Latest California Healthline Stories
Sheltered At Home, Families Broach End-Of-Life Planning
Barbara Dreyfuss died March 1 after contracting COVID-19 at a Seattle-area nursing home. Her earlier decision to document her final wishes may offer an example for families as the deadly virus spurs interest in end-of-life care.
Should You Bring Mom Home From Assisted Living During The Pandemic?
Families are weighing the challenges of providing home care with the isolation or potential danger of leaving folks in senior housing or long-term care.
Coronavirus Patients Caught In Conflict Between Hospital And Nursing Homes
Hospitals need to clear out patients who no longer need acute care. But nursing homes are alarmed at the prospect of taking patients who may have the coronavirus.
Federal Judge Rules Medicare Patients Can Challenge ‘Observation Care’ Status
Hundreds of thousands of people will be able to appeal hospitals’ decisions to classify them as “observation care” patients instead of inpatients, under a ruling last week in a class action suit.
‘Red Dawn Breaking Bad’: Officials Warned About Safety Gear Shortfall Early On, Emails Show
As President Donald Trump called the nation “in good shape” to handle COVID-19, a cache of emails released by officials in Washington state show that top public health authorities feared gear shortages and doctor safety in the early epicenter of sickness and deaths.
Shortfall Of Comfort Care Signals Undue Suffering For Coronavirus Patients
Families worry that overwhelmed hospitals won’t be able to provide palliative care for loved ones stricken with COVID-19.
Does Everyone Over 60 Need To Take The Same Coronavirus Precautions?
Just how careful should older people be? Here’s what geriatricians think is reasonable.
Millions Of Older Americans Live In Counties With No ICU Beds Amid Pandemic
A Kaiser Health News analysis shows that counties with ICUs average one ICU bed for every 1,300 older residents, those most at risk for needing hospitalization.
Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Programs Struggle To Reach Vulnerable Seniors Living At Home
Older adults are at serious risk during this pandemic and have been advised to avoid contact with others. Yet many still need essential services, and programs are scrambling to adapt.
How Well Does Your Nursing Home Fight Infections? Look It Up Here
More nursing homes have been faulted for failing to follow practices designed to prevent and control infections than for any other type of error. Such lapses have become matters of heightened concern with the spread of the coronavirus this spring, especially as the virus is a bigger threat to the elderly.