Free Screenings For Alzheimer’s To Be Offered For San Diego Residents
“This is not a diagnosis, but a screening which might indicate that people should go see their physician,” one of the organizers says. Meanwhile, KHN reports on how PACE, a little-known Medicare program that helps keep older people in their own homes, is allowing for-profit companies in.
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Free Alzheimer's Screenings For San Diegans
Recent studies have found that early intervention is important for people experiencing memory loss, and a new partnership between the nonprofit group Alzheimer’s San Diego and the Sharp HealthCare network aims to provide an easy place to start the process of screening, eventual diagnosis and resulting treatment and overall support. The duo will offer free memory screenings to 50 San Diego County residents during a four-hour session Thursday. These work-ups are designed to be a first step rather than a full answer, said Mary Ball, president of Alzheimer’s San Diego. (Sisson, 8/23)
Kaiser Health News:
As The For-Profit World Moves Into An Elder Care Program, Some Worry
But this is no linoleum-floored community center reeking of bleach. Instead, it’s one of eight vanguard centers owned by InnovAge, a company based in Denver with ambitious plans. With the support of private equity money, InnovAge aims to aggressively expand a little-known Medicare program that will pay to keep older and disabled Americans out of nursing homes. Until recently, only nonprofits were allowed to run programs like these. But a year ago, the government flipped the switch, opening the program to for-profit companies as well, ending one of the last remaining holdouts to commercialism in health care. The hope is that the profit motive will expand the services faster. (Varney, 8/24)