Health and Wellness 12

All Year With Medicaid and CHIP Fighting Flu and Staying Healthy

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Each year, millions of Americans get sick from “seasonal influenza” (“the flu”). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 38 million people got sick with the flu during the 2019-2020 flu season. The flu is more dangerous than the common cold and children are at higher risk for developing serious complications. More than 12 million children under the age of 18 were diagnosed with flu last year, and of those children diagnosed, more than 52,000 were hospitalized. However, there are preventive steps parents can take to protect their children and family from the flu.

your kids and teens healthy is to make sure they get their yearly flu shot. The flu is a serious illness, but getting the flu shot helps lower the number of

hospital visits and deaths. Remember, even healthy kids can get sick from the flu and spread it to family and others. This year, it’s more important than ever for children 6 months and older, as well as adults, to get a seasonal flu shot. The CDC recommends getting a flu shot early in the season, but getting it at any time during the flu season can help.

Medicaid offers free or low-cost health insurance for eligible kids up to age 21; the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers eligi ble kids up to age 19. Medicaid and CHIP covers vaccinations for children, like the flu shot, but also other services like pre ventive care, well-child visits, dental and vision care,

ies by state and depends on your household size and income. On average, a family of four earning up to $50,000 a year or more may qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. Enrollment is open all year, but you have to renew your health coverage yearly.

immunizations to erage, parents can schedule preventive visits for their children. Your provider will tell you how to be safe and how to get important care to protect your kids’ health

munity healthy. Get covered with Medicaid and CHIP and catch up on care to prevent disease. Don’t forget to schedule your child’s yearly flu shot and protect your child’s health.

To learn more about Medicaid and CHIP, visit InsureKidsNow.gov or call 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669) to speak with an enrollment specialist and get covered today.

Catch Up on Missed Care

Catch Up on Missed Care

This is also a good time to catch up on other care and necessary preventive services your child may have missed because of COVID-19, like routine well-child visits and vaccinations. Routine well-child

Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Source: StatePoint

Medical Innovations Poised To Transform Healthcare in 2021

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Experts in healthcare are continuously striving to develop new innovations that can improve and save lives. Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists, physicians, and researchers continued to advance medical knowledge, enhance screening and diagnostic tools, and improve disease management platforms, bringing new hope to patients in 2021.

When it comes to medicine, there's a lot to be excited for in the new year. Here are the top innovations you should know about and the potential impact they may have on healthcare.

Novel blood test detects over 50 types of cancers

Novel blood test detects over 50 types of cancers

While current guideline-recommended cancer screenings in the U.S. are critical, they are limited, testing for just five cancers and screening for a single cancer at a time. The Galleri test from GRAIL strives to transform cancer care and save lives by detecting a multitude of cancers at once and at earlier stages, when treatment is more likely to be effective.

In clinical validation studies, an earlier version of Galleri demonstrated the ability to detect more than 50 types of cancers - over 45 of which lack recommended screening today - with a very low false positive rate of less than 1%, all through a single blood draw. Galleri will be commercially available in 2021 and could have a tremendous human and economic impact.

Learn more at grail.com/ galleri.

Life-changing vaccinations for COVID-19

for COVID-19

With pharmaceutical companies accelerating vaccine development timelines to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, and healthcare researchers around the world collaborating and exploring solutions, hope is on the horizon: long-awaited vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Now in the process of being distributed, the vaccine will first be available to vulnerable populations and frontline workers most at risk of the virus.

Smart-device connected pacemakers

Smart-device connected pacemakers

Pacemakers and defibrillators are implantable devices that regulate and correct heartbeats through electrical pulse. Remote monitoring of these devices is essential to ensure proper functioning, which in the past has occurred through bedside technology that communicates data to healthcare teams. This can be cumbersome, confusing, and time-consuming for patients.

In 2021, patients will have new pacemaker options that work through wireless communication to a mobile app that provides data to their physicians. In addition to streamlining the data collection process, these apps are intended to engage the patient more deeply in their healthcare so they better understand their wellness journey.

Telehealth and remote patient monitoring

Telehealth and remote patient monitoring

Resource constraints and a global pandemic has positioned telehealth to be more widely adopted, with many experts predicting remote healthcare to become standard practice for a multitude of applicable purposes, including routine checkups and mental health appointments. Insurance policy changes are also supporting this option for connecting patients and their providers, even when physically distant.

Although standard telehealth appointments might take place via secure video conference, the potential of virtual healthcare is even more dynamic. Remote patient monitoring uses special technology to connect healthcare teams to patients in their homes and can be used in chronic disease management, post-op recovery, and much more. Patients input vitals and other data and complex algorithms advise healthcare teams of trend departures so they can act quickly and effectively, helping improve health outcomes and reduce costs.

Source: BPT

Stroke Awareness It’s Always an Emergency

By d-mars.com News Provider

The sudden onset of stroke symptoms can happen to anyone at any time, making education about the signs and symptoms of a "brain attack" the first line of defense to stroke prevention.

"I'm a fanatical fan of football, so you can imagine how excited I was to enter the stadium to see my favorite team play; but I lost my balance and fell. I'm lucky the people near me jumped into action and called 911," recalled stroke survivor William Martin. "They are the real heroes in my medical emergency story; they knew the signs of a stroke."

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and third leading cause of disability worldwide. Today, only 10% of stroke survivors make a full recovery and 25% recover

care. Strokes are common and deadly but the good news is almost all strokes can be prevented.

What is stroke

What is stroke

A stroke happens when the blood vessels carrying nutrients to the brain either form a clot or rupture, causing a sudden blockage in the arteries leading to the brain. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it and brain cells die.

How to prevent stroke

How to prevent stroke

Generally, there are three treatment stages for stroke: prevention, therapy immediately after stroke, and poststroke rehabilitation. Engaging in active prevention is the most effective treatment.

What can you do to prevent stroke?

1. Monitor your blood pressure

2. Control your cholesterol

3. Keep your blood sugar down

4. Keep active

5. Eat healthy

6. Lose weight if necessary

7. Do not smoke

8. Talk to your physician about aspirin and other medications

• ARM Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

• SPEECH: Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.

• TIME to Call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

In the event of stroke: Act F.A.S.T

In the event of stroke: Act F.A.S.T

"Every minute from the time the stroke occurs to when you receive treatment makes a difference," said neurointerventional radiologist at Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City Jared Halpin, M.D. "Many types of stroke are now treatable with emergency medical interventions to either quickly dissolve or remove the blood clot or stop the bleeding that is causing symptoms."

Seek treatment, F.A.S.T. Follow the acronym below to check for signs of stroke:

• FACE Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven or lopsided?

"My doctor restored the blood flow in my brain by threading a tube through an artery in my leg and used a medical device called Solitaire™ X to remove the clot. I was surprised I didn't need brain surgery," said Mr. Martin. "The best part - I watched the final quarter of the game on TV while in the hospital recovery room."

Eighty million people have survived stroke worldwide. For more information on stroke prevention tips and treatment options please visit the World Stroke Organization at www.world-stroke.org.

Source: BPT

STUDY

Social Isolation Among Seniors Is Widespread, but These Resources Can Help

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Because of the pandemic, we've all experienced social isolation - the loss of close contact with family and friends. We're feeling that isolation even more acutely during the winter season, when we typically get together with those we love.

For older adults who have had to take extra isolating precautions against exposure to COVID-19, these losses have been magnified, and in many cases, they're layered on top of longstanding disconnections.

With 36% of adults in America age 50 or older and 17% over 65, it's reasonable to assume that social isolation is widespread. A recent survey of U.S. adults conducted by AARP Foundation and the United Health Foundation confirms it: The study found that two-thirds of respondents are experiencing social isolation, with nearly that number feeling more anxiety because of the pandemic. The consequences are disturbing.

"Social isolation has reached epidemic proportions during the pandemic," says AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson. "Decades of research on prolonged social isolation and loneliness show that it's worse for health than obesity, and as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day."

The survey also reveals that most isolated older adults are not asking others for assistance, perhaps because they don't realize help is available.

If you or a loved one are experiencing social isolation, whether it's COVID-related or a daily reality that was already present, here are some important facts to know based on the AARP Foundation/United Health Foundation survey - followed by tips that can help increase social connection.

Few have sought help about their feelings. Of those reporting social isolation during the pandemic, 50% say it has affected their motivation, 41% report greater anxiety and 37% have experienced feelings of depression. Yet only 11% have turned to medical professionals to help address these concerns, and nearly a third haven't sought help from anyone.

Women are more susceptible than men. Women 50 and older are more than twice as likely as men to feel overwhelmed as a result of the pandemic. Forty-six percent of women in that age bracket have felt anxious (compared to 36% of men), and 50% have felt stressed (compared to 40% of men). Twenty-nine percent of women 50 or older have gone for as long as three months without interacting with others outside their homes or workplaces.

Low-income adults have seen greater impact. People 50 and older in income brackets of lower than $40,000 a year have been more affected by isolation than those

with incomes of $75,000 or more. Forty percent of lower-income respondents report having trouble accessing various resources, 20% point to problems getting food and about 20% have struggled to secure health care services.

Steps you can take. AARP Foundation launched Connect2Affect to address the growing problem of social isolation. Connect2Affect offers helpful tools and resources. Here are some steps you can take to help yourself or a loved one combat social isolation:

• More medical professionals are now attuned to the physical and emotional toll social isolation can take. Discuss with your primary care doctor how you're feeling and that it might be related to social isolation.

• Connect2Affect lists health care, food assistance and other community services available to seniors.

• Request a supportive phone call from one of AARP's Friendly Voice volunteers. This program is available free of charge, and you can arrange for ongoing check-in calls.

• If the holidays or winter season have made social isolation worse for you or a family member, take the 3-minute test on the Connect2Affect site to assess your level of connectedness, then check out some practical (and safe) tips for interacting with others.

• AARP Foundation offers free chatbots to the general public and in some senior living communities that can provide the comfort of daily conversation.

Social isolation can affect anyone. Find more helpful information at AARPFoundation.org.

Source: BPT