The Michigan Court of Appeals (COA) affirmed a ruling recently that refused to lower payor Mark Foster’s child support to an amount consistent with the Michigan Child Support Formula (MCSF). More »

Jane E. Brody, columnist for the Health section of the New York Times wrote about how to choose a good nursing home recently. She said… More »

In a recent blog post, “Dollars & Health: Living wills, death panels and my dad,” Andy Miller advocates for use of “living wills.” These documents are also called “advance directives” or “patient advocacy designations.” This topic is timely given the growing health care reform debate and concerns about so-called “death panels.” More »

Two interesting articles on the issues of health care reform, death & dignity came across my desk recently.

From the New York Times Opinion section came an Op-Ed piece, The Way We Die Now, written by John Kitzhaber, M.D. and Oregon legislator, and son who watched both parents die in a dignified way, cannot stop talking about it. More »

Here’s a video editorial that presents the consumer’s point of view on the issue of universal health care and its cost. I thought I’d share it with you. More »

Several articles in the New England Journal of Medicine concerning Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (”Swine Flu”) are offered free of charge to all. One of those articles indicates that early results on testing show that one dose of the vaccine may be sufficient for most groups. The NEJM calls the preliminary studies “reassuring.” More »

Earlier this year, Anne Underwood wrote about a program called Guided Care in Caring and Coping, a “New Old Age Blog” featured by the New York Times. The Guided Care program provides services from a registered nurse to help seniors get coordinated care. Research shows that repeat hospital re-admissions caused by often life-threatening complications are significantly reduced when care is carefully transitioned between the hospital and another care setting (home, assisted living, rehab, etc.). More »

Rosanne M. Leipzig is a physician and professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She wrote in the New York Times recently about how most doctors practice geriatrics lacking in skill and training. This is particularly troubling to her because geriatrics is not a required course in medical schools around the country. If you’re a caregiver, or if you are one of those who is “of a certain age” to need competent curative and/or preventative care from a doctor, you’ll want to read what Dr. Leipzig has to say.

In a nutshell . . . More »

The Washington Post recently reported that there are not enough primary care doctors to meet current needs. Now there’s a surprise. When I did the research for my book in 2000 through 2002, there was a shortage of primary care doctors. Has anything changed?

Well, in fact, where the situation was serious then, new reports show even worse facts as the aging population in the U.S. climbs to record heights and the need for primary care doctors is even more critical. More »

I have just finished reading an extraordinary book, a book so remarkable I am making a list of all of the people with whom I will share it. The book is “Jane Brody’s Guide to the Great Beyond: A Practical Primer to Help You and Your Loved Ones Prepare Medically, Legally, and Emotionally for the End of Life.”

Imagine next time you celebrate an occasion, giving your spouse, your child, or children a book about preparation for dying. The idea may seem strange to you. I ask you to suspend your negativity until you’ve seen this book. More »