The National Consumer Law Center® (NCLC) has issued a press release about new protections for seniors and handicapped individuals against seizure of their social security and SSI payments from bank accounts. Recipients will not have to do anything to get this protection. Their government payments will come automatically to them in the form of a prepaid card that can be used like a debit card. The press release is below. More
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New rules protect social security and SSI
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Advance Medical Directives
April 16th was National Healthcare Decisions Day. Many people are talking about advance medical directives these days. Some folks want to stop doctors and nurses from talking about end of life care with patients, calling this a “death panel.” Others are identifying advance medical directives as a means by which a person may control the care and quality at the end of life. More
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Talking about end-of-life care
Thanks to my friend, Wendy Harpham, author of Happiness in a Storm and Only 10 Seconds to Care, for bringing to my attention a new guide for patients and their loved ones helpful to families and patients who are coping with final illness. More
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Advice on talking about end-of-life care
Following a model I’ve seen on the Aging with Dignity website, “Consider the Conversation” is a new documentary available on DVD at Amazon.com to help patients and their families talk with their physicians about end-of-life care. The documentary film will also be shown on PBS television this spring. Made in a volunteer effort and funded entirely by donations, the producers explain the film as follows: More
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Making decisions about when to stop driving
Jane Gross wrote in the New York Times recently about the angst primary care doctors face when confronting a patient and family about whether an aging patient should still be driving. Questions raised are:
- When is it time for someone with physical or cognitive problems to give up the car keys?
- Who makes that decision?
- How can it safely and compassionately be enforced? More
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Medicare offers free annual wellness exam
NPR ran an interesting story this week, noting that fewer than 10 percent of seniors took advantage of the “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam paid for by Medicare, according to the government. Anyone qualifying for Medicare can get a free physical examination in the first 12 months after he/she signs up. Well . . . who knew? More
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Good tips for knee & hip replacements
The New York Times recently published an extremely valuable article about hip and knee implants. According to statistics, about 806,000 such procedures were performed in the US in 2007. This is twice as many as were performed a decade earlier. Though routine, replacements are not without risk or potential for a future replacement. More
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Resources for seniors & others seeking medical insurance
Reported in a newsletter by MoveOn.org, here is some valuable information about Internet resources to assist seniors (and others) trying to assess and access affordable health care. More
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Caregivers must assist in delirium diagnosis and prevention
In the New York Times on June 24th, Pam Belluck reported on the risk that elderly patients may become confused and delirious while in the hospital. She offered suggestions for family caregivers on how to assist their loved ones from suffering irreversible or serious complications. More
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Losing a spouse
A recent column by Jane Brody in the New York Times is tender and moving. She describes the losses suffered by the spouse left behind: The Pain of Losing a Spouse Is Singular
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