Stay Healthy. Stay Home. Issue 50

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Movement

We are again addressing the important issue of falls for senior citizens. As we have discussed before, it is important for us to take certain precautions such as regular exercise, home-safety modifications, proper lighting and removing tripping hazards to reduce the risk of falls. Our friend, Dr. Leslie Kernisan, Gerontologist, takes a look at another significant aspect of fall prevention and that is making sure the medications we are taking are not causing complications in this area. She covers this topic thoroughly and suggests we discuss any issues we may be having or any questions with our primary care provider to sort through what may be going on with our medications.

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Wellness

Sugary Foods. Sugar consumption is another topic we go to often because of its importance to our metabolic health. I struggle to maintain my A1C at a healthy rate, thought it is better lately due to some diet adjustments. A1C, or glycated hemoglobin, as you know, is a blood test that tracks our blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months. It is commonly used to diagnose and monitor diabetes. If we are at or near the upper range of 5.7 to 6.4, this is an indication of the need for adjustments in our lifestyle, with the advice of our healthcare provider. The Cleveland Clinic provides us with a comprehensive list of what to avoid, including some that are not so easy to identify as those in the picture below.

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Aging In Place

As we discussed last week, here are some contractors who can help us stay home. If we want to remain in our homes, many of us are going to have to make adaptations to them, some more involved than others. Here is a list of options for adapting and also contractors and providers who specialize in this area. While the Shirley Ryan Lab, which provided the list, works with individuals who have injuries and disabilities, the home adaptations are primarily the same. This was the information that was most thorough, including funding options, so I included it.

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Caregivers

The Family Caregiver Alliance lists over a dozen ways caregivers can take care of themselves, with the overall theme being, take care of YOU. We will continue to repeat that the wellbeing of the caregiver is as important as that of the receiver. This is an important, growing segment of our society as the population ages over the next 20 years.

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And One More Thing

I don’t claim to be an expert regarding Medicare Advantage, but while researching each week for the newsletter, I see this topic coming up more often. Many hospitals around the country are complaining about low reimbursement rates for treatments and, more importantly, treatments that doctors order being denied coverage. This is something to be aware of. I think most who have Medicare Advantage use a broker. It might be a good idea to consult with your broker if you have any questions about your plan. As the article points out, there are two sides to this story, but, as I said earlier, it is coming up often enough that I thought I would post something about it in case you were not aware.

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