Ohio Department of Aging
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September 2007
Director's Notebook
Prevention is Key in Going Forward Healthy
Throughout September, we are encouraging Ohioans of all ages to make positive changes in their lives to ensure they go forward healthy. Along with good nutrition and appropriate exercise, seeing a health professional for preventive care and screening is essential to staying healthy and delaying or avoiding chronic diseases that are a natural part of the aging process.
As we age, many avoid the doctor's office or clinic because they believe it is too depressing, or transportation is an issue, or they find some other reason. Some of us prefer to keep our health concerns private, but doing so sometimes delays or prevents necessary care when it can do the most good. Being screened regularly for diseases for which you may be at risk gives you and your medical professional a chance to catch it early, when it is most easily and successfully treated.
Medical evidence has proven it is more cost-effective to prevent certain conditions, such as flu, diabetes and heart disease, instead of treating them later. Today, Medicare offers a host of preventive services, yet the vast majority of beneficiaries fail to take advantage of them. Fewer than one in 10 seniors get all the screenings and immunizations recommended by public health groups, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
For years, Medicare has covered vaccines for flu, pneumonia and hepatitis B; mammograms; tests for cervical and prostate cancer; bone-density screenings; and training for diabetes self-management. Over the past five years, the program also has added coverage for an initial "Welcome to Medicare" comprehensive examination, glaucoma screenings, medical-nutrition therapy, cardiovascular and diabetic screenings and smoking- and tobacco-cessation counseling. CMS has a complete list of available preventive services at MyMedicare.gov. A person's physician will help him or her determine which are appropriate.
Tuesday, September 18, is "Take A Loved One For a Checkup Day." Encourage someone you care about to visit, or make an appointment to visit, a health professional. Help him or her plan for that visit by writing down questions to ask and compiling a list of previous diagnoses, prescriptions and doses. Offer to drive and even to sit in on the exam and take notes.
Knowing that someone cares about your well-being can help you find the motivation you need to go forward healthy.
Ohio Department of Aging