California Legislation Tightens Requirements for Home Care Workers
People receiving care at home often find health aides through home health agencies in their area. For some time, many of these agencies and workers have gone largely unregulated in most states. California passed a law this week to enact stricter regulations regarding licensing and employees of home health agencies.
New Regulations
Governor Jerry Brown signed the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act of 2013 into law on Sunday. Home health agencies are now facing stricter regulations in terms of hiring and monitoring their employees. Once the law takes effect, agencies will be required to conduct background checks on all workers, provide[…]
Dietary Fructose Linked To Long Term Health Problems
Obesity and diabetes are two of the leading reasons that people in the United States need long term care, and a recent animal model study suggested that a diet high in dietary fructose may be one of the reasons. An even newer study found that those aren’t the only long term health problems the added sugar causes.
Is It the Fructose?
Rates of obesity and diabetes have increased dramatically over the 
last 30 years. Though many different factors play into the significant rise,[…]
Can Sniffing Peanut Butter Confirm An Alzheimer’s Diagnosis?
It turns out the key to detecting Alzheimer’s might have been sitting in your pantry all along. According to a new study, peanut butter may be a method to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Detecting Odors
Researchers at the University of Florida recently developed a test that involves individuals sniffing peanut butter in order to determine whether or not a person has early-stage Alzheimer’s. The test relies on the olfactory senses, or the sense of smell, one of the first abilities to diminish when cognitive decline begins to take effect.
The test was relatively simple in execution. Patients were seated with[…]
Excessive Prescription of Antibiotics Continues
As we age, maintaining our health and strong immunity becomes even more important. Recent research found that the attempt to reduce the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions has been largely unsuccessful, leading to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Unnecessary Prescription 
The research, presented by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital last week, identified the prescription rates for different conditions. A sore throat in an adult resulted in an antibiotic prescription 60% of the time, despite the fact that only 10% of adults with a sore throat have strep. Even worse,[…]
Hobbies Keep the Brain Sharp, Research Shows
When people think about retirement, some imagine lounging around, relaxing, and being able to enjoy simply doing nothing. In reality, though, doing nothing might do more harm than good. Studies show engaging in hobbies during retirement can keep your brain sharp, prevent mental decline, and ward off depression.
Stay Busy 
Retirement can often lead to a major decrease in activity for a lot of people. When you leave the workplace to retire, you lose much of the mental and social interaction that characterized your every day life for years. For those[…]
Poll: Americans Misinformed About Long Term Care Financing
Long term care is a looming crisis that lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully to remedy. Despite the recent conclusion of the federal Commission on Long Term care, people are still confused about exactly what long term care entails and how to prepare. Adding to the confusion, a new poll found that many Americans are also mistaken about who pays for most of the nation’s long term care.
Who Pays? 
Throughout the month of September this year, just over 2,000 adults in the United States were asked about various aspects of[…]
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