Author

Judith Graham

Judy is a freelance reporter and writer writing a twice-monthly column on aging and health for Kaiser Health News. Here work is seen: CNN, The Washington Post, MSN, The New York Times, USA Today, Sydney Morning Herald, The Atlantic, Business Insider, and more.

Health

States Allow In-Person Nursing Home Visits As Families Charge Residents Die ‘Of Broken Hearts’

Judith Graham Jul 13, 2020

Visitation policies may change, however, if state officials become concerned about a rise in COVID-19 cases. And individual facilities are not obligated to open up to families, even when a state says they can do so. Photo credit…

Health

What Seniors Should Know Before Going Ahead With Elective Procedures

Judith Graham Jul 6, 2020

To feel comfortable, patients need to take stock of the precautions providers are taking. This is especially true for older adults, who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Photo credit Shutterstock licensed. DENVER, CO - For…

Business

As COVID-19 Lurks, Families Are Locked Out Of Nursing Homes. Is It Safe Inside?

Judith Graham May 4, 2020

Alarmingly more than 10,000 residents and staff at long-term care facilities have died from COVID infections, according to an April 23 analysis of state data by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Photo credit Shutterstock licensed. …

Health

Seniors With COVID-19 Show Unusual Symptoms, Doctors Say

Judith Graham Apr 24, 2020

COVID-19 is typically signaled by three symptoms: a fever, an insistent cough and shortness of breath. But older adults — the age group most at risk of severe complications or death from this condition ― may have none of these…

Health

In Shutting Out Threat, Seniors In Continuing Care Communities Feel Shut In

Judith Graham Apr 14, 2020

Across the country, seniors’ lives are being upended as continuing care retirement communities take aggressive steps to protect residents from COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. File photo: Shutterstock.com. …

Health

What Does Recovery From COVID-19 Look Like? It Depends, A Pulmonologist Explains

Judith Graham Apr 9, 2020

The outlook for older adults is not encouraging. Advanced age is associated with significantly worse outcomes for older patients, and even those who survive are unlikely to return to their previous level of functioning. Image by kalhh from…

Health

Should You Bring Mom Home From Assisted Living During The Pandemic?

Judith Graham Mar 31, 2020

It’s a reasonable question. Most retirement complexes and long-term care facilities are excluding visitors. Older adults are asked to stay in their rooms and are alone for most of the day. Family members might call, but that doesn’t fill…

Health

Coronavirus Patients Caught In Conflict Between Hospital And Nursing Homes

Judith Graham Mar 31, 2020

Hospitals need to clear out patients who no longer need acute care. But nursing homes don’t want to take patients discharged from hospitals for fear they’ll bring the coronavirus with them. File photo. SEATTLE, WA - A wrenching…

Health

Does Everyone Over 60 Need To Take The Same Coronavirus Precautions?

Judith Graham Mar 24, 2020

Are precautions of the sort the CDC has endorsed really necessary, even in areas where the new coronavirus doesn’t yet appear to be circulating widely? What about disease-free adults in their 60s and 70s? File photo. PRINCETON, NJ -…

Health

Amid Pandemic, Programs Struggle To Reach Vulnerable Seniors At Home

Judith Graham Mar 18, 2020

Overnight, Area Agencies on Aging had to figure out how to help people in their homes instead of at sites where they mingle and get various types of assistance. File photo. ILLINOIS - Close down group meals for seniors. Cancel social…

Health

Stalked by The Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You

Judith Graham Feb 21, 2020

The lack of a cure or effective treatment for Dementia only adds to the anxiety. Just this week, news emerged that another study trying to stop Alzheimer’s in people at extremely high genetic risk had failed. File photo:…