Health Info & Resources for Seniors
Heartburn or Heart Attack? Learn the Difference
One of the best things about the holidays is gathering with your family for a huge feast. Grandma’s turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes bathed in gravy, your favorite aunt’s pumpkin pie — not to mention weeks of holiday cookies. And while that all feels great going into your mouth, it may send you on a trip to the emergency room (ER). Not surprisingly, the number of patients who come into the emergency department with indigestion symptoms increases during the holiday season, says Adam Colombo, DO, Network Vice Chairman of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke’s University Health Network. This is particularly true following Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
Tips for Harmonious Holiday Gatherings
In his 1943 painting, Freedom from Want, Norman Rockwell captured what many people can only hope for their holiday gatherings. The painting shows whom we presume are Grandma and Grandpa, presenting a beautifully-roasted turkey. Gathered happily around the table are three generations of family members smiling at one another.
Finding Relief from Painful Spine Fracture
Nancy is one of more than 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, a disease marked by porous, brittle bones that can break more easily than healthy bones. Women over 50 have a 1-in-2 chance of breaking a bone due to osteoporosis.1 Osteoporosis is sometimes called a “silent disease” because it has no symptoms before a fracture occurs.2 That’s what happened to Nancy.
Tips To Avoid Trips to the ER During the Holidays
Few things can ruin your holiday festivities faster than an unexpected trip to the emergency room. While accidents will happen, St. Luke’s emergency medicine physician Adam Colombo, DO, says you can reduce your risk by knowing some of the more common holiday mishaps and how to avoid them.
Medicare Enrollment
Preparing for the 2022 Medicare Annual Enrollment - Every year, Medicare changes the benefits on A and B, often increasing the deductibles and copays for medical services.
In addition, they change when a person will enter and exit the coverage gap under Part D. Medicare must allow Part D and Part C plans to adjust for the changes in the Medicare program, resulting in the Medicare Annual Enrollment period.
Stay at Home with Home Health Care Services
The availability of home health and hospice services can help patients retain their residence of choice, which is often their own home, but it’s important to have a clear understanding of what each benefit entails. Lisa Giovanni, MSN, RN, president of St. Luke’s Visiting Association, explains that while both home health services and hospice programs provide medically necessary, intermittent home visits, their focus is quite different.