Judith Graham - KFF Health News

Rising health care costs are fueling anxiety among older Americans covered by Medicare. They’re right to be concerned.

The White House has launched an initiative on women’s health. Studying the health of older women, a largely neglected group in medical research, should be a priority.

A sedative shouldn’t be the first thing tried to help people with dementia who exhibit distressing behaviors. A new website is a comprehensive, free resource that offers guidance to caregivers.

Many older adults who need hospital care are getting stuck in ER limbo — sometimes over a day. The long waits for seniors who are frail, with multiple medical issues, lead to a host of additional medical problems.

It’s estimated that an older patient can spend three weeks of the year getting care — and that doesn’t count the time it takes to arrange appointments or deal with insurance companies.

COVID would be a wake-up call, advocates for the elderly predicted: proof that the nation wasn’t doing enough to care for vulnerable older adults. But decisive actions experts had hoped for haven’t materialized.

As cognitive skills erode, driving skills weaken, but an older driver may not recognize that. Advance directives on driving are one way to handle this challenge.

More than a third of older adults have a disability. Many find it difficult to get the medical care they need. New federal regulations would address that problem.

The principles and practices of geriatrics are widely disseminated, and we understand much more about how to improve care. Yet we don’t have enough geriatricians to meet the growing demand.

Medicare is expanding access to mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists come Jan. 1. But the belief that seniors who suffer from mental health problems should just grin and bear it remains a troubling barrier to care.