Articles and Information from GA Foods

Open enrollment for 2023 Medicare is here! From now until December 7, Americans 65 and older can review and change their Medicare coverage options for 2023. Many health plans offer new and expanded benefits for 2023.  Recent data indicates that 45% of enrollees selected Medicare Advantage plans – or Part D for 2022. By 2025, Medicare Advantage enrollment will reach over 50%.

The past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a surge of social isolation and loneliness, especially among older adults.

Before the pandemic, one in three adults over 50 lacked regular companionship. Since the pandemic, social isolation, depression, and anxiety have worsened, with a study finding 73% of older adults reporting feelings of loneliness.

Social connections are essential to maintain good mental and physical health and well-being. Reduced face-to-face interactions significantly impact those missing family members and friends.

For your members who are in isolation and are having allergy symptoms, earaches, flu, or mental health issues, telemedicine may be the best option to seek medical help. Public health experts, doctors, and hospitals are encouraging telemedicine as the solution to keep patients safe and yet receive proper medical attention. For non-emergency ailments, consulting with a health care professional via computer, smartphone, or tablet is an easy and secure way for them to obtain treatment.

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing anxiety and worry to millions around the world. Caregivers and those living with older adults may be dealing with those who are experiencing extra worry and stress.

We know avoiding hospitalizations is a top priority for health plans. One way to keep your members out of the hospital, and to reduce the chance of readmission, is to prevent malnutrition. In fact, roughly one-third of patients who are not malnourished at admission will become so during their stay. Weight loss, being underweight, and failure-to-thrive/malnutrition have all been associated with readmission within 30 days of discharge.

This is the third in a series of four articles in our Fall Into Better Health series.

Making up more than 60% of our body, water isn’t just an important part of staying healthy; it’s vital in keeping us alive. From properly balancing bodily fluids to kidney function, hydration keeps our body working the way it should be—which becomes increasingly more important as we age. 

This is the second in a series of four articles in our Fall Into Better Health series.

Aging may not be preventable, but we have plenty of control over how we age—especially in the physical sense. In fact, millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented, or improved, through regular exercise. From weight management and better sleep to maintaining muscle, joint, and bone mass, regular exercise has clear benefits. Perhaps the most important benefit is the role exercise plays in preventing falls - or injury - when a fall occurs.

This is the first in a series of four articles in our Fall Into Better Health series.

Maintaining our health as we age ensures wellness, happiness, and longevity. Through routine checks of our blood pressure, heart, eyes, and even bones, doctor visits are a must, but we tend to forget about checking in on one critical part: Our brain. The good news, however, is that there are many ways to ensure it stays healthy and sharp, and with the new discoveries surrounding brain aging, there are many important reasons.

September is National Senior Center Month,  and this year's theme is "Senior Centers: The Key To Aging Well."  Senior Centers offer ways to keep older adults active, social, and provide programs to help them to continue to learn and grow. Sharing meals is a popular activity at Senior Centers and provides a vital social interaction that is so important to older adults.

Retirement is supposed to be one of the most celebrated stages of life. However, today, older adults are facing more challenges than opportunities when it comes to finances, companionship, health and, ultimately, quality of life – and this is especially true for women. From lower earnings and savings to higher debt, financial challenges are turning into housing challenges that are only expected to grow.