8A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • FEBRUARY 20, 2019
Boomer & Senior
News Line
By Matilda Charles
Finding the Right Nursing Home
How to travel even
if you have limited
mobility
Many people dream of trav-
eling the world in retirement.
Such dreams come true every
day. But many more retirees or
people nearing retirement fear
that their dreams of seeing the
world won’t be possible due to
mobility issues beyond their
control. Th ankfully, such fears
are largely unwarranted.
Various conditions can aff ect
men and women’s mobility.
Many such issues tend to arise
aft er age 50, prompting many
people to believe their post-re-
tirement travel plans will never
come to fruition. Conditions
such as rheumatoid arthritis;
chronic obstructive pulmo-
nary disease, or COPD; and
heart disease may make it hard
for people to travel. But that
diffi culty doesn’t mean aging
men and women should re-
sign themselves to a sedentary
lifestyle. Th ough they might
require a little extra eff ort be-
fore boarding a plane for parts
unknown, the following are a
handful of ways that aging men
and women with limited mo-
bility can reap the rewards of
traveling.
• Contact airlines or other
transportation companies if
you require special accommo-
dations. Th e U.S. Department
of Transportation notes that
passengers are generally not
required to provide advanced
notice for disability-related
accommodations. However, it
makes sense to provide such
notice anyway. By doing so,
men and women with limit-
ed mobility can ensure they
will have adequate assistance
during their trips. When made
aware of passengers’ mobility
issues, airlines or other trav-
el companies may arrange for
wheelchairs to be available at
the gates or train platforms
so passengers can easily make
connecting fl ights and trains.
In addition, advance notice
gives companies a chance to
provide seating accommoda-
tions that can make for a more
enjoyable trip.
• Contact security agencies.
Security is part of modern
travel, so travelers, especially
those traveling by air, should
expect to go through security
checkpoints during their trips.
Travelers with limited mobili-
ty should contact the security
agencies in their home country
as well as those in any coun-
try they plan to visit to get an
idea of what they can expect.
Knowing these guidelines in
advance can help people with
limited mobility determine if
they should arrive extra early
so they can make it through
security checkpoints in time to
make their fl ights or trains.
• Contact hotels directly.
Each country has its own laws
regarding how to accommo-
date people with physical dis-
abilities or mobility issues, so
don’t leave things to chance.
Before booking a hotel room
abroad, travelers with limited
mobility should contact the
hotel directly to confi rm that it
can accommodate their needs.
Men and women with limit-
ed mobility can still enjoy the
wonders of travel, even if it re-
quires some extra eff ort before
embarking on their trips.
Questions to ask when your doctor
prescribes a new medicine
Th ough few people may want
to take medicine each day, pre-
scription drugs prolong lives
and help people manage con-
ditions that might otherwise
make it diffi cult to live life to
the fullest.
A 2017 survey from Con-
sumer Reports found that 55
percent of people living in the
United States take a prescrip-
tion medicine. Th e survey also
found that those who take pre-
scription drugs use an average
of four such medications. Th at
fi gure might alarm some peo-
ple, especially aging men and
women whose bodies might
be more susceptible to condi-
tions that are oft en treated with
medication.
Th ere’s no denying that pre-
scription drugs can save lives.
But men and women have a
right to explore their options
when doctors prescribe them
medications, and asking the
right questions when doctors
suggest medication can help
men and women decide if pre-
scription medicine is their best
option.
To help men and women
make the best decisions re-
garding their healthcare, the
National Institute on Aging ad-
vises people to ask their physi-
cians these questions when be-
ing prescribed a new medicine.
• What is the name of the
medicine, and why am I taking
it?
• Which medical condition
does this medicine treat?
• How many times a day
should I take the medicine, and
at what times should I take it?
• If the prescription instruc-
tions say the medicine must be
taken “four times a day,” does
that mean four times in 24
hours or four times during the
daytime?
• How much medicine
should I take?
• Should I take the medi-
cine on its own or with food?
Should I avoid certain foods
and beverages when taking this
medicine?
• How long will it take this
medicine to work?
• Will this medicine cause
problems if I am taking other
medicines?
• Can I safely operate a mo-
tor vehicle while taking this
medication?
• What does “as needed”
mean?
• When should I stop taking
the medicine?
• What should I do if I forget
to take my medicine, ?
• Can I expect any side ef-
fects? What should I do if I
have a problem?
• Will I need a refi ll, and how
do I arrange that?
When discussing medica-
tions with a physician, it’s im-
perative that men and wom-
en be forthcoming about any
other medicines they might be
taking under the guidance of
other doctors. In addition, men
and women should tell their
physicians about any over-the-
counter medicines or vitamins
and supplements they are tak-
ing. Sharing such information
can prevent potentially serious
complications from arising.
Medicine saves lives every
day. Smart patients can help
medicine do its job by learning
about their medications and
discussing them openly and
honestly with their physicians.
When it’s time to find a nursing
home for an elderly parent or
your spouse, the decision can
be the hardest part of the pro-
cess. But it’s not the only tough
part. Gathering information
can make the task even more
difficult.
One source is Medicare’s nurs-
ing home comparisons (www.
medicare.gov, then put nursing
homes in the search box). Enter
your ZIP code and you’ll get an
list of places within 25 miles.
They’ll each be rated with stars
for health inspections, fire safe-
ty, staffing, quality of resident
care and penalties.
Make special note of this last
category; it can reveal a lot.
Penalties can include the past
three years of fines and deni-
al of payments if the nursing
home failed to correct a citation
for health or fire safety. In a
serious situation, a manager or
state monitor might be called in
to oversee the facility.
Staffing is another big issue,
especially if the nursing home
Study: Puzzles, Games
Don’t Boost Brain
Did you sign up for a gym
membership as a way to fulfill
your New Year’s resolution to
get fit? If so, good for you. If
not, also good for you.
A gym membership is only as
good as your determination
to use it, and there are many
reasons not to sign up. At the
first of the year you’ll be one
of many who joined, and the
gym might be crowded. If you
get on a schedule of going on
certain days, something likely
will come up to break your
routine, possibly bad weather.
If you’ve signed a contract, that
money is coming out of your
account every month no matter
what. You’ll likely need to drive
to the gym, and you might feel
like you need to buy workout
clothes or a gym bag.
On the other hand, if you’re de-
termined to exercise and don’t
want to spend money on a gym
membership that you might not
use, there are ways to work out
at home.
Check YouTube on the Inter-
net. Sample types of exercise
you’ve never tried. Yoga comes
in many varieties. Tai chi and
qi gong are similar but not the
same. Look for workouts with
hand weights or seated exercis-
es. Google “seniors exercising at
home” for ideas.
Opt to have a few pieces of
equipment at home and alter-
nate days with walking, either
outdoors or at an indoor facility
like a mall on days when you
need to run errands anyway.
Ask your doctor to suggest a
few pieces of equipment.
Working out at home is free,
private, with no waiting for
equipment and no driving to
the gym.
If you still want to join a gym,
wait a few months. Most of
the people who signed up as a
resolution will be gone.
TURNING 65 AND NEED HELP WITH
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doesn’t have enough employees.
Medicare keeps track of how
many registered nurses, li-
censed practical nurses, nursing
aides and physical therapists are
on staff, and how many hours
per day are devoted to working
with patients. RNs, for example,
are in charge of the patient’s
overall care plan and supervise
the other staff. Even having the
right number of nursing aides
per patient is critical to ensure
that bathing, grooming, eating
and more are managed for each
patient.
What might be most crucial,
however, is how you feel when
you first walk through the door.
Do you hear any staff members
speaking in a rude tone to any
of the patients? Would you be
able to visit all day? Is it noisy?
Use the free online Medicare
booklet about choosing a nurs-
ing home to understand your
rights, learn who pays for what
and how to get help, or call
them at 1-800-633-4227.
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Our beautiful community is designed
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