Keeping Fit And Active In A Challenging 2025
At Optum, cutting-edge innovation creates a humanistic, patient-centric care model
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What’s the best way for Southern California seniors to keep moving? Optum offers expert - and personally tailored - advice
When a horrific firestorm enveloped Southern California in January, it affected everyone who calls the region home. Even those far from the burn areas had their lives transformed during the event and its immediate aftermath, with smoke and ash sweeping over the county of Los Angeles and beyond, creating a highly hazardous situation.
For some residents of the area impacted by the fire, the stay-inside directive was immediate and prolonged. Air quality was dangerous for everyone, and for those who already had risk factors, going outside for even a moment could cause severe breathing problems, if not an emergency. For people who were used to a morning walk or a meet-up to hike and chat with friends, the fires were another disruption from normalcy.
Optum geriatric nurse practitioner Tai Samuels, who resides in deeply affected Altadena, saw these disruptions firsthand - not just in her surroundings but in those under her care. Yet, true to the patient-centric nature of the healthcare practitioners at Optum, Samuels, an almost 15-year veteran of the company, had an opportunity to help.
“One thing that Optum did - and they responded very quickly - was reaching out to patients in impacted areas,” she said. “On those calls, our team often found themselves sharing in the emotional weight of the moment - sometimes even crying together with residents who were understandably devastated. What we heard repeatedly was how meaningful it was for people to know that someone genuinely cared about their well-being during such a traumatic time. That human connection made a profound difference when they needed it most.”
And, while the mental health factors from the event were front of mind, many seniors were feeling that yet another disruptive event, similar to COVID-19, was putting limits on normalcy, including walking the dog, going to the park, and other things that kept them healthy and active while elevating their peace of mind.
And while “most seniors are savvy enough to use their smartphones and monitor air quality,” said Samuels, she warned that might not be the only contributing factor. “Even though the air quality may say ‘good’ right now, some of this particulate matter can remain in the environment for weeks and weeks and weeks.”
In fact, a continuing study being conducted by UCLA and other schools has indicated that post-fire, environmental quality overall, including air, soil and water, could continue to be negatively affected, giving rise to concerns that health hazards can exist even if the skies are clear and regardless of what the AQI reads.1
Samuels’ advice to patients during wildfires or other environmental events that can affect Southern California? Simple: Control your environment. “Go to the mall; walk around the mall. That’s been a pretty good source for a lot of people.” In addition to “mall walking,” she suggested museums and other indoor environments to get those steps in.
The most important factor, says Samuels, is for older adults to keep moving. Exercise can also mean different things to each person, so she advises acting within individual comfort levels, even if there has been a long break from regular movement due to a prolonged environmental event. “Start small,” she said. “It could be just five minutes. It could be some chair exercises, it could be Tai Chi for balance a couple days a week, and then build from there.”
Optimizing this, says Samuels, can be as simple as keeping track the old-fashioned way. “A lot of times we’ll just give them a calendar and say, you know what? It really is as simple as when you exercise, put a big red heart or star on there,” she said. “At the end of the month, you can see visually how many days you exercised. By doing this, they then start to build their own routine and set their own fitness goals.”
“Celebrating the small wins are what truly matters in patient care,” explained Samuels. For her, success isn’t measured solely by medical outcomes but by the development of trusting relationships with patients and empowering them to take an active role in their own health journey. Samuels believes this patient-centered approach creates a partnership that extends beyond clinical treatment. By acknowledging that health care is not simply about prescribing solutions but also collaborative problem-solving, she has found that patients become more engaged in their care process. This transparency builds a foundation of mutual respect that ultimately leads to better long-term health outcomes.
“When we shift our definition of success from perfect adherence to honest communication, we create space for authentic healing,” she added. “The health journey isn’t linear - it’s about persistence, adaptation and building trust along the way.”