Dr. Mark Heyman, PhD, CDCES, is a diabetes psychologist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist who has lived with T1D since 1999. He is the founder of the Center for Diabetes & Mental Health (CDMH) in San Diego, specializing in evidence-based mental health support and emotional challenges for people with diabetes. Mark’s practice and programs are focused on helping people with T1D address the emotional burden, burnout, and fear associated with the condition.
Qualifying for Medicaid’s long-term care coverage requires very low income and minimal assets: an unplanned long-term stay can drain a family’s resources within a couple of years. Eldercare experts recommend a strategy known as a Medicaid “spend down” — systematically and transparently using a person’s assets on appropriate expenses (like prepaying for a funeral, paying down a mortgage, or covering nursing home costs out of pocket) to reach Medicaid eligibility sooner.
A growing body of research shows that how we think about aging can directly impact how well we age. Studies have found that people who hold negative beliefs about getting older tend to experience faster physical, mental, and cognitive decline. In contrast, those with more positive attitudes toward aging are more likely to stay active, eat well, and maintain better overall health outcomes.