Indiana Estate Planning & Elder Law

Friends of the Firm Friday - Epilepsy Foundation Indiana

 

 

 

 

 

We recently met with Ryan Keys, Executive Director of  Epilepsy Foundation Indiana, the local chapter headquartered in Indianapolis, to learn more about the organization. The mission of the Epilepsy Foundation is to lead the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives. 

Laura Thrall, Epilepsy Foundation President and CEO has been guiding the organization to serve 3.4 million Americans living with epilepsy. Of those, 69,500 are living in Indiana and are actively served by Epilepsy Foundation Indiana. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of the Evansville Walk provided by Epilepsy Foundation Indiana. 

As depicted above, Epilepsy Foundation Indiana serves the community in many ways. For families and individuals battling epilepsy, they offer support groups, trainings, camps, activities, ways to share testimonials, and local resources. The chapter offers free education, consultation and support for anyone affected by epilepsy to the best of their ability. For those seeking ways to get involved there are volunteer and advocacy opportunities.

Given COVID-19 there have been changes to the organization's event schedule and offering. Updated policies and procedures can be found on their website. 

Epilepsy Foundation Indiana can be contacted by calling 800-332-1000 or my emailing [email protected]. 

Learn more about Epilepsy Foundation Indiana at:

• www.epilepsy.com/indiana
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• Twitter
• Instagram

Benefits of Virtual Care in Senior Living

For care providers and aging seniors in the information age, the future is now. Although not perfect, the adoption of virtual care as a standard in senior living and aging services is growing. 

For more than a decade virtual care techniques have been in use in  senior living care. While seniors and healthcare staff recognize the value that technology-enabled solutions offer, the biggest ongoing challenge continues to be between policy (think HIPPA) and technology. 

Aging seniors are likely to experience some form of virtual care in their lifetime. Below are four benefits of virtual care in health care and senior living.

1. Virtual Care Helps Offset Staffing Shortages

Virtual care could satisfy staffing shortages that are often found in care facilities. Recruiting, paying, and retaining necessary staff for senior care is one of the most significant issues senior care facilities face as a whole. The idea that virtual care could offset strains on available staff during after-hours, weekend care, and on holidays is revolutionary for this industry. Virtual monitoring is another facet of virtual care. A provider may monitor audio and video that are connected to a patient's bedside 24-hours a day.  Virtual monitoring of senior residents can also alert a skeleton crew of care providers tied to the virtual platform in the event of an emergency to intervene and provide in-person complex or urgent care.

2. Virtual Care Helps to Reduce Health Care Costs

Advancing positive outcomes is the goal of virtual care for seniors. Proper implementation and oversight of these systems can avoid unnecessary hospitalization. Unnecessary hospitalization reduces health care costs as well as stress on aging seniors, their caregivers, and family. Because healthcare is becoming prohibitively expensive, senior care providers view virtual care implementation as a high priority for health care reform.

The 2018 Telehealth Industry Trends presentation cites research showing that “…after hours skilled nursing virtual care providers have successfully treated more than 80 percent of skilled nursing residents in place using virtual care technologies.”

Health care provided on site helps residents avoid the expensive costs of hospitalization and the accompanying trauma associated with patient emergency hospital trips. 

3. Virtual Care Helps Seniors to Age in Place

Virtual care is ideal for assisting the goals of seniors who are keen on aging in in place. Older adults are growing interested in how technology can improve their aging experience while allowing them to maintain healthy independence in their own home.

In the event of a health event, remote monitoring and wearable technologies can alert care providers or loved ones immediately.  For seniors who have chronic conditions, this type of monitoring can bring peace of mind. By using an integrated virtual system, the senior also plays an active role in their well being. Home monitoring "smart speaker" service solutions for seniors are being aggressively developed and marketed by non-traditional healthcare companies like Amazon and Google. 

4. Virtual Care Brings Better Health Care and Quality of Life to Seniors in Rural Areas

Independent senior living will especially benefit through virtual care technologies in rural markets where seniors can struggle to find convenient care options. A major hurdle facing this trend is connectivity. Often times in rural environments internet connections are unreliable and sometimes nonexistent. Programs like Connect Americans Now are working to bridge the digital divide and provide reliable broadband connectivity for some 19.4 million Americans living in rural areas.

Virtual systems can help monitor vital signs of health for difficult to reach senior populations as well as enhance social engagement to offset feelings of loneliness and isolation. These rural seniors benefit immensely by having ease of interaction with healthcare professionals and social contact with friends and loved ones. Overall, virtual care technologies can bring better health care and quality of life to rural seniors. 

If this topic, or others pertaining to estate planning or elder law, have made you want to learn more about options for yourself or a loved one, we'd love to schedule a free consultation to help come up with a plan to achieve your goals!

Newly Associated Diseases for Vietnam Veterans

During the Vietnam War (1962-1975), the United States military, as well as the Republic of Vietnam, used defoliants for tactical purposes to reduce cover for enemy forces, improve perimeter visibility of military installations, and even to kill enemy food crops. Agent Orange is the most infamous of the tactical herbicides whose names became shortened to the identifying color band on the drum in which they were shipped and stored. These toxic herbicides have created a host of health problems in Vietnam Veterans who are now in and around their sixtieth decade. The illnesses are even linked to the offspring of these veterans.

In 2017, then Veterans Administration Secretary David Shulkin decided to add more diseases like bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and symptoms akin to Parkinson's to the VA's growing list of illnesses and health concerns with highly likely links to the toxic herbicide according to an Institute of Medicine 2016 report (IOM).  In addition to these findings, in 2018, the National Academies of Sciences found evidence linking Agent Orange to more diseases like hypertension and associated stroke. The Academy also links Agent Orange to monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), which is the presence of abnormal proteins in the bloodstream. The addition of these health concerns and diseases is in large part due to the change of their evidence classifications from the "limited or suggested" to "sufficient" category.

Earlier in 2019, then acting head of the Veterans Health Administration, Dr. Richard Stone, informed Congress that the VA was hoping to make a final decision on these "new addition" illnesses within 90 days. 90 days came and went. At a time when giving ailing senior veterans quicker access to rightful disability compensation and health benefits, thousands of veterans have lost hope. Unfortunately, for some, the culpability delay tactics are costing veteran lives; the longer the delay, the fewer lives to be addressed.

The Military Times is reporting these documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by a veteran, are being broadly overlooked or objected to by the White House. According to the documents, there are about 83,000 veterans currently experiencing one of the three newly proposed presumptive illnesses. However, the current director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Mick Mulvaney, expressed concerns regarding the budgetary impact of disease expansion within the current program and its potential adverse effects on the existing disability benefits program. Budgetary concerns seem to be overriding over 40 supportive scientific studies, peer-reviewed studies and additional documents Shulkin presented in a letter addressed to Mulvaney. The position of the White House remains to expand veteran care through the private sector.

Much of the inability to form a consensus in providing additional benefits revolves around the use of the term “presumptive” in describing the illness. Presumptively linking hypertension to Agent Orange exposure may be scientifically valid; however, the case can also be made linking hypertension as a disease typically found in older people, like Vietnam Veterans. Thus as Vietnam Veterans age, presumptive illnesses and their sources become difficult to isolate. The Veterans Health Administration, upon reviewing the results of their Vietnam Veteran Morbidity Study and the Vietnam Mortality study, concluded in May of 2018 that there is insufficient scientific data and information to overcome the limitations that exist in the scientific support requirement for rulemaking.

The years go on, and the back and forth continues as more Vietnam Veterans suffer Agent Orange-related illnesses and die. The longer political ploys are used to delay the approval of adding presumptive disease, the more intact the Veterans Health Administration budget will remain. This country’s policy and legislative process should not hinder America’s support of its veteran population. It is unconscionable to use delay tactics in the hopes this issue will self-resolve with the impending deaths of tens of thousands of sick Vietnam Veterans who may be fully deserving of additional medical care and benefits, but not receiving them. The VA must redouble its efforts to free up more benefit monies to right this egregious wrong.

If you have questions or would like to talk about your situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact our central Indiana office by calling (317) 863-2030 in Fishers and (765) 569-1060 in Rockville.

The Latest Technologies Will Require the Modernization of Medicare

Many seniors who are financially stable and choosing to age in place already have a “smart” home employing the sorts of technology that can prolong their independent living circumstances. Family caregivers are freer to move about their daily lives knowing they can check remotely on their loved one and that the loved one has a set of controls at their disposal to monitor their environment. Some of these seniors are also tracked directly by medical staff that can assess if any of the patient's medical vital signs are outside of a safe range. While corporate competition for senior market dollars has made many of these devices within reasonable price points, Medicare is attempting to catch up to the market demand for the use of these products and include them as refundable medical expenses. Private enterprise and public policy are not in synch.

Limitations on Proposed Use of Technology Due to Bureaucracy

Medicare’s modest step forward in the proposed approval for funding and use of technology, specifically remote monitors for at home Medicare recipients to track blood pressure and other vital signs, is on a slow trajectory. There are two important limitations associated with the proposals. The first is a constraint on the devices eligible for use and the second is there is no provision for Medicare recipients who do not use home health agencies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will also not directly reimburse home care companies but allow for the expense to be considered when setting overall reimbursement rates. In other words, the bureaucratic acceptance and ability to merge even the most basic of medical technology tools into the mainstream is cumbersome at best. 

Technology Allows the Elderly to Age in Place and Reduce Financial Strain

While it has not been proven that these monitoring devices improve health outcomes (and may explain why CMS is moving so cautiously), the advocates for the technology make the case that the tools allow the elderly, more frail individuals the ability to continue living at home rather than moving to an assisted living or nursing facility. There is less financial strain on CMS outlays when older adults age in place. Currently, the CMS proposal only allows for technology that monitors and collects physiological data which typically includes blood pressure, glucose monitoring, and electrocardiogram (ECG). All of this data is digitally stored and can be transmitted by the patient and the caregiver. However, this sort of monitoring is currently happening, and what CMS has come up with is merely a payment change and exclusion of those Medicare recipients not associated with home health agencies. Not exactly a significant foray into at home medical technology. Technology can streamline and make effective the remote monitoring process however it becomes less effective when government policy continues to add layers of bureaucracy and exclusions that make the adaptation to remote monitoring technologies at home needlessly complicated.

The Importance of Mobility Trackers and Smart Home Devices

What happens to the latest tech tools that can detect how well a senior is moving around their own home, forgotten to turn off the stove, or a senior who is unable to swallow a pill or answer a phone? For the many chronically ill seniors who are regularly monitored and have stabilized prescription medical approaches for their condition, it might be far more advantageous to approve of technologies that can prevent a house fire or data analytics that can be predictive about the increased risk of an unintended fall. Mobility trackers and smart home devices are as important as at home biometric devices for the senior who is choosing to age in place.

Addressing the Cost of Home Technology

Given that technology will have to be the offset for the growing shortage of personal care workers and their associated expense, remote monitoring will become pervasive in the care of the elderly with chronic conditions. However, if the senior does not have financial stability, and many of them do not, how will the costs for these home technologies be addressed?

The Need for Home Health Agencies to Adopt Emerging Technology

What are the benefits of the changes CMS has made to the Home Health Prospective Payment System (PPS)? The belief is as put forward by Seema Verma, "The redesign of the home health payment system encourages value over volume and removes incentives to provide unnecessary care." What this means is if a Medicare recipient uses a home health agency then the remote monitoring tools become an allowable cost on the Medicare report form. The expectation is to use home health agencies as the vehicle to foster the adoption of emerging technologies which is all in support of advancing the Administration's MyHealthEData initiative. These benefits are doubtful to keep pace with market-driven forces for innovation in the field of at home biomedical devices because healthcare is taking up an increasing share of the US economy. The CMS Office of the Actuary projects that by the year 2026 one in every five dollars in America will be spent on healthcare.

Digital Formatting of Medicare Claims Data

Another benefit CMS has put into place is the release of the Blue Button 2.0 application programming interface (API). Blue Button is a digital platform that is now the standard for Medicare beneficiaries to receive claims data in a digital format so it can then be securely and privately used in applications (apps) developed by third parties. This platform standardization by CMS is encouraging software developers to leverage its digital architectural design for claims data from Blue Button 2.0.

Blending of Medicare and Technology to Benefit Recipients

CMS has taken some cautious steps to ensure that certain Medicare beneficiaries will be able to take advantage of and be reimbursed for the advances in the technologies for home health care. The US healthcare spending is forecast for continued growth reaching over $1 trillion by 2026. There is not a lot of time to get this right. Large government agencies move far more slowly than agile, market-driven technology companies. Thankfully technology developers and CMS are both starting to find ways to blend effectively and efficiently for the benefit of Medicare recipients, but it is a long road ahead.

If you have questions or concerns about long-term care needs and planning for yourself or a loved one, please contact our central Indiana office by clicking here to send us a message or call (317) 863-2030 in Fishers, IN or (765) 569-1060 in Rockville, IN.

Staying Mentally Sharp as You Age

Age comes with wisdom. Unfortunately, it also comes with some forgetfulness. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep the brain sharp, small daily habits which can reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Four key factors in staying mentally sharp are explained below.

1. Exercise

Exercise is one such daily habit. It increases blood flow, and thus oxygen to the brain; it also protects brain cells against destructive chemicals in the environment. Exercise also supports the production of new brain cells. Furthermore, research in the 2000s showed a relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and Alzheimer’s. Anything which can impair blood flow can cause strokes leading to cognitive decline, otherwise known as vascular dementia. The same activities that one would consider as beneficial to the heart, such as regular exercise, can therefore also be effective in protecting the brain. And, of course, there are other benefits to exercising regularly: it helps with energy levels, decreases anxiety and depression, and can help with sleep.

2. Sleep

Sleep is another factor to maintaining a healthy mind. But as many as half of adults 60 and older are affected by insomnia, which can result in memory loss, depression, and other symptoms. It’s important, then, to pay attention to sleep hygiene and sleep schedules to ensure sufficient duration and quality. If it takes more than 45 minutes to fall asleep, or you have trouble staying asleep, it may be worth looking into treatment.

3. Eating Well

Eating well is another way to protect the mind. It’s important to ensure you’re getting enough vitamins A, B, C, D, E, folic acid and niacin. The USDA and the HHS describe two eating plans: the USDA food patterns or the DASH Eating Plan. Foods like nuts, fish, and wine have also been linked to a healthy brain.

4. Mental Exercise 

Art, music, reading, writing, learning, and puzzles… these are also good for keeping the brain sharp. Art has been used as an Alzheimer’s treatment and to restore memory; and arts maintain and improve dexterity and fine motor skills! Adult coloring books have become popular in recent years, and can be found in many stores and online; watercolors and pastels are also relaxing.  Meanwhile, music has been linked to improved memory and cognition, and can both elevate your mood and lower blood pressure. Learning and intellectual challenges like puzzles exercise the brain and improve its capacity. Mental exercise is thought to maintain and stimulate brain cells. This includes pursuit of hobby, learning new skills, using brain training apps, or taking on other new kinds of projects at work.

Contact our central Indiana office to learn how we can assist in your long term planning.

Read more at:

• https://www.aginginplace.org/digital-and-trend-forward-games-for-seniors/
• https://time.com/4931877/keep-brain-sharp-prevent-alzheimers/
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/7-ways-to-keep-your-memory-sharp-at-any-age
• https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/10ways-to-keep-the-mind-sharp/

A Simple Blood Test Can Detect Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease is becoming more prevalent among aging Americans, and there are more aging Americans than ever before. Alzheimer’s disease has three typical biomarkers: plaques of beta-amyloid protein, tangles of tau protein, and loss of connections in the synapses that communicate information between brain cells. Now a simple blood test may be able to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s years before any symptoms, like memory and thinking decline, become apparent. The test involves the identification of changes in levels of NfL a neurofilament light chain protein found in the brain. This protein is part of the internal skeleton and resides inside neurons and brain cells, but when damaged or dying NfL leaks into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), it becomes circulated into the bloodstream.  CSF provides essential mechanical and immunological protection to the brain inside of the skull.

Alzheimer’s is the Most Common Form of Dementia

Recent data from the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer’s disease fact sheet estimates Alzheimer’s may rank as the third leading cause of death for older people following heart disease and cancer. It is also the most common form of dementia among seniors aged 65 or more. A simple blood test can detect the future state of you and Alzheimer's but do you want to know? Currently, there is no cure for the disease, and depending on the levels of optimism an individual displays, knowing their NfL status could be a blessing or a curse.

Wanting to Know or Not Wanting to Know

The blood test gives pre-diagnosis years ahead of the onset of symptoms. There is a percentage of seniors who would find this information disheartening and feel burdensome and full of worry for what is about to come. These individuals can receive protection from knowing at their request if the information would make them fearful and angst-ridden. Other seniors might want to have a pre-diagnosis to relish the time that they have left with full faculties. They may want to get their affairs in order, handling day to day living choices and extension of life choices when they are no longer mentally competent to do so. Many components divide the two camps of thought; wanting or not wanting to know. Family structure, faith, financial independence, education level, and general health and well being typically play a factor in the decision.

Family Preparation

What of the family who may want or may need to know of the future advent of Alzheimer’s to plan for the care of their spouse or parent? As a spouse and as a child, it is crucial that medical directives be in place for when their loved one can no longer make a sound decision but can be comforted by the fact that they participated in the planning years before. A spouse must prepare when their loved one enters a full-time care facility they may no longer recall their marriage and their spouse and unknowingly, may strike up a "relationship" with another resident. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor encountered this with her husband and famously became involved in raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease. Subsequently, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018 and retired from public life.

Reasons to Establish a Biomarker

Outside of the emotional realm of not having an Alzheimer’s stricken spouse or parent recognize who you are there is a substantial financial component to caring for individuals with Alzheimer's. For practical and economic reasons, a family should be able to establish the biomarker for a loved one's likelihood to develop the disease through this simple blood test. To that end, health information is private and protected by law. To ascertain your spouse or parents’ risk of Alzheimer's requires conversation, acceptance of the blood test, and careful planning with elder counsel for proper legal documentation.

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Our team is always available if you have questions or would like to discuss planning opportunities to address your health care needs. 

 

The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Depression

The findings from a ten-year study by the Journal of the America Medical Association (JAMA) reports of a link between hearing loss and health risks. The risks include a 50 percent greater risk of dementia, a 40 percent greater risk of developing depression and nearly a 30 percent higher risk for unintended falls.

A Connection Between Hearing Loss and Depression

Reuters Health cites data analyzed by researchers, combining the findings from 35 previous hearing studies with participants aged 60 or more, which establishes the connection between hearing loss and depression. The aggregate of the conclusions of these reports suggests that older adults who experience some form of hearing loss are 47 percent more likely to display symptoms of depression. The take away is that depression is often brought about by the isolation of an individual and hearing loss tends to create social isolation. Dr. Nicholas Reed of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine agrees with the findings published by Reuters. “First, hearing loss impairs communication and influences balance, which can lead to social isolation and decreased physical activity that, in turn, result in depression” Reed said.

Cognitive Decline

Beyond the problem of social isolation due to hearing loss is that the longer you wait to address the issue the greater the risk of associated cognition problems. An older adult may be able to hear words but not be able to understand their meaning cognitively. It is imperative to see an audiologist and test hearing capabilities to establish an informational baseline and make future adjustments accordingly. Overall, older adults who experience hearing loss tend to withdraw from society and are more likely to experience mild cognitive decline furthering levels of social and emotional loneliness.

Hearing Loss Lowers Quality of Life

It is estimated that 100 million people in the US are exposed to unhealthy levels of noise. Aircraft and automobile noise, leaf blowers and lawnmowers, car stereos and earbuds all contribute to the increase of hearing loss. Hearing loss lowers quality of life and can also have severe implications regarding personal safety. Potential danger warnings like smoke alarms, car horns, fire alarms, public safety announcements all require the ability to hear. Hearing loss limits everyday life experiences in our ability to socialize, work, and communicate. It also limits joyful experience like the sound of a child laughing, a bird singing, a loved song on the radio, or a gab session with a great friend. 

The Benefits of Hearing Aids

Thus far there is no way to undo damaged hearing but other than cost, there is no downside to hearing aids anymore. Their look is discreet, they are 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 price of hearing aid(s) winds up being comparatively minimal. Although the study, as reported by Reuters, does not investigate whether treating hearing loss can prevent depression aging Americans should still seek medical attention when experiencing hearing problems.

The Complex Process of Hearing

Hearing is a complex biological phenomenon. First ears capture sound traveling through the air as a vibration in air pressure. The outer ear (pinna) catches the sound waves and indicates its direction, in front, behind, above or below you. The ear canal receives the sound wave and triggers vibrations to the eardrum which becomes amplified by tiny bones known as ossicles. Then the amplified vibrations travel to the cochlea in the inner ear where the sound is translated into nerve impulses that your brain recognizes and processes as distinct sounds.

Hearing and its complexities and loss will continue to get a lot of attention moving forward. In a world full of headphones, earbuds, robust speakers, and unwanted environmental noise, all of us are at risk of having diminished hearing abilities. Turn down the sound whenever possible to improve your quality of life as you age. Hearing loss has a profound impact on your well being. Be proactive in the monitoring of your hearing abilities and subsequent hearing loss as you age.  

At Hunter Estate and Elder Law we help clients plan and prepare for the future.  Contact our central Indiana office to learn how we can assist in your long term planning.

Critical Issues in Healthcare

In June, The Hill hosted a Future of Healthcare Summit to address critical issues in healthcare, from the Medicare for All proposals made by Democratic presidential hopefuls to the opioid crisis. Speakers included policymakers, health officials, and industry leaders, on both sides of the aisle. Below are five issues in healthcare which were addressed at the summit.

1. Lack of Funding for Medicare

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), for example, took a critical stance on the idea of Medicare for All at the summit. His statements are summarized here. His concerns are practical; “We can’t even pay for Medicare for some,” he said, referring to an earlier report that Medicare will exceed its hospital insurance fund by 2026. Manchin, accordingly, prefers to fix the Affordable Care Act rather than create an entirely new system.

2. Breaches in Health Care Data

Another issue discussed at the summit was that of data security. As health care becomes increasingly digitized, the risk to people’s privacy rises, as evidenced by recent data breaches. Lawmakers are responding to these breaches, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) by reaching out to health care groups for input on strategies to improve cybersecurity, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) by introducing the Protecting Personal Health Data Act. Read more about this here.

3. High Cost Drugs

High cost drugs are another upcoming issue in the health care world, discussed in this Hill article. Innovative cures may merit a high price, but some companies are asking such massive sums for potentially life-saving solutions that they are inaccessible to the people who need them. Accordingly, lawmakers are trying to come up with solutions to make these drugs more affordable, such as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who has considered allowing Medicaid to pay for drugs over time. 

In the same vein, Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY.) called for the cost of insulin to be lowered in an op-ed on The Hill, available here; he notes that insulin prices have doubled in the last seven years, and tripled in the decade prior, that out-of-pocket insulin costs can exceed $300 a vial, and that patients are often racking up debt or skipping doses with serious health consequences. Reed is pushing for transparency from insulin manufacturers, and has introduced the SPIKE Act, which would require justification for price hikes. Likewise, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) has expressed his concern in a recent op-ed about the prices for drugs which treat cancer, and is also pushing for transparency to lower costs. 

4. Substance Abuse

Meanwhile, Reps. David Trone (D-Md.) and Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) wrote in to The Hill, responding to issues of addiction raised at the conference. Trone drew attention back to the opioid crisis and its ongoing effects, and described the steps being taken to combat it. Norcross called for enforcement of the 2008 requirement that insurance cover mental health and substance-use disorders to the same extent physical ailments are covered, and for continued funding and new strategies to deal with substance abuse.

5. Destabilization of the Health Care Market

Finally, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) criticized the Trump administration as “sabotaging our health system” by destabilizing the health care market and creating difficulties in accessing it. She cites specific efforts the administration has made to reduce access, including supporting attempts to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Baldwin has responded by supporting the ENROLL Act to restore funding for the Navigator, which had previously been reduced by the Trump administration and by introducing the No Junk Plans Act to reel back the administration’s expansion of junk insurance plans.

From data security to drug prices, The Hill’s Future of Healthcare Summit covered a lot of ground. These issues in health care and the responses proposed to solve them continue to develop. If you have questions or would like to discuss planning opportunities to address your health care needs, please contact our Fishers office at (317) 863-2030 or our Rockville office at (765) 569-1060.

The Affects of Sugar on Aging

A poor, non-nutritional diet, particularly one high in sugar can have disastrous consequences for overall health particularly in our more senior years. The sugar effect is cumulative and some of the bodily harm sugar causes can take months or years to undo, if it can be undone at all. The more diet disciplined you are at a younger age the greater your chance of enjoying a healthy, successful retirement and senior living years. What if you didn’t do that? What if you eat too much sugar? Do not give up on the task at hand. It is never too late to implement change to your diet. Sugar presents a myriad of problems for the human body though the worst offender to the body has long been purported to be salt. Newer studies are proving to contradict earlier evidence that excessive salt is the exclusive enemy.

Sugar Can Deplete Our Bodies of Essential Nutrients

A person weighing about 110 pounds has about forty teaspoons of naturally occurring salt in the body. True salts such as sea salt that provide needed trace minerals that are not found in overly processed table salt are the types that you need in your diet. These trace minerals found in high quality salts actually aid blood sugar control by improving insulin sensitivity. The same person weighing 110 pounds has less than ONE teaspoon of naturally occurring sugar in the body yet the modern processed food diet is as riddled with sugars as it is with low quality salt. Not only do you need a minimal amount of sugar in the body but both forms of sugar, glucose and fructose can deplete our bodies of essential nutrients. Nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, chromium, and vitamin C. 

The Long-Term Affect of Sugar on Human Tissue

While there are many detailed articles and studies about disease and problems associated with too much sugar there is an over arching explanation as to why it seems to wreak such havoc known as cross-linking. (www.verywell.com/how-sugar-makes-us-age-2224230)

The theory is that over time through a process known as glycation more and more proteins, DNA and other bodily structural molecules develop inappropriate attachments called cross-links. The molecules that become cross-linked no longer function as they are intended and when enough of them accumulate in specific tissues it can cause problems: tissues that include tendons, arteries, lungs and cartilage. Within the affected tissues stiffening occurs and there is a loss of efficient functioning. Many problems associated to aging occur because of this stiffening of tissue. Examples include but are not limited to atherosclerosis, skin changes (skin being the largest organ of your body), cataracts, and pulmonary fibrosis. 

Reducing Sugar Intake

In order to stop the onset of or continued degradation that cross-linking causes it is imperative to reduce your sugar intake. Even if your sweet tooth is hard to curb at first there are artificial sweeteners, raw honey, stevia, agave nectar, maple syrup and molasses to replace using refined sugar which is primarily made up of genetically modified beets and/or GMO corn, (think high fructose corn syrup). 

The important message beyond the education of the overall dangers of excessive sugar is take a good look at your diet and assess the amount of sugar you are ingesting. Reducing the amount is a simple and easy way to restore some balance to your body’s natural functioning over time. It is even possible that you may ward off some future diseases and keep your senior years a happier and healthier experience. Aging can be a difficult road so why not put some controls on that which you can. Reduce your sugar intake starting today and see how far you can go. 

Contact our office today and schedule an appointment to discuss how we can help you with your planning.

 

5 Steps to Living a Longer and Healthier Life

It is no secret that a healthy lifestyle has a significant impact on your well-being and the earlier you implement a healthy lifestyle strategy, the greater the potential benefit regarding your longevity. Your lifespan can be increased by as much as 14 years for a woman and 12.2 years for a man according to the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation study. The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but according to the World Health Organization, it ranks about 53rd in life expectancy from birth compared to other developed nations, according to 2015 data. 

What are the five lifestyle habits that can help you live longer?

1. Avoid smoking and second-hand smoke.

 If you have ever been a smoker, find a way to quit. Try hypnotherapy, patches, gum - whatever it takes - but figure out a way to stop smoking. Breath is life, and without a healthy respiratory system, you are shortening your lifespan. If you do not smoke now or never have, that is great! Stay on that path and do not subject yourself to other people’s smoking. 

2. Exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes each day.

Exercising for 30 minutes each day is imperative for longevity.  The best and easiest daily exercise is to walk. If you are currently out of shape and 30 minutes a day seems unachievable, then begin with 10 minutes. Make a plan and increase your time to 20 minutes as you become more physically able to do so. By the time you are ready for 30 minutes of daily exercising, be sure that your pace is moderate to vigorous. Walk every day in the morning at a set time and make it your routine. Walking will help you lose weight, gain muscle, and reduce your body mass index.

3. Maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI).

Body mass index is a significant indicator of overall health.  Guidelines recommend that all adults maintain a BMI between 18 and 25.  BMI over 25 indicates overweight, while a BMI over 30 indicates obesity.  However, a few extra pounds may not be as harmful to those over the age of 65 as they are for younger people and being underweight is of greater concern for older individuals.

4. Eat healthy.

Healthier foods are generally found on the outskirts of your supermarket and include fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and eggs, as well as lean meats. The inside aisles of a supermarket are packed with food products, not real food. Much of this food is so over processed and chemical-laden that it is not healthy to eat.

5. Consume only moderate amounts of alcohol.

Consuming moderate levels of alcohol is defined as one drink a day for women and two for men. Adopting a new healthier lifestyle can include days where you choose not to have an alcoholic beverage. If you have fallen into excessive drinking patterns, make changes today. The liver is a restorative organ and can heal itself if excessive damage has not been done.

While longevity can only be estimated and everyone will have their own life expectancy experience, increased awareness of healthy lifestyle choices are changing the way seniors are approaching aging. Your longer lifespan will require adequate funding which can be achieved by frugal spending habits, possibly delaying your retirement, and thinking differently about conventional investment strategies in senior years. Getting sound and trusted advice about longevity and your financial aging strategy can bring you peace of mind as well as financial security. Contact our office today and schedule an appointment to discuss how we can assist you with your long term planning.