On June 3, 2026, the FDA updated its safety communication for the Hintermann Series H3 total ankle replacement. If your ankle is working well, FDA does not recommend surgery to remove the implant—but you should keep follow-up appointments and contact your clinician promptly if you notice new or worsening symptoms such as pain, swelling, inability to bear weight, instability, unusual noises, or weakness around the device.
Starting September 8, 2026, CMS will roll out a risk-based approach for routine nursing home surveys for certain higher-performing facilities. A “high performer” icon will appear in Medicare’s Care Compare—but it does not replace complaint investigations or health-and-safety surveys when concerns arise. Here’s how families can interpret the icon and take practical next steps.
If you have a Hintermann Series H3 total ankle replacement—or are considering one—FDA says the long-term risk of device failure and possible revision surgery is higher than expected. FDA advises keeping follow-ups and contacting your health care provider promptly if specific new or worsening symptoms appear.
During extreme heat, some common medicines can make dehydration, dizziness, and heat illness harder to manage—especially for adults 65+. Learn which medication types to ask about, what urgent symptoms to watch for, and what to do now without stopping prescriptions.
The American Cancer Society now includes a blood-based colon cancer screening option, but for older adults on Medicare it is not a true stand-in for colonoscopy. Coverage has strict rules, colonoscopy is still better at finding precancerous growths, and a positive blood test still means follow-up colonoscopy.
Most adults born before 1957 are generally presumed protected against measles, so an MMR shot is not automatically recommended for every older adult. But some seniors should still ask about MMR now because of healthcare work, travel, outbreaks, uncertain records, or an older measles vaccine that may not have worked well.
CDC now recommends one RSV vaccine dose for all adults 75 and older, with the best timing in late summer or early fall before RSV usually spreads widely. For many older adults, the practical question is how to fit RSV protection into a fall vaccine visit alongside flu and COVID-19 shots.
Falls remain one of the biggest injury risks for adults 65 and older, and CDC says the age-adjusted fall death rate rose from 64.7 per 100,000 in 2018 to 78.4 in 2024. The good news: many falls can be prevented with the right mix of exercise, medication review, vision care, and home safety.
Falls remain the leading cause of injury death for adults 65 and older, and recent CDC data show the death rate is still rising. The good news: many falls can be prevented with a mix of eye care, home changes, safer medicine use, and strength-and-balance work.
CDC’s updated adult RSV guidance says many older adults should get one RSV vaccine dose before fall respiratory season. For people 75 and older, and for adults 50 to 74 at higher risk, the key questions are when to plan vaccination and what to expect afterward.
Original Medicare can pay for some hearing tests in 2026, but hearing aids are still usually excluded. Here is what changed, what did not, and what to compare.
Current U.S. guidance says adults 75 and older who have never had an RSV shot should get one dose now, with no repeat dose advised at this time.
An NIH-backed 20-year follow-up links one specific speed-training program—not all brain games—to fewer dementia diagnoses. Here’s what it means.
As of April 2026, the federal nursing home staffing rule is no longer being phased in. Here’s what it would have required and what families should watch now.
Chewing problems can change what older adults eat. Learn how dentures, dry mouth, and sore teeth affect nutrition and when to get care.
CDC says adults 75 and older should get one RSV shot, and adults 50 to 74 should get it only if they have certain high-risk conditions, frailty, or nursing home residence. For healthy adults under 75, current guidance usually means you can wait. ([cdc.gov](https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/hcp/vaccine-clinical-guidance/adults.html))
CDC says this season’s flu shot offered lower-than-usual protection in adults, but that does not mean it was useless. For people 65 and older, the key steps now are to stay vaccinated, use an age-preferred shot when possible, and seek antiviral treatment quickly if symptoms begin.
CDC’s new nursing-home respiratory virus toolkit gives families a practical way to ask better questions. If you are choosing, visiting, or monitoring a nursing home, here are the five things to ask about vaccines, testing, treatment, outbreak response, and communication.
A November 6, 2025 study found that hearing loss was common among Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older, but hearing aid use was much lower. Here is what the study found, what Original Medicare does and does not cover, where OTC hearing aids may fit, and when it is time to get tested.
As of March 27, 2026, the CDC still clearly recommends 2 doses of the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine for adults 65 and older. Here is how the timing works, why age still matters, what Medicare covers, and what remains uncertain.
CMS has finalized its 2026 Medicare Advantage payment update, outlining how plan payments, risk adjustment, and quality bonuses will change next year. Here’s what that could mean for premiums, extra benefits, and provider networks.
Adults 65 and older remain at highest risk for severe COVID-19. Here’s what the CDC and FDA say about the 2025–2026 vaccine update, how well it protects against hospitalization, and how Medicare covers the cost.
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