November 14, 2014 | Optima Healthcare Solutions

3 Minute Read

Blog News Roundup

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Don’t have time to read all the blogs you’d like to? That’s okay — we know you’re extremely busy. That’s why we’ve gathered some of the recent news together, with links to information you can review and put into practice.

Palliative Care and Trauma Patients.
Medical News Today reports that a new study has found that half of older adults who sustain injuries severe enough that they could die in the hospital or become unable to function independently are not asked in the ICU if they wish to speak with palliative care specialists about their preferences for end-of-life care. The authors of the study indicate that many older trauma patients have unrecognized needs for palliative care.

Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes.
Long Term Care Leader writes that CMS released a report showing an overall decrease in nursing home residents receiving antipsychotic medication. Since 2011, the amount has dropped 17.1% to a national prevalence of 19.8%. AHCA’s Skilled Nursing Progress Report for Q1 2014 can be found by clicking here.

Ebola Resources.
With widespread reports on the virus, along with a lot of misinformation, ALFA has provided a summary of resources about the disease. Included in their summary are links to the AMA’s public page, as well as numerous articles from the CDC.

Chocolate and Walnuts Reducing Alzheimer’s.
ALFA referenced three new studies on Alzheimer’s Disease. One study found that a component in cocoa could reduce age-related memory loss. Unfortunately for chocolate lovers, the amount in chocolate bars is minuscule. Another study found that walnuts may have reduced brain degeneration in mice. A third study may have uncovered one reason why most Down syndrome patients over 40 show signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. The reason is that Down syndrome patients have an extra copy of chromosome 21, which is where the gene that creates amyloid plaque is found. This plaque is also what causes Alzheimer’s.

Let us know what other topics you’d like us to track for you and report on in our next blog news roundup. Leave your suggestions in the comments.

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