Archive for the ‘News / Events’ Category
Some Mornings . . .
. . . I just feel like
skipping my meds
and stirring things up a bit.
Painkillers Can Kill
Regular use of painkilling medication can kill pain but also can lead to addiction and even death. Such common over-the-counter brands as Advil and Motrin are among the roots of an opioid epidemic that has spread across the nation, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths each year.
Doctors have been prescribing such pain relievers as ibuprofen for years under the belief that prevailed until recently that opioids were not addictive.
As early as 2014, the Food and Drug Administration reported that regular use of OTC painkilling opioids could raise the risk of heart attack and stroke by as much as 10 percent. Using stronger prescription-strength painkillers could increase that risk by as much as 50 percent. To avoid such peril, medical and health experts caution that these drugs should be used only for severe pain at the lowest possible dose for the shortest amount of time.
The Recognition . . .
. . . and celebration
of this season
goes all the way back to Adam
when he took a present to the Garden,
and said, “It’s Christmas, Eve.”
Moving May Damage Your Credit
Moving can result in a lower credit score because bills may get lost in the mail or may be forwarded but arrive too late to pay on time. The delayed payments, or lack of payment, become blots on your credit history.
Another bit of misinformation is that canceling unused credit cards will improve your credit score. It can do the opposite because you dump a chunk of available credit. It lowers the amount of credit available to you while increasing the percentage of available credit you use. If you do close down a credit card, do it to one with a low credit limit.
Overheard The Woman . . .
. . . at a nearby table today,
tell her meal mate
that she ran into her ex-husband on her morning shopping trip,
Then she backed up and ran into him again.
Aging Politicians Ignore
Aging Population
While there have been loud voices bemoaning the fact that we’re not paying enough attention to climate change, there isn’t even a whimper about what’s happening to our population change. It’s paradoxical that the greying heads in government are paying little attention to the graying of their constituents.
The voters’ rolls are aging at the rate of 10,000 over-65ers every day. You’d think that all those silver-haired politicians would be looking hard at how to accommodate the needs of folks who are growing old just as they are. Even the aging talking heads on television seem ignorant of what’s concerning a growing segment of their viewers.
The apparent reasoning for this blindness to a massive problem is the mantra that 70 is the new 50. And the spreading myth that age is simply a state of mind. Several studies topple this trend in thinking by supporting what we’ve always known – ailing and aching increase as you get older.
No matter how Pollyannaish we may feel, our odds of falling victim to such widespread debilitations as Alzheimer’s disease increase the longer we live. While health-care is high on the list of promises by those seeking votes, the focus usually is on the young who have inadequate coverage rather than the elderly who cannot care for themselves.
Another major concern is the strength and stability of Social Security. Predictors tell us there will be about two workers supporting each recipient by the early 2030s. This was not in any forecasts when there were more than 45 workers for each recipient of benefits when the program was instituted back in the 1930s.
I’ve Quit . . .
. . . giving advice
because my train of thought
goes off track too easily.
Wanna Make a Buck? Sucker a Senior.
Seniors – more than 1 million of them – are bilked out of some $3.5 billion dollars a year. Related costs, such as health care, social services, investigations, legal fees, prosecution, lost income and assets, reach the hundreds of of dollars annually. And for each case of reported financial abuse, there are an estimated four or more that go unreported.
Family members and caregivers are the culprits in more than half of these cases, and the most likely victim is between 70 and 89 years of age, white, female, frail and cognitively impaired, trusting of others, and may be lonely or isolated. In fact, elder financial abuse has become the crime of the 21st century.
This is a growing problem made greater by the growing number of older Americans, the relative wealth of this group, and the availability of technology that makes such abuse somewhat easier.
Family members and caregivers who financially exploit the elderly usually are dependent
upon them financially and their thievery may be influenced by such problems as alcohol and
drug abuse as well as a sense of entitlement — the culprits believe they have a right
to the money parents or charges have accumulated.
Among the reasons the elderly under report incidents of financial abuse are a fear of government interference, parents protecting their children and family members, embarrassment and self-blame, and fear of being placed in a facility or being harmed physically by the perpetrator.
Has it Occurred to You . . .
, , , that, if you’re not getting older,
you’re dead?
Future of Telemedicine is Now
Getting cured in cyberspace sounds like science fiction but it’s already here. Telemedicine – the practice of getting diagnosis and treatment via your laptop or cell phone – has been gaining traction rapidly as the way to monitor and maintain your health.
Accelerating this drive to remote medical servicing is the unavailability of health care in rural (and some urban) areas because of the diminishing number of doctors as the over-65 crowd grows at the rate of 10,000 people a day. As it stands, one out of five residents live in areas that have been identified as being short of health professionals.
Telemedicine opens the door to specialists as well as second medical opinions without taking up too much consulting time by the health experts contacted. It also reduces the stress on the patient as well as eliminating the need to travel to an appointment, which requires the patient to find a driver in many cases.
Seniors fretting about their lack of computer equipment or skills find a telephone conversation may work as well. Medicare has expanded its coverage of medical treatment by phone or computer. While not all health-insurance companies are following suit, several recognize telemedicine helps reduce the cost of health care.
For example, it allows primary care physicians to schedule appointments at any time and not just the traditional “office hours” and reduces unnecessary office and emergency-room visits. It also lowers the cost of patient no-shows.
A barrier in the way of expanding telemedicine is the reimbursement rules that require treatment to be conducted in specific sites, such as the doctor’s office or a health center to qualify. Government licensing laws also get in the way.
Federal law requires telemedicine health-care providers to be fully licensed to practice medicine in the state where the patient is physically located. Providers in health systems that have locations in more than one state may need to apply for and pay to maintain multiple licenses.
Some Coincidences . . .
. . . arising out of 9/11. First of all,
the Twin Towers look like a number 11 poking up through
the New York skyline;
add all three digits in the date 9 +1+1 = 11;
the date has the same three digits as the emergency number 911, and
the first plane that tore into the buildings was
American Airlines flight 11.
There’s more but that’s enough for now.
For Those Who Missed It . . .
. . . here’s your favorite server Brook sending you a song.
And we’re heading into another busy Verena week headed by Monday night football in the dining room, writing class and wellness presentation highlighted on Tuesday, free blood pressure checks for anyone and everyone Wednesday, another health and wellness session on Thirsty Thursday, a Hale Theater outing Friday with flashbacks Saturday afternoon wrapping up a week that included fitness periods, shopping trips and assorted games.
Mature Life Features 