Older adults fitted with a cochlear implant have significantly poorer cognitive function than their normal-hearing counterparts, according to a study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience . Hearing loss is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, according to a release published by EurekAlert! . The researchers suggest that rehabilitation should be adjusted to the cognitive profile of the person with the cochlear implant. Moreover, the more severe the hearing loss, the higher the risk for dementia. The researchers, noting that more studies were needed on the topic, said additional rehabilitation in the long-term after implantation, tailored to the cognitive profile of individuals, may be appropriate for people with cochlear implants.

Most partnered, home-dwelling people in the United States with dementia are sexually active, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society . In addition, people with cognitive impairment and dementia often have bothersome sexual function problems that they do not discuss with a doctor, according to a release published by EurekAlert! . The researchers found that of partnered people with dementia in their study, 59 percent of men and 51 percent of women were sexually active. The likelihood of partnered sexual activity declined with lower cognitive scores for both women and men in the study. More than a third of males and 10 percent of females with dementia reported bothersome sexual problems, but only 17 percent and 1 percent, respectively, talked to a physician about sex life changes that result from a medical condition like dementia.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Comprehensive Care for Seniors Act, reports the National PACE Association . The measure directs the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) final regulation by the end of the year. PACE combines Medicare, Medicaid, and private funding to provide a community-based option for individuals who qualify for a nursing community level of care. An interdisciplinary team of providers coordinates and delivers person-centered care in the home, the PACE center, and other community settings. Currently, 124 PACE organizations operate more than 250 PACE centers in 31 states. Over 45,000 individuals are enrolled in PACE. The updated PACE regulations are expected to facilitate the process of PACE organizations contracting with community primary care providers, customize the interdisciplinary team for each enrollee, and streamline the delivery of services outside the enrollee's home or PACE center. A companion bill to the House legislation was introduced in the Senate on Aug. 1.

Research by four adviser and consumer groups found that the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) proposed Regulation Best-Interest disclosures not only confuse investors but also give them a false sense of confidence that their investment professional will make their money grow, reports Financial Advisor . The AARP, the Consumer Federation of America, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, and the Financial Planning Coalition studied investors' reactions to the SEC's proposed "customer relationship summary" form, which is supposed to help investors understand key differences between broker-dealers and investment advisers. The study found that investors did not understand disclosures regarding the differing legal obligations that apply to brokerage and advisory accounts. Most also did not understand the term "fiduciary standard;" the distinctions between different payment models, fees, and associated services; or which type of fees might cost more.

Those with Alzheimer's disease and/or dementia who can no longer privately pay for a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) are often left with no choice but to enroll in Medicaid. This enrollment frequently puts into motion a transition from a private pay residence at an assisted living community to a skilled nursing facility. A group of stakeholders has worked alongside New York's Department of Health (DOH) to explore opportunities to prevent such moves and to ensure residents continue to receive care in less restrictive settings. In response, the State of New York has enacted the Special Needs Assisted Living Voucher Demonstration Program for Persons with Dementia . The 2018-19 state budget authorized the DOH to establish this program to subsidize the cost of a SNALR for those with Alzheimer's disease and/or dementia. Through the demonstration, the DOH may issue up to 200 vouchers and subsidize 25 to 75 percent of the regional average private pay rate for the monthly cost of a SNALR for an approved applicant. An applicant must not be Medicaid eligible and must have some financial resources — less than or equal to six months of the average monthly cost of a SNALR for the region in which they reside. To date, over 50 communities across New York have attested that they will participate in the voucher program, which has budget authority for two years. For more information on the voucher program or for details about eligibility, please contact Argentum New York at (518)-465-8303 or visit ny.argentum.org .

The Harvard Business Review urges companies to pay a high level of attention to reintegrating employees after parental leave, offering several recommendations. One, support an organizational culture that regards and positions parental leave as a brief interlude and not a major disruption. Two, implement phased returns that offer "check-in days" during leave and a gradual return that ramps up from three days a week to four, then to five. A third tip is to set up mentoring programs for returning employees, where high performers who are more experienced caregivers are matched with high performers who are new parents. Other tips range from "create an open dialogue with returning women" and "be aware that this is a deeply personal, individual transition for everyone."

Lawmakers will meet Thursday to reconcile House and Senate versions of legislation to fund the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and the Department of Health and Human Services after the current fiscal year ends Sept. 30, reports Bloomberg BNA . The Senate passed a minibus appropriators package in August that provides $12.1 billion in discretionary funding for the DOL for fiscal year 2019, about $92 million less than Congress enacted last year. The House version also seeks about $12.1 billion for the DOL. The potential sticking point for the two chambers comes with funding proposals for the NLRB, which the Senate seeks to keep at its current $274 million spending level, but the House measure would trim funding by about 5 percent. The House legislation also includes policy riders, such as a provision to undo an Obama-era NLRB decision that expanded "joint employer" liability for businesses in staffing, franchise, and other contractual relationships.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 16 weeks of non-stop flu season last year leading to 700,000 hospitalizations due to influenza as well as pneumonias that occurred as complications. The CDC is therefore recommending that the general public get their flu shots well before the flu season begins this year, ideally by the end of October, reports News-Medical.net . According to CDC recommendations, older adults should be given high doses of the vaccine.

Over the past year, the Providence St. Joseph healthcare system has undertaken a systematic effort to get every single person age 65 and older — in other words, every Medicare patient — to lay out and document their wishes for end-of-life care, and to designate someone to make decisions on their behalf if they can no longer speak for themselves, reports Politico . That puts Providence on the cutting edge of a movement that could not only help older Americans and their families, but might help preserve Medicare itself, which is straining against rising costs and growing numbers of seniors. By 2050, according to current projections, Medicare's ranks will have grown to more than 90 million people. About a quarter of Medicare spending occurs in the last year of life, and much of that spending, surveys have shown, is on care that individuals and their families do not want.

FEMA is ramping up preparations for Hurricane Florence as the storm approaches the Carolinas, reports USA Today . As of Monday evening, the agency had positioned more than 80,000 liters of water, 402,000 meals, 1,200 cots, and 34 generators at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, NC. In addition, both Fort Bragg and North Field Air Base near Columbia, SC, are serving as "incident support bases" to distribute more supplies, including meals, water, and blankets, when needed. FEMA teams have also been sent to both states to serve as rapidly deployable assets, with expertise in operations, logistics, planning, and recovery. "Because FEMA and the federal government were simply unprepared for Hurricane Maria, thousands of our fellow American citizens have perished — and we now know that the poor and older adults were the most at risk," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security.