgeries, Parkinson’s disease and… Continue reading

When Going Digital Makes Health Care Harder

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) When Jeff Johnson, 66, went online to sign up for Medicare, the trickiness of the process left him frustrated and a little embarrassed. “Even for me, a lifelon… Continue reading

How Mental Health Care for the Aging Is Falling Short

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) Millions of Americans aged 65+ are struggling with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or dementia, and the prevalence of depression in older adults is expected… Continue reading

What Is Age-Friendly Health Care?

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) It’s no secret: As we get older, it’s likely that we spend more time with doctors. And as people are living longer and the number of aging people in America is… Continue reading

Artificial Intelligence That Helps Doctors Predict When Patients Will Die

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) Our final days are difficult because they are infused with uncertainty: We don’t know which meal, conversation, embrace or even goodbye will be our last. This … Continue reading

Making Hospice an Easier Choice

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) People with terminal conditions who receive Medicare are currently required to forgo curative treatment in order to receive hospice (care for people whose medi… Continue reading

We Deserve More Than a ‘Good Death’

(Editor’s note: This content is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation, a Next Avenue sponsor.) If you are facing serious illness today or want to prepare for your own, or a loved one’s, illness in the future, you can tell your nurse, doctor and f… Continue reading

The Nuance of Death With Dignity

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) Death with dignity is a movement gaining steam. A June 2017 Gallup poll found that 73 percent of Americans supported medical aid in dying at a patient’s reques… Continue reading

Living Life With the End in Mind

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) Cathy Wurzer made a dying man a promise. Through interviews with Bruce Kramer (a former dean at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.) beginning in 2… Continue reading

How Realistic Is Dying at Home?

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) On Jan. 29, 2014, David C. Skipworth died in Garland, Texas at age 67 after a long illness, holding his wife Sandra’s hand and listening to the National Anthem… Continue reading