Page 81 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2016

Mark Borchelt
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Ginni McCann: There’s a newcomers group that meets at the Hancock Bank building once a month. You must
join within three months of moving here. There are a variety of activities and opportunities offered within that group.
With the retirement program we send out welcome packets with a lot of great information that can be helpful to newcomers in our area. The Coast is a prime location for retirement
due to its low cost of living and tax rates for retirees. Being located near an international airport is also an important consideration.
Beth Ousley: I got involved with
the Harrison County Development Commission’s Ambassador Program and I’ve learned there are infinite opportunities to volunteer — Feed My Sheep, Home of Grace, Cruisin’ the Coast, the Gulf Coast Classic golf tournament, to name a few. There are lots of choices for all levels.
BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR GOOD HEALTH
Mark Borchelt: One of the problems is confusion about taking prescription drugs. People will get on medications in the hospital and continue taking those after they get home, plus whatever medications they were taking at home. Sometimes they’re taking the generic and brand name
of the same drug. We find that the elderly are trusting about these things; young people are not. When you go for the next doctor’s visit, be sure to take all medications with you, not just a list of them.
Also, as people age and see specialists, they still need to go to their primary care physician.
Joshua Bruce: Over the years, many patients have been prescribed a million different types of medications from a variety of doctors, and a lot of the time they don’t necessarily need to remain on all of them. We work out a medication plan and try to weed out some of those medications.
Cindy Habeeb: Screenings such as mammograms are a great preventative measure. With exercise, it’s important to remember that you must exercise differently as you age and your body changes. Don’t stop doing it, just do it differently and understand what your heart rate is and what you can do. Exercise can help people get off some of their medications.
Some community centers and senior centers have walking tracks and easy classes that are free. Stretch and strengthen exercises are very important, along with strong social aspects.
DIABETES
Mark Borchelt: Diabetes is growing to epidemic proportions in Mississippi, the nation and worldwide. The numbers of people affected are expected to double by the year 2050. Unfortunately, it can be a silent illness. The symptoms to look for
are unexplained weight loss or gain, urinating a lot and drinking a lot of water.
As the population gets older, people tend to gain weight and that leads to diabetes. Exercise can help with hormonal driven illnesses such as diabetes.
MEDICARE
Jerry Conerly: Medicare cards are mailed to individuals three months prior to turning age 65, which is typically what prompts people to take action. A major difference between Medicare advantage as opposed to Medicare supplements is that with the advantage plan you are able to stay on a group plan, such as what is provided through an employer, past the age of 65 by simply turning down part B of the plan. After retiring, you are then able to pick up part B, the Medicare supplement.
Part A is free, but part B has a cost that is incurred by the individual. It
M.D., Memorial Endocrin
ology Clinic
membership services director, Singing River HealthPlex
Joshua Bruce
executive director, Canon Hospice
Cindy Habeeb
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net November 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 81
This section is sponsored by: