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Most of us are used to thinking of the annual eye exam as something we have to pay for ourselves, just like most routine health checkups that we do to prevent health problems rather than cure them. Not necessarily so. There are some things Medicare pays for that don't get done nearly often enough because seniors don't want to or can't afford to spend the money for routine care they must pay for themselves, and they don't know that they would be covered under Medicare. One of those is routine glaucoma screening. Glaucoma is an eye disease caused by high pressure in the eye. It can cause you to gradually lose sight without warning and often without symptoms. The best way for people at high risk for glaucoma to protect themselves is to have regular eye exams. Extremely poor vision, or blindness, can cause a host of other medical problems such as fractures from falls, other injuries, or serious depression. These are very expensive to treat once they've happened. The reduction in quality of life for those who have lost vision is beyond measuring. Recent research revealed that less than 45 percent of Medicare diabetics have had an eye exam. Yet Medicare coverage of eye exams for diabetics has been offered since 1998. In 2001 glaucoma screening for patients at risk was included in Medicare coverage. The number of people taking advantage of covered glaucoma screening seems to be just as low. If your elder is at risk for glaucoma and is resisting having that annual exam because of cost, here's your answer. Get them in for a test. Glaucoma doesn't give any warning, so just because your elder says there are no symptoms doesn't mean there's nothing going on. How often is glaucoma screening covered?Once every 12 months Who is eligible for glaucoma screening?People with Medicare at high risk for glaucoma What does glaucoma screening cost?If you have original Medicare you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible. If you have a Medicare Advantage (HMO) plan check with your plan. Are you at high risk for glaucoma?Your risk for glaucoma increases if you…
More Resources For Glaucoma Information:
National Eye Institute (NEI), National
Institutes of Health
It's flu season, and while "they" are saying it's not too late to get your shot, seems to me the horse is already long gone out of that particular barn. Some schools were closing for a few days around here last week, and several nursing and assisted living residences are being hit hard. So a little prevention is worth that pound of cure, and the best advice is still the kind our mother's handed out: Wash Your Hands. Whenever you get the chance. We've pretty much all got antibacterial soap sitting around, but the lab guys have come to the conclusion that it doesn't help all that much. It might actually be helping breed those superbugs that are resistant. The best thing, according to a recent Harvard Health Letter, is still a good scrub with regular, plain old soap and water. A decent alternative if you don't have soap and water handy is one of the alcohol-based rubs sold as hand sanitizers. The big advantage of these cleansers is that you don't need water or a towel, so you can use them anywhere. But alcohol doesn't kill everything.
To be effective, the rubs need to
come into contact with all surfaces of your hands, and
studies have shown that using small amounts is really
no better than washing with plain soap and water. Sing a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" while you do all this. One verse (about 15 seconds if you don't rush) is said to reduce bacterial counts by about 90%. Do this several times and day and you'll also need a good lotion.
When you can't be near the phone to answer calls let an answering machine do the job for you. Set it to ring the fewest possible number of times before it takes a message. Individuals who are confused will probably not be able to take a useful message, and too many can be talked into giving personal information to strangers on the phone. Don't be afraid to let the phone take a message even when you are there. It is far less dangerous to call someone back than risk a fall trying to get to the phone before it stops ringing. If it's important, the person calling will leave a message. If it isn't important, or if it's someone trying to sell you something, they probably won't leave a message, and you've just been spared the interruption.
Y'all have had several questions recently about Veterans' Benefits. I'm blessed to have readers who have answers. Here's a response from a reader I thought everyone should have a chance to see. If your elder loved one is receiving Medicaid benefits in a nursing home, the same methodology applies...there will be an annual review. If it isn't completed, benefits may stop.
I noticed
that you answered a question about a veteran's
widow whose VA A&A checks had stopped.
That's it for this time around. See you in a couple of weeks if the creeks don't rise.
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