In the News

Daycare Eases Burden of Caregiving

Those who find themselves in the position of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease have a challenging road ahead of them, with many difficult decisions to face along the way. Should one's parent or spouse remain in the home? Is a residential care facility needed? Can the family afford full-time care? Adult daycare facilities may provide a solution for families that are not ready for institutionalization, but nevertheless do not have the resources for many hours of paid care at home.

A new study published recently in The Gerontologist examined the short- and long-term effects of Adult Day Services Plus (ADS Plus), a low-cost care management plan designed to enhance family caregiver well-being, increase use of services, and decrease nursing home placement of impaired older adults enrolled in adult daycare. ADS Plus involved one-on-one contact between a social worker and family caregivers and included care management, education, counseling, and referral services. In both the short- and long-term, ADS Plus participants reported less depression and improved confidence in managing troubling behaviors. Most communities offer adult daycare programs; check with your local Caregiver Resource Center to find a day-care center near you. Read More

Study Finds Differences Between Black, White Patients In End-of-Life Decisions

A recent study by the University of Rochester Medical Center indicates that it may be more difficult for black patients making end-of-life care decisions to get services consistent with their cultural values. According to researchers, hospitals and physicians need to diversify their approaches to policy regarding death and dying. More than 70 patients took part in this study; each of them was asked whether or not they would accept life-sustaining interventions in certain medical situations, such as terminal or chronic illness, dementia, coma and brain death. Among the proposed interventions were feeding tubes, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and ventilators.

The results showed a clear difference in the decision-making processes of black and white patients. A terminal illness, such as cancer, had 72 percent of black participants requesting life-sustaining treatment, while only 29.6 percent of white participants said that they would make that hypothetical decision. A chronic condition, such as brain death, showed 51 percent of blacks requesting medical intervention. The same scenario presented to white patients prompted just 11 percent of respondents to indicate that they would use life-sustaining methodologies. Read More

Eldercare Benefits Finally Becoming Mainstream

Prudential Financial is joining a number of other pioneering employers in beginning to include eldercare services for employees' parents in their standard benefits package. Companies like NBC Universal, Unilever USA and McGraw-Hill have also begun to finance emergency caregiver needs, as well as facilitating referrals to gerontologists and elder care specialists. Depending on where you work, your employer may even include your parents in your health insurance plan. Elder care support groups, flexible work schedules, and assistance with day-to-day errands are examples of these new caregiver benefits.

Experts say that this rise in caregiver-conscious employers is a result of the increasing size of the elderly population, and the realization that caring for an elderly parent is more expensive and difficult than traditional child care. The majority of people caring for their parents are still working, and plan to retire later than earlier generations of workers. Studies show that the number of seniors 65 and older is projected to be as high as 71 million in 2030, a number that doubles the current count. By focusing on eldercare, employers are hoping to reduce their losses related to employee elder care, estimated at $33 billion annually. Read More

More Clues on AIDS-Related Cognitive Impairment

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have determined that cognitive impairment in patients with AIDS exists in two different forms. Each form affects a different area of the brain. AIDS-related dementia has decreased significantly since these antiretroviral therapies have become available, but it hasn't disappeared. Rather, less severe forms of dementia have become more common, and more severe forms have become less common.

The study evaluated 54 AIDS patients and 23 HIV-negative control subjects. Of the 54, 17 showed some level of cognitive impairment, but some had a more severe form of impairment than others. Based on MRI scans, researchers determined that those with less severe impairment had atrophy in the frontal and anterior cingulated cortices, vital areas of the brain that control important functions such as memory and emotion. Those with more severe cognitive impairment, on the other hand, had much more significant atrophy in the caudate and putamen, areas that connect the cortex to the rest of the brain and also appear to be more vulnerable to HIV infection than other areas. The researchers are already looking into ways to apply this new knowledge to improving AIDS treatment. Read More

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