By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Anti-Osteoporosis Therapy Is Gaining In Popularity—Here’s Why
    December 18, 2018
    Twitter Moves Markets: Can It Impact Disease?
    May 1, 2013
    The Link Between Sustainability And Health
    August 9, 2020
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 20, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 20, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 20, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Boomer Voice: Forget the Mandate, Educate
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Geriatrics > Boomer Voice: Forget the Mandate, Educate
GeriatricsWellness

Boomer Voice: Forget the Mandate, Educate

Anthony Cirillo
Anthony Cirillo
Share
6 Min Read
Image
SHARE

Image(Editor’s Note: Anthony Cirillo is one of HealthWorks Collective’s Featured Contributors.  Anthony is Founder of Fast Forward Consulting and an expert in aging and caregiving issues. He is also author of Who Moved My Dentures?, a book that dispels myths about aging.

Image(Editor’s Note: Anthony Cirillo is one of HealthWorks Collective’s Featured Contributors.  Anthony is Founder of Fast Forward Consulting and an expert in aging and caregiving issues. He is also author of Who Moved My Dentures?, a book that dispels myths about aging.  He fell into a mission for elders after performing for seniors in nursing homes, something he does to this day. His platform is simple – educated aging choices.  Anthony believes that people need to think about aging issues sooner in life and prepare financially, emotionally and physically.)

Many of you may have read my posts that HealthWorks Collective is gracious to share with you. I have a burning platform that I am passionate about and I call it Educated Aging. This is the notion that people need to prepare for aging issues sooner in life in three areas – physical health, financial health and emotional health.

baby boomer health educationAs a country we are far too obsessed over health reform. Health reform has to do with just a slice of the healthcare picture. It is about access to health insurance and physician and hospital care. And now a key mandate of reform has been extended so employers have an additional year—until Jan. 1, 2015—before reporting requirements mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act go into effect.

More Read

sleep apnea
Viktoriya Dombrovska Shares Insights on Sleep Apnea
How Smartphone Apps Are Expanding the Role of EMRs
Maintaining Wellness After a Rear-End Collision: A Guide for Seniors
Economist Highlights the Home Birth Debate
What You Get When You Find The Best Pre-Workouts For The Gym

I say spend less time worrying about the mandate and more time becoming educated around aging issues. And then take action to prepare for aging so you age with a quality of life not in a crisis. People will spend far less if any time in a hospital in their lifetime. They will spend much more time out of care settings and aging in place.

  1. Take charge of your physical health.

    A White Paper by Catalyst Healthcare Research – LIVING IN DENIAL – reveals that most overweight Americans avoid the truth about their health. The majority agrees that obesity is the number one threat to public health. Yet most adults who are overweight or obese – even the well educated – say their health is excellent or good.

    Sixty percent (60%) of those questioned were overweight or obese as measured by their Body Mass Index. Of those considered to be obese or overweight, 11 percent of those who responded to the survey considered themselves to be in “excellent health,” and an additional 61 percent said they were in “good health.” It is perhaps not surprising that the overall prevalence of exercise in this group is relatively low.

    Obese or overweight people don’t fully appreciate that their own health is in danger. As the study concludes – It’s Time to Look in the Mirror.”

    The American Medical Association wants to classify obesity as a disease so that it can be treated as a medical condition and be reimbursed by insurers. That will make people even less inclined to step up and take responsibility for their health. Most of what ails us is within our control. If you want to avoid a nursing or assisted living facility, consider that how you take care of yourself today will have consequences on how you age.

  2. Save for long term care needs not just for retirement.

    Saving is great especially when you start young. Here’s the problem. No one understands how long term care is financed. And the truth is, it isn’t. Unless you have long term care insurance or consider the Assurance Benefit (using your life insurance as a long-term benefit), you will pay for care out of pocket and that means draining your 401(k) and other sources to pay for care. In essence do all the right things to save in life and you could still die a pauper.

    We need a lot of policy work in this arena but you can help yourself by perhaps diverting some of that retirement savings to long term care needs.

  3. Live a meaningful life.

    I spend thousands of hours in nursing and assisted living performing for residents. And I grow close to many. I contend that some of my friends there have a better quality of life that those on the “outside” and it has to do with how they have lived their life. There are so many lessons we can learn from our elders if we take the time to question and listen. And that will serve us as we age. It is the emotional aging I speak about.

    I wrote about some of these traits my friends possess in a Caring.com blog about living a meaningful life. Things like having purpose, having a social network, lifelong learning and being grateful.

Educated aging – physical, financial, emotional. Get on the bandwagon!

(baby boomers / shutterstock)

TAGGED:Boomer Voicehealth literacy
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Wellness

A Breath of Fresh Air: 7 Tips for Reducing Daily Toxin Exposure

July 20, 2021

What Doctors Should Know About Symptoms & Dangers of Concussions

December 31, 2015
Image
Health ReformNewsPolicy & LawPublic HealthWellness

Should We Tax Fat?

June 1, 2012
Home HealthWellness

Tips On How To Be More Disciplined About Your Health

May 11, 2020
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?