Archive for April, 2010
Medicare, The Good, the Bad, the Indifferent
Medicare, The Good, the Bad, the Indifferent
Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law on July 30, 1965, by then-President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson. A lot of changes have been made to both health care systems over the years.
The good thing about Medicare and Medicaid is that they do provide some health care coverage to older Americans as well as to poor Americans and disabled Americans. The (controversial) drug benefit was added on December 8, 2003, when the president of the United States, George W. Bush, signed the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) into law. There are those who question the value of this act, but there are others who think that it is the best we can do.
There are also some very bad things about Medicare and Medicaid that nobody in power seems very interested in fixing. The biggest problem is that there is no provision for extended care. One of the greatest fears of older Americans is that they will require the need for extended care in a nursing home. The cost of these total care facilities is astronomical. An entire lifetime of savings can be decimated in short order. The cost of private extended care insurance is prohibitive for most. Another bad thing is that the cost of Part B Medicare continues to rise each year and the cost usually exceeds the cost of living increase in Social Security.
Medicare and Medicaid are both better than nothing at all, but sometimes not by much. The drug benefit isn’t all that beneficial to most, and the rising cost of the deductible is forcing some older people to choose between food and medicine. Medicare and Medicaid could use a major overhaul, but don’t hold your breath.
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Health Concerns of Senior Citizens
Health Concerns of Senior Citizens
Sometimes it seems that the older we get, the more our lives revolve around our next doctor’s appointment. We also seem to start having more and more appointments with doctors other than our regular GP. We see specialists, and lots of them. Many older people must see dermatologists, cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, allergy specialists, rheumatologists, (heaven help us) oncologists, and others.
Most of the time, regular family doctors can and do handle many of the problems of those who are reaching their “golden” years. But often, even long-time family doctors must refer their patients to specialists. Sadly, most often older people get their first referral to a specialist after they wake up in a hospital emergency room after a serious health incident like a heart attack or a stroke. Many of these emergency health problems could be avoided with just some special attention to health issues of those who are getting older.
First of all, anybody over the age of 40 (and that certainly isn’t old) should have their blood pressure checked regularly. Between the ages of 40 and 50, checking blood pressure once every month or so should be sufficient unless a problem is noted. However, after the age of 50, both men and women should have their blood pressure check a minimum of once a month and more often wouldn’t hurt a thing.
People over the age of 65 should schedule regular monthly doctor visits whether they are sick or not. Many times, just a regular physical examination can alert the doctor to a potential problem and help the patient avoid an emergency situation.
All of us can eat a healthy, lowfat diet and engage in regular low-impact exercise. Just staying trim and fit can eliminate many emergency health situations for older people.
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Growing Old Gracefully
Growing Old Gracefully
“Growing old gracefully” what does that mean, exactly? Does it mean that you should just sit there and accept whatever time does to you? Does it mean that you shouldn’t fight back? Hmmmm. If everybody subscribed to the “growing old gracefully” theory, the hair coloring and wrinkle cream-making companies would have to pack up their tents and slip away in the night. I don’t really think that they need to worry about it, though. Growing older isn’t an option, but looking older than you really are is an option, and it is an option that most people, well, opt for.
Somewhere around the ripe old age of 30, women, as well as men, begin to notice the first little tell-tale signs of aging. You wouldn’t have much luck trying to convince them that growing old was just a natural process and that they shouldn’t waste their time and money trying to fight the signs of aging. No, indeed! Many women want to have their beauticians color or highlight their hair. Men buy those “save-the-hair” products PLUS the at-home hair coloring products. Men grow beards to hide those fine lines, while women spend a small fortune on anti-wrinkle creams and plastic surgery if they can afford it.
The age-old (pun intended) battle continues through the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Usually somewhere around the age of 70, most people begin to think about starting just to accept the fact that they are no longer young and can’t expect to look young. Of course, accepting the fact and stopping using anti-wrinkle cream and/or hair coloring products are two different things. Fighting the signs of aging is apparently a battle that continues through most of our adult lives. We really aren’t very likely to simply “grow old gracefully” not when there are so many products out there that can help us to actually look younger than we are!
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- FDA Panel Votes in Favor of Weight Loss Pill QnexaAn FDA advisory committee has reversed an earlier decision and voted overwhelmingly in favor of approving the weight loss pill Qnexa. […]