Senior Citizens & COVID Wave III

Although we have learnt to live with the infectious variants of COVID 19 virus for more than a year now yet the concomitant anxiety and fear are not allowing us to heave a sigh of relief. After the 1st wave had subsided we felt that the worst is over and let the guards off. Even when the news of the 2nd wave of COVID started to trickle-in from other nations the overriding perception in India was that by some divine dispensation we shall remain unaffected by the virus. Alas, it was not to be!

The vicious impact of the 2nd wave brought back to us the unpleasant memories of the past year. We cocooned ourselves within the safe precincts of our homes. The very thought of the family members venturing out on daily errands, or office work made us anxious. We wondered: what if the person returns home having been infected by the virus?

Not only that. A few days into the month of April and the news of lack of oxygen & usual dearth of beds in hospitals leading to painful deaths created a sort of mass hysteria. We at Porosh had been witness to its impact on our elderly members and tried its level best to assuage their frail nerves.

Now, with news of Wave III being imminent and it being more infectious, we should not take it easy any more. As goes the saying, ‘Once bitten twice shy.’ While adhering to the norms of wearing masks, social distancing, hand sanitization etc. we should also not allow negativity to overpower us. Apparently informative discussions in Whatsapp groups and reports in news channels/newspapers seem to create more anxiety than putting ourselves at ease.

Hence, it is our request to our members, and even those who are not, to maintain positive atmosphere at home by reading books (like biographies) and watching films/ serials to keep your minds from getting caught in the whirlpool of negativity. It is advisable to avoid discussions with near & dear ones on such topics. We hope that by now we have realized that the fight is far from over.

The 7 Best Foods to Boost Senior Health

For seniors, maintaining a healthy diet is important to minimize the chance of illness, support longevity and boost energy levels. It’s well-known that as the body ages, health requirements like water and vitamin intake change. In fact, many seniors cope with dehydration-related accidents and vitamin deficiency. However, proper nutrition can help prevent and reduce the intensity of health conditions in seniors.

Unfortunately, implementing healthy diet changes is often easier said than done. Loss of appetite, low mobility and disease can all limit a senior’s ability to get nutritious food.

Fortunately, there are plenty of easy ways to help seniors eat healthy. Swapping out dried fruit for fresh fruit, “hiding” vegetables in a tasty smoothie and snacking on fiber-filled foods are just some of the ways seniors can get the nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Check out the infographic below for inspiration on how to encourage seniors to eat healthier. While these foods aren’t a cure-all for any health condition, they can help strengthen the body against disease and protect against future illness.

It’s important to pay attention to the needs of the body. Eating enough of the nutrients we need can help improve overall health. That’s why it’s important to help seniors incorporate fresh, healthy foods into their diets –– adding a few vitamin-rich foods like salmon and whole grains can make a big impact on a senior’s overall health.

Whether seniors live alone, with their family or in a senior community, the right diet is key to maintaining good physical health. Finding easy and fun ways to add fresh, healthy foods to the diet can make a world of difference for those struggling to get the nutrition they need.

Sources

https://www.aplaceformom.com/resources/foods-for-senior-health

NCBI | Healthline | Arthritis Foundation | Harvard Health Publishing (1,2) | American Optometric Association | Glaucoma Research Foundation | NOF | Mayo Clinic | MyPlate | PCRM | AHA | NIA | Senior Advisor | ParentGiving | Health

Preparing for medical emergencies of senior citizens

This week we shall focus on preparations children of senior citizens should initiate for meeting medical emergencies of their parents well before they reach their 60s. The inputs have been taken from an article published by Riju Mehta on April 21, 2021 in The Economic Times named ‘How to prepare your senior citizen parents for medical emergencies’. Here it goes:

After your parents cross the age of 60, your concern for them rises in direct proportion to their failing health. More so, if you are in another city and they are on their own. Are they equipped to deal with a medical emergency? What if their condition calls for an expensive surgery or a prolonged hospital stay? As a first step, you need to sit with your parents and discuss their medical and financial preparedness. Find out if they have insurance, and if yes, is it sufficient? If they don’t have insurance, what are the other financing options? Are their medical and insurance documents in order and accessible? Once you have all the information, plug the gaps where necessary. Here is how.

Financial preparedness

a) Buy insurance in 40s: In face of the rising cost of hospitalisation, medical inflation and health problems after 60, the best option for parents is to buy a comprehensive, individual health plan when they are in their 40s as lifestyle diseases and other sundry problems start creeping in after this age. “It is futile to take insurance at 50 or 60 because it becomes very expensive and has many limitations,” says Dinesh Rohira, Founder and CEO, 5nance.

b) How much insurance do they need? If they already have a cover of, say, Rs 3-5 lakh, it should be enhanced after 60. “The financial plan should be bifurcated into two tiers. In the first tier, Rs 3-5 lakh should be available at the click of a button. The second tier should have Rs 20-25 lakh as insurance or liquid assets for higher needs,” adds Rohira.

It is also a good idea to buy a small base plan and tag on a super top-up plan as it is cost-effective. So if they have a Rs 3 lakh base plan, they can buy a Rs 20-25 lakh super top-up plan. “A top-up plan may not be a good idea as the seniors may need to be hospitalised more than once a year, and the base amount will have to come out of their pockets. Without an income, it may not be feasible for them,” says Bhabatosh Mishra, Director, Underwriting, Products & Claims, Max Bupa Health Insurance. A super top-up plan, on the other hand, combines all the claims in a year above the threshold limit.

c) Insurance options after 60: If the parents don’t have insurance at 55-60, they may have limited options. One is for children to include them in the insurance provided by their employers as the premium is highly subsidised. However, not all employers include parents, or they have a high co-pay, or provide a basic and insufficient cover. It is still an option worth considering.

“Another cost-effective option is the insurance offered by some PSU banks like Bank of Baroda and PNB that have allied with insurers and offer highly subsidised covers to account holders,” says Pankaaj Maalde, Mumbai-based financial planner. “There are also some socio-religious groups that offer subsidised community-specific insurance,” he adds.

Then there are various senior citizen plans available in the market that offer covers to those above 55-60 years. “It is not a good option as these come with high copays of up to 50%, offer low covers and have various limitations,” says Mishra.

d) Medical buffer and other options: “For seniors, only health insurance is not a good enough solution,” says Mishra. A feasible option is to have a combination of insurance, contingency fund and assets that can be easily liquidated such as gold. “Having a buffer is a good idea anyway since every medical problem may not require hospitalisation and it also helps in plans that have a high co-pay,” says Maalde.

Be ready for emergencies

Medical emergencies call for other forms of readiness to ensure a quick response.

a) Access to phone numbers: As a first step, your parents should have easy access to important phone numbers, including those of ambulance, doctor, neighbours, children, or anyone who can reach them or ferry them to the hospital. “These numbers should not only be on speed dial, but also pasted in different parts of the house, say, on the fridge or almirah,” says Mishra.

b) Medical reports & insurance documents: All the test reports, whether in physical or digital format, should be available for the doctors. Typically, parents are not digitally savvy, and in case of dementia, they tend to forget, so they prefer physical files. “In files, they should arrange the documents sequentially or chronologically for doctor to access easily. As for insurance, all you need is the policy number or ID and you can save these on the phone as telephone numbers under the head ‘health insurance’,” says Mishra. Children can also save these details on their phones, while the parents can keep a copy of the policy in their wallets too. Children, close relatives or neighbours should also be aware about the location of medical reports and insurance documents in the house.

c) Accessing money: The arrangement that parents have in place to pay medical bills should be communicated to the spouse, children or others likely to come to their aid in an emergency. The location of money, information on fund withdrawal like ATM PIN, credit card details, or reimbursement process should be explained thoroughly as well.

d) Emergency kits: It is a good idea to keep an emergency kit, much like a first-aid box, with medicines and equipment pertaining to the parents’ specific illnesses, handy. It should be placed in a position that is easily accessible for parents or helpers to administer in an emergency.

e) Apps for elderly care: There are a few apps like Arvi and Elder Care (for parents of NRIs) that provide 24x7 care to senior citizens, medical assistance in case of emergencies, doorstep help even in non-emergencies, and medical record access, among other things. It may be a good idea to download these for parents, especially if the children are in other cities.

We hope you have found the article useful. One may contact Porosh for further assistance. Call us at : +91 7439852047