Maureen Q. Russell, MPH, RN

Medicare does not cover the cost of assisted living facilities. Medicare (part A) will cover the cost of short-term skilled care at a SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility), such as in (some) nursing homes. TCU's (transitional care units) may be another option. These are hospital-based skilled nursing units.

It is always difficult, and often heartbreaking, to place a loved one in a nursing home. Sometimes we've promised never to do anything like that. We've promised to care for them at home always. And we remember those promises long after Alzheimer's disease has taken our loved one's memories. But the

The short answer is: no. People actually become more diverse as they age. Health-wise, 20-somethings have more in common than octogenarians (folks in their 80's). You will find elders in that age bracket who still hit the gym everyday, need no medications, travel the world and who remain mentally

Hot summer weather can be a challenge for all of us. While taking care of an elder in the summer, make sure you're taking care of yourself, too. A healthy caregiver is the best thing you can offer. An elder may seem less bothered by the heat - and continue to dress in multiple layers of clothing

When it comes to reducing the risk of suicide at home - "Means Matter". The average household is full of potentially lethal objects and substances, and it is impossible to remove them all. But you can start here:

• Firearms: the most common means of death by suicide. If at all possible, have

We can all play a part in suicide prevention. Excellent programs are available for you to learn the risk factors (for example, keeping a gun in the house is a risk factor) and warning signs (saying, "I'm going to shoot myself," is a warning sign). More importantly, these programs can teach skills you

Reducing access to methods of suicide is called "Means Restriction." Effective strategies include:

1. Safe firearm storage (gun safes, trigger locks, storage of ammunition seperately from firearms) and removal of firearms from the home of someone "at risk."
2. Prudent dispensing of medications - both

We should all take someone's suicide attempt seriously. Having a history of suicide attempt(s) places one at increased risk of further attempts - and death by suicide. Gatekeeper training programs; such as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer); SafeTalk and ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Tr

We should all take someone's suicide attempt seriously. Having a history of suicide attempt(s) places one at increased risk of further attempts - and death by suicide. Gatekeeper training programs; such as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer); SafeTalk and ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Tr