May6 by RI ARA

RI ARA

Affiliated with the Rhode Island AFL-CIO “Fighting for the future of our members.” “NOW, more than ever!!!” Publication 2018 Issue 18 Published in house by the RI ARA

May 6, 2018 E-Newsletter

2018 Older Americans Month theme: Engage at Every Age

Older Americans Month 2018 Every May, the Administration on Aging, part of the Administration for Community Living, leads our nation's observance of Older American's Month. The 2018 theme, Engage

at Every Age, emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It also celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a

difference in our communities. Participating in activities that promote mental and physical wellness, offering your wisdom and experience to the next generation, seeking the mentorship of someone with more

life experience than you—those are just a few examples of what being engaged can mean. No matter where you are in your life, there is no better time than now to start. We hope you will join in and Engage at Every Age!

Older Americans Month May 2018 A PROCLAMATION

Whereas, the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans includes countless older Americans who enrich and strengthen our community; and Whereas, the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans is committed to engaging and supporting older adults, their families, and caregivers; and Whereas, we acknowledge the importance of taking part in activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being—no matter your age; and Whereas, the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans can enrich the lives of individuals of every age by: ¨ promoting home- and community-based services that support independent living; ¨ involving older adults in community planning, events, and other activities; and ¨ providing opportunities for older adults to work, volunteer, learn, lead, and mentor. Now, therefore, the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans do hereby proclaim May 2018 to be Older Americans Month. We urge every resident to take time during this month to recognize older adults and the people who serve them as vital parts of our community. Dated this 6th day of May 2018 John A. Pernorio, President Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans

Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans, Inc. • 94 Cleveland Street • North Providence, RI • 02904-3525 • 401-480-8381 riarajap@hotmail.com • http://www.facebook.com/groups/354516807278/

PRESIDENT SUBMITS FY 2019 BUDGET On February 12, 2018, President Trump submitted his Fiscal Year 2019 budget to Congress. Congress is not expected to act on his recommendations, because the House and Senate reached an agreement on a two-year spending deal earlier this year. This blueprint, however, reflects the President’s priorities and would hurt older Americans. The budget cuts non-defense discretionary spending by more than 40%, or $2 trillion. The $2 trillion cut is equal to the revenue shortfall caused by the recently enacted tax cut. The President proposed cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid -- breaking his campaign promise to protect these programs from cuts. At the same time, the budget provides wealthy Americans with an additional $550 billion in tax cuts. CUTS MEDICARE The Trump budget cuts Medicare by more than $250 billion over 10 years. This represents a 7% cut and includes structural changes to the program. CUTS SOCIAL SECURITY

The Trump budget cuts $72 billion from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which provides benefits to disabled beneficiaries, and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which helps low-income individuals. President Trump also proposed limiting funds for Social Security’s administrative expenses. This will lead to more work for the staff, longer wait times for beneficiaries and possibly more office closings. REPEALS THE HEALTH CARE LAW AND CUTS MEDICAID The budget also includes repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with something similar to the GrahamCassidy bill that Congress debated last year. This legislation would have resulted in 32 million Americans losing health insurance. The President would also cut Medicaid, including the Medicaid expansion, by more than 22% and convert the program to a block grant to the states. Under the block grant, the amount states would receive to provide health insurance to poor and disabled American would be limited and not keep up with medical inflation. In turn, states are likely to scale back the program by requiring co-pays,

reducing coverage or changing eligibility requirements. CUTS SENIOR NUTRITION ASSISTANCE The President’s budget cuts funding for senior nutrition programs, including Meals-onWheels, that provide food to lowincome housebound seniors by eliminating the Social Services (SSBG) and the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). The budget also cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) by almost 30%, which provides food assistance to 4.6 million low-income households with a person 60 years or older. ELIMINATES THE LOWINCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) The budget eliminates LIHEAP, which helps lowincome individuals -- a third of whom are seniors -- with the cost of cooling and heating their homes. CUTS HOUSING ASSISTANCE The budget cuts public housing by 20 percent and mandates work requirements for individuals receiving subsidies. While seniors and the disabled would be exempt, the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates 200,000 seniors and

disabled individuals could lose their rental assistance. DECIMATES THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION The budget makes deep cuts to the Legal Services Corporation. This government agency administers the elder justice program, which provides federal resources to prevent, detect, treat, understand and intervene in and, where appropriate, prosecute elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. ELIMINATES FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANTS (CSBG) The CSBG provides funding to communities to help alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty. The grant provides wrap around service for older adults to maintain self-sufficiency. INADEQUATE PRESCIPTION DRUG PROVISIONS The Administration included prescription drug provisions in the budget document, but they do not address the high cost of brand -name drugs and would not allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. The provisions that were included merely skirt around the edges and in many cases provide nominal price relief to some people but would have negative implications for others.

Social Security 'is under attack,' say these congressional Democrats  Cuts to Social Security would mean more seniors in poverty, a new report finds.  Some Democrats worry that the recent tax cuts will be used by Republicans to reduce other programs. And certain demographics, like women and people of color, could be hurt even more. The Social Security program is under attack and needs to be modernized and strengthened, according to a new report from Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee, which recommends policy to Congress. "Cuts to Social Security are not

a credible solution to pay for the $1.9 trillion that Congressional Republicans have recently added to the deficit in passing their tax legislation," Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, the committee's ranking Democrat, said in a statement to CNBC. "We must ensure that our seniors are able to retire with dignity." J.P. Freire, a spokesman for the Republicans on the Committee, said he would have a response for CNBC later. Some Democrats worry that the recent tax cuts will be used by Republicans to make the case that there's a need to reduce other

social programs. The Social Security Administration's budget is already lower. Between 2010 and 2017, its operating budget fell more than 10 percent, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Some Republicans are also looking at proposals that would let people borrow from their future Social Security benefits to pay for current expenses. The report from the Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee, titled "Social Security: A Promise to American Workers and Families," examines

what would happen if the program were scrubbed all together. "Without Social Security, the modern middle class would not be what it is today," the report reads. "Social Security, however, is under attack." The elderly poverty rate would be four times as high without Social Security, with 15 million more seniors left struggling to make ends meet, it calculates. ...Read More

How A Drug Company Under Pressure For High Prices Ratchets Up Political Activity

Business looked challenging for Novo Nordisk at the end of 2016. As pressure mounted over the pharma giant’s soaring insulin prices, investors drove its stock down by a third on fears that policymakers would take action, limit prices and hurt profits. Then things got worse. A Massachusetts law firm sued the company and two other pharma firms on behalf of patients, claiming that high insulin prices of hundreds of dollars a month forced diabetics to starve themselves to minimize their blood sugar while skimping on doses. At least five states began investigating insulin makers and their business partners. As scrutiny rose, Novo Nordisk engaged in what analysts say is a time-honored response to public criticism. It aggressively ratcheted up spending to spread its influence in Washington and to have a louder say in the debates over drug prices. The drugmaker’s political action committee spent $405,000 on federal campaign donations and other political outlays last year, more than in 2016 — an election year — and nearly double its allocation for 2015, data compiled by Kaiser Health News show. “We remain committed to being part of the discussion,” said Tricia Brooks, head of government relations and public affairs for Novo Nordisk, acknowledging scrutiny over insulin prices but saying the company has many other issues to work on with policymakers. “I don’t want us to run away

from it and hide or keep our head down and wait for it to roll over.” Novo Nordisk also spent $3.2 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies in 2017, its biggest-ever investment in directly influencing U.S. policymakers, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Part of that surge included summoning more than 400 Novo Nordisk employees to contact lawmakers and their staffs on Capitol Hill, “a huge increase from anything we’ve ever done before,” Brooks said. Taken together, the increases represent a “major corporate policy shift” for the company and appear to be a classic business response to growing political risk, said Kent Cooper, a former Federal Election Commission official who has tracked political money for decades. The pharma industry as a whole has behaved similarly, cranking up political contributions and lobbying. Meanwhile, despite much talk about change, Congress and the Trump administration have done little to control drug prices or threaten drug-company profits. Pharma businesses overall made political donations of $12.1 million last year, down from a $13.6 million electionyear surge in 2016 but 9 percent higher than the haul for 2015, according to the KHN analysis. Pharma industry lobbying expenses surpassed $171 million last year, the highest level since 2009, during negotiations over the Affordable Care Act, according to CRP “It’s been hot in the health care arena for — how many years now?” said Steven Billet, who teaches lobbying and PAC management at George Washington University. “Anybody in this world now is

sitting there thinking, “When I go back to the board next year, I’m going to ask for 15 percent more in my [lobbying and campaign finance] budget. Because this isn’t going away.’” Like most big corporations, Novo Nordisk runs a political action committee, or PAC, which solicits employee donations and gives the proceeds to political candidates’ campaigns. The company is Danish. Only workers who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are allowed to support the PAC. Like many PACs, Novo Nordisk spreads money to both

parties, concentrating on powerful committee members and other leaders. Since 2013 it has given $22,500 to House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, and $20,472 to South Carolina’s James Clyburn, a member of the Democratic House leadership.….Read More

Medicare Rights Outlines Concerns with Short-Term Insurance Plans family members navigate the transition to Medicare from other types of health coverage— including employer-based insurance, the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual marketplaces, and Medicaid—as This week, we submitted well as from no coverage at all. comments to the U.S. Through this experience, we Department of Health and understand the importance of Human Services (HHS) in ensuring that people have response to the agency’s continuous, comprehensive proposed rule to expand the health insurance coverage availability of short-term, before gaining Medicare. We limited duration insurance are concerned the proposed rule (STLDI) plans. This rule would would threaten people’s access mean millions of people would to such coverage and urge HHS have bad insurance plans that do not to finalize the rule as not cover their health needs, and written. millions more would be paying The ACA requires individual much higher prices for quality health insurance to meet certain coverage. standards. STLDI plans are Our comments are informed exempt from the definition of by our work helping newlyindividual health insurance eligible individuals and their coverage under the ACA and,

therefore, do not have to comply with the law’s core consumer protections or insurance regulations. If short-term plans are allowed to be sold as a longterm alternative to ACAcompliant health insurance, as proposed, they will attract healthier consumers away from the individual market’s risk pools and endanger access to comprehensive, affordable coverage for millions of Americans, including those nearing Medicare eligibility. For many people— particularly older adults and people with pre-existing conditions—switching to a short-term plan is not a viable option. They would have to remain in the ACA-compliant market where costs would skyrocket. Consumers who could qualify for and afford

short-term coverage would also be at risk, as these plans are unlikely to protect those who buy them. In our comments, we outline our general concerns with the proposed rule in more detail, including the potential for these expanded plans to undermine the ACA-compliant market, the impact of the proposed rule on people with pre-existing conditions, the inadequate coverage and consumer protections short-term plans confer, and the importance of further analysis. We also offer specific recommendations for the agency to consider if the rulemaking process does move forward. Read our comments. Read the proposed rule.

Improving Medicare Plan Finder Should be a Priority This week, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Council for Affordable Health Coverage’s Clear Choices Campaign released a long-anticipated report on the Medicare Plan Finder (MPF) tool. The Modernizing Medicare Plan Finder Report highlights some of the issues Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and their caregivers encounter while using the MPF tool as well as future considerations for the tool’s development and recommendations for improvement. The MPF tool is the primary source of plan information for millions of people with Medicare each year. With the MPF, people can learn about what Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans they have available in their area and can do some comparison of costs between plans. But consumers and advocates

have long known that MPF has some substantial limitations, and this report finds that consumers believe the tool is difficult to use when looking for important information. For example, information on out-of-pocket costs and network provider directories are both too limited within the tool, forcing consumers either to go to other sources or to choose a plan without knowing these details. Improving the MPF is especially important today, with ever-increasing complexity in Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans. Without solid information, tools, and assistance, people with Medicare cannot make the best choices for their individual circumstances. Because of this rising need, NCOA and the Clear Choices Campaign worked with diverse stakeholders and experts for a year to compile the report. This included conducting beneficiary

interviews to better understand how users understand and, in many cases, struggle with the MPF. The report’s authors also surveyed Medicare State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), which use the MPF tool daily. In addition to providing other Medicare assistance, the SHIP program provides free, one-on-one counseling for people attempting to choose between traditional Medicare and an appropriate Medicare Advantage plan. While the SHIP program is a vital and specialized source of such assistance, SHIPs cannot hope to replace the sheer volume of MPF need. In addition to highlighting some of the issues with the MPF

tool, the report offers key recommendations for improvements. These include better communication of costs, an integrated provider directory, and more extensive testing for usability and accuracy. Read the Modernizing Medicare Plan Finder Report. Read more about changes to Medicare that increase complexity. Read more about State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs).

Outpatient Observation Status The Center is part of a coalition of organizations fighting the continued harm caused by Observation Status through advocacy and education, efforts which will be greatly enhanced by our work with the John A. Hartford foundation. In addition, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, along with co-counsel Justice in Aging and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, is pursuing a nationwide class action lawsuit that seeks to establish a way to appeal placement on Observation Status to Medicare (the case is currently known as Alexander v.

Price). If you received “observation services” in a hospital since January 1, 2009, you may be a member of the class. No action is required of class members, but we recommend that you save any paperwork relating to your observation status hospitalization and costs that may have resulted from it, and we encourage you to share your observation status story using

On Observation Status  Beneficiary Notices  Articles and Updates  Annotated Bibliography: Observation Status the link below. We also Observation Status Toolkit encourage you to sign up for including our Alerts to receive important  Infographic news about the case.  Frequently Asked On this Page: Questions  Video Introduction to  Fact Sheet Observation Status (from  Summary & Stories Kaiser Health News)  Sample Notice (MOON)  CMS Definition of  Recorded Webinar Observation  Beneficiary/Advocate  More Details on Q&A Observation Status …..Read More  Center Client Lee Barrows

Trump DOJ Rescinds Protections Afforded by Americans With Disabilities Act When President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law on July 26, 1990, he proclaimed, “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.” But 27 years later, that wall will grow a little taller. On December 26, 2017, the Department of Justice (DOJ) ruled to formally withdraw 4 Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemaking related to Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The withdrawal included rulemaking that addressed making non-fixed medical equipment and furniture, such as examination tables, scales, and mammogram equipment, accessible to individuals with disabilities. The DOJ is “reevaluating whether regulation of the accessibility of non-fixed equipment and furniture is necessary and appropriate,” according to the withdrawal document. In the United States, 53 million adults have a disability,

according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mobility limitation, which involves difficulty walking or climbing stairs, is the most common functional disability type, affecting 1 in 8 adults. “As a staff attorney for the National Disability Rights Network and as a person with a physical disability, I found this decision incredibly disappointing, both professionally and personally,” said Amy E Scherer, JD, in an interview with Medical Bag. “The goal should be to increase access to medical care for people with disabilities, and this is a step in the wrong direction.” People with mobility

disabilities rely on accessible medical equipment to get proper care. For example, simply getting onto the examination table unassisted can be challenging if the table is at a high, fixed height. The same can be said for imaging machines. The inability to adjust equipment so that it can be used properly by people with disabilities can too often result in subpar care. As a result, some may not receive the screening or diagnostic evaluations they need to manage and treat their health conditions. “Health care delivery systems have lagged far behind other sectors in ensuring access for people with disability,” wrote Dr

Lisa I Iezzoni, MD, of the Mongan Institute Health Policy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Elizabeth Pendo, JD, of the St Louis University School of Law Center for Health Law Studies, in a New England Journal of Medicine perspective article.2 “Without impetus from the DOJ, health care providers may not make substantial changes to improve the accessibility of their medical diagnostic equipment.” The number of people with disabilities is growing in the United States, and more effort must be made to eliminate their disadvantages and provide them with accessible health care both in and out of the examination room. “It's difficult to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to medical services if the equipment and furniture [are] not accessible,” said Ms Scherer. “Accessibility issues and concerns make it less likely that people with disabilities — especially those with the most significant disabilities — seek the medical care that they need.”

Tips to Help You Age in Place The right environment and services can help you live at home well into your golden years. What Is Aging in Place? The goal of aging in place is avoiding the move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. “It may be that you stay in your existing house or maybe you move from a multilevel home to a one-level home or an apartment,” explains Marty Bell, executive director of the not-forprofit National Aging in Place

Council. He also points to a bathroom on the bottom floor, trend in granny houses (small you should consider changing houses built in the backyards of where you live,” says Dr. adult children’s homes) Patricia Harris, a geriatrician and micro-unit housing (small and professor at the David studio apartments in buildings Geffen School of Medicine at with common living rooms and UCLA. kitchens).  Location: Is the home in a Which option is best, and how community you love with do you know which one to access to loved ones and choose? things you enjoy doing? There are many  Safety: Will you be able to get considerations: help in an emergency? “A lot  Functionality: Can you of people overestimate their navigate your home safely? “If ability to stay safe. But if you you’re too frail to climb stairs live alone, you’re always at anymore and don’t have a full risk for having a medical event

or a fall that keeps you from contacting someone in a timely manner,” Harris says.  Services: Are there nearby services you’ll want or need, such as medical care, shopping and entertainment?  Affordability: Can you afford to live in a private home and pay for your other regular expenses? The National Aging in Place Council offers a free tool on its website to help guide you through the decision-making process….Read More

Family Caregivers Are Getting A Break — And Extra Coaching For today, there are no doctor’s visits. No long afternoons with nothing to do. No struggles over bathing — or not. At the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a group of older adults — some in wheelchairs, some with Alzheimer’s — and their caregivers sit in a semicircle around a haunting portrait of a woman in white. “Take a deep breath,” said Lorena Bradford, head of accessible programs at the National Gallery, standing before “The Repentant Magdalen” by Georges de La

Tour. “Now, let your eyes wander all over the painting. Take it all in. What do you think is going on?” “I think she looks sad,” said Marie Fanning, 75, of Alexandria, Va., an Alzheimer’s patient. “Yes. Yes, she looks sad,” said Bradford. “This is such a gift,” Bill Fanning, 77, Marie’s husband and caregiver, said of the outing. Across the country, community groups, hospitals, government agencies and nonprofits are doing more to support at least some of the estimated 42 million

people who are the primary caregivers of adults and children who have disabilities, are recovering from surgeries and illnesses or are coping with Alzheimer’s and other chronic diseases. The National Gallery’s program is part of the trend focusing on the health, wellbeing and education of caregivers. “We know that involvement with art improves well-being. In our own research for persons with dementia, we see a reduction in apathy. For caregivers, we see less isolation and a reduction in stress,” said Carolyn Halpin-Healy,

executive director of the Arts & Minds program for caregivers and patients at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She co-founded the program with Columbia University neurologist James Noble in 2010 at the Harlem Studio Museum in New York. The Just Us program in Washington is a spinoff of that program. Other museums in New York and Dubuque, Iowa, have similar programs….Read More

Medicare to require hospitals to post prices online

Medicare will require hospitals to post their standard prices online and make electronic medical records more readily available to patients, officials said Tuesday. The program is also starting a comprehensive review of how it will pay for costly new forms of immunotherapy to battle cancer. Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the new requirement for online prices

reflects the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to encourage patients to become better-educated decision makers in their own care. “We are just beginning on price transparency,” said Verma. “We know that hospitals have this information and we’re asking them to post what they have online.” Hospitals are required to disclose prices publicly, but the latest change would put that information online in machinereadable format that can be easily processed by computers.

It may still prove to be confusing to consumers, since standard rates are like list prices and don’t reflect what insurers and government programs pay. Patients concerned about their potential out-of-pocket costs from a hospitalization would still be advised to consult with their insurer. Most insurance plans nowadays have an annual limit on how much patients must pay in copays and deductibles — although traditional Medicare does not. Likewise, many health care providers already make

computerized records available to patients, but starting in 2021 Medicare would base part of a hospital’s payments on how good a job they do. Using electronic medical records remains a cumbersome task, and the Trump administration has invited technology companies to design secure apps that would let patients access their records from all their providers instead of having to go to different portals….Read More

RI ARA HealthLink Wellness News

After Age 50, Yearly Eye Checks May Catch Common Cause of Vision Loss As the U.S. population ages, vision loss caused by agerelated macular degeneration is likely to increase, an ophthalmologist says. Adults over 50 should get an annual test for the condition, said Dr. Ingrid Scott, a professor of ophthalmology at Penn State College of Medicine. Blurry or distorted vision could be symptoms of agerelated macular degeneration,

not just inevitable signs of growing old, she said. "The symptoms of age-related macular degeneration develop as people get older, and many times people think the symptoms are due to a cataract or are an inevitable part of aging, so they don't go to get a dilated eye examination," Scott said in a school news release. But the eye disorder is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people age 50 and older in developed countries, she said.

Along with aging, the condition is linked with longterm exposure to risk factors such as cigarette smoking, sunlight and a suboptimal diet. Genetics also play a role. About 1.7 million Americans 40 and older have age-related macular degeneration, according to Scott. Whites are at higher risk than blacks, and people with high blood pressure or cholesterol are also at increased risk. You can help safeguard your

vision by getting regular exercise and eating a diet rich in green, leafy vegetables and fish, according to the U.S. National Eye Institute. Controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, avoiding smoking and protecting your eyes from the sun may also help prevent age-related macular degeneration, Scott said. More information The U.S. National Eye Institute has more on agerelated macular degeneration.

Hearing Aids May Help Keep Seniors Out of the Hospital . Hearing aids may mean fewer visits to the hospital for seniors, a new study suggests. Researchers examined data from more than 1,300 adults aged 65 to 85 with severe hearing loss, and found that only 45 percent of them used a hearing aid. Those who did use a hearing aid were less likely to have gone to an emergency room or spent time in the hospital within the past year. The study found the difference was about 2 percentage points. While that's not a major difference, it's large enough to be significant, according to the University of

Michigan researchers. They also found that among seniors who had been hospitalized, those with hearing aids spent an average of half a day less in the hospital than those without hearing aids. Another finding was that seniors in the study with hearing aids were more likely (by 4 percentage points) to have gone to a doctor's office in the past year than those without hearing aids. A doctor's office visit costs much less than emergency room visits and hospitalization, the researchers noted. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions among Americans over 65. The

association between hearing aid use and lower risk of costly emergency room visits and hospitalization doesn't prove cause and effect, but it's striking, given the lack of insurance coverage for the devices, the researchers noted. "Traditional Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids at all, Medicare Advantage plans may cover them but often ask members to share the cost at a high level, and only about half of states offer some Medicaid coverage for the lowest-income patients," said study author Elham Mahmoudi, a health economist at the university's medical school.

"As the debate over expanding coverage continues, we hope this research and our future work will help inform the discussion," Mahmoudi added in a university news release. The study was published April 26 in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery. More information The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has more on hearing aids.

Home remedies for varicose veins Varicose veins occur when a person's veins become swollen and enlarged. In some people, they can cause pain and discomfort. A range of home treatments may help to reduce the appearance and pain of varicose veins. Around 20 percent of adults will experience varicose veins at some point. There are several

medical treatments for this condition, though a person may also wish to try natural home remedies to relieve their symptoms. In this article, we look at 10 natural ways to treat varicose veins at home. What are varicose veins? Varicose veins can develop when small valves in the veins become weak. These valves usually stop blood flowing backward through the veins, and when they are damaged blood

can pool in the veins. This causes twisted and swollen veins that also become very visible. Varicose veins can be noticeable because of their dark blue or purple appearance, they also often bulge out from underneath the skin.  Other symptoms of varicose veins include:  burning or throbbing sensation in the legs  uncomfortable legs that feel heavy or achy  muscle cramps that can be

more noticeable at night  swelling of the feet and ankles  dry or itchy skin that appears thinner over the varicose vein Ten home treatments for varicose veins If a person has varicose veins, they can try the following home remedies to help manage the condition and improve symptoms:….Read More

Study: Palliative Care Reduces Hospital Stay, Cost of Sickest Patients PLLIATIVE management, communication and acute care hospitals to reduce palliative care teams "provide an patient autonomy." costs by expanding palliative care extra layer of support to patients, CARE consultations that The study, Economics of capacity." and families of patients, with focus on Palliative Care for Hospitalized The study also recommends complex health needs. Palliative improving quality of life, Adults With Serious Illness, palliative care consultation within care provides expert pain and managing pain and defining goals found when palliative care was three days of hospital admission symptom management guidance at the outset of treatment for added to a patient's treatment, "to reduce cost of care for in the treatment of serious illness patients with serious or lifehospitals saved an average of hospitalized adults with lifeas well as communicating care threatening illnesses can result in $3,237 per patient over the course limiting illness." options before and after shorter hospital stays and lower of a hospital stay compared to Conducted by researchers from discharge." costs, a new study concludes. patients who did not receive the Icahn School of Medicine at "The potential to reduce the A meta-analysis published palliative care. Additionally, for Mount Sinai in New York suffering of millions of Monday in the journal JAMA cancer patients, hospitals saved and Trinity College Dublin in Americans is enormous," study Internal Medicine examined an average of $4,251 per stay. For Ireland, the analysis is the largest co-author Dr. R. Sean Morrison, a 130,000 patients from six non-cancer patients, hospitals and most rigorous look at geriatric and palliative care previously conducted studies on saved an average of $2,105 per palliative care, which "has been physician at Mount Sinai said in palliative care, which is defined stay. previously shown to improve care the press release. "This study in the study as "an Savings were higher in patients quality, extend survival and proves that better care can go interdisciplinary specialty with four or more illnesses than improve family wellhand in hand with a better bottom focused on improving quality of in those with two or fewer. The being," according to a press line." life for seriously ill patients and study concludes these results release. their families through symptom suggest "it may be possible for According to the release,

Could anxiety lead to dementia? A recent study suggests that living with moderate to severe anxiety in midlife may lead to dementia in later years. The new research was carried out by a team of scientists led by Amy Gimson, a researcher at the University of Southampton's Faculty of Medicine in the United Kingdom. Gimson and her colleagues observed that more and more studies were highlighting a link between mental health problems and late-onset dementia — the most prevalent form of dementia, which affects people around the age of 65. For instance, the authors of the new study write that depression has been shown to boost the risk of Alzheimer's by almost twofold. Anxiety often occurs together with depression, and symptoms of anxiety have often been reported by people years before receiving a diagnosis of dementia. But until now, it has remained unclear whether these associations mean that anxiety and depression are the first

symptoms that appear before the full-blown form of dementia develops, or whether anxiety and depression are independent risk factors. So, to investigate this, Gimson and her team sifted through 3,500 studies in search of papers that examined the link between midlife depression, with or without anxiety, and late-onset dementia. The findings of their metaanalysis were published in the journal BMJ Open. Anxiety — a risk factor for dementia Of the body of research examined, only four studies focused on the desired topic; these studies accounted for potential confounders such as vascular and psychiatric conditions, and demographic factors. The researchers were unable to carry out a pooled analysis of these four studies because they were designed so differently, but the authors mention that the methods used in the studies were reliable and their conclusions solid. Additionally, the combined

sample size of the four studies was large, including almost 30,000 people. All four studies found a positive correlation between moderate to severe anxiety and later development of dementia: "Clinically significant anxiety in midlife was associated with an increased risk of dementia over an interval of at least 10 years," write the researchers. These findings suggest that anxiety may be an independent risk factor for late-onset dementia, excluding the anxiety that might represent the initial symptoms of dementia, write Gimson and colleagues. The link between anxiety and dementia, the authors note, may be explained by the excessive stress response triggered by the mental health condition. Relieving anxiety may prevent dementia If a stress response that is triggered by anxiety is to blame for accelerated cognitive decline, does this mean that alleviating anxiety would keep dementia at bay?

This "remains an open question," the authors write. However, they suggest, non-pharmacological antianxiety treatment options are worth trying. In this regard, Gimson and her colleagues conclude: "Non-pharmacological therapies, including talking therapies, mindfulness-based interventions, and meditation practices, that are known to reduce anxiety in midlife, could have a risk-reducing effect, although this is yet to be thoroughly researched." RELATED COVERAGE What is depression and what can I do about it? What are the signs of mild depression?