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MATURE MARKET HEADLINES POSTED 05/15/98
Arthritis Prevalence Rises as Boomers AgeAn estimated 40 million Americans have some form of arthritis or other rheumatic condition. That number is expected to climb to 59.4 million, or 18.2 percent of the population, by the year 2020, according to a new report published as a collaborative effort between the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Arthritis Foundation, and the American College of Rheumatology.This increase is largely due to the aging of the U.S. population. However, while risk increases with age, arthritis is not limited to the elderly. More than one-half of the people who reported having arthritis were under age 65. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting 12.1 percent of U.S. adults or 20.7 million people. Also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis was the second most common diagnosis, after chronic heart disease, leading to Social Security disability payments due to long-term absence from work. "Arthritis is a leading cause of disability. With the aging of the population, it will increasingly burden individuals as well as the economy" says Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the component of the National Institutes of Health that led the study. AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com BACK TO TOP Nursing Home Therapy Declared ExcessiveWith all due respect to Mae West, too much of a good thing ... isn't wonderful, especially when it's unnecessary and expensive. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the Department of Health and Human Services has charged that Medicare skilled nursing facilities are providing a considerable amount of medically unnecessary physical and occupational therapy to residents of skilled nursing facilities.For example, OIG found that the rate of medically unnecessary therapies was higher than 25 percent at five of the six facilities and was more than 80 percent at one facility. The agency called these services "inappropriate, unrealistic, and excessive therapy services". OIG attributes the large volume of unnecessary therapy to three major factors. First, skilled services are frequently provided when non-skilled services would be more appropriate. Second, therapists sometimes ignore the beneficiary's prior level of function and set unrealistic goals. Third, the frequency of therapy is sometimes excessive. The OIG is concerned about how the report's findings will affect implementation of the Balanced Budget Act and plans to initiate a national inspection to assess the impact of these unnecessary services. The Inspector General plans to conduct a full national study of therapy services in 1998. While the report officially recognizes that therapy is appropriate in the absence of medical improvement, its analysis and conclusions seem to be based on a different set of assumptions about residents' need for, and entitlement to, therapy services. Sources:National Senior Citizens Law Center and the Department of Health and Human Services. Footnote: AgeVenture believes that the pending national investigation might jeopardize continued growth in those areas of the eldercare industry that specialize in the provision of therapeutic services. That would be unfortunate because the majority of long term care is custodial, meaning that reducing the overall cost of long term care is contingent on increasing the functional level of geriatric patients. And the only way to enhance that functionality is ... you guessed it ... therapy. It may be necessary for OIG to crack down on those who violate acceptable practices. However, while one adage reminds us that "too much of a good thing isn't good" ... there's an equally instructive adage that advises us "not to throw out the baby with the bath water". Let's hope that legitimate therapy doesn't get thrown out in the investigative process. See related article in the AgeVenture archives. Nursing Home Growth Swept Under RUG AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com BACK TO TOP Boomer Moms Score A+ on Home WorkThe shift of baby boomer mothers into the workplace has spawned an ongoing debate on the state of the American family. As a result, Whirlpool Foundation initiated a new study that offers some encouraging news. Children surveyed in the study reported that they were well taken care of in every way, physically, socially and emotionally, by their moms. The children say they most enjoy the simple, everyday activities with their moms. Based on these findings, the study offers a formula for good parenting that consists of nine prescriptions for today's time-pressured moms.1. Get a Good Education Moms saw education as providing better options for a secure financial future. 2. Spend Time Together Children's favorite activities are dining together, shopping, just sitting, and talking. 3. Show Affection Children favor "a hug and a kiss", saying "I love you", "helping out around the house" 4. Seek a Support System Have a network of friends, family, and neighbors who help out. 5. Provide Financial Security Economic security was identified as an integral part of nurturing. 6. Lead by Example Parents shape their children's lives more by what they DO, then by what they SAY. 7. Strengthen Family Communication Set aside time to sit and talk, promote family events, attend religious services together. 8. Be Firm But Fair in Discipline Remember that the purpose of discipline is to teach, not punish. 9. Budget Time Well Share responsibilities with other family members. Share chores to budget time. The complete survey report, conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide, is called "Report Card on the New Providers: Kids and Moms Speak". Whirlpool Foundation has committed $1 million over the next four years for community-based programs addressing the challenges and issues faced by contemporary families. AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com BACK TO TOP AGS Launches Pain Management GuidelinesAn estimated 97 million Americans suffer from chronic painful conditions. In fact, pain is the most common symptom of disease and the most common complaint in physicians' offices among older patients. On May 7, 1998 the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) released the first-ever guidelines for the clinical management of chronic pain in older Americans.One of the main goals of the AGS guidelines is to educate people on how to recognize and assess pain. In a age when office visits may last only 10-15 minutes, physicians and older patients need to quickly and accurately assess chronic pain and determine the most appropriate pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment strategies that can be incorporated safely into a person's potentially complicated medication regimen. For example, the average number of medications taken by the 65-plus age group has been estimated between 10-12 in a given year. There are also side-effects to consider. To make matters worse, the older patient is not always accurate in their reporting of the location of a body ache. This is because, as one ages, the sensation of pain tends to be generalized rather than specific. In defining and treating pain, the AGS guidelines recommend:
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com BACK TO TOP Ameritech Lauded for Eldercare AchievementIllinois Department on Aging Director, Maralee I. Lindley recently announced winners of the 1998 Governor's Awards for Unique Achievement, an annual recognition program held each May in conjunction with Older Americans Month. The recognition complements the work of those who strive to improve the quality of life for older Americans.One of the recipients, Ameritech Pioneers of Illinois, a statewide organization was nominated by the Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging in Kankakee, Illinois was lauded for its commitment to a public-private partnership that helped heighten public awareness of the needs of frail older adults. Ameritech lends support to communities by providing volunteers to help with projects that improve the quality of life for the elderly. 4,901 Ameritech employees and retirees provided 127,783 hours of volunteer work to 506 projects in Illinois, while the Ameritech Pioneer Program for Volunteerism and Community Service awarded grants totaling $750,000 to 645 nonprofit organizations, all during 1997. AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com BACK TO TOP |
