MATURE MARKET HEADLINES 3/10/2001
Medicare Fountain of Help Pumps Bad Water
39 million seniors are one step closer to getting better access to Medicare information. The new, easier-access program is called "Medicare Empowerment and Collaboration Initiative". This is a monumental step toward fixing what ails the Medicare system. However, the change most needed is better prescription drug coverage for seniors. In other words, Medicare needs to become not only more accessible, it must become more responsive to the real medical needs of elders. Otherwise, this new "better access" initiative leads seniors to a fountain of help, but the water is not yet good enough to drink. Well, that's enough editorial for now. Here's the big news on Medicare.
The Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the federal agency that administers Medicare, has announced the funding of 26 new projects totaling more than $1.5 million that will help AoA’s national aging network of supportive home and community-based service providers respond to inquiries from Medicare beneficiaries. HCFA administers Medicare, the nation's largest health insurance program to people age 65 years and older and certain people under 65 who are disabled.
This new "Medicare Empowerment and Collaboration Initiative", says AoA, creates a strong way to link older persons, their families and caregivers to information about the full range of health care insurance choices and decisions available through Medicare programs.
These programs were selected because they reach and assist individuals who experience difficulties in getting information, including older people with language and cultural barriers, mobility limitations, cognitive impairment and other disabilities, and isolated elders in rural or urban settings.
Responding to nearly 14 million requests for information and assistance each year, AoA’s national information and referral assistance system is a source of accurate and unbiased information and referral. AoA’s toll-free Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116).
The assistance systems puts older adults and their caregivers in touch with state and local resources such as: health care, congregate and home-delivered meals, adult day care, consumer protection, elder abuse prevention, transportation, housing, pension counseling, legal and other services that help older adults remain independent in their own homes.
The Initiative will enable local aging agencies to link Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers to the main information channels of the Medicare & You informational program, including the Medicare & You Handbook, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), the Medicare website www.medicare.gov, and State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, (SHIPs).
This new "Medicare Empowerment and Collaboration Initiative" is definitely a step in the right direction. But let's not forget what really needs fixing. The fix I'm referring to is better prescription coverage, not next week, not next month, but right now.
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Mental Skills Decline Catch Elders Unaware
As if having recognizable “senior moments” isn’t bad enough, now Penn State researchers say that we may lose some basic mental skills and not even realize it.
Dr. Anna Barrett, Penn State’s College of Medicine, says that research subjects in her recent study were unaware that estimated performance on basic mental skills didn’t match their actual performance. “If people are unaware of their level of performance, they can’t take counter-measures or seek assistance when these skills decline."
In the study of healthy aged men and women, the researchers found that the subjects were unable to accurately estimate their prowess at reading maps, remaining attentive and pantomiming tool use. However, the subjects were able to accurately estimate their recall memory ability.
In the study, nine women and six men, who were all about 75 years old and living independently, were asked first to estimate how they would perform on a series of tests. Then the subjects actually took the tests, and the difference between estimated performance and actual performance was analyzed. The tests included
- Visual-spatial Skills Test
asked subjects to read a map, copy a design and match-up lines.
- Attention Test
asked subjects to find all the "A's" in a sheet of random letters, and avoid being distracted.
- Tool-use Pantomime Test
asked subjects to pantomime the use of a screwdriver, a knife, and a hammer.
All of the study subjects were neurologically normal individuals whose performance on all of the tests fell within the normal range. However, their estimates of their performance did not match their competence. Barrett points out that the tool-use pantomime is an especially revealing mental skills test. “Pantomime of movement is a familiar test for dementia. The inability to perform these motions is a pathological sign."
Barrett and the research team are now conducting the same tests with subjects who are victims of Alzheimer’s disease. The team will compare the outcomes of the Alzheimer’s patients with the performance of the normal subjects. She expects the results to help diagnose deficits that are specifically related to Alzheimer’s disease.
The study was supported by a grant from the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorder Association and by the General Clinical Research Center at the Penn State College of Medicine.
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New Foods Target Menopausal Symptoms
Zoe Foods, manufacturer of Flax and Soy nutritional products, has produced a nutrition bar that is designed to help women minimize menopausal symptoms naturally. The new, Flax and Soy bars combine flaxseed and soy in a granola bar in order to reduce symptoms like hot flashes. That's good news for today's group of 30 million U.S. million now coping with menopause, a group that is growing by one million women a year, according to the North American Menopause Society.
Conveniently designed for today's active women on the go, the bars are offered in chocolate and apple crisp flavors. "Women today are busier than ever, so we wanted to create a delicious snack bar that not only tastes great but also is packed with ingredients that provide a variety of health benefits," says Tori Stuart, president and founder of Zoe Foods. The snack bars are high in fiber, and contain up to 2,100 mg of omega-3 fatty acids that contribute to overall heart health.
Stuart's development of both the snack bar and a Flax-Soy Granola was inspired by her mother's recipe for reducing menopausal hot flashes. "My mother's physicians advised her against using Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) because she was at a high risk for breast cancer." These days, says Stuart, many women are seeking natural ways to manage their menopausal symptoms.
After extensive reading, research, and discussion with physicians, Stuart's mom learned that flaxseed and soy are both natural ways to control fluctuating levels of estrogren. When her mother could not find a product that blended these two ingredients, she made her own, and it worked. The frequency and intensity of her hot flashes lessened.
Women in Asian countries who consume diets that are richer in soy and lower in saturated fats than American women, says Zoe Foods, have fewer complaints about menopausal symptoms. Earlier studies of Asian women, reported by AgeVenture News in July 1998 (see story below) confirm this distinction between Eastern and Western experiences of the aging process. In fact, there is no term for "hot flash" in Japanese.
Zoe Foods sales began in January 2000, and today, mom's original recipe incorporated into both the Flax-Soy Granola and the Flax-Soy snack bar are available in retail food outlets in 30 states.
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Breast Cancer Care Unfair To Older Women
Older woomen who had other health problems when they were first diagnosed with breast tumors received less aggressive cancer treatment than women who were younger and healthier, says a new study by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Women 70 years and older who had diabetes requiring insulin, stroke, gastrointestinal problems, mental health problems, and previous cancers were significantly less likely to receive treatment options more readily available to younger women. The percentages of patients who died shortly after diagnosis were 20 percent for younger women, and 46 percent for older women.
"There is a major gap in knowledge about diseases that are associated with age and their impact on the cancer trajectory, prognosis, and treatment," says Dr. Rosemary Yancik, NIA program chief of geriatric cancer research. The study included 1,800 postmenopausal patients, age 55 to 75-plus, to ascertain the other health problems they had when they were first diagnosed with breast cancer.
"For many older women, cancer occurs in individuals who already may be coping with other illnesses. An older woman is likely to have age-related health conditions. We wanted to know what are those other conditions and how they interact with the breast cancer. We now know, thanks to the study," says Dr. Yancik.
Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as the most common cause of cancer death in women. Breast cancer could become an even greater public health concern as the proportion of women over 65 increases from the current 14 percent to the projected 21 percent in the year 2030.
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Cruise Vacation Guide For Mature Travelers
Many large cruise-lines, aware of their advantage in a sellers market, are taking senior citizen travelers for granted, even though seniors make up an overwhelming part of their revenues, says Kerry Smith, author of "Cruise Vacations for Mature Travelers".
Travel brochures, says Smith, are filled with useless superlatives geared toward the seldom-cruising demographic of new families and young children. His new book intends to help senior readers plan a cruise experience that combines the right itinerary, price and ship-board amenities designed for older travelers, paying special attention to the basics of food, service, and style.
"Cruise Vacations for Mature Travelers" offers readers helpful chapters organized around the following themes: First Things First, Which Cruise is Best for Me, Shopping for a Ship, Once on Board, Cruise Line and Ship Profiles, and Ports of Call. Sub-categories offer practical tips on:
- The Truth About Seasickness
- Big Versus Small Cruise Lines
- Three Days, Seven Days, or Around the World in Eighty Days
- Health Issues and Concerns
- I'm Traveling Alone But Want to Cruise with Others
- Theme Cruises - What's That About
Smith says he wants to help mature travelers pick a cruise they will relish without wading through pages of travel brochure cliches and promotional jargon. Vacation planners can choose between laid-back ships with sports and casual attire or those with a formal atmosphere such as elegant dining and first-class entertainment.
"Cruise Vacations for Mature Travelers", Kerry Smith, 256 pages, 2001, $17.95, Griffin Trade Paperback, New York. Scheduled for a mid-March release in retail bookstores.
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Certified Travel Agents Standardize Industry
Just as the accounting profession has the CPA certification that designates a high level of professional achievement, and medicine has its MD, the travel industry confers the Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) upon its most highly trained and experienced travel professionals.
Certified Travel Counselors offer consumers peace of mind when spending their vacation dollars by providing them with reputable and reliable service. CTCs also offer exceptional destination knowledge and years of experience in customer satisfaction. Most importantly, consumers know that a CTC is a seasoned industry professional.
The Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) grants the CTC certification to travel professionals who have attained at least five years of full-time travel industry experience, have completed a rigorous academic study program and examination, and follow a continuing education regimen to remain current on the latest travel trends. Since 1964, the ICTA reports nearly 30,000 travel professionals have been granted CTC certification by ICTA.
When consumers are shopping for a potential travel agent, the ICTA believes that it is important to ask if the agent is professionally certified. Many agents display their certificate in their offices or print this information on their business cards, web sites, and Yellow Page advertisements.
In its efforts to establish standards of excellence in the travel industry, the ICTA offers a variety of educational resources including the following.
- Certified Travel Counselor (CTC)
agents complete a curriculum of 12 courses in travel professional leadership.
- Certified Travel Associate (CTA)
agents complete a 12 course program in technology, geography, sales, service, and trends.
- Destination Specialist (DS)
agents enroll in one of 12 programs focusing on a specific area of the globe (China, Africa, etc).
- National TAP Test
a basic competency test for entry-level travel professionals on all aspects of the industry.
The TAP test was developed by the ICTA, the American Society of Travel Agents, and other industry partners. Based in Wellesley, MA, the ICTA is located on the worldwide web at: www.icta.com
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Dr. David Demko, Editor
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