Health Info & Resources for Seniors
Fresh Air and Sunshine Improve Physical and Mental Health
To reduce your risk of exposure to COVID-19, it’s important to heed the recommendations of public health officials regarding social distancing but that doesn’t mean you have to stay cooped up indoors, says geriatric specialist Roopa Anmolsingh, MD of St. Luke’s Senior Care Associates.
“It’s true that older adults are more susceptible to both getting COVID-19 and having serious complications from it,” she says. She explains that as we age, our immune system also changes in its ability to fight disease and our cells become less adept at identifying pathogens, which are organisms that cause disease. To make matters worse, many older adults have other conditions, such as malnutrition, diabetes, COPD and cardiovascular disease, which lower their ability to fight an infection.
Morningstar Memory Café Opening in Lehigh Valley, PA
By 2050 it is estimated that 32 million Americans will be living with some form of dementia. That puts tremendous pressure on us living in the Lehigh Valley community to help improve the lives of people living with diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Early Onset Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, Vascular Dementia, etc. Surely there are opportunities for people to move to memory care accommodations in the Lehigh Valley, but that is not the solution for the large majority of people living with these diseases. Family members want to provide care ‘at home’ for their loved one who is living with the disease, and long term care in a quality memory support care facility may not be financially feasible.
Colorectal Screening Saves Lives
We have made great strides in preventing, detecting and treating colon cancer. Despite a steady decrease in colorectal cancer among older Americans, many more lives could be saved with appropriate screening and early treatment, says Mechu Mey Narayanan, MD.
Consistent Workouts Are Key to Staying Fit
To maintain your current fitness as you grow older, it’s important to make exercise part of your daily routine. Even a short period of inactivity can result in significant loss of fitness. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends working out at least 150 to 300 minutes per weeks, says John Graham, senior network administrator, Fitness & Sports Performance, St. Luke’s University Health Network. That equates to 30-60 minutes per day at least five days per week.
NOTICE: St. Luke’s Older Adult Meal Plan Stopped Temporarily
Out of concern for your health and the health of our patients, St. Luke’s University Health Network is temporarily stopping the Older Adult Meal Program offered at several hospitals.
The stoppage is needed to reduce the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus. After there is no longer a health risk, the program will again offer healthy $3.99 meals to adults 65 and older.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
READ Your Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits
Medicare fraud is a problem that costs taxpayers between $60 to $90 billion per year. Last year, as part of “Operation Double Helix”, law enforcement agencies charged 30 people with defrauding Medicare of $2 billion dollars by performing unnecessary genetic tests on saliva samples from beneficiaries. Although law enforcement is making strides in tracking down these criminals, for every scam they shut down, it seems a new scam rears its head. We know it pays to be informed and vigilant - so, is there a way for you to detect potential fraud? Yes! By reading your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN, or “This Is Not a Bill” statement) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your Medicare Advantage plan.