Kansas Senior Press Service News ArticlesKansas Senior Press Service News ArticlesBy Kansas Senior Press Service
Glaucoma is a major cause of blindness and vision loss in America. But some people don’t know they have it, because the symptoms are silent until the disease strikes.
Early detection is important to control the disease and limit its harmful effects. According to the organization Prevent Blindness America, four risk factors can increase your chance of having glaucoma:
Anyone can get glaucoma, which affects one in 400 people age 50 and younger — but the rate increases to one in 10 over the age of 80.
For more information, check with your eye-care professional or your local public health department; visit the Prevent Blindness America Vision Health Resource Center at www.preventblindness.org; or call 800-331-2020 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST Monday through Friday.
Source: Prevent Blindness America
By Kansas Senior Press Service
When was the last time you had your cholesterol checked? Does your medication interact with ibuprofen or acetaminophen? When exactly was that surgery you had in the 1990s?
With a Web-based personal health record, or PHR, you can answer these questions anytime and anywhere you have access to the Internet.
You may see more than one doctor and fill more than one prescription. Besides a doctor’s office, you may sometimes be treated in an outpatient facility or at a clinic, often for a single episode of care. A physician may treat you for only one condition, not knowing what other doctors have advised regarding your health.
Remembering all the facts to share with your doctors can be confusing and difficult, but a PHR can help you give your doctors a complete picture of your health and the information they need to give you the best care. It may lessen duplicate tests and medical errors. With a PHR, taking control of your health is easier.
A PHR keeps your medical information at your fingertips without the hassle of shuffling through papers. These records are a safe and confidential way to store and track your health history and other important medical information in one place. When you log on to your individual PHR account, you can fill in diagnoses, medications, test results, doctor visits, and any other health-related information you think is important. And when using a PHR, you choose whether to share access to your PHR account with your doctors, family, or other caregivers to help coordinate your health care and have vital information available in case of emergency.
Several PHRs are available on the Web. Some are free, others are available for purchase or by subscription. Their features, security and privacy policies vary, so it’s important to compare them carefully when selecting one.
Medicare provides information about PHRs, things to consider when looking for a PHR, and links to PHR projects sponsored by Medicare in certain states. Visit www.medicare.gov/phr to learn more.
If you’re resolving to live more healthfully in 2009, you’ll find that keeping this resolution is a lot easier when you start keeping a personal health record.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
By Kansas Senior Press Service
At midnight on Feb. 17, by federal law, all full-power television stations will stop broadcasting in analog format and broadcast only in digital format, known as DTV. Some people are concerned that their televisions will be obsolete when the new system goes into effect, but that’s not necessarily true.
If you have one or more televisions that receive free over-the-air television programming (with a roof-top antenna or “rabbit ears”), the type of TV you own is very important. A digital television (a TV with an internal digital tuner) will allow you to continue watching free over-the-air programming after Feb. 17. However, if you have an analog television, you will need a digital-to-analog converter box. The box will also enable you to see any additional multicast programming your local stations offer.
Converter program temporarily unfunded
To help consumers with the cost of a converter box, the government established a TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Every U.S. household is eligible to receive up to two coupons, worth $40 each, toward the purchase of eligible converter boxes. These coupons may only be used for eligible converter boxes sold at participating consumer electronics retailers, and the coupons must be used at the time of purchase.
However, the program has reached its funding ceiling. Coupon requests from eligible households will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis as funds become available from expiring coupons (coupons expire 90 days after the date they were mailed).
If you apply for a coupon today and are eligible, you will be placed on a waiting list and will receive a reference number. You may use this reference number to visit a Web site periodically and check the status of your request. If funding becomes available, the mailing date for your coupons will be posted.
Those who have already applied for the coupon program may check their coupon mailing status at www.dtv2009.gov. (Click on “Where are my coupons?”).
For more information on the program, visit www.dtv2009.gov or call 888-388-2009 (or 877-530-2634 TTY).
Alternatives to the coupon program
Consumers who have an analog TV and rely on a rooftop antenna or rabbit ears to receive their programs are encouraged to take action to ensure that at least one TV in their home is prepared for the digital television transition. You may:
For more information on other options, refer to the 2009 Consumer Guide Fact Sheet at www.dtv2009.gov.
If you receive cable or satellite television service, contact your service provider about any additional components, such as a digital set-up top box, that you may need.
If you are a cable subscriber, you may also receive digital programming using a “digital-cable-ready” or “plug-and-play” television. With this type of TV, digital cable subscribers do not need a separate set-top box. Owners of these televisions may also obtain from their cable operator a CableCard permitting them to view programming.
By Kansas Senior Press Service
Older adults sometimes feel overwhelmed by the number of charitable organizations seeking their contributions and wonder how they can possibly decide which are worthy.
Kansas Charity Check is one way to find answers. It is a partnership of the Kansas secretary of state, attorney general and secretary of aging to promote informed charitable giving in Kansas. Visit www.KsCharityCheck.org or call the Charitable Solicitations Help Desk at 785-296-4565 to find more information on:
You may also call 800-432-2310 to verify information about appropriate charitable organizations or to register a complaint about an organization.
Be an informed consumer before making your generous donations!
These articles are also available electronically at the Center on Aging Website: http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/Senior_Press_Article/Topic_Index.htm