Life After 50 Expo

Depression among older adults!

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Depression is a common health concern among older adults, but that does not mean that it is natural part of aging. It is important to pay attention to the symptoms of depression and seek professional help if needed. According to the National Institute on Aging, if you exhibit several of the following symptoms for more than two weeks, you may have depression, and you should follow up with your health care provider:

  • Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
  • Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
  • Irritability, restlessness, or having trouble sitting still
  • Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, including sex
  • Decreased energy or fatigue
  • Moving or talking more slowly
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
  • Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
  • Eating more or less than usual, usually with unplanned weight gain or loss
  • Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease with treatment
  • Frequent crying

 
If you are thinking about harming yourself, you should contact a doctor, visit an emergency room, and/or ask your friends and family to help you as soon as possible.
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Dear Marci,

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Dear Marci,

I’d like to get screened for illnesses that I might be at risk for, but I’m confused about how Medicare payment works with preventive services. Can I get these services for free? How will I know if I’m covered?

-Lance (Missoula, MT)

Dear Lance,

Medicare, whether you have Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan, covers many preventive services at 100% for people who meet basic eligibility requirements. If you have Original Medicare, Part B will cover services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task force with no deductible or coinsurance, as long as your doctor accepts assignment. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you will have no cost-sharing for preventive care services that are free for people with Original Medicare, as long as you see an in-network provider.

Not every preventive service is covered at 100% for every Medicare beneficiary, though. In some cases, you may have to pay a coinsurance or copayment for your preventive service or related services.

Here are some things to keep in mind about Medicare coverage of preventive services:

  • Some preventive services are covered under Part B, but have normal cost-sharing. This means that if you receive one of these services, you will be responsible for paying your deductible, as well as the 20% Part B coinsuranceor your Medicare Advantage Plan’s copay or coinsurance. These services include glaucoma screenings, diabetes self-management trainings, barium enemas, and digital rectal exams.
  • Sometimes there are additional fees associated with visits for preventive services. For example, if the facility you go to has a separate facility fee, this will not be covered at 100%, meaning you will have to pay a coinsurance for the facility fee. Another example is if you see a doctor before or after you receive a preventive service. That visit is separate from the preventative service, and you will be responsible for the part of the cost of the visit that isn’t a preventive service.
  • If your visit includes diagnostic or treatment related services, you will pay normal cost-sharing for those services. A service is considered preventive if you have no prior symptoms of the disease that the service is seeking to prevent, whereas a diagnostic service addresses symptoms or conditions that you already have. For example, if you go to the doctor for a colonoscopy (a preventive service), but your doctor finds or removes a polyp during the colonoscopy, the removal is diagnostic. You will be responsible for a deductible and/or a copay or coinsurance for the polyp removal. Similarly, if you go to your doctor for your Annual Wellness Visit (a preventive service), but your doctor treats a symptom you’re experiencing (a diagnostic service) during the same visit, you will be responsible for cost-sharing for services not related to the Annual Wellness Visit.
  • You have to meet the eligibility standards for a screening, service, or item in order to have it covered with no cost-sharing. Speak with your doctor before you receive a service to make sure that you meet guidelines for gender, age, and certain risk factors.

Speak with your provider to find out which preventive services they believe you should have and to discuss your eligibility for them. To find out if Medicare covers your test, service, or item, you can click here or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

-Marci

How a good night’s sleep can protect against fear !

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New research has found that better-quality sleep is connected with reduced activity in brain regions implicated in fear learning. Thus, time spent in rapid eye movement sleep could be a good indicator of susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sleep disturbances are linked with a poorer quality of life overall, and they are often associated with a range of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.

Other conditions, such as epilepsy, have also been associated with sleeplessness, and a recent study covered by Medical News Today even suggests that there may be a causal relationship between sleep disturbances and ADHD.

Dr. Itamar Lerner, Shira Lupkin, and other researchers from Rutgers University in Newark, NJ, have now conducted a study indicating that better-quality sleep is linked with dampened brain activity in regions tied to fear learning.

The process of fear learning is the mechanism through which we attempt to predict exposure to threatening situations so that we react appropriately to preserve our safety.

to read full article click link below: 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319840.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-us

Menopause may trigger Alzheimer’s disease !

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A new study highlights the metabolic changes that occur in the brains of menopausal and perimenopausal women, suggesting that a loss of estrogen could make these women vulnerable to developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The study was carried out by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine – the biomedical research unit and medical school of Cornell University – in New York City, NY, in collaboration with scientists at the University of Arizona Health Sciences in Tucson.

Dr. Lisa Mosconi, from Weill Cornell Medicine, is the lead author of the study, and the findings were published in the journal PLoS One.

As Dr. Mosconi and her colleagues explain, after old age, being female is the second most major risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

In fact, two thirds of those with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States are women, according to 2017 estimates.

Although the mechanisms responsible for this increased risk are not yet known, previous research has hinted at the transition to menopause as a potential key.

As the authors explain, this transition also involves neurological and metabolical changes. So, Dr. Mosconi and team decided to investigate these transformations

to read full article click link below:

/www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319721.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-us

Falls as risk for older adults!

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Falls are common among older adults, and can be a risk to your health and independence. According to Dr. Sonja Rosen, a chief of geriatric medicine for Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in Los Angeles, there are several ways to avoid falls and the health risks that come with them. Dr. Rosen’s tips are:

  1. Get a risk assessment: Seniors who have fallen, or are afraid they might, should get a comprehensive risk assessment from a geriatrician, who can give them a treatment plan.
  2. Eliminate hazards in your home: Take care of loose rugs, remove clutter from hallways, and keep an open pathway to the bathroom with a dim light on at night.
  3. If you have a cane or walker, always use it as directed.
  4. Ask your doctor to review your medications, to determine if any of them might increase your risk of falls.

According to Rosen, effective measures like this can reduce the risk of falling by 30 to 40 percent.