HEALTH

Resources for finding the right nursing home

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Search Pennsylvania nursing homes by location, size and ownership on the Nursing Care Facility Locator Page, provided by the PA Department of Health. It includes inspections, payment options and nursing hours per resident. The Pennsylvania Health Care Association’s Facility Finder allows users to search for a facility by location and type of long-term care, as well as by specialized services, like adult day care, dementia care and dialysis. Use ProPublica’s Nursing Home Inspect application to search inspection reports for issues that matter to you, like pressure sores or emergency plans. Nursing Home Compare, developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS], is another way to search for ratings and quality measures of nursing homes throughout the country. 
CMS also has a guide to choosing the right nursing home and information on how to file a complaint. 
The National Institute on Aging also has a guide on choosing a nursing home and paying for it.

On the beat

Aging’s effects on driving ability

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Most people look forward to retirement. But few look forward to a “driving retirement.”

A joint piece by Kaiser Health News and NPR shed some light on the common problems associated with senior driving and how difficult it can be to get loved ones to give up their keys.

The elderly are more prone to adverse medication reactions, heart conditions, nervous disorders, diseases, hearing loss and vision impairment that affect their ability to drive safely, which can concern families and other motorists.

HEALTH

As Alzheimer’s rates increase, so does the need for funding

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As the oldest of the 76 million American Baby Boomers approach their 70s, they have one looming risk ahead of them: Alzheimer’s disease, which can cause memory loss and reduced functionality.

Alzheimer’s isn’t preventable or curable, and the costs of treating it are expected to increase by more than 27 times — from nearly $12 billion to more than $328 billion — between 2020 and 2040, according to a  Los Angeles Times analysis  of the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2015 report.