Death Panels, Alaska | Sarah's "Palin Care For Seniors" Worked Even Better than Death Squads

Why Use Death Squads In Alaska When Sarah Palin Had Palin Care For Seniors That Worked Even Better?

"Sarah Palin is worried about Death Panels but many Alaskans are worried about Palin Care. During her tenure from 2006-2009, 277 elderly died from the poor management under her command! The Anchorage Daily News reported about this story last July, the situation in the state’s Medicare and Medicaid funded in-home elder care program became so bad that the federal government had to step in and force Palin to make the necessary improvements."
"In one 2 1/2 year stretch, 227 adults already getting services died while waiting for a nurse to reassess their needs. Another 27 died waiting for their initial assessment, to see if they qualified for help."

http://ow.ly/169ijf

Long-term care insurance program

Long-term care insurance program gains in House - Boston.com

a new long-term care insurance program to help seniors and disabled people stay out of nursing homes. The voluntary program would begin to close a gap in the social safety net overlooked in the broader health care debate,

More than 10 million people currently need long-term care services, a number that's only expected to grow as the baby boom generation ages. But most families whose elders can no longer care for themselves have to scrape to find a solution.

The cost of nursing homes averages $70,000 a year, and a home care attendant runs about $29 an hour. Medicare only covers temporary nursing home stays. Middle-class households have to go through their savings before an elder can qualify for nursing home coverage through Medicaid.

The new proposal is called the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or CLASS Act, and passing it was a top priority for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. The Obama administration also has said it should be part of health care overhaul legislation.

In return for modest monthly premiums while they are working, people would receive a cash benefit of at least $50 a day if they become disabled. The money could be used to pay a home care attendant, purchase equipment and supplies, make home improvements such as adding bathroom railings, or defray the costs of nursing home care.

Seniors, Care-Partners, take active role in their care

“Doc Tom” Ferguson A Voice of the Patient Engagement Movement

An engaged patient plays an active role in his or her care. Or, as e-patients.net founder “Doc Tom” Ferguson said, “e-Patients are Empowered, Engaged, Equipped and Enabled.”

We who’ve become e-patients don’t wait for our providers to tell us everything; we get it in gear, we ask questions, we do what we can to help.

Trust yourself.
You know more
than you think you do.

Aging in Place Remodeling from Aging in Place Guide (blog)

Aging in Place Guide: Aging in Place Remodeling #1

In a series on the basics of Aging in Place remodeling. The issues are:
1. Getting in and out.
2. Moving around with in the house
3. Safely getting into and out of bed and getting to clothing storage
4. Safe use of the bathroom including ergonomic caregiving
5. Preparing and taking meals
6. Home office function
7. Entertainment- TV, music, reading, guests
8. Enjoying the outdoors

All these issues are not priorities for every client, household or house. It is always important to spend our resources wisely....making sure the problem we set out to solve is taken care of by the work we have done.


Posted by Aging in Place Guide blog

Louis Tenenbaum 's Aging in Place empowers older citizens with Choice and Control, Dignity and Independence - the essentials of happier homes, better lives and more economical housing and care.

Louis Tenenbaum is one of the nation’s leading authority on Aging in Place. He has years of experience helping individual families, builders/developers and communities set the stage for folks to remain safe and comfortable in their own homes.

Contact: louis @ louistenenbaum.com

LifeCare, consultations by Matt Burns

LifeCare, Alzheimer’s Assoc. offering consultations - Business First of Columbus:

The Central Ohio branch of the Alzheimer’s Association is moving from knocking on doors to opening its own through a new partnership with Columbus’ LifeCare Alliance.

The association and LifeCare, which runs the Meals on Wheels program among other services, this month began a program offering free consultations to individuals and families dealing with Alzheimer’s or those who believe a family member could have the disease.

In Columbus, the groups are hosting five consultations a month at churches, senior centers and community centers, while several other nearby counties will have similar consultations set up on a less frequent basis, association CEO Michelle Chippas said.

For the sake of public health

Shortage of doctors hits MetroWest - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

the Massachusetts Medical Society to discuss the primary care shortage.

In its latest survey of state doctors, released this week, the society found shortages of dermatologists, neurologists, urologists, vascular surgeons, OB/GYNs and, once again, the internists and family practioners who make up primary care.

In particular, this year the society found that 40 percent of family care doctors and 56 percent of internists are not accepting new patients, the highest proportions in the study's eight-year history.

Also, this year marks the first appearance of OB/GYNs on the shortage list, exacerbating the lack of internists and family doctors since many women rely on that specialty for routine care.

"With our state health reform initiative, we quickly learned that universal coverage doesn't equate to universal access," said Medical Society President Dr. Mario Motta, referring to a 2006 state law that has achieved insurance coverage for 97 percent of residents but strained the system.