Is Cheap Health Care Really Possible?

Posted by eldadm

Cheap health care is every one’s dream. In addition to this, people also need the assurance that such health care will be quality and effective. Over the years, the government has struggled with the issue on how best to ensure that every citizen has access to affordable health services. The private sector too has had its fair share of contribution to the debate with health insurance providers on the forefront selling us cheap packages.

This however raises the question – just what is entailed in cheap health care? According to the government, cheap health services need to be affordable for anyone who is seeking medical check-ups, treatment for an illness, complete pre and ante-natal care, check-ups and immunizations for children, prescription drugs and dental care.

Government sentiments indicate that cheap health care provision would make the country a healthier nation since those who go without health care due to the high costs involved would embrace health services more.  The cheap health care concept is different from the free health care concept. In the latter, cost-sharing between the government and the citizenry is what most people rely on. Usually, government offers health subsidies to different social groups. It can also engage the pharmaceutical companies into providing cheaper drugs or through engagement with health care insurance providers to ensure that every citizen has insurance cover.

So far, the poor, the seniors and the disabled people in the society are well covered by the Medicare and Medicaid government health programs. However, it is … Read the rest

Why You Need To Stay Fit As A Senior

Posted by eldadm

We’ve always been told that fitness is vital for everyone, regardless of their age. However, as you get older, there are some increases in your needs, including a bigger need for being physical fit. Here are some reasons you should focus on your fitness as a senior.

Improves Cognitive Function

For a long time, it’s been known that there is a link between physical activity and cognitive health. Some people believe that this could be due to the increase of blood flow to all parts of the body, including the brain but, whetever the reason, having a well maintained routine has been shown to have a noticeably positive effect on depression, as well as a reduction in damage resulting from cognitive brain disorders. Daily exercise improves coordination and communication between the brain and the body, which is better for a healthy system overall.

Helps Prevent Diseases and Injury

It’s been discovered that an active lifestyle during the senior years can improve blood pressure, and in turn aid heart health. Getting your heart rate up for a sustained period helps to strengthen the heart which can help reduce the risk of heart failure. Exercise can also sure up the muscles that you need to remain balanced, which results in a reduction of risk for falling. The simple act of standing, extending and stretching can help preserve flexibility, which will both reduce risk of muscle injury, and help to slow or prevent loss of bone density.

Your Body Will Heal Better

When the body … Read the rest

The Importance of Understanding Cholesterol For Older People

Posted by eldadm

Cholesterol is a fatty substance. It doesn’t sound like something you would want in your body, but you do need some. It plays a role in the production of many things your body needs, which I’ll cover later. The problem lies in having too much of the bad fatty substance that can lead to clogged arteries cutting off blood flow throughout your body, but especially to your brain. This can be a particular problem for elderly people who are often less active but still have the same basic health requirements as the rest of us. Lets take a quick look at why controlling your cholesterol and minimising its negative effects is so important, particularly if you are older.

First of all, you have good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Your objective is to raise the good and lower the bad. First, though, you need to understand what the numbers mean.

Cholesterol is measured in 4 ways; total cholesterol, good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, triglycerides. When the doctor does a blood test and sends you the results, it will be a measure of the numbers above. Here’s a breakdown of what those numbers indicate.

Total cholesterol measures the amounts of LDL and HDL levels in the blood. It’s a count of the overall amounts of cholesterol–good and bad.

LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein is bad cholesterol. It should be less than 100mg/dL (100 milligrams per deciliter). Anything above 129 is cause for concern.

HDL or High Density Lipoprotein is good cholesterol. It should be 60 mg/dL or … Read the rest

Retired Couples Can Still Have Fun

Posted by eldadm

Retired couples no longer should be portrayed as just being two senior citizens rocking back and forth in their chairs on the front porch while the man naps and the woman knits. These days, retired couples are full of fun and zest for their newly acquired life as retired people.

There are so many fun things to do and experience as a newly retired couple, so, lets face it, there should only be a minimum of rocking out on the front porch.

Travel and Adventure

Hopefully, having planned your finances successfully and maybe even downsized to a smaller home, condo, or townhouse, you now have some financial flexibility as well as having some time-wise to travel and explore.

There are several activities you can explore while traveling as well:

* Hiking – Hiking is a great way to keep physically fit, explore, go out on adventures, and meet new people with similar interests.

* Boating – If you have always wanted to live the boating life, now is a great time to try it out. Explore options for taking classes before you head out on the water so that you are familiar with safety and emergency precautions. Grab a group of friends and set sail for the day.

* Camping – If you felt that camping was too much work when raising your young family (too many things to pack along), now may be the perfect opportunity to investigate the great outdoors.

* Beaches – Becoming a beach bum as part of your retirement plan … Read the rest

Dementia Treatment – An Insight To A Hidden World

Posted by eldadm 1 Comment

Treatment of mental health problems has recently undergone a revolution. More and more, people are discovering that the way we live our lives on a daily basis affects not only our physical health, but our mental health as well. Certainly, treatment of bipolar disorder and other psychological issues has benefited immensely from this approach. Getting into constructive, healthy patterns, eating right, exercising, and keeping up good social connections all contribute to a sound mind. What surprises many people Is how far this approach to mental health treatment goes. Diseases that were previously thought to be purely organic now seem to have a significant psychological factor. Nowhere is this more evident than with the treatment of dementia.

Everyone knows a little bit about dementia. It is one of the most tragic yet common fates that people face as they grow older. What many people don’t know is how easy preventative treatment of dementia is. Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease dementia is still a long shot, because it is an organic disease whose causes are not well known. For most cases of dementia, however, there are effective treatments that work and require little more than intellectual activity.

As a matter of fact, one of the most effective treatments of dementia is to do puzzles or learn a new skill. The research is showing us more and more that old folks who keep their minds active don’t tend to develop dementia nearly as often as elderly people who sit around watching TV. Apparently, the … Read the rest