Knowledge Adventures News Today

A hearing is set for today in Sacramento for a bill which would make Medi-Cal accessible to more people. Low-income older adults and people with disabilities who make just over the Medi-Cal limit have to pay 60% of their monthly income as a share of cost, minus a set amount for living expenses. The so-called "maintenance level" is set at just $600 a month. ...

The strain of unpaid family care-giving is pressing down hard on many Nebraska residents, according to new AARP research. Nearly half of people surveyed have experienced increased emotional distress, and more than a quarter said they had to spend more out of pocket. Todd Stubbendieck, state director of AARP Nebraska, said caretakers help people stay in their homes as they age - where most prefer to be - and out of nursing homes that frequently rely on state funds. ...

Legislation in Connecticuts Joint Committee on Aging would require nursing homes to spend at least 90% of Medicaid funding they receive on direct patient care. Medicaid funding allocated through the state pays for about 74% of nursing-home care in Connecticut. The bill asks nursing-home managers to provide summaries of how they are using Medicaid dollars to support patients, including feeding, bathing and administering medication. ...

Keeping our brains active as we grow older is key to our health, and an offering of courses in Idaho is helping people stay engaged. New Knowledge Adventures is supported by AARP Idaho and Idaho State University. The program offers classes to people ages 50 and older and, due to the pandemic, the classes are virtual. ...

1:18 Continued education for older people helps keep their brains healthy, but also is a way to make new friends. Credit insta_photos/Adobe Stock A program designed as a source of continuing education for older Idahoans has a new function during the pandemic: combatting social isolation. New Knowledge Adventures is in its sixth year of offering classes to people age 50 and over. Because of COVID-19, its classes have moved online, said Carol Hourcade, who chairs the outreach committee for the or...