HomeCare Editors’ Top 5: Week of February 8

Steps to Stay Independent When You Live Alone
While there are many tools to help you reduce the risks of living alone, implementing them may be easier said than done. (Harvard Health Letter)

Cutting-Edge Technology Could Boost Cystic Fibrosis Screening for Newborns
Stanford University scientists say they’ve devised a more accurate and comprehensive DNA test to screen newborns for cystic fibrosis, the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States. (Barbara Ostrov/Kaiser Health News)

Boosting Life Span by Clearing Out Cellular Clutter
Mice were much healthier and lived about 25 percent longer when scientists killed off a certain kind of cell that accumulates in the body with age. (Nell Greenfieldboyce/NPR Shots)

Hospitals Employ Email ‘Empathy’ to Help Doctors, Patients Keep in Touch
“Automating empathy” is a new healthcare buzzword for helping doctors stay in touch with patients before and after medical procedures—cheaply and with minimal effort from already overextended physicians. (Barbara Ostrov/Kaiser Health News)

House Calls for Older Patients in San Francisco
UCSF’s House Calls program started in the early 1990s as a training module for medical students and residents. (Fran Kritz/California Health Report)