How Seniors Can Prevent Hypothermia This Winter

SUNDAY, Dec. 30, 2018 -- In winter, older adults are at higher risk of losing body heat and slipping into potentially fatal hypothermia, U.S. health officials warn.

Older people can lose body heat quickly and find it harder to recognize the signs, experts at the U.S. National Institute on Aging and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) explained.

What Makes for a Good Nursing Home?

TUESDAY, Jan. 8, 2019 -- Families of nursing home residents are more likely to be satisfied with facilities that have higher staffing levels and are nonprofits, a new study finds.

"The findings show that facility-level factors associated with higher family satisfaction are rather similar to the ones we already know predict resident satisfaction as well," said study leader Tetyana Shippee. She is an associate professor in the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, in Minneapolis.

Many Female Health Care Workers Make Poverty-Level Wages: Study

THURSDAY, Jan. 10, 2019 -- Every day they help feed, bathe and care for the frailest Americans. But female health care workers in the United States often get shortchanged on wages and health insurance, a new study finds.

In fact, about one-third of female health care workers made less than $15 an hour, and that number rose to half when these workers were black or Hispanic.

Better Economy Could Mean Worse Nursing Home Care

FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- In a good economy, the care at U.S. nursing homes falls because it's harder to attract and keep staff, a new study contends.

"During economic downturns, many people are willing to take positions with work environments they may not prefer because there aren't many options," said principal investigator Sean Shenghsiu Huang.

Health Surrogates Often in Dark About Loved One's Wishes

TUESDAY, Nov. 27, 2018 -- Few people entrusted with making difficult health care decisions for older loved ones actually know what the patient would want, a new study contends.

"Advance care planning cannot focus on the patient alone. The health care agent has to be brought into the conversation," said study leader Dr. Terri Fried, a professor of medicine at Yale University.

Key Strategies When Caring for a Loved One With Dementia

SUNDAY, Nov. 25, 2018 -- People caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or other types of dementia should focus on four main safety issues, an expert says.

Nearly 6 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. About 16.1 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias.