An Updated Guide to Medicare & Medicaid

The MetLife Mature Market Institute offers an updated version of its guide to Medicare and Medicaid. Part of the Since You Care series, the publication provides information about recent changes to Medicare; basic enrollment and coverage; the structure of Medicare and Medicaid and costs associated with each coverage option; Medigap; Medicare Advantage; Medicare’s prescription drug program; Medicaid services and eligibility; and a reference guide. For more information, visit http://www.metlife.com.

Drug Coverage for Older Adults: At What Cost?

Health Affairs (August 2007) “Medicare Part D enrollees were 2x as likely to spend $300 out-of-pocket per month as older adults receiving employer-based drug benefits.”

Researchers at Tufts-New England Medical Center, the Commonwealth Fund, and the Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed more than 16,000 randomly selected older adults in order to take an in-depth look at the first year of the Medicare drug benefit. The survey demonstrated that fewer than 10% of older adults lacked prescription drug coverage in the fall of 2006, and 50% of all eligible older adults were enrolled in Medicare Part D. A total of 61% of eligible older adults who did not have coverage in 2005 were enrolled in Part D in 2006. Older adults enrolled in Part D reported lower out-of-pocket spending than those not enrolled in the program; however, Part D enrollees were twice as likely to spend at least $300 out-of-pocket per month as older adults receiving employer-based drug benefits. For more information, visit http://content.healthaffairs.org.

Counseling & Support’s Impact on Caregivers’ Health

New York University researchers conducted a randomized, controlled trial where 406 families of people living with Alzheimer’s disease were enrolled in counseling and support programs. These families were compared to a control group over a period of 9.5 years. The results suggest that counseling and support provides both mental and physical health benefits to caregivers. For more information, see the abstract at http://ajgponline.org.

The Key to Positive Care Outcomes

In order to evaluate the impact of the Partners in Caregiving in a Special Care Environment program, University of Connecticut researchers performed a randomized trial with nursing home residents, their families, and staff. The research suggests that the program reduced staff turnover, increased the quality of staff/family communication, reduced staff depression, decreased behavioral symptoms in residents, and increased the use of family-focused programs. For more information, see the abstract at http://gerontologist.gerontologyjournals.org.

The Campaign for Quality Residential Care

The Alzheimer’s Association released the third phase in a series of publications aimed at improving the overall quality of residential care. The recommendations address end-of-life dementia care, a comprehensive review of research, and a review of practitioner viewpoints on best practices. For more information, visit http://www.alz.org.

Recent Studies on Informal & Formal Caregiving

The American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias published research reports touching on the job satisfaction of formal caregivers, caregiver sadness, and the impact of interventions on the caregiver. Notable findings included job satisfaction rates are higher among formal caregivers who have entered the profession after previously caring for a loved one informally; psycho-educational programs may boost caregivers’ coping capacities and provide memory support for sufferers of dementia; and higher levels of a depressed mood were found in informal caregivers experiencing higher levels of disruption in their social relationships as a consequence of their caregiving. For more information, click on the links at http://aja.sagepub.com.

Community Colleges Help Boomers Start New Careers

Civic Ventures and the MetLife Foundation have given grants to 10 community colleges across the U.S. in order to develop programs designed to utilize new retirees’ experiences and skills and match them to jobs in education, health care, and social services. Grant winners will provide course work and mentoring to adults 50+ who are interested in pursuing public service sector jobs. For more information, visit http://www.civicventures.org.

Aging & Loneliness

In a review of scientific evidence, University of Chicago researchers argue that loneliness increases the pace of physiological decline. Despite the stability in rates of loneliness throughout a lifespan, conditions associated with loneliness become more important with age, which include exposure to stress and physiological responses to stress. The findings point to the important role that close and meaningful social relationships play in healthy aging. For more information, visit http://www.blackwell-synergy.com.

The Sex Life of Older Adults

To the surprise of some, University of Chicago survey researchers demonstrated that older adults are frequently sexually active into their 70s and 80s. This is the first comprehensive, nationally representative examination of the prevalence of sexual activity of and problems experienced by people ages 57 to 85. The report kicked off a wave of national news that opened up a refreshingly public, national dialogue about the sexuality of older adults. For more information, see the abstract at http://content.nejm.org. For the news archive, visit http://news.google.com.

October 20 is World Osteoporosis Day

The International Osteoporosis Foundation is sponsoring World Osteoporosis Day. The day launchs a yearlong campaign for bone health awareness. With this year’s theme, “Beat the break: Know and reduce your osteoporosis risks,” individuals are being urged to recognize their own risk factors and to create bone-healthy habits. The campaign’s messages include getting adequate exercise and nutrition in youth and adulthood, risk factor literacy, and osteoporosis screening. For more information, see http://www.iofbonehealth.org.

Heartburn Drugs & Hip Fracture Risk

Higher dosages and longer usage of drugs used to treat heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were found to be associated with an increased incidence of hip fracture. In an analysis of medical data of more than 145,000 people 50+, University of Pennsylvania researchers discovered that patients on high doses of a drug for more than a year were more than twice as likely to fracture their hip as people who had never used this type of drug. For more information, see the abstract at http://jama.ama-assn.org.

International Lessons in Financing Long-Term Care

During the past decade, several nations with advanced economies have reorganized the financing of their long-term care systems. The U.K., France, Germany, and Japan all face greater demographic pressures than the U.S. For example, in 2040, about 20.4% of the U.S. population will be 65+, while that number is 35% in Japan. The structure of financing for each country, including the U.S., is compared and contrasted at http://crr.bc.edu.

Number of Older Adults in the Labor Force

Employee Benefit Research Institute researchers examined the labor force participation of older adults by utilizing current population survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This analysis demonstrated that from 1993 to 2006, the number of working adults 55+ increased from 29% in 1993 to 38% in 2006. These workers are much more likely to be working full-time than in years past. For more information, visit http://www.ebri.org.

Growth in Health Insurance Premiums

The Kaiser Family Foundation, along with researchers at the University of Chicago and the Health Research Educational Trust, recently released findings from their annual Employer Health Benefits Survey, which addresses changes in the rates of insurance premiums, trends in employer-based insurance, a survey of retiree health benefits, and employer attitudes toward insurance benefits and their future. Overall, insurance premiums have grown 6.1% over the past year, nearly double the rate of wage growth (3.7%) and overall inflation (2.6%). For more information, see the report at http://www.kff.org.

FDA’s Newsletter for Older Adults & Caregivers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) newsletter informs older adults and caregivers about developments in relevant health news happening inside and outside the FDA. The summer edition comprised updates about research demonstrating the effectiveness of MRI in detecting breast cancer, information on colorectal cancer, aging and eye care, product recalls, and allergies, among other topics of interest. For more details, visit http://www.fda.gov.

Enhancing aging in action

aging in action monthly e-newsletter subscribers are invited to participate in a survey to help Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging determine needed enhancements and improvements. Enter for your chance to win an iPod Nano after completing the survey available here.