Month: January 2019

Yale psychologists find that adults take girls’ pain less seriously

By Kendall Teare: For More Info, Go Here…

Gender stereotypes can hurt children — quite literally. When asked to assess how much pain a child is experiencing based on the observation of identical reactions to a finger-stick, American adults believe boys to be in more pain than girls, according to a new Yale study in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. The researchers attribute this downgrading of the pain of girls and/or upgrading of the pain of boys to culturally ingrained, and scientifically unproven, myths like “boys are more stoic” or “girls are more emotive.”

A diverse sample of American adults watched the same video of a 5-year-old receiving a finger-stick at a pre-Kindergarten doctor’s visit and afterward were asked to rate how much pain they thought the child was actually experiencing. While all participants watched an identical video of an identical child exhibiting identical pain-display behaviors, the group who knew the child as “Samuel” said he was in more pain than the group who knew her as “Samantha.” This new research backs up studies done on gender stereotyping and biased clinical assessment of pain in adult patient populations but is only the second of its kind to take these questions to the pediatric level.

Medicare Part D Enrollees with Serious Health Conditions Can Face Thousands of Dollars in Out-of-Pocket Costs Annually for Specialty Drugs

From KFF: For More Info, Go Here…

Despite Medicare’s protections, Part D enrollees with serious health conditions can face thousands of dollars in annual out-of-pocket costs for expensive specialty drugs, a new KFF anaylsis finds.

The analysis draws on data from Medicare’s Plan Finder website to calculate expected annual 2019 costs for more than two dozen specialty tier drugs used to treat four health conditions — cancer, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis – based on coverage and costs in national and near-national stand-alone drug plans, using a pharmacy in Baltimore, MD. It found that expected median out-of-pocket costs for Part D enrollees not receiving low-income subsidies would range from $2,622 for Zepatier (for hepatitis C) to $16,551 for Idhifa (for leukemia) in 2019.

Evidence of Impending Parkinson’s Disease Pandemic Identified

From Neuroscience News: For More Info, Go Here…

Summary: A new study reveals demography and the by-products of industrialization are contributing to an impending Parkinson’s disease pandemic.

For most of human history Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been a rare disorder. However, demography and the by-products of industrialization are now contributing to an impending Parkinson’s pandemic, according to experts writing in a supplement to the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. They say that this pandemic can be addressed by the Parkinson’s community forming a “PACT” to prevent the disease, advocate for policies and resources aimed at slowing its spread, care for all those affected, and treat with effective and novel therapies.

Neurological disorders are now the leading cause of disability globally, and the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world is PD, a slowly progressive disorder that affects movement, muscle control, and balance. In 1855, forty years after Dr. James Parkinson first described the condition, approximately 22 people of 15 million in England and Wales died of PD. In 2014, roughly 5,000 to 10,000 individuals of 65 million in the UK died of PD. From 1990 to 2015, the number of people with PD doubled worldwide to over six million. Driven principally by aging, this number is projected to double again to over 12 million by 2040, and additional factors, including increasing longevity, declining smoking rates, and increasing industrialization, could raise the burden to over 17 million.

25 Common Nursing Home Problems— & How to Resolve Them

From Justice in Again: ForMore Info, Go Here…

Beware: these 25 problems occur across the country. They happen in cities, suburbs, and rural communities. They also happen both in “good” and “bad” nursing homes. Even better nursing homes tend to follow standard procedures that violate federal law and harm residents. The best way to receive high-quality care is to settle for nothing else, each and every day.

This guide gives you the tools to do exactly that. This guide is an updated and expanded version of 20 Common Nursing Home Problems – and How to Resolve Them, which was written with financial support from the Commonwealth Fund. This revision, like the original edition, introduces each common problem by identifying a false statement
commonly made by nursing home staff, along with a clear statement of the relevant law.

This new edition addresses additional problems, discusses issues in more detail, and includes recent revisions to federal regulations and guidance. This edition emphasizes strategies to prevent evictions, as described in the discussion of Problems #7 through #14.

Whether you are a nursing home resident, a family member, or a supportive friend, this guide gives you the tools you need to identify and then resolve the problems that residents most frequently face. Your determined advocacy can be the difference between going-through-the-motions nursing home care, and the high quality, person-centered care that residents are promised by federal law.

New help for domestic violence victims & their pets

By STEVE CARMODY: For More Info, Go here…

Advocates for victims of domestic violence say a new federal law will help Michigan women looking for help for themselves and their pets.

The Pet and Women Safety, or PAWS Act, was signed into law in December. It allocates funds to domestic violence shelters and expands protections to include survivors’ pets.

Studies have found a quarter to a third of domestic violence victims delay leaving their abuser out of fear for their pets.

Jeremy Rick is the executive director of the Bay Area Women’s Center.

He says providing help placing pets will encourage women to seek help themselves.

“Nobody should have to make the choice between staying in a relationship where there is violence and leaving… a pet behind,” says Rick.

Last week, Rick gave a tour of his shelter to U.S. Senator Gary Peters who sponsored of the PAWS Act.

Peters says less than one percent of domestic violence shelters provide housing for pets.

“It’s very important for victims of abuse to know that there are now expanding programs,” says Peters.

Why sleep is the best painkiller

By Ana Sandoiu: For More Info, Go Here…

ngd- well-managed sleep is also a critical part of sobriety in addiction, as I learned in the ’70s…

New research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, finds that sleep deprivation increases sensitivity to pain by numbing the brain’s painkilling response.

One in 3 adults in the United States, or 35 percent of the adult population, do not get enough sleep.

The effects of sleep deprivation on the brain are numerous, from inducing an inebriation-like state of cognitive impairment to hindering our ability to learn and form new memories.

New research highlights another neurological effect of insufficient sleep: heightened sensitivity to pain.

A lack of sleep impairs the brain’s natural mechanisms for relieving pain, finds the new study, which draws attention to potential links between the public health crises of sleep deprivation, chronic pain, and prescription opioid addiction.

In the U.S., over 20 percent of the population, or around 50 million adults, are living with chronic pain, according to recent estimates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that, on average, around 130 people in the U.S. die from an opioid overdose every day.

Short-Term Money Follows the Person Extension Signed Into Law!

By theadvocacymonitor: For More Info, Go here…

Last Friday H.R. 259, the Medicaid Extenders Act, was signed into law. The bill includes three months of funding for the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program. As we know, three months is not enough to sustain the work of MFP, but it does provide a much needed extension while we continue our advocacy for a longer renewal. This is certainly something to be celebrated! Thank you to all of you for your work to get this done.

Also included in the bill is an extension of the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid spousal impoverishment protections. Spousal impoverishment protections protect a portion of a married couple’s income and assets when one individual needs Medicaid long term services and supports. Historically, spousal impoverishment protections only applied if one spouse was institutionalized, but a provision of the Affordable Care Act changed that so they also apply to Medicaid HCBS. That provision expired, so this bill provides a needed short-term extension (through March 31, 2019) while advocacy for a long-term extension continues.

Thank you for all of your work to get this bill passed!

8 disability rights activists changing the world for disabled people

From Able: For More Info, Go here…

The rights that we as a disabled community have – and may even take for granted – have been fought for by disability rights activists, working tirelessly to help create change. Disability Horizons writer Raya Aljadir takes a look at eight extraordinary people whose work has undoubtedly had an impact on disabled people’s lives.

“I am sure you would agree, we owe a lot to disability rights activists from across the world. I would love to highlight them all in this article, but it would be impossible. So, I have tried to be as diverse as possible, including people of mixed genders and various background, and representing a wide variety of disability rights.

If you know of any disability activists that should be celebrated – or if you are indeed one yourself – let us know by leaving your comments below, messaging Disability Horizons on Facebook or tweeting us @DHorizons.

Get Medicare’s new “What’s covered” app!

from Medicare. Gov: For More Info, Go here…

ngd- On its face, it seems impossible that a smartphone app could do this, but maybe they have tied it into their decision system. If you have the time, you might want to try your services and see if the app can correctly assign their reimbursement.

Not sure if Medicare will cover your medical test or service? Medicare’s free “What’s covered” app delivers accurate cost and coverage information right on your smartphone. Now you can quickly see whether Medicare covers your service in the doctor’s office, the hospital, or anywhere else you use your phone.

“What’s covered” is available for free on both the App Store and Google Play. Search for “What’s covered” or “Medicare” and download the app to your phone. Once “What’s covered” is installed, you can use it to get reliable Medicare information even when you’re offline.

The app delivers general cost, coverage and eligibility details for items and services covered by Medicare Part A and Part B.  Search, or browse to learn what’s covered and not covered; how and when to get covered benefits; and basic cost information. You can also get a list of covered preventive services.

Easy access to accurate, reliable Medicare coverage information is just one new feature of the eMedicare initiative. To stay up to date on eMedicare improvements and other important news from Medicare, sign up for our email list and follow us on Facebook.

Insecurity

by Zechariah Richardson: For More Info, Go Here…

Despite the fact that I am basically housebound and in pain 24/7, that isn’t what makes me lay awake at night or dip in and out of depression.

The thing that I struggle with the most is insecurity!

Since first living together in January of 1991 a year after we first met, we have moved about 14 times.

Even though we get housing benefit, we only get paid almost half of what the rent is. When we moved in both of our daughters lived at home and so we received rent for a 3 bed property.

So now my PiP money goes towards topping up the rent every month and we struggle to survive.

When the landlord of the last property told us he was selling it, it took a long time to find a property that was wheelchair accessible and also a landlord who was willing to accept people who received benefits.

So on most days I stress over our situation, yes I know that on social media I come across as a joker and outgoing, the truth is that I am actually very different.

I think about giving in several times a week, giving in because of the pain, the disability, the pressure we are under, but I don’t because of the love of my family.

However, slowly the balance is changing and I am finding that the negative is starting to win over the positive, but I keep telling myself that I can do another week and then another week, however the truth, the unthinkable truth is that I don’t know how many more weeks I have left in me?

I am tired, tired of being in pain, tired of the insecurity.

I don’t desire wealth, I don’t need a big house or a flash car, but I long to have a home that I know is home forever. This property has mould, it is cold, it isn’t fully accessible but I would love to be able to stay here and that would be the biggest weight lifted from my shoulders.