26 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • DECEMBER 16, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
A checklist for good senior health and wellness
As you age, your health needs change.
Staying on top of senior wellness activities
is important, but it can sometimes feel
overwhelming. Creating a list of health
and wellness to-do’s can help you stay
organized, so you look and feel your best.
“Aging well is living well and it all starts
with a combination of activities that can
improve our mental and physical wellbeing,”
says Dr. Scott Kaiser, chief executive
offi cer of Determined Health, member
of the Tivity Health Healthy Aging
Coalition and a physician specializing in
geriatric medicine. “Although health and
wellness may seem to get increasingly
complicated with age, it doesn’t have to
be a struggle. A few simple - and fun -
steps can keep us on the healthy aging
path. By taking a proactive approach
and prioritizing health, seniors can live
their best life.”
Dr. Kaiser shares a simple seniorhealth
checklist to help keep you or a
loved one focused on wellness:
Annual physical
Everyone’s health is diff erent. Even
if you see specialists for certain conditions,
it’s typically recommended
to get an annual physical with
your primary physician. Th is is
an opportunity for important
health screenings that may
include tests to evaluate
blood pressure, cholesterol,
diabetes, bone density and more.
It’s also a good time for you to ask any
questions and discuss concerns.
Vaccinations
Staying current on recommended vaccinations
can help you stay healthy and
limit the spread of disease. Cold and
fl u season has arrived, so now is the time
to ask your doctor about getting an infl uenza
vaccine if you haven’t already. Th e
risk of severe illness from COVID also
increases with age. COVID vaccines are
safe and eff ective in preventing severe illness
and you can help protect yourself
and the people around you by getting
vaccinated.
Physical activity
All seniors eligible for Medicare benefi ts
through a Medicare Advantage, Medicare
Supplement or group retiree plan may be
eligible to join SilverSneakers at no additional
cost and have access to live and ondemand
virtual workouts, including nearly
2,000 activities and classes per week in a
variety of lengths and formats. Check eligibility
at SilverSneakers.com.
Social connection
Maintaining friendships and connecting
with others is an important component
to supporting physical, mental
and emotional wellness. Set up coff ee
with friends. Join community groups.
Check out social engagement opportunities
through programs like SilverSneakers
where working out with a group of peers
can build friendships and community.
Mental health
Although prioritizing mental health is
now more widely accepted, it still can be
a challenge for older adults to admit they
need help. Talk with your doctor about
how you feel and mental health concerns
you may have. Th ere are many ways
to help with a variety of mental health
concerns, including learning mindfulness
techniques to reduce anxiety, seeing a
therapist and medication.
Mental enrichment
Cognitive decline can occur as you
age, so it’s important to be proactive to
help support brain health through mental
stimulation. Read books. Join a weekly
game group. Check out GetSetUp, new
for SilverSneakers members in participating
health plans. Th is program provides
an online learning platform designed specifi
cally for seniors with a wide range of
live video classes - over 2,000 hours per
week on more than 1,800 topics - to support
mental enrichment.
Nutrition
What you eat fuels your body and mind,
so it’s important to pack your pantry and
refrigerator with wholesome foods. Stock
up on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole
grains, beans and low-fat dairy. Th en
explore recipes you can try to experience
new fl avors and keep mealtime exciting. If
you need help or have strict dietary concerns,
consider working with a nutritionist
for additional guidance.
— Courtesy of BPT
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital awarded grants to increase health care access
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e only hospital on the Rockaway
Peninsula is set to further increase access
to healthcare through grant funding.
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far
Rockaway is the recipient of two major
grants — the G.A. Ackermann Fund
Grant Award and the Expanded Access
to Care Grant — which will help the
facility improve services to a historically
underserved population that was severely
impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funding from the G.A. Ackermann
Fund Grant will go toward the staffi ng
and operations of St. John’s new Mobile
Health Unit, which is an RV that travels
throughout the communities served
by St. John’s to provide health screenings
and vaccinations to the public. Th e second
grant, the Expanded Access to Care
Grant, is aimed at ensuring equitable
access to COVID-19 vaccinations and primary
care services in Far Rockaway.
“St. John’s is fully committed to enhancing
access to healthcare services in the
Rockaways,” said Lorna Manning, RN,
MHM, MBA, ACM, assistant vice president
of Integrated Case Management &
Population Health at St. John’s. “Better
access to healthcare can signifi cantly
improve the overall health of a community,
and these grants help us to provide
essential services to our fellow community
members.”
Th e Expanded Access to Care Grant
from the city Department of Health, acting
through the Fund for Public Health
NYC, will reimburse St. John’s up to
$908,077 for implementation activities
aimed at ensuring equitable access including
an increased presence at community
health events, enhanced communication
with the community regarding COVID-
19 vaccination availability and medical
screenings for people receiving at least
one dose of the vaccine.
Th e G.A. Fund Grant of $150,000 will
go toward the hospital’s Mobile Health
Unit, which will provide blood pressure
screenings, cancer screenings, cholesterol,
glucose, lipid testing, A 1c and/or depression
screenings. Th e unit will increase
educational outreach to the community
including information on diabetes selfmanagement,
nutritional information,
weight management, smoking cessation
and stroke prevention.
Th e Mobile Health Unit will also connect
community members with primary
care clinicians.
Photo courtesy of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
/SilverSneakers.com
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