Veggies Slow Mental Decline If You Eat Right Amount

For six years researchers at Rush University studied the nutritional intake and memory of more than 3,700 adults over 65.

Those who ate more than two cups of vegetables a day had a 38% slower rate of mental decline than those who ate less than half a cup.

Good nutrition contributes to healthy aging. The recommended amount of fruits and vegetables a day are between 3.5 to 6.5 cups.

So as you make those New Year's diet resolutions keep your veggies in mind.

States Let Kids Opt Out of Gym - No Wonder We Have a Problem

The habits we start young can have a nasty way of sticking around if we're not careful. That is why this USA Today article on students being able to opt out of gym is so distressing.

According to the article, the number of states that allow students to waive or substitute physical education classes has grown from 27 to 32 since 2006, according to Paula Kun, a spokeswoman for the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

Evidently students in those states can skip physical education if they enroll in interscholastic sports, marching band, cheerleading or other activities. I buy the sports angle but band??

According to the article, "The increase in waivers stems from a push for students to take more courses and efforts within school districts to save money", says Stephen Jefferies, a Central Washington University professor of physical education and public health.

Christmas Gift - Good News for Alzheimer Patients and Caregivers

Congress has passed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (N.A.P.A.), which would create the National Alzheimer’s Project for the coordination of government efforts in preventing and treating the disease, along with establishing a national strategy for defeating Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America called the law’s passage a “victory both for families struggling with this disease each day and for organizations striving to make a difference.”

Commonwealth Fund - Boomers to Benefit from HC Reform

The Commonwealth Fund has released a report that details how boomers, particularly ages 50 to 64, will benefit from health reform.

Among the conclusions:
•    offering new plans for people with preexisting conditions who cannot get health insurance
•    banning lifetime limits on insurance policies
•    requiring health plans to insure all who apply, preventing health plans from charging higher pre- miums to sicker people, and limiting how much premiums can rise by age, beginning in 2014
•    requiring coverage of preventive care and immuni- zations without cost-sharing
•    helping to preserve employer-based coverage for employees retiring between the ages of 55 and 65
•    creating a new long-term care insurance program, beginning in 2012
•    significantly expanding Medicaid eligibility to cover all adults with incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty level, beginning in 2014
•    creating new state health insurance exchanges with subsidized private insurance for people with low and moderate incomes, up to 400 percent of pov- erty, beginning in 2014

Some of the biggest opponents of reform stand to gain the most. More here.

Caregiver Relief Fund - A Perfect Thing to Consider for the Holidays

Limited time and chronic exhaustion are the two things that caregivers face in their lives.

The Caregiver Relief Fund was established in 2009 to provide caregivers with both respite and time needed to put a long-term plan in place for a loved one.

The Fund provides vouchers for at-home care and for recharge mini-getaways. Vouchers for professional at-home care services are donated or purchased on behalf of the Caregiver Relief Fund. They award these vouchers to caregivers, giving them time to address their personal needs and financial resources to invest in their own well-being.

The Fund selects individuals who have been in a caregiving role for a chronically ill individual, elder or disabled person for 12 months or longer. Caregiver applicants also must have an individual income of $80,000 or less per year. Caregivers fill out an application form, share their caregiving story and go through an interview. The Fund then selects and matches the available relief funds with the needs of the caregiver.

Check it out for yourself or a loved one. 

Where You Live May Impact How You Retire

Ameriprise Financial's New Retirement Mindscape® 2010 City Pulse Index examined the 30 largest U.S. metropolitan areas to determine where consumers are the most prepared for and confident about retirement. Minneapolis-St. Paul claimed the top spot on the retirement readiness index, followed by Raleigh-Durham (#2) and Nashville (#3); Los Angeles (#30) ranked last with Indianapolis (#29) and Orlando (#28) rounding out the bottom three.

Metropolitan areas were scored based on responses to a national survey which measured consumers’ likelihood to have determined the amount of money they need to save for retirement and their actual saving habits. The index also takes into account if people have planned for a variety of activities during retirement and expressed confidence about achieving their retirement goals.

In top ranked cities, residents make retirement planning a priority. In Minneapolis-St. Paul for example, 83% of survey respondents say they have set aside money for retirement, compared to a national average of 69%. In Raleigh, 80% of people surveyed say they’ve given a lot of thought to the activities they’d like to pursue during retirement.

Does where you live influence how you prepare for retirement? It's an interesting question. What do you think?

Share Your Caregiver Stories (Prizes Involved!)

ElderCarelink has launched the “Share Why You Care” contest.

They invite caregivers to share their caregiving journeys by submitting their stories. Readers will vote to award their favorite caregiver a day of pampering.

“Carol Bradley Bursack, ElderCarelink Editor-in-Chief said. “The real value of the ‘Share Why You Care’ contest is its ability to make caregivers’ voices heard.”

Through sharing their inspiring stories in the “Share Why You Care” contest, Caregivers from across the country enter for a chance to win a free spa day and in-home care of their loved one for a day, among other weekly and runner-up prizes.

Losing Our Parents - Great Resource for Caregivers and Those Who Have Lost a Loved One

Are you experiencing stress, grief, and confusion? Do you need some help, advice, or non-judgemental venting space?

Losing Our Parents is an Internet-based community offering free peer support & education for individuals like you, who live with the stress, upset, and rollercoaster of emotions surrounding your parent's death or declining health.

To quotes from their site:

"We know what it is like to feel overwhelmed, isolated, and deeply sad when a parent's health declines.

We know what it's like to have only a few months, or even moments, left with our loved ones.

We know how hard it is when a parent dies.

Did you ever think that this would be so difficult?

Please know that you are not alone. Everyone is a son or daughter, and losing our parents is a timeless, universal issue."

Visit Losing Our Parents.

Exposure to Tobacco Smoke Cause IMMEDIATE Body Damage

A new report by U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin says that exposure to tobacco smoke - no matter how small - causes immediate damage to your body that can lead to serious illness or death.

The report, How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease, finds that cellular damage and tissue inflammation from tobacco smoke are immediate, and that repeated exposure weakens the body's ability to heal the damage.

The research also concludes, no surprise, that cigarettes are designed for addiction and that the design and contents of current tobacco products make them more attractive and addictive than ever before. Today's cigarettes deliver nicotine more quickly and efficiently.

Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mixture of more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds. Every exposure could damage DNA. Exposure also decreases the benefits of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.

Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can cause cardiovascular disease and could trigger acute cardiac events, such as heart attack. Smoking causes many other harmful effects making it harder for diabetics to control their blood sugar.  Smoking makes it harder for women to get pregnant and can cause a miscarriage, preterm delivery, low birth weight, as well as damage to fetal lungs and brain tissue.


Thank God I do not smoke but I am exposed to it all the time. My heart goes out to smokers, who I believe want to quit but don't know how or have the support to do so. We must help them by giving them our support in whatever way possible.

Alzheimer's Campaign Puts Faces to the Disease

The Alzheimer’s Association and Pfizer are collaborating to help raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. Entitled “It’s Time to Face Alzheimer’s," the effort encourages people to share photos and stories related to their personal experience with the disease in an effort to show the real and varied “faces” of Alzheimer’s.  The initiative will culminate with a featured float, called “The Boomer Express,” in the 122nd Tournament of Roses® Parade on New Year’s Day.  

This website will showcase the submitted photos and stories through an interactive Faces of Alzheimer’s mosaic.

The float that will follow the 5.5 mile route at the Rose Parade, themed Building Dreams, Friendships & Memories, on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif. The float is a 55-foot long train that will ring its bell every 70 seconds to represent how frequently someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease.

Medicare Rules Too Stringent Courts Find

Federal courts in Pennsylvania and Vermont have ruled that the Obama administration's Medicare standards are too stringent when it comes to deciding if a patient is eligible for skilled nursing home care or home health.

The Federal District Court in Pittsburgh disagreed with Medicare's decision to terminate coverage of an 81-year-old woman who required skilled nursing care, physical therapy and occupational therapy in a nursing home after a hip replacement. After five weeks of treatment, Medicare ended her coverage claiming that she had not improved and wasn't likely to. In the Vermont case, Medicare terminated coverage of a 66-year-old woman who was getting home health services after suffering from two strokes.

The federal court there ruled that Medicare improperly denied the woman coverage. Her lawyers argued, successfully, that home therapy was needed to keep her condition from deteriorating, The New York Times reported.

Following these two rulings, 17 House Democrats wrote President Obama a letter asking for more relaxed standards. The letter pointed out that many chronic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, require regular therapy to prevent further deterioration.

Care.com Caregiving Seminar Series

Care.com is hosting a new, free webinar series focused on the challenges and joys of senior caregiving.  The first webinar, Passing the Turkey and the Torch | Senior Caregiving and the Holidays will cover the warning signs to look for and helpful tips for having challenging conversations with siblings and aging loved ones.

It is taking place December 14th from 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST and will be hosted by Care.com’s senior care expert and LICSW, Jody Gastfriend. 

Register online.

Obesity Accounts for 17% of Medical Costs

A National Bureau of Economic Research study found that obesity actually accounts for 17 percent of all medical costs annually, well up from a previous estimate.

Researchers at Cornell University and Lehigh University concluded medical costs are close to $170 billion per year. Understated self-reporting and overly cautious research gathering in previous studies stopped short of saying obesity caused medical costs when other factors could be responsible.

Obesity adds $2,800 to a person's annual medical bill. Researchers were trying to more accurately show the medical care consequences of obesity. I guess they succeeded.

See related post.

Mile a Day Keeps Dementia Away

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered a link between walking more and better mental function in old age. The research group began following the physical and cognitive activities of 300 older adults, with an average age of 78, in 1989.
After charting the group's walking habits for nine years, each participant was given a brain scan. All were declared to be in good cognitive health. Four years later, roughly one-third of the group members had developed dementia, according to the study. Researchers discovered a correlation between the distance a person walks and the preservation of the gray matter of the brain.

Those who walked roughly six to nine miles per week had better gray matter preservation. The study does not prove that walking causes the preservation of cognitive function—only that those who walk appear to have better preserved mental acuity.

I'd start walking!

Have an Extra Quarter Million - You'll Need It to Cover HC Costs in Retirement

The nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) has released new figures on what retirees need to have in their nest egg in order to fund their health care costs assuming they retire at 65. Men retiring in 2010 will need anywhere from $65,000-$109,000 in savings to cover health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses in retirement if they want an even chance of being able to have enough money; to improve the odds to 90 percent, they'll need between $124,000-$211,000.

Women retiring this year at 65 will need even more: between $88,000-$146,000 in savings if they are comfortable with a 50 percent chance of having enough money, and $143,000-$242,000 if they want a 90 percent chance.

The new EBRI analysis details how much savings an individual or couple will need to cover Medicare and outof-pocket health care expenses in retirement. Some prior estimates have been revised downward because of Medicare Part D (prescription drug) cost sharing that will be phased in by 2020 due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

As I have been saying Paul Fronstin, director of EBRI's Health Research and Education Program, and a co-author of the report reiterates, “Because employers are continuing to scale back retiree health benefits, and policymakers may soon begin to address Medicare's funding shortfall, more of the financial costs of health care will be shifted to Medicare beneficiaries in the future."

The analysis deliberately does not factor in the savings needed to cover long-term care expenses or the fact that many people retire prior to becoming eligible for Medicare.

Persons currently at age 55 will need even greater savings when they turn 65 in 2020. For men retiring in 2020 range you’ll need $111,000 to $354,000, while needed savings for women range from $147,000 to $406,000 (in 2020 dollars), depending on their source of health insurance coverage to supplement Medicare, any employer subsidies, prescription drug use, and their savings goal.

Alzheimer's Association Introduces TrialMatch

Every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer's. In 2050, experts project there will be nearly one million new cases annually.

The Alzheimer's Association has developed TrialMatch, a confidential interactive tool that provides comprehensive clinical trial information and an individualized trial-matching service for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. New ways to detect, treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease and related dementias come from these trials so it is important to get people registered in them.
 

Alzheimer's Association TrialMatch is a free service. The web-based patient and clinical trial matching service is also accessible via a toll-free telephone number: 800-272-3900.

Participants create a TrialMatch profile. The Alzheimer's Association compares your unique profile to its comprehensive, up-to-date clinical trial database. With patient's permission, an Alzheimer's Association Contact Center specialist contacts people with unbiased trial result options and trial site contact information.

According to the Association, clinical trials present an opportunity to play a more active role in their treatment - ultimately contributing to scientific discovery and benefiting future generations.

Prevention Screens - Are They Really Free?

According to a report by Minnesota Public Radio healthcare screenings may not be free for all people come January 1. That is when Medicare will begin covering these tests 100 percent. But the experts say, for other plans, there are myriad exceptions.

 

There are exemptions under the new law for health plans that were in place before health reform took effect. Patients may become liable for co-pays and health providers can also trigger out-of-pocket costs by the way they bill for these procedure.

 

Don't assume you are covered. Check with your employer and check with your insurer.

Telethon to Support Alzheimer’s Research

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is having what is billed as the first-ever telethon for this disease. Al Roker of The Today Show hosts this event, which airs December 4.
A laundry list of celebrities affected by loved ones with the disease are lined up to speak and entertain. Healthcare professionals and caregivers from across the country will also participate.
You can find out more here.

Garlic, Cheese, Yogurt and Honey - Alternate Flu Cures?

Garlic. Yogurt. Steamed pears. Not all seniors believe it's just the flu shot that prevents the flu. Many believe in various foods and treatments to stave off the seasonal bug, according to a study.
Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University surveyed seniors in nine different countries to discover what techniques those who did not get a vaccine use to stay healthy. Roughly one-third of participants did not get a vaccine. The highest rate of vaccination was in Canada (93%), while the lowest rate was in Nigeria (31%).

Seniors who skipped the vaccine reported a wide range of indigenous practices to help prevent illness. Canadians said eating garlic helped fend of the flu, while the Greeks ate cheese, yogurt and honey as a cure. Seniors in Turkey, Brazil, Nigeria, China and the U.K. reported drinking (or sometimes bathing in) herbal teas and hot lemon to preserve health. Steamed pears were the treatment of choice for South Koreans. Indonesian seniors practiced “Kerokan,” defined as “chafing someone with a coin as a medical treatment.”

Seniors are at heightened risk from the effects of the flu, and should get annual vaccines, researchers conclude. It is important to regularly remind seniors about flu shots, and to create a culture in which flu shots for seniors are the norm, according to the researchers.

Source: McKnights