Staying Healthy Through the Year with a Health Checklist for Aging Adults

By Dr. Sunil Budhrani, Chief Medical Officer & Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Innovation Health

As you age, it can take extra effort to stay healthy. With the stress of the holidays and the changing temperatures, this time of year it’s incredibly important to be health-conscious to prevent sickness and ensure your ongoing health.

To maintain your healthy lifestyle and make sure you can spend the holidays with family and friends, instead of in a doctor’s office, we’ve provided a few suggestions for how to best tackle the end of year months and all of the challenges that come with them. Take a look at our checklist below for a few ways to stay safe and healthy.

Get your flu shot:

The CDC shares that flu vaccinations are especially important for people 65 years and older because they are at high risk for complications from flu. Flu shots are a quick, preventative option that everyone should consider. The “high dose vaccine” is designed specifically for people 65 and older and contains 4 times the amount of antigen as the regular flu shot.

For northern Virginia community members, there are a number of nearby locations to get your flu shot, that don’t even require an appointment. Check with your health plan first and see if a flu shot is free for you.

Maintain a healthy diet:

Specifically in the winter, it’s important to focus on key nutrients to make sure you’re keeping sickness at bay and giving your body what it needs as days get longer and colder. The USDA suggests obtaining nutrients needed by the body such as potassium, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, minerals, and dietary fiber. In addition, including sliced fruits and vegetable in your meals and snacks can go a long way. Look for pre-sliced fruits and vegetables on sale if slicing and chopping is a challenge.

When making changes to your diet it’s always a good idea to work with your primary care physician to understand your unique needs and the best solutions. Your dietary needs may change by season and a primary care physician who knows you can help you make informed decisions on what to put on your plate for a healthy season.

Be cautious of changing weather conditions:

As the seasons change, we’ll be facing new challenges from mother nature. From falling leaves to snow storms, the changing seasons can bring with them new problems and dangers for your health. While it may seem like an easy job, climbing up on a ladder to clean out leaves from your own gutters or heading out doors to shovel snow isn’t worth the potential falls. Try asking a neighbor or family member to shovel for you if possible, and if you do have to go outdoors, according to the Council on Aging, make sure you bundle up and dress in warm layers.

With winter around the corner now is a great time to prepare by purchasing things like salt or sand for your driveway and warm layers to keep warm. Taking the time to create a plan now can keep you from slipping and sliding through the rest of the year. And can keep you happy and healthy for the upcoming holidays.

Overall, as we head towards the end of the year, now is an excellent time for aging adults to make an appointment with their PCP or to stop by an Inova Urgent Care location for a checkup. Click here to find your nearest urgent care center today!

About Innovation Health

Innovation Health provides health benefit plans to more than 190,000 members. The product of a unique Aetna and Inova Health System partnership, Innovation Health began offering health benefit plans in October of 2013 as a new way to deliver and finance more affordable, quality health care for employers and individuals in Northern Virginia. Through our integrated care model, Innovation Health combines a premier health plan, health system, and physicians for improved health outcomes and cost savings. For more information on Innovation Health, our plans and how we can help you, visit our website.