Social Security is one of the most vital issues for older Americans. And, as things now stand, unless the Social Security system is changed, benefits will be cut by 21 percent in 2034, due to solvency issues. The only way to shore up Social Security is by raising taxes, cutting benefits (which could include raising the retirement age) or both. Forbes has prepared a head-to-head rundown on where Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton stand — as best as anyone can tell. Incidentally, Trump’s website makes little mention of Social Security; most of his policy positions come from what he has…
Poor communication systems at nursing homes can lead to serious injury for residents who are not tended to in a timely manner. A new smartwatch app being developed at Binghamton University could help certified nursing assistants (CNAs) respond to alerts more quickly and help prevent falls. Binghamton University researchers are developing a smartwatch application to improve communication and notification systems for nursing homes, which are often faulty and inefficient. The proposed design integrates all of the existing safety systems at nursing homes — e.g., call lights, chair and bed alarms, wander guards, calling-for-help functions — and provides alerts to users….
People over 65 who live alone were more likely to describe their health as excellent or very good than were seniors who live with others, according to a study exploring connections between older Americans’ health status and their living arrangements. Conversely, older people living with others — whether related or unrelated to them — were significantly less likely to call their health as excellent or very good, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Applied Gerontology. That may be because when seniors encounter serious health problems and mounting physical difficulties, they often stop living by themselves and choose to live…
The federal government released its first overall hospital quality rating on Wednesday, slapping average or below average scores on many of the nation’s best-known hospitals while awarding top scores to dozens of unheralded ones. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rated 3,617 hospitals on a one- to five-star scale, angering the hospital industry, which has been pressing the Obama administration and Congress to block the ratings. Hospitals argue the ratings will make places that treat the toughest cases look bad, but Medicare has held firm, saying that consumers need a simple way to objectively gauge quality. Medicare does factor…
When President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935, he saw it as an innovative way to provide economic security for American workers. His advisers also envisioned disability insurance as part of the program, but it was 20 years later when it became a reality. On August 1, 1956, 60 years ago, the Social Security Amendments of 1956 established disability insurance as part of Social Security. In the years since then, the disability program has adapted to keep pace with our changing world. For 60 years, Social Security has protected workers and their families in the event of a…
A monthly Social Security check is a lifeline for many elderly and disabled Ohioans but few people know how much the money helps drive the economy. A new report shows that 1 in 5, or 2.27 million Ohioans, receive Social Security benefits monthly, adding up to $32.7 billion annually. The economic impact reaches $55.9 billion when “rollover” is calculated as benefit dollars are spent on goods and services. All statistics are based on 2014 numbers. Nearly two-thirds of beneficiaries are retired, with 16 percent disabled; the remainder are widows, widowers, spouses and children. Nationally, the overall economic impact is $1.6…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner Friday vetoed a bill that proponents said would enable thousands of senior citizens to continue receiving state assistance to remain in their homes. Rauner vetoed House Bill 4351, which prevented the state from raising the score used to determine when someone qualified to receive services to remain in their homes. Rauner vetoed the legislation because he said it will tie the state’s hands as it tries to create a new program that will be more flexible in the delivery of services. He also said the legislation meant that a person could qualify for both institutional care…
Doctors are improperly billing poor people on Medicare for deductibles, co-payments and other costs from which they are supposed to be exempt, the Obama administration says. Federal officials have warned doctors that they may be subject to penalties if they persist in these practices. They could, for example, be fined or excluded from Medicare. The people who are being billed improperly are “qualified Medicare beneficiaries” who are also enrolled in Medicaid. They are 65 and older or disabled and have low incomes, generally less than $1,010 a month for an individual or $1,355 for a married couple. Federal law says…
Medicare is hoping to encourage more patients to talk to their doctors about end of life preferences and wishes for medical care by now paying physicians to have these critical conversations during office visits. In an effort to incentivize more physicians to have open conversations with their patients about medical and end of life wishes, Medicare will now pay doctors to talk about healthcare directives during office visits. The logic behind the decision, according to Medicare, is simple; studies show that patients are more satisfied and receive better quality care when Advance Healthcare Directives that lay out a patient’s wishes…
One consequence of China’s now abolished one-child policy is that some parents who lost their children to illness or accidents end up with no one to care for them in their old age. Now, Beijing has launched its first nursing home for people who have lost an only child, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing sources at the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau. Renovations have been completed at Beijing’s No.5 Social Welfare Institute, and the building has become the first nursing home in the capital city to serve the disadvantaged group, according to the report. The institute has 450 beds, and…
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