If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan but would like to make a change, you can likely take advantage of the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. 

This Open Enrollment Period occurs each year between January 1 and March 31.

What Is Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage?

Medicare is a federal health insurance program designed for seniors aged 65 and older as well as people with qualifying disabilities.

Medicare consists of several program offerings: Medicare A covers care in hospitals or similar institutions, like skilled nursing facilities. Medicare B focuses on coverage for outpatient medical care. (Together, Medicare Parts A and B are often referred to as traditional Medicare.)

Medicare Part D, only available through private insurers, covers prescription medications.

Medicare Advantage — also known as Medicare Part C — is an alternative to traditional Medicare. These plans are available through private health insurers that contract with Medicare.

What Does Medicare Advantage Cover?

Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage, includes Medicare Parts A and B. Most Part C plans also include prescription drug coverage.

Depending on the plan you choose, it may also cover such extras as certain dental services, gym memberships, or meal benefits. Costs will also depend on the plan you select.

What You Can — and Can’t — Do During Medicare Advantage’s Open Enrollment Period

If you are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can choose to take one of the following actions from January 1 to March 31:

• Change your current Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan
• Switch to traditional Medicare (with or without coverage for prescription drugs)

You are not required to make any changes during this open enrollment period. However, note that if you do, you can change plans only once during this timeframe.

Meanwhile, you are not permitted do the following between the January 1 and March 31 open enrollment period:

• Change from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan
• Switch to a different prescription drug plan
• Drop a Medicare Medical Savings Account plan

When Will My Plan Changes Go Into Effect?

Changes you make during this January 1 to March 31 time period will go into effect on the first of the month after the plan you have chosen receives your enrollment information.

Where Can I Get Assistance?

Regardless of the time of year, you can seek out guidance from professionals via:

• Medicare’s toll-free number, 1-800-MEDICARE

• Medicare’s Plan Finder — This allows you to compare plans in terms of cost, coverage, providers, and more

• Your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — SHIP counselors are trained to provide impartial information about Medicare.

Learn More

For more information on Medicare Advantage, be sure to check out the following resources:

• Comparing Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage

• What to Look for When Choosing a Medicare Advantage Plan

Consider consulting with a qualified elder law attorney in your area for additional guidance.

According to a recent national study, nearly a quarter of Americans aged 50 and older say they – or a loved one – needed long-term care in 2022. The findings further suggest that seniors and their caregivers could benefit from more consumer-friendly information and guidance about long-term care services, a need researchers say will grow exponentially in the future.

Finding Long-Term Care Causes Wide-Ranging Emotions

Results showed that people looking for long-term care experienced a range of emotional responses in searching for a provider:

• 53 percent of respondents reported feeling anxious about the process

• 52 percent described feeling frustration

• 23 percent said they were confident during the process of long-term care for themselves or their loved one

• 23 percent of respondents felt “at peace” about the choice they made for long-term care

• Only 14 percent of respondents reported feeling happy

Respondents Want to Feel Prepared When Deciding on Long-Term Care

Researchers found that respondents want advice for seeking long-term care when it comes to the following:

• 92 percent wanted to know what types of long-term care services are available
• 90 percent wanted more information about paying for long-term care
• 90 percent said advice and support on long-term care would have been helpful to them
• 88 percent needed help understanding whether their personal or health care needs require long-term care
• 88 percent of those surveyed also said they needed help choosing a long-term care provider
• 86 percent said having someone to listen to them when seeking long-term care services would have been important to them
• 84 percent of respondents wanted help deciding whether to pursue in-home care or community-based services (i.e., nursing home care)

Paying for Long-Term Care

A large number of respondents reported needing more information about how to pay for long-term care.

Of the people who were surveyed, 63 percent said it was extremely important to have additional details about the various types of care options available. Meanwhile, 69 percent said it was extremely important to have further details about the cost of care and their payment options.

Who Participated in the Survey?

The survey featured responses from a nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 participants with annual household incomes ranging from under $30,000 to more than $100,000. Responses were collected in November 2022.

Respondents, all aged 50 and older, were 53 percent female and 47 percent male, and represented the following regions across the United States:

• South – 38 percent
• West – 23 percent
• Midwest – 21 percent
• Northeast – 18 percent

NORC at the University of Chicago conducted the survey, which was commissioned by think tank Nexus Insights.

Can This Problem be Solved?

In a separate Nexus Insights report from September 2022, experts called for the creation of information hubs where seniors and their caregivers can find the resources they need to answer their questions regarding long-term care.

The report also outlined seven criteria defining these proposed navigational hubs:

• Accessibility
• Consistency in services across the country
• Local focus with a deep understanding of each community’s programs and providers
• Visibility among its target users
• Freedom from incentives that would promote specific service providers
• Unbiased advice
• Full service

To learn more about long-term care services and options, find a qualified elder law attorney in your area.

While a guardian can support the protected person by making important decisions, in some cases, an individual may wish to change or dissolve the arrangement.

The ward, their family, or other involved people might feel that the guardian is not doing a good job. They may then petition the court for the removal of the guardian, replacing them with another person.

In other cases, they might think guardianship is no longer appropriate. For instance, if the ward regains the ability to make personal or financial decisions, the guardian’s role may become obsolete. In some cases, the protected person or another individual asserts that guardianship was never needed. A less restrictive option, such as supported decision-making, could be a better fit.

How Hard Is It to Terminate Guardianship?

Removing a guardian and terminating guardianship both require the court’s involvement.

Ultimately, the court decides whether to replace the guardian or disband the guardianship completely, restoring the rights of the person subject to the arrangement.

Reasons for Removing a Guardian

The court can remove the guardian for several reasons.

• When guardians fail to perform their duties, the court can expel them. For instance, state laws require that guardians file annual reports with the court, describing the protected person’s condition, living situation, and regular activities, and summarizing the guardian’s contact with the ward. When guardians fail to inform the court on a regular basis, the court can remove them.
• The court can also remove guardians who act improperly, such as those who abuse the individuals under their care. The state can also charge them with a crime when there is evidence of abuse.
• Other grounds for removal include misusing the ward’s income and assets, commingling funds, and failing to manage the protected person’s estate appropriately.
• Disputes between guardians and those they protect are common. In some cases, the guardian and the ward might mutually agree that another person would better fit the role. Voluntarily, the guardian might agree to step down.

Petitioning the Court

To request the removal of a guardian, the ward, the guardian, or a person affected by the guardianship can petition the court. Then, the court will hold a hearing and issue a decision.

When the court replaces a ward’s guardian, it maintains that the individual under the guardianship still cannot make personal or financial decisions independently and needs the protection of a responsible person.

In contrast, the court ends the guardianship altogether when it finds that the ward can make independent choices.

Ending the Guardianship

The court terminates guardianship when it finds that the person no longer needs a guardian because of a change in circumstances.

For example, the court might find that a person who does not have an active power of attorney for health care needs a guardian when the person becomes incapacitated due to a severe illness. If an individual becomes unconscious or cannot communicate for an extended period, a trusted person might need to make medical decisions and handle money on the incapacitated person’s behalf. When the ward’s health improves such that they can express their wishes, assistance with decisions is no longer necessary.

In other instances, courts end guardianships by finding that the control was never appropriate. Sometimes, individuals feel that a court’s initial decision to order guardianship was wrong and challenge it. They can file a petition for termination with the court that oversees the case. Following a hearing, the court decides whether to terminate the guardianship, change its terms, or maintain the arrangement.

To learn more about ending guardianship or removing a guardian, speak to an attorney.

Are you a taxpayer who has purchased long-term care insurance (LTCI)? Take note of your policy details and your premium amount, as you may be able to deduct the cost – or at least part of it – from your 2023 income.

If your total eligible medical expenses (including your LTCI policy premium) for the year exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income, you may be able to take the amount of your LTCI policy premium as a deduction on your federal income tax return.

However, note that only certain LTCI policies qualify.

What Is Long-Term Care Insurance, and Do I Need It?

Long-term care insurance helps you cover costs for services you will likely need as you grow older, such as nursing home care or home health care.

According to LongTermCare.gov, U.S. seniors aged 65 today face a nearly 70 percent chance of requiring some form of long-term care later in life. In fact, almost a fifth of them will need it for more than five years.

Policies for this type of insurance can vary dramatically. Most will provide you with between $2,000 and $10,000 in funds each month, with premiums costing up to $5,000 a year. The younger you are when you purchase LTCI, the less pricey your annual premiums will generally be.

Keep in mind, too, that the average prices for long-term care have skyrocketed over time. For example, a private room in a nursing home will currently cost you more than $9,000 a month on average.

Unless you have very significant wealth, paying for LTCI may be well worth the cost, given how quickly long-term care can drain your retirement savings.

Can I Deduct My Long-Term Care Insurance Premium?

As mentioned above, only certain LTCI policies are tax-deductible. If your LTCI policy is considered “qualified” for tax deductibility, your total eligible medical expenses (including your LTCI policy premium) for the year also need to exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income in order you to be able to deduct your premium.

In addition, you are limited in how large a premium you can deduct. Read more about these caveats below:

1. Tax-Qualified Policies – To qualify for tax deductibility, your LTCI policy is required to meet specific rules, as outlined by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

If you purchased your policy before January 1, 1997, it is likely qualified. (Double-check with your insurance broker or their state’s insurance commission.)

Policies purchased on or after January 1, 1997, have to meet a number of federal standards. Learn more about these standards on Page 9 of the NAIC’s Shopper’s Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance, available in PDF format.

2. Deduction Limits – The limit on your deduction depends on your age at year’s end. The IRS annually issues adjustments to these limits; it increased the 2023 tax-deductible limits by about 6 percent since 2022.

Note that if your annual premium amount for 2023 exceeds the limit provided in the table that follows, it will not be considered a medical expense:

Attained age before the close of the taxable year	Maximum deduction
Age 40 or under	$480 (up from $450)
Age 41 to 50	$890 (up from $850)
Age 51 to 60	$1,790 (up from $1,690)
Age 61 to 70	$4,770 (up from $4,510)
Age 71 and over	$5,960 (up from $5,640)

 

3. Other Caveats

• If you are self-employed, you can take the amount of the policy premium as a deduction if you made a net profit. Your medical expenses do not necessarily need to have exceeded 7.5 percent of your income.
• Most hybrid life insurance policies are typically ineligible for tax deductions.
• Note as well that benefits from per diem or indemnity policies, which pay a predetermined amount each day, are not included in income except amounts that exceed the beneficiary’s total qualified long-term care expenses or $420 per day (for 2023), whichever is greater.

For further details on these and other inflation adjustments, access the complete PDF from the IRS website.

Additional Resources

To get an idea of how much long-term care may cost you, visit Genworth’s Cost of Care online tool to calculate the cost of care where you live.

Be sure to seek out information from a professional when it comes to evaluating your long-term care insurance needs as well as protecting your loved ones’ assets in the event that you do require long-term care. Find a qualified elder attorney near you.

The Senate and House have cleared the passage of a year-end $1.7 trillion appropriations bill that will benefit older adults on a number of fronts.

The bill, which runs more than 4,000 pages and includes a wide variety of legislation, heads to President Biden next for his signoff.

Here is a breakdown of some of the highlights that relate to supporting older Americans:

Health and Housing

• Opt to age at home – The Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program has been helping older adults age in their own home or a community setting, rather than in nursing homes, since 1972. The newly passed bill extends MFP through September 2027.
   
• Age in place safely – The omnibus bill has also doubled funding for the federal government’s Older Adult Home Modification Program from $15 million to $30 million.

  For seniors with limited income, this program covers the cost of simple, low-cost home modifications – such as railings and temporary wheelchair ramps – that help them age in place safely.
   

• Provide for your healthy spouse if you are on Medicaid in a nursing home – Medicaid beneficiaries who must reside in a long-term care facility but have a spouse still living at home will continue to see their healthy spouse protected from poverty.

  Known as spousal impoverishment rules, these protections ensure that the healthy spouse receives income while their institutionalized spouse keeps their Medicaid eligibility. These protections, which are adjusted each year, will continue to be in place until September 2027.
   

• Continue to see doctors online – Lawmakers have extended access to telehealth services for Medicare enrollees for another two years.
   
• Find affordable housing with support services – The Housing for the Elderly Program has received a billion-dollar bump in funding as well.

  This program seeks to aid seniors with very limited income in securing housing that is within their means while also offering supportive services such as assistance with cooking and cleaning.

Retirement Savings

• Contribute more to retirement – For older workers, the omnibus bill raises what are known as “catch-up” contribution limits for retirement savings. Taxpayers ages 60 to 63 will be allowed to contribute an extra $10,000 to their 401(k) starting in 2025.
   
• Access 401(k) funds for emergencies – If you need to take money out of your 401(k) before reaching age 59½, under certain circumstances you will no longer have to pay the 10 percent penalty fee for withdrawing money early. As of the end of 2023, you will be allowed to withdraw up to $1,000 a year for unforeseen emergencies without incurring a penalty.
   
• Wait longer to withdraw money from your retirement accounts – Previously, you were required to begin withdrawing money from your retirement plan account starting at age 72. This mandatory withdrawal is known as a required minimum distribution (RMD).

  As of January 1, 2023, the new bill allows you to hold off until age 73 to take funds from these types of private retirement accounts.

Congress established the Medicaid Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program to provide states with federal funding to help seniors who are receiving care in institutions but want to live at home.

However, it is not a permanent program and is due to expire in September 2027. Advocates have pushed for Congress to make MFP permanent, ensuring that states have funding for seniors who wish to return home from long-term care facilities.

What Is the Medicaid Money Follows the Pereson (MFP) Program?

MFP was established in 2005 to increase Medicaid enrollees’ access to home- and community-based services (HCBS). In part, its goal is to allow seniors to avoid nursing homes and other institutions, and instead receive care in their own homes and communities if they choose. Other beneficiaries of the program include people with disabilities.

MFP allows the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to remove the restrictions that are placed on how funds are allocated for long-term services. It increases the use of HCBS services instead of long-term services and support.  

How Does MFP Help Older Adults?

Throughout its existence, MFP has helped seniors who otherwise would have been institutionalized maintain control over their lives by providing a chance at independent living. In the nearly two decades since the program began, MFP has helped more than 107,000 people move from a nursing home or a long-term care facility back into their home. One evaluation found that MFP results in greater life satisfaction among participants.

Returning home from an institution is a tall task for most seniors. A major concern is the lack of staff to take care of an individual’s medical and personal needs. In many cases, seniors must rely on family members. MFP helps ease the burden of transitioning from care facilities back home.

Examples of the type of support MFP provides seniors as they move back home typically include:

• Help paying for groceries
• Short-term transitional housing
• Security deposits for rental homes and apartments
• The cost of necessities for setting up a home (e.g., stair-lifts, wheelchair ramps)

Can MFP Help Seniors Secure Housing?

The federal government funds the Medicaid Money Follows the Person program. Medicaid is prohibited from paying for housing directly. MFP allows states to use money from the program to pay for case management and transitional support services for seniors.

To address the needs of low-income seniors, state governments have used MFP funds to partner with housing authorities and developers to ensure more housing options are available for seniors who want to live independently.

Will the Medicaid Money Follows the Person Program End?

MFP has been a Medicaid demonstration program since 2008. Demonstrations are used to determine whether programs should become permanent. More than 40 states and territories currently are a part of MFP.

However, Congress has inconsistently funded MFP. The uncertainty about whether the program will have long-term funding has made it difficult for states to budget, so over time some states have been opting out of the program entirely. If MFP expires in 2027, many more seniors will be forced to live in long-term care facilities, losing the independence they desire.

It remains to be seen whether Congress will make the program permanent. If it does, states will have a set amount of money to increase seniors’ ability to live on their own as they age.

Learn more about the program at Medicaid.gov. For further guidance, find a qualified elder law attorney near you.

It has been a tumultuous few years. Amid a continuing pandemic, tense midterm elections, and a war in Ukraine, we have grappled with more than our fair share of grim news.

However, with the new year upon us, there are some silver linings — in particular for seniors.

Here are five reasons for seniors to celebrate in 2023:

1. Social Security Benefits Are Seeing the Biggest Increase in 40 Years.

Social Security beneficiaries will find that their monthly checks are increasing by nearly 9 percent, come January 2023. This cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is the largest boost to Social Security benefits in more than four decades.

For more than 65 million individuals currently receiving these benefits, payments will rise by about $140 on average per month.

If you are a Social Security beneficiary, you can get an estimate of how much more you will be receiving in 2023 by using the online My Social Security portal on the Social Security Administration website.

2. Medicare Part B Premiums Are Lower.

For the first time in more than 10 years, Medicare Part B enrollees will see some of their costs decline.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) announced that the following will take effect in 2023:

• The Medicare Part B basic monthly premium is decreasing by $5.20 per month (savings of $62 for the year).
• The Medicare Part B annual deductible is decreasing by $7 per month (savings of $84 for the year).

Note that beneficiaries with higher incomes pay higher monthly premiums. Read more in the news release from CMS.

3. You Can Contribute More Than Ever to Retirement.

The IRS is allowing record increases in 2023 for contributions to 401(k)s, Roth IRAs, and traditional IRAs.

If you are working and have a 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plan, you can contribute up to $22,500 to that account in 2023. Working individuals who are 50 years and older can contribute another $7,500.

If you have a Roth IRA or IRA, you can now contribute $6,500 in 2023 (up from $6,000 in 2022).

4. You Don’t Have to Wait Months for Medicare Part B Coverage to Begin.

A new rule is also setting seniors up with improved access to health care coverage. In the past, if you waited until the last three months of your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) to enroll in Medicare, you would have to wait another two to three months before your coverage began.

As of January 1, 2023, if you enroll in Medicare during the last three months of your IEP, your Medicare Part B coverage will begin on the first day of the month after you sign up. You will not have to wait several months to receive benefits.

If you sign up for Medicare during the General Enrollment Period, which runs from January 1 to March 31, you used to face a coverage gap. Coverage did not begin until July 1. Starting in 2023, your coverage will start the first day of the month after you enroll.

5. SSI and SSDI Benefits Are Also Seeing a Boost.

If you are a beneficiary of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you will see modest increases in your monthly benefits payouts before the new year. Beginning on December 30, 2022, SSI individual recipients will receive $73 more a month. Couples will receive $110 more in SSI benefits per month.

Meanwhile, SSDI benefits will see a monthly increase of about $119 more on average for those who are not blind.

Access a comprehensive list of all 2023 Social Security changes in PDF format.

Early on in the pandemic, nursing homes across the country found themselves at its devastating bull’s eye, with residents and staff of these facilities making up roughly 30 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. between May 2020 and February 2021.

A government watchdog’s newly released report examined federal data to determine what factors were most closely associated with the longest nursing home COVID-19 outbreaks.

Nursing Home COVID Outbreaks Averaged 4 Weeks in Length

Using data from June 2020 through December 2021, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that nursing home COVID-19 outbreaks last four weeks on average. Significantly more severe outbreaks occurred in nursing homes that were enduring shortages in staffing and that were located in communities with higher transmission rates.

Longer outbreaks were also more likely to occur in nursing homes with larger patient populations – more than 100 beds – and that were nonprofit or owned by the government.

More than 90 percent of the nursing homes in the study experienced at least one outbreak that lasted five weeks or more during this period. Nursing homes reported that most of their COVID-19 outbreaks were sparked by a staff member who tested positive.

The Biggest Challenges

Among the biggest challenges nursing home officials said they faced during these outbreaks were staff shortages and staff morale.

Beyond that, they cited a lack of personal protective equipment, limited space where residents could be quarantined, and declining mental and physical health among residents as added obstacles.

The GAO reviewed federal data from more than 15,000 nursing homes nationwide, in addition to interviewing researchers and national associations as well as various officials across four states.

Access the study in full on the GAO website.

For people who rely on multiple medications, the expenses accumulate. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, eight out of 10 adults say prescription medication costs are unreasonable. Three in 10 adults on four or more drugs report difficulty affording them and say they had skipped or reduced doses because of the cost.

With lower prices for certain generic drugs, online pharmacies present an alternative to traditional pharmacies.

In a 2022 investigation of five generic medications, Consumer Reports found that web apothecaries generally market generic drugs at a lower cost than the $12 copay that individuals with employer-sponsored insurance plans typically pay.

Researchers shopped for five common generic drugs online:

• Atorvastatin
• Celecoxib
• Duloxetine
• Clopidogrel
• Pioglitazone

They compared the prices of these drugs at eight online vendors – Amazon.com/Pharmacy, Costco.com, CostPlusDrugs.com, GenuisRX.com, HealthWarehouse.com, HoneybeeHealth.com, Ro.Co/Pharmacy, and Scriptco.com – and found them to be less pricey overall.

Though some online pharmacies carry most drugs, the majority only have select offerings available. Costco, HealthWarehouse.com, and Amazon are full-service pharmacies offering the most prescription medications.

The others – CostPlusDrugs, GenuisRX, HoneybeeHealth, Ro.Co/Pharmacy, and Scriptco – are limited pharmacies that may not have every drug a person needs. 

Why Are Online Pharmacies Less Expensive?

Online pharmacies keep their costs down in several ways.

• Most drugstores examined – six of the eight – do not accept insurance, eliminating charges for dispensing and expenses from insurers or intermediaries such as pharmacy benefits managers.

  While this keeps the costs low, the prices of drugs might not go toward insurance deductibles, depending on the type of insurance.

• Amazon, Costco, and Scriptco charge membership fees to keep costs low. Even with paying a membership fee, some may find that the total prices are lower with these pharmacies. Others may already have memberships to Amazon or Costco.
   
• Large companies reduce expenses by purchasing in bulk.

Delivery Options

Those who have difficulty leaving their residences may be drawn to e-pharmacies, as they can order prescriptions online and have them delivered directly to their homes without going to the brick-and-mortar pharmacy. Traditional pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS offer home delivery as well, however. People who prefer delivery should compare online pharmacies to their local options.

Though Amazon, GeniusRx, and Ro Pharmacy have free delivery, other sellers have delivery fees that can increase the overall expense. Expedited shipping is available when people need the medicine immediately, but also increases costs.

While delivery might benefit some, local pharmacies might be a better option for others. Individuals with medications that require refrigeration or those who require the drugs right away might need to use traditional drugstores.

Online apothecaries can also be limited in where they ship, so ensuring the service will ship to you is essential. Of the eight online pharmacies evaluated, only Costco.com and HealthWarehouse.com send medications to all states.

Prescription Management

Consumer Reports concluded that online apothecaries are an excellent option for those who need common, generic medications and can get them all from a single online pharmacy.

However, they do not recommend ordering individual prescriptions from different pharmacies, as pharmacists should be made aware of any potential interactions drugs might have when taken together. Those with complex medical needs can benefit from using a walk-in pharmacy where they can have the pharmacist’s oversight.

Speak to your health care provider about your pharmacy options.

Yuletide is just around the corner. They say it’s the most wonderful time of the year. However, you should take care of yourself during the holiday, especially if you are a senior.

Proper nutrition is key to maintaining good health. This is especially true during the holiday when there are many temptations to indulge in unhealthy foods and drinks.

Fret not. Here you will find some healthy holiday nutrition tips for seniors. Keep reading to see how you can enjoy the season while promoting good health and overall well-being.

How Older People Can Stay Healthy During the Holiday

Holidays could mean devouring processed foods and drinking carbonated and alcoholic beverages. The temptation to indulge is strong, but doing so can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

That said, seniors should maintain healthy eating habits, whether at home or in an assisted living facility. Follow these five nutrition tips to enjoy the season without compromising health:

1. Eat healthy foods

Proper nutrition begins with a balanced diet vital during the holiday season. It means eating healthy foods from all the different food groups. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends maintaining a healthy diet for proper nutrition by eating:

• Whole fruits and green, leafy vegetables
• Foods from animal sources (lean meat, fish, eggs, and milk)
• Staples like cereals or starchy tubers
• Legumes (lentils and beans)

Rich in nutrients, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can help you feel fuller for longer, reducing the temptation to snack on unhealthy foods.

2. Always stay hydrated

Hydration is vital for overall health, and seniors are particularly vulnerable to dehydration. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Likewise, avoid sugary and alcoholic beverages, which further contribute to dehydration.

According to the Mayo Clinic Organization, your daily fluid intake (DFI) should be:

• 3.7 liters for men (15.5 cups)
• 2.7 liters for women (11.5 cups)

Drinking plenty of water keeps you feeling full and prevents you from overeating. It also helps flush out all the toxins in your body, so make sure to meet the required DFI every day. Consider keeping a water bottle on hand to ensure staying hydrated is even more convenient.

3. Limit salt, sugar, and fat intake

Another vital tip is to watch your intake of salty, sugary, and high-fat foods. They are often abundant during the holiday season, which can be very tempting.

Try to limit your intake of these high-calorie choices and look for low-sugar, low-salt, and low-fat options. Be mindful of the number of these ingredients in the foods and drinks you consume. Choose healthier options, such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.

For your reference, take the WHO’s health recommendations on this:

• Limit added sugar to less than 10 percent of your total energy intake. (Energy intake refers to calories, which should be balanced with energy use.) Less than 5 percent proves extremely beneficial to one’s health.
• Keep the salt that you add to your food at less than 5 grams per day. On nutrition labels, look for a sodium count of less than 2 grams.
• Reduce your total fat intake to less than 30 percent of the total energy intake. Reduce saturated fats to less than 10 percent, and trans-fats to less than 1 percent. Better yet, replace both saturated fats and trans-fats with unsaturated fats.

4. Resort to portion control

Overeating is prevalent during the holiday season. It can be easy to overindulge, especially when surrounded by delicious foods. So, in addition to eating a balanced diet, pay attention to portion sizes.

To avoid consuming too many calories, consider using smaller plates. Those who use smaller ones will likely eat less than those with larger ones. You can also try filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables and the other half with lean proteins and whole grains.

According to Nancy Mitchell, RN at Assisted Living, portion control is an effective way to maintain a healthy weight. “We are wary of what we put on our patients’ plates,” she says. “Not only do we use smaller plates, but we also track their food consumption. We want to ensure our residents avoid consuming too many calories and increasing their risk of chronic diseases.”

5. Stay physically active

This part is a bonus because physical activity isn’t necessarily a nutrition tip. However, it indirectly affects seniors’ nutrition and overall health. You will probably eat and drink more during the holiday. So, being physically active during this time of the year is even more necessary.

Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Of course, you don’t necessarily have to hit the gym or attend a dance class. Whether it is doing household chores or taking brisk walks around the neighborhood, any form of physical activity will do.

The Bottom Line

The holidays can be challenging when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet. This is especially true for seniors, who should be wary of what to eat and drink.

That said, follow the healthy holiday nutrition tips discussed above:

• Eat a balanced diet
• Drink plenty of water
• Restrict your salt, sugar, and fat consumption
• Regulate your portion sizes
• Engage in a regular physical activity

With deliberate planning and conscious effort, it's possible to have a happy and healthy holiday season.