WHAT WE'RE LEARNING Dear Colleagues— The best care as we age is always based on what matters most in our lives. William Osler, the father of modern medicine once said “The good physician treats the disease. The great physician treats the person who has the disease.” Although physicians, nurses and…
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We witnessed an unconscionable assault on our democracy yesterday, and we stand firm in condemning the insurrection and violence that attempted to subvert the peaceful transfer of power in our nation’s capital. Questions about the disparate responses from law enforcement to this mob, compared to past protests for racial justice…
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WHAT WE'RE LEARNING Dear Colleagues— We are approaching the end of 2020—a challenging year on all fronts. We are seeing COVID-19 rates soar across our country, and around the world, with contagion far from under control. Thankfully, the first vaccines are starting to be distributed to stem the tide of…
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President-elect Biden has begun the transition to a new administration with a much-needed focus on controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first weeks of November, U.S. hospitalizations from COVID-19 have reached an all-time high and the seven-day average number of deaths has exceeded 1,000 new deaths a day. New analysis…
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Regardless of the outcome of this year’s elections, our nation is once again exercising one of the most powerful functions of democracy. Record numbers of people – including millions of older adults and their family caregivers – are casting their ballots to select our federal, state and local political leaders…
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WHAT WE'RE LEARNING Dear Colleagues— We have all seen disturbing headlines regarding the coronavirus’ effect on America’s nursing homes. What we don’t hear enough about are the innovative, heroic steps that nursing home staff, residents, families, and their community, state, and federal partners are taking to work together and implement…
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For some time, there’s been a steady drumbeat to improve quality and safety in nursing homes, and now the COVID-19 crisis is driving an all-out call for major change. The pandemic has emphasized the risks of mass infection when frail people live together in the same facilities. The risks increase…
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“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from the Birmingham Jail The deep stain of racism continues to blot out our country’s ability to live up to…
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As the COVID-19 pandemic keeps patients away from their trusted health care professionals, telehealth offers a glimpse into the future. The novel coronavirus is having a seismic impact on the medical care of older adults in America, regardless of whether they get sick with COVID-19. The pandemic is affecting their…
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As the reality of our global state of affairs during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to simultaneously settle in and disrupt the lives of so many, the chasms that define our society are becoming clearer for some people. For others, the injustices that are being revealed are not new, and in…
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