California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

Sarcopenia Is An Independent Risk Factor Of Cognitive Decline

February 26, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

Most of the older adult population worldwide experiences cognitive decline with age. Disability is often associated with cognitive impairment; thus, interventions for preventing cognitive decline are critically needed. Sarcopenia is the age-related deterioration of skeletal muscle mass that is highly prevalent and a crucial problem among the elderly. Studies have shown that sarcopenia and cognitive impairment are related to frailty. Thus, prevention of sarcopenia is imperative for mitigating age-related healthcare issues.
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Advanced Care Planning is Crucial for End-of-Life Care

February 22, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

The proportion of older adults is continuously rising throughout the world due to great advances in medical and technological innovations. Unfortunately, many older adults lose their functional independence and are unable to reside in the community, leading to large numbers needing long-term care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This population of elderly people is increasingly frail and suffers from many illnesses. Consequently, acute healthcare is frequently utilized with high hospital admissions.

Breast Cancer is Highly Prevalent Among Older Adult Women

February 19, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

Like most common cancers, breast cancer is primarily a sickness of elderly people. The median age of Americans diagnosed with breast cancer is 61 years. 41% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are ages 65 or older. The median age a breast cancer patient dies is 68 years, and 57% of deaths from this disease occur in women aged 65 and older. The disease is often curable when in the early stages in both older and younger adults. An estimated 1.5 million American women over 65 years of age are breast cancer survivors, and more than 820,000 of these survivors are 75 years of age or older.

New Research Has Found a Possible Biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease

February 16, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

According to an article published in The Jerusalem Post, researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU), Rambam Medical Center, and Harvard University have found a biological blood marker associated with Alzheimer’s disease that has the potential to be used as a tool to administer an effective diagnostic blood test for dementia. TAU head researcher Professor Illana Gozes says, “We hope that in the future, it will be possible to use our discovery to develop a simple blood test for this serious disease even in its early stages.”

Hip fractures are highly prevalent in the ever-growing aging population due to age-related decline in bone strength.

February 12, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

Hip fractures are highly prevalent in the ever-growing aging population due to age-related decline in bone strength. Not only do hip fractures cause extreme debilitation to quality of life, they also significantly increase the risk of mortality. The mortality rate one year after a hip fracture is an estimated 20%. Moreover, 20% of community-residing seniors who experience a hip fracture must be admitted to a nursing home. For those who are able to return to living in the community, most never fully regain the level of physical and social independence they previously had before hip fracture. Due to the devastating consequences that follow hip fracture, it is critical that risk factors are identified in order to prevent them from occurring.

Older Adults Who Have Or Are At Risk of Heart Disease Must Be Given The Best Treatment

February 3, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

Due to age-related consequences alone, older adults have the greatest risk of suffering from diseases and illnesses. The number one cause of death in the United States is coronary artery disease, which is a consequence of hypertension. This disease occurs when the arteries that provide blood to the heart muscle become stiff and narrowed. This results from the gradual accumulation of cholesterol and plaque along the artery’s inner walls. The plaque buildup is known as atherosclerosis. As the plaque within the artery grows, blood flow decreases to the heart and the heart is not able to get enough oxygen. This is why coronary artery disease is also called ischemic heart disease, due to the lack of oxygen to the heart. The result is chest pain, known as angina, and gradual death of the heart muscle’s cells, called myocardial infarcation.

There May be a Potential Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease in Older Adult Women

February 2, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is currently the sixth leading cause of death among United States’ older adult population. An estimated 5.4 million elderly people suffer from this disease. Among the ten primary causes of death in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease has the biggest sex difference, with a far greater number of women than men dying from this disease. Many studies have been done to explore the medication that could postpone the onset of the disease by just five years, potentially cutting health care costs to Medicare significantly. The medication that has received the greatest attention in the Alzheimer’s disease research domain is hormone therapy (HT).

Hypertension is a Primary Cause of Death in Older Adults

January 28, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

There are many health issues that affect the older adult population in the United States. Cardiovascular diseases are the primary causes of death among the elderly—especially, hypertension. Hypertension is essentially high blood pressure and it is currently one of the most important public health problems in developed countries. Not only is it extremely common, normotensive people at age 55 have a 90% lifetime risk of hypertension. There are many effective treatment options. However, if an older adult with hypertension is left untreated, this can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular events such as strokes and ischemic heart disease.

Elderly Patients In For-Profit Nursing Home Facilities Receive Lower Quality of Care and Have Higher Rates of Mortality

January 27, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

It has been found that states like Maryland have some of the worse for-profit nursing home chains in the nation, ranking lowest in family-reported quality of care ratings.

Nursing Homes Must Take Greater Action to Prevent Residents from Falling—Especially for Those with Dementia

January 25, 2016 | by Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi

Falling is a serious issue in nursing homes and leads to deleterious consequences. Every year, 4% of falls result in fractures and 11% result in soft tissue damage. Patients who fall experience functional loss, self-imposed functional limitations due to fear of falling, and restraint from activity imposed by care givers.