New Proposed Rules Could Eliminate Live-In Care and Increase Homecare Costs for Seniors

On December 15th, The Department of Labor announced a new proposed rule that could dramatically change how seniors and those with disabilities access home care.  The proposal would eliminate a long standing federal labor code exception that allows home care agencies...

Health Care Reform and Accountable Care Organizations – What does that really mean?

There is no question health care spending is a critical issue.   Approximately 17 % of our gross domestic product is related to expenditures in health care, an amount that’s seen a steady rise. Health care reform was proposed as a solution to the rising costs,...

Recognizing the Need for Outside Help in Caregiving

Caregivers often don’t recognize when they are in over their heads until they reach a breaking point.  Short-term the caregiver can handle it. Long-term, help is often needed. A typical pattern with an overloaded caregiver may unfold as follows: 1 to 18 months –...

Managing Pain at the End of Life

“I found that when I didn’t have pain, I could forget I had cancer” – Cancer patient Chronic or excessive pain does not need to be part of aging, healing, or dying, a fact that Timothy Corbin, M.D. expressed to a crowd of nurses and social workers who...