AARP Launches Drive Against Unscrupulous Mortgage Lenders
AARP, alarmed at repeated reports of wide-scale predatory mortgage lending abuses, is mounting a national campaign to fight the problem.

HHS Secretary Launches New Donation Initiative, Promising Long-Term Commitment And Partnerships
Study of Registries Ordered Because "Donor Cards Alone Are Not Enough" Delivering on a promise he made on his first day on the job, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson launched a new national initiative to encourage and enable Americans to  "Donate the Gift of Life."

Senate Special Committee On Aging Announces  Assisted Living Hearing
Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho), chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, announced today that the committee will hold a hearing on "Assisted Living in the 21st Century."

Property Tax Relief for Seniors
Many states have enacted programs to assist the elderly and the disabled with paying property taxes. In some states you only need be 55 to qualify for tax relief.  Visit this informative page at the Senior Living web site for more information.

Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment
Looking for a way to shape up? Keep fit? Stay limber? A diet of regular exercise can help. Check this handy list from the Federal Trade Commission on buying equipment.

SeniorNet Offers Free Online Tutorial On Using the Internet
This is a free, self-paced tutorial that contains, in four lessons, information about the Web, explanations about how information is collected and organized and tips for how to find things on the Internet.

Alzheimer’s Disease Testimony Before the Senate Appropriations Committee
Statement by Richard J. Hodes, M.D., Director, National Institute on Aging with promising news about the progress that has been made in the past year to understand, treat and prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.

ElderWeb Site Worth a Visit
Every so often we revisit sites that have the same interests as FirstGov for Seniors. By far the best site, and getting better every year, is Karen Stevenson Brown’s ElderWeb. See especially their sections on Housing and Care and Medicare Drug Coverage.

Subscribe To Learn About Updates on the Administration on Aging Web Site
Frequently you see articles here originating on the AoA web site. We learn about these updates via an email subscription. You can subscribe too at the AoA Web Subscription Page.

New Study Shows Alzheimer’s Cost to Medicare to Jump by 54%
The Alzheimer’s Association announces a study by the Lewin Group which shows that within 10 years the cost to Medicare of treating people with Alzheimer's disease will soar from $31.9 billion in 2000 to $49.3 billion in 2010.

Patient Privacy Rule Announced By Secretary, HHS
Statement of Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services regarding the Patient Privacy Rule

Blueprint For New Beginnings:  HHS Initiatives
HHS priority initiatives from the President's "Blueprint for New Beginnings:"

Caregiving Resources for the Aging
Long Term Care providers are increasing their efforts to develop supportive services for family members, friends, and other informal caregivers using the newly enacted National Family Caregiver Support Program. Check out the Administration on Aging pages on the Caregiving Resources for the Aging Network.

"Mad Cow" Page Updated
The FDA has added several information sources to its Web page dedicated to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), including April 4 congressional testimony from FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine Director Stephen Sundlof.

NIDA And Partners Announce National Initiative On Prescription Drug Misuse And Abuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and several national organizations today announced a public health initiative to raise awareness about recent trends in the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs in the United States.

International Guidelines Released On Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
The first international guidelines for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) --  currently the fourth leading cause of death in the US and worldwide -- were released today by an international team of scientists.

Senators Hatch and Baucus Introduce Rail Retirement Bill in United States Senate
Senators Orin Hatch of Utah and Max Baucus of Montana on April 4 introduced the Railroad Retirement bill in the Senate, legislation that is strongly supported by rail management, labor and a bi-partisan coalition of lawmakers.

The Wired Retirement Home
While academic and corporate researchers develop systems to enable old people to stay out of nursing homes, at least one home for the elderly has already been built using some of the same concepts. (This is a New York Times article and you will be required to register to read the article.)

Scientists Repair Damage From Heart Attack Using Adult Bone Marrow Stem Cells In Mice
Surprising new research shows it is possible to rebuild heart-attack-damaged hearts with adult stem cells from bone marrow.

Scientists Find New Tumor Suppressor Gene Involved In Breast, Prostate And Other Cancers
Scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas have found a tumor suppressor gene that appears to be involved in a wide range of cancers.

HHS Approves State Plans To Insure Women With Breast Or Cervical Cancer
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson approved the first three states' proposals to expand Medicaid benefits to uninsured women who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through a federal screening program.

Indiana Health Care Association Sounds Alarm On Nursing Home Closures
Record number of nursing home closures putting seniors at risk.  According to IHCA, Indiana’s shutdowns could forecast what’s in store for the rest of the nation  

Administration on Aging Newsletter
AoA released its newsletter with a plethora of information for seniors. Take a look at a partial listing of stories including Jobs for Seniors, stories about Caregiver, Alzheimers research, and congressional activities.

Testimonies Available On Dietary Supplements

Military Retirees - Last Call for Part B Medicare Enrollment
You must be enrolled in Part B to be eligible for TRICARE For Life (TFL) benefits that start October 1 and TRICARE Senior Pharmacy (TSRx) coverage that will start April 1.  The last day of the 2001 Medicare Part B open enrollment period will be Monday, April 2.  Those who will turn 65 later in the year don't need to worry about the April 2 expiration; they will be able to enroll when they attain 65.

H.R. 10 - The Comprehensive Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act of 2001
This important bill was introduced in the House on March 14. It has broad bipartisan support and introduces many new provisions affecting retirement savings plans and pensions.

Wristwatch-style Glucose Monitor for Diabetics OK'd
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a wristwatch-like device to help diabetics manage their disease.  The GlucoWatch, which is to be used along with finger-prick blood tests, measures blood glucose by sending out tiny electric currents to extract fluid through the skin.  It sounds an alarm if the glucose reaches dangerous levels.

Membership Organizations for Seniors
 Membership organizations listed on the Administration on Aging web site reflect the diversity of backgrounds and interests of older individuals. While they share some common interests, they also reflect different political, ideological, economic and social viewpoints.

Symposium Explores Dying on One's Own Terms
A symposium, "The End of Our Lives: Guiding the Research Agenda," was held recently on the National Institutes of Health campus. The symposium addressed many complex including: a "good death" versus an aggressive life-prolonging measures; and discussions for stimulating a national debate on controversial ways to end one's existence. There is also a full transcript of the symposium.

Two New Glaucoma Drugs OK'd.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Lumigan and Travatan, two drugs that treat the elevated intraocular pressure often associated with glaucoma, the second most common cause of blindness in the United States.

4-H Internet Training for Seniors on Medicare 
Teens Teaching Internet Skills was developed by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, the Health Care Financing Administration and local 4-H Youth Technology Team leaders. These parties have joined to make the Medicare website and other Internet sites accessible to senior citizens in communities around the country.

Medicare To Cover Angioplasty Of The Carotid Artery
The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) announced that Medicare will cover angioplasty of the carotid artery with stent insertion, a new treatment option for the prevention of stroke.  The treatment will be covered only under certain conditions.

Medicare Receives Clean Opinion
For the second consecutive year, independent auditors issued a clean opinion of the financial statements of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) as part of the annual independent Chief Financial Officer audit required by the Government Management Reform Act. Obtaining a clean audit opinion indicates that HCFA's efforts have succeeded in assuring that the financial statements give taxpayers an accurate look at Medicare's books.