Covid 19 is Still Here

CDC RECOMMENDS THE UPDATED 2023 VACCINE

COVID is still a threat and hospitals are seeing an increase in cases, especially in older adults. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) last month recommended that everyone, age 6 months and up, get the updated COVID 19 vaccine to protect themselves against serious illness. The shot became available earlier this month. This new vaccine targets the most common types of circulating variants.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, the health department said in a statement this month that it saw outbreaks at nursing homes and in wastewater in Eastern Massachusetts. They urged the public to stay up-to-date on vaccinations. According to a recent piece in the New York Times, some institutions have responded to the recent increase in COVID infections by reinstating pandemic-era rules.

Coffee and Cocoa

BOTH MAY IMPROVE LONGEVITY

Are you hooked on coffee? Many of us feel that we can’t start the day without it. The impact coffee has on our health, however, is a new and emerging area of scientific research. A number of researchers have studied the potential benefits of coffee on our physical health. According to Johns Hopkins, there are myriad health benefits associated with your morning cup of Joe. They include: processing sugar better, improving heart and liver health, strengthening DNA, and even decreasing one’s chance of getting dementia or suffering a stroke. And according to a recent article in MSN.com, a growing network of gut health experts now support the idea that coffee with added cocoa may have benefits for your digestive tract. According to Joseph Salhab, a gastroenterologist cited in the article, “…polyphenols in coffee can feed beneficial gut bacteria, promoting growth and activity… and also help limit the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria.” And according to this expert, you will add to those benefits by spooning some cocoa powder into your java. Apparently, scientists believe that the combination of coffee and cocoa can aid digestion, increase antioxidants and reduce inflammation.

GOVERNMENT / LEGISLATIVE  UPDATE

IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THOSE WITH DEMENTIA

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) introduced “Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience” (GUIDE) over the summer. This model’s goals are “… to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, reduce strain on unpaid caregivers, and help people remain in their homes and communities through a package of care coordination and management, caregiver education and support, and respite services.” The GUIDE Model will be tested by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. It further supports the goals of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease (National Plan).

SCAM WATCH

CRYPTO ATMS NOW A FRAUDSTER FAVORITE

Cyber scammers have a new tool in their arsenal: automated teller machines (ATMs) that deal in bitcoin. These machines, which have popped up across the country, can convert cash into cryptocurrency. They are unregistered and unregulated and the crypto currency is difficult to track. The scam works like many others: a fraudster sends an urgent, fear-inducing email or text, with a pop-up warning that the victim’s personal or financial information has been compromised, or that there is a billing or payment problem with a well-known company, like PayPal, Amazon, or a financial institution. The victim is directed to call a phony number and then instructed by the “official investigators” to move cash to a “safe account.” The fraudster then directs the victim to deposit or transfer cash at a local bitcoin ATM – and the stolen funds travel right to their digital wallet.

Seth & Lauren Rogen

COMEDIAN AND FILMMAKER FOCUS ON CAREGIVER

Seth Rogen, the well-known comedic actor, and his filmmaker wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, believe that comedy can serve as a weapon in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Lauren has been vocal about the loss of her family members to Alzheimer’s. Both of her grandparents succumbed to the disease, followed by her mother – who started showing signs of the disease in her early 50s. Lauren and Seth watched as she lost her ability to speak and dress – before dying at age 68. For the last decade, the two have devoted themselves to raising awareness about dementia. One of their latest ventures involves a nonprofit called Hilarity for Charity, which is focused on caregivers. As Miller Rogen offered to STAT, “My family really went through it and we saw what caregivers go through, and that really inspired our work at Hilarity for Charity…The cost of care is so unrealistic for most people. It’s just so obscene that some people have to leave their jobs to care for their loved ones.” A 2015 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, which was cited in the Stat piece, shares that the estimated cost of care for someone with dementia in the last five years of their life is approximately $287,038. Through Hilarity for Charity, the couple’s mission is to ease the burden of caregivers for those who suffer from dementia. As part of their fundraising endeavors, they organize an annual comedy event that brings together stars including Tiffany Haddish, Snoop Dogg, and John Mayer. The Rogens have raised more than $20 million and provided more than 400,000 hours of in-home care to families in need.