Technology is providing various ways to combat the problem using balance games fitness programs, diagnosis of potential weak areas of balance and gait, and wearable sensor monitors and boards that measure progress in real time providing feedback as to how well the senior is faring in their overall physical stability.

Nintendo Wii Fit U combined with the Wii balance board was not designed with seniors specifically in mind however several games have been optimized for the needs of seniors and their workouts. One of the great features is that all you need is a TV and the Wii console game system. There is no need for seniors to leave their homes and the games do not require a lot of physical space. The balance board allows the game to track your movements and weight distribution, recognizing problems with your form or stance. Immediate feedback enables correction as issues arise. Using the Wii Fit can reduce falls and improve balance in seniors and it’s fun. Wii Fit U and other game console platforms such as the Microsoft Xbox One with Kinect and Sony PlayStation can provide in-home exercise for seniors that can help avert balance issues and ensuing fall injuries. The Wii Fit U, however, is better suited to senior exercise needs and monitoring of progress.

SmartBalance technology by HUR was specifically designed for older adults who experience balance issues and although there are games that are played the user is on a static sensor platform with grab bars, much like a treadmill minus the rotating belt. This technology is best for seniors who have more significant challenges in mobility. The stabilization games are interactive and fun while they help to build core strength and muscle memory. A unique design is available that allows a wheelchair platform access so the user can train without leaving their chair. Test results can be compared to normative data, and progress tracking is visual, intuitive, and motivational as customization of training and comparisons of previous balance tests provide progress assessment which helps to motivate the user.

QTUG, technology created by Kinesis Health Technologies of Ireland, can provide gate and mobility assessment and fall prevention data in as little as five minutes. Mobility parameters divide into five functional categories that include walking, variability, symmetry, transfers, and turning. The user wears inertial sensors that actively and accurately measure gait and mobility as they engage in simple tasks such as rising from a chair, walking 10 feet, and turning to sit in a chair again. Results of the tests are delivered to a mobile device like a smartphone via Bluetooth technology, and the senior or care provider can check the score that rates the senior’s fall risk as well as their mobility and frailty. This QTUG technology can export all patient results in an Excel format as well as create a comprehensive fall risk and mobility report for each test in a PDF format. All of the resulting data can be uploaded to the cloud for medical interpretation, recommendation, or referral. The testing results are automatically backed up, secure, and HIPAA compliant.

Older adults and seniors need to be very mindful of their balance and mobility. Catastrophic medical issues can occur with the simplest of falls and sometimes precipitate an earlier than anticipated death. Technology is at the forefront of detailed, individualized diagnoses and corrective exercise programs that when implemented can help prevent accidental falls. To find out which technology best suits your fitness level and needs, speak to trusted counsel who can point you in the right direction to help keep you secure in your physical movement. We hope you found this article helpful. Contact our office at (740) 947-7277 and schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal matters. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you.

The post By Utilizing Technology, Seniors Can Be Better Protected From Falls appeared first on Seif & McNamee.

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2019

Health Care Cost Example

If that expense has landed in the middle of your household budget, here are some home truths that may help you monitor what you’re being charged. In many cases, the bills are fair. But they may not be.

For example, in the case of coronavirus testing, many providers charge between zero and $200 – yet one Texas lab charged insurance companies as much as $2,315.

Or, a hospital may have charged you exorbitant fees for a medication you could have obtained over the counter. A patient was billed $238 for eyedrops obtainable in a retail pharmacy for between $15 and $50. Sometimes the worst excesses are due to “surprise medical bills.” You can be treated in a hospital that is in your insurer’s network, but if the particular physician has rejected the insurer’s rates as too low, the physician will be treated as out-of-network, the costs can go through the roof, and your insurance company will refuse to pay.

If you are willing to put in the time and effort, it may be that you can negotiate to have your bills reduced. If the charges are big enough, it may be worthwhile to embark on an effort to get them reconsidered.

How to Explain or Reduce Health Care Bills

Healthcare reporter Sarah Kliff, formerly of Vox and now with the New York Times, has written a primer on how to proceed.

The steps she outlines are:

*     Obtain an itemized bill. The first bill you receive may give you no idea of what the charges are for.

*     It is common practice for emergency rooms to bill for simply walking in the door. Hospitals often use a point system depending on their assessment of the emergency, with higher fees for more complicated conditions. You may be able to challenge the assessment down to a lower grade.

*     You may be able to obtain a discount for paying promptly. Sarah Kliff advises persistence until you connect with a person who has the authority to permit this.

For especially big bills, please contact our office at (740) 947-7277 and schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal matters. We can assist in advocating for you.

The post Here Are Some Tips on How to Deal With Excessive Health Care Bills appeared first on Seif & McNamee.

There is a wide range of reasons that account for hearing loss. Some are genetic while others include noise exposure, medications, head injuries, and infections. While hearing loss is a frustrating experience for those who have it, along with their loved ones, the worst option is to ignore the condition. The sooner your hearing is tested, the better your ability to proactively save yourself from associated health risks due to hearing loss. According to Johns Hopkins University, brain scans indicate that loss of hearing has even been associated with more rapid rates of brain atrophy.

One of the first symptoms of hearing loss is trouble detecting high-pitched or soft sounds. This form of hearing loss is associated with stereocilia, which is the damaging of the fragile hair cells that convert sound waves into electrical signals your brain can understand. For example, high-pitched sounds might include children’s voices while soft sounds include phone conversations or background noise in a restaurant. If you are having any trouble hearing these softer or high-pitched sounds, make an audiologist appointment for a hearing assessment to get a baseline reading. Loss of hearing contributes to social isolation and the longer you wait to address hearing loss, the greater the risk of cognition problems. Meaning, you may hear the words but not be able to process their meaning.

Other than cost, there is no downside to hearing aids anymore. They are discreet, easy to learn how to use, and professionally adjustable over time to compensate for increased hearing loss. Once you factor in the cost of a potential fall, increased risk of dementia, social isolation, and depression, the cost of a hearing aid is comparatively minimal. If your hearing loss is profound already, there are cochlear implants, which are devices implanted into the inner ear to stimulate the auditory nerve. These devices can help to restore sound perception in adults with more extreme hearing loss. Your walking motor skills are dependent upon your hearing to pick up subtle cues that help you maintain your balance. Hearing loss mutes these critical cues and makes your brain work harder to pick up sounds, which can then interfere with some of the mental processes needed for safe walking.

While it is not yet proven that treating hearing loss can prevent dementia, unintended falls, or social isolation and depression, it is important to investigate as more than two-thirds of adults over the age of 70 have significant hearing loss that can impact their everyday quality of life. Older adults with hearing problems left untreated also incur substantially higher overall costs of health care. At the ten-year mark of untreated hearing loss in an older adults, the incidence of hospitalization increases by 50% or so. There are also higher rates of hospital readmission and an increased likelihood for emergency room visits when compared to those elderly adults without hearing loss.

Communication between patient and health care provider is also problematic for those adults with hearing loss. A patient has less participation in their health care plan and can often become confused as to their diagnosis and possible courses of action for treatment.  Also, following instructions post-appointment or hospital discharge can be problematic. Costs associated with untreated hearing loss have prompted both health care companies and insurers to find better ways to serve patients with hearing loss.

Nearly 27 million Americans age 50 or more have hearing loss while only one in seven uses a hearing aid or implant device. Hearing is often the most overlooked of the five human senses: taste, sight, touch, smell, and sound. Your ability to hear is incredibly important and the longer you put off addressing a hearing problem, the greater the possibility of associated adverse health events. Make good hearing part of your overall plan to age successfully. Like retirement planning and elder law planning, the sooner you address the issue, the better the outcome will be. We hope you found this article helpful. Contact our office at (740) 947-7277 and schedule a free consultation to discuss your particular situation.

The post Hearing Loss: Surprising Health Risks appeared first on Seif & McNamee.