News Briefs – APRIL 2021
by INELDA
Differences Between Sexes Affects Brain Diseases
According to a March 2021 article in APL Bioengineering men and women are impacted differently by brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This may relate to differences in the way the blood-brain barrier is built and behaves in men and women. It could also account for the fact that Alzheimer’s is more prevalent in older women and Parkinson’s impacts men more frequently. As of 2020, 5.8-million Americans were diagnosed with Alzheimers and another 1-million with Parkinson’s disease. For more information read click here.
Medical Aid in Dying Advances
In March there were several medical aid in dying (MAiD) advances:
- In New Mexico the state legislature passed the Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act, that will be signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham, making New Mexico the ninth state, along with Washington D.C., to pass MAiD legislation.
- Montana’s Senate struck down and indefinitely set aside an attempt to criminalize doctors who assisted consenting patients with dying by prescribing life-ending medications. Montana doesn’t have a death with dignity statute, but the end-of-life option was legalized in the state by a ruling by the State Supreme Court.
- In Connecticut MAiD passed the joint Public Health Committee for the first time after 14 attempts over 25 years. This action occurred following 15 hours of dramatic and emotional public testimony.
Currently, more than one in five Americans (22%) have access to MAiD.
Older Adults Prescribed Fall-Risk Medications at Alarming Rate
A study released last month in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety found that as of 2017 94% of adults 65 or older were prescribed a medication that increases their risk for falls. This is an alarming jump from the 57% prescribed these medications in 1999. Even more concerning is that the rate of deaths from falls more than doubled in the same period of time. Falls that are not fatal may drastically lower a person’s remaining quality of life. This study speaks to the need to frequently evaluate the use of antidepressants, high blood pressure medication, opioids, and tranquilizers, among others, in older, frailer patients. Women were more likely than men to be prescribed these medications, particularly Black women who received these medications at the highest rate because they suffer disproportionately from these illnesses.
Home Care Agencies Plan for Greater Diversity in 2021
According to a report released earlier this year by home health care tech company Axxess, more than 70% of the organizations they surveyed will increase resources this year devoted to staff diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. And 91% of the larger organizations that include home health care agencies and hospices indicate that they are focused and working on this issue. Axxess works with over 7,000 companies, serving more than 2 million patients. Additionally, the American Journal of Palliative Care reported, 81% of Medicare hospice patients are White, even though they make up just around 60% of the population. Click here to read the complete Axxess 2021 Industry Trends Report.