Thursday, December 15, 2016

Health Care For Seniors Often Goes Beyond Their Desires

Health Care For Seniors Often Goes Beyond Their Desires

by  MICHELLE ANDREWS

image from: npr.org
As people get older, their health care goals may shift from living as long as possible to maintaining a good quality of life: quality over quantity.

In many cases, the medical treatment older people receive often doesn't reflect this change in priorities.

A wide-ranging report from the Dartmouth Atlas Project uses Medicare claims data to examine aging Americans' health care. Among other things, the researchers found five key areas where too many older people continue to receive treatments that don't meet established guidelines or, often, their own goals and preferences.

Read more: Health Care For Seniors Often Goes Beyond Their Desires

Related Article: How to Win An Elderly Person's Trust--Tips from and Elder Companion