The growing number of aging Iowans means more are dealing with Alzheimer's disease. Some 64,000 in the state suffer from this disease at a time when Iowa is tightening its Medicaid system, which pays for long-term nursing home care for Alzheimer's patients.
The number of suicides among men 75 years or older has increased to the highest level in more than a decade, and federal data indicate that the rate is likely to worsen. But the problem gets little attention, Iowans dealing with the problem said.
Suicide prevention is getting attention in Iowa from several approaches. For example, the Legislature in 2014 directed the Iowa Department of Public Health and Department of Education to collaborate on
