As we age and our bodies change, we need to be seen by our physicians on a regular basis. It’s important to visit the doctor even if you’re feeling well, as it allows your physician to see changes in your body and your health.

Over the past 15 years, technology has grown by leaps and bounds. We no longer head off to Blockbuster on Friday nights to rent movies, we simply search Netflix and stream that movie right over the internet. We no longer have to listen to the fax machine dial up the modem … EEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY … UUUURRRRRRRR when logging onto the internet. Heck, cord hook-ups have become a thing of the past as everyone has such easy and free access to WiFi. I barely printed any pictures over the last decade, as they’re all stored in that magnificent “cloud.” When you think about it, it’s all quite mind-boggling. How in the world does an entire movie “fly through the air” and download to my phone in a matter of minutes?

Through efforts designed to improve the overall health, wellness and quality of life for local residents, Hurley Medical Center is making a significant impact on Flint and Genesee County.

McLaren Flint, Genesee County’s first comprehensive stroke center, has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes McLaren Flint’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. McLaren Flint earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, schedule a follow-up visit, as well as other care transition interventions.

Affordable medical coverage is something everyone wants, especially as people age. Luckily, our nation has safeguards for workers as they get older. Millions of people rely on Medicare, and it can be part of your health insurance plan when you retire.

Certain smells are very recognizable: peppermint, oranges, roses just to name a few. I, like many, take the ability to smell these scents for granted; but, as Joni Mitchell and many of her followers sang, “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Losing the ability to detect these scents could be an accurate early warning sign of dementia.

“It’s nice that you have a friend,” she said. “I don’t really have any.”

Foot and ankle pain may have a variety of causes. However, a great deal of this discomfort can be improved or completely eliminated by wearing properly-fitting shoes. Finding well-fitting shoes seems like a simple thing, but many shoes are not shaped for your individual foot. As we age, wearing shoes that offer stability and allow optimal mobility without pain becomes more important.