Free Hearing Screenings
The UGA Speech & Hearing Clinic is offering free screenings on Friday, Nov. 3. State-of-the-art services are provided by graduate students under the supervision of clinical faculty or directly by faculty. The clinic is at 593 Aderhold Hall; call 706.542.4598 for an appointment. In addition to screenings, the Clinic provides a range of services such as tinnitus evaluations, hearing aid fitting and hearing aid repairs, assistive listening devices, custom swim molds and custom hearing protection. For more information, www.coe.uga.edu/shc.
Medicare Open Enrollment
The open-enrollment period for Medicare supplemental insurance is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and according to AARP, only about 10 percent of Medicare beneficiaries bother to look for better health plans or Part D drug plans. Yet around half of them could save money or improve their benefits. It’s easy: just go to www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan, or call a licensed insurance agent.
Speak up in the doctor’s office!
Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor questions. If you don’t understand something about your treatment, ask your doctor to repeat it or explain in layman’s terms. Or, ask for printed materials. Don’t be embarrassed to ask to speak to the doctor alone, and if your doctor prescribes a treatment you’re uncomfortable with, feel free to ask about alternatives. Finally, ask if there is an online patient portal where you can send your questions and get answers in the privacy of your own home.
Get the measuring tape.
Forget the scales, waist size may be a better indicator of whether you need to lose weight. People who carry fat around their waists have a higher risk for diseases such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Men with a waist size over 35 inches and women over 40 inches are at risk, and losing just five percent of your current weight can lower blood pressure, blood sugar and bad cholesterol levels.
B12 deficiency?
The National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults 50+ get most of their daily requirement of B12 (2.4 micrograms) from fortified foods or a multivitamin supplement. Turns out that we produce too little stomach acid as we age to properly absorb B12 from food. In addition to older adults, other groups at risk of the deficiency include chronic users of proton-pump inhibitors, vegetarians, and those with various stomach or small intestine disorders.
Seriously, CPR to “Stayin Alive?”
The American Heart Association says Hands Only CPR has been shown to be as elective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest outside a hospital. It can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival. The Association’s instructions are to push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the disco song “Stayin’ Alive.” That’s a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute and the song is a perfect match! Watch the 90-second video at www.heart.org/handsonlycpr.
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