Chronic Illness

AIDS Services Know How to Love in a Plague

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by John-Manuel Andriote. This article originally appeared on Next Avenue.

(Editor’s note: This story is part of Still Here, Still Positive: A series on the first generation of Americans aging with HIV/AIDS, with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation.)

Just as we gay and bisexual men measured our personal histories in relation to AIDS — starting in 1981 — everyone now speaks of the world, and our lives, “before” and “after” COVID-19.

Organizations created in the 1980s to serve very ill, homebound people with HIV/AIDS are demonstrating in this “after” that there is a greater-than-ever need for what they know about feeding and caring for people with.... Read More

             

Coronavirus Pandemic Exposes Gap in Mental Health Services for Seniors

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By Dr. Marcy Adelman. This article originally appeared in the San Francisco Bay Times.

The COVID-19 crisis, and with it the need to shelter in place, have exposed gaps in San Francisco’s services for seniors and LGBTQ seniors in particular.

The city has long established partnerships with community nonprofits with whom they have a successful track record for delivering in-person health and wellness services and programs and peer support groups that reduce social isolation and increase opportunities for program participants to engage, connect, and volunteer in their communities. For people who are not comfortable with in-person experiences, the Institute on Aging provides a phone service for older adults who need someone to listen to their concerns..... Read More

             

Diverse Elders Coalition Launches New COVID-19 Resource Hub

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The COVID-19 pandemic has directly impacted older adults and caregivers in the United States. COVID-19 cases have surpassed 1 million, and there is at least one COVID-19 case in all 50 states. Individuals with weaker immune systems and underlying health conditions are most vulnerable to COVID-19, placing many older adults and people with disabilities at risk.

In our communities, COVID-19 is having an enormous impact on elders and caregivers, the challenges of which are exacerbated by existing health disparities and other socioeconomic factors, such as housing, poverty, lack of access to healthcare, and discrimination. It is not.... Read More

             

OPINION: COVID-19 Shows the U.S. Needs Universal Family Care

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by Sarita Gupta. This article originally appeared on Next Avenue.

(Across caregiving and community, business and intergenerational attitudes, the pandemic and how we respond to it could change us forever. Next Avenue turned to some of our Influencers in Aging, a diverse group of thought leaders, for their insights, counsel and opinions of what could lie ahead — if we choose.)

Prior to COVID-19, every two weeks, two women would come to clean my family’s house. They’re employees of a small cleaning service. Three weeks ago, when COVID-19 started to change how people live and work, the owner called to ask if we’d be willing to provide additional money so she could give.... Read More

             

How COVID-19 Illuminated Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities

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I did not expect that I would be writing about COVID-19 when I sat down to write a blog celebrating National Minority Health Month, however, it has turned out to be the perfect time to share the detrimental effects COVID-19 has had on racially and ethnically diverse communities, especially those living in low-income neighborhoods.

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has spread like wildfire in the United States. At this moment, there is at least one confirmed case in all 50 states. People with COVID-19 report flu-like symptoms such as a fever, tiredness and a dry.... Read More

             

The NDN COVID-19 Response Project

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This article originally appeared on the NICOA blog.

The NDN Collective has started a COVID-19 Response Project, designed to provide immediate relief to some of the most underserved communities in the country. Their intent is to quickly distribute resources to frontline organizations, tribes and individuals who are providing essential services to Indigenous communities within the next 15-45 days to provide gap resources during this health crisis.

Grant applications for can be submitted immediately. Grant review and funding notifications will occur on a weekly basis through the end of May 2020. Follow the link and prompts for Grant Application instructions and submission.

The NDN Collective is a national organization dedicated.... Read More

             

HIV/AIDS’ Effect on Aging: Still Unclear

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by John-Manuel Andriote. This article originally appeared on Next Avenue.

Craig Washington has never spent a night in the hospital because of HIV. Not even the time in the early ’90s when he got cryptosporidiosis, one of the opportunistic infections that can wreak havoc on someone with a weakened immune system.

The Atlanta-based social worker and therapist’s good health is especially impressive for a 60-year-old man diagnosed with HIV back in 1985 — the year the HIV antibody test first became available.

“For the most part,” said Washington, “I have been very blessed, very fortunate, that my health is pretty good and a lot of the day-to-day energy level I’ve been able to sustain.” He attributes his.... Read More

             

Racial/ethnic Inequities become increasingly pronounced in light of COVID-19 pandemic

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This article originally appeared on the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) blog.

NHCOA will be hosting two upcoming telephone town halls, in English and Spanish, to give space for communities to engage in education and advocacy around COVID-19. Learn more and register here.

It is becoming increasingly clear, based on evolving data, that COVID-19 is having a more devastating impact on Blacks, Latinos and American Indians across the nation. These inequities further highlight the existing health inequities that are borne out of systematic and structural racism that has existed for centuries in the.... Read More

             

Community Statement on COVID-19

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A PDF version of this letter can be found on the National Alliance for Caregiving website.

SUPPORT FAMILY CAREGIVERS

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has magnified what we’ve known all along – our institutions are not prepared to support family caregivers.

We write to urge government, community and religious leaders to please remember the challenges facing family caregivers as this public health crisis continues to unfold. Unpaid family caregivers are the backbone of the health care system in the United States, providing as much as 90 percent of all home health care for no pay.... Read More

             

8 Warning Signs of Health Problems in Your Aging Parents

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This article originally appeared on Black Health Matters.

As your parents get older, how can you be sure they’re taking care of themselves and staying healthy?

When you visit your aging parents, start by considering these questions:

1. Are your parents able to take care of themselves? Pay attention to your parents’ appearance. Failure to keep up with daily routines—such as bathing and brushing teeth—could indicate dementia, depression or physical impairments. Also pay attention to your parents’ home. Are the lights working? Is the heat on? Is the yard overgrown? Any changes in the way your.... Read More

             
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