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What do, Justice Ruth Ginsberg, Activist John Lewis, and TV personality and game show host, Alex Trebek have in common? All three of these prominent people died this year from pancreatic cancer.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network are working hard to raise awareness regarding this devastating disease.
There are many types of caregivers but this month is National Family Caregivers Month and we want to applaud and honor these unsung and unpaid family caregivers. There are more than 40 million people in our country who serve as family caregivers. This year was an especially difficult year due to the pandemic where caregiving became more intense and challenging.
November is National Diabetes Month and according to the CDC National Statistical Report of 2020, 34.2 million Americans have diabetes, and 88 million adult Americans have pre-diabetes. On all accounts, these are staggering numbers! The CDC has also listed diabetes as one of the high-risk groups for the Covid-19 virus. Having diabetes puts you at increased risk for developing a more serious, life-threatening illness if infected.
Pfizer has announced a COVID-19 vaccine has been developed in collaboration with Germany’s BioNTech SE. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious-disease doctor, notes it has “an extraordinarily high degree of efficacy -- more than 90%, close to 95%.
October 15. The start of Open Enrollment comes at a busy time of year. Not only does this date mark the start of Medicare Open Enrollment (October 15 – December 7), but also the start of many public and private employers’ offerings with their own versions of Open Enrollment.
Medicare And You- Be Informed
This entire process seems to become more and more complicated every year. When you go onto the Medicare Website to learn a little about open enrollment, it recommends you review the 2021 “Medicare & You” handbook. For those of you not old enough (or lucky enough) to have been mailed the Medicare Handbook, let me tell you – it is comprehensive. This year’s book runs a total of 124 pages!
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with reminders on TV, radio, and social media that women need to have their annual mammogram done for early detection and treatment of breast cancer. This year, with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is especially important that routine screening tests are not delayed. In March and April, many non-essential healthcare services were stopped due to the pandemic. On April 24th, the American Academy of Clinical Oncology recommended that routine mammograms and colonoscopies be postponed due to the risk of Covid-19. A recent study done by Epic Health Network found that cancer screenings across the U.S. dropped by 86%-94% in March 2020 compared to March 2019.
Heading into the winter months this season could be a challenge for everyone. With two serious, highly contagious respiratory illnesses in the community, the flu, and Covid-19, staying healthy and strengthening our immune system will be important for maintaining our health. Many health experts are saying that a “twindemic” is certainly a possibility and people should be planning to do all that they can to avoid getting sick with either illness.
Is it the Flu or Covid-19?
I would like to share my recent journey through the healthcare system for the sole purpose of showing that the same issues came up for me as they do for you. The difference is I was able to anticipate, plan, and avoid any consequences. I hope you can learn from this, I sure did! It made me even more dedicated to doing the work I do because it is a scary and complex system out there!
The phrase “back to school” takes on a whole new meaning this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In previous years, parents had to contend with getting the usual supplies that included notebooks, pencils, and backpacks. This year the needed supplies include masks, eye protection, and hand sanitizers! Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, experts agree it is important that children get back into the classroom for academic, developmental, and social reasons. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly promotes…..
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world in a short matter of months. We in the New York and New Jersey area experienced the pandemic with a complete shutdown. The medical world was focused on the mounting and overwhelming cases of this horrible COVID-19 disease. Most other treatments, surgeries, screenings, and physician visits were put on hold.
Here at Healthlink Advocates, we have assisted many clients navigate these new waters of a telemedicine physician visit. We participate in them to ensure that the patients needs and questions are addressed as well as prepare them for the technical side of the set up of these visits and how it all works. If you need assistance, we can help.
