Next Avenue reports that on May 12, the FCC will launch the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which will have Internet service providers deliver broadband for low-income Americans who qualify up to $50 off monthly, plus a one-time $100 discount for a new computer or tablet. Proponents for older adults say the new broadband subsidies are a step toward closing the digital divide, but more must be done to get them online. Angela Siefer at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance warned that many older Americans lack basic digital literacy, and harbor security concerns. "It's not just about giving seniors broadband access," explained Vivian Nava-Schellinger with the National Council on Aging. "It's also about giving them the information they need to engage safely online." FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said as a result of the program, "we will have a new way for disconnected Americans to access the Internet to carry out their day-to-day life." Eligible households will be able to apply for discounts by either enrolling directly with their ISP or filling out an application online. Qualifying households will include people who lost jobs and have seen their income substantially decline since Feb. 29, 2020, and Medicaid enrollees or those with incomes equal to 135 percent or less of the federal poverty guidelines.

New York State Department of Health statistics indicate that nearly 90 percent of nursing community residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 60 percent of staff are also vaccinated throughout the Syracuse region, reports CNY Central . This rate of vaccination could mean a return to normalcy is on the horizon. At the Buckley Landing community, 96 percent of residents and 75 percent of staff are vaccinated, and the effect has been profound. Vaccinations have cleared a path for family visits and more freedom for residents. "From the very, very beginning we used to see quite a few nursing community patients coming to the hospital because they were ill," said St. Joseph's Health Chief Medical Officer Philip Falcone. "We're seeing very few of them now. I really do believe that's because the majority of them have been vaccinated."

CMS announced Tuesday that Medicare will mandate that nursing communities report COVID-19 vaccination rates for residents and staff, reports the Washington Post . "We're hoping to drive increased vaccination rates among residents and staff, as well as transparency for residents and their families," said Dr. Lee Fleisher, chief medical officer at CMS. Under the requirement, which takes effect within two weeks, nursing communities will have to submit weekly vaccination data for residents and staff to CDC. According to Medicare officials, it could take two to four additional weeks for the data to start flowing. CMS will post site-specific data online so residents and families can access the information via the Medicare "Compare Care" site.

Argentum President and CEO James Balda writes in Morning Consult to note that America is now spending trillions of dollars to combat the impact of COVID-19 and urge Capitol Hill lawmakers to ensure the money is getting where it's needed most. In March of last year, Congress passed the CARES Act that includes $178 billion in a Provider Relief Fund (PRF) to help front-line health care operators and caregivers. "Far too little of that relief has been distributed to the providers who care for some of our nation's most vulnerable," Balda laments, "and the House Energy & Commerce Committee has an opportunity this morning to find out how this can be corrected." House Energy & Commerce Committee members should question Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra for answers about why targeted PRF disbursements have not been provided to assisted-living caregivers. In addition, lags in payments and denials of claims have become increasingly common. Congress should also ask Becerra for greater transparency and push for an appeals process to allow claims that may have been underpaid or denied — an opportunity to be corrected.

Seniors at Florida's Sarasota Memorial Hospital and elsewhere will be able to explore and connect socially through the Ohmni telepresence robot at the Ringling Museum, reports Sarasota Magazine . The robot is controlled via a tablet and features an immersive, ultra-wide field of view, tilting neck, far-field microphone and speaker, and extremely smooth motion on any surface. This allows patients to move independently and engage with others as if they were actually at the museum. Nationwide, more than 2,000 Ohmnis have been deployed to senior care communities, hospitals, businesses, and private individuals.

WBOY-12 reports that the West Virginia Alzheimer's Association is offering dementia training for the state's first responders to help in their interactions with seniors. Program Director Teresa Morris said the free series of educational programs will cover effective communication strategies and dementia behaviors. Sharon M. Covert, Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Association West Virginia Chapter, said dementia training for West Virginia's first responders is critical to fostering a dementia-friendly workforce. The association is offering training in two formats in order to get as many first responders certified as possible: online and live training. "The services were developed with first responders, so we hope that they are very well thought out in terms of what their needs are," Morris said. "Our services — or our programs rather, are evidence-based, so we know that they work." The association has already teamed with the town of St. Albans and its police department, and has also reached out to the West Virginia State Police. Morris said now is a "good time to push" for certifying the state police and whomever else responds to calls involving seniors.

WSB-TV reports that researchers in Georgia are looking into the therapeutic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on Alzheimer's disease. "I think the potential of this drug to possibly modify disease and help symptoms, a two-edged sword, is wonderful," said neurologist John Morgan at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Researchers injected high doses of CBD into the bellies of mice for two weeks, and learned that it helped reduce the accrual of plaque in the brain and enhanced cognition. "If it does the same thing in humans as it has done in the mice there's a good chance that it may modify the disease," said Morgan. "That's the Holy Grail." The next phase is a clinical trial of 40 to 60 people, with half getting CBD and the other half a placebo. "They created these inhalers which is more functional and more practical," said Babak Baban at the Dental College of Georgia, adding that participants will take two puffs a day, or about 10 milligrams, for eight weeks. If cognitive tests and brain imaging show a positive effect, a larger trial with more participants will be conducted.

A new study from the University of Chicago Medicine (UChicago Medicine) published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society found abdominal surgery is being performed in older adults less frequently, especially among adults over the age of 85, reports EurekAlert . "This suggests we're getting better at determining who would benefit most from a surgery, and also possibly that we've developed better and less invasive alternative treatments," said UChicago Medicine Professor Daniel Rubin. There are some exceptions to this trend, with Rubin noting that major academic medical centers "were the only hospitals that saw an increase in the frequency of procedures performed on older adults. We think this may be due to increased specialization and that some procedures that may not be available at a smaller or rural institution are more likely to be offered at a larger, academic hospital." Less surprising was an increase in certain operations like the Whipple procedure for pancreatic cancer, due to the fact that few less-invasive options are available for treating the disease. "My hope is that this research, and other studies like it, will help us better understand how to help older adults prepare for major surgeries, and help us identify which individual patients will benefit the most from surgical intervention," Rubin concluded.

AARP has called on Congress to approve a prescription drug bill supported by the U.S. House majority to cap out-of-pocket Medicare medication costs and require the program to negotiate for lower prices on some high-cost drugs. "HR 3 would crack down on drug companies that price gouge older Americans with relentless price increases, forcing them to choose between taking their medicine and paying their bills," stated AARP's Nancy LeaMond in a recent letter submitted to the chairs of three House panels. The measure would initially cap at $2,000 the amount of money Medicare Part D prescription drug beneficiaries must pay out of pocket for their medications each year. It also would require Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers for reduced prices on high-cost medicines that do not currently face competition, allowing people with private insurance to leverage those lower prices. AARP's letter also urges Congress to "improve the Medicare program by adding coverage for dental, hearing, and vision." House Republicans have proposed a prescription drug measure to set an initial $3,100 out-of-pocket limit and not require Medicare to negotiate certain prices with drugmakers.

Heritage Senior Living in Wisconsin implemented a virtual exercise regimen to keep residents fit and engaged during the pandemic, reports WQOW TV-18 . The community uses Spiro100, a digital workout program geared for residents in independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities. "Approximately over 60 percent of residents are participating in Spiro100," said Heritage Director of Community Relations Cherilyn Yealey. "It's been an overwhelmingly positive response from our residents." Residents can check out a tablet and access more than 100 different workout videos at their fingertips. "Somebody who is maybe coming back from rehab and needing to go full speed into their routine is going to be doing a higher functioning video than somebody who is maybe less capable of doing those things," Yealey noted. She said Spiro100 workout program videos range between 15 and 20 minutes long, on average, and Heritage intends to offer the virtual workout program after the pandemic.