Health Care Reform

Older people have a lot at stake with health care reform and the AARP is working hard to improve access, dispel myths and make health care affordable. Here is their list of Myths Vs Facts.
In the November/December AARP magazine , president Jennie Chin Hansen explains that a House bill provision would allow Medicare to pay doctors for voluntary counseling sessions. This counseling would include getting information about living wills, named a friend or relative you trust as your health care proxy and learning about he benefits offered by hospice care.
I wish someone had told me about hospice when mom was in the nursing home. I only found out because I happened to see a Rabbi walking around (an unusual event) and I asked him what he was doing there. He was there providing counseling and some of his patients had Alzheimer's disease. Once I joined the program the Rabbi visited, held her hand, sang to her. A specially trained and loving aide dressed, fed and did activities with mom for 2 hours a day. A special nurse recommended no more blood drawn to test the Depacote toxicity levels (which could be judged based on her behavior). Mom hated those needles that made her agitated.
Now here is an interesting story about the Death Panels myth.
Catchy phrase isn't it.......