The later years in life come with many changes. As we age and health concerns become an important part of life, many of us worry that a move into assisted living will mean the end of our independent, active lifestyles. This is where our family plays an essential role. Although physical and mental capabilities may not be what they once were, maintaining an active relationship with family helps aging adults stay engaged with life. Their memories and emotional health are strengthened by reminiscing and connecting with family. However, it’s not always easy for family members to understand how often to visit or how to spend time together during visits. In some cases, poor communication between family and staff can lead to problems with the resident’s care.
As family members, how can we work with assisted living staff members to provide a happy, robust daily life for our aging loved one?
Understand community policies
First, make sure that you are aware of the community’s guidelines. Each senior living facility has unique needs that require unique policies. For instance, some communities choose to restrict family visits due to the nature of care required by residents. It’s essential to understand policies so that your involvement is beneficial, not interruptive, to your loved one’s care.
When families do not understand the needs of the assisted living facility, their well-meaning visits can become a frustration. Here are a few simple things to keep in mind so that your presence is as helpful to your loved one as possible:
Be respectful of staff members’ time. They have many residents to care for in a limited time frame.
Be careful not to take over and dominate the facility. Remember that the person you are visiting is not the only person in the community.
Treat staff members as partners in your loved one’s care, not as subordinates or adversaries.
Staff and residents alike will love families who help out. Take initiative in tasks such as pushing wheel chairs, starting a game of cards with a lonely resident, or volunteering in the dining room.
Socializing and recreational activities
Many senior communities offer social events such as movie or game nights. Ask for a calendar of the activities planned by your community and make a priority of attending. It is not the quantity of time spent with your loved one, but the quality and type of activity. Make sure your visits are filled with worthwhile activities and quality time.
This is a great opportunity to get involved with your elder’s life. The transition to assisted living can make aging adults feel isolated. Taking the time to get involved with their social circle will help them stay connected to the world around them. It’s important to maintain the continuity of the life they had before the move to assisted living.
Working with the community to schedule your own events is another great way to stay connected. Perhaps a grandchild’s music teacher can bring their students for a recital, or your family can help arrange an outing to a local park or museum.
The most important thing to remember is that your aging loved one’s life does not need to stop just because they move to assisted living. Take initiative to help them stay active and alert. These years are a wonderful opportunity to create memories together.
So, if you have a parent or grandparent in assisted living, don’t underestimate what a difference you can make in their life. Come alongside staff members and get involved in the community’s social events. Your support will help your aging loved one enjoy an active, alert lifestyle after the transition to assisted living.
Following the recipe for food safety is a must anytime you’re in the kitchen—and it starts with clean hands, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says.
“Always wash your hands with soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food,” spokeswoman Isabel Maples advised in an academy news release. “Don’t forget to wash your hands after handling raw meat and poultry to avoid spreading germs through the juices.”
Wash fruits and vegetables, but don’t wash meat and poultry before cooking. Doing so could spread harmful bacteria to your sink and surrounding kitchen areas, she explained.
“Clean your countertops with hot, soapy water. Use paper towels or disinfectant wipes, instead of washcloths or sponges, which can harbor bacteria,” Maples said.
Take apart small appliances—such as can openers and blenders—to clean them, then air dry completely before storing, she recommended.
“Clean your refrigerator every few weeks to rid it of potentially dangerous residue from raw foods. Rid your refrigerator of leftovers after four days. When in doubt, throw it out,” Maples said.
Use a food thermometer when cooking meat—it’s the only real way to know if it’s done, she suggested.
“Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, without it touching the bones or the bottom of the pan, to avoid getting a false reading. Then clean your thermometer with hot, soapy water after each use,” Maples said.
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold and refrigerate perishable foods within two hours, or within one hour during warmer weather.
Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave—not on the counter. Pathogens multiply fast when foods are in the “danger” zone between 40 degrees and 140 degrees.
“Store foods in the correct area of the refrigerator,” Maples said. “To minimize the risk of raw juices dripping into other foods, put cooked and ready-to-eat foods at the top and raw meats and poultry at the bottom. Plus, place raw meats in a container to catch any drips.”
Senior abuse in the form of financial scams is a huge problem—especially as scammers are changing tactics and taking advantage of fears and uncertainties. In fact, recent reports say anywhere from 3 billion to 30 billion dollars are lost every year as a result of senior financial scams. With these high numbers in mind, it’s important that you do your part to help protect your loved ones.
1. Visit elderly family members regularly
One of the best ways to prevent fraud is to keep in contact with your senior family members. By visiting and talking with them, you can stay up to date on their daily lives and be the first to hear about suspicious new “friends” who might be having an undue influence on their financial decisions.
Seniors who are isolated from their families and don’t have active social lives are often the first targets of scammers, since a senior without a strong support system is more likely to believe a lie and fall victim to fraud.
2. Warn your loved one about common scams
Most scams happen over the phone or online, as scammers can impersonate people of authority. Scammers will either act charming to influence seniors, or act like there is a serious emergency in order to trick them. Here are a few of the most common elderly scams you can warn your loved one about.
Social Security & IRS scams
A common scam involves a perpetrator pretending to be an authority from the Social Security office or the IRS. They will tell a victim that there is a major problem with their account, and if they don’t immediately give out personal information to clear up the problem they could face legal action or arrest.
This scam can scare seniors into giving away their Social Security number or banking information to avoid threats. However, it’s important to explain to seniors that the Social Security office and IRS will never threaten someone over the phone, and often don’t reach out by phone at all—especially when asking for personal information.
Charity scams
Some scammers try and take advantage of kind-hearted seniors by pretending to be from a charity asking for donations. Assure your loved one that if they get a call from a charity and want to contribute, there will be other ways they can donate or volunteer their time than by giving out information over the phone.
Internet & tech support scams
Scammers like to take advantage of the lack of knowledge many seniors have surrounding technology. For example, seniors can receive a phone call or pop-up claiming their computer is infected with a virus, and the problem can’t be resolved until the victim verifies their identity by handing over a Social Security number or other piece of information.
Remind your loved one that they should never give out personal information to an unverified source, especially if the other person is making the situation seem suspiciously urgent.
Lottery & fake prize scams
Another set of scams are lottery and prize scams. These will try to convince seniors to hand over a small amount of money for “taxes and fees” with the promise that a larger amount of winnings and prizes will be given to the victim after the first transaction clears. Tell your loved one that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Grandparent scams
These scams involve a perpetrator pretending to be a family member who is in an emergency and needs quick money. Often they say that they need money immediately to cover rent and expenses, lawyer fees, bail, or medical bills. They will request that the victim keep this transaction a secret from the rest of the family out of shame or embarrassment.
To protect your loved one, tell them to ensure they are speaking to someone they know and can verify that the situation is legitimate. If they aren’t certain, have them hang up and call a trusted family member.
3. Always advise caution with finances
While you don’t want to frighten your loved one into never making a transaction again, it’s important they are aware of the dangers of financial scams and that they can be a target. Come up with a plan together, and include things like:
Blocking solicitation calls with the help of an app or phone provider
Having your loved one call you before agreeing to anything suspicious
Talking to their bank to see what measures can be taken to limit the damage of a scam
Creating a separate bank account that houses a majority of their savings that isn’t connected to a card or their primary checking account
Setting a spending limit on debit cards
Remember:
While seniors can be targeted by strangers, most elder financial abuse comes from other family members, so keep an eye on anyone who becomes too invested in your loved one’s financial situation. If you or your loved one believes they have been targeted by a scammer, report it to the police immediately or call the number below to talk through the options for reporting fraud.
While the biological processes are still a bit murky, researchers suspect a proper night’s rest gives your brain a chance to rid itself of toxic molecules. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
The deep stages of sleep may give the brain a chance to wash itself free of potentially toxic substances, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that during deep sleep, the “slow-wave” activity of nerve cells appears to make room for cerebral spinal fluid to rhythmically move in and out of the brain—a process believed to rinse out metabolic waste products.
Those waste products include beta-amyloid—a protein that clumps abnormally in the brains of people with dementia, said researcher Laura Lewis, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University.
Lewis stressed that the findings, reported in a recent issue of Science, do not prove that deep sleep helps ward off dementia or other diseases.
But the ultimate goal of research like this is to understand why poor sleep quality is linked to higher risks of various chronic conditions, from dementia to heart disease to depression, she said.
Researchers have known that cerebral spinal fluid helps clear metabolic byproducts from the brain, so that they do not build up there.
They’ve also known that the process appears to amp up during sleep.
But various “hows” and “whys” remained.
So the investigators recruited 11 healthy adults for a sleep study using noninvasive techniques: advanced MRI to monitor fluid flow in the brain and electroencephalograms to gauge electrical activity in brain cells.
Sleep is marked by REM and non-REM cycles.
During REM sleep, breathing and heart rates are relatively higher and people often have vivid dreams.
Non-REM sleep includes stages of deep—or slow-wave—sleep. During those stages, there’s a slow-down in brain cell activity, heart rate and blood flow, and research has found that deep sleep may aid memory consolidation and allow the brain to recover from the daily grind.
“There are all these fundamental things your brain is taking care of during deep sleep,” Lewis said.
Her team found that housecleaning may be one.
When study participants were in deep sleep, each pulse in slow-wave brain activity was followed by oscillations in blood flow and volume, which allowed cerebral spinal fluid to flow into fluid-filled cavities in the central brain.
The spinal fluid moved in “large, pulsing waves” that were seen only during deep sleep, Lewis explained.
Based on what’s known about the work of cerebral spinal fluid, experts said it’s reasonable to conclude that slow-wave sleep promotes the flushing of waste from the brain.
The study “elegantly” illustrates the importance of deep sleep, according to Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep medicine specialist not involved in the work.
It “helps to explain how and why sleep is important for keeping neurons healthy—facilitating the removal of toxic molecules,” said Zee, a professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago.
“One can think of sleep as a top way to take care of your brain,” she said.
Another sleep medicine specialist agreed.
“There is growing evidence, with this study and others, that sleep plays a role in clearing toxins from the brain,” said Dr. Raman Malhotra, an associate professor of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis.
Other research has suggested that sleep loss can promote the buildup of “unwanted proteins” in the brain, said Malhotra, who also serves on the board of directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
A recent government study, for instance, found that one night of sleep deprivation triggered an increase in beta-amyloid in the brains of healthy adults.
“As we learn more about this role of sleep,” Malhotra said, “it may help explain why individuals who don’t get enough sleep, or suffer from sleep disorders, are at higher risk of certain chronic health conditions.”
The latest study involved younger adults with no health problems.
Lewis said that it will be important to find out whether healthy older adults, or people with certain health conditions, show any differences in cerebral spinal fluid dynamics during deep sleep.
A big question for future research, she said, will be whether alterations in those dynamics precede the development of disease.
Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.
Researchers say even a few extra minutes off the sofa each day can add years to your life span.
“If you have a job or lifestyle that involves a lot of sitting, you can lower your risk of early death by moving more often, for as long as you want and as your ability allows—whether that means taking an hour-long high-intensity spin class or choosing lower-intensity activities, like walking,” said study lead author Keith Diaz.
He’s assistant professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University in New York City.
The new study involved nearly 8,000 American adults, aged 45 and older. Each wore physical activity monitors for at least four days as part of research conducted between 2009 and 2013. The investigators then tracked deaths among the participants until 2017.
The results: People who replaced just 30 minutes of sitting per day with low-intensity physical activity lowered their risk of an early death by 17 percent, according to the recent study published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
More intense exercise reaped even bigger rewards, the researchers said.
For example, swapping a half-hour per day of sitting for moderate-to-vigorous exercise cut the risk of early death by 35 percent.
And even just a minute or two of added physical activity was beneficial, the findings showed.
“Physical activity of any intensity provides health benefits,” Diaz said in a university news release.
His team pointed to a recent study that found that one in every four U.S. adults sit for eight-plus hours per day.
Two experts in heart health believe that level of inactivity can be a killer.
“Exercise, at any risk level for cardiovascular disease, is shown to improve not only how long one lives, but also lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes,” said Dr. Satjit Bhusri, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
And heart specialist Dr. Guy Mintz said there are many ways Americans can change their slothful ways. He directs cardiovascular health at Northwell Health’s Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y.
The American Heart Association currently recommends “moderate aerobic activity for 150 minutes per week or vigorous aerobic activity for 75 minutes per week,” Mintz said.
“Some American companies, like Google, are taking note of the importance of exercise and the deleterious consequences of a sedentary existence, including increases in obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” Mintz added. “Employees are encouraged to get up from their desks and exercise—whether that is in the form of stretching, ping pong, walking, jumping jacks, treadmill or stationary bicycle.”
He believes other companies could follow that example.
“Employers with tight work schedules should carve out mandatory time daily for their staff to exercise and make it fun,” Mintz said. “Both the employer and employee benefit. Companies also win with higher productivity, less sick days, lower health costs and improved morale.”
For his part, Diaz said future research will “look at the risk of specific cardiovascular outcomes, such as heart attack, heart failure and cardiovascular-related deaths, associated with physical activity versus sedentary behavior.”
As the weather starts to cool down, it’s time to start looking for ways to keep warm. While cozy blankets and cranking up the heat can help, so will having hot food. At the same time, it’s important to keep your health in mind and remember that as you age it’s not as easy as it once was to whip up complicated meals.
Having recipes in hand that are hot, healthy, and easy to prepare can make a big difference when it comes to planning out your meals and shopping trips. Take a look at these fifteen different dishes from Good Housekeeping and Delish that meet all these criteria—and taste amazing as well!
Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living
Satisfying chicken dishes
1. Light Chicken Parmesan⼁Cook Time: 25 minutes
This light take on a classic Italian dish can be prepared in under a half hour and will meet your cravings without packing on calories the same way a heavier, traditional Chicken Parmesan would.
Casseroles are a great way to make a delicious meal without having to spend a long time in front of the stove—just combine the ingredients and bake! This dish features healthy grains like wild rice and great vegetables like brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.
4. Apple Cider Glazed Chicken⼁Cook Time: 35 minutes
What better way to celebrate fall than with a recipe featuring everyone’s favorite autumn drink, apple cider! This sweeter take on chicken will help you get into the fall spirit while ensuring you keep eating healthy at the same time.
Nothing else can warm you up and satisfy your taste buds the way good soup will! This pumpkin soup is simple, but the sage and mushroom garnish will make you feel like a professional chef.
This flavorful soup combines black beans, red onion, and jalapeño to make a deliciously spicy dish that will make you forget about the chilly weather, all while taking only a half hour to make.
Cauliflower is a great versatile food that can hold a lot of flavor. This simple soup only uses a few ingredients, but the outcome is so hearty and healthy that you wouldn’t believe it was so easy to put together.
9. Butternut Squash & White Bean Soup⼁Cook Time: 45 minutes
If you love butternut squash soup but want to add a little more, then try this variation. With white beans and chickpeas, this take on the original adds some extra heartiness and flavor.
Don’t let the long cook time scare you away! This meal only requires about 20 minutes of prep, and the rest takes care of itself in a slow-cooker. Start it in the morning and have a delicious meal ready for dinner!
Cut back on carbs normally found in pasta with this spaghetti squash substitution. Spaghetti squash is easy to prepare and can help you get your favorite flavors in a healthier way.
Another recipe featuring spaghetti squash, this cheesy dish has all the makings of a great pizza without the empty calories. Warm and tasty, this meal will fill you up in the same amount of time it would take to get delivery.
This cauliflower and broccoli dish is a great way to get the recommended helping of vegetables while making a recipe for the cold weather in only 20 minutes.
Being able to make simple, healthy meals that taste great is a useful skill, especially as you continue to age. Cooking shouldn’t be an all-day task, and it’s important to find foods that aren’t just delicious, but provide additional benefits for you and your health as well. Try these dishes out and stay warm and healthy all year long!
Quitting smoking can be challenging, but you can find support for your quit journey where and when you need it, to raise your chances of quitting for good.
“I’m sick of this addiction.” Clay A. left that comment on the CDC Tobacco Free Facebook page. “I quit for a year and four months and came back,” he went on to say. “Quitting is not easy.”
CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) knows that it may take a number of tries before you’re able to quit for good, but we also know that it can be done. In fact, so many people have quit that there are now more former smokers than current smokers in the United States. Quitting can be challenging, but you can find support for your quit journey where and when you need it, to raise your chances of quitting for good. This year, make a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking for good.
“At this time of year, we know that many smokers make a resolution to quit and start off on a healthier course,” says Corinne Graffunder, DrPH, MPH, director of OSH. “If now is your time to quit tobacco, there are many tools available to help you find and follow a quit strategy that works for you.”
Whether you’ve never tried to quit or have tried many times, a new year means another chance to create your successful quit plan.
Never too early to quit
No matter how long you’ve smoked, there are health benefits to quitting. James, a participant in the Tips From Former Smokers® campaign and a smoker for 30 years, started having some trouble doing everyday tasks. He also learned he had diabetes. So James decided he needed a healthier lifestyle. He put down cigarettes and started exercising. Quitting smoking gave him the energy to bike, run, and swim—things he couldn’t imagine doing before.
James said he wanted to send a message to people who think smoking won’t harm them because they haven’t had a major smoking-related illness. “I want to help people like me quit smoking,” he said. “Maybe nothing really bad has happened to you yet. Maybe you’re lucky, but you’re probably not going to stay lucky.”Still a Leading Cause of Death
Even though adult smoking rates are at an all-time low, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the country, with 480,000 people dying every year.
Smoking is linked to many dangerous diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, emphysema, and cancer. Smoking around others hurts their health, too. Breathing secondhand smoke can cause many of the same illnesses as smoking does. It can make children get sick more often, and smoking while pregnant raises the risk of a baby dying suddenly in the first year of life. No amount of secondhand smoke is risk-free.Find What Works for You
Every smoker’s quit journey is different. It may take some time to find the strategies that help you stay quit. It helps to create a personalized quit planexternal icon. Some of the steps in an effective quit plan include:
Picking a quit date. Choose a date only a week or two away and highlight that day in your calendar or phone.
Telling loved ones and friends that you’re quitting. Let them know how they can help you quit.
Listing reasons to quit.
Getting rid of cigarettes and anything that reminds you of smoking.
Picking out feelings, places, and situations that make you want to smoke. It’s easier to avoid them if you’ve identified them!
Having healthy strategies to fight cravings.
Build your strategies
Smokers crave cigarettes because they contain a drug called nicotine, and smoking makes your body dependent on nicotine. Stopping smoking causes nicotine withdrawal, which can be uncomfortable, especially in the first weeks. There are ways to get through withdrawal—these can include support from family or a counselor, as well as medication that helps ease cravings.
Courtesy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It may take many tries to quit. The important thing is not to give up. Health care providers, such as doctors and nurses, can be good supporters in your quit journey. Your doctor may recommend some of the medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help people quit smoking. These may include nicotine replacement therapy medicines, which are patches, gums, or lozenges that give the body a small amount of nicotine to ease cravings without the other harmful effects of smoking cigarettes. Pharmacists can let you know about the effects of any medicine your doctor prescribes.It’s Not Too Late
Whether you smoked for decades, like James, or only just started, whether you have a smoking-related illness or haven’t felt the damage from smoking yet, quitting right now can put you on the road to better health.
Says former smoker Dean G.: “Can’t wait to see my health continue to improve. Quitting is the best decision I ever made.”
Help is out there: Use it!
There are many free resources to help you quit—no matter where you are in your quit journey.
Quitlines.1-800-QUIT-NOWexternal icon(1-800-784-8669) and 1-855-DÉJELO-YAexternal icon (1-855-335-3569) (for Spanish speakers) both offer resources like coaching, help with making a quit plan, and information about smoking and can even refer you to more resources in your area. There are also Asian-language quitlines:external icon 1-800-838-8917(Chinese), 1-800-556-5564 (Korean), and 1-800-778-844 (Vietnamese).
Text Support.Smokefree TXTexternal icon is a free, 24/7 program that sends coaching and encouragement by text messages to help you keep your commitment to staying smoke-free.
Smartphone App. The smoke-free app for your phone called quitSTARTexternal icon helps you understand your smoking patterns and build skills so you don’t give in to cravings.
The sharing economy, which provides ride-sharing technology from companies such as Lyft and Uber, is quite useful to seniors who can no longer drive or have no access to a means of transportation. While previously the focus was on millennials, the companies are now focusing more on older adults, launching several services to reduce obstacles these adults have while working with the technology.
One stereotype you will come across is that the aging population are more resistant to technology; however, the reality is that there are more members in this age group embracing technology, and taking advantage of services such as Uber and Lyft. Many seniors who cannot drive depend on their friends and family members to get around; however, this is not a sustainable option if you are looking to enjoy your flexibility. Seniors can schedule rides and get to their appointments or social engagements on their own time.
Benefits of Using the Ride-Sharing Apps Include:
An easy to use app you can learn to use in a short time even if you are not technologically savvy. Get a tech-savvy helper to guide you through the set up and you can start using the app immediately.
Ride-sharing apps offer affordable transportation regardless of your budget. The duration and distance of your ride will determine the money you pay the driver
You have access to helpful features that give an estimate for your trip and allow you to split the fare when travelling with a friend.
Despite the obvious advantages, you are likely to face challenges common to seniors when using the apps. Many seniors have concerns such as legality and the credibility of drivers. Additionally, if you grew up with cell phones, you may find the apps a little difficult or confusing. Fortunately, Uber and Lyft are aware of these challenges, and are continuously working to provide solutions for their senior customers.
Some of the Solutions Include:
Partnerships with companies that serve seniors and that seniors trust. You can call the numbers of the partner company, where they will organize your transport and schedule a ride for you. If you need assistance getting into or out of the car, the partner company will inform the driver in advance. The partner company also helps you process your credit card details so you have an easy time making payments.
Partnerships with companies that offer care services to seniors who have no access to smart phones for easier transportation. The care facility has access to a dashboard where it can request, organize and pay for multiple rides at a go.
While there are legitimate concerns to using ride-sharing apps, there is a lot of investment going into making the apps more friendly and safe to seniors. Using Uber or Lyft can simplify your life, cut your transportation costs and reduce your dependency on loved ones. The good news is that the sharing economy is focusing more on seniors, providing solutions that are more relevant to the challenges the older generation may face.
Think about the last time you hung out with people you enjoyed being around, that made you laugh and with whom you shared interests. How did you feel? Energized? Excited? Now think about the last time you realized it had been a while since you got the chance to see friends or be around people you cared about. How did you feel? Lonely? Deflated? Like your energy had been sapped? Now picture feeling like this every day. It’s a common feeling for many seniors who live alone and is why a rich social life is so important for aging adults.
When we are young, socialization helps develop who we become as a person, and in our older age, socialization can help maintain that. If we lose that, whether it’s due to a health condition that keeps us inside or a decline in friends due to death and illness, it can have a profound effect on our lives and our health.
Experts have labeled loneliness almost as harmful to our health as smoking. According to an article in the Journal Sentinel by Mark Johnson, studies have found that one in 10 Americans live alone and the rate of loneliness in seniors is 35% or higher. And loneliness can lead to a handful of other problems including, poor sleep, high blood pressure, depression, cognitive deterioration, and stress.
The answer to loneliness is socialization. And, given the fragile state of our health as we age, maintaining a strong social life to help prevent extra health issues is particularly important as we get older.
Connecting with friends, talking, and laughing all stimulate the brain. Having something to look forward to every day offers a positive outlook on life and encourages a healthy mental state. This boost in brain activity offered by a connection with others can actually help slow (not cure or stop) the onset of dementia or Alzheimers. And, those who take the time to see friends and make a point to connect, are more likely to participate in the physical activity that will maintain a healthy body weight, strengthen the heart and slow the onset of many other ailments that can plague us as we age. Simply knowing that there will be someone else there to participate in the activity with, can make anyone more likely to get and move (like an accountability partner at the gym).
This connection and interaction with others is one of the key reasons many family members decide that an assisted living facility is best for their loved one or why many seniors make the decision to move to a more accommodating community. Injuries in our old age can often confine us to wheelchairs and limit our mobility. Assisted living facilities provide all the benefits of an active, social, community, without the hassle of travel.
Activities don’t even have to be extremely physical to be beneficial. Playing cards or games with friends, making something together, group move time, or simply chatting over a cup of coffee are all beneficial to the mental health of seniors, therefore spilling over into their physical health.
So, as your loved one ages and finds it harder to get out and see friends, it’s important to begin thinking of ways to help them remain socially active. Whether it’s making sure they have frequent visitors, providing transportation to and from events, or looking into assisted living facilities that will provide a social community right at their fingertips; any activity is good activity.
South Vietnam’s Central Highlands was no place to be in 1969.
Double-rotored Chinook helicopters delivered Army Sgt. Scott Chesser, 19, and his soldiers into the enemy mountains, where they fired 33-pound Howitzer shells to support U.S. troops.
“When bullets were zinging around the LZ, when bullets bounced off (the helicopter), it was kind of disconcerting,” deadpans Chesser, now 70, Texas in his voice.
There was another unseen enemy: Agent Orange, a notorious defoliant, now known to cause numerous long-term disorders.
Chesser’s type 2 diabetes is presumably caused by dioxin, the problematic ingredient in the jungle defoliant.
On this summer afternoon, the retired oil industry design technician weighs 210 pounds and is 6 feet, 1.5 inches in height. “I used to be 6’3” before gravity took over,” he wryly notes. His A1C—a long-term blood sugar measure—is 5.6, the upper range of normal. He no longer takes insulin shots. His blood sugar readings average 100 to 110. About normal.
The diabetes connection
Among Vietnam veterans, combat-related diabetes passed post-traumatic stress disorder as the No. 1 cause for disability payments to Vietnam veterans eight years ago.
Courtesy Scott Chesser
Because Chesser was in combat where Agent Orange was used, he is “presumed” by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to have been in contact with the toxic defoliant. Harmful effects from Agent Orange were not known until years later.
About 270,000 Vietnam veterans are compensated for having diabetes, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Chesser does not receive payments.
In 2001, type 2 diabetes was named by the VA among a list of maladies believed tied to Agent Orange. Veterans no longer have to prove contact or a direct link. Service must be from Jan. 9, 1962, through May 7, 1975.
Chesser says Agent Orange was not as widely used in his area, and there is no evidence he or his firing battery came into contact with any.
That is a point of controversy. One in four Americans 65 or older has type 2 diabetes; that compares to one in eight overall. Once called “adult-onset” diabetes, a body’s blood sugar is consistently too high. It can lead to amputations, blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney damage and nerve damage.
In 2001, the VA added diabetes to its Agent Orange complications after the National Academy of Sciences found “limited/suggestive” evidence due to increased insulin resistance. It was the year after Chesser’s diagnosis.
Life after Vietnam
In 1969, the Army’s storied 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) was
mounting a counter-attack after North Vietnam’s surprise Tet New Year
offensive.
Chesser’s was the Vietnam of combat movies. Heavy-lifting Chinooks, with their distinctive rotors front and aft, sped 7,000-pound Howitzers over perilous mountains. He was based near the demilitarized zone, the contested border between North and South Vietnam. (“You know why it’s called the DMZ? he asks. “Dead Marine Zone.”)
From landing zones hacked into the jungle, artillery batteries fired the cannons at targets miles away to support foot soldiers searching for the enemy. Sometimes they targeted ammo dumps and harassed enemy patrols. Chesser’s landing zone was LZ Action, just below Mang Yang Pass. The steep, narrow choke point was known for enemy snipers and ambushes on US convoys.
Chesser survived the jungle, Viet Cong guerrillas and North Vietnamese soldiers for 365 days. But No. 366 and 367? His return flight on Flying Tiger airway was grounded.
Enemy missiles targeted the Cam Rhan Air Base runway.
“Now, those two days really irritated me,” he said, his humor dry as a Texas oil well.
After the war, Chesser learned electrical and mechanical engineering. He designed and oversaw equipment used to find oil, from the swamps of Louisiana to the remotes of Oklahoma. A test hole was bored. Measuring equipment looked for tell-tale hydrocarbons. Oil.
“We’d break them or make them heroes,” Chesser says.
The Ohio native worked 30 years before retiring in 2010 from Schlumberger Oilfield Services, in Sugar Land, Texas, near Houston.
Photo by Chris Clark
One summer Monday morning, Chesser arrived at his office in Sugar Land. He had spent an uncomfortable weekend, thirsty, urinating at all hours and generally feeling unwell.
A co-worker entered Chesser’s office to review drawings. The worker, a friend, told Chesser, “You know, you got symptoms of diabetes,” Chesser recalls.
The co-worker knew the symptoms well. “When he retired, he was only 59. Within a year he had passed. It was related to diabetes.”
Dr. Deines knew of the Agent Orange and Vietnam connection. He did not know the dramatics behind it. “It sounds like you are hearing the other side of the story,” said Dr. Deines, a specialist in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism.
Initially, Chesser was prescribed oral metformin, a first-defense pill, Dr. Deines said. That worked for about 13 years, but Chesser steadily gained weight. He reached 280 pounds. He was officially obese. His blood-sugar levels were high altitude. And injections?
“I worked myself all the way up to eight insulin shots a day. Every time I ate a bite, I had to take a shot,” Chesser recalls. “I went to my endocrinologist. I said, ‘I’m really tired of this. I think it’s time to finally face it and lose some weight.’”
Physician assistant Gail Friedrick worked closely with Chesser.
“It seemed like the more weight he lost, the more motivated he became,” Friedrick said. “He did an excellent job of logging everything he ate on an app on his phone, along with his exercise, and when he reached his calorie limit for the day, he quit eating. …I don’t see a lot of patients that have the self-discipline to do this.”
Between appointments, Chesser and Friedrick communicated by email on MyHealth, Spectrum Health’s secure patient portal. “This allowed us to have a conversation about adjusting his medications as he lost weight, without the burden or cost of frequent appointments,” Friedrick said.
Chesser’s wife, Janna, 59, showed Chesser the way. She had seen Scott’s struggle.
“I knew if I didn’t lose the weight I was headed there and I didn’t want that,” said Janna, who began her own weight-loss plan before her husband.
Already 20 pounds lighter toward her planned 70, she and Scott ate healthier and exercised more. They paid attention to portion and diet. He used a free smart phone app “religiously” to monitor calories, consumed and burned, toward his weight goal.
Chesser’s insulin shots became smaller and less frequent.
Coming home
Chesser and Janna moved to 3.5 acres south of Lowell, Michigan, the year he retired.
Not long ago, Chesser stepped out of his pickup into his favorite repair shop, just as he had countless times in the small farm town, population 3,800.
“I said, ‘How you guys doing?’” Chesser recalls. “A worker responds, ‘Can I help out, sir?’ “And I say, ‘You gotta be kidding. I got a bay here with my name on it, I’ve been coming here so long.’
“A lot of people don’t recognize me,” he says.
Photo by Chris Clark
On Day 580 of Chesser’s campaign, his blood-sugar levels averaged near normal. He lost the equivalent of a bag of concrete mix, 76 pounds. He consumes 1,700 calories a day.
“It’s a tremendous feeling,” Janna said. “I don’t have to watch him stick himself all the time.”
Chesser figures he had an advantage or two. “I don’t smoke or drink. Those things probably get me out of harm’s way.”
With his weight-loss goal met, the retiree now turns to monitoring and maintaining.
“If it helps anyone, even one person realize they can do it, then it’s worth it,” Chesser said. “There is nothing special about me. I finally got the gumption to do it.
“My cousin died of complications of diabetes. It was a horrible death, horrible way to go, and all because she didn’t take care of herself,” Chesser said. “If you see that and it doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will.”
Another motivator? “I just don’t want to lose my eyesight, a leg or a foot.”
When caring for patients facing different forms of dementia or memory loss, it can be tempting to look at the big picture only. Will they be safe? Will they be clean? Will they remain physically healthy and as happy as possible? These are all important questions to ask when looking at the care a loved one will receive when diagnosed with a memory disorder. But it’s also important to make sure the memory care facility you are considering focuses on the individual details that will aid in well-rounded care.
Details matter. Here are some of the specific care elements you should consider when choosing a memory care facility for aging adults.
Layout and design
The design of an assisted living community should make it easy for residents to find their way around on their own for as long as possible. The layout should optimize wayfinding, ensure safety and create freedom. Wide hallways, creative labeling, and naming of hallways and sections, bold colors and shapes can all contribute to a safe and vibrant community.
Sliding doors over swinging doors add an extra element of safety, and soft amber lighting over areas such as the restroom can trigger memory and make it easier for patients to locate a spot over and over.
An understanding staff
A staff that is not only trained and certified to care for those with memory problems, but who are also sympathetic, caring, and engaging is key when it comes to creating a positive environment for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Looking at certifications and qualifications is important, but it’s also vital to look at the details of their behaviors and attitudes toward their patients.
It’s important that caregivers know when to just go with the flow and when to encourage a patient to try to remember. There will be times when it’s best to go along with an idea even though it’s obviously wrong, and times when it’s best to redirect and distract them. Treating your loved one like a resident and not just a patient can have a huge impact on their overall well-being, and you want to work with a staff you like and can trust.
Peace and stability
A memory care facility that can manage any type of memory care can be beneficial as the needs of your loved one change. Things can become unfamiliar and scary as memories begin to fade, but being in a familiar environment and surrounded by friends can keep patients in good spirits and often slow the progression of the disease. When a facility supports all stages from independent living, to minimum care to advanced memory care, it can make sure your loved one is getting the best care, right from the beginning and they won’t be jarred by sudden moves, changes in staff or location.
A part of this stability comes from a peaceful living environment. Alarms should be as silent as possible to avoid distressing patients, and all areas of the facility should be designed with peace in mind. Fireplaces, pianos, patios and plenty of sunlit areas can all add to a feeling of peace and contentment and help keep patients calm no matter their stage.
An active social life
When memory patients are at home being cared for by a loved one, it can be easy to create a bubble and cut off the outside world. But, maintaining an active social life is key to making sure they feel like belong. Even if they don’t participate in activities or conversation, just being surrounded by it, listening, thinking and reacting will activate and stimulate certain areas of the brain. Organized activities and an active community help make sure patients stay involved and maintain a social life.
Social time is also a great time to promote activities and games that build memory muscle, keep brains active and renew remaining capacities for memory.
So, when choosing a memory care facility, don’t just look at the pictures. Pay attention to the details and make sure your loved one will be cared for in every aspect of their everyday life.
A large new study adds to questions about whether your “good” HDL cholesterol levels really affect your risk of heart disease.
The study, of nearly 632,000 Canadian adults, found that those with the lowest HDL levels had higher death rates from heart disease and stroke over five years. But they also had higher death rates from cancer and other causes.
What’s more, there was no evidence that very high HDL levels—above 90 mg/dL—were desirable.
People with HDL that high were more likely to die of noncardiovascular causes, compared to those with HDL levels in the middle, the study found.
The fact that low HDL was linked to higher death rates from all causes is key, said lead researcher Dr. Dennis Ko.
That suggests it’s just a “marker” of other things, such as a less healthy lifestyle or generally poorer health, he said.
That also means it’s unlikely that low HDL directly contributes to heart disease, added Ko, a senior scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto.
“This study is going against the conventional wisdom,” he said.
But the reality is, doctors are already shifting away from the conventional wisdom, said cardiologist Dr. Michael Shapiro.
Shapiro, who was not involved in the study, is a member of the American College of Cardiology’s Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Section.
“Many people know that HDL is the ‘good’ cholesterol,” he said. “But they may not know that the medical community is moving away from the idea that we’ve got to raise low HDL.”
That’s in part because of the results of several clinical trials that tested the vitamin niacin and certain medications that boost HDL levels.
The studies found that while the treatments do raise HDL, they make no difference in people’s risk of heart trouble.
On top of that, Shapiro said, research has shown that gene variants associated with HDL levels have no connection to the risk of cardiovascular disease.
No one is saying that doctors and patients should ignore low HDL levels. Levels below 40 mg/dL are linked to a heightened risk of heart disease.
“That is a consistent finding,” Shapiro said. “So we can reliably use it as a marker to identify patients at higher risk and see what else is going on with them.”
Causes of low HDL include a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, poor diet and being overweight. And it’s probably those factors—not the HDL level itself—that really matter, Shapiro said.
The current findings are based on medical records and other data from nearly 631,800 Ontario adults ages 40 and up. Over five years, almost 18,000 of them died.
Ko’s team found that men and women with low HDL levels were more likely to die during the study period, versus those with levels between 40 and 60 mg/dL.
But they had increased risks of not only heart disease death, but also death from cancer or other causes.
People with low HDL tended to have lower incomes, and higher rates of smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure. After the researchers accounted for those factors, low HDL was still linked to higher death rates.
“But we couldn’t account for everything,” Ko said. And he believes that factors other than HDL number—such as exercise and other lifestyle habits—are what count.
“When you see that something (low HDL) is associated with deaths from many different causes, it’s probably a ‘generic’ marker of risk, rather than a cause,” Ko said.
At the other end of the spectrum, people with very high HDL—topping 90 mg/dL—faced increased risks of dying from noncardiovascular causes.
Shapiro called the finding “very interesting,” but the reasons for it are unclear.
Alcohol can raise HDL. So that raises the question of whether heavy drinking helps explain the link, said Dr. Robert Eckel, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus.
Regardless, there is no reason for people to try to send their HDL skyward using niacin or other medications.
“Raising HDL with drugs is not indicated,” Eckel said.
Shapiro stressed the importance of lifestyle: “Don’t smoke, get regular aerobic exercise, lose weight if you need to.”
Those things may, in fact, boost your HDL, Shapiro noted. But it’s not the number that matters, he said, it’s the healthy lifestyle.
The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
As we age, it can become difficult to maintain the quality of life we are used to without some form of assistance. But when it comes to senior care, it’s not always clear what living arrangement is best for an aging adult. With large numbers of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age every day, the options for senior care are becoming more rich and diverse. For some, the comfortable familiarity of senior home care is the number one priority, while others prefer the wealth of assistance options and provided senior activities of assisted living. Before you make your decision for yourself or a loved one, make sure you’re aware of the benefits and drawbacks of each care option.
Senior Home Care
Aging in place is an attractive choice for many seniors, but some daily activities such as driving, shopping, bathing, and housekeeping can require assistance. In-home care is one way to ensure reliable help for any tasks that may cause difficulty. An in-home caregiver can support seniors in keeping up with proper hygiene, exercise, and nutrition, as well as maintaining a clean and pleasant home environment. A caregiver can also be an excellent companion to a senior who chooses to age in place, as opportunities to socialize may be limited by mobility and availability of transportation.
However, senior home care services are all different and may charge additional fees for certain tasks or aren’t able to offer them at all. Since caregivers usually charge per hour of service, the cost of caring for a senior who needs help with many daily activities may become a burden for them and their families. Additionally, in-home caregivers usually cannot provide medical care, though they can assist with making and keeping appointments, and with medication reminders and administration.
Assisted Living
In assisted living, communities are created with autonomy for aging adults in mind. With routine and medical care always available, seniors are empowered to maintain their familiar and ideal lifestyles. Not only is independent living easy, such as cooking favorite meals or working on hobbies, but assisted living also provides opportunities for being social with comfortable community spaces and a variety of senior activities. Seniors in assisted living communities typically keep their own schedules — and with so many things to do, that’s no small task!
Seniors and their families may dismiss assisted living out of hand as being out of their budget, but the option is more affordable than many believe, especially when compared to the long-term costs of in-home care. Care, living space, meal options, and activities are all included in the cost of an assisted living arrangement, whereas seniors aging at home need to pay for each of these individually. Making the decision to move from a familiar home full of memories can be painful, but the opportunity to continue living life with vigor in an assisted living community, surrounded by friends and loved ones, can definitely make it worth the choice.
Ultimately, the decision between in-home care and assisted living can only be made by a senior and their loved ones. Depending on the level of care required, the ability of family members to provide assistance, and medical needs, one option may work better than the other. Understanding the benefits of each can help you make the best decision to help you or your aging loved one live life to the fullest.
If you have a hard time remembering names or what to get at the supermarket, there are ways to boost your memory.
According to a study in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, one of the best things you can do is say the information you want to remember out loud—and it’s even stronger if you repeat the information to another person. That means not just mouthing the words.
This could explain why you can recite your child’s favorite book unaided—read it out loud enough times and you can have near total recall.
An everyday example is to repeat the name of a new acquaintance out loud as soon as you’re introduced.
Instead of just saying, “It’s nice to meet you,” add their name and say, “It’s nice to meet you, Mary.”
Making word and number associations is effective, too.
Break down a phone number you want to memorize into digits you can associate with special dates or the ages of your kids, for example.
You might try dividing almost any type of information into chunks that you learn one by one.
Other research explains why making lists is so effective.
The human brain is better at recognition—or seeing words—on a to-do list rather than trying to mentally recall errands you’re supposed to run.
Finally, make friends with technology if you haven’t done so already. Use the apps on your phone to make lists and add the names of people you meet to your contacts as soon as you meet them—this gives you the opportunity to repeat their name and write it down digitally.
When you wander the halls of the Vista Springs Center for Memory Care and Rediscovery, you’ll find not only the luxury accommodations our residents have come to expect but also a few unique features meant to speak directly to the care and treatment of the residents in our assisted living memory care facility.
While the halls, rooms, and decor of our facility are all specially design to accommodate residents with memory conditions, caring for these community members goes beyond even tiny details like color and layout. Bold colors, shapes, and textures are used to help anchor residents to their environments and strengthen memory muscle but objects and activities take memory care to the next level.
Sensory stimulation
Using objects and activities to trigger emotions and memories is called Sensory Stimulation and it’s a popular technique when it comes to treating and caring for those with memory disorders. These objects can create a connection with the rest of the world when the patient has lost the ability to create that connection on their own.
Within the Vista Springs community, this technique is used via stations set up throughout the memory care facility. These stations are set up for different activities such as clothes folding, diaper changing, shirt buttoning, and dishwashing. There are even cribs with babies to rock to sleep and cases filled with objects that would have been important during different time periods.
These simple activities take patient’s back to times they remember fondly; raising their children or actively participating in life. Sensory stations and various activities can be especially positive if a patient is upset, discouraged or scared. Activities they once engaged in mindlessly around the home will bring them comfort, decrease agitation, and maintain motor skills.
These types of stations and objects help focus on the person, the things they once enjoyed, and their daily lives; not the disease.
Comfort and communication
While these objects and stations may not improve their memory or slow progression of the disease, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, they do offer other perks for the patient and their caregivers.Engaging in familiar activities can improve overall mood, raise self-esteem and confidence and improve well-being.
And, for those who experience trouble communicating and everyday tasks, certain activities can offer alternate outlets of communication. If they have a hard time speaking, simply picking up a pen or pencil to draw may bring back old memories or give them a way to express themselves, even if it’s not through words.
The Veterans Day panel at the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce’s WKTV Government Matters discussion heard from veteran Travis Snyder and others. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
Federal, state, county and city government leaders and representatives listened to veterans telling their inspiring stories and express their concerns about government services Monday, Nov. 11, as the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum was fittingly held at Kentwood’s AMVETS Post 23.
WKTV recorded the meeting, which also included some discussion on state government budget issues, and not is only rebroadcasting it on WKTV’s channels but also making it available on WKTV’s on-demand website (wktvlive.org).
The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and U.S. congressman who represent the Wyoming and Kentwood area.
The intergovernmental discussion hosted by the chamber focuses on issues that effect local residents, businesses — and veterans and their families.
For more information about the chamber and Government Matters visit southkent.org.
The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the latest meeting on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., as well as on select Saturdays, on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. For a highlight schedule of WKTV cable programs visit wktvjournal.org.
Offering more vegetarian choices in school cafeterias significantly cuts meat consumption without hurting overall sales, British researchers report.
In more than 94,000 college cafeteria choices studied, doubling vegetarian options (from 1 in 4 choices to 2 in 4) reduced purchases of meaty meals by 40-80%.
“Replacing some meat or fish with more vegetarian options might seem obvious, but as far as we know no one had tested it before,” said lead author Emma Garnett, a conservationist at the University of Cambridge in England. “Solutions that seem obvious don’t always work, but it would appear that this one does.”
Shifting to a more plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of food production, she said.
When more vegetarian choices were available, they were popular at every meal and meat eaters who ate vegetarian dishes at lunch didn’t go all-meat at dinner, the researchers found.
Vegetarian options have been an “afterthought” on menus for too long, Garnett said in a university news release.
“Flexitarianism is on the rise,” she said, referring to the eating style emphasizing plant-based foods but also allowing for occasional meat and animal products. “Our results show that caterers serving more plant-based options are not just responding to but also reshaping customer demand.”
Simple changes such as increasing the proportion of vegetarian options could be “usefully scaled up, helping to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss,” Garnett said.
The report was published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It can seem daunting to have the family over for the holidays. Whether you are at your home, or if you are celebrating the holidays in an assisted living community, the pressure to be a good host for their visit can be overwhelming. No matter where you are, having guests can make you feel frantic. Here is a list of ways to prepare for family so everyone—including you— has a happy and carefree holiday.
Get overnight plans in order early
If your family is planning on staying overnight, either for one night or for a few days, the earlier you get plans together the better. Make sure you have a head count for how exactly many guests are coming, and make sure you have the rooms, beds, or couches that you need if you are planning on having family stay with you.
If you don’t have the space (or don’t want the headache), booking a hotel is a great way to make sure your family is close, but not too close. The earlier you start looking at prices and booking rooms, the less expensive and less competitive shopping for rooms will be. While it’s too late to get November rates, it still helps everyone avoid traveling stress to have plans made well in advance.
Spruce up your home
Sprucing up your home, whether that’s rearranging furniture to make room for opening presents or just making sure everything is nice and clean, is a great way to get ready for family. Make sure that the kitchen, bathrooms, and living spaces are guest-ready, and your place is looking fresh.
If you are in a new place for the holidays, then having your place ready to go will make a great first impression on family, and it will help you feel good as well to know that your home was appreciated. Having your space looking nice can help you feeling less stressed and more welcoming.
Get out the decorations
Celebrate the season with fun decorations! A small tree, fun and festive lights, winter-scented bath soaps, red and green kitchen towels, holiday knick knacks, and other decorations can help your home shine extra bright. Traveling family will appreciate walking into a home that looks ready for all the festivities, and it can help spread the holiday spirit among tired family.
Plan activities in advance
While you might have your own daily activities, making sure you have enough things planned to fill the days with family is just as important. Crafts and other activities can help keep everyone engaged, especially if you have younger ones visiting.
Some ideas for activities include:
Homemade Christmas cards
Cookie cutter ornaments
Popcorn garland
Gingerbread houses (if you don’t have the time to make gingerbread, many stores sell kits so you can get right into the decorating fun!)
A holiday movie night
Caroling (this can work especially well in an assisted living community, and your neighbors will love the music you and your family bring.)
Play holiday music
Another way to set the holiday atmosphere is to play holiday music. If you are tech-savvy—or have a helpful grandchild—making a holiday playlist on a music streaming service is a good way to keep the spirit bright. Have everyone send you a list of their favorite holiday songs, and combine them together so everyone can enjoy.
Get out of the house
If you have family coming for several days, then you might need to plan something bigger than gingerbread. See what local activities your community is planning for the holidays, like a holiday play or music concerts. Window shopping, holiday parades, Santa’s village, or driving around to look at light displays are all ways to get the most out of the holidays, and get out of the house for a bit.
Make a sweet treat
You may already know the best ways for you to eat right this winter, but the holidays can be a time to be a little naughty. It’s always best to have meals planned out beforehand to save yourself time and stress, and having something homemade is another way to enjoy holiday fun. Something as simple as cookies any senior can make is a great way to show the family you care. And everyone can get involved in the baking or decorating!
The holidays can be a stressful time, even without the added pressure of entertaining family. Being prepared in advance is the best way to ensure that you aren’t scrambling at the last minute. Having family over can mean a lot of prep work on your part, but the memories you create and the joy that you can spread among those you love the most will make it all worth it.
WKTV Journal In Focus’s audio only podcast of a Community Conversation on Homelessness featured Kentwood City Commissioner and community advocate Emily Bridson, at left, moderating along with Marshall Kilgore and, from left, panelists Cheryl Schuch, Kent County Commissioner Stephen Wooden, James White and Wende Randall. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts, we bring you City of Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson’s Community Conversation on Homelessness, held Sunday, Nov. 10, at Broad Leaf Local Beer in Kentwood.
The Keynote Speaker of the public event was Judge William G. Kelly, the chief judge for Kentwood’s 62B District Court. The event was moderated by Bridson and Marshall Kilgore, Western Michigan Director for United Precinct Delegates.
The panelists included Wende Randall, director of Kent County Essential Needs Task Force; Kent County Commissioner Stephen Wooden; James White of Cinnaire; and Cheryl Schuch, of Family Promise of Grand Rapids.
Schuch, during the talk and after while addressing WKTV, talked about the realities of family homeliness in our area.
“Families who are experiencing homelessness are everyone we see in our everyday life,” she said. “They are neighbors. They go to school with us. They work with us at companies here in town. They just don’t want you to know that.
“So when you talk about bringing their voice to the community, you just need to give them an opportunity to share and not be judged by fact that they are experiencing something like that.”
And Schuch’s voice was just a small part of the discussion at the forum and available in the podcast.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we talk two members of Grand Rapids HQ, a drop-in center for youth ages 14-24 in housing crisis, including but not limited to LGBTQ-plus youth.
HQ collaborates with community partners to provide counseling, medical services, vital document recovery and employment connections with the goal of, quote, “breaking the cycle of homelessness with youth in our community.”
Visiting the WKTV studios are Luke Petsch, Development Director for HQ, and Michael Fravel, HQ member specialist.
While HQ does not provide long-term housing assistance, it has recently been in the news as it is partnering with nonprofit developer Inner City Christian Federation and 3:11 Youth Housing to turn a property into affordable housing for young adults who identify as LGBTQ+.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
It’s that time of year again—time to start thinking about what boots you’ll wear when you’re trudging through snow, slopping through slush and traversing the ice.
Your feet are not immune from the effects of aging.
As we get older, our arches tend to collapse, causing our feet to get longer and wider. With seasonal footwear like winter boots, it’s easy to end up in the wrong size. Don’t assume you’re the same shoe size as last year.
“Getting measured is very important,” Dr. Buchanan said. “This is potentially a big issue as people do more shoe shopping online.”
2. Too small equals cold feet.
If your winter boots (or ski boots) are too tight or too small, your feet get cold faster, which can become a serious issue. There should be room for air to circulate within the boot.
When you go to be measured at a full-service shoe store, try to go mid-day or mid-afternoon. As the day goes on, our feet swell, so a shoe that fits at 9am might be very tight at 6pm.
3. Boots with any size heel do not mix with ice.
Take this advice straight from a doctor who sees a lot of ankle fractures and foot injuries from slips and falls on the ice.
“With a winter boot, a heel is dangerous because it’s more unstable,” Dr. Buchanan said. “You have to be very, very cautious.”
4. Good tread equals good traction.
Make sure your boots are going to grip the ground.
The flat, slippery sole of fashion boots can be treacherous in slippery outdoor winter conditions, Dr. Buchanan said. The best tread will be on boots that are marketed for outdoor winter walking.
5. Boots with a pointed toe might look good, but they’re not good for you.
Boots that come to a point at the toe increase the rate of foot problems for women.
A sharp-pointed boot pushes the toes together, increasing bunion deformities and pressure points on the foot, Dr. Buchanan said.
6. Wrap your feet in warmth.
A winter boot should have the appropriate liner to keep your feet warm and dry. Look for waterproof, wool or sheepskin liners.
7. Two socks are better than one.
To keep your feet warm during extended periods of time in cold
temperatures, consider wearing two pairs of thin socks rather than one
thick pair to help prevent blistering, Dr. Buchanan said.
8. Keep an eye on your kids’ boots during the winter.
Children’s feet grow so fast that something that fits in November might not fit in February. Add to this the fact that kids tend to push the limit of how long they stay outside in the cold, and it can be a recipe for disaster.
Make sure their boots are big enough for air to circulate and keep their feet warm.
9. Outdoor conditions call for outdoor boots.
Wear fashion boots inside, for shorter periods of time during which you will not do much walking. Before going outside, change into winter boots designed for outdoor use.
“It really becomes a question of function of the shoe,” Dr. Buchanan said.
10. Happy feet lead to a happy body.
Robbing your feet of the support and care they need can lead to bigger issues in your knees, hips and back.
Start with a firm foundation with your winter boots, and you can ward off other ailments, according to Dr. Buchanan.
Low-carb, vegetarian, Mediterranean—whatever your diet, it’s important to get enough protein.
Although research hasn’t yet pinpointed one perfect formula, experts say that the typical “recommended” daily minimums aren’t optimal and that it helps to factor in your weight and activity level to determine how much protein you personally need.
A good baseline for people who exercise at a moderate level is between one-half and three-quarters of a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
If you weigh 150 pounds, for example, eat between 75 and 112 grams of protein per day.
To lose weight, diets with higher amounts of protein—between 90 and 150 grams a day—are effective and help keep you from losing muscle along with fat.
Since the body uses protein most effectively when you have it at regular intervals, divide your daily intake into four equal amounts for breakfast, lunch, a snack and dinner.
If you work out at a high level, consider eating another 50 grams of protein before you go to bed to help with overnight muscle repair.
You might be familiar with calorie counting, but it’s also important to know how to tally your protein intake.
While one ounce of chicken weighs 28 grams, it contains only about 9 grams of protein. So it takes a 3-ounce portion to deliver 27 grams of protein, or about one-quarter of the average daily need.
27-gram protein portions
3 ounces of fish, turkey, chicken or lean beef
7 ounces plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup cottage cheese
You can also get high-quality protein from some plant-based foods.
These include tofu, whole grains, legumes and nuts—all better options than eating extra red meat or any processed meats.
The nation’s top nutrition panel may be changing its tune when it comes to an earlier recommendation of avoiding eggs and other cholesterol-rich foods, but not all doctors agree.
A preliminary report released in 2014 noted that “cholesterol is not considered a nutrient of concern for over-consumption,” meaning it might matter less how much cholesterol is in the foods we eat.
That doesn’t mean people should go wild with a pound of bacon each morning.
Thomas Boyden, MD, a Spectrum Health cardiovascular physician, said he believes diet and exercise are two of the most important components of cholesterol management.
“I am 100 percent for patients doing everything they can for themselves and ultimately taking responsibility for their own health,” Dr. Boyden said. “If patients were more focused on diet and routine aerobic activity, many would realize they have the opportunity to improve their overall health and reduce their chance of heart disease and stroke, potentially without the need for medications.”
Dr. Boyden said some people have inherent genetic risks or other illnesses and are at higher risk than others. These patients oftentimes cannot fix their cholesterol numbers with diet and exercise alone, so he advocates for medication in these cases.
If you have high cholesterol, here’s what you need to know:
Worst foods
Avoid fatty foods, but know that not all fat is bad fat. The worst are trans fats and saturated fats, which are mostly found in processed foods and fatty meats. Eating less of each of these will benefit a patient’s cholesterol levels. Beef and red meats should be consumed in moderation.
Best foods
Try to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and non-animal based proteins. Soy products, beans and fish (which has a better fat composition than other animal products) are all great to incorporate into your diet. Introducing fish into your diet a couple times per week can make a noticeable difference.
Activity
The more aerobic activity you can work into your routine, the better. Moderate aerobic activity is less likely to affect weight loss, but it can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and helps control blood sugar. Exercise improves mental capacity, makes bones strong and improves mood. Any exercise is helpful, so don’t feel that you need to train like an athlete. Just 20–30 minutes per day of moderate activity has proven benefits. The key is to get your pulse and breathing elevated, but there is no need to push yourself to extremes.
Family history
It is important to know family history and whether you have a higher
disposition to illnesses and risk factors. Are you overweight? Do you
have diabetes or high blood pressure? And do any of these conditions run
in your family? Talk to your doctor about how your genetics
could affect your health now and in the future.
Treatment
If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and/or diabetes, it’s important to speak with a physician to create a personalized treatment plan that works for you. Your doctor can conduct an individualized risk assessment and help you determine what might work best for you.
Screenings
Learn about the effects of cholesterol on your health at a free vascular screening. To qualify for a free screening, you must have at least two of the following risk factors:
Mel Trotter Ministries lifts curfew, offers around-the-clock support
In preparation for plummeting temperatures, Mel Trotter Ministries (MTM) is shifting into a “code blue” status to ensure men, women and children experiencing homelessness are safe.
“Code blue” is a term used by MTM to describe the most extreme winter conditions in West Michigan, when temperatures stay below freezing for a period of time — putting those who are exposed to the elements at severe risk of hypothermia, frost bite or even death. MTM expects to serve 400-500 men, women and children on these cold nights.
MTM will provide:
Access to safe, warm shelter 24 hours a day with lifted curfew times.
Warm clothing; hats, gloves, hand warmers, for guests staying at the shelter.
On-site medical staff to assess for conditions caused from cold weather exposure.
Removing previous restrictions to enter shelter for people who have violated rules.
Staff doing outreach around the Mission to welcome everyone in and provide resources.
Various warming centers have been identified throughout the city, including at Mel Trotter Ministries | View complete warming center list.
Mel Trotter Ministries is asking for the community’s help to provide for the hundreds of men, women and children served each night in the shelter with the Code Blue Drive. MTM is collecting new and like new coats, boots and various other items for all ages and genders. Items can be dropped off at Mel Trotter Ministries downtown location at 225 Commerce Avenue SW and various locations throughout greater Grand Rapids. More information about the Code Blue Drive, drop off locations and other ongoing needs at www.meltrotter.org/codeblue.
Veterans Day on November 11 is a day for the people of the United States to honor those men and women who have served our country in the armed forces. For aging and elderly veterans, the holiday is an important time to reflect on their experiences and receive recognition for their deeds, and in senior living communities, it’s likely that there are several residents who have served.
Whether you’d like to take some time this Veterans Day to honor the veterans around you, or you are a veteran yourself, here are some meaningful ways to observe the holiday:
1. Plan an Oral History Interview or Discussion
Oral history projects such as the Veterans History Project are reaching out to veterans across the country to preserve their memories and experiences for future generations. The interviews are informal and meant to be comfortable and companionable to make it as easy as possible for veterans to talk about experiences that may be troubling. Most oral history projects recommend one-on-one interviews, but a group discussion with several veterans can make it easier to exchange stories and memories. The most important part of any oral history project, after all, is preserving authentic first-hand accounts. The Veterans History Project has a list of suggested interview questions to get the conversation started, but from there, let it wander. The most interesting stories can come from unexpected places.
2. Pack Care Packages
While Veterans Day is for honoring those who have already finished serving honorably in the armed forces, it’s also a good day to show support to those who are currently serving. Organizations such as Operation Gratitude help people connect with deployed troops to send care packages, which typically include little comforts from home that are difficult to get on deployment. This is a great social activity for veterans to engage in, as they can recall what they would have appreciated, the sort of rations they received, and more details about their service as they continue to support the armed forces.
3. Attend Local Celebrations
Local governments and schools often organize parades or assemblies to honor Veterans Day. If you are a veteran, consider talking to school groups about your service, or attend a school event. Putting a face to history helps kids understand the reality of what they learn. Local parades celebrate the service of our veterans, and local businesses and organizations may offer discounts or donate proceeds to services that help veterans.
4. Thank the Veterans Around You
This is one of the simplest, but most meaningful things you can do to celebrate Veterans Day. Take a moment to shake the hand of the veterans around you and thank them for their service. A small gesture can mean a lot, and for veterans in senior living communities, gratitude from peers, caretakers, family, and friends can have more significance than large events and speeches.
However you choose to celebrate Veterans Day, we hope you have some time to support the aging and elderly veterans who have done so much for our country. From all of us at Vista Springs, happy Veterans Day and thank you for your service!
There’s no definitive proof coffee drinking lowers the risk of gallstones, but there is an association that merits further study. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
To the many ways in which coffee seems to confer unexpected health benefits, add a lowered risk of painful gallstones.
After tracking nearly 105,000 Danes for an average of eight years, researchers found that those who downed more than six cups per day of the world’s most popular beverage saw their gallstone risk drop by 23%.
“High coffee intake is associated with a lower risk of gallstone disease,” said study author Dr. A. Tybjaerg-Hansen. She’s chief physician of Rigshospitalet’s department of clinical biochemistry at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.
That’s good news for Danes, 6% of whom drink six or more cups of coffee every day, she said.
But what about the average Dane, who knocks back just two cups a day? Or the average American or Brit who consumes between one to two cups daily? The study has good news for them, too. It turns out that even small amounts of coffee appeared to lower gallstone risk.
Compared to those who abstained from coffee, participants who drank just one cup of Joe a day saw the risk of gallstones dip by about 3%. Meanwhile, those who consumed three to six cups per day saw their risk lide by 17%.
The findings were published recently in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Gallstones are hard pebble-like pieces that can accumulate in the gallbladder, where they can sometimes block bile ducts. When that extremely painful condition develops, surgery to remove them is often the treatment of choice.
So what is it about coffee that seems to diminish risk? Tybjaerg-Hansen said that, for now, “we can only speculate on that.”
But she noted that because caffeine is excreted via the bile, it’s possible that it reduces the amount of cholesterol found in the bile. That could reduce gallstone risk, given that “the development of gallstones depends on a balance largely between cholesterol and bile acids,” Tybjaerg-Hansen explained.
Coffee also stimulates the muscle contractions that move contents though the gastrointestinal tract.
As to whether it’s the caffeine content that serves as coffee’s silver bullet, Tybjaerg-Hansen said, “yes, that is a possibility.” That raises the prospect that tea or chocolate might also lower gallstone risk.
But whatever’s behind coffee’s power, she believes that the team’s subsequent genetic analyses indicate that it’s coffee itself—rather than lifestyle factors common to coffee drinkers—that is at play.
Another expert is not so sure.
Dr. Anthony Bleyer is a professor of nephrology at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was not involved in the Danish study and was not previously aware of any link between coffee and gallstone risk.
“(But) it seems every week there is a new story about how coffee may or may not be associated with some benefit,” he cautioned. “Information on coffee is collected in many big databases. It is easy to do a comparison with just about any factor: osteoporosis, weight gain, weight loss, sleep, ulcers, cancer, mortality. You get the picture.”
And Bleyer acknowledged that many people will find studies like this interesting, given that coffee drinking is such a common habit.
“But from a scientific standpoint, I am not a big fan,” he added.
“For one thing, consuming six cups of coffee is quite a lot,” he said, “and the (high level of) caffeine could have big effects on sleep, gastric reflux and on arrhythmias.”
But most importantly, said Bleyer, the things that drive people to drink a lot of coffee in the first place “may also cause other changes in diet.” And it could very well be those dietary changes, rather than coffee itself, that end up affecting gallstone risk.
His bottom line: don’t place too much stock in the power of coffee to reduce gallstone risk.
For now, he said, “these studies show only an association, that is not causative.”
Although the slopes might not be ready just yet, it’s never too early to begin preparing your body for ski season.
Here’s a look at the most common injuries and the best ways to prevent them:
Head injuries
Falls account for 75 to 85 percent of ski injuries, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, and nearly all ski-related head injuries are the result of falling.
The best way not to fall is “making sure you’re in shape,” said Jason Lazor, DO, who specializes in sports medicine for Spectrum Health Medical Group Orthopedics. To do that, start preparing weeks or months before you actually get on the slopes.
The time to start prepping for skiing is yesterday. Prepare your core, muscles and joints for the rigors of skiing and you’re less likely to injure yourself. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
“You don’t really want to ski yourself into shape,” Dr. Lazor suggested. “When you’re skiing, you’re putting a lot of forces on the body. …The body can best handle those forces when you’ve done some prepping.”
Dr. Lazor recommends a combination of stretching, cardiovascular training like running, cycling and/or swimming, and resistance training focused on the lower extremities to best prepare for ski season. In terms of weight and resistance training, he suggests focusing on quads, hamstrings, abdomen and pelvic stabilizers.
Strong muscles and flexibility increase stability and muscle control, as well as decrease muscle fatigue, which all help to prevent serious falls.
“The more in-shape you are and the more body control you have, the better you can avoid accidents, and when accidents do happen, the better you can protect yourself,” Dr. Lazor said.
The other key for protecting your head is wearing a properly-fitted helmet. You’ll look great.
Sprains and fractures
Two other common injuries when skiing are sprains and fractures.
Collisions with objects and other skiers account for between 11 and 20
percent of ski injuries, according to the American College of Sports
Medicine, and are the primary cause of fractures.
Skiing “in control” is the best way to avoid those collisions, says Dr. Lazor. Almost every resort posts a Responsibility Code, which reminds skiers to keep an eye on the skiers in front of them, stop in safe and visible places, always look uphill while stopped, and other basic tips for avoiding collisions and ensuring safety.
It’s also important to know your limits, says Dr. Lazor, and not to ski on trails that are above your ability level.
Thumb and wrist injuries
About 30 to 40 percent of skiing injuries are to the upper extremities, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, and “the most vulnerable joint of the upper body is the thumb.”
Skier’s thumb, which is a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb, happens when skiers fall on an outstretched hand while still gripping their ski poles.
The best way to avoid this injury—which can lead to pain and weakness when grasping objects—is to avoid falling (see above advice). A second helpful tip is to use ski poles with straps rather than fitted grips.
“(Straps) are associated with fewer injuries,” the American College of Sports Medicine reports.
When to see a doctor
“In general, if you’re questioning an injury, go seek out help,” Dr. Lazor advised.
Signs of serious head injuries are people acting outside their normal character, behaving more emotionally than normal, a sudden sensitivity to light and lingering headaches.
Another advantage to working out before winter arrives, Dr. Lazor said, is people who work out can tell the difference between general soreness following physical activity and pain from an injury. He frequently reminds people that the Orthopedic Urgent Care clinic stands at the ready to assist them as they encounter any sort of orthopedic injuries—on or off the slopes.
Dr. Lazor has a simple mantra for those wondering when to see a doctor: “When in doubt, get checked out.”
It’s a difficult and stressful time when an aging loved one begins to show signs of dementia. Memory loss can be frightening and sad, but people with dementia can still live out their golden years happy and full of life, provided they receive the care that’s right for them. Moving to a memory care facility can give them the attention and stimulation they need, but how do you choose the best one? Start by asking these questions:
What are your loved one’s unique needs?
While a diagnosis may give general guidelines as to how your loved one’s dementia may progress and what sort of care they need, every individual has a different experience with memory loss. Any memory care facility that you consider should be able to understand and respond to unique needs. From physical ability to behavior considerations, the care facility’s staff should be able to demonstrate knowledge of and experience with caring for different needs associated with aging and dementia.
What level of care does the facility offer?
Depending on your loved one’s needs, you should look for a facility that offers a variety of care options. All memory care facilities should offer 24-hour supervision, medical monitoring, and help with daily activities. There are also a few specific considerations that you should be sure to ask about during the decision process, such as:
Which meals are provided, and what is the quality of those meals? Aging adults, especially those with dementia, may begin to lose their appetites. Varied meals with different colors present on the plate may keep them interested.
What type of training has the staff received?
What are their emergency response procedures?
How often are housekeeping and laundry services provided?
What is the staff to resident ratio during the day, night, and on weekends? Having too many different people caring for residents with dementia may be distressing for them, so knowing how many people are on call and how many will be providing personal care is important.
Both you and your loved one should be confident in the level of care and comfort provided by the facility before considering it further.
What sort of activities are offered?
Reports and studies published by Alzheimer’s Disease International and the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group link cognitive and physical stimulation to unchanging and even improving cognitive ability in people with dementia, and therefore it’s important that a memory care facility offers a variety of activities that are fun and easy for residents of all ages and cognitive levels. Ask about how often activities are held, residents’ level of freedom, and if people are grouped by cognitive level, which may be more comforting to your loved one.
What are the facilities like?
You may think a familiar setting, such as a comfortable family home, may be better for your loved one if they are showing signs or are diagnosed with dementia, but the level of care that must be provided is hard for families or even hired caregivers in a space that is not designed with ease of care in mind. The memory care facility that you choose should be as homey as possible to help your loved one transition to living there. What type of housing do they offer? Do they have private or semi-private rooms and apartments? Are memory care buildings laid out in such a way that residents won’t get lost, confused, or anxious? The experience of living in a memory care facility should be as enjoyable as possible, so pay attention to the details.
The new care needs of your loved one when they begin to show signs of dementia can seem overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. In the right care facility, you can be sure that they are receiving the best care possible, and that they can live full lives with the assistance they need.
A part of her continuing Second Sunday community conversations, City of Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson will host a Community Conversation on Homelessness Sunday, Nov. 10, from 2-4 p.m., at Broad Leaf Local Beer.
The Keynote Speaker of the public event will be Judge William G. Kelly, the chief judge for Kentwood’s 62B District Court.
The panel will include Wende Randall, director of Kent County Essential Needs Task Force; Kent County Commissioner Stephen Wooden; James White of Cinnaire; and Cheryl Schuch, of Family Promise of Grand Rapids.
The event will be moderated by Bridson and Marshall Kilgore, Western Michigan Director for United Precinct Delegates. WKTV will record the discussion and post it on our WKTV Journal In Focus Podcast Channel.
“The more people I spoke with about housing, the more I realized we have several great community organizations working very hard in this area to make an impact,” Bridson said in her monthly community newsletter. “Homelessness doesn’t have a simple solution, but it does need a regional approach by various members of the community sitting down to compare our efforts, bring more awareness to all and work on more active solutions to keep chipping away at this issue.
“This issue is especially important to me because it disproportionately affects women, people of color and children.”
Bridson said in the community newsletter that she asked for information on homeless students in Kentwood Public Schools and found that, in 2018, Kentwood Public Schools had 283 students that were homeless, while Grand Rapids Public Schools had 671 students homeless.
She also states that Kentwood does not have a homeless shelter.
The holidays bring joy to many of us, but they aren’t always so kind to our overall health.
We may feel stressed from trying to do too much, working to please everyone, getting less sleep, exercising less and constantly trying to avoid all the unhealthy food that comes with the holidays.
To make matters worse, all that stress combined with less sleep makes our bodies crave sugar and then store it as belly fat. Yikes! Add alcohol to the mixture, and hot flashes and night sweats can occur, making the holiday roller coaster even worse.
You may think you are destined to gain extra weight during this time of year, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can either read this blog and feel depressed when you are done, or you can take the information and use it as a guide for how to enjoy the holidays the healthy way. All it takes is a little planning and some self control.
Let’s use a patient I’ll call Lisa as an example of how to enjoy the holidays and end up with better health.
Lisa is 51 and just starting menopause. She is taking a low dose of hormones, and she still experiences an occasional hot flash if she forgets to change her patch, gains a few extra pounds, drinks too much wine, is sleep deprived, or forgets to drink enough water.
When Lisa came to see me for her annual check up, she was very worried about the holidays—specifically weight gain.
Like many people, Lisa had several stressors she knew she would be tackling. She was trying to coordinate extended family events to be sure certain family members wouldn’t be together at the same time.
Lisa was also preparing herself mentally for the arrival of her college-age kids. She was excited to see them, of course, but she knew it would be an adjustment for everyone after settling in to their new routines. In addition, Lisa worked full time and was barely able to stick to her exercise routine because of frequent late meetings.
Adding the stress of the holidays could challenge her exercise and eating habits even more. She had just settled into a solid sleep routine and didn’t want holiday to-do lists and night sweats to upset that routine. It was time to make a plan.
Lisa had already outlined her goals, and when she came to see me, she shared them with me. She wanted to:
Not have hot flashes.
Continue her solid sleeping pattern.
Not gain weight.
Be happy and enjoy her family in the midst of potential conflicts and overload.
Lisa had already learned her symptom triggers (inadequate sleep,
wine, sugar, stress and excitement), and she knew her barriers
(full-time work schedule, extra events on her calendar, and holiday
baking and shopping for everyone). Her next step was figuring out how to
accomplish everything while avoiding triggers.
I was confident Lisa could attain her goals with planning, preparation and a few simple rules.
Lisa was aware that if she took care of herself she would be happier, healthier, able to accomplish more, and just more fun to be around. So she committed to planning out each week during the month of December.
Every Sunday afternoon she would make a prioritized list of things she needed to accomplish and break it down by daily tasks. Lisa included meal plans, exercise, work events, family time, changing her patch, taking her vitamins and sleep on her daily list. This would ensure she wouldn’t forget anything or have any excuses for not getting these things done.
Next, Lisa outlined a few rules for herself. She knew certain foods triggered issues like night sweats, weight gain and frustration, so she committed to the following rules:
No carbs after 3pm (unless one glass of wine was the sugar treat for the day).
Limit simple carbs to one serving per day.
Drink eight glasses of water per day.
Watch what she ate at holiday parties (choose lean meats, veggies and salad over carbs when available).
Exercise vigorously, even if it meant shorter workouts, to accommodate other obligations.
Make sleep a priority and stick to her pre-bedtime ritual: Five minutes of gratitude and metered breathing and no screen time. She also vowed to get up immediately in the middle of the night if she awoke (instead of tossing and turning, worrying about things she needed to get done).
As you can see, Lisa made a plan designed to help her make it through
the holidays in good health. She set goals and made some rules to help
her plan become a reality.
You can achieve success as well by setting your own goals, knowing your symptom triggers, listing your barriers and outlining the rules that will help you realize those goals.
Familial hypercholesterolemia can be diagnosed with a simple blood test and a look at family history. Genetic testing can confirm the diagnosis. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, but not all forms of it are the same.
An underdiagnosed genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia can cause dangerously high levels of cholesterol at an early age.
While scientists have determined familial hypercholesterolemia is caused by genetic mutations that affect the body’s ability to remove LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, they haven’t pinned down all the genes involved for nearly 1 in 3 people who have it.
But that may be beginning to change.
Scientists presented preliminary research at the American Heart Association’s Vascular Discovery conference in Boston this week showing more clues to the genetic roots of familial hypercholesterolemia.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute researchers screened 19,114 genes and identified transgelin as one of the genes of interest. Previous studies have found this gene could be associated in LDL metabolism.
When researchers disabled the gene in cells, some cells tried to compensate.
“The cell tries to make more cholesterol because cholesterol is vital for the cell to survive,” said Diego Lucero, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at the institute. “Understanding this is important because it might have impacts on the magnitude of the clinical presentation of the disease.”
People with familial hypercholesterolemia are exposed to chronically high levels of LDL from an early age and their risk for premature heart disease is 20 times greater than the general population, according to the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation.
Over time, the condition can lead to atherosclerosis—the buildup of plaque and narrowing of artery walls. As a result, signs of heart disease can show up decades earlier in people with familial hypercholesterolemia compared to the general population.
The condition affects approximately 1 in 250 U.S. adults. Yet, it remains largely underdiagnosed and undertreated.
“Less than 10 percent of those who have (familial hypercholesterolemia) have actually been diagnosed, which leads to a lot of premature morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Samuel Gidding, chief medical officer for the foundation.
Someone who carries the altered gene has a 50% chance of passing it on to their children.
Yet, the challenge is diagnosing familial hypercholesterolemia.
Health care providers may not understand the difference between general high cholesterol and familial hypercholesterolemia and may not screen high-risk people, said Gidding, who was not involved in the new study.
Familial hypercholesterolemia can be diagnosed with a simple blood test and a reported family history of cardiovascular disease. Doctors look for LDL levels over 190 in adults and over 160 in children, and onset of heart disease before age 60 in men and before 50 in women. Genetic testing can confirm the diagnosis.
Once identified, there are effective ways to treat the condition, Gidding said. Early treatment with medications, as well as maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle, can lower the risk of premature heart attacks and strokes.
The new research and further work identifying new genes involved in the development of familial hypercholesterolemia could lead to better diagnosis and treatment, Gidding said.
“Anytime an individual gene like this could help explain variations in lipid level, it could be a drug target.”
According to the 2017 U.S. Census Bureau and American Fact Finder, there were approximately 2,582,410 grandparents providing primary care to their grandkids under the age of 18. While this number has held steady in recent years, it is considerably lower than 2,687,216 in 2011 and 2,733,807 in 2013. When a parent is not able to care for their child, grandparents will fill this role to keep the family together.
The parent has a mental illness or is incarcerated.
The grandchild is suffering abuse and neglect at the hands of their biological parents.
The parent is in the military.
Tips for grandparents
AARP offers suggestions for grandparents that are welcoming grandchildren into their home. Due to the nature of addiction, incarceration and the sudden deployment of military, grandparents are typically thrust into the role of the primary caregiver with very little notice. Keeping good notes and staying organized is key to success. Keep birth certificates, social security cards, medical and dental records, attorney or custody papers, as well as other important documents, in a file folder or file cabinet.
Courtesy Michigan State University Extension
AARP recommends making lists of small tasks that could be helpful and sharing with well-minded neighbors, extended family and others. They will want to help. Another suggestion is to divide up tasks and make daily plans of what needs to be accomplished.
Michigan State University Extension recommends beginning conversations with the child’s teacher, building principal, pediatricians, counselor, school social worker and lawyers (if needed) about changes that are occurring in the child’s life. According to “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” from HelpGuide, grandparents need to acknowledge their feelings. Anger, resentment, stress, worry, guilt and grief are typical feelings that will be triggered when grandparents take on their new role as parent. They can, however, expect to feel joy, love and peace in seeing the child in a stable environment learning, growing, making friends and more.
Grandparents absolutely must find moments to take care of their own spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health. It is difficult to be a caregiver when we are out of energy. They may be financially burdened by this new situation as well. Seeking help from support groups is very beneficial and highly recommended. It is not something that needs to be done alone.
Finally, while this may be difficult for grandparents, children will have mixed feelings as well in their new living arrangements. This is especially true for children who have lost their parents to death. In any situation, they may express feelings of abandonment, sadness, mistrust, confusion, anxiety and may act aggressively or exhibit other inappropriate behavior. Over time, children will begin to settle into the new situation and feel safe to express their feelings. Support the child as they work through the roller coaster of emotions they are experiencing.
MSU Extension recommends supporting children by establishing predictable routines, accepting input on house rules, how they would like to decorate their room, providing private space and offering consistent, unconditional love and attention to help them feel secure.
The Health Forum of West Michigan event hosted by Grand Valley State University last week included panelists, from left, Andrew Brisbo, executive director of the new Marijuana Regulatory Agency for the State of Michigan; Dr. Mandeep Bath, addiction psychiatrist for Pine Rest; Scott Rifenberg, deputy chief, Grand Rapids Police Department; and John Titley, partner and corporate attorney for Varnum LLP. (GVSU/Kendra Stanley-Mills)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
A panel of experts on the medical and legal aspects of existing medical, and pending recreational, marijuana use discussed a multitude of issues at Health Forum of West Michigan event hosted by Grand Valley State University last week.
While the event was focused on the implications of legalized marijuana for the health care industry, a wide range of information was presented and topics discussed, including how police will deal with suspected driving under the influence of marijuana, the current medical-community research on the short- and long-term effects of marijuana use, and ongoing state regulatory actions in preparation for the pending legalization of recreational marijuana.
Adult-use retail sales of marijuana is set to start by the end of the first quarter 2020, and while many local cities and townships have opted-out of having legal marijuana sales within their jurisdiction — including both Kentwood and Wyoming — the state is busy establishing rules and regulations associated with its sales and use.
At the forum, Andrew Brisbo, executive director of the new Marijuana Regulatory Agency for the State of Michigan, discussed the state’s new recreational marijuana commercial licensing and regulatory program, including that there will be a 10 percent excise tax collected on sales to fund state and local regulation and enforcement costs, that there is an initial $6,000 application fee and that the actual license fee will range from 3,000-$50,000, and that there will be specific rules for consumption at temporary events and “designated consumption establishments.”
The Nov. 1 free-to-the-pubic event was part of a planned series of health-care related forms hosted by the university’s Office of the Vice Provost for Health in the DeVos Center, on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.
The Health Forum of West Michigan event hosted by Grand Valley State University last week included panelists, from left, Andrew Brisbo, executive director of the new Marijuana Regulatory Agency for the State of Michigan; Dr. Mandeep Bath, addiction psychiatrist for Pine Rest; Scott Rifenberg, deputy chief, Grand Rapids Police Department; and John Titley, partner and corporate attorney for Varnum LLP. (GVSU/Kendra Stanley-Mills)
Other panelists included Dr. Mandeep Bath, addiction psychiatrist for Pine Rest; Scott Rifenberg, deputy chief, Grand Rapids Police Department; and John Titley, partner and corporate attorney for Varnum LLP.
Bath detailed known and in-study health issues involving marijuana use, and included in his details were:
Approximately 2.6 percent to 5 percent of the global population (119-221 million individuals) use cannabis, with the rate of cannabis use in high-income countries almost twice the rate in low-income countries. A 2013 survey reported 7 percent of 8th graders, 18 percent of 10th graders, 22.7 percent of 12th graders used marijuana in past month up from 5.8 percent, 13.8 percent and 19.4 percent survey results from 2008.
Medical studies suggest 8.9 percent of cannabis users would become dependent on cannabis at some point in their lives.
While most of Dr. Bath’s discussion contained dry if sobering information, one bit of medical data drew a humorous reaction:
“During intoxication, user’s sociability and sensitivity to certain stimuli like colors is heightened, perception of time is altered, and appetite to sweet and fatty foods is stimulated,” he said, reading from a powerpoint script, before adding impromptu, “… the munchies.”
The event was moderated by Susan DeVuyst-Miller is associate professor of pharmacy practice at Ferris State University and clinical pharmacist for Cherry Health Services.
The next Health Forum of West Michigan will be “New Discoveries in Genetics” on Friday, Dec. 6, with guest Caleb Bupp, M.D., a medical geneticist with Spectrum Health.
GVSU’s DeVos Center us located at 401 Fulton St. W.. For more information on planned health forums, visit gvsu.edu/vphealth .
In 2017, more than 85,000 people were treated in U.S. emergency rooms, doctors’ offices and clinics for injuries related to luggage. Know your limits before you pack that suitcase. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
With holiday travel comes the risk of injury from toting heavy luggage.
In 2017, more than 85,000 people were treated in U.S. emergency rooms, doctors’ offices and clinics for injuries related to luggage, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“Hurting your neck, back, or shoulders can put you out of commission for a long time,” Dr. Charla Fischer, an American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons spokesperson and orthopedic spine surgeon, said in an academy news release.
“You can prevent that by packing lightly, using sturdy luggage with wheels and handles, and using good form when carrying or lifting bags,” she suggested.
Here are some luggage safety tips, courtesy of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Don’t buy luggage that’s too heavy or bulky when empty. Try to place items in a few smaller bags instead of one large one. When lifting luggage, stand alongside it and bend at the knees, lifting the luggage with your leg muscles. Once lifted, hold luggage close to your body.
Don’t twist when lifting and carrying luggage. Point your toes in the direction you’re going and turn your entire body in that direction. Don’t carry bulky luggage for long periods of time. When possible, use the airline’s baggage service when you have heavy luggage.
Carry luggage in both hands, rather than one hand off to the side. This can decrease stress to the spine and reduce the risk of developing elbow problems.
Carry, don’t drag, rolling luggage when climbing stairs.
If you’re using a backpack, it should have two padded and adjustable shoulder straps to equally balance the weight. Pack heavier items low and towards the center.
When using a duffel or shoulder bag, switch sides often.
David Stults stood in front of a packed auditorium at Lowell High School, sharing his medical journey with students.
Even though the cause of his irreversible lung damage is, of all things, microwave popcorn, Stults has learned that vaping can cause similar damage. And he wants students to know it. Before they suffer a similar fate.
Stults, now 59, started feeling short of breath about 10 years ago when he’d go up and down the stairs at his house.
“Your initial thought is, OK, it’s time to push away from snacks and do some exercise, which I began to do,” the Walker, Michigan, resident said. “The symptoms only became worse. I went to my PCP. He listened to my lungs and said, ‘Something doesn’t sound right.’”
The doctor referred him to Michael Harrison, MD, a Spectrum Health pulmonology disease specialist.
In late 2009, lung function tests put Stults in the 70% to 80% range.
“For a healthy 49-year-old man, that was alarming,” Stults said. “Imaging showed some very ugly air trapping. He did all the breathing testing and put me on a pretty aggressive regimen of prednisone and inhalers.”
But time would not be a healer.
By February 2010, his lung function had worsened, dipping to the 60% range.
“It’s heading south quickly,” he said. “I was taking 60 to 80 milligrams of prednisone a day, as well as other inhalers. I started doing breathing treatments a couple of times a day.
Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat
“By March or April, I was down to 30%,” he said. “I couldn’t walk up half a flight of stairs without stopping to catch my breath. Any kind of incline was a challenge. Even the gentle incline of the drive walking from the mailbox to my home, I’d have to catch my breath.”
By May, he continued to slide downhill, requiring weekly pulmonology appointments.
Medical mystery
Dr. Harrison suspected Stults may be suffering from an autoimmune issue. A rheumatologist started aggressive treatment with Rituxan, a drug normally used to fight cancer.
“I felt great afterwards,” he said. “I had more energy. I didn’t feel as short of breath.”
The diagnosis came in May 2010: bronchiolitis obiliterans, a severe lung inflammation that is both progressive and irreversible.
Doctors confirmed the diagnosis after three days of intense testing.
He returned home on oxygen.
“They said, ‘You need to go home and get your affairs in order,’” Stults said. “My wife (Barb) and I are both very committed and devoted Christians. We reached out to our family and friends and let them know we were asking for prayer. I can tell you from that day forward, my lung capacity has increased from 41% to 43% and has never gotten worse.”
Still, Stults wondered how he could have contracted this untreatable condition.
Dr. Harrison asked if he had been exposed to insulation, factory or foundry chemicals.
No. Stults had always worked white collar jobs.
He launched a massive internet search on his condition.
“Up popped this article on popcorn lung,” Stults said. “It told the story of these plant workers at various microwave butter-flavored popcorn manufacturers who were dying at this incredibly crazy rate. It was only the employees in these cities, working at these plants. A dozen employees died over six months. It was ridiculous.”
Federal agencies such as OSHA and NIOSH launched an investigation and learned the chemical used to create the butter flavoring, diacetyl, when it’s heated, creates a potentially toxic vapor.
Photo by Taylor Ballek
“My wife and I loved microwave butter-flavored popcorn,” he said. “My secretary at the office would make me a bag every day. I really enjoyed it, almost to an addictive level—opening the bag and sniffing in the fumes. I was breathing in the diacetyl on a daily basis. We had done that for 30 years.”
Stults’ condition may be irreversible and incurable, but he’s trying his best to reverse the actions of students who vape.
“We were talking with some friends of ours who are 20 years younger than we are and they have high school age boys,” Stults said. “She’s kind of the cool mom of Hudsonville. They have a nice home with an indoor basketball court. All of the guys in her son’s class hang out there.
“Because she’s so cool and engaging, the boys started to confess to her that a lot of them were vaping and couldn’t stop,” he said. “They were reaching out to an adult that they trust.”
She did some research and found that diacetyl is one of the many chemicals used to create different flavors in vaping pods.
“She knew my story and called me,” Stults said. “Besides nicotine, which is incredibly addictive, there’s asbestos and formaldehyde. You wouldn’t live with it in the attic and you’re going to suck it into your lungs?”
Snuffing out vaping
According to a series of national surveys recently released by the federal government, about 40% of high school seniors have vaped, double from the year prior.
Stults teamed up with Spectrum Health Medical Group pulmonologist Shelley Schmidt, MD, to set up talks at schools, with the goal of shining a light on the dangers of vaping pod chemicals and nicotine addiction.
“I get at least a phone call a week from a principal saying, We don’t know what to do. It’s out of control,’” Stults said. “Students are addicted. They don’t know how to stop.”
Stults aims to portray the real-life picture of what the chemicals do.
“I tell them, ‘Here’s what you’re setting yourself up for—40% lung capacity,’” he said. “Dr. Schmidt explains addiction and what’s going on in your lungs.”
Stults said they’ve only done a handful of presentations so far, but as principals talk to each other, engagement requests are growing.
“These kids do it walking down the hall in the school,” Stults said. “They do it in the classroom. They sneak it. Other than kind of a fruity smell, there are no fumes.”
Glenn VanOtteren, MD, a Spectrum Health Medical Group pulmonary disease specialist, said popcorn lung is rare but it could become more of an issue as vaping data becomes available.
“With the removal of diacetyl from heated food, we saw it rarely,” Dr. VanOtteren said. “We don’t have data on the rates of vaping-induced lung disease because the use of vaping has accelerated in the last two to three years.”
Dr. VanOtteren said Stults is doing well, despite limitations.
Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat
“His lung disease is stable,” Dr. VanOtteren said. “He is short of breath with stairs. He requires daily medicine and has flares of his disease about two times a year when he gets worse and needs additional medications. His lungs can continue to decline because of these flares.”
Dr. VanOtteren said he’s impressed Stults and Dr. Schmidt are sharing lung lessons with students.
“This is such a contemporary and important topic,” he said. “Providing education at this early age is super impactful.”
