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Aging

Participants in a falls prevention workshop look at photos of common household hazards around a white table.

To prevent senior deaths from falls, NC providers turn to exercise and home-proofing

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To prevent senior deaths from falls, NC providers turn to exercise and home-proofing - North Carolina Health News

Deaths following falls is on the rise among seniors. But keeping up strength and mobility can prevent falls, as can making homes safer for those at risk, say North Carolinians working to counter the trend.

By Thomas Goldsmith The family tragedy often unfolds something like this — Cousin Lily, who’s 88, falls at home in August and enters the hospital with a broken hip. By Thanksgiving, Lily is gone; dead following complications. People sometimes don’t realize that Lily could still be living and that older people, in general, can increase […]

shows a man sneezing. Flu symptoms include sneezing, cough, fever and aches.

Ahh-choo! Flu season hits hard in North Carolina

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Ahh-choo! Flu season hits hard in North Carolina - North Carolina Health News

N.C. confirms its first pediatric flu death, as preliminary reports point to a bad year across the nation. Older people, children and those already ill can be hit the hardest.

UPDATE: with new N.C. flu-death data from Thursday, Jan. 9 By Sarah Ovaska and Thomas Goldsmith Time to break out the hand sanitizer – flu season is officially underway with initial reports predicting it could be among the worst flu seasons to hit in a decade. Health officials in North Carolina and beyond are watching […]

Two women interact at an adult day care canter in Raleigh

NC Adult day care centers serve vital purpose, but face stagnant rates

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NC Adult day care centers serve vital purpose, but face stagnant rates - North Carolina Health News

Adult day care centers don’t have as high a profile as assisted living and nursing homes, but provide a level of care that can allow an older person to stay at home instead of at a residential center.

By Thomas Goldsmith Time spent at an adult day care center can make major life differences for older North Carolinians who have trouble staying at home alone, and for those who look after them. For thousands of caregivers of an older person or someone with disabilities, such a center serves a place of safety and […]

Young man loads a medical needle from a bottle with a clear substance

What stories grabbed you in 2019? NC Health News most-read stories of the year

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What stories grabbed you in 2019? NC Health News most-read stories of the year - North Carolina Health News

What piqued your interest this year? We review which stories grabbed peoples' attention, got passed around and shared widely.

By NC Health News Staff Lessons from Abroad: How Europeans tackled opioid addiction and what the U.S. could learn from them. For years, NC Health News has reported on the drug-related deaths, diseases and losses that have resulted from the opioid crisis. Life expectancy in the United States has dropped for two years in a […]

shows the front of a Medicare card

Seniors signing up during Medicare open enrollment hitting glitches

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Seniors signing up during Medicare open enrollment hitting glitches - North Carolina Health News

Annual open enrollment for Medicare started Oct. 15 and concludes Dec. 7. State officials and advocates involved in Medicare benefits say glitches are slowing the process for consumers to sign up, even as the process gets more complex.

By Thomas Goldsmith A newly revised Medicare sign-up page can produce drastically inflated costs for some drugs, incorrect premiums for low-income people, and other “worrisome” results, say North Carolina health officials who work to make sure people over 65 get appropriate benefits. Top management at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as […]

Shows the computer home page for people to choose a Medicare plan

Medicare’s key means for selecting coverage has grown harder to use, advocates say

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Medicare’s key means for selecting coverage has grown harder to use, advocates say - North Carolina Health News

Controversy is roiling over the revised Medicare Plan Finder, an online tool for selecting optimal plans. Medicare says it’ll be fine after some tweaking, but some advocates say it has major problems.

By Thomas Goldsmith and Anne Blythe Advocates for older people contend that the online method many people and advisers use to select Medicare plans has gotten so difficult to navigate that beneficiaries will run into trouble trying to make their choices. Federal Medicare representatives maintain there’s real benefit to consumers in changes the agency has […]

a fence is in the foreground, with a dozen men in jumpsuits beyond it, they're sitting on benches and seveal are playing basketball. More inmates with mental illness find themselves in solitary confinement following the 2017 deaths of prison officers in NC.

As NC inmate needs persist, a $6 million long-term care facility sits empty

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As NC inmate needs persist, a $6 million long-term care facility sits empty - North Carolina Health News

Legislators voted in 2015 to turn a former mental-health treatment space in Central Prison into a long-term care facility for sick inmates. Renovations of the center ended in March, but it remains vacant.

By Thomas Goldsmith Clanking security doors, pristine cells, wide halls and private spaces for medical visits all stand ready at the new long-term care facility at Central Prison in Raleigh. The combined assisted-living and skilled nursing facility take up five floors and 32,930 square feet of former mental health care space, recently converted at a […]

shows a woman with a t shirt reading US PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE on the back leaning ovr a woman who is sitting

As Hurricane Dorian approaches, long-term care residents are moved to safer ground

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As Hurricane Dorian approaches, long-term care residents are moved to safer ground - North Carolina Health News

Concerns about wind, rain and destruction brought by Hurricane Dorian meant that more than 380 people have been evacuated from North Carolina long-term care centers, state health officials said.

By Thomas Goldsmith More than 380 older and vulnerable North Carolinians have been evacuated from assisted living and skilled nursing centers in the path of Hurricane Dorian, state emergency and health and human services officials said Thursday. An NC Department of Health and Human Services spokesman said two nursing homes had evacuated 93 residents and […]

shows the night view of the east coast with a large cyclone cloud almost parallel to southern North Carolina

Keep up with how Hurricane Dorian is affecting health in NC

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Keep up with how Hurricane Dorian is affecting health in NC - North Carolina Health News

Throughout the day Thursday, we'll be posting news and information to help you navigate your way safely through Hurricane Dorian.

By Greg Barnes, Anne Blythe, Yen Duong, Thomas Goldsmith, Rose Hoban 4:45 p.m.- Follow-up story posted with farmer “I’m not complaining, but maybe it’s time for me to do something else,” said farmer Jody Clemmons in this story, a preliminary look at the effects of Dorian on N.C. farmers: Hurricane Dorian thrashes farmer’s tobacco crop. […]

shows a street sign reading, "Watch for Senior Citizens"

Matthew & Florence taught NC lessons: Storms like Dorian threaten old people

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Matthew & Florence taught NC lessons: Storms like Dorian threaten old people - North Carolina Health News

The serious perils that older people in North Carolina face during hurricanes are lurking again in the gales and rainy torrents of the powerful storm Dorian. Across the state, prepared professionals and private citizens are stepping up to minimize harm.

By Thomas Goldsmith The specters of catastrophic hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence last year are looming darkly over this week’s preparations for Hurricane Dorian, the latest unwanted newcomer to the Tar Heel State. Across North Carolina on Wednesday, older people and those charged with looking after them made preparations, checked registries of vulnerable residents, […]

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