The Link - January 2018

JANUARY 2018

• The 2018 Iowa Legislative Session is scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 8. The Legislative Services Agency has published a timetable for the 87th General Assembly that includes funnel dates and the 100th Calendar Day of the Session: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/SESTT/861318.pdf

• The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has submitted the final report to the President and Congress that presents the findings and conclusions of the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration: http://www.mfp-tac.com/grantee/library/studyreport/report-president-and-congress-money-follows-person-mfp-rebalancing

• The University of Iowa's Geriatric Education Center offers a monthly e-newsletter to help prepare Iowa's health practitioners to care for the growing population of older Iowans. Each month, E‐NEWS delivers abstracts from current multidisciplinary healthcare journal articles related to a specific geriatric topic: https://igec.uiowa.edu/e-news/subscribe-unsubscribe

• The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published tips for health care providers and first responders who work with older adults and adults with disabilities following natural disasters: https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/abc/Pages/elderly-disabled.aspx 

• According to an article in the Washington Post, 2018's nutrition trends will focus on eating to prevent and manage health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and boosting digestive health: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/7-nutrition-trends-youll-see-in-2018/2017/12/18/5dbb9276-c3d1-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html?utm_term=.0eaaa191db76

• A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society finds that the presence of oral health problems in older adults is linked with greater risks of being frail: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171220094125.htm

• According to an article that appeared in the New York Times, older adults who have cataract surgery are more likely to get exercise, take their medication and avoid falls: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/well/live/cataract-surgery-may-prolong-your-life.html

• A new study published in JAMA found that vitamin D and calcium supplements do not seem to be warranted to prevent bone breaks or hip fractures in older adults, regardless of dose, the gender of the patient, history of fractures or the amount of calcium in the diet: https://www.denverpost.com/2017/12/26/calcium-vitamin-d-supplements-may-not-protect-against-bone-fractures/

• Legal aid organizations can play a critical role in securing the rights and benefits of the increasing number of older adults living in poverty. An article by Justice in Aging attorneys offers suggestions to help legal aid organizations structure services to have the most impact, reach older adults with the greatest need and increase their organizational capacity to serve low-income older adults: 
  http://www.justiceinaging.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/MIE-Addressing-Senior-Poverty.pdf

• In a study by WalletHub that compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 11 key indicators of elder-abuse protection in three overall categories, Iowa ranks #5 in the nation when it comes to protecting older adults: https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-best-elder-abuse-protection/28754/

Webinar: "Legal Basics: Elder Financial Exploitation"

Tuesday, Jan. 9 (Noon CT)

Register

2018 Aging in America Conference

March 26-29, 2018 
San Francisco, CA
More Information | Register

The mission of the Iowa Department on Aging is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and

cost-effective system of long-term living and community support services that helps older Iowans maintain

health and independence in their homes and communities.