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A survey recently conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Academy of Family Physicians found that nearly three out of four Americans who provide care for a family member or friend who is disabled, elderly or unable to care for themselves reported caregiving had some type of impact on their health.

Results of the survey, which looked at the impact of caregiving and caregivers need for credible information about family members and friends health needs, also showed that six out of 10 also reported that caregiving caused them to lose sleep.

Among other findings were close to 88 percent of caregivers felt one or more stressors associated with caregiving and 72 percent said caregiving had some impact on their health.

“This age of instant information is a boon and a challenge for caregivers,” said Glen Stream, president of the AAFP.

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The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety published a recent study that showed accreditation in nursing homes improved patient safety issues such as staffing, training, teamwork, non punitive responses to mistakes and communication openness.

Senior managers at 4,000 facilities across the United States took part in the study, which examined four deficiency citation categories: resident behavior and facility practices, quality of life, quality of care, and the most severe citations.

The study concluded that during the eight years examined, the accredited nursing homes had fewer citations in all 4 deficiency categories examined.

The price is generally higher for accredited homes but many believe the study will convince skeptics the benefits outweigh the costs.

“It has been suggested that the process of sustaining the level of standards compliance required for accreditation can create a safety-oriented culture within a facility, and our results appear to support this contention,” said Laura M. Wag

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Sales of emergency alert beacons for the elderly have jumped in recent years as the population of older Americans continues to grow, a recent market analysis shows.

More than 2 million personal emergency alert systems were sold during 2010, generating nearly $964 billion in revenue, according to the research from Frost & Sullivan. This marked a 15.2 percent increase over the previous year.

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If any American needed a reason to investigate annuities, the latest statistics from the National Association of Dental Plans might encourage them to consider this source of post-retirement income.

According to recent statistics, employer sponsored dental benefit enrollment declined by 5.7 percent in 2010, marking the first drop in dental enrollment since 1994.

The 2010 Dental Benefits Enrollment Report revealed that only 166 million Americans were covered by dental benefits through group or individual plans in 2009, and the decrease in benefit enrollment represents about 10 million fewer Americans without dental benefits.

“While total enrollment significantly declined in 2010, the number of employer groups offering dental benefits remained consistent, compared to the previous year,” said Evelyn F.

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Theres a lot that already divides men and women, and new research indicates techniques for saving for retirement can be added to the list.

The report from BMO Retirement Institute shows that gender can seriously impact a persons approach to retirement. Men typically are more comfortable with risky investments, allowing them to achieve greater savings in a shorter period of time. Because women are typically more risk averse, they feel comfortable asking for financial assistance, which helps them avoid costly mistakes, according to the report.

“There are clear differences between men and women when it comes to retirement planning,” said Tina Di Vito, head of the BMO Retirement Institute.

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