Our newsletter is back! and we wanted to share with you a quick rundown of what we dived into last month. Our purpose is to provide a monthly stream of reliable and relevant information to our clients, families and friends, covering valuable insights from what’s going on in the healthcare space, to practical tips and guidance on how to live your best quality of life.
Here are the main topics covered:
Healthcare News and Updates: Vaccine Boosters
Many of you have already received your Flu vaccine at your primary Care Physician's office or at the pharmacy. We are accustomed to getting the flu shot routinely each year to stay healthy throughout the fall and winter months into springtime. This year, the CDC and medical professionals recommend everyone gets a Covid-19 booster. In our daily practice, we see clients and staff in facilities test positive for Covid-19. While the symptoms for some people can be mild, you could be at risk for more serious complications from Covid-19. In addition to the Flu vaccine and Covid-19 booster, the CDC has put out a warning that in addition to children being at risk for a virus called RSV, older adults can also be affected by the RSV virus. Please talk to your primary care physicians to obtain recommendations specific to your health needs.
Symphony Care Management’s team is ready to schedule vaccine appointments at your physician’s office and local pharmacy and take you to those appointments. We are here to help.
To schedule, contact Jean Clements, Practice Manager:
Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET
(781) 591-3231 X3
Or email Jean at jean@symphonycaremanagement.com
Find Below The Updated CDC Recommendations:
Flu Shot, Covid-19 Boosters and RSV Vaccine.
Health Tips and Resources: Do You Have the Right Health Insurance?
Most people decide what health plan to sign up for when they turn 65 years old and are eligible for Medicare benefits. As your health needs change over the years, it is critically important to make sure that your insurance continues to meet your needs.
It is extremely confusing to evaluate the options. The coverage and pricing of the programs are complicated. October 15th through December 7th is open enrollment for Medicare and the perfect time to re-evaluate your health plan. It is the only time you can make a change during the year unless you have a qualified life-changing event.
Where can you get help?
Every senior center in Massachusetts (Council on Aging) is staffed by the State of Massachusetts highly trained SHINE Volunteer (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Everyone). You can call your town/city’s Senior Center and request an appointment (they will do this in person or virtually) to meet with them to look at your medications, your health needs and the plans that are available to you with the costs.
Many of you are not aware, until you are in the hospital and require discharge to a Rehabilitation Facility that your Medicare Managed Care Plans contract with specific facilities.
In a post Covid-19 world where we are facing a tremendous shortage of skilled nursing facility beds, you may not have control over your options and therefore the quality of care or location you want and need.
Over the years, we have taken our clients to their SHINE appointments. Our clients have found their objective guidance extremely helpful.
Symphony staff is more than happy to schedule and take you to these appointments.
Brain Health: Memory and Mind Protection: The SHIELD Approach to a Healthy Lifestyle
Embracing a healthy lifestyle is incredibly important for a variety of reasons, as it profoundly impacts your physical and mental well-being. With the daily grind, it's easy to overlook the importance of healthy habits. This is where SHIELD comes in. It's an acronym created by neuroscientist Rudolph Tanzi, who is the co-director of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
SHIELD is a handy memory aid that reminds us of the essential steps for living healthy and supporting our brain. Here's what it means:
Sleep at least seven hours a night
Handle stress
Interact with friends
Exercise daily
Learn new things
Diet - Pay attention to what you eat and make healthy food choices.
- "Focus on one habit per day, such as getting more sleep on Monday, reducing stress on Tuesday, and meeting with friends on Wednesday. Eventually, you’ll practice all of the habits every day," Tanzi says.
Curious to learn more about how SHIELD can boost your overall well-being?
Our Symphony Care Management mission statement is the “Why” behind all that we do. “It is to guide, educate and empower clients to live their best quality of life and partner with them and their families through difficult times."
We welcome our continued conversation with you about how we can best accomplish this.
We hope you found this content both helpful and engaging. In our upcoming newsletter, we'll guide you on preparing for the winter season, covering topics such as: What to stock up on, reviewing your emergency plan, and updating your Vial of Life form and Emergency Information Packet. Stay tuned for more valuable updates and resources to enhance your quality of life.
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