Aging Healthy

By: Boone County

by Lynette Kramer, MD

September is Healthy Aging(R) Month. A time to focus on your health and take precautions to help face the challenges that come with aging. You may be asking yourself what exactly is “healthy aging”? Simply stated, it is making lifestyle improvements to keep yourself physically and mentally fit as you age.

One way to ensure healthy aging is through an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV). This visit is a full hour of one-on-one time with your Primary Care Provider (PCP) and team members. The purpose of the AWV is to review current health conditions and medications, screen for conditions that may silently arise with aging, and develop a personalized prevention plan.

Medicare understands the importance of these visits and provides them at no cost to the patient. If you are of Medicare age, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this benefit. Making adjustments and taking precautions now has been shown to save you an emergency room visit or hospital stay down the road.

It is never too late to make a positive change. Make this month the time to set up your AWV, annual physical, or other health screenings by calling one of our clinics in Albion, Elgin, Fullerton, Newman Grove, or Spalding.