Health Info & Resources for Seniors
Improved Diet, Exercise Can Reverse Chronic Illness
Your health, especially as you grow older, is a combination of your genes, your lifestyle and luck, says Alaa Mira, MD, Chief of Geriatrics, St. Luke’s University Health Network. “Even in your golden years, you can slow, and in many cases actually reverse, the progression of many diseases,” he said. “For example, although lung disease runs in your family, you can reduce your risk of developing lung disease by no longer smoking. Even after decades, your lungs will begin to heal. You also reduce your risk of heart diseases and many other health conditions.”
New Medicare Card
As of July of 2018, all Pennsylvania Medicare beneficiaries should have received their new Medicare cards. The new cards should safeguard individuals from a wide range of identity theft-related crimes as the Medicare benefit is no longer associated with an individual’s Social Security number.
Even so, scams surrounding the release of the cards have been reported throughout the state. Therefore, people should guard their Medicare unique IDs. For example, in Franklin County a Medicare beneficiary’s spouse received a call from “Linda from Medicare”, asking whether his wife received her new Medicare card. The consumer correctly responded that he wasn’t aware that Medicare would call anyone and asked for her telephone number. The caller hung up when questioned again.
Will Retirement Live Up to Your Expectations?
Not so long ago, retirement was a period in life that most Americans could count on and look forward to. After working for 30, 40 or 50 years, both men and women eagerly anticipated receiving a pension, having a clear calendar, avoiding the morning rush, and hitting the early bird specials. Retirement was supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation, slowing down and taking life easy.
Food for Thought Winter 2019
Corey attended the Restaurant School of Philadelphia. He has experience cooking in hotels and restaurants and has 10 years working in senior living. In his free time he barbecues his favorite recipes for family and friends, and occasionally participates in Iron Chef competitions. He enjoys working with seniors because of the home-like feel of the work environment and freedom to be creative with the menu and cuisine.
Cold Weather Safety for Older Adults
If you are like most people, you feel cold every now and then during the winter. What you may not know is that just being really cold can make you very sick. Older adults can lose body heat fast—faster than when they were young. Changes in your body that come with aging can make it harder for you to be aware of getting cold. A big chill can turn into a dangerous problem before an older person even knows what’s happening. Doctors call this serious problem hypothermia.
Senior ER Meets Needs of Older Patients
Even the savviest health care consumer can find navigating an unplanned hospital visit daunting. This is even more true when the patient involved has some level of age-related impairment such as vision, hearing or mental decline. Recognizing that the typical emergency department does not address the particular needs of older adults, some hospitals have developed special programs.