NZ Herald - Plus Feature May 2023

FUTUREPROOF YOURHEALTH

Artists impression

Sixstepstotakenow to futureproof yourhealth

whichareagood waytofindfresh food at economicalprices.

Peoplewho stayhealthyoftenlivelonger andmorefulfillinglives.With good healthandfitnessyou canbebetter equipped to handlehealthchallengesthat comeyour way.

Actionisalwaysbetterthaninactionin life.Hereare sixtips to prioritiseyourhealth:

1.Prioritise yourmentalhealth

Mentalhealthisjustasimportantasphysical health. Lookingafteryourmentalhealthis essential foroverallwell-being.Takingtime to relaxand recharge foryourmentalhealth shouldbe aregular partofyourroutine.This canincludeactivitiessuchas reading, taking abath,spendingtimeinnature,practising yoga,meditationandmindfulness. Your mentalhealth canbenefitfrom connecting with others, exercisingregularlyandmaking sureyouprioritisesleep.It’simportant to maintain ahealthywork-lifebalance. Seeksupportwhenneededfromtrusted

friendsorwhānau,orfrom amentalhealth professionalorsupportgroup.

Getstarted today: setatime foreachday to do15minutesofmeditation, yoga or other stress reducingactivity.TheMentalHealth Foundation’s wellbeingportalhasmore advice:Mentalhealth.org.nz/five-ways-towellbeing

2.Eatbetter

Ourbodiesshouldbeshrines.Whatgoes inmatters. Ahealthydietcanhelpprevent chronicillnesses,suchasdiabetesandheart disease,and canalsohelpmaintain ahealthy weight.Aim toeat avarietyofwhole foods, includingfruits,vegetables,wholegrains, leanproteins,andhealthy fats,toget the nutrientsyourbodyneeds.

•Eat fresh: It’seasy toeatfreshinNew Zealandthanks to thewide varietyof foodgrownhere. Look forfresh,inseason produce.Checkoutlocal farmersmarkets,

•Avoidhighlyprocessed foods: Ifyouneed to read theingredientstoknowwhat’sin the foodyou’re eating,thenit’sprocessed. Processed foods,suchas packagedsnacks and fast food, tend to behighinsalt,sugar, andunhealthy fats.Try to limityourintake ofthesetypesof foodsandinsteadchoose fresh,whole, food, cookedfromscratch.

•Watchyourportionsizes: eating too much canleadtoweight gainthatcauses otherhealthproblemsaspeopleage.The aimis to eatuntilyou’re satisfied, rather than stuffed.

•Cook at home: Cooking at homeallows you to controltheingredientsandportion sizesofyourmeals. Ahome-madecurry, forexample,willhaveless fat, andsugar than atakeaway. Ifyoudon’tknowwhere to start,visitthelovefoodhatewaste.co.nz website,whichis agreat resource for peoplewhodon’tknowhowtocook.

•Bemindfulof yoursnacking: Snacking canbebad foryourhealthifitadds to your consumptionof calories,salt,sugar,and processed food.Ifyou can’ttrainyourself outof eatingbetweenmeals,thenlook for snacksthatare lowinsugarandunhealthy

fats,suchasfreshfruit,rawvegetables,or nutsandseeds. Araw carrot orapple can fill aholewithoutbeingunhealthy.

•Stayhydrated: Drinkingenough wateris important foroverallhealthandwellbeing. Trytocarrya bottleof waterwith youandsipfromit regularly.Alwaysdrink aglassof waterwithmeals.

Getstarted today: sitdownandplannext week’s meals.

3. Exercise regularly

Youdon’thave to runthe RotoruaMarathon to stayfit.Plan to do regularmoderate exercisesuchas walking,biking,or swimming. Tryoutdifferent exercisesuntil you findoneortwothatyouenjoy.Itcan helponceyoufindan activityyouenjoy to teamupwith apartnerorfriends.It’ssocial andmotivating to workoutwith others.

TheMinistryofHealthManatū Hauora recommendsthatolderadultsdo30minutes ofmoderate physicalactivityonfiveormore days aweek.TheMinistrysuggests adding threesessionsofflexibilityand balance activities,andtwosessionsofmusclestrengtheningactivitiesinyourweekly workoutschedule.

Ifyoudon’tlikeexercise,trytofind ways

It’snever toolateto startfuture proofing yourhealth.

Photo/GettyImages

to addphysicalactivity to yourdaily routine. Gardeningis exercise.So tooisdancing. Other ways to addincidental exercise to yourdayincluderiding abicycle to work, takingthe stairs, walkingwhilelistening to audiobooksorpodcasts,and standingup duringmeetingsorwhileonthephone.

TheMinistryrecommendssetting goals, trackingyourprogress,beingactivewith others,trying arangeofactivities,making exercise partofyournormal routine,and ‘snacking’onactivitiesbyhavingshort periodsofactivity.Makeswapssuchas coffee breaks forwalkingbreaks.

Getstarted today: if youdon’talready exercise,chooseanactivity to trythis coming weekend,andsetatime toget startedand stick to it.

4. Stayup to date withpreventivecare Preventionisbettermedicinethancure. Preventivecareisessentialforidentifying andtreatinghealthissues earlyon.This can include regularcheck-upswithyourprimary care provider,screenings forvarioushealth conditions,suchas cancerandheartdisease, and keepingyour vaccinationsup to date. Annualfluandthelatest Covid vaccinations areimportant.It’salso agoodideaforpeople aged50+ togetvaccinatedagainstshingles.A varietyoffreehealthscreeningprogrammes areavailable.New Zealand’sNational ScreeningUnitprovidesscreeningforbowel, breast and cervical cancer.Organisations suchasMelanomaNew Zealandand DiabetesNewZealandoffer freescreeningin many communities.

Getstarted today: bookanappointment with yourdoctororothermedical professional forawell womanor awellman checkup.

5.Buildawareness

The more self-awareyouareofyour own

lifestyleandrisk factors,thebetteryour chancesof remaininghealthy.Aswellas addinghealthylifestylehabits,look at reducing risk factorssuchasexcessive drinking,orhigh stressactivitiesinyourlife. This canhelpavert developingmanychronic diseases. Stayalert to newhealthrisks,and keepabreast of research.

Getstarted today: writeapersonal wellnessplan

6.Embracetechnology

Technologycanbe apowerful tool for maintaining goodhealth. Awide varietyof freeand paid fortechnologyisavailable to helpwithdiet, exercise,andsleep.

What’smore,hardwaresuchassimple fitnesstrackersandsmartwatches canbe affordable.Thereisquiteliterallyanapp for everything.Someofthemostpopularapps thathelppeople stayhealthyinclude:

•Headspace: reducestressandanxiety, improvesleep,andincrease focuswiththis meditationapp.

•Strava: trackyour walks,runs,andrides, and compete with others. Strava is agreat waytobuild acommunityaroundyour exercise routine.

•WaterMinder: trackyourdaily water intakeand getreminders to stayhydrated throughouttheday.

•Fooducate: makehealthier foodchoices withinformationaboutthenutritional contentofdifferent foods.

•Couch to 5K: getoff the couchandbuild up to runningfivekilometres.

•YogaStudio: take partinvideoyoga classesandcreate personalised routines.

•MyFitnessPal: trackyour calorieintake andweightloss goals.

Getstarted today: choose and downloada newapptotry out.

Photo/GettyImages

Multibeneficial bacteria strain Akkermansiamuciniphilaaccounts forupto4%ofpeople’s intestinal bacteria,buthasnotbeenavailable commerciallyuntil now.

Previously,theprobiotic strainwhich helpssupportthemucusliningofthegut was onlyavailableby faecaltransfer,says Kevin GlucinaofMatakanaHealth,whichdistributes Akkermansia exclusivelyinNew Zealandand Australia,viathe Pendulumlife.co.nzwebsite.

“Since2004whenit wasfirstdiscovered therehavebeenthousandsof studiesonthe benefitsofhavingAkkermansiaandtheriskof nothavingit,“ says KevinGlucina,ofMatakana Health.Thosebenefitscanincludesupporting ahealthygutlining,andGLP-1, ahormone producedbythegut, whichhelpscreatea healthy balancebetweeninsulinandglucose levels.

Commercialproduction wasn’tpossible inthe earlydays followingthediscovery, becausethe bacterialivedinsidethelowergut wall,wherethere is no oxygen.Itwasnearly impossible to growin alabsettingas aresult, saysGlucina.Thatallchangedwithgroundbreaking researchby US company Pendulum thatled to the commercialisationofthree products,MetabolicDaily,Akkermansiaand Butyricum.

“Withthe backingoftheMayoClinic, Pendulumdeveloped technology to produce Akkermansiainananaerobiclab,” says

Glucina.Thatwas abigdeal.It’sthefirstnew probiotic genustocomeonthemarket in50 years.“Mostofthe otherprobioticsarejust slightlydifferent strainsofwhathasalready been thereforyears,”hesays.

Similar to howSmartphoneshavechanged howwe communicate,Akkermansiahas changedhowweapproachguthealth.“This is agamechanger,” saysGlucina.“Thepent updemandisincredible. Youcan’t getthese products anywhereelseintheworldapart fromAmericaandNew Zealand.

“Customershavebeenwanting Akkermansia foryears,andnoonehasbeen able to givethem live strains.We’resending shipmentsevery day allovertheworld, and to doctorsandhealthcarepractitionersacross New Zealandand Australia.”

MatakanaHealth,which wasoneofthe veryfirst superfoods companiesin theworld, sellsallthree Pendulumproducts.Metabolic Daily contains exclusiveprobiotic strains: Akkermansiamuciniphila,Anaerobutyricum hallii,andClostridiumbeijerinckii,aswell as other strains. Customers whoneedmore concentrateddoses, canorderAkkermansiaor Butyricumprobioticson theirownincapsule format.

MatakanaHealth,alsooffers arange ofitsownbrandsaswellassupplement brand TruNiagen, Keto Naturals, Love Organics otherleadingbrands,viaitswebsite Matakanasuperfoods.com

Ageingwith confidence

home,simplybecausetheydon’t want to disposeofsingle-use padsintheirhost’s rubbishbin.

Growingoldisgreat.Itcomeswithplenty ofbenefits,suchasmoretime, fewer responsibilities,andjustfeelingmore comfortableinyourownskin.But thereare alsosomenigglylittlehealthissuesthatcan bugpeopleastheyage.Thingslikealittle hearingloss, cataracts andjoint pain.

Bladderleakageinparticularis avery commonproblem,affectingoneinthree womeninNew Zealandandoneinfivemen. Yet the taboosaround talkingaboutandseeking help forbladderleakageoften stopactive peoplelivinglifetothefull.

Menandwomenwhoareprone to bladder leakagesometimesavoidsocialoutings, becausesimplysneezingorlaughing canbe atrigger.Avoidingholidaysisn’tuncommon either.Peoplewithbladderleaksmay stay

The goodnewsisthatKiwi company Confitex has comeupwith asolutionthat’s bothenvironmentallyfriendlyandpractical. The company’sproducts,Confitex forMen maletrunksandJust’nCasebyConfitex femalebriefs,arehigh-performanceleakproof underwearthatuse patented textile technology to solveanage-oldproblem.

They comein avarietyofsizes, styles, absorbenciesand colours,allwith apanelof absorbentandleakproof textile technology rightwhereit’sneeded.What’smore,they’re stylish, comfortableanddiscreet, saysConfitex founderanddesigndirectorFrantisekRihaScott.

“Ourunderwear feelsandlooksjust likeeverydaytrunksand briefs,and canbe machine washedandtumbledriedjustlike the rest ofyourlaundry,”saysRiha-Scott.

“It’sordinaryunderwearwith extraordinary protection.”

Confitex’s products arequitesimplya revolution forthousandsofNew Zealanders

affectedbybladderleakage.Makingthechange to wear,washand reusepee-proofproducts hasmanybenefitsinsocialandpractical terms. Confitexunderwearhelpssavemoney inthelongrun,andislighterontheplanetand ethicallymanufacturedaswell.

TheConfitex storyisarealNew Zealand number 8wiresuccess.It started backin2013 onthepurealpineskislopesoftheSouthern Alps,whenRiha-Scottand afellowyoung enduranceski racercameupwiththeingenious ideaofcreatinghigh-performanceabsorbent sportsunderwear to givethem acompetitive edge.Itmeanttheydidn’thave to stop fortoilet breaksduringdownhill races.

ButsoonRiha-Scottsaw amuchlarger marketforleakproofunderwear.His research foundthatpeoplewithlightbladderleakage hadlittlechoicebut to useugly,uncomfortable single-use pads,linersandshields.

“Theincontinenceundiesthatwereon themarket hadsuchhorrendousdesignsand didn’tprovide reliableleakproofprotection,” saysRiha-Scott. “Ithought Icouldhelp.”

Drawingonhis textiledesigntrainingand extensive researchintomicroscopic textile

technology, Riha-Scottcreatedaninnovative multi-layeredtextile technologysystemthat wicksmoistureawayfromtheskinquickly, absorbingliquidand retainingitwithout leaking,evenunderbodyweightpressure.It hassincebeengrantedmultipleinternational patents.

Heincorporatedthismulti-layer textileinto comfortable fabricunderwear formen and women.

In2015Confitex launcheditsunderwear at New Zealand FashionWeek,tacklingthe taboos aroundbladderleakagehead-onandmaking internationalheadlinesastheworld’sfirst fashionable rangeofwashableincontinence underwear.

Sincethen, the riseofperiodpantshas normalisedtheideaofreusableabsorbent underwear,but Confitex briefs andtrunks remain at the forefrontofinnovation.

Confitex forMenandJust’nCaseunderwear areavailableonlyfrom confitex.co.nz,with discreet deliverytoyourdoor.

Photo/GettyImages

Perfect Fit,UltimateComfort

The trunksarejustperfect for myhusband.Hesaystheyare extremelycomfortable and absorbent andgivehim agreat dealofconfidence.Sopleased we havefoundthem.– Jean

FORLIFE ONTHEGO

Ifyouorsomeone you loveleaksa little,you canfeel confidentinConfitex.

ConfitexforMentrunksand Just’nCasewomen’sbriefs look,feel,washanddryjust likeordinaryfabricunderwear, butwithbuilt-inleakproof protectionrightwhereyou needitforpeaceofmind.

Theluxuryretirement

villagewithaheart

Ifyou’veheard that TamahereCountryClub iswidelyregardedasNZ’s finestretirement villageyou’llbeforgivenforthinking it maybequitean‘exclusive’placetolive.

Ask any resident,however, and they’ll mostlikelytell youwhat theylovemost aboutlifehere is thecommunity, andthey’re far morelikelytousetheword‘inclusive’ than‘exclusive’.

of gold

Yes,there’sfacilitiesandbeautifularchitecture todelightthesenses, but thetruebeautyof lifehererunsdeeperthanbricksandmortar. It’stheyouthfulenergyofthecommunityand theconnectionsthatcreate alife-enrichingvalue thatcan’tbemeasuredindollarsandcents.

Ifyou’reaspiringto aretirementaddressthat feedsthesoulweinviteyoutobeourguestfor aguidedtourofTamahereCountryClub.

We have arangeofhomesavailableforimmediateoccupation. Call Sandyon021628385 tosecureyourhome.

Visitour Showhome at 46 Tamahere Drive, Tamahere,Hamilton Monday–Friday, 10am –2pm (excludingpublicholidays)

tamaherecountryclub.co.nz

Should we stillbe worried aboutCovid-19?

Covid-19is athingofthepastinmost New Zealanders’minds.Despite thementalshift,the realityisthat Covid-19stillkillingpeopleandblighting livesandlivelihoods.Around1,000deathsare expectedthis year,despitetheWorldHealth OrganisationofficiallydeclaringCovid-19 overasaglobalhealthemergency.

Intheweek to May14,12,277new casesof Covid-19werereported,although wastewater analysissuggests many casesarenot being reported.Inthesevendays to May14the rollingaverage ofpeoplehospitalisedwith Covid-19 was249,with12inICU. Thenumber ofdeaths attributed to Covid was30.Inthe wordsofOtagoUniversityepidemiologist MichaelBaker,the countryisexperiencingits fourth waveofCovid-19.

Bakersaidinlate Aprilthatthe wave was beingdrivenbytheXBB1.5subvariantof Covid-19,andmightalso reflectother factors suchas waningimmunity.

“Extrapolatingfromhospitalisationsand deathsinthelast12weeks[prior to April23]

wouldimply12,000Covid-19hospitalisations thisyear andaround1,000deaths,”Baker said.Thedata fortheanalysis wassourced fromtheMinistryofHealth andInstitutefor EnvironmentalScienceand Research.

Thepublicoftenassumesthatonlyolder New Zealanders aredying,withthesubtext thatolderpeople’s livesarenot as valuable asthoseofyoungerpeople.Ofthelast50 deathsbeforetheMay 14 cut-off,oneperson wasagedlessthan10years old, twowerein their20s,oneinthe30s,one wasinthe50s, threeintheir 60s,13intheir70s,18intheir 80sand11 were aged over90.

In total2792peopleinNew Zealandhave diedwithCovidasan underlying causeof death,orCovidas contributory. Thatdoesn’t includepeoplewhohadCovidanddied,but Covid wasn’tthe causeofdeath,according to MinistryofHealthdata.

The governmentiscurrently rollingafree Pfizerbivalent vaccinetoallNew Zealanders aged30andoverandanyone at higherriskof severeillness,providingithasbeen at least

sixmonthssincetheirlast boosterorpositive Covid test.Theaimis to helppeoplestaywell overthe winter.

Abivalent vaccineisonethathelps preventtwo strainsof avirus.Thecurrent Pfizer vaccinetargets theOmicronBA.4and BA.5 strains.TheoriginalCovidvaccineswere monovalent.

It’snot justpeople’s healththatsuffers fromCovid-19.Somebusinesseshave really sufferedas aresultofCovid.That’snot just from alackofcustom.Some struggle to find staff oraffordrisingwagesandsalaries.

RadioNew Zealand reportedthatfood courts, forexample,werereally struggling to recoverafter the pandemic. At thetime ofwriting,onlyone stall wasstillopen at theoncethrivingRialtoMall food courtin Auckland’strendyNewMarket.Nerperit SinghownsAromaIndian Cuisine,said muchofthedownturn wasthankstolocal officeworkers, who weremostoftheclients, workingfromhome.

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Dementia –spotting earlysigns

rightwords,following aconversation,or writing acoherentsentence.

•Confusionanddisorientation: feelinglost in familiarplacesor struggling to navigate simpledirections.

•Changesinmoodorbehaviour:becoming easilyfrustrated, anxious,depressed,or withdrawn,ordisplayinguncharacteristic behaviourssuch as wanderingor aggression.

access to servicesandsupport foryouand your familyandthe ability to plan foryour future.”Gettingan earlydiagnosis allowsyou to accesstreatment,adviceandsupport.

It’snormal to forget meetings,namesor telephonenumbersoccasionally,justto rememberthemlater, saysAlzheimers New Zealandprincipalclinicaladvisor,Lyneta Russell.Making awrongturnwhiledrivingis alsonormal.

Onthe otherhand, failing to remember recenteventsorhaving regulardifficulty driving afamiliar route, couldbeasignof concern.

Dementiais atermused to describea groupofsymptomsthataffectcognitive functionandmemory, whichgradually getworse.Overtime it’s likelythatall the functionsofthebrainareaffected.

Thereare severaltypesofdementia,

includingAlzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewybodydementia,and frontotemporaldementia.The earlysignsof dementia canvarydependingonthetype andtheindividual.

However,some common earlysigns include:

•Memoryloss: forgetting recent eventsor conversations,misplacingitems,or relying heavilyonmemoryaidssuchasnotesor reminders.

•Difficultywithdaily tasks: struggling to complete tasksthatwerepreviouslyeasy, suchas cooking,cleaning,ordressing oneself.

•Languageproblems: difficultyfindingthe

Morewarningsigns canbefound at: Alzheimers.org.nz/about-dementia/10warning-signs

Ifyou experienceanyofthe warningsigns youshouldseeyourdoctororhealth care providerfor amedicalassessment,says Russell.Theassessmentwillindicate whether youhave atreatabledisease,oritmight indicate that you do,infact, have aformof dementia.

“Atthis stageyoumightbe referred for further testsorassessments,”she says.“It’s reallyimportant togetadiagnosisifitis dementiaasthebenefitsincludeknowing what is goingon,theopportunity to findout moreaboutthetypeof dementiayouhave,

Russellsayseveryone cantakesteps to keeptheirbrainshealthyand reduce therisk of gettingdementia. “Asweget older,our riskofdevelopingdementiamate wareware increases.However,evidence showsthere arethingsyou candotohelpreducethisrisk. Theseinclude keepingactive, eatinghealthily and stayingmentallyalertandsocial,”says Russell.“Reachout to yourlocalAlzheimers ordementia organisationifyourselfor somebodyyouknowneedsmoresupport.”

As wellasAlzheimersNew Zealanda numberoforganisations canhelp. That includestheNew ZealandDementia Foundation[NZdementia.org] andDementia New Zealand[Dementia.nz].

Thereare alsosupportgroups forwhānau and carers ofpeople withdementia. Alist oflocalgroups canbefoundby calling0800 004001,orvisitingAlzheimers.org.nz/getsupport/find-local-help.

As we ageit’scommon to worryabout dementia.Theoddbitof forgetfulness doesn’tindicate youhavedementia,ormate wareware asit’scalledin Te ReoMāori.

Photo/GettyImages

Regular eyechecks canprevent vision loss

Eyehealth canbemaintained by awell-balanceddietand regulareyechecks candetect agerelatedvisionloss earlier.

EyeInstitute’sDrNarmeDeva, an expertin cataract surgeryand retinal disease,saiditisimportant toget regulareyechecks at anoptometrist oreyespecialisttoensureanyeye conditionsarecaught earlyon.

Many conditions,especiallythose thatare age-related,don’thaveany symptomsuntiltheyhaveprogressed.

Peopleoftenchecktheireyeswhen theyarefive-years-oldandthenoften notagainuntiltheir40sunlessthey haveblurryvision,DrDevasaid.

Itisimportant to haveaneyecheck at leastonceinyour20sand30s,or morefrequentlyifthereisafamily history ofeyeproblems.

“Mostpeopledevelopsymptomsof difficulty focusingonnearbyobjects intheir40s(presbyopia).

“Thisis partofthenormalaging processbutfromyour40syoushould getyour eyes checkedeveryfiveyears orso.”

Thisshouldbecomeyearlyfromthe timepeople reach60 to 65.

Thereason forthese checks is to helpoptometrists andeyespecialists find conditionsbeforetheybecome symptomatic.

Thereare alsothingspeople cando at home to maintain goodeyehealth.

“Allthe stuff your parentswould have toldyougrowingup –agood healthy balanceddietrichingreen leafyvegetables,Omega 3fattyacids.”

Definitelydonotsmokeasit increasestheriskofdevelopingeye problems,DrDevasaid.

UV rays canstartaffectingpeople’s eyesfromquiteayoungageso sunglasses,widebrimmedhats and safetyeyewearareimportant.

“Try to protectyoureyes.”

One conditionthatisnot always age-relatedisdiabeticeyedisease andit cancausesignificanteye problems.

“Thebiggestriskfactoristhe durationofyour diabeteswhichyou can’tcontrolasonceyou’vegot it you’ve gotit, buthow well youcontrol yousugarlevels canhelp alot.”

Uncontrolledhighbloodpressure canalsoaffecteyesight.

COMMON AGE-RELATEDEYE CONDITIONS:

Cataracts

Thelensinsideyour eyeisimportant forfocusingbutit canbecomecloudy asyouage.It’slikelookingthrougha frostedwindow.

Surgery istheonlytreatment.Itisa

successfulsmallproceduretoremove thenaturallensand replaceitwith anartificiallensthatlastsforyour wholelife.Cataractsare completely treatablewithsurgery.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma refers to agroupof conditions relating to damagetothe nerve at the backof theeye.Itisoften linked to eyepressureproblemsand canleadtovision loss.

Thisisirreversiblebutifitispicked up early enough, the vision loss can bepreventable.That’swhy regular eyechecksareimportant.

Age-relatedmaculardegeneration

Maculardegenerationaffects your centralvision.There’sevidencethat luteinand zeaxanthin(greenleafy vegetables)giveprotection forthe maculawhichistheareaaffectedby maculadegeneration

Thereare twotypes,wetanddry andthey cancoexist.

Dryisthe mostcommonanda certain combinationofvitamins (AREDS) canslowtheprogress.These areavailableoverthe counter.

Wetcanbe controlledby aseries ofmedications(anti-VEGFdrugs)into the backof theeye.

Ourtalentedspecialistsandadvanced technologiesmake theincrediblegift of improvedeyesightaneverydayreality.

SPECIALISTSIN: Cataract,Cornea,Dry Eye,LaserVisionCorrection,Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastics, Oncology,Retina,Uveitis

EyeInstituteisconvenientlylocatedthroughout Auckland (Remuera, Northcote,Manukau and NewLynn),in Hawke’sBay and Wellington

EyeInstitute’sDrNarmeDevaisan expert incataract surgeryand retinaldisease. Photo/Supplied

DrNick Mantell DrShanu Subbiah

Dr Adam Watson DrKaliopy Matheos DrLiz Insull

DrBaswati Sahoo

DrShira Sheen Dr Verona Botha

Dr Kevin Dunne

Dr Narme Deva

DrWill Cunningham

DrSophie Hill Prof.Helen Danesh-Meyer

Prof.Charles McGhee

DrDivya Perumal

Dr Peter Ring DrGraham Reeves

Dr Jay Meyer Dr Peter Hadden

Gettingtheright healthcarewhen youneedit

unlesstheyhavesavingsand canaffordto payforprivatemedical care.

Everyonehastheirownstory about private healthinsurance.Whenit comes to the “doIbuyit”question,thethreebigticks intheyescolumnare:

PoliciessuchasNIB’snon-PHARMACPlus, coverlifesavingdrugsnotavailable forfree onthepublichealthservice.

New Zealand’spublichealthsystemis verygood byworld standards.

Never-the-lesshealthcareis rationedandthereare timeswhenbeingable to skipthepublichospitalqueues canmean thedifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.Private healthinsurancecanhelpwiththat. Peoplewithoutprivate healthinsurance sometimes struggle to getthetreatmentthey want.Generalpractitioners[GPs]sometimes won’t referpatientstoaspecialist. Once referredthepublichospital canstill reject the referral.Ifthehospitalacceptsthe referral, patients arethenratedona clinicalaccess priorityscore.Thehigherthescore,themore quickly apatientisseen.

Private healthinsuranceallowspeople to avoidrunningthe gauntlet ofthepublic systemandenablesthem togetassessments

andtreatmentin atimelymanner.

Healthinsurersandtheir variouspolicies differ.But generally,they coveryou fornonurgentmedicaltreatment.Thatmightinclude doctors’visits, specialistappointmentsand operations,dependingonthepolicychosen.

Acutetreatmentsuchas acaraccidentor heart attackwill stillbetreatedinapublic hospital.Healthinsurancepolicyholders mightchoose to dotheirfollowup treatment privately ratherthan wait forthepublic system.

Healthinsuranceisn’tcheap.Butitoffers peaceofmind.According to theFinancial ServicesCouncil,which representshealth insuranceproviders,around32%ofNew Zealandershavehealthinsurance.That meansnearlysevenin10Kiwisdon’t,which leavesmostreliantonthepublicsystem

1. getdiagnosedquickly.

2.betreatedina timelymanner.

3.haveaccess to expensivedrugsprescribed byyourspecialist, butnotavailablefree throughthepublicsystem.

The“no”columnisusually cost.Many people can’taffordit, althoughsomechoose nottobuyprivate healthinsurancefor ethical reasons.

As wellasskipping waitingqueues,some private healthinsurancepoliciesalso come withannualhealthchecksand otherbenefits.

SouthernCrossHealthNZ, forexample,offers freeoutofhoursonlineGPassessments, andup to threementalhealth counselling sessionsperpolicyperyear.Withsomeof itspolicies, AIANew Zealandoffers amental healthsupportbenefit,aparentgrieving benefit,andanobstetric care allowance.

Healthinsurancedoescostmoreaspeople age.Nick Astwick, chiefexecutiveSouthern CrossHealthInsurance,acknowledgesthat premiumlevelsincreaseaspeople getolder. They’re priced to reflectthehigherlevelof claimingamongolderhealthinsuranceusers, hesays.

“Last year,theaverageamountclaimedby membersover65years wasmorethanthree timestheaverageformembersaged35 to 49 years.”

Ifpeoplearestruggling toaffordtheir premiums, Astwick recommendsthey contact theirinsurer to exploreoptions suchas switching to adifferentplanoraddingan excess to lowerpremium payments.

“Weactively talk to our50+ members to checkthey’re ontheright plan fortheir circumstances. Oneinfivepeople we contactedlastyearchangedtheirplan orincreasedtheir excess to lowertheir premiums.”

Buyingprivate healthinsuranceisagreat way to ensureyou gethealthcarewhen youneedit.

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gentle breathing. That’s thesoundof a fixedpricebuild.

Txt generation to 3001 generation.co.nz

makingbuilding easy