The time has finally arrived. The Food & Drug Administration’s new over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid regulations are now in effect and health plans are starting to explore what it means for them. Among the many questions they may need to grapple with, a few are particularly salient:
- How will the new rules impact their benefit offerings?
- What new opportunities will arise?
- What potential pitfalls should they be aware of?
Introducing OTC hearing
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dementia
How Biosensing Tech Can Alleviate Dehydration in Older Adults
For most adults, the first sign of dehydration is feeling thirsty. However, as we age, our thirst sensation naturally weakens, which means older people may not know that they need more fluids until they’re typically underhydrated, putting them at a higher risk of clinical dehydration.
Other age-related physiological changes can also impact a person’s ability to remain hydrated, such as a decline in kidney function. Indeed, renal function begins to diminish around the age of 50. This is due
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Nuvance Health Launches Cognitive Care-At-Home Program
What You Should Know:
- Nuvance Health, a system of nonprofit hospitals and outpatient healthcare services throughout the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut launches a pilot that provides brain-stimulating activities such as gamification and a way to upload family photos and videos for “reminiscence” therapy.
- The platform, Neuroglee Connect uses artificial intelligence to track which activities help each individual the most to target the most effective treatment possible.
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Brain Health: The Next Frontier in the Fight Against Dementia
There are differing views on the value of cognitive screening of older adults in a primary care setting. Many providers point to the lack of disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s Dementia and related dementias (ADRD) as a reason to not universally screen older adults for cognitive deficits. If I don’t have anything to give my patients to get better, what’s the point in revealing they might be at risk of dementia, or that they have early disease? Is dementia a ‘normal’ or ‘expected’ part
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Rippl Launches with $35M to Transform Mental Health for Seniors
What You Should Know:
- Rippl, a new mental health startup focused on caring for seniors with dementia and other neurocognitive conditions, launched today with $32M in seed round funding led by ARCH Venture Partners and General Catalyst. The round also includes investment from GV, F-Prime Capital, and Mass General Brigham Ventures.
- Rippl will use its seed funding to hire and train a team of clinicians, build technology, and open a Washington state-based clinical support center to launch
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Our Nursing Home Industry – A National Scandal
A society defines itself by how it cares for its most vulnerable, and especially its seniors. As a Board-Certified Internist and Geriatrician with over 35 years of providing care in nursing facilities, this sentiment has guided me throughout my career. It has led me to found Tapestry Health, a multispecialty medical practice that focuses on providing medical infrastructure in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), as well as Project Patient Care, a patient advocacy organization based in Chicago,
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Linus Health Launches AI Platform to Detect, Delay Dementia
What You Should Know:
- Linus Health launches the first iPad-based cognitive screening platform able to detect cognitive decline such as dementia years before the human eye could ever do so.
- Linus is now offering a solution to empower PCPs to not only pinpoint cognitive issues in just minutes but also leverage AI to provide patients with evidence-based early interventions
IPad-Based Brain Health Platform
Projections estimate that the number of people in the US with Alzheimer's
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When It Comes to Digital Health, Experience Is Everything
Thanks to COVID-19 and numerous other factors, the adoption of digital health technologies used by patients in the home has skyrocketed. Accenture reported in 2021, for example, that remote patient monitoring technology adoption tripled among patients. Whether it is streaming video telehealth appointments with a provider, a remote patient monitoring platform, or a prescribed digital therapeutic to manage a chronic condition, the emphasis must be on the patient and caregiver
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3 Ways Health Plans Can Improve Sleep Health for their Members
Getting a good night’s sleep should have nothing to do with having a great health plan — but it often does.
While some individuals can improve their sleep by making small changes, many who suffer from serious, chronic sleep disorders need a higher level of care and ongoing treatments, and many health plans offer insufficient benefits.
For example, Medicare covers sleep diagnostic tests under strict conditions, if patients are referred by a physician. Other health plans have denied
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Five Types Of Abuse In A Nursing Home
Nursing homes care for the elderly, people with disabilities, or those who are terminally ill. However, abuse can take many different forms in nursing homes and can devastatingly impact the residents. It’s especially true if the abuse is not reported or if it's not taken seriously. The elderly and those with dementia are especially at risk for abuse, as they may not be able to communicate their needs or recognize when they're being mistreated.
Implementing some steps can help protect the
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