Good morning and welcome to agebuzz… Headlining today’s topics:

-Home Game: The Challenge Of Obtaining Medicare-Covered Home Care

-Quality Care: What Makes A Hospital Doctor Excellent

-On Second Thought: Stanford Welcomes You Back For Your Second Career

-You’re Not Alone: Loneliness As A Condition To Be Treated

-Nice Job: How To Interview Prospective Caregivers

-Photo Finish: Photos Of What’s Left Behind

The Last Word

Home Game: The Challenge Of Obtaining Medicare-Covered Home Care: Following a hospitalization, it’s not unusual for an older patient to require skilled nursing help. Many people prefer to receive that help at home, rather than go to a rehab center or skilled nursing facility. In theory, if a physician says this assistance is medically necessary, Medicare is supposed to pay for it, whether it’s skilled nursing care, personal assistance related to your underlying medical issues, or some sort of rehabilitation therapy. However, reports from the ground indicate that for many patients, it’s an uphill battle finding a home care agency that will accept patients with Medicare reimbursement, and the question is why. Apparently, many of these agencies have determined that they lose money caring for such patients, especially if the patient is not likely to continue to improve and recover. Find out more about barriers to access for Medicare-reimbursed home care by Clicking Here. And if you have personal experience with this problem, or are in need of advice and assistance, contact the Center For Medicare Advocacy by Clicking Here.

Quality Care: What Makes A Hospital Doctor Excellent: Hospitals can be scary places for anyone, but for seniors, who may be confused or frightened, the environment can be especially troubling. Having a caring and communicative doctor while in the hospital can make all the difference, but too often a parade of professionals fly in and out so quickly, it’s hard to know who’s in charge and what’s going on. In a recent article in STAT, a national on-line publication with original content on health, medicine and scientific discoveries, Drs. Sanjay Saint and Molly Harrod put forth their observations of the qualities possessed by the best hospital physicians. Whether it’s arriving in the room with knowledge and polite etiquette, or respecting the space and privacy of the patient, these authors suggest there’s a right way, and very definitely a wrong way, for hospital physicians to treat their patients. Find out what you can, and should, expect from your hospital doctors by Reading Here. 

On Second Thought: Stanford Welcomes You Back For Your Second Career: While millennials may flit from job to job, accumulating short stays in different companies and industries, many baby boomers have spent decades in just one industry, or even at one firm, building a distinguished and respected career. But what happens when those careers come to an end? What next? Where do you go when you’ve made major contributions and you still have more to give and learn? You may want to head to California, and take a look at the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute. Welcoming professionals and executives from both the private and public sectors, this institute is designed to provide you with a scholarly pathway to your next stage in life. With all the attributes and amenities of a world-class academic center, Stanford offers you the opportunity to recalibrate, learn some new skills and transform your life with higher education as well as health and wellness guidance, allowing you to flourish wherever your next phase takes you. Applications are now being accepted for the 2018 class of this one year program, and spouses and partners are welcome participants. You would have to relocate for the year to Palo Alto, but life could be a lot worse…Check it out by Clicking Here.

You’re Not Alone: Loneliness As A Condition To Be Treated: For seniors who have outlived their friends and family, loneliness and isolation are serious concerns. Not only are there psychological implications, but in fact, there is evidence to support the connection between loneliness and physical illness, and even premature death. So it only makes sense that doctors consider “treating” loneliness as a way to keep their older patients healthy. And that is just what Dr. Sachin Jain, president of the CareMore division of Anthem Insurance, intends to do. With a new program targeting lonely seniors, CareMore has begun a pilot program to create friendly visitor programs, transform care centers into social engagement spaces and even build senior gyms as part of care centers, all with the goal of encouraging isolated seniors to engage with others and take better care of themselves. If the program proves successful, it might even bring down costs of senior care, and become a replicable model for others to try. So join in, and read about Dr. Jain’s new concept for care Here. 

Nice Job: How To Interview Prospective Caregivers: Maybe you’ve finally convinced your older loved one that it’s time to hire some help. And maybe you’ve even figured out how to pay for that. Now it’s on to the hiring process. But how do you know what questions to ask and what information to elicit, especially if you’ve never been in this situation before? Don’t worry- the experts at SeniorsMatter.com have your back- and your questions. They’ve produced a set of 33 interview questions you can use to guide the conversation and ensure that the help you’re considering will be right for you- and your loved one. From prior experiences to queries about strengths and weaknesses, these questions will get the job done- and maybe get you a great caregiver. So take out your clipboard, and scan the list Here.

Photo Finish: Photos Of What’s Left Behind: In his first career as an interventional radiologist, Dr. Norm Diamond trained his eyes to see the tiniest details on x-rays of his patients. But after retiring from that career, he was looking for something challenging and rewarding, and began to train his eyes in a different way: as a professional photographer capturing the details of everyday life. In his most recent photographic exhibition, Diamond created a visual montage of the everyday items that often tell life stories: the objects on display, and sale, at tag and estate sales. Entitled “What Is Left Behind- Stories From Estate Sales,” this solo photographic show shines an emotional light on the leftover pieces and prized possessions that were left behind when the owner moved or died. See a selection of these poignant photos, and read about the exhibition, Here. And Click Here to visit Norm Diamond’s personal website.

THE LAST WORD: “Every man’s memory is his private literature.” Aldous Huxley