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

Countless Homebound Patients Still Wait for COVID Vaccine Despite Seniors’ Priority

Judith Graham Feb 22, 2021

Dr. Steven Landers, president and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, administers the covid-19 vaccine to Sam Ferguson of Asbury Park, New Jersey. Photo credit: Michele Scialabba. ASBURY PARK, NJ - Opening another front…

Health

Older Adults Without Family or Friends Lag in Race to Get Vaccines

Judith Graham Feb 1, 2021

Myrna Hart is afraid she'll be left behind during the vaccine rollout. There are now two large vaccination sites for seniors in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, but the closest is 31 miles away from her home in Cottage Grove, Minnesota.…

Health

If I Have Cancer, Dementia or MS, Should I Get the Covid Vaccine?

Judith Graham Jan 27, 2021

Experts’ advice may be helpful since states are beginning to offer vaccines to adults over age 65, 70 or 75, including those with serious underlying medical conditions. Twenty-eight states are doing so, according to the latest survey by…

Health

Vaccination Disarray Leaves Seniors Confused About When They Can Get a Shot

Judith Graham Jan 14, 2021

A senior receives a Covid-19 vaccine from a healthcare worker. File photo. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. NEW YORK, NY - For weeks, doctors’ phones have been ringing off the hook with anxious older patients on the other…

Health

What Seniors Can Expect When COVID Vaccines Begin to Roll Out

Judith Graham Dec 9, 2020

Both vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are notably effective in preventing illness due to the coronavirus, according to information released by the companies, although much of the data from clinical trials is still to come. Both have been…

Health

Prayers and Grief Counseling After COVID: Trying to Aid Healing in Long-Term Care

Judith Graham Nov 14, 2020

Central Baptist Village in Norridge, Illinois, held a socially distanced ceremony for one of its beloved nurses who died of COVID-19. Assisted living centers and nursing homes around the country offer grief counseling and memorial services…

Health

Pandemic Upshot: Seniors Having Second Thoughts About Where to Live

Judith Graham Sep 19, 2020

Some people who planned to move to senior housing are now choosing to live independently rather than communally. Others wonder whether transferring to a setting where they can get more assistance might be the right call. Photo credit…

Health

Technology Divide Between Senior ‘Haves’ and ‘Have-Nots’ Roils Pandemic Response

Judith Graham Jul 24, 2020

Many older adults with limited financial resources also may not be able to afford devices or the associated internet service fees. Others are not adept at using technology and lack the assistance to learn. Photo credit Shutterstock…

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:…

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