Do you talk regularly with your Independence Medicare Advantage patients
about the importance of physical activity? Since many patients may be reluctant
to discuss exercise or bring up the topic, you?ll usually need to initiate the
conversation. The SilverSneakers® fitness program by Tivity
Health, an independent company, has tips to help you work the topic of exercise
into your discussions. Also noted is the approximate time to allow for each
point.
Use the following tips — the 5 As — to talk with your
Independence Medicare Advantage patients about the importance of physical
activity and how SilverSneakers can help them get and stay active:
- Ask (1 minute). Ask your patient about the frequency of
exercise. Is he or she getting 150 minutes a week of aerobic activity and doing
strength activities two days per week?
- Advise (1 minute). Provide clear advice to encourage each
patient to begin or increase exercise. Point out that regular activity can help
him or her to maintain a healthy weight and improve balance and stability.
- Assess (1 minute). Assess the willingness of the patient
to take action in the next 30 days. Ask if he or she is ready to commit to
being active for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
- Assist (3+ minutes). Suggest problem-solving methods to
overcome any barriers to exercise. For example, if the cost of a fitness
membership is a concern, remind the patient there?s no cost to use the
SilverSneakers benefit. If your patient has never been to a gym or fitness
center, say that nearly half of SilverSneakers members were new to fitness
before they joined the program. If your patient thinks getting started will be
too involved, walk him or her through the steps listed below.
- Arrange (1 minute). Periodically assess each patient?s
frequency of exercise and provide encouragement. You might ask at each visit if
he or she is still getting 150 minutes a week of aerobic activity and doing
strength activities two days a week; and if he or she is still using the
SilverSneakers benefit.
SilverSneakers is available at no additional cost to Keystone 65 Select HMO,
Keystone 65 Preferred HMO, Keystone 65 Focus Rx HMO, and Personal Choice
65SM PPO members. Remind your patients that enrollment is simple.
Advise them to follow these steps:
- Go to silversneakers.com.
- Click Find Fitness Locations and enter their ZIP code to find a
SilverSneakers location close to their home.
- Next, click Get Your Card to get their unique SilverSneakers
member ID number to take to the location of their choice to get started.
- Get active. Start working out with support from friendly staff, certified
instructors, and other SilverSneakers members.
For more information about SilverSneakers, visit silversneakers.com or call 1-888-423-4632
(TTY:711).
Tivity Health and SilverSneakers are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Tivity Health, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or
affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. ? 2017 Tivity Health, Inc. All
rights reserved.