Articles and Information from GA Foods

As people age, the ability to remain independent in their homes and make decisions regarding their care may diminish. The causes may be due to physical reasons such as medical conditions or cognitive dysfunction. Social determinants of health, like safety in the home, community support, or economic status, also impact an older person’s autonomy and quality of life.

September is National Senior Center Month and this year's theme is "Building Momentum." Before we get into the importance of senior centers and giving them recognition, it is probably best to start out with some history.

Every May, our nation observes Older Americans Month. This comes from the Administration on Aging, a division in the Federal Government. This years theme of Older Americans Month is "Engage at Every Age" with an emphasis on "you are never too old." The Administration on Aging suggests "to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being." One of the most important parts of physical activity is a healthy diet.

For older Americans, this can be more challenging. As we age, our sense of taste and smell change. We face dental issues like missing teeth, sore gums, or poorly fitting dentures. Saliva production decreases, often making it harder to swallow, and ultimately reducing our appetites.

February is American Heart Month! It is an excellent time to take charge of your health. Regular visits to your doctor to check your blood pressure and cholesterol are simple ways to know your risk factors for heart disease. In fact, 80 percent of cardiovascular diseases may be preventable through education and action.

Medicare open enrollment is happening right now, so it's time to enroll in a Medicare plan by going to the Medicare.gov website. Open enrollment closes on December 7, and new Medicare coverage begins on January 1, 2018. 

This is the fourth article in a 4-part series on the role that nutrition plays in the health of Baby Boomers. Click here to read more articles about Baby Boomers.

Often, the terms "health" and "wellness" are used interchangeably. Do these terms mean different things? As a matter of fact, they do. Whereas most of us have a pretty good grasp of what it means to be healthy or fit, wellness is a bit more elusive and hard to pin down. How do you know you've achieved it? 

This is the third article of a 4-part series on the role that nutrition plays in the health of Baby Boomers. Click here to read part one and here to read part two.

Functional foods, sometimes called nutraceutical foods, are foods that offer health benefits that go beyond providing basic nutrition. They contain health-boosting nutrients or additives that have in many cases been shown to possess medical benefits.

This is the second article of a 4-part series on the role that nutrition plays in the health of Baby Boomers. Click here to read part one.

This is the first article of a 4-part series on the role that nutrition plays in the health of Baby Boomers. 

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.