Health and Disability

The Department of Veterans Affairs will send out more than $430,000 in stipend payments to nearly 200 Family Caregivers of Veterans in July. These Family Caregivers were the first to complete their Caregiver training under the program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. The first payments to 96 recipients were issued today.

"This is a long-awaited day for many Family Caregivers who diligently worked to achieve this landmark legislation to enhance services for Family Caregivers," said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. "I am proud VA can now offer direct support to the loved ones who give the Veterans we serve a greater quality of life by allowing them to remain at home surrounded by family and friends."

In this report, the IOM offers a blueprint for action in transforming prevention, care, education, and research, with the goal of providing relief for people with pain in America. To reach the vast multitude of people with various types of pain, the nation must adopt a population-level prevention and management strategy. The IOM recommends that HHS develop a comprehensive plan with specific goals, actions, and timeframes. Better data are needed to help shape efforts, especially on the groups of people currently underdiagnosed and undertreated, and the IOM encourages federal and state agencies and private organizations to accelerate the collection of data on pain incidence, prevalence, and treatments. Because pain varies from patient to patient, healthcare providers should increasingly aim at tailoring pain care to each person’s experience, and self-management of pain should be promoted.

Not only does chronic pain affect the quality of life of over 116 million Americans, there is a massive economic burden too, estimated to be between $560 and $635 billion each year for the country, researchers from the Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education; IOM (Institute of Medicine) revealed in a report issued today. The authors added that a considerable proportion of chronic pain is preventable, or could be treated more effectively.

Patients who received several sessions of a "motivational interview" early after a stroke had normal mood, fewer instances of depression and greater survival rates at one year compared to patients who received standard stroke care, according to new research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Motivational interviewing is generally a talk-based therapy for patients with health problems that require behavior change, but in this study it was used to support adjustment to life after stroke. Depression is a common problem after stroke that interferes with recovery, survival and return to normal participation in life.

A side effect of many commonly used drugs appears to increase the risks of both cognitive impairment and death in older people, according to new research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).

As part of the Medical Research Council's Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS) project, the study is the first systematic investigation into the long term health impacts of 'anticholinergic activity' - a known potential side effect of many prescription and over the counter drugs which affects the brain by blocking a key neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. The findings are published today by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Medicines with some degree of anticholinergic effect are wide-ranging and many are frequently taken by older people. The groups with the greatest impact include: anti-depressants such as Amitriptyline, Imipramine and Clomipramine; tranquilisers such as Chlorpromazine and Trifluoperazine; bladder medication such as Oxybutynin; and antihistamines such as Chlorphenamine. Other drugs with an anticholinergic effect include: Atenolol, Furosemide and Nifedipine for heart problems; painkillers such as Codeine and Dextropropoxyphene; the asthma treatment Beclometasone; the epilepsy treatment Carbamazepine; and Timolol eyedrops which are used for glaucoma.

LOTS of OTC meds have anticholenergic effects.

In 2009, the Civil Rights Division launched an aggressive effort to enforce the Supreme Court's decision in Olmstead v. L.C., a ruling that requires states to eliminate unnecessary segregation of persons with disabilities and to ensure that persons with disabilities receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. President Obama issued a proclamation launching the "Year of Community Living," and has directed the Administration to redouble enforcement efforts. The Division has responded by working with state and local governments officials, disability rights groups and attorneys around the country, and with representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services, to fashion an effective, nationwide program to enforce the integration mandate of the Department's regulation implementing title II of the ADA.

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DOJ's new Olmstead Page

AARP Legislative Policy Director David Certner released this statement during today's hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on the health and long-term care needs of people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, known as "dual eligibles."

Bills to crack down on elder abuse are making their way through the state Senate. Senator Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton) is leading the charge to protect older Michiganders after a man in her district was stripped of his life savings by people claiming they were doing home improvements at his house. Senator Mike Nofs, a retired State Police Trooper, said the state owes it to older residents to pass laws to make them safer. He has introduced a bill allowing elder abuse victims to testify in court on video to avoid being intimidated by the legal process. 

I can't vouch for this personally, but if you are in the market for an accessible house, might be worth a look. First Name: Elisa Last Name: Sboukis Email Address: esboukis@cranrealtors.com Phone Number: 248-626-8700 Question or Comment: I work for a real estate agency. We have a home for sale which is remodeled to ADA accessiblity standards. Truly Accessible with ramps at front and back, hardwood floors, one story, roll under sinks, roll in shower, extra high garage to accomodate van, and more. Trying to find a way to market this home to the appropriate persons. Please help! Thanks