Miracle Machine Makes Heroic Rescues — And Leaves Patients In Limbo
The use of ECMO, the most aggressive form of life support in modern medicine, has skyrocketed — but along with miraculous rescues, it can leave patients in limbo, kept alive with machines but with no prospect of survival outside the ICU.
A Final Comfort: ‘Palliative Transport’ Brings Dying Children Home
In a rare but growing practice, some hospitals offer parents the choice to transport their dying children out of the intensive care unit, with life support in tow, so that they can die at home.
‘Stonewall Generation’ Confronts Old Age, Sickness — And Discrimination
For a generation of LGBTQ people who lived through unprecedented social change, getting older poses new challenges — lack of services, discrimination, neglect and even abuse.
Lethal Plans: When Seniors Turn To Suicide In Long-Term Care
In a nation where the suicide rate continues to climb, such deaths among older adults are often overlooked. A six-month investigation by KHN and PBS NewsHour finds that older Americans are quietly killing themselves in nursing homes, assisted living centers and adult care homes.
Dementia And Guns: When Should Doctors Broach The Topic?
As the number of Americans with dementia rises, health professionals grapple with how to talk to patients about gun safety at home.
Congress Targets Misuse Of Hospice Drugs
In the bipartisan opioid bill headed to the president’s desk, hospice workers would be allowed to destroy patients’ unneeded opioids, reducing the risk that families misuse them.
Missed Visits, Uncontrolled Pain And Fraud: Report Says Hospice Lacks Oversight
A new government watchdog report outlines vulnerabilities in Medicare’s $17 billion hospice program, pointing to inadequate services, inappropriate billing and outright fraud.
Unlocked And Loaded: Families Confront Dementia And Guns
As more Americans are diagnosed with dementia, families who have firearms struggle with ways to stay safe. A Kaiser Health News investigation uncovered dozens of cases of deaths and injuries.
Sin seguro y cargada: familias confrontan la demencia y las armas
A la discusión sobre la portación de armas, se suma un escenario al que se le ha prestado poca atención: ¿qué pasa en los hogares en donde hay armas y una persona con demencia?
Por plan de Trump, inmigrantes podrían tener miedo de recibir beneficios de salud
Bajo la norma propuesta, el que un immigrante haya usado beneficios públicos como Medicaid o SNAP, puede poner en peligro el proceso para obtener la residencia permanente.