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Clue
Answer
2 Across
A place that provides 24-hour care in a home-like setting (abbr.)
AFH
4 Across – A plan for future medical care – Advance Directive
5 Across – Short-term care for recovery after a hospital stay (abbr.) – SNF
1 Down – Help with daily activities in your own home (3 words) – In-Home Care
3 Down – A government program that helps with long-term care costs – Medicaid
We are so excite to announce this upcoming event! Aging in Puyallup has been around for over 20 years focusing on healthy aging. Join us as we look at the 5 most important areas of healthy aging!
Get a Roadmap to Healthy Aging where our vendors will teach you about the resources near you.
Enjoy a catered Lunch by Farm 12, it is going to be a Power Packed Day. $10.00 |$20.00 | $30.00
Aging Conference – April 28th, 2027 Hosted & Managed by Aging in Puyallup
This event will begin at 9:00 AM and end 2:00 PM Wednesday, April 28th, 2027. The conference will host 4 speakers, lunch, and a Roadmap to Healthy Aging.
There are many sponsorship opportunities. If you are interested sign up below.
Over 70 and Never Had a Heart Attack
New statin research may change the conversation
The important caution comes first: this study is not a reason for every older adult to begin a statin. It is a strong reason for some adults over 70 to revisit the question with their healthcare provider.
For years, physicians have had limited randomized-trial evidence about whether otherwise healthy adults should start cholesterol-lowering medication after age 70. A major study published August 29, 2026, in the New England Journal of Medicine helps fill that gap.
What the researchers discovered
The STAREE trial included 9,971 community-dwelling Australians age 70 and older who had no history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or dementia. Participants were randomly assigned to take either 40 mg of atorvastatin each day or a placebo and were followed for a median of 5.9 years.
| 30% lower risk of a first major cardiovascular event |
37 people treated for nearly six years to prevent one event |
5.9 years median follow-up in the trial |
Compared with placebo, atorvastatin reduced the risk of a first major cardiovascular event, including heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death, or a coronary procedure. Researchers recorded 297 events in the statin group and 412 in the placebo group.
What the medication did not do
The medication did not significantly extend disability-free survival. Participants taking atorvastatin did not live significantly longer without death, dementia, or persistent physical disability. Serious adverse events were similar between the groups.
The evidence supports fewer cardiovascular events among the people studied. It does not establish that statins help every older adult live longer, prevent dementia, or remain independent.
Who might be affected
The findings apply most directly to relatively healthy, independently living adults age 70 or older who have not previously experienced cardiovascular disease and do not have diabetes or dementia.
Important limitation: the trial does not directly answer the same question for people who are frail, have significant cognitive impairment, live with multiple complex illnesses, or have a limited life expectancy. Participants were also almost entirely White and lived in Australia, which may limit how broadly the findings apply.
CAYCARE COMMUNITY HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Do not start or stop a statin on your own
A treatment decision should consider more than age or one cholesterol number. A clinician should review the person’s cardiovascular risk, current medications, possible interactions, health goals, life expectancy, and willingness to take a daily medication.
For some healthy adults over 70, preventing a first heart attack or stroke may outweigh the inconvenience or possible side effects of another medication. For someone experiencing frailty, medication burden, muscle symptoms, or advanced illness, the balance may look different.
Questions to take to the next appointment
Bring an updated medication and supplement list. If several specialists prescribe medications, ask who will monitor the complete plan.
What you can do now
The larger lesson
Older adults are often treated using research conducted in younger populations. This large randomized trial provides stronger age-specific evidence, but good care still requires an individualized decision—not a one-size-fits-all message.
Churches, senior centers, and senior living communities can help by encouraging medication reviews and informed conversations while leaving prescribing decisions to qualified clinicians.
CayCare helps families organize questions, understand care instructions, and keep the practical pieces of an older adult’s health plan from becoming disconnected. Sometimes the most valuable support is ensuring the right conversation happens with the right professional.
Sources
New England Journal of Medicine study • PubMed abstract • Monash University summary
Medical information notice: This article is for general education and does not replace individualized medical advice. Medication decisions should be made with a physician, pharmacist, or other qualified healthcare professional.
The Surprise: What Families Don’t Expect When a Loved One Leaves the Hospital
The call finally comes: “Your loved one is ready to be discharged.”
It sounds like wonderful news—and often it is. But then comes the surprise.
Mom still cannot get out of bed without help. Dad’s medications have changed, but no one is quite sure which bottles to use. The walker has not arrived. The pharmacy is closing soon. Follow-up appointments still need to be scheduled, and the person coming home may require far more support than the family expected.
A hospital discharge means the patient no longer needs hospital-level treatment. It does not necessarily mean the patient has fully recovered or can safely manage at home without assistance.
The best time to discover that the discharge plan has gaps is before leaving the hospital—not during the first difficult night at home.
Discharge planning should begin as soon as the hospital starts discussing what comes next. Ask the care manager, social worker, nurse, or physician:
Be honest about what the family can provide. Love and willingness do not automatically create the physical ability, time, training, or financial resources required to provide care safely.
A person may appear ready to leave the hospital while still functioning very differently than before the illness or injury.
Before agreeing to the plan, determine whether your loved one can:
Ask to see the patient complete essential tasks whenever possible. “Able to walk” may mean walking a few supervised steps—not safely reaching the bathroom alone at home.
Medication confusion is one of the most common surprises after hospitalization. Compare the discharge medication list with everything the patient was taking before admission.
Clearly identify:
Do not guess. A physician, pharmacist, or qualified healthcare professional should resolve medication discrepancies.
A referral is not always the same as a confirmed service.
Before leaving, verify:
Families should also understand the difference between home health and nonmedical caregiving. Home health generally provides intermittent skilled services. It usually does not supply continuous supervision, housekeeping, meal preparation, or around-the-clock personal care.
Consider what the patient will encounter upon arrival:
A plan can look appropriate on paper and still fail because the home environment was never considered.
Before discharge, ask for written instructions explaining:
Use the “teach-back” method: explain the plan in your own words and ask the nurse to correct anything you misunderstood.
Before leaving the hospital, make sure you can answer:
Keep an updated medication list, insurance information, advance directives, physician contacts, and family contact information together in one accessible place. If hospitalization occurs, bring these documents with you and identify one person to communicate with the hospital team.
Most importantly, do not be afraid to say:
“We want this discharge to succeed, but we need help understanding how this plan will work at home.”
CayCare helps older adults and families look beyond the discharge date and prepare for what happens next. Our nurse-led team can help identify practical barriers, clarify care needs, explore in-home support or senior living options, and guide families through the transition.
A discharge should not feel like a surprise. With honest questions, confirmed support, and a realistic plan, families can give their loved ones a safer beginning to the next stage of recovery.
CayCare
Senior Living & Elder Care Advisors
www.caycare.com
253-777-3804
This article provides general educational information and does not replace individualized medical advice or emergency care.
