Health Costs Most Significant Factor in Seniors’ Well-Being

Q. I’m curious; what are the biggest challenges that today’s seniors face and what can we older adults – particularly those like me who are living alone – do about it?

Senior citizens in America are enjoying longer lives, better health and better economic security, but the cost of health care for the elderly has risen dramatically, according to Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being, which was released in June by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.

Here’s the evidence:

• After adjustment for inflation, health care costs increased significantly among older Americans from $9,224 in 1992 to $15,081 in 2006.

• From 1977 to 2006, the percentage of household income that people age 65 and over allocated to out-of-pocket spending for health care services increased among those in the poor/near poor income category from 12 percent to 28 percent.

• The number of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D prescription drug plans increased from 18.2 million (51 percent of beneficiaries) in June 2006 to 22.2 million (57 percent of beneficiaries) in December 2009.

Sadly, there was no significant change in the percentage of people age 65 and over reporting physical activity between 1997 and 2008.

The best way to keep health care costs under control is to do all within your power to stay healthy, which includes following a nutritious diet and exercising. Many older adults lose their spouses and begin a downward spiral into poor health, sometimes just because they are lonely.

If you find yourself in this circumstance, please consider a professional caregiving service. The Fort Smith office of the Home Instead Senior Care® network hires CAREGivers to go into the homes and care communities of older adults to help them with a variety of services and, oftentimes, just to provide companionship.

CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. Many of these CAREGivers are older adults who share common interests with other seniors. So ensuring that you have adequate help including companionship is one way that seniors can reduce their risks of falls and other issues that could impact their health.

For more information about the Fort Smith office of Home Instead Senior Care® , contact Jonathan Fry at 479.434.6960 or visit www.homeinstead.com/665. For more information about this report, log on to http://www.agingstats.gov/agingstatsdotnet/Main_Site/Data/2010_Documents/Docs/OA_2010.pdf.

Latest Research Reveals Cell Phones Don’t Cause Cancer

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that available scientific evidence, including World Health Organization (WHO) findings released in May, shows no increased health risk due to radiofrequency (RF) energy, a form of electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by cell phones.

FDA also cites a separate National Cancer Institute program finding that, despite the dramatic increase in cell phone use, occurrences of brain cancer did not increase between 1987 and 2005.
Although cell phones can be sold without FDA clearance or approval, the agency monitors the effects the phones have on health. FDA has the authority to take action if cell phones are shown to emit RF energy at a level that is hazardous to the user.

The study reported little or no risk of brain tumors for most long-term users of cell phones. “There are still questions on the effect of long-term exposure to radio frequency energy that are not fully answered by Interphone,” says Abiy Desta, network leader for science at FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “However, this study provides information that will be of great value in assessing the safety of cell phone use.”

WHO reports that Interphone is the largest case-control study of cell phone use and brain tumors to date, and includes the largest numbers of users with at least 10 years of RF energy exposure.

Although evidence shows little or no risk of brain tumors for most long-term users of cell phones, FDA says people who want to reduce their RF exposure can reduce the amount of time spent on the cell phone or use speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between the head and the cell phone.

These findings should help put your mom’s mind at ease. There are also other ways besides cell phones to help your mom stay independent. She can remain connected to her friends and family with the help of a non-medical CAREGiverSM from the Home Instead Senior Care® network.

Senior Driving an Individual Issue

Q. How do I know if my 86-year-old father is a good driver and should still be on the road?

First, you’ll want to take seriously any concerns that your dad’s doctor is expressing. Have a candid discussion with your father. Make sure he has a valid driver’s license and check the laws in your state. Some require driving tests and physicals for those over a certain age and shorter renewal periods. Then make it a point to ride with your dad to see how he’s doing. If he is hard of hearing, encourage him to always wear hearing aids when he gets behind the wheel.

In addition, check the exterior of his vehicle for any fresh scratches or dings. Look for telltale signs that your father might be having problems seeing such as the seat pushed up close to the dash board. If your father seems to be doing O.K., don’t be surprised.

The latest research reveals that older drivers are holding their own. A study reported in the July issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention found that older drivers are more sensitive to potential hazards than young, inexperienced drivers.

The Study, “Age Skill and Hazard Perception,” from the Human Factors Safety Laboratory at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), suggests that older drivers focus more on potentially risky situations, such as approaching an intersection or pedestrians on a curb, than young drivers.

What’s more, an Insurance Institute of Highway Safety study released in June noted that by 2008, the number of people 70 or older in the U.S. increased to 78 percent. But fatal crashes per licensed driver in that group declined about 37 percent. Among drivers 80 and older the fatal crash rate fell by nearly half compared with the he fatal crash rate for drivers 35 to 54 years, which fell only 23 percent.

The Insurance Institute attributed older drivers’ superior driving record in part to self-policing. Many seniors whose driving fitness is questionable are giving up their cars on their own. Rules in many states to strengthen testing before renewing licenses instead of renewing by mail are also helping.

Driving is an individual issue. If and when your dad does need to give up his driving, remind him that he has options including companionship service. The Home Instead Senior Care® network provides support for older adults who can no longer drive.

Fewer Calories, Longer Life, Researchers Say

It’s always best to keep your doctor apprised of any changes in your health habits. Your physician can let you know whether your appetite is normal or the sign of a health issue.
Here’s a study, though, that might interest you.

According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, consuming fewer calories leads to a longer, healthier life.

After studying monkeys who have lived most of their lives on a restricted diet, scientists found that a nutritious but reduced-calorie diet blunts aging and significantly delays the onset of such age-related disorders as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and brain atrophy.

During the 20-year course of the study, half of the animals permitted to eat freely have survived, while 80 percent of the monkeys given the same diet, but with 30 percent fewer calories, are still alive.

“We have been able to show that caloric restriction can slow the aging process in a primate species,” says Richard Weindruch, a professor of medicine in the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health who leads the National Institute on Aging-funded study. “We observed that caloric restriction reduced the risk of developing an age-related disease by a factor of three and increased survival.”

Eating alone certainly is not enjoyable. Why not check into a senior center in your area where you could join others your age for a nutritious meal and companionship. Or consider contacting a caregiving and companionship company such as Home Instead Senior Care. The company’s CAREGivers, who are screened, trained, bonded and insured, not only can serve as dining companions, but they can help you prepare tasty meals as well. Regardless of what you decide, make sure that you are getting nutritious meals each day.