Want to Age-Proof Your Brain? Here's How - Part 1

If someone told you there are things you can do to prevent Alzheimer's or dementia, would you do them?

Well, I'm telling you! What we eat and how we live and how we think are big factors. In fact, according to a recent study, reducing risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and smoking by just 25 percent could prevent up to half a million cases of Alzheimer's in the U.S.!

Here are five things you can do to lower your chances of getting it...

1) Move That Butt!

Exercise can reduce dementia risk by 30 to 40 percent. As you age, your hippocampus shrinks, leading to memory loss. But studies suggest that exercise can not only slow this process, but actually reverse it. That's why physically-active people generally have better cognition and memory.

2) Move That Butt, Part II: Get Pumped!

In a study at the University of British Columbia, older women in a weight-training program did 13% better on cognitive tests than women who did balance and toning exercises only.

3) Never Stop Learning!

Learning spurs the growth of new brain cells. But maintaining the same learning routines - crossword puzzles, etc. - is not enough. We're talking about learning new things, and new skills.

4) Let It Go...

Chronic stress floods your brain with cortisol, which leads to impaired memory. Recent Harvard studies showed that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) - which involves focusing your attention on sensations, feelings and state of mind - reduces cortisol.

5) Go Greek

We've known for years that the Mediterranean Diet - emphasizing fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and beans - reduces Alzheimer's risk. In fact, according to Columbia University, it reduces risk by a staggering 34 to 48 percent!

At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we can show you a hundred ways to avoid Alzheimer's or dementia - because we've got one of the largest Alzheimer's/Dementia Resource Centers in South Florida!

Over the past 34 years, we've answered questions about these diseases for thousands of South Florida families. And we've answered their questions, as well, about comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care plans, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid or the VA.

We can answer your questions, too. And we're just a phone call away.

The Medicare Merry-Go-Round

Too Many of Us Are Ending Up Back in the Hospital After Being Discharged 

A recent report by Dartmouth University researchers revealed that one in eight Medicare surgery patients ended up back to the hospital within 30 days of being released. And, surprisingly, the numbers were even worse for non-surgical patients - one in six!

Based on data from 2010, the results were no better than they were in 2004.

Hospital readmissions are costly - they cost Medicare $26 billion a year. And, according to the study, nearly $17 billion of that cost is avoidable!

Re-admission rates vary widely among counties here in South Florida. For 2010, Miami-Dade County had the state's highest re-admittance rate - 15.1% of surgical patients within thirty days. Broward County was at 14.4%. And Palm Beach County stood at 11.8...the only one of the region's three counties lower than the national average of 12.4%.

Last year, the Centers for Medicare began imposing financial penalties on hospitals with the worst rates. But there doesn't seem to have been much improvement since then.

The solutions, according to one of the authors of the study, may lie mostly with doctors. They should be taking more time to communicate effectively with their patients...and to make sure their patients understand these communications. Dr. Chiang-Hua Chang says that doctors need to be clear about when patients should take their medications. About when they should call their doctors. And that they should have follow-up appointments with their own physicians.

Kind of discouraging, isn't it? We go into hospitals with the reasonable expectation of coming out healthier...not ending up back there in a few weeks.

Medicare can be a nightmare of bureaucracy, inefficiency, and frustration. And every interaction you have with Medicare is likely to lead to even more frustration. But we can help.

At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld and Associates, we practice Elder Law. Over the past 34 years, we've helped thousands of South Florida families navigate the Medicare Maze. And we've helped them as well, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA.

We can help you, too. And we're only a phone call away.

What, Exactly, is Palliative Care?

Palliative care.

We've all heard the term lately. But how many of us actually understand the term?

To many of us, it's something that takes place only on hospice. To others, it's something that's given only to terminal patients. WRONG - on both counts!

Palliative care can be difficult to pigeon-hole. For some patients, it's pills and traditional approaches such as chemotherapy. For others, it's yoga, acupuncture, or meditation (perhaps to help with chemotherapy). For some patients, it's given in hospitals or on hospice. For others, it's given at home.

Palliative care, really, is about using pain-control to help the patient make the most out of his/her remaining life...whether it's six months or six decades. Even doctors, in fact, often have the mistaken idea that it's only for the terminally-ill. If doctors don't even understand the concept, one can only imagine the mis-information and misperceptions among the patient population!

As a result, tragically, many people who could really benefit from palliative care are not receiving it.

Like hospice, palliative care takes a team approach, with doctors, nurses, social workers, and clergy working together to address emotional issues as well as medical ones...along with help in managing the nightmarish bureaucracy of the healthcare system. Perhaps because of this, some people mistake it for hospice. Palliative care may be used on hospice...BUT IT'S NOT HOSPICE!

It seems to me that doctors ought to learn more about this service, so they can recommend it to patients. And that patients should have the right to be fully informed about the options available to them!

The Elder Care Journey is filled with questions, misunderstandings, and misperceptions. And it's easy to get lost along the way. But we can help. And we can tell you about all the options available to you.

At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we practice Elder Law - and only Elder Law. We've been answering questions for South Florida families for 34 years...and we've helped thousands of them. And we've answered their questions, too, about comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid or the VA.

If you've got questions, we've got answers. And we're just a phone call away.