Stanford University Study Shows Seniors Can Benefit From Virtual Reality Tech

At the John Knox Village retirement community in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, seniors were playing with puppies, watching plays and even flying Navy jet fighters. No wonder almost 80% of the seniors there and at other senior communities had a more positive attitude and almost 60% said they felt less isolated socially.

The reason this all happend is shown in a recently published Stanford University study that found that at 17 senior communities around the country large majorities of 245 participants between 65 and 103 years old enjoyed virtual reality, improving both their emotions and their interactions with staff.

For the details of this facinating study you can read this from The Associated Press:

Read the AP Article ...

Millions Of Older Women Need Affordable Caregivers Says San Diego Union-Tribune

Commentary: As U.S. women live longer and spend more on health care, affordable caregiving is needed

‘The reality for far too many aging women in America is their unique challenges which include a lack of affordable caregiving, the absence of family support, fixed income constraints and the burden of a longer life expectancy.’  That’s according to a commentary by Gemma Bulos and Barbara Provost published in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

We are asked to “Imagine inching closer to 65, childless, with a small nest egg, chronic health issues and a family history of Alzheimer’s. Imagine being an unpaid caregiver at the same time. Imagine looking forward and fearing that there’s no support for you if the fine balance you maintain now should tumble.”

Reading this opinion piece helped me understand what serious and growing problem getting affordable caregiving is and will be for many aging women in our country. Please read the well documented article.

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Would More Nursing Homes In ACOs Be A Good Thing?

ACO: Definition -

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs): Groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals that work together to give patients high-quality, coordinated service and health care, improve health outcomes, and manage costs. ACOs may be in a specific geographic area and/or focused on patients who have a specific condition, like chronic kidney disease.

According to an article from Modern Healthcare “Better integrating nursing homes into accountable care organizations could lead to significant Medicare savings”. Yet currently there are only about 2,000 nursing homes which participate in ACOs. Yet the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows that as of July 2022, approximately 1.2 million people resided in more than 15,000 certified nursing homes. Now a white paper published by... says nursing homes could play a critical role in value-based care, which could be a great benefit to seniors and their families.

Value-Based Care

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Value Based Care means “Designing care so that it focuses on quality, provider performance and the patient experience.” Naturally then, nursing homes participating in a Value Based Care program would be benefit to all involved.

Is a nursing home you or a loved one are currently residing in part of an ACO and Value Based Care?