April 16, 2020 Sadie, a 76-year-old who lives alone and suffers from chronic renal stones suddenly developed acute flank pain resulting in four medical visits in one week. First to her primary care provider (PCP), second to the emergency department (ED), and a third visit to Urgent Care. Each time she was sent home and instructed… Read more »
April 1, 2020 Today, the California Department of Aging and the California Health and Human Services Agency announced the Stay Home, Save Lives, Check In Campaign. They’re encouraging people, like us, to take a few minutes out of each day to check-in with our older neighbors. Let’s make sure they feel connected and that they… Read more »
West Health applauds this week’s passage of legislation reauthorizing the Older Americans Act (OAA), which provides critical funding for programs and services that combat malnutrition, elder abuse and social isolation, support family caregivers and senior centers, and help older adults with transportation, legal issues and in-home and community-based care. The reauthorization of OAA is a… Read more »
by Katie Roper | March 24, 2020 Medicare just announced that it will − temporarily − reimburse for telehealth-provided services, opening an opportunity for seniors housing providers to provide residents with access to vital health services without exposing them to pathogens circulating at hospitals and clinics as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. A very… Read more »
March 18, 2020 BOX 1 PATIENT SCENARIO 1: The daughter of an 82-year-old community-dwelling, woman calls the ED nurse hotline regarding her mother. The patient has a past medical history of diabetes mellitus and multiple comorbid illnesses. During the past week the patient had a cough, runny nose, and a slight fever. No temperature has… Read more »
April 22, 2020 The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is putting enormous and unprecedented strain on our entire population and placing new and significant pressures on our fragile system of healthcare and social services, and our once mighty economy. And while no one is immune from COVID-19, the data is clear that seniors and people with underlying chronic… Read more »
Learn about Gary and Mary West Foundation’s role in the first-of-its-kind venture, which is focused on improving hospitals’ access to low-cost generic pharmaceuticals.
Take action to address these risks and positively impact seniors
Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s observance of Older Americans Month. The 2019 theme, Connect, Create, Contribute, encourages older adults and their communities to: Connect with friends, family, and services that support participation. Create by engaging in activities that promote learning, health, and personal enrichment. Contribute time, talent, and life experience to benefit others. Communities… Read more »
By Amy Herr and Amy Berman After Phyllis Benning, 66, suffered several strokes that left her unable to walk, she thought she might spend the rest of her life in a nursing home. She was able return to her home—and walk again—with the help of a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®)… Read more »