Characteristics And Health Status Of Informal Unpaid Caregivers: 2015-2017
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report, Characteristics and Health Status of Informal Unpaid Caregivers. In 2015, an estimated 17.7 million U.S. persons were informal caregivers who provided substantial services through in-home, unpaid assistance to their family members and friends. Caregiving can have many benefits, such as enhancing the bond between caregiver and recipient, but it also can place an emotional and physical strain on caregivers, leading to higher rates of depression, lower quality of life, and poorer overall health. Based on three years of Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS) data across 44 states, the findings indicate that approximately 20% of respondents were caregivers, and nearly 20% of these caregivers reported fair or poor health. Demographic characteristics and health status of unpaid caregivers, along with implications of the findings are discussed. Unpaid family and friend caregivers are paramount to the care of older adults, as well as the health system more generally. Unfortunately, caregivers are often under-supported and consequently may suffer adverse health effects. The report can be obtained here.
2020 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts And Figures
2020 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures is a statistical resource for U.S. data related to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia. This disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for an estimated 60% to 80% of cases. Recent large autopsy studies show that more than half of individuals with Alzheimer's dementia have Alzheimer's disease brain changes (pathology) as well as the brain changes of one or more other causes of dementia, such as cerebrovascular disease or Lewy body disease. This condition is called mixed pathologies, and if recognized during life is called mixed dementia. Difficulty remembering recent conversations, names or events is often an early clinical symptom. Apathy and depression also often are early symptoms. Later symptoms include impaired communication, disorientation, confusion, poor judgment, behavioral changes and, ultimately, difficulty speaking, swallowing, and walking. Background and context for interpretation of the data are contained in the Overview. Additional sections address prevalence; mortality and morbidity; caregiving; and use and costs of health care and services. A Special Report examines primary care physicians’ experiences, exposure, training, and attitudes in providing dementia care and steps that can be taken to ensure their future readiness for a growing number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The report can be obtained here.
Critical Analysis Of Existing And Emerging Patient Safety Practices
Despite sustained national attention and notable successful interventions in recent years, patient safety remains a significant problem in the United States. Harms such as adverse drug events, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), falls, and obstetric adverse events are responsible for thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries each year. An estimate is that in 2017, there were 86 hospital-acquired conditions per 1,000 hospital discharges, a figure that has fallen steadily in recent years, but remains alarmingly high. The Making Healthcare Safer III report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) addresses this continuing problem by supporting the implementation of patient safety practices where appropriate, advancing a framework for patient safety transformation, and considering the contextual factors that can lead to successful use of patient safety interventions. Forty-seven practices are reviewed that target patient safety improvement in hospitals, primary care practices, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare settings. The practices are categorized among 17 chapters that represent harm areas including medication management and diagnostic errors. The practices include clinical decision support and those designed to prevent medication errors and reduce opioid misuse and overdose. The report can be obtained here.
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