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Home  Fact Sheet Medical Information
Medical Information
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Medicare: What Caregivers Need to Know |
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Medicare is the main health insurance program for the elderly and for permanently disabled younger Americans. Established by Congress in 1965 and changed many times, the program is not free healthcare. Instead, it is health insurance with important enrollment and benefit rules and many out-of-pocket costs for recipients. Even with its limitations and expenses, however, Medicare protects most elderly and persons with permanent disabilities from the high costs that can result from illness or failing health. Read more...
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Caregivers' Guide to Medications and Aging |
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Modern medicines have contributed to longer life spans, improved health and better quality of life. Medications are the most common treatment for many diseases and conditions seen in older people and persons with disabilities. Medicines now not only treat and cure diseases that were untreatable just a few years ago, they aid in the early diagnosis of disease; prevent life-threatening illnesses; relieve pain and suffering; and allow people with terminal illnesses to live more comfortably during their last days.
However, for older adults and people with disabilities, medications—prescription, over-the-counter, social drugs such as alcohol, and herbal remedies/alternative medicines—can be a double-edged sword. When not used appropriately, effectively and safely, medications can have devastating consequences. Read more...
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Evaluating Medical Research Findings & Clinical Trials |
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Hardly a day goes by without a story on television, in the newspaper, or on the Internet about new medical research findings. You might hear about a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s, a promising “cure” for cancer, or a breakthrough discovery in Parkinson’s disease. Or you might see articles about particular foods or dietary supplements that are said to promote health or prevent or slow the course of illness. Should you try to get these drugs for a family member who is sick? Should the person change his diet? Take more vitamins?
It’s confusing when research findings are contradictory. Conflicting health news stories—for example, drinking a glass or two of wine is good or bad for you, taking vitamin A may prevent one form of cancer but cause another to worsen—leave everybody, caregivers and health professionals alike, wondering what to do next. Read more...
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Selected Long-Term Care Statistics |
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Individuals need long-term care when a chronic condition, trauma, or illness limits their ability to carry out basic self-care tasks, called activities of daily living (ADLs), or household chores, known as instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Long-term care often involves the most intimate aspects of people's lives — what and when they eat, personal hygiene, getting dressed, using the bathroom. Other less severe long-term care needs may involve household tasks such as preparing meals or using the telephone. Read more here... |
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In recent years, much energy has been put into genetic research both through the individual efforts of interested scientists and through the collaboration of international teams in the Human Genome Project. Through this work, we have learned a great deal about how genes function and how they can cause certain problems. We now know how to look for mutations (changes in the gene) that can lead to specific disorders. Genetic testing is possible for some conditions because we can recognize the difference between a normal gene and a disease gene. Read more here... |
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