AARP Eye Center
The Takeaway: Grandparents Go Viral, Hospitals Getting Better
By Elizabeth Nolan Brown, September 15, 2011 09:04 AM
Grandparents Go Viral: Not since 'The OGs' hit YouTube have a pair of grandparents made such a viral video splash. Bruce and Esther Huffman, a retired Oregon couple with a new laptop, just wanted to take a picture. As Esther tried to get the computer's camera to work, Bruce made monkey faces, sang showtunes and flirted with his wife. Of course, unbeknownst to the Huffmans, the computer was recording video the whole time. Their granddaughter uploaded the video to YouTube-where it's now gained almost 1.8 million views. While the video, which the granddaughter titled 'Webcam 101 for Seniors,' might embarrass some, the Huffmans have a sense of humor about the whole thing: 
"When I was 8 years old, my uncle paid me five cents if I'd make a monkey face and I've been working on it all these years," Bruce told ABC News. "I never knew it'd make me famous. He's up in heaven and he'd be amazed at what's going on right here, right now."
What do you think-is this all in good fun, or does it perpetuate negative stereotypes about older adults and technology?
It's Getting Better? Hospital horror headlines are common these days, but a new report from the Joint Commission (the country's leading hospital accreditation board) says hospital performance has been steadily improving. About 14 percent (or 405) of the 3,000 eligible hospitals scored 95 or above for following treatment standards, such as giving heart attack patients aspirin upon admission. You can check out the Commission's list of top performing hospitals here.
A disproportionate share of small, rural and Veterans hospitals made the list-though none of the 17 medical centers listed by U.S. News & World Report as the country's best hospitals (including big boys like Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic) made the cut. Reps from these hospitals say it's because the commission focused on process, not outcomes, and also ignores the fact that they get trickier cases. But for measures like giving pneumonia patients the flu vaccine or properly removing hair before surgeries, "I would not say that the difference in case mix is very relevant," Nancy E. Foster, vice president for quality and patient safety at the American Hospital Association, said. Next year, the Joint Commission plans to withhold accreditation from any hospital that posts a composite score below 85 percent.
Thursday Quick Hits: Older workers are skeptical that President Obama's jobs plan will have any effect on their circumstances ... Breast and cervical cancer rates are rising worldwide ... The 'Caveman diet' is gaining traction ... Harvard researchers, not satisfied with the new USDA dietary guidelines, released their own modified version called the Healthy Eating Plate ... And AARP talks to film critic Roger Ebert about his new memoir, Life Itself.