Commun ty Matters Farmington Presbyterian Manor
HIPAA 101 A simple question doesn’t always have a simple answer. “Why did my friend go to the hospital?” seems to be a simple question, but the answer is blocked by a federal law. While most think of the law as the protector of medical records, privacy isn’t even in its name.
We call it HIPAA (pronounced HIP-pah), but the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 also has been known as the Kassebaum-Kennedy Act or Kennedy-Kassebaum Act. Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, R-Kan., was a leading sponsor of the bill, along with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. The official explanation is: “An Act To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes.” The main intent was that the health industry would save money by computerizing paper records. That led to concerns over privacy, which led to new privacy regulations. HIPPA, continued on page 2
January 2015
King for a Day
Roman Day takes the crown in exercise contest You’ve heard that a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Roman Day is living proof of that. At the age of 95, Roman outlasted everyone else in Beverly Stephens’ exercise class to earn the title King of Cardio. He high-stepped for more than 4 minutes and could have kept going.
Roman Day
“I wasn’t really surprised,” Roman said of his win. “The crown fit me real good.” Roman says fitness has always been important to him, especially walking. When Beverly came to Farmington Presbyterian Manor last spring as wellness coordinator through RehabCare, she wanted to offer exercise programs that included every element of fitness: flexibility, balance, strength, and cardiovascular. She tries to relate what they’re doing to everyday situations, like having good stability in the shower or lifting a gallon of milk comfortably. “My goal for them is that their exercise program maintains or improves their quality of life, because that’s paramount,” Beverly said. But any workout routine can become, well, routine. So Beverly has tried to introduce new elements at a pace her students are comfortable with. She began with flexibility, then some strength training, and finally added the cardio portion. Beverly thought if she made it into a game, it wouldn’t be as intimidating. The King or Queen of Cardio contest was born. Participants could hold a chair or sit during exercises. They started at 30-second intervals, then worked their way up to a minute. “At first they were a little reluctant,” Beverly said. “But there was a level of trust. With everything we do, I tell them, if you need to sit down don’t hesitate.” The 14 participants exercised for a month before the contest. Stephens said she had no idea Roman was 95, and the oldest in the class, until after he’d won. Why has he always stayed so active? Roman’s answer is simple: “It makes you live longer.”