Seniors make up about 15 percent of Alameda’s population, yet many are forced to leave the Island for healthcare due to both a shortage of physicians and practices capping the number of Medicare patients they’ll accept.
Calyx Health is a new doctor’s office exclusively for Medicare seniors. Its team of physicians, technologists and Medicare experts are on a mission to build the healthcare system that seniors deserve and the country urgently needs — starting right here in Alameda.
Cataracts often come with age and can affect anyone’s vision. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. New eyeglasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses or magnifying lenses may help symptoms. If not, surgery may be necessary.
What is a cataract and what causes it?
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. The lens lies behind the iris and the pupil. It works much like a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye, where an image is recorded.
A man told me a story about his 10-year-old son, Jeff — a good student and a well-behaved child. Jeff is somewhat quiet and did not begin to develop strong friendships until the past year. Four boys have become good friends. They play video games and hang out at school together.
As people age, it’s important to receive wellness care: healthcare that may lower risk of illness or injury. Medicare pays for some wellness care, but it does not pay for all the wellness care a patient might need. At Calyx Health, we want our patients to know about their Medicare benefits and how we can help patients get the most from them.
Everyone experiences anxiety. When we have a test to take, when we have a job interview, when we ice skate for the first time. Some level of anxiety prompts us to pay attention, and that can be helpful. Ethel Barrymore, a famous actress (who most readers have no awareness of because she performed umpteen years ago), said that she would not go on stage unless she was anxious because it prompted her to remember her lines.
