Who Moved My Dentures? Essential Information for Boomers on Healthcare, Aging and Caregiving

Medicare's "BLUE BUTTON" Can Help You Track Care

2013-05-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

Medicare's Blue Button provides you an easy way to download your personal health information to a file. You can download the file of your personal data and save the file on your own personal computer. After you have saved it, you can import that same file into other computer-based personal health management tools. The Blue Button is safe, secure, reliable, and easy to use.

How to download & save your health information:

Select the Blue Button to create a downloadable file with your MyMedicare.gov information.
Select the information you wish to download, and select submit.
Save the file as either a PDF or a TXT file to your computer.
Upload or import this Excel data file into a personal health record application that can accept it.

Downloading your information gives you control over your health information and makes it easy to share with your doctors, caregivers, or anyone else you choose.

Since you control access to your downloaded health information, it's your responsibility to protect it. You should treat your personal and health information just like you would your banking or other confidential information. Here are some important things to remember:

Download your data to a secure location. You may want to download your information to a CD or flash drive. Consider purchasing an encrypted flash drive for your information. You may also encrypt or require a password to access a CD.
If you want to send your information via email, you should encrypt the message.
Keep paper copies in a safe and secure place that you can control.
If you think your information may have been downloaded by someone else, call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Nursing Home Costs Top $84,000 a Year (VIDEO)

2013-05-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Nursing Home Costs Top $84,000 a Year

2013-05-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Genworth 2013 Cost of Care Survey shows that the cost of receiving care in a setting such as an assisted living facility or nursing home is dramatically increasing, while the cost to receive care at home through homemaker services or a home health aide is rising at a much more gradual pace.

Said Pat Foley, president of distribution and marketing for Genworth: "If you look at national private nursing home costs over the past 10 years that we've done this study, the median annual costs have gone up from $65,200 to $83,950, increasing at more than four percent a year."

Nationally, the 2013 median hourly cost of homemaker services and home health aide services is $18 and $19 respectively.
Homemaker costs have risen just 1.4 percent since 2012 and 0.8 annually over the past five years.
Home health aide services have risen 2.3 percent since 2012 and 1.0 percent annually over the past five years.
The median annual cost for care in an assisted living facility is $41,400. This represents an increase of 4.6 percent since 2012 and a 4.3 percent annual increase over the past five years.
The comparable cost for a private nursing home room rose 3.6 percent from 2012 to 2013, to $83,950, or 4.5 percent annualized over the past five years.

Additional Resources

Consumers can find out what the cost of care is in 437 regions across all 50 states by visiting Genworth's Cost of Care website.
Genworth's Let's Talk website offers tips for initiating conversations about long term care and financial planning with loved ones.
On Genworth Celebrates Caregivers Facebook page, caregivers can have their questions about caregiving challenges answered by a professional care advocate.
Genworth's Caregiver Support Resource helps families make informed choices about long term care.

Genworth offers these tips.

The more a person knows about the cost and impact of long term care choices, the more apparent it will become to start planning today.

Second, Build a Team. Just as a football head coach surrounds himself with savvy coordinators who are tasked with specific coaching duties, consumers should bring in outside professionals to fill in the long term care gaps.

Third, Put It In Writing. It isn't just identifying where the money is coming from. The plan should include a hardcopy and an electronic version of who your team is, their roles and contact information."

NCOA Announces New Online Portal for Older Adults Seeking Employment (VIDEO)

2013-05-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

Sobering Report for Health of 40+

2013-05-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

A MetLife Report on the Health Status of the 40+ Population paints a sobering picture. It focuses on three areas.

Obesity

Obesity carries with it an increased risk for many chronic conditions, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even loss of sight, among others.

Unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles that impact our health such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, excess alcohol, and stress affect our quality of life, longevity, and ultimately increase our healthcare costs. These numbers tell the story:

More than a quarter(27.1%) of adultsaged 50-64 are sedentary,defined as not doing any physical activity outside of work for 30 days.
27.8% of U.S. adults 18 years and older—66 million people—are obese, defined as being roughly 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight.
9.5% of U.S. adults have diabetes.
30.8% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure,or hypertension,which is a primary risk for cardiovascular disease.

It is estimated that obesity increases the cost of Medicare expenditures, per person, by $1,723 per year. The annual medical burden of obesity is nearly 8.5% of total annual Medicare expenditures.

Greater Prevalence of Chronic Disease

Data from the National Health Interview Survey found that between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of adults ages 45–64 with two or more of nine selected chronic conditions increased for men and women, all racial and ethnic groups examined, and most income groups.
The percentage of these chronically-ill adults who did not receive or delayed medical care due to cost increased from 17% to 23%, and the percentage who did not receive needed prescription drugs due to cost increased from 14% to 22%

Growth in chronic conditions during the 10-year period reported is due to the prevalence of hypertension increase from 35% to 41%, diabetes from 10% to 15%, and cancer from 9% to 11%, among those aged 45 and over.

Disability Decreases for Older Population, Increases for Younger

The 65+ Medicare population has actually decreased in disabilities. Several researchers have found that disability is increasing in the under-65 population. Several researchers
have attributed at least 50% of the decline in recent disability to change in the education composition of the population. Increases in education and health literacy have been

a major force for improvement in health over time, primarily in the area of disability.

Technology and In-Home Care
Both technology and in-home care have the potential to make very positive impacts on overall health status and associated costs, especially as people age and are faced with more incidents of chronic disease and potential accidents.

Recently back from the World Health Congress, I can report that tele-health is the wave of the future. Get ready for more care at room designed to keep you out of the emergency department, the hospital and even your physician's office.

NCOA Announces New Online Portal for Older Adults Seeking Employment

2013-05-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) launched JobSource, a new online portal to help older adults assess their work skills, identify job training opportunities, and find employment.
In March, 1.8 million adults aged 55+ were actively seeking employment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly half of older workers looking for jobs have been without employment for over a year.

“For many older Americans, employment is necessary to remain financially secure, healthy, and independent,” said Nora Dowd Eisenhower, senior vice president of economic security at NCOA. “But as industries and workplaces evolve, it is vital that older adults acquire the skills that can keep them competitive.”

JobSource (www.benefitscheckup.org/jobsource) includes a quick job match system that enables users to assess their work interested and transferable skills. Users can also register on the site to earn job skills certifications and enroll in over 30 free online courses.
The JobSource site is one product of a partnership between NCOA and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Additionally, NCOA and the Bank are working with local agencies in New Jersey, New York, San Francisco, and Virginia to assist low-income older adults with accessing holistic services to maximize their economic security.

JobSource is one of a suite of online tools from NCOA that help older adults to improve their economic security. NCOA’s BenefitsCheckUp® (www.BenefitsCheckUp.org) is free online screening service that contains information on thousands of programs available to assist older adults in paying for health care, prescriptions, food, and other necessities. Another tool, Home Equity Advisor (www.HomeEquityAdvisor.org), helps older homeowners to assess when and how they may want to use their home equity to age in place.

I am a big fan of NCOA offerings. Check them out.

Dictionary of ElderCare Terminology Available (VIDEO)

2013-05-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Dictionary of ElderCare Terminology Available

2013-05-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

Walter Feldesman published the first edition of his Dictionary of Eldercare Terminology.

It remains the first and only dictionary defining eldercare words and terms.
At 95, Feldesman has just released the third edition of the dictionary and is making it available online through the National Council on Agings website.

“Walter is an incredible example of someone who continues
to contribute to society well past the traditional retirement age,” says NCOA President Jim Firman. “That’s why we gave him the first NCOA Exemplar of Vital Aging Award in 2009. Now, we’re proud to offer his newly updated dictionary as a great online resource for anyone interested in aging.”
Feldesman entered the world of elder law informally in 1990 when his bedridden mother-in-law asked him who was paying for all of her care. He did not have an answer—so he started researching.

The result was a comprehensive dictionary that includes overviews of major eldercare fields, including home care, long-term care insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare supplemental insurance, and Social Security. The new, third edition includes a wide mix of gerontological terms, as well as financial, estate planning, and legal terms related to eldercare.

5 Foods to Promote Brain Functionality (VIDEO)

2013-05-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

Health Tap New Resource for Health Information (VIDEO)

2013-05-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Health Tap New Resource for Health Information

2013-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

I came a across a new resource called HealthTap. Essentially you can submit questions to a physician via mobile and receive vetted, peer-reviewed health information back.

All doctors on HealthTap are licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. and are in good standing.
They include doctors from leading U.S. medical institutions (like Stanford, Harvard and Johns Hopkins), as well as private practices from across the country. Admission to the HealthTap network is by application and invitation only.

Health questions submitted to HealthTap are submitted to a network of thousands of doctor across the U.S. These doctors try to answer every question that’s submitted. Questions are most likely to be answered when they have not already been asked and answered, and they are good health questions. Almost every question submitted to HealthTap receives an answer most often within 24 hours.

In addition to answering health questions, the site provides healthy tips and health related updates and articles. And peers dentify the very best doctors, through a national Top Doctor competition spanning 128 specialties in over 3,100 cities across the United States.

The winners of the HealthTap 2013 Winter Top Doctor Competition includes: Top Doctor, Top Specialist, Most Influential Doctor, and Thought Leader Awards. Doctors judged peers based on their demonstrated medical knowledge and expertise, and consumers rated doctors on qualitative factors, such as bedside manner and personality.

Winners from the competition include:

Dr. Michael Sparacino, a Family Medicine doctor from Saint Peter, MN who won the National Top Doctor Award for helping over 29 million people!

Dr. Colin Kopes-Kerr, a Family Medicine doctor from Marysville, CA who won the Most Influential Doctor in the Nation Award for connecting with both patients and doctors and providing valuable education and support.
Dr. Maritza Baez, a Family Doctor in Buffalo, NY who won the Top Family Doctor in New York for helping millions with her knowledge and care.

Dr. George Klauber, a Pediatric Urologist from Boston, MA who won the Thought Leader in Massachusetts Award for guiding the most people to helpful answers through his comments and peer review.

Dr. James W. Ferguson, a Pediatrician in Waco, TX who won the Top pediatrician in the Nation Award for helping the most parents help their children live happier lives.

Through HealthTap Spectrum, now a part of all HealthTap’s apps on mobile devices and online, people can find doctor-created and rated content, including:

Concise doctor updates on the latest health findings
Daily health tips created by doctors in more than 100 topics
Quick, personalized doctor answers to health questions
Deep Health posts where doctor share their opinions and insights
Transparent doctor-doctor consults and dialogues

“HealthTap is putting care and trust back into healthcare by placing the doctor and patient relationship back at the center of the healthcare experience,” says HealthTap Founder and CEO Ron Gutman.

“By giving top doctors a simple way to share their knowledge and opinions and get recognized by their colleagues for their expertise, and by users for their bedside manner and care, we’re creating a healthy competition that motivates the best doctors to stand out and help millions everywhere."

I have not given the site full due diligence but intend to download the app and try it out.

Sites like this are all touch points in your health care journey. Consider all the resources offered out there carefully and most of all establish a trusting relationship with a primary care physician who can help you vett the information you find online.

5 Foods to Promote Brain Functionality

2013-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

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During the back-nine of our lives, we need to be conscious about what foods we eat in order to promote a healthier and less complicated lifestyle. The wrong kinds of foods can cause all kinds of problems within our bodies as we get older. However, the right kinds of foods can help keep our wits sharpened and reduce the odds of developing various mental illnesses that are usually brought on with old age.

1. Coffee - In a Finnish study, coffee drinkers between the ages of 40 and 50 had less of a chance of developing Alzheimer's Disease later in life. There are some beliefs that it may be the concentration of caffeine within this popular drink which is more than beneficial to your health than slamming back a Mountain Dew. Another Finnish study has provided additional grounds that coffee can help prevent liver disease especially in those who consume alcohol.

2. Spinach - As spinach is rich in various vitamins and minerals, it is an excellent food to eat for a variety of purposes. A half of a cup of cooked spinach produces three times the vitamin K your body needs during the day. While some of us prefer not to have this slimy green goop on our plates, it is one of the healthiest foods you could possibly eat. Even uncooked spinach as a salad, which is far more palatable to a large portion of the country, can provide lasting effects if eaten daily.

3. Fish - Nearly every diet under the sun includes fish, and for good reason. Fish is low in calories and saturated fats, but is a great source of needed proteins for the body and brain. Among some of these that can promote protection against Alzheimer's and promote higher brain power is salmon. The omega-3 fatty acids within this delicacy to many is one of the most prolific for providing health for your brain. Loaded with docosahexaenoic acid, salmon gives the eyes and brain the fatty acids that are needed to promote development. Instead of chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner tonight, why not have Salmon and a spinach salad?

4. Carrots - These orange roots are full of vitamin A. The beta-carotene contained within carrots promotes eyesight which is greatly beneficial to those who are seeing the effects of old age. As beta-carotene is converted in the body to vitamin A, those who consume carrots and other anti-oxidants have a reduced chance of developing Alzheimer's Disease and promoting higher brain functions.

5. Berries - Another food product that is on the list for nearly every diet are berries. Eating berries and grapes helps by providing a great deal of anti-oxidants to the brain and can improve spatial memory. According to CNN, volunteers for a study by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine improved memory and learning skills after drinking Concord grape juice regularly for three months.

Regardless of how old you are, it is always best to practice good eating habits. Sitting at your desk all day and pounding down Pringles is not going to help your physical or mental health. You would be wise to include healthier choices in snacking and meals as time marches on. As we are what we eat, a healthy diet is the corner stone of living well.

Author Bio:

Jason Miner plays a vital role for www.blogcarnival.com. He is an expert in writing topics of different categories. He is helping the carnival team to grow & working on making this an even better place for bloggers.

Stroke Before 50 Not Good for Long Term Health

2013-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Adults 50 years of age and younger who experienced a stroke had a significantly higher risk of death in the following 20 years compared with the general population, according to a study in the March 20 issue of JAMA.

“Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality, with an annual 6 million fatal events worldwide. Stroke mainly affects elderly people, yet approximately 10 percent of strokes occur in patients younger than 50 years.

Loes C. A. Rutten-Jacobs, M.Sc., of Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and colleagues conducted a study to investigate long-term mortality and cause of death after first acute stroke among adults 18 through 50 years of age and to compare this with nationwide age- and sex-matched mortality rates. Observed mortality was compared with the expected mortality, derived from mortality rates in the general population with similar age, sex, and calendar-year characteristics.

During the follow-up period, 192 patients (20.0 percent) had died. Analysis of the data indicated that after surviving the first 30 days after ischemic stroke, the cumulative mortality was increased compared with expected based on nationwide population mortality data.

“This mortality remained at this higher level even in the second and third decade after young [18-50 years of age] stroke. The cumulative 20-year mortality for ischemic stroke among 30-day survivors was higher in men than in women (33.7 percent vs. 19.8 percent).

The authors observed that a long-term increased risk for vascular disease could have important implications for the implementation of secondary prevention (both medical and lifestyle) treatment strategies.

Bottom line, you need to be constantly monitored. Check with your physician.

Will “Empty Spaces” Affect Your Aging?

2013-04-30T10:45:00.001-04:00

Guest Blog by Dr. Jill Bjerke

I was working with a client not long ago who afforded me one of those “epiphany” moments. We were diligently rearranging her kitchen because she felt it difficult to work in. She said she could not find the things she needed when she needed them, items were scattered about and nothing seemed to have any order. Once we reorganized everything, she ended up with a totally empty cabinet above her stove. “What am I going to do with that,” she asked me. Good question! “Why do you have to do anything with it,” I replied. As it turns out she, like many of us, felt empty spaces must be filled. After all, if we leave them empty, does that imply that we are forgetting something or have left things only partially done? And so appeared that “aha moment!”

Read the rest here.

Stress Can Accelerate Alzheimer's (VIDEO)

2013-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Stress Can Accelerate Alzheimer's

2013-04-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

Stress-induced hormones produced by the brain can increase an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s in individuals already suffering from the disease.
This study is the first to discover the precise mechanism that causes stress-induced Alzheimer’s disease.
When the brain is stressed, it produces steroids that can inhibit general brain activity. One of such steroids, allopregnanolon.

A research team conducted a laboratory experiment on mice genetically predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s disease. The mice were treated chronically with elevated allopregnanolone levels, comparable to those caused by mild stress. After a period of no steroid treatment, the mice were tested for learning and memory.
The mice with elevated levels of the stress steroid experienced impaired memory and learning in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s development, when they normally would not display these symptoms. The brains of the mice also displayed higher levels of beta-amyloids, proteins that form plaques between nerve cells in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers noted that a similar acceleration of Alzheimer's disease in humans due to chronic stress could mean the difference between living independently and requiring professional care.

Not much more to say. Want some advice. Read my post on Caring.com on living a meaningful (and less stressful) life.

What Do You Believe About Older Adults?

2013-04-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Americans More Sedentary Than Ever (VIDEO)

2013-04-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Americans More Sedentary Than Ever

2013-04-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

A new government study says that Americans are more sedentary than ever and that includes people who exercise regularly.

Americans, on average, take 5,117 steps a day, far short of the averages in western Australia (9,695 steps), Switzerland (9,650 steps) and Japan (7,168 steps). The American Heart Association recommends 10,000 steps.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, walking a mile roughly equals 2,000 steps. Climbing a flight of stairs—roughly 10 steps—is equivalent to taking 38 steps on level ground.
A study that followed more than 240,000 adults over 8½ years found that watching a large amount of television was associated with a higher risk of death, including from cardiovascular disease—even for participants who reported seven or more hours a week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise.
"Our results suggest that exercise alone may not be enough to eliminate risks associated with too much sitting," says Charles Matthews, lead author of the study and an investigator with the National Institutes of Health. He says estimates from government surveys indicate that people's sedentary time outside of work has increased by about 40% between 1965 and 2009.

From the WSJ - All the movements a person does during the day—from getting up to close the garage to rocking in a chair—are non-scheduled physical activities that can make a big difference in terms of daily calorie expenditure by causing a person's metabolism to increase, says Gabriel Koepp, program manager of the Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) laboratory at the Mayo Clinic.

People who use pedometers increase the number of steps taken by an average 2,491 a day and boost overall physical activity by about 27% from previous levels, says Dena Bravata, a senior science affiliate at the Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research at Stanford University. Participants' body-mass index, a common measure of healthy weight, and blood pressure also decline, she says.

So

exercise
use a pedometer
make some of your tasks around the house manual like washing dishes
take frequent breaks from your desk to walk around
walk at lunchtime

Perfect example is my mother-in-law when she visits. If she is on the lower level, say the kitchen and has to use the bathroom, instead of using the one on that level, she deliberately walks upstairs and uses the facilities there. It's all about the constant little exercise. Oh she is 82, in perfect health and on no medications. She could write these studies.

Health experts say people still need moderate to vigorous exercise, which has been shown to reduce risks of cardiovascular disease and other disorders. Dr. Bassett says a doctoral student in his department conducted a study in which 58 people watching 90 minutes of television marched in place in front of the TV during commercial breaks. "They increased their steps by about 3,000 per day just by doing this during commercials," says Dr. Bassett. "That's equivalent to about 30 minutes of walking." The study was published last year in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical ActivityPedometers have been shown, at least in the short term, to motivate some people to increase their daily activity if they chart progress toward a goal in a diary. More sophisticated accelerometers, with wireless synchronization, effectively log your progress for you.

Infographic on Caregiving

2013-04-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

eHealth Caregiver Survey Presented by eHealthMedicare

Milk and Yogurt Better for Bone Health Than Cream (VIDEO)

2013-04-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Good Mood Improves Memory and Decision Making (VIDEO)

2013-04-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

Milk and Yogurt Better for Bone Health Than Cream

2013-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Cream is not as effective as milk or yogurt in promoting bone health and combating osteoporosis.

In the Framingham Offspring Study, 3,212 participants completed a food frequency questionnaire and were followed for hip fracture for 12 years. 2,506 participants had scans to see if they had decreased bone mineral density. The age range was from 26 to 85, with the mean age of 55 years.

Low bone-density puts the elderly at an increased risk for osteoporosis and fractures of the hip, spine and waist. Around one-fourth of those who have a broken hip die within the following year.

While all dairy products have nutrients important for bone health, cream and its cousins such as ice cream are not as effective, said Shivani Sahni, Ph.D., of the Musculoskeletal Research Team at the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife.

Those who had 2½ to 3 servings a day of milk and yogurt had higher bone mineral density in their hips, although not in the spine.
The authors suggest choosing low-fat milk or yogurt in order to boost levels of protein, calcium and vitamin D.

So not all dairy products are equally beneficial for the skeleton. Now you know.

94 and 95 Year Old Compete in 100 Meter Dash

2013-04-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

A 100-meter dash between 94-year-old Emiel Pauwels of Belgium and 95-year-old Ilmari Koppinen of Finland, competing at an athletic meet for veterans in San Sebastian, Spain. Though Pauwels got off to a slower start — Belgian media noted that "Emiel Pauwels has never been a strong starter, and at 94, that will not change" — he found another gear and triumped over Koppinen, hand raised in

Good Mood Improves Memory and Decision Making

2013-04-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Older adults can improve their decision making and working memory simply by improving their mood.

Researchers found that easy mood-boosters -- like giving people a small bag of candy -- helped seniors do significantly better on tests of decision-making and working memory.

Ellen Peters

“There has been lots of research showing that younger adults are more creative and cognitively flexible when they are in a good mood. But because of the cognitive declines that come with aging, we weren’t sure that a good mood would be able to help older adults,” said Ellen Peters, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
The study was done with Stephanie Carpenter of the University of Michigan; David Västfjäll of Linköping University in Sweden; and the late Alice Isen, of Cornell University. It appears in the current issue of the journal Cognition and Emotion.
The study involved 46 adults aged 63 to 85. Half of them were put into a good mood by receiving a thank-you card and two small bags of candy, tied with a red ribbon, when they arrived at the lab for the experiment. The other “neutral mood” participants did not receive a card or candy.

The participants completed the study on a computer. Those who were induced into the positive mood had a background screen that was designed to help keep them feeling positive -- it featured smiling suns on a sky-blue background. The neutral-mood participants had a similar background, but with neutral round images with no face.

In the decision-making task, the findings were clear: older adults who were put into a good mood chose significantly better than those who were in the neutral mood.

Later in the experiment, the researchers tested working memory -- how much information people can hold in their mind at any one time. Researchers read aloud a group of intermixed letters and numbers and participants were to repeat the group back in numeric and then alphabetic order. Results showed that the older adults who were induced into a good mood scored better on this test of working memory.

I think the operative word here is "induced." We can't always induce people into a good mood. So how do you go about helping people to improve their mood overall? Well maybe you start by showing them studies like this one!