HEALTHY Vibes
DECEMBER 2016 • www.nwboomerandseniornews.com
PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION
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Gather your family’s health history now By PROVIDENCE MEDICAL GROUP
The most powerful gift you could give to your family this holiday season may not be wrapped up in a bow, but it could save a life. When you see your family during the holidays, you have a unique opportunity to compile family medical histories, which could make a difference for your children and grandchildren in the future. Knowing your family medical history can help you and your physician watch for serious health conditions and perhaps help prevent or manage them. Common health problems that can run in families include Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, arthritis, asthma, blood clots, cancer, depression, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, pregnancy losses and birth defects. As you grow older, you may be the only person in your family who remembers the health history of your parents, grandparents, siblings and other blood relatives. Sharing that information with your family can be very important to the generations of children who come after you. Some connections seem obvious. Most women know to tell their doctor if their mothers, sisters or grandmothers had breast cancer. But did you know a woman whose father or brother had prostate cancer may have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, as well? A physician can use your family medical record as a roadmap for health care. You’ll have a better
chance of understanding your family’s health risk factors, and a better chance of reducing the risk of disease through lifestyle changes.
How to create a family health history A family health history is a record of health information among close blood relatives. According to The National Institutes of Health, or NIH, a complete record includes information from three generations of relatives – that would include children, siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. The NIH SeniorHealth website at nihseniorhealth.gov/creatingafamilyhealthhistory offers extensive guidance on how to create a family med-
ical history, including a form to print out or to fill out electronically. In the next few weeks when you may be visiting with your extended family, start gathering health information. Ask each of your blood relatives the same series of questions, suggested below by the NIH website, and include your own health information. ■ What is your date of birth? ■ Do you have any chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure? ■ Have you had any other serious illnesses, such as cancer or stroke? ■ How old were you when you developed these illnesses? ■ Have you or your partner had problems with pregnancies? ■ What countries did your family come from? Knowing this can help because some diseases occur more often in certain population groups. ■ Has anyone in the family had birth defects, learning problems or developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome? ■ What illnesses did your late parents or grandparents have? How old were they when they died? What caused their deaths? Consider taking the time this holiday season to gather and share your family tree of health with your loved ones. It could be a lifesaving gift for all of you. ■
HEALTHY LIVING DIRECTORY NAME & LOCATION
ComfortCare Dental www.comfortcare.net Milwaukie
503-653-8320 Oregon City
503-557-3747
SERVICES OFFERED
Complete Family Dental Care We focus on prevention and provide a variety of procedures for our patients. Services include: Preventive exam and cleaning, basic filling, crown and bridge, root canal, perio surgery, extraction, implant and denture. We have Mobile Dental Van servicing the senior population in Assisted Living Facilities. Our patients are like family to us.
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest
With Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage (HMO), you may get more benefits and services than Original Medicare alone, which can help you stay healthy, active, and independent.
500 NE Multnomah St., Ste. 100 Portland, OR 97232
So, give us a call for more information — we look forward to talking with you soon.
1-866-935-0449 1-800-735-2900 TTY 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Prime Geriatric Dental Care 11400 SE 37th Ave. Milwaukie, OR 97222
503-PRIME-55 503-774-6355
Compassionate Quality Care for the Whole Family Our office offers a 30-40% senior (55+) discount for patients without insurance. Services include all regular dental procedures. We also offer mobile dentistry and come right into your home or care community. Services include: exams, digital x-rays, cleanings, fillings, simple extractions and denture work. If you can’t get out, we will gladly come to you!
www.PrimeGeriatric.com
Providence Medicare Advantage Plans 3601 SW Murray Blvd. Beaverton, OR 97005 1-800-457-6064 (TTY: 711) 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days a week
Some decisions are easy. Choose a Providence Medicare Advantage Plan and get the health coverage you need with the wellness support you want from an organization that has been serving the Northwest for generations. Learn more at ProvidenceHealthAssurance.com. Providence Medicare Advantage Plans is an HMO, HMO-POS, and HMO SNP plan with a Medicare and Oregon Health Plan contract. Enrollment in Providence Medicare Advantage Plans depends on contract renewal. H9047_2017RCGA11