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PB — Senior Living Today Star Beacon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021 Star Beacon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021 Senior Living Today — 1

Senior LivingTodayMay 2021

2 — Senior Living Today Star Beacon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Who is eligible for a Medigap plan?You can apply for a Medicare Supplement insurance policy if you are:A resident of a state where the policy is offered. Enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. Age 65 or over or, in some states, under age 65 with a disability and/or end stage renal disease (plan offering and eligibility vary by state).

What information do I need to know about Medigap plans?Medicare supplement plans work with original Medicare Insurance. With a Medicare Supplement you do not cancel or replace your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage and you still have all your Medicare insurance benefi ts, rights and protections. They are secondary to Medicare insurance and help cover costs not covered by Medicare. For example, Part B of Medicare Insurance covers outpatient services, doctor appointments and tests. Typically, Medicare pays 80% of approved costs and you are left with the remaining 20%. A supplement will pay some or all those costs depending on the specifi c plan. There are several different supplemental insurance plans available. They are the same from company to company. However, each company sets their own premiums These plans do not include prescription drug coverage (part D), vision, dental or hearing benefi ts. A separate prescription plan needs to be added to the coverage.

What is a Medicare Advantage Plan?Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) combine Parts A, B and D. They are administered by the individual insurance companies instead of Medicare. They include prescription drug coverage and most have extra benefi ts including vision, dental, hearing, and other services. They are either HMO or PPO plans. HMO plans require you to see doctors within their network to pay for services. PPO plans do not require you to see in network doctors but will pay more if you do. They typically have copays for services and a maximum out of pocket amount for the year. If you have a Medicare advantage plan, you will have gaps that the plan does not cover. Not EVERTYHING is $0 costs, so you may want to look at plans that help fi ll the gaps, especially hospital stays, skilled rehab copays, cancer treatments and outpatient procedures. These are usually the higher copays in all Medicare Advantage plans.

What is Part D?Part D is the prescription portion of Medicare. You purchase part D through an insurance company, not the Government. Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) helps you pay for both brand-name and generic drugs. Medicare drug plans are offered by insurance companies and other private companies approved by Medicare. You can get coverage 2 ways: a stand-alone plan with Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan that includes prescription coverage. Part D premiums and prescription costs vary from company to company and each company may have several plans to choose from.

2 — Senior Living Today Star Beacon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021 Star Beacon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021 Senior Living Today — 3

BY SHELLEY TERRY

[email protected]

ASHTABULA — May is Mental Health Month with a theme this year of learning to cope with emotions, mental health triggers and dealing with the unexpected.

Most older adults, those ages 60 or older, enjoy good mental health, but

many older adults are at risk of developing mental disorders, neurological disorders or substance use problems, as well as other health conditions such as diabetes, hearing loss and osteoarthritis.

“We all face short peri-ods of anxiety or depression. How-ever, if we have recurring emotional issues, then we need to seek help,” said Ashtabula County Medical Cen-ter psychiatrist, Dr. Samar El-Sayegh. “As a society, we need to recognize that chronic anxiety or depression is an illness, which makes it a medical condition which can be diagnosed and treated.”

More than 19 million American suffer at least one depressive ep-isode each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Anxiety can be triggered by stress or grief, but even more common situations like meeting new people or being in an unfamiliar location. Depression can also be caused by isolation or major life changes like retiring, moving or conflicts in rela-tionships.

Older people may experience these common stresses, but also stressors that are more common in later life, like a significant ongoing loss in capacities and a decline in function-al ability. For example, older adults may experience reduced mobility, chronic pain, frailty or other health problems, for which they require some form of long-term care. In

addition, older people are more likely to experience events such as bereavement, or a drop in socio-economic status with retirement. All of these stressors can result in isolation, loneliness or psychological distress in older people, for which they may require long-term care, according to WHO.

Mental health has an impact on physical health and vice versa. For example, older adults with physical health conditions such as heart dis-ease have higher rates of depression than those who are healthy, accord-ing to the WHO.

“The good news is, whether you suffer from anxiety or depression, there are treatment options to help relieve symptoms,” El-Sayegh said. “When you see a mental health pro-fessional, we develop unique treat-ment strategies to help each person cope with their emotions. This is not

Adigopula

Don’t overlook importanceof mental health as you age

KEY POINTS ON AGING AND MENTAL HEALTH

• Globally, the population is aging rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double, from 12 per-cent to 22 percent.

• Mental health and well-being are as important in older age as at any other time of life.

• Mental and neurological disorders among older adults account for 6.6 percent of the total disability (DALYs) for this age group.

• About 15 percent of adults aged 60 and older suffer from a mental disorder.

— Info from World Health Organization

SEE AGE, 6

Providing quality care in your home since 1974.Skilled Nursing• Behavior Health• Chronic Disease Management• Infusion Therapy• Medication Education• Pain Management• Wound and Ostomy Care• Health CoachingPhysical Therapy• Home Safety & Fall Prevention• Neuromuscular Re-education• Lower Extremity Strengthening• Orthopedic/Post-Surgical Rehabilitation• Pelvic - Floor Training• Vestibular RehabilitationOccupational Therapy• Assessment of Activities of Daily Living• Adaptive Equipment Recommendations• Hand/Elbow/Shoulder Rehabilitation• Fine Motor Skill Training• Upper Extremity StrengtheningSpeech Therapy• Assessment of Cognitive Skills• Speech & Language Rehabilitation• Traumatic Brain Injury Language Skills• Treatment for Language & Voice Disorders• Swallowing InterventionsSocial Service• Assessment of Resource Needs• Community Resource Referrals• Counseling & Caregiver SupportHome Health Aide• Personal CareAdditional Services• Phlebotomy• Private Duty• Respite Care• Medication Pre-Fill

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Physical Therapy for Back Pain: Avoiding orthopedic surgeryBy Dr. Adam M. Cramer, DPTBetween 60 and 80% of people currently living in the United States will experience chronic back pain at some point in their lives. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, it is one of the most common occupational disorders in the country.What kind of relief can you expect?At MyoFit Clinic in Chardon, Middlefi eld and Ashtabula, OH we have great success in helping clients fi nd relief from their chronic pain who gradually improve strength and mobility from exercise and resume their normal level of activity again.There are a number of treatments we use to accomplish this.Physical therapy with strength and mobility programsWhen physical therapy is coupled with specially prescribed motor control exercises, only which a licensed physical therapist can prescribe, we have observed signifi cant success in treating patients with chronic low back pain. The focus of these special exercises is to improve the neuromuscular control of those body segments involved in movement of the spine in order to improve stability of the spine making it stronger.In essence, while chronic back pain is not usually a “quick fi x,” the condition can often be treated effectively with a combination of different physical therapies. Physical therapy aims to correct the debilitating dysfunction versus only just treating the symptoms. Dry Needling At MyoFit Clinic we have also brought relief to many sufferers of chronic back pain by using a advanced treatment procedure known as Intramuscular Stimulation or Dry Needling.This is a unique procedure requiring specialized training on the part of your physical therapist. It is designed to target muscle function to improve tissue healing and muscle restoration. It is especially effective if your back pain is linked to an underlying injury.If you are recommended to have dry needling, you can expect to be treated with thin solid fi lament dry needles that will deactivate and desensitize trigger points within the muscle itself. These trigger points are known to contribute to pain, poor muscle function, low blood circulation and reduced fl exibility.Hands on Manual therapyChronic lower back pain can also be relieved substantially with hands on manual therapy offered at our clinic by a Doctors of Physical Therapy manual therapy includes myofascial release, massage, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, stretching and range of motion.In fact, a 2011 scientifi c study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that manual therapy helps people with back pain to function even after six months after treatment. After 10 weeks, more than 1/3 patients who received either type of manual therapy said their back pain was either much better or gone, compared to only one in 25 who were taking medication. Patients who underwent hands on manual therapy also spent fewer days in bed, were more active and used fewer anti-infl ammatory medications that those who were treated solely with medication.Avoiding Orthopedic Surgery Nobody wants surgery, so then why do individuals consult with a orthopedic surgeon? Surgery is a surgeon’s specialty. That’s what they are trained to do. Sure, they will offer costly imaging, ineffective injections and tell you to “rest and see how it feels.” The problem with this common conservative approach is that it actually does nothing to help correct the underlying issue that’s contributing to your symptoms when you need it the most. Then, in 4 weeks of “letting it rest” it’s worse! Even if they offer to go to their own physical therapy offi ce, these physical therapists only treat post-operative patients and are not equipped to help you avoid surgery. So then when your symptoms are worse in 4 weeks, of course, the only option left is surgery! Avoiding surgery takes a independent Doctor of Physical Therapy who’s only focus is helping people avoid surgery, providing focused care and taking the time to do it right, teaching patients how to effectively controlled their symptoms and returning to normal symptom-free mobility, this is what we do at MyoFit Clinic. Physical therapy is not something that can be done on your own or by any other health/medical practitioner. You need the critical and trained eye of a licensed doctor of physical therapy in order to assess and determine appropriate diagnosis, limitations and treatments for your pain. No referral is needed in Ohio for physical therapy so you can skip seeing a physician or orthopedic surgeon. Call MyoFit today for an initial consultation so you can keep moving forward pain free While successfully avoiding orthopedic surgery. Dr. Adam M. Cramer, DPT, is a licensed physical therapist, pain specialist and founder of MyoFit Clinic in Chardon, Middlefi eld & Ashtabula, Ohio and offer all the above treatments at all clinics. Call MyoFit at 440-286-1007 if you would like to avoid orthopedic surgery for your pain. MyoFitClinic.com


BY BRIAN HAYTCHER

[email protected]

ASHTABULA — Senior citizens need to stay busy to stay healthy, and the YMCA has a number of programs to help.

Seniors need to maintain strength in order to stand and pre-vent falls, said Bonnie Konczal, Health and Wellness director at the Ashtabula County YMCA.

To support senior fit-ness, the YMCA offers multiple programs, in-cluding Silver Sneakers and Enhanced Fitness, which is a level harder. Konczal said.

The Silver Sneakers programs are aimed at keeping seniors fit, according to the program’s website. It is often paired with Medi-

care plans.The enhanced fitness

program is measured, with evaluations before and after the program, Konczal said. “That class kind of focuses on fall prevention,” she said. “So we work at strengthening the core and the limbs, so that we keep our seniors from falling.”

Some program par-ticipants were unable to stand up unaided before the enhanced fit-ness program, and were then able to after the program, Konczal said. “To see these things happen, is absolutely amazing,” Konczal said.

The YMCA receives grand money to fund some of the senior programs.

Mental health is also an important part of health, Konczal said.

“As you age, even though you don’t think you have arthritis, you have some form of arthritis in your body,” Konczal said.

Many seniors develop issues with bone densi-ty, as well, she said. “So we work with them to strengthen their bones and all the muscles in

their body, so they are strong enough to walk, to carry, to just perform daily living tasks,” Kon-czal said.

Other activities are good, but they do not compare to organized classes, she said.

The YMCA collabo-rates with UH Hospi-tals, and will perform

health screenings in conjunction with the YMCA in June, Konczal said. UH also conducts a number of lectures with seniors. UH re-sumed the events in the building in March, she said.

The YMCA also has outreach programs around the county, with Silver Sneakers, En-hanced Fitness and oth-er programs available in Conneaut, Andover and, staring in July, Orwell, Konczal said.

YMCA programs can help seniors maintain health

We will help you avoid surgery with licensed Doctors of Physical Therapy and the latest treatment techniques.

• Physical Therapy• Dry Needling• Pain Management

Treatments covered by all medical insurances.

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a one-size-fits-all diag-nosis. Everyone needs advice based on their individual situation.”

ACMC pediatrician, Sathish Adigopula, MD, suggests taking sim-ple steps to cope with stress, including taking breaks from the news and social media to try to connect with others.

“We need to take care of our bodies with simple exercise and connect with community or faith-based organizations for outside-the-home support,” he said.

Treatment options considered for all ages include therapy, medication and life-style changes. Only by talking with a mental health professional can a person come up with an individualized treatment plan.

Local senior centers can help seniors con-nect with others.

“Many seniors need help in making doc-tor’s appointments, which include at times mental health facili-ties,” said Bob Gruber, site director at the Geneva Senior Cen-ter. “We run one van

and one bus Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in help-ing seniors making these appointments and the return trip home. There is no transportation fee as long as we are driv-ing in the northeast Ashtabula County area. “

If you need to talk with a psychiatrist about anxiety or depression, ACMC providers offer tele-health visits as well as in-office visits. To schedule an appoint-ment, call 440-997-6969.

AGE: Don’t overlook importanceof mental health as you get older

FROM PAGE 3

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and one bus Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in help-ing seniors making these appointments and the return trip home. There is no transportation fee as long as we are driv-ing in the northeast Ashtabula County area. “

If you need to talk with a psychiatrist about anxiety or depression, ACMC providers offer tele-health visits as well as in-office visits. To schedule an appoint-ment, call 440-997-6969.

Lantern of Saybrook, an assisted living and memory care community 3720 North Ridge W, Saybrook, Ohio- 44004

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Reference: www.ALZinfo.org

DEMENTIAEarly warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease can begin some 15 years before symptoms of mild cognitive impairment, or long before

the beginning signs of dementia surface.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of demen� a, a group of disorders that impairs mental func� oning. Alzheimer’s advances in stages, progressing from mild forge� ulness and cogni� ve impairment to widespread loss of mental abili� es. The � me course of the disease varies by individual, ranging from fi ve to 20 years.

Vascular Demen� a is an umbrella term that describes impairments in cogni� ve func� on caused by problems in the blood vessels that feed the brain. In some cases, a blood vessel may be completely blocked, causing a stroke. Vascular demen� a also can occur when blood vessels in the brain narrow, reducing the amount of blood fl ow to those sec� ons of the brain. The prevalence of vascular demen� a ranges from 1 percent to 4 percent in people over the age of 65. The risk increases drama� cally with age.

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus is a form of hydrocephalus, also known as “water on the brain,” which means there is too much fl uid pressing on the brain. NPH can occur without a known cause, or it may be caused by any condi� on that blocks the fl ow of cerebrospinal fl uid (CSF). The demen� a symptoms of NPH can be similar to those of Alzheimer’s disease. The walking problems are similar to Parkinson’s disease. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, NPH can be reversed in many people with appropriate treatment. NPH is thought to account for about 5% of all demen� as.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Onset of symptoms occurs about age 60. In the early stages of disease, pa� ents may have failing memory, behavioral changes, lack of coordina� on and visual disturbances. As the illness progresses, mental deteriora� on becomes pronounced and involuntary movements, blindness, weakness of extremi� es, and coma may occur.

Parkinson’s disease Approx 20% of people with Parkinson’s will develop demen� a, usually a� er the age of 70.

[A] Word for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that aff ect the brain. It is not a specifi c disease. People with demen� a may not be able to think well enough to do normal ac� vi� es, such as ge� ng dressed or ea� ng. They may lose their ability to solve problems or control their emo� ons. Their personali� es may change. They may become agitated or see things that are not there.”

Fronto-temporal Demen� a, por� ons of these lobes atrophy, or shrink. Signs and symptoms vary, depending upon the por� on of the brain aff ected. Some people with fronto-temporal demen� a undergo drama� c changes in their personality and become socially inappropriate, impulsive or emo� onally blunted, while others lose the ability to use and understand language. Fronto-temporal demen� a is o� en misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or as Alzheimer’s disease. But fronto-temporal demen� a tends to occur at a younger age than does Alzheimer’s disease, typically between the ages of 40 and 70. And the memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease are not as prominent in the early stages of fronto-temporal demen� a, The term FTD as a ‘general term’ can also be referred to as: Pick’s Disease, Fronto-temporal Lobar Degenera� on, Progressive Aphasia, Seman� c Demen� a

Demen� a with Lewy Bodies is one of the most common types of progressive demen� a. The central feature of DLB is progressive cogni� ve decline, combined with three addi� onal defi ning features: (1) pronounced “fl uctua� ons” in alertness and a� en� on, such as frequent drowsiness, lethargy, lengthy periods of � me spent staring into space, or disorganized speech; (2) recurrent visual hallucina� ons; and (3) parkinsonian motor symptoms, such as rigidity and the loss of spontaneous movement. The similarity of symptoms between DLB and Parkinson’s disease, and between DLB and Alzheimer’s disease, can o� en make it diffi cult for a doctor to make a defi ni� ve diagnosis. In addi� on, Lewy bodies are o� en also found in the brains of people with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. These fi ndings suggest that either DLB is related to these other causes of demen� a or that an individual can have both diseases at the same � me. DLB usually occurs sporadically, in individual with no known family history of the disease. However, rare familial cases have occasionally been reported.


Welcome to the Lantern of Saybrook

Lantern Of Saybrook senior living offers Assisted Living and Memory Care for seniors. This resort style senior living community offers abundant amenities and life enriching therapeutic activities.

Our mission at Lantern Senior Living is to facilitate healthy aging. We provide our senior citizen an amazing senior living experience. You will notice this idea rooted in our carefully planned building layouts, Activities programs, Amenities for entertainment. 24/7 nursing staff, and much more. Our thoughtfully designed community features amenities and fl oor plans designed for our senior. We are committed to provide a desired living space that will be physically, mentally and emotionally fulfi lling to their desrie and preference.

Our unique state of the art programs “Fountain of Life” for Assisted Living and “Svayus” for Memory Care are designed to provide a dignifi ed lifestyle to our seniors CALL US today to learn more about our community.

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