LIVING WELL Magazine

Hip Pain/Arthritis
By Allen S. Kent, MD, Northeast Tarrant County LIVING WELL Magazine
Hip pain is a common complaint with several different underlying causes. Proper diagnosis is important to direct proper treatment. We will discuss common causes of hip pain.

Are all Assisted Living Facilities the same?

By Nicol Smith, Rambling Oaks, Collin and Denton LIVING WELL Magazines
The decision to leave your home and move into an assisted living community is a difficult and life changing experience. The same amount of thought and consideration should be put into which community is right for you or your loved one as purchasing a new home. Assisted livings are designed to provide seniors assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). These usually include providing three meals per day, transportation, medication assistance, weekly housekeeping and laundry services, activities, and so much more. It is important to note, however, that not all assisted living communities are the same.

Performing the Visual Field Test

Courtesy Advanced Eye Care, Denton LIVING WELL Magazine

The visual field test measures your peripheral vision, also called your side vision. Many diseases can reduce your peripheral vision. To diagnose and treat these conditions, we must carefully measure the peripheral vision. Your peripheral vision is measured with a special test called a visual field test.

What you need to know about andropause
By Lisa Houk, FNP, BC, Nurse Practitioner, North Texas Family Medicine, Texoma LIVING WELL Magazine
You laughed about it when you were younger, but now you seem to be fighting the urge to dye your hair and buy something that goes really fast. Natural decline in testosterone can lead to many normal body changes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 4.5 million men have symptoms of low testosterone, yet only 5-10% seek treatment.

Testosterone and the Aging Male

Courtesy Avere Healthcare Clinic, Denton LIVING WELL Magazine

While it’s normal for testosterone levels to drop as men age, low testosterone can have a significant impact on a man’s health. It is the chemical produced in a man’s body that makes him think, look, and behave as a man. Testosterone helps a man maintain bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength and mass, sex drive, and sperm production.

Medicare Update
By Mark Johnson, R.CPhT, Texoma LIVING WELL Magazine
In 2011 more than 2.2 million people with Medicare were able to save $1.2 billion on their prescriptions, for an average of $550 per person, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in the fall of 2011. And more than 22.6 million seniors and people with disabilities took advantage of at least one free Medicare preventive benefit, including the new Annual Wellness Visit made possible by the Affordable Care Act.

Learn More About Your Medicare Rights!
Courtesy The Tradition Prestonwood, Collin LIVING WELL Magazine
With all the discussion about possible future changes in Medicare and concerns that many seniors have about potential changes, it’s important to keep in mind the rights that Medicare beneficiaries already have. Many people who have been receiving Medicare for many years are still unaware of the important rights they have.

Who Will Take Care of Senior Citizens?
Courtesy Avere Healthcare Clinic, Denton LIVING WELL Magazine
Statistics show that most Medicare recipients don’t understand what Medicare is all about. This leads to frustration, which causes seniors to likely defer preventative care and skip necessary doctor’s visits. The average senior doesn’t know when they need a colonoscopy, and most certainly aren’t particularly eager to find out!

When You’re Having a Heart Attack or Stroke –– Minutes Matter! Courtesy Texas Health Presbyterian-WNJ, Texoma LIVING WELL Magazine Coronary heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. Stroke is the number three cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of serious disability. That’s why it’s so important [...]

Sarcopenia and the Elderly (Part I)
By Ladislav P. Novak, Ph.D., Courtesy John Eagle Honda, North Dallas LIVING WELL Magazine
Human body changes with age and it is recognized by all of us, that in old age, there is a loss of skeletal muscles. This factual phenomenon has been first described by Dr. Irwin Rosenberg in 1997 who provided also a fitting name for it as “sarcopenia” which “sarco” from Greek denotes flesh (muscle) and, penia, indicates deficiency.