In this issue:

1. "Communicating Research Findings to Older Adults: Best Practices and Future Directions," an AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Symposium
2. FHA's "New Research" Web Pages Include Summaries of Several New JAGS Studies
3. FHA Continues to Seek Stories for its "Health in Aging Stories Web Site"
4. Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit News
5. Hurricane Katrina Victims Offered Special Enrollment Period for Medicare Plans

1. "Communicating Research Findings to Older Adults: Best Practices and Future Directions," an AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Symposium

"Communicating Research Findings to Older Adults: Best Practices and Future Directions," a presentation held at the 2006 AGS Annual Meeting explored older adults' access to accurate and understandable health information. The symposium, developed by the FHA and the AGS Research and Public Education Committees, featured guest speaker Patricia P. Barry, MD, MPH; Stephanie Dailey, MA, of the National Institute on Aging; John Beilenson, MS, the American Federation for Aging Research representative; Peter Banks,American Diabetes Association publisher and member of the patientINFORM Steering Committee; George A. Kuchel, MD, of the UConn Center on Aging at the University of Connecticut Health Center; and Chicago Sun-Times health reporter Lori Rackl.

While the Internet is an increasingly popular source of health information, it poses many challenges for older adults and caregivers looking for useful, understandable and credible health information, the speakers agreed. The accuracy of Web content varies dramatically from site to site, they noted. At the same time, it can be difficult for older adults to navigate the Web. Elder-friendly Web sites are essential, they agreed. Such sites should be easy to navigate, use easy-to-read text, and employ strategies to increase understanding and retention of information.

Patient Resources Presented at the symposium included:

• Aging in the Know: Your Gateway to Health and Aging Resources on the Web (www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/). Created by the FHA, Aging in the Know offers up-to-date information for consumers on health in aging. The FHA's New Research Summaries are based on recent studies published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. These summaries are intended to help the public better understand the often complicated language of modern medicine and to help keep older adults and their caregivers up-to-date on cutting edge research in geriatrics. (see story below for more on this research)
• NIHSeniorHealth.gov: NIHSeniorHealth makes aging-related health information easily accessible for family members and friends seeking reliable, easy to understand online health information. This site was developed by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) both part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• www.diabetes.org: The official Web site of the American Diabetes Association, this site is dedicated to diabetes research, information and advocacy.
• patientINFORM: (http://www.patientinform.org) is a free online service that provides patients and their caregivers access to some of the most up-to-date, reliable and important research available about the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases. patientINFORM is a collaborative effort by trusted and experienced patient health organizations, medical societies, health information professionals, and scholarly and medical publishers.
• Infoaging.org: Launched by the American Federation for Aging Research in 2000, Infoaging.org is dedicated to providing the knowledge all adults need to live healthier, longer lives. The site delivers the latest research-based information on a wide range of age-related diseases, conditions, issues, features, and news.
• "Tips for Reporting on Prescription Drugs and Medical Technologies" from the Commonwealth Fund

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2. FHA's "New Research" Web Pages Include Summaries of Several New JAGS Studies

Written for the general public, each summary in the "New Research" section of the FHA's Aging in the Know Web site describes the findings from a new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS). Each easy-to-read summary begins with an introduction that puts the new research findings in context, and includes a subsection, subtitled "What Should I Do?" that offers clear advice on how to put the new information to use. For readers who want to know more, each summary also includes a link to the original JAGS study. The "New Research" section (http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/research.asp) is updated monthly.

New study summaries include:

• A Randomized Trial of Home Intervention to Reduce Functional Difficulties in Older Adults
• Chronic Kidney Disease Increases Older Adult's Risks of Disability
• Older Men with Health Problems Should Drink Less Alcohol Than Those with No Health Problems
• Quick, Simple Test May Help Identify Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive Problems So They Can Get Timely Treatment
• Self-Neglect Among Older Adults May Be a "Geriatric Syndrome"

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3. FHA Seeks Stories for its "Health in Aging Stories Web Site"

The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging is seeking stories for its "Health In Aging Stories Web site." Through the site (http://www.healthinaging.org/caregiver/) the FHA is collecting stories from older adults and their caregivers about the care that they have received from geriatrics health care providers. The idea behind the site -- which will include stories from older adults and caregivers in a variety of situations -- is to showcase stories that illustrate the difference that geriatrics care can make in the lives of older adults.

The site is designed to help older adults and caregivers find appropriate care. The FHA also plans to share the stories with policy makers and members of the Media to help them understand the unique health care needs of older adults.

Please help spread the word about the "Health in Aging Stories Web site" and encourage older adults and caregivers you know to submit their stories online. The more stories the site includes, the more information we can share with older adults, their caregivers, the Media, and policymakers.

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4. Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit News

Healthy enrollment in Medicare prescription drug plans will help keep costs, and premiums, down, government officials announced last week.

Of the 42 million older adults eligible for Medicare drug coverage, more than 31 million had enrolled in a plan by early May. At least 2 million more signed up for the drug benefit between May 1 and the initial May 15 enrollment deadline. Officials now estimate that monthly premiums will average less than $24 a month this year, one-third less than the $37 a month previously estimated.

According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 42% of those enrolled in a Medicare drug plan said they were spending less on prescription drugs, 19% reported spending more, and 30% said they were spending the same amount.

Efforts to waive the penalty for late-enrollment in the drug benefit are likely to gain momentum as the November elections near, Washington insiders predict. Under current policy, many Medicare beneficiaries who missed the initial May 15 enrollment deadline face higher premiums once they enroll. Low-income beneficiaries who meet certain financial criteria, however, will not face increased costs. The next general enrollment period begins November 15.

More Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit News:

• Medicare Drug Plans Should "Guarantee Immediate Refills" For Those Affected By Disasters, Officials Say: Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare prescription drug plans should be able to get immediate refills of any medications lost during disasters, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced recently. For more information, click here
• Medicare Prescription Drug Plans May Cover Some OTCs: Though Medicare plans can't routinely include over-the-counter (OTC) medications as part of their drug benefit or supplemental coverage, CMS will allow the plans to include some OTC medications when these substitute for prescription drugs, the agency recently reported. For more information, click here
• Older Adults May Have Drug Plan Premiums Deducted from SS Checks: Older adults enrolled in Medicare prescription drug plans can have their monthly plan premiums deducted from their Social Security benefits, according to CMS. Other options include being billed for the premium or having it deducted from a checking or savings account. For more information, click here

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5. Hurricane Katrina Victims Offered Special Enrollment Period for Medicare Plans

Adults living in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina when the storm struck last August can join and switch Medicare plans -- including Medicare prescription drug plans -- through December 31. These adults will have this option even if they relocated after the hurricane, federal officials announced recently. If an individual is unable to provide proof that he or she lived in an affected area (e.g., with a driver's license or utility bill), the plan must accept his or her word.

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To make a donation to the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging, visit the donation page on our Web site at http://www.healthinaging.org/donate/or call Lauren Kahn, at 212-308-1414.