Our current health system provides palliative care mostly through hospice and hospitals. As a result, health care providers' radar may be set to miss older adults unless they have a reason to become hospitalized.

It's not really up to the hospitals to decide what the health care delivery system should be.

This would enable older adults to access medications regardless of ability to pay. It would also improve access to services for underserved and vulnerable populations.

Regardless of wealth, older Americans carry an unacceptable burden of suffering in their last year of life. The older adults we studied who lived in the community suffered as much in their last year of life as do younger people who are severely ill and hospitalized.

For health care, I think we should have a program where the county might work with hospitals like Roseland, that do lots of charity care. Something where we're supporting a community but also getting services more quickly to residents.

All private and public hospitals have been urged to step up infection control measures and report to the [health] department unusual pattern of illness.