Top Ten New Year's Resolutions for Older Adults.flv

Some of us are at an age, we can't even make it to midnight to celebrate the new year, but we are still young enough to make resolutions for the New Year.
Today on Good Morning Maryland @ 9, Jamie sat down with Dr. Alicia Arbaje from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to talk about the top ten resolutions for older adults and why they are important not only for the near future... but certainly the long future.
Below are the top ten tips from Dr. Arbaje, you can also listen to her advice by clicking on the video box to the right of this article. You will also her Dr. Arbaje talk about how the role of a doctor is changing and why visits outside of the doctor's office are going to become more and more common.
Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for Older Adults
We know it's important to eat right, lose weight and quit smoking no matter what your age. Here are other things older adults or their caregivers can do in 2010 to reduce the risk of developing problems common in older populations.
1. Get vaccinated
Not just the flu, get the pneumonia vaccine, consider shingles and tetanus vaccines
2. Get screened
Talk with healthcare provider about need for mammogram, colonoscopy, pap smear, diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, cholesterol, vitamin D, blood pressure
3. Clean up the house to prevent falls
Get rid of things that are easy to trip over (ex: throw rugs), install "grab bars," use night lights
4. Improve sleep patterns
Work with healthcare provider to wean off of sleeping pills
5. Designate a healthcare proxy and discuss healthcare preferences
Choose 1 person and a backup, outline what is important for quality of life
6. Volunteer
Lower rates of mortality, disability, depression, memory problems
7. Update your personal health record
Medical conditions, medication list, devices/implants, provider/insurance/pharmacy/agent contact information
8. Schedule a medication check-up
Determine if all meds are still needed, evaluate for interactions
9. Figure out if you need a geriatrician
Difficulty keeping track of doctors, tests, medicines
10. Get moving!
Single best way to prevent the problems associated with aging-focus on strength, balance, and flexibility.