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19 Results for search "Home Healthcare".

Health News Results - 19

Washington State's New Payroll Tax Helps Fund Long-Term Care. Could It Be a Model for the Nation?

Vicki Bickford is a professional caregiver, but lately she's been worried more and more about her own aging.

Bickford, 66, has aggressive arthritis that has required hip replacements and has now spread to her knees, as well as degenerative disc disease in her spine.

She's made modifications to help her stay in her home -- sliding glass doors, a ramp, a day basement -- but it has cos...

Preventing Alzheimer's: Here's 6 Ways You May Reduce Your Risk

Alzheimer's robs its victims of their memories and there is no cure, but there are things you can do to prevent Alzheimer's disease.

With Alzheimer's, two types of brain proteins, called tau tangles and beta-amyloid plaques, grow out of control. According to Harvard Health, these proteins destroy brain cells and cause

  • Kirstie Ganobsik HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 19, 2023
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  • Full Page
  • In an Aging America, a Looming Shortage of Home Health Care Workers

    Over the last decade, an aging American population has increasingly turned away from nursing homes in favor of trained caregivers who can provide critical help in the home with basic daily tasks.

    But a new investigation warns the need for at-home care has vastly outpaced a much smaller growth in the pool of home care workers.

    The result: between 2013 and 2019, the number of availabl...

    Remodeling Your Home for Wheelchair Access

    Millions of Americans get around with the help of wheelchairs, from those born with disabilities to those who have been struck with disabilities later in life.

    Home is a sanctuary for many -- a place where comfort, safety and ease are especially important -- so remodeling a house for wheelchair access makes sense.

    Like with any renovation project, when remodeling for wheelchair acce...

    Not Enough Older Americans Are Checking Blood Pressure At Home

    Regular home monitoring can help with blood pressure control, but only half of people who have hypertension or other related conditions actually do it, a new study found.

    Of Americans ages 50 to 80 who take blood pressure me...

    Americans Over 50 Want to 'Age in Place' at Home, But Many Aren't Prepared: Poll

    The vast majority of aging Americans want to stay in their homes and live independently for as long as possible, but many haven't considered what needs to be done to achieve "aging in place," a new poll reveals.

    Nearly 9 in 10 Americans (88%) between 50 and 80 years of ag...

    Pandemic Is Leaving U.S. With Shortage of Long-Term Health Care Workers

    The pandemic has worsened longstanding staffing shortages at U.S. nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Now, a new study shows that high employee turnover rates have yet to improve.

    Researchers found that after initial workforce losses in the early phase of the pandemic, U.S. ...

    Quality of Home Health Care Varies Between Urban, Rural Areas

    Need in-home health care? Know this: The quality of your care may depend on where you live.

    That's the takeaway from a new study from New York University that gave agencies in urban areas high marks for keeping patients out of the hospital. It found that home health agencies in rural areas, meanwhile, get care started sooner.

    "Our study highlights the persistence of disparities in q...

    Many Home Health Care Workers in Poor Health Themselves

    They take care of others, but many U.S. home health care workers say they're not in good shape themselves, a new study finds.

    Researchers analyzed self-reported data collected from nearly 3,000 home health care workers in 38 states between 2014 and 2018 and found that more than a quarter rated their general health as fair or poor, 1 in 5 reported poor mental health, and 14% reported poor ...

    Language Can Make the Difference Between Home, Hospital Care: Study

    It helps to speak English if you're a home care patient in the United States.

    A new study of home health care found that patients who speak a language other than English have higher rates of hospital readmission.

    Readmission rates among New York City patients whose first language wasn't English were highest among Spanish and Russian speakers. They were lower among Chinese and K...

    Keeping Same Nurse for All Home Health Care May Be Crucial for Dementia Patients

    Dementia patients who have the same nurse for all of their home health care visits are a third less likely to be readmitted to the hospital, a new study finds.

    "While continuity of nursing care may benefit every home health care patient, it may be particularly critical for people with dementia," said study co-author Chenjuan Ma. "Having the same person delivering care can increase familia...

    Caregivers Feeling the Strain This Tough Holiday Season

    The coronavirus pandemic makes the holidays even more difficult for caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, an expert says.

    "Even in the best of times, holidays can be a mixed bag for families who are caring for a loved one with an age-related illness that causes physical and mental changes. Focus on family togetherness and joy," said Mary Catherine ...

    Many Hospitalized COVID Patients Will Need Longer-Term Care at Home

    When COVID-19 patients go home from the hospital, their recovery is often far from over -- and many might benefit from home health care, a new study suggests.

    At a time when U.S. COVID cases are surging and hospitals are running out of room, experts say home health care could serve a critical role by allowing some patients to have shorter hospital stays and be monitored at home.

    But...

    After Heart Attack, Home Care Can Prevent a Return to Hospital

    Receiving home health care reduces heart attack survivors' risk of hospital readmission after discharge, a new study finds.

    In the United States, only a small percentage of heart attack survivors receive home care such as nursing and physical therapy, according to study authors.

    The findings were presented recently at a virtual American Heart Association meeting. Research p...

    Thousands of Health Care Workers Lack Insurance If COVID-19 Strikes: Study

    The coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on the sacrifices of America's health care workers, yet many of them live in poverty and can't afford health insurance.

    A new study finds that more than 600,000 health care workers are poor and potentially without insurance or paid sick leave, and up to 4 million have health problems that put them at risk of dying from COVID-19.

    Hospital-Level Care in Your Home? It Could Be the Future

    The days of old-fashioned house calls may be over, but there is a growing trend toward providing some hospital care in the comfort of patients' homes. Now, a new study suggests it might end up being cheaper and, in some respects, better than traditional hospital care.

    The study, done at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, tested a "hospital at home" program -- where patients with ...

    Too Many Seniors Back in Hospital for Infections Treated During First Stay

    The rate of hospital readmissions for seniors with infections that were first treated during their initial hospital stay is too high, researchers report.

    "We found that as many as 5% of patients leaving the hospital with an infection have a readmission for that pre-existing infection -- that's bad," said Geoffrey Hoffman, an assistant professor in the University of Michigan's Scho...

    Nearly 1 in 4 Home Care Aides Faces Verbal Abuse

    Being yelled at or insulted is never easy. But it's a situation faced by about one-quarter of U.S. home health care workers, a new study finds.

    Certain environments, such as caring for someone with dementia or working in a very cramped space, were linked to a higher risk of verbal abuse from patients or their kin.

    "Our study found that aides frequently experience verbal abus...

    Could You Afford Home Health Care? New Study Says Maybe Not

    The seniors most likely to need paid home care to maintain independent living are the least likely to be able to afford it long-term, a new study reports.

    Only two out of five older adults with significant disabilities have the assets on hand to pay for at least a couple of years of extensive in-home care, researchers found.

    Without some help, those elderly are much more lik...