Taking the Right Step: Why Medicare Advantage Plans DO NOT Always Give You An Advantage

By Jon Jordan

Want lower copayments and little to no deductibles? Enticing isn’t it? It’s the kind of promise that Medicare Advantage plans (HMO’s) offer. Oh yeah, I almost forgot you can even receive coverage for certain services and products that regular Medicare doesn’t cover, like certain prescription drugs. Are you hooked yet? Or does it sound too good to be true? Because if it does, well, you’re right, in many ways Medicare Advantage plans are too good to be true.

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Step In To a Healthier Life

by Dr. Virginia Harbour, PT

Our first step taken as children is a benchmark in childhood development that leads to our ability to walk. For most of us, our first step occurred somewhere in the last month or two of our first year of life. And to think, we have been walking ever since.

Walking has become a very popular activity among seniors and is a good way to get your daily dose of exercise. Walking is reported to have a multitude of health benefits such as improving circulation, breathing, and your immune system. It has also been reported to combat depression, prevent osteoporosis, prevent and control diabetes, control weight, reduce risk of breast cancer, and is good for your heart.

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Reducing Falls for Older Adults

by Dr. Virginia Harbour, PT

Thousands of our seniors fall in their home each year resulting in serious injury and billions of dollars in hospitalization costs. Expenditures related to falls cost the U.S. more than $27 billion dollars each year. Between 20% and 30% of those people sustain injuries that reduce their mobility, independence, and increase their risk of premature death.

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What You Can do to Prevent Falls

Be Active

Physical activity is important for good health and fall prevention. Consider walking, gardening, dancing, yoga or tai chi. Please see your physician before beginning any new exercise program or activity.

No one is too old to enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity.

Of special interest to older adults is evidence that muscle strengthening exercises can reduce the risk of falling and fracturing bones and can improve the ability to live independently.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States.

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Falls in Older People

As the aging population increases, falls and fall prevention have received much attention. Falls, both injurious and non-injurious, cause potentially adverse physical, social, and financial consequences. Fall incidents are common in older people, with higher occurrences in individuals aged 65 and above. There has been an increase in fall research and local and national management guidelines, reflecting multidisciplinary professional and public awareness of falls. Falls are complex with many contributing risk factors, such as muscle weakness, impaired postural stability, visual impairment, certain medical conditions and home/environmental hazards. Numerous assessment tools and interventions have been established to prevent fall incidents.

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