Category Archives: Health

Understanding dementia behavior

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living


By Vista Springs Assisted Living


For people recently diagnosed with dementia, or caretakers, friends, and loved ones of someone with dementia, changes in behavior can be frightening and difficult to deal with. Yet it’s important to understand that the person with dementia is not any less themselves because of their condition. Being able to recognize responsive behaviors and realize what causes them to occur can help bridge the gap between someone with dementia and those around them.

What is Dementia?

Dementia refers to a number of different causes of loss of cognitive functioning, including Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal disorders, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia. It is characterized by loss of capacity to remember and reason such that it interferes with a person’s life. Functions such as memory, language skills, hearing, visual perception, focus, and problem solving may gradually become impaired. In some cases, people may lose control of their emotions or display seeming changes in personality.


Despite common perceptions, dementia is not a normal part of aging, and it can be managed with proper memory care. Part of this care is ensuring a secure, stable support network for the diagnosed person, but this can be hard when many dementia behaviors are misunderstood or misinterpreted.

Responsive Behaviors

People with dementia will often display responsive behaviors to stimuli — or lack thereof — for which they do not have a response that is considered “normal” or “acceptable” for others. Yet these behaviors are not intended to upset others, and may be the best way the diagnosed person can convey an idea, wish, or concern. Unfortunately, some common responsive behaviors are misread as rude or inappropriate, creating further communication barriers and potentially, more emotional distress for the person with dementia.


Some common responsive behaviors include screaming, babbling, making strange noises, restlessness, grabbing people, and aimless wandering. It’s important to note that some responsive behaviors, such as swearing, violent contact, and sexual impulses can be distressing to others, and should not be dismissed as normal behavior. However, you should always be mindful of the possible causes of such behavior, and attempt to reach a solution that prevents further harm to either party.


There are a number of factors that could contribute to causing responsive behavior. These include:

Physical:

Is the person hurt, sore, or uncomfortable? Is she hungry or thirsty? What visible changes can you see that could indicate physical distress? Someone who is physically uncomfortable may have less control over her reactions, and resolving the discomfort could help with addressing the behavior.

Emotional: 

Have you noticed the person becoming more anxious, teary, or melancholy? Does he seem to be lonely? Has he become suspicious of others, or fearful of something? While shifts in emotion are harder to address than physical needs, distracting the person with dementia could help them regulate negative emotions. Try reminiscing about happy times in earlier life, as long-term memories are more likely to remain readily accessible to those with dementia.

Intellectual:

Have you noticed that the person has had more trouble forming sentences, or loses her train of thought halfway through a conversation? Has she had recent issues with memory, or with performing activities of daily living? In many cases, the person with dementia may be aware of their loss of cognitive functioning, an experience that is frightening, frustrating, and embarrassing. Try not to point out areas of difficulty, and use clear instructions and visual cues to help them perform tasks.

Environment:

Environmental factors can play a large part in the comfort of a person with dementia. For example, if the lights are too bright or too dim, the person may be overwhelmed or unable to see clearly, causing distress. Is the area too noisy? Is there enough stimulation to give him something to focus on? Small changes in environment can ensure the person is comfortable with their surroundings.

Social:

Are there hints from the person’s background that may give insight into their responsive behaviors? Because long-term memories are often more accessible than short-term, people with dementia may draw upon scenarios and behaviors that they learned growing up, routines they learned at school or during their professional life, or cultural or religious practices.

Capabilities:

A natural reaction for caretakers of loved ones with dementia is to attempt to do everything for them, but loss of control and self-management can be distressing and even hurtful to the diagnosed person. As a result, responsive behaviors may be a reaction to underestimating (or overestimating) a person’s ability to perform certain activities of daily living. Enabling them to perform self-care tasks for themselves may help slow loss of function and manage responsive behaviors.

Actions of Others:

Is there anything that you or others are doing that could upset the person with dementia? While asking them to remember something or explaining why a behavior is inappropriate may seem harmless, and indeed necessary to a caregiver or friend, the person may interpret such statements as disappointment, anger, or frustration. Be understanding, offer an apology, and distract them with a new topic of conversation or something to do with their hands.


The most important thing to remember when working towards understanding dementia behaviors is that responsive behaviors are purposeful. While it may seem that the diagnosed person is lashing out or performing behaviors unconsciously, they are actually reacting to a circumstance in a way that seems natural to them. Part of providing memory care — whether formal or informal — is the ability to recognize and work through these responsive behaviors, creating better communication between the person with dementia and their caregivers.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


Got a pins-and-needles tingle? Here’s what it means

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Got that pins-and-needles sensation? Here’s what you need to know about when you should be concerned. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Eve Clayton, Spectrum Health Beat


Odds are you know the feeling: You wake up from a nap and your arm is asleep. Or your foot’s gone numb.


As you move it around, it starts to prickle and tingle. Gradually it wakes up, and a minute or two later you’re back to normal.


What’s this uncanny sensation all about? Is it normal or something to be concerned about?


The short answer is: It depends.

If it’s fleeting and infrequent

The medical term for this feeling of numbness or tingling is paresthesia, and its cause is the compression of a nerve, according to Paul Twydell, DO, a fellowship-trained neuromuscular medicine specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group.


Paresthesia typically happens if you lie on a nerve while asleep or hold the same position for too long while sitting—like when you’re driving or reading.


If the feeling goes away quickly, this phenomenon is called transient paresthesia, and it’s typically nothing to worry about.


People will wake up with tingling in their hands and think they have a circulation problem, Dr. Twydell said, but that’s not the case.


“It’s just that a nerve is being compressed in the wrist or elbow. And the reason it happens at night is we often sleep with our wrist or elbow flexed or underneath us, or in a strange position.”


A nerve is a bundle of “wires” surrounded by a layer of insulation called myelin, Dr. Twydell explained. Myelin helps speed the movement of electricity along the nerve.


“When that myelin is compressed, that means the messages aren’t getting through very well,” he said. “A lot of times it’s when the compression is released that (the tingling) happens”—as communication is being restored along the nerve.


The nerves most prone to compression are found in the wrist, elbow, knee and upper arm.

If it’s persistent or abnormal

So when might numbness or tingling be a cause for concern? Dr. Twydell recommends that people talk to their doctor if they experience any of the following:

  • Persistent numbness or tingling in the hands. This is often a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome, which is treatable—the sooner the better to avoid severe damage and the need for surgery.
  • Tingling in the feet, especially at night. This might be an early sign of a degenerative nerve disease called peripheral neuropathy, which is most often caused by diabetes or heredity. Neuropathy isn’t reversible, but it can sometimes be slowed down, Dr. Twydell said.
  • Weakness of a limb in conjunction with numbness. This can be a sign of more severe damage to a nerve.
  • Numbness or tingling that ascends up the legs or into the abdomen. This can be a sign of spinal cord inflammation or compression.
  • Numbness involving half of the body or face. This can be an indicator of stroke, which requires emergency care. Call 911.

If you have persistent symptoms of numbness or tingling, your doctor may order a test of the nerves called electromyography, or EMG. This nerve study can help pinpoint the source of a problem and help guide treatment.


Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common problem investigated by Spectrum Health Medical Group Neurology in the EMG lab, Dr. Twydell said.

Tips for good nerve health

Your best bet is to avoid activities that cause prolonged nerve compression, Dr. Twydell said. Change positions frequently. Get up and walk around throughout your workday.


“If nerves are compressed over and over again, you can have more persistent symptoms that can eventually lead to weakness or disability,” he said.


Here are Dr. Twydell’s tips for preventing that numb or tingling feeling in your extremities:

  • Wear wrist splints at night to ease problems with carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Avoid lying on your elbow while sleeping, and try wearing an elbow pad to bed to keep the elbow straight.
  • Don’t cross your legs, with one knee draped over the other. That can compress the fibular nerve, which can lead to foot drop, a cause of tripping.
  • Avoid the habit of sleeping with your arm stretched out or underneath your partner. Over time this can damage the radial nerve, leading to wrist drop.
  • Avoid leaning on your elbows for extended periods. Try adding gel pads to the armrests of chairs, wheelchairs or cars.
  • If you do a lot of computer work, use a gel wrist rest. Avoid holding the wrists in either a flexed or an extended position, which can damage the median nerve.
  • Eat a well-balanced, low-carb diet. This is especially important for people with diabetes, who are more prone to neuropathies.
  • Avoid alcohol in excess, which can cause neuropathy.
  • Avoid taking zinc and vitamin B6 in excess, which can cause nerve problems.

Dr. Twydell admits that some of these tips are easier said than done. For example, it’s hard to change the way you sleep, he said. Yet, people who sleep in a way that compresses the ulnar nerve in their elbow “can cause some pretty significant weakness in the hand.”


And if you’re one of those people who rarely experiences numb or prickly limbs, consider yourself lucky. Some people are more prone to nerve compression than others, Dr. Twydell said.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Local police, Kent County agencies offer fingerprinting of vulnerable individuals

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By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The Kent County Chiefs of Police, local police departments, and the Michigan State Police announced this week that Kent County residents can participate in a fingerprinting program that would help identify a lost person with special health care needs.

Both Wyoming and Kentwood police departments are participating agencies. The cost is $30 for the state’s processing fee, but participating agencies will waive local processing fees through the month of November. The general police department telephone numbers for Kentwood is 616-698-6580 and for Wyoming is 616-530-7309.

According to supplied material, in Michigan, a parent, legal guardian or power of attorney of an individual with special needs may voluntarily provide the person’s fingerprints and photograph for inclusion in a State of Michigan database. This includes a single or married individual whose normal capacity for education and self-support may be reduced due to a disease or medical condition.

Fingerprints and a photo of the individual are captured electronically and then securely stored along with additional demographic information, including a home address, and contact information for the person legally responsible for the individual.

Once enrolled, law enforcement has the ability to access the information to quickly identify someone who may have trouble identifying him/herself.

“This fingerprinting program gives us an unprecedented advantage to help individuals who are considered vulnerable or impaired get to a familiar and safe environment in a timely manner, while maintaining their dignity,” Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen, president of Kent County Chiefs of Police, said in supplied material. “Not only will we have access to crucial identifying information, but it also provides families some peace of mind. Once enrolled in the program, should anything happen to their loved one, local law enforcement is already one step closer to finding that individual.”

Interested parties must get printed in their jurisdiction of residence and should contact their local law enforcement agency for details regarding its enrollment process. IN addition to Wyoming and Kentwood police departments, participating agencies include Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Rapids police, Walker police, Grandville police, Rockford police, Lowell police and the Michigan State Police’s Rockford Post.

If desired, a parent or guardian may also make a written request to the department to have the fingerprints and photograph of an individual with special health care needs removed from the automated fingerprint identification system database and the statewide network of agency photos.

Get primed for your blood test

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Your blood test will go much smoother if you remember to drink plenty of water beforehand. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


A blood test may seem like a simple thing, but it can do so much.


It can diagnose disease, reveal how well your organs work and whether a course of treatment is effective or not, experts say.


Some blood tests require patients to fast before the blood is drawn. It’s crucial that you avoid eating before such tests, which require blood that is clear of nutrients, such as fats and sugars.


Glucose and lipid testing are the most common types of fasting blood tests, said Carole Andrews of Penn State Health in Hershey, Pa., where she’s a supervisor in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine.


“The amount of fats and glucose (sugars) will increase in the blood if a person has recently eaten,” Andrews explained in a Penn State news release. “This will affect the results of these specific tests.”


You may also wonder why technicians take so many blood samples.


Vials used to collect samples may contain additives that keep blood from clotting before the lab can test it. Tubes are color-coded according to the type of test. For example, a purple-colored vial is used for a blood count and a green-colored vial may be used for a chemistry profile, Andrews said.


How much blood is collected depends on the number and type of tests ordered by your doctor.


And there’s no need for concern if multiple vials of blood are taken. Most people have between 4,500 to 5,700 milliliters of blood.


“Even if you had 10 tubes of blood taken, that’s less than 60 milliliters,” Andrews said. “It’s not going to make an impact because your body is designed to replace what is lost.”


You can make the process easier by drinking plenty of fluids beforehand, she suggested. This will make it easier for the technician to poke into a vein.


“Also, it is easier if the patient is relaxed and comes in with a good attitude,” Andrews said. “If they tense up too much, it can make the venipuncture difficult.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Attack of the dad bod

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If your cute and cuddly physique is an improvement from a year ago, then you’re on the right track. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Shawn Foucher, Spectrum Health Beat


For the sake of illustration, let’s pretend a man’s picture of good health falls someplace on a horizontal line.


On one end, you’ve got the late John Candy; on the other, you’ve got the very much alive Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.


For the average guy, there’s probably going to be a comfortable middle somewhere along that vast spectrum.


You may, for instance, be content with a body type more akin to the one Leonardo DiCaprio had on display one recent summer when he was photographed vacationing someplace warm and expensive.


Always the picture of prepossessing boyishness, the Oscar winner looked, in this instance, more like a cuddly dad from Des Moines and less like a toned Titan of Tinseltown.


And if the Internet’s collective brilliance has the last word on the matter, that’s perfectly OK.


Sometime in recent years, folks began dubbing this look the “dad bod.”


Countless celebrities have been photographed unabashedly displaying their dad bods—an online search bears infinite entertaining results—and millions of fathers have been consigned to this body type ever since the developed world became less agrarian and more sedentary.


One college newspaper writer gained some notoriety for suggesting that the dad bod maintains, perhaps, a certain kind of appeal.


It’s a fleshy-but-not-obese physique that suggests, “Let’s skip the gym this weekend, because I’m down for DiGiorno and a Game of Thrones binge.”


Who could say no to that?


But here on the cusp of another summer, an important question lingers: Apart from the cringe-worthy moniker, is the dad bod an acceptable standard of health? Not aesthetically, but medically?


It all depends on you.


If you’ve got a body like Leo, Seth Rogan or Adam Sandler, a discerning doctor is likely to be less concerned with how you look today and more concerned with how you looked five years ago.


What matters is where you’ve been and where you’re headed, said Harland Holman, MD, of the Spectrum Health Family Medicine Residency Center.

BMI, waist circumference

To assess a guy’s overall level of fitness, you have to account for how his body has changed from past to present, Dr. Holman said.


“You can’t just assume from one single picture what their lifestyle is,” he said.


You need context.


Explained Holman: “So, if Leonardo had a six pack and all of a sudden he’s looking like that?”

Not so good.


“But somebody who looks like that—who had a BMI that was 50, and obviously over the last year they’ve made some pretty big changes?”


Pretty good.


Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a decent indicator of a person’s fitness.


“First thing is, we’d see where your BMI is,” Dr. Holman said. “We shoot for a BMI of between 20 and 25.”


Many online sites will calculate your BMI, which is your weight, in kilograms, divided by the square of height in meters. (A 6-foot-1 man who weighs 215 pounds, for instance, has a BMI of about 29—slightly over the recommended cutoff of 25.)


But BMI is not the Holy Grail.


“Depending on your BMI, another indicator could be your waist circumference,” Dr. Holman said.


A man of average height should have a waist circumference of less than 40 inches. Anything over that, Dr. Holman said, and it’s an indication of a possible risk for metabolic syndrome.


You could make the argument that a dad bod that’s heavy in the middle is simply cuddlier and more lovable, but that’d be the only argument you’ve got.


Excess fat around the waist indicates a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, Dr. Holman said.


“Obviously that extra fat around the abdomen … if celebrities or media are promoting that, that’s a little concerning,” he said.

Genetics, circumstance

Substantial physical change may prove frustratingly elusive for some fellas, but that’s only because their genes are tight—so tight, they’re never letting go.


“To be honest with you, there are genetics behind weight,” Dr. Holman said.


“You don’t really have control over that,” he said. “Focus on what you have control over. What do you put in your mouth every day? What do you do every day?”


If you’re eating healthy and you’re exercising, there’s a fair chance, bad genes or good, your body will reap the benefits.


And, dad bod or not, be leery of any message that says beer and pizza are acceptable regular components of any diet.

“When people start saying that’s cool, maybe we’ve gone too much the other way,” Dr. Holman said.


Here he’s alluding to those opposing ends on that John Candy-Dwayne Johnson spectrum. There really is a happy middle. (You can have a piece of pizza and a beer once in a while; just don’t make them fixtures of your diet.)


“When everyone needed a six-pack, some people gave up trying for that,” he said. “Hopefully they would, in the media, kind of promote more healthy living instead of focusing on what the picture of the abs looks like.”

Write your history—and your child’s

There’s a good reason they call it the “dad bod.”


Once men and women procreate, those little people called children commandeer every aspect of their lives, leaving precious few moments for time-intensive exercise regimens.


“There is that weight gain that dads get,” Dr. Holman said. “It often goes along with moms gaining weight, too. You become more focused on caring for your kids than yourself sometimes.”


Dr. Holman’s advice to patients, and parents: Focus less on looks and more on healthy activities and healthy meals.

And promote the same things in your kids.


Because apart from genetics, how you look today has something to do with how you grew up.


“A lot of weight depends on what you were early on,” Dr. Holman said. “Your body kind of sets a standard weight by the time you’re a teenager.”


If a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle were hallmarks of your childhood, your journey to health in adulthood may be fraught with more pain and slower gains.


If, however, you were active as a kid—youth sports, a love of outdoors and the like—you may find it easier to bounce back as an adult, even in your later years.


“Some people feel like it’s always going to be hard work to get under that weight that your body has set as its baseline weight,” Dr. Holman said. “It’s not that you can’t overcome it. It’s just that it gets a little bit harder to overcome.”

Mind your body

So, really, do looks matter? To a degree, yes. More accurately, what matters is the measurement of your looks. Your BMI and waist circumference will play roles in what your doctor has to say about your health and fitness needs.


But your health history—your weight today versus a year ago, or two years ago—is just as important. You should celebrate steps toward better health, no matter how small, and also recognize when your health is slipping.


“If the BMI is above 30, usually I will order a blood test,” Dr. Holman said. “A common blood test checks cholesterol, diabetes and thyroid.”


That’s the introductory assessment.


“That shows how urgent it is for them to make some lifestyle changes,” he said.


If your BMI is 30 but your cholesterol level is great and you’re not diabetic, “it’s not nearly as urgent as someone whose BMI is 30 but they’re starting to get pre-diabetes,” he said.


A normal blood sugar level is typically lower than 100. Anything greater than 125 is considered diabetes. Pre-diabetes is the range in the middle.


“There’s that gray zone between 100 and 125,” Dr. Holman said, “when people can make a huge lifestyle change and prevent getting diabetes.”


And who knows—you might also prevent the complete onset of a dad bod.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


‘Life-altering injuries every year’

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Avoid the most common hunting injuries with these easy and smart tips from docs and safety experts. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Health Beat staff


Have a hunter in the family? Then it’s go time.


Deer hunters aren’t the only ones geared up for action, however.


Michigan hospital emergency staff sees hundreds of hunting-related injuries every year.


While some injuries are minor, Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital averages about 14 hunting-related hospitalizations a year.


The 2018-19 season landed 20 patients in the hospital due to injuries sustained from falling out of tree stands. One of those had a spinal cord injury, 11 had vertebral fractures, and one suffered a pelvic fracture.

2009-18 hunting accident statistics

  • Total of 128 admissions due to fall from a tree stand
  • No deaths
  • 11 spinal cord injuries
  • Multiple vertebral, pelvic, arm and leg fractures

These stats don’t include all the people who go to the emergency room for injuries that aren’t serious enough for overnight—or much longer—stays in the hospital or in rehabilitation units.


Alistair Chapman, MD, a Spectrum Health Medical Group critical care surgeon, helped lead a study into falls from tree stands and their impact on trauma centers. He knows first-hand how dangerous the season can be for hunters, especially for those who are overweight or fall from a height of 20 feet or more.


“Tree stand falls cause significant injury,” he said.


Emergency department doctors and trauma surgeons are particularly concerned about the increase in life-changing traumas such as spine fractures, brain injuries and paralysis from these falls.


“The infrequent use of safety harnesses is alarming,” Dr. Chapman said, sharing that less than 3% of the injured hunters in their study used a harness. In a couple of cases, the harnesses broke.


What gives? In 1997, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources changed hunting rules to allow firearm hunters to hunt from raised platforms. Since that time, the accident rate has climbed.


“The majority of deer hunters in Michigan are firearm hunters, so an increase in injuries was expected,” said Bruce Murray, MD, a Spectrum Health emergency medicine specialist.


An avid hunter himself, Dr. Murray added: “What’s unfortunate is that these are injuries that, in most cases, could be prevented.”


Records show that fall victims with arm and leg fractures account for the most injuries. Spine injuries comes in at a close second. Chest wall trauma is the third-leading cause of injury.


A broken limb may not sound like a big deal—unless you experience one. And Dr. Murray also quickly pointed out that the severity of these injuries is sometimes shocking.


“We see life-altering injuries every year,” he said.


So what can hunters do to avoid injury? Drs. Murray, Chapman and other safety experts have many suggestions.

Hunting safety tips you need to know:

  1. Tree stand safety is as important as gun safety. Follow that same approach to the tree stand as you do your gun.
  2. Never use drugs, alcohol or sedatives while hunting.
  3. Check permanent tree stands each time before use. Replace any worn or weak lumber before it breaks.
  4. Always wear a safety harness or belt while checking or using a stand.
  5. Read, understand and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing a ready-made tree stand.
  6. Inspect portable stands for loose nuts and bolts before every single use.
  7. Know what you should do if you slip while using a safety device. Make a plan.
  8. Use a haul line to raise or lower equipment.
  9. Keep firearms unloaded and arrows in a covered quiver when going up or down.
  10. Choose a tree large enough to support your weight.
  11. Never hurry to set up your stand. Take your time to check it over.
  12. Make sure someone knows the location of your tree stand and when you will be there, every time.
  13. Stay awake and alert. Always be aware of your position on the tree stand platform.
  14. Use a short tether between you and the tree when attaching your fall restraint device. This is to keep you in the stand if you slip or fall, not to catch you after you have fallen.
  15. Always carry a cell phone or other device to call for help if you need it. Keep it easily accessible.

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Why assisted living should provide a continuum of care

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living


By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Anyone searching for senior care options has probably come across the term “continuum of care” — but what does it really mean, and why is it important? A community with a continuum of care is one that offers senior care services from independent living up the scale to assisted living, memory care, and in some cases, skilled nursing and hospice. These communities provide significant benefits to their residents in terms of quality of life and care. Here are a few:

1. Peace of Mind

The unknown can be frightening, especially when health and wellness situations can change by the minute for seniors. The primary benefit of communities that offer a continuum of care is the breadth and depth of senior care services offered. From independent living, where seniors may only need help with arduous tasks, to memory care, many assisted living communities are recognizing the need for a place where retirees can establish themselves while they pursue the retirement they want.


This peace of mind not only benefits residents of assisted living communities, but also their friends and loved ones. When retirees choose to age in their family homes, it can be frightening to know that there are periods of time during which they may not be able to get the help they need, and 24-hour in-home care options can be cost-prohibitive for many families. With assisted living, staff members are available to respond to your loved one’s needs whenever they may arise.

2. Stronger Communities

Social isolation is a problem for our elderly population. As people retire, they lose their everyday contact with others in the workplace, and aging can lead to limited mobility that makes it harder to attend other social functions such as church or hobby groups.


Assisted living communities that provide a continuum of senior care services can facilitate stronger relationships between residents and with staff because seniors don’t have to move around to receive appropriate care. With plenty of common areas, shared dining options, and stimulating activities to get residents out and about, it’s much easier to stay connected and avoid the dangers of isolation.

3. Increased Flexibility

Senior care services aren’t one-size-fits-all. Two people utilizing assisted living services likely won’t need the same level of assistance for every task, and only providing one level of care is unnecessarily restricting for seniors who may be able to complete many activities of daily living (ADLs) on their own. If a resident enjoys cooking and only wants one meal provided a day, one blanket care plan that includes all meals isn’t the right choice for them.


With a continuum of care, assisted living staff are much better equipped to offer tailored solutions to their residents’ problems. Residents can then get the input of their families, loved ones, and care professionals to determine what best suits their changing needs, and care can continuously be reevaluated as conditions change.

4. Early Detection of Problems

Prevention may be the best medicine, but it can’t catch everything. People in our society are living longer than ever before, and with aging comes unexpected health issues that even the best planning may not be able to account for.


In the cases where preventative care can’t eliminate an issue, early detection is the key to effective treatment. But identifying a health problem early is easier said than done, as small signs can go unseen to the untrained eye. In an assisted living setting, trained on-site staff members can spot early indicators much faster than an in-home caregiver. For example, if a resident usually keeps a clean house but care staff find a mess, that could be an indication of a developing health issue that can then be addressed.

5. More Stability

Does anyone really like moving? Sure, the prospect of a new place can be exciting, but with all the packing, downsizing, and logistics that go into actually making a move, the entire process is long and exhausting. So why do it more than you have to? Assisted living communities that offer a continuum of care make it much easier for residents to receive the care they need without having to move several times over the course of their retirement: think family home, downsized home, assisted living, then skilled nursing.


That’s not to say some decluttering isn’t good. We accumulate a lot of stuff over the course of our lives, and making one big move is a great way to prioritize what you really need. Making the move to an assisted living community that offers a continuum of care allows your loved one to sort through the memories in their home, then carry the most important ones to a new start.


Having a single community that provides safety, structure, and a sense of belonging can go a long way to happier retirement living. And for those who prefer a retirement on the move? Assisted living staff can help with maintaining the home base so your loved ones can travel worry-free.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


WKTV Journal In Focus welcomes the West Michigan Veterans Coalition into our studio

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By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we continue our efforts to inform and support veterans — and their families and friends — through a discussion with Paul J. Ryan, Captain, US Navy Reserve (Retired) and a member of the West Michigan Veterans Coalition.

The Coalition is a group which describes itself as “a collaboration among local military-friendly organizations that provide support, information and resources to veterans and their families.”

Most recently, the Coalition was part of the West Michigan Freedom Cruise and Gold Star Family Honor Ride, held annually at the Fifth Third Ball Park in Comstock Park. But that is only one of the most visible activities of the Coalition.

We talk with Mr. Ryan about the direct services his group provides and how it works with other veterans support groups, how essential it is to bring employers into the discussion when we talk about supporting veterans, and about the Coalition’s mission including service to “anyone who served in the Armed Forces” and why that means more than honorably discharged vets.

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.

Snapshots: Wyoming, Kentwood news — the much-anticipated weekend edition

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By WKTV Staff

victoria@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good.”*

Aristotle

*Aristotle probably would have said it this way: “Ποια είναι η ουσία της ζωής; Να υπηρετείς άλλους και να κάνεις καλό.” But in Ancient Greek and with waaaaay more accent marks.

Sounds like a dare

Ask Me Anything! is Nov. 2 at Kentwood Library. Learn about your community and your neighbors in a fun, relaxed environment. Visit the branch to “check out” different members of our community for a chance to learn from them and ask them anything. More info here.

In the ‘mark your
calendar’ category…

Courtesy Grand Valley State University

Zapatos Rojos | Red Shoes is an itinerant installation originally organized in 2009 by artist and architect Elina Chauvet in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Comprising 33 pairs of red shoes donated by the women of Ciudad Juárez — each pair representing a woman who had disappeared in that community — the piece is designed to draw attention to the fact that women were being killed without any consequences. Nov. 1, 2019-Feb. 28, 2020. Get the details here.

Do some good —
here’s how

The SpartanNash Foundation invites store guests to join the fight against hunger during its companywide fundraising effort, Oct. 23 to Nov. 3. The SpartanNash Foundation’s retail scan campaign supports more than 100 local food pantries and food banks, and 100 percent of dollars raised will support food pantry partners in eight states. Learn more here.

Fun fact:

Volunteering keeps you young

Volunteering not only engages your mind and body, but it can actually help you age well and reduce the risk of age-related diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.


6 ways to help seniors stay social

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living


By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Plenty of research has been done on the importance of socialization to improve the mental and emotional health of seniors. But what can you do when your loved one is in an assisted living community to ensure that they are meeting socialization goals? Here are six ways you can help your family member stay social and engaged while they are in a senior living community.

1. Look for signs of isolation

It can be hard for seniors to admit that they are feeling lonely and want to make new connections. It can also be the case that older adults who are new to senior living communities may want to avoid interacting with others and choose instead to isolate themselves. You can help your loved one avoid this social slump by looking for signs of isolation, including:

  • Loss of interest in activities that used to excite them
  • Changes in appetite
  • Weight loss or gain
  • Lethargy
  • Decline in cognitive functions
  • Self-loathing or a drop in self-worth

If you see some of these signs, it might be a signal that you should start encouraging your loved one to talk with neighbors and interact with staff members more regularly.

2. Recommend exercise

You can help your loved one socialize by encouraging them to exercise and partake in group activities. Not only do these give your family member a chance to interact with others, but exercise can improve self-worth and self-image in seniors. Improving self-image can be a step towards seniors wanting to motivate themselves to socialize more with others.


There are many different exercise and activity groups for seniors, including groups for older adults who have limited mobility. More mobile seniors may enjoy outdoor activities, which are great for meeting others. Sports like golfing and bowling are group activities, and can help seniors make new connections. Even a walk in the park can help seniors get out of their senior living home and in a place where they can socialize with others.

3. Find groups and clubs to join

Another way for seniors to interact with others is to find clubs to join. Clubs and groups are able to provide weekly or monthly times where your loved one has scheduled social interactions. Being part of a club or group can help seniors feel motivated to go out and engage with others.

Clubs can also help seniors meet new people out of their regular network of friends and family. Examples of clubs many seniors enjoy include:

  • Book clubs
  • Music groups and choirs
  • Movie viewing groups
  • Food and dining groups
  • Birdwatching groups
  • Gardening clubs
  • Senior sports teams

4. Help with transportation

A major barrier for seniors is getting to the places where they have a chance to interact with others. Offering transportation and rides to events for your elderly loved one is a great way to help them socialize.


Having a source of transportation can also help seniors feel more independent. When they have options for socialization beyond what is offered at their senior living home, they can feel more comfortable exploring places and groups that otherwise would be unavailable to them.

5. Encourage new hobbies

Finding new things to do can help seniors want to get out and socialize with more people. A new hobby requires learning and cognitive thinking, which alone is a great exercise for seniors. In addition, seniors may need to gather new information from others with the same hobby, which provides another way for seniors to meet others and socialize.


Most hobbies aren’t limited to specific age groups, which can expand an older adult’s social circle beyond the friends and family they already are familiar with. Having new sources of excitement can also stop a loved one’s descent into social isolation.

6. Explain social apps and technology

Technology provides a great platform for seniors to be able to make new friends, connect, and interact with others. It may be difficult for older adults to understand how to utilize technology and social apps, so you can help out by being patient and clearly explaining technology such as:

  • Apps like Facebook and Skype can help seniors stay in contact with distant friends—along with seeing what the grandkids are up to in daily life.
  • Lyft and Uber can help your senior loved one travel around town if you live far away to help provide rides.
  • Online games like Words with Friends can help seniors meet new people without having to leave home.

While technology is a great way for seniors to connect and stay in touch with people, help them understand internet safety as well. By helping your loved one stay active on social media, you can help them avoid isolation even if you are unable to visit often.


Seniors need socialization for more than just making friends. Socializing can help seniors avoid isolation and depression. Interacting with others can also help seniors maintain their cognitive functions. You can help your loved one stay healthy for longer by encouraging and helping them with their socialization skills.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


New guidelines on ADHD

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New guidelines for ADHD treatment emphasize the need for ongoing medical care and coordination within the school and community. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Serena Gordon, HealthDay


Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is in the news a lot and now newer research has prompted a leading pediatricians’ group to update its guidelines for diagnosing and treating the disorder for the first time since 2011.


Dr. Mark Wolraich, lead author of the guidelines, noted that there weren’t any dramatic differences between these and previous guidelines.


But, he said, these latest updates keep the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines in sync with the same diagnostic and treatment criteria used by child and adolescent psychiatrists.


ADHD “is not a ‘new’ diagnosis. It’s a real diagnosis that needs treatment,” Wolraich said.


“There are two forms of treatment effective for ADHD: medications, especially stimulant medications, and behavioral treatments. Neither treatment is curative,” he said, but they can help manage the symptoms.


Wolraich is an emeritus professor at the University of Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City.


More than 9% of U.S. children between the ages of 2 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the guideline authors.


Boys are more than twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with the disorder. Kids with ADHD often have symptoms of another mental disorder—such as depression or anxiety—and they may also have learning and language problems.

Updates to the guidelines include:

  • Changing the age at which symptoms need to have first started. Previously, symptoms needed to begin before age 7. That’s now been raised to age 12.
  • In patients older than 17, fewer problem behaviors are needed to make an ADHD diagnosis. Wolraich said as children get older, symptoms can change and behaviors such as hyperactivity usually diminish.
  • Emphasizing the need to rule out other causes of ADHD-like symptoms and to identify other conditions that may occur with ADHD, such as depression, anxiety, substance use, autism or trauma.
  • Highlighting the need for ongoing medical care and coordination within the school and community.
  • Recommending parent training in behavior management as a first-line treatment for preschoolers. Wolraich said behavior modification is an effective treatment that generally has two phases of treatment. The positive phase rewards a child for appropriate behavior—and the reward may just be praising, such as, “Johnny, I like the way you’re sitting in your chair.” The second phase includes consequences, such as “time-out.” But, he said, if you don’t have the positive side of treatment, time-out isn’t as helpful.

While the guidelines didn’t specifically recommend behavior management training for teachers and parents in high school students with ADHD, they noted that studies have found some value in this treatment for older kids.


Dr. Victor Fornari, vice chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., said it’s important for pediatricians to be familiar with the up-to-date guidelines, because “as many as 10% of all kids meet the criteria for ADHD and many children with mild to moderate symptoms can be evaluated and treated by their pediatrician.”


Fornari said if treatment doesn’t go smoothly or there are ongoing behavior problems or other mental health concerns, pediatricians can often collaborate with a child and adolescent psychiatrist to get additional guidance.


Both Wolraich and Fornari said pediatricians play a vital role in ADHD diagnosis and treatment because they already have an established relationship with the child and family.


“People may not fully appreciate that ADHD that’s untreated can lead to adverse outcomes. Failing to treat can lead to academic and conduct disturbances, and earlier substance use disorders. Children who are identified earlier and treated are more successful,” Fornari said.


The new guidelines were published online recently in the journal Pediatrics.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Start your day the green way

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The best part of waking up? A fresh smoothie packed full of nutritious goodness. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


Good medicine is about getting back to the basics and leading a healthy lifestyle. And there’s no better way to do this than to start your day with a healthy meal.


I know this can be difficult some days, especially if you are in a hurry. If you are like me, you are lucky to get out the door on time to get to work, school, exercise class, or an early-morning meeting.


I want to help you be prepared for whatever may come your way throughout the day.


Even if you make an unhealthy choice (or two) later in the day by eating or drinking something high in sugar and low in nutrition, at least you know you started your day the healthy way. Adding veggies, protein, hydration and nutrition to your breakfast can help you lean more toward a healthy lifestyle.


Smoothies are a good choice for breakfast because you can add so many different (and healthy) ingredients to help you stay full all morning.


It’s important to remember that not all smoothies are the same. Some are full of sugar and lacking in nutrition. My favorite green smoothie is full of nutrients because, remember, our bodies need vitamins (vitamin D, calcium, B vitamins), minerals (iron), protein, fat and carbohydrates every day.


The ingredients in my green smoothie help in several areas of wellness, including heart health, protection from cancer and maintaining strong bones. I have listed the ingredients separately, including an explanation of what each ingredient brings to the smoothie.


I make this smoothie for breakfast most days, not only because it tastes great but also because it can prevent colon cancer.


Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer death in the United States, and the second most common cancer in women.


This is just one more excellent reason to give this smoothie a try for breakfast tomorrow and every day thereafter.


Colorectal cancer is preventable in most cases by early detection, though you can also improve colorectal health by maintaining a healthy weight and eating a proper diet—rich in fiber and antioxidants (like the ingredients in my green smoothie), low in saturated fats and red meat, and high in vitamins.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Local prescription drug recovery efforts highlighted by Oct. 26 Take Back Day

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Crime Prevention, Health,

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

While local groups will take back un-used or unwanted prescription drugs all year, every year National Drug Take Back Day — this year Saturday, Oct. 26 — focuses local efforts including those in Kentwood and Wyoming.

The need for prescription drug recovery range from keeping them out of the illegal marketplace to protecting public water supplies and wildlife from possible exposure.

The Kentwood Justice Center which houses the Kentwood Police Department. (WKTV)

In Kentwood, the Kentwood Police Department will take back prescription pills and patches at 4742 Walma Ave SE, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in a service that is “free and anonymous, no questions asked,” according to supplied material. (The Department cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.)

In Wyoming, the City of Wyoming is once again partnering with Metro Health-University of Michigan Health to provide a location for residents to dispose of unused medications safely and properly. Persons can drop off expired, unused prescriptions and even over-the-counter medications at Metro Health Hospital lobby, 5900 Byron Center Ave., also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Call 616-252-7117 with any questions.)

Kent County also spearheads year-around efforts for drug take back. The Kent County Department of Public Works has established the SafeMeds Program that includes a list of many local pharmacies and law enforcement agencies that will accept unwanted medications. (For more on the SafeMeds Program, visit here.)

The efforts, both locally and nationally, are driven by high rates of abuse of unused prescription drugs as well as concerns of public water contamination due to those drugs being disposed of improperly, including simply flushed down toilets.

Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 469 tons (more than 937,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and almost 5,000 state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 17 previous Take Back events, the DEA and its partners have taken in more than 11.8 million pounds — approximately 5,900 tons — of pills, according to supplied material.

In Kentwood, the Kentwood Police Department will be giving the public its 18th opportunity in nine years to “prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs,” according to supplied material.

This initiative focuses on medicines that languish in home cabinets and are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows, year after year, that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards.

While information is scarce, according to a 2002 analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey of 139 streams across 30 states it was found that 80 percent of waterways tested had measurable concentrations of prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids and reproductive hormones.

According to a 2018 report in healthline.com, bay mussels in Washington’s Puget Sound tested positive for oxycodone, an opioid prescription analgesic. Pharmaceutical contamination in aquatic wildlife also potentially raises the risk for more human contact through direct consumption of these animals.

Pharmaceutical and hormonal contaminants, including bisphenol-A, antibiotics, and opiates, are being detected in a significant portion of the United States groundwater supply for drinking water.

While researchers say that the levels detected are unlikely to cause any harmful effects, it is unknown what, if any, amount of these chemicals will make it through water treatment to the tap.

The problem of unused prescription drugs generated by nursing homes is also a factor in there problem. While there is little nationwide estimates on the issue, another report details how Colorado officials in 2017 said the state’s 220 long-term care facilities throw away 17.5 tons of potentially reusable drugs every year, with a price tag of about $10 million.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 2015 that about 740 tons of drugs are wasted by nursing homes each year.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs, visit the DEA website here.

Mind your aging eyes

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Quitting smoking is just one step you can take to lower your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is an incurable eye disease that affects millions of older Americans, but there are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk, a vision expert says.


AMD causes blurred central vision due to damage to the macula—a small area at the back of the eye—and it is most common after age 60, according to the U.S. National Eye Institute.


AMD is also more common in women and whites. At-risk patients should get regular eye exams, advised Dr. Julie Rosenthal, a retina specialist.


She said there are a number of things people can do to help slow or possibly prevent AMD. If you smoke, try to quit. Smoking may double the risk of AMD.


Find out if you have a family history of the disease.


People with a first-degree relative with AMD have a much greater risk of developing it. If you have a family history of the disease, watch for potential symptoms such as difficulty recognizing faces, struggling to adapt to low light and seeing straight lines that appear wavy.


Eat lots of spinach, kale, Swiss chard and other leafy greens, which are high in antioxidant vitamins that help protect against cellular damage from free radicals, which can contribute to eye disease, according to Rosenthal.


If you have a poor diet, consider taking multivitamins. People at risk of advanced AMD should ask their doctor about a specialized blend of supplements called AREDS. This is “not a treatment or cure but can decrease your risk of getting the more severe forms of AMD,” Rosenthal said in a university news release.


When outside, wear sunglasses that provide protection from UV and blue light that can cause retinal damage. Sunglasses with a “UV 400” label are recommended by the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.


Maintain healthy blood pressure and weight. Poor blood circulation due to high blood pressure can restrict blood flow to the eyes, thus contributing to AMD. Losing weight is a proven way to lower blood pressure.


Use a tool called an Amsler grid to check for vision problems related to macular damage.


When staring at the grid, if you notice that the central part of your vision in one eye has become darker or the grid lines are wavy, call your doctor, Rosenthal said. Keep the grid in a place that reminds you to use it daily.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


WKTV in Focus podcast spotlights local non-profit Alternatives in Motion’s work for disabled

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WKTV Journal In Focus’s podcast on Alternatives in Motion featured Coleen Marie Davis, AIM executive director, and Michael Pratt, AIM Board of Directors vice president and a project manager for the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). The program is hosted by WKTV’s Ken Norris, left. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts, we discuss the past, present and future of the local non-profit Alternatives in Motion, a group with the goal of, quote, “Enhancing independence through access to mobility equipment.”

Visiting our studios were Coleen Marie Davis, Alternatives in Motion executive director, and Michael Pratt, Alternatives in Motion Board of Directors vice president and a project manager for the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University (GVSU).

Among the topics discussed are disparities and barriers that persons with disabilities face by not having access to mobility equipment, AIM’s roll in supporting persons with disabilities, this month’s AIM “Fowling Fundraiser” for the group’s growing Pediatric Mobility Program, and why community outreach is so important for any non profit.

For a link to the audio podcast, click here; for a link to the episode’s interview video, click here. (If you’d like to give us some feedback on our special In Focus podcasts, please contact Ken Norris at ken@wktv.org.)

Regular episodes of 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).

Pay attention to your colon

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Stop colon cancer in its tracks, early, with lifestyle changes and preventive screening. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


Did you know your lifestyle choices could tip the scale for whether or not you experience cancer in your lifetime?


It’s true.


No one purposefully acts to increase their cancer risk, however, not everyone knows which lifestyle choices will make a negative—or positive—difference.


Take colon cancer, for instance. Colon cancer risk is affected by lifestyle habits and can be detected early if people are aware of their risk, get timely screenings and watch for early symptoms.


Studies show there are ways we can proactively reduce our chances of developing colorectal cancer.


People who exercise daily, eat a diet high in fiber, fruits and vegetables, take adequate vitamins B6 and D, and eat fish regularly (not deep fried) have a lower relative risk of getting colorectal cancer.


People who smoke, drink more than two alcohol drinks per day and are obese have a higher risk. Hormone replacement therapy, statins and daily aspirin are also shown to be associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.


Many women I have cared for never thought they would get colorectal cancer. Some women think it is an older person’s disease or that only men are at risk.

Risk factors for colorectal cancer

• 50 years or older

• HPV infection

• Family history of colorectal cancer

• History of Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis

• Diet high in saturated fats and low in fiber

• Diet low in vitamins D and B complex

• More than one alcoholic drink per day

• Lack of exercise

• Obesity

How cancer develops

Cancer happens when cells start to grow out of control either from exposure to a cancer-causing agent like cigarette smoke, or damage in the process of growth control like with BRCA gene mutations.


If there is both exposure and a gene mutation, the risk is even higher. When cells grow out of control, they group together in a lump or mass and then can break free of the organ boundaries, and spread.


The earlier a cancer is caught, the easier it is to treat. Once cancer spreads, it is much harder to cure.

A cautionary tale

A patient I’ll call Susan never thought colon cancer would affect her. In her case, there was no family history, no inflammatory bowel disease, and she lived a healthy lifestyle. She is active, rarely drinks alcohol, eats low fat and takes her vitamins.

But Susan had symptoms. She ignored those symptoms, thinking it must be a yeast infection, constipation, or simply not important. Like many of us, she was so busy caring for her family she didn’t make the time to get checked out.


Her pain worsened, the discharge worsened and her bowel habits started to change more dramatically. She finally had no choice but to pursue testing. Susan learned she had Stage 4, metastatic colorectal cancer.


Susan underwent aggressive surgery and chemotherapy with a good result. Her story is one that should make us all pause and remember to seek care when something does not seem right. Another takeaway: Get your colonoscopy.

Be proactive

Donald Kim, MD, is a Spectrum Health Medical Group colorectal surgeon and cares for patients with colorectal cancer.


“Colorectal cancer is not only treatable but preventable with proper colon cancer screening,” Dr. Kim said. “Unfortunately, most patients present without symptoms, so it’s essential that you have your recommended screening colonoscopy.”


If you have risk factors for colorectal cancer, it is important you not only get an early screening, but also follow a healthy lifestyle to reduce your chances of getting cancer.


Risk factors include being 50 or over (45 and over if African American), have a first-degree relative with colorectal cancer, have a family history of colorectal cancer or genetic syndromes such as familial polyposis syndrome or Lynch syndrome. It also matters if you have a personal history of colon polyps or inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s colitis or ulcerative colitis, or if you have had abdominal radiation.


The symptoms of colorectal cancer depend on the location of the tumor. They include a change in bowel habits such as new constipation or diarrhea, consistent new bloating and gas, rectal bleeding or dark tarry stools, a feeling of incomplete emptying, or persistent cramps and pain. Another sign of cancer is iron-deficiency anemia.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


How to enjoy fall as an older adult

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


As the weather gets colder and the leaves begin to change, it’s time to start celebrating the fall season! While you may not be jumping in leaf piles or going trick-or-treating anymore, there are still plenty of activities to fill your days and get you in the spirit of the season as an older adult. From decorating to baking delicious treats to visiting an orchard, here are some amusements that will keep you occupied for the entirety of autumn. 

Indoor activities

If cold weather isn’t your thing, there’s no need to miss out on all the fall fun! Here are four great indoor activities that will help you celebrate no matter what the outside temperature is!

Create a knitted masterpiece

Not only has knitting been proven to be good for your mental and emotional health, but it helps get you in the mood for fall with cozy yarns in fall colors. Whether you are a beginner or a master, there is a knitted craft for you! Give your masterpieces away as gifts to your family and friends to help spread the fall spirit, or keep them for yourself as a reminder of your hard work!

Watch movies 

From spooky Halloween classics like Nightmare on Elm Street to heartwarming fall romcoms like You’ve Got Mail, there are movies from every genre that will be a fit for everyone’s tastes! Gather your friends together and have weekly movie nights where you eat delicious snacks and watch all your fall favorites.

Start decorating

Decorating your home is one of the best ways to bring the fall atmosphere indoors! Surrounding yourself with decorations helps you stay in the right mindset for fall, no matter which direction you look! Pick a theme like Halloween or the outdoors, or just have fun adding in touches of everything you like. Examples of decorations can include:

  • Displays of pumpkins and gourds
  • Festive fall centerpieces
  • An autumn wreath on the front door
  • Leaf and pinecone table displays
  • Decorative candle holders for candles with fall scents
  • Additional pillows and throws in fall colors like orange, brown, and red

Make some baked goods

Baking not only lets you make tasty treats, but it will also fill your home with good smells and warmth from the oven. There are the classics like pumpkin and apple pies, but try pushing yourself with new recipes for baked goods you haven’t made before!  Think of ways to use in-season fruits and veggies to make mouthwatering foods for family and friends—or to keep for yourself!

Outdoor activities

Want to get outside to see all that autumn has to offer? Take a look at these four ideas for outdoor activities that will help you experience the true beauty and some of the best joys of the fall season. 

See the changing colors

Getting outside doesn’t have to be a big ordeal—just taking a simple walk and enjoying the fall foliage is a great way to experience the natural beauty of autumn. Breathing in the crisp air and taking photos of the prettiest trees can be both relaxing and good for your health. If you are artistically minded, try sketching or painting some of the sights you see!

Get ahead on gardening

Gardening may traditionally be a spring activity, but fall can be the best time to get prepped for next year! Planting perennials in fall ensures you have beautiful blooms come spring—without having to do the work then! You can also try container gardening and plant some late-blooming flowers in containers that can be outside until it gets too cold, then can be brought inside to enjoy!

Visit an orchard

There are orchards abound in the midwest, and now is the perfect time to visit one! Plan an outing with the grandkids, or just go with friends your own age. Orchards have many activities, from classic apple picking to pumpkin patches to hay rides. Many have homemade treats for sale, like donuts and fresh pressed apple cider. Make a whole day of visiting the orchard, and take your spoils home to either decorate or bake with!

Build a bonfire

Fall fun isn’t just limited to the daytime! After the sun sets is a perfect time to grab a bunch of blankets and warm up in front of a bonfire. You can roast marshmallows, tell scary stories, or just enjoy the company of others and those you love—all while feeling cozy, even as the weather grows colder around you.


There are lots of ways to enjoy autumn, even as an older adult. With all these activities and more at your fingertips, there’s no way you won’t have a wonderful fall and get into the spirit of the season everyday! At assisted living communities like Vista Springs, we plan fun fall activities on each day of the calendar. Come visit Vista Springs and see the Full of Life experience for yourself!


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.



Free-to-public, football-themed South Kent Community Expo spotlights area businesses

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Going Local, Health, Local Business, Senior Living, Upcoming Events,
South Kent Community Expo is this week.

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

For community members, the 4th annual South Kent Community Expo, on Saturday, Oct. 26, will be an opportunity to explore products and services from a variety of community businesses and organizations.

For local local businesses and organizations, it is an opportunity to connect with the community — and customers.

The free event, hosted by the City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department and Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kentwood Activities Center, located at 355 48th St. SE.

“This family-friendly event is designed to connect area community members with the broad range of businesses and organizations offered in southern Kent County,” Bob O’Callaghan, president/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, said in supplied material. “We like to think there’s a product or service for everyone to discover at this community expo.”

In addition to community booths, the expo will feature health screenings, flu shots and food trucks. The flu shot clinic will be provided by Walgreens from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost for a flu shot will be $35 for individuals without qualifying insurance.

According to Lorraine Beloncis, assistant director of the City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, this year’s event will be football themed and vendors are encouraged to decorate their table with the football theme and wear something supporting their favorite team.

There will be a Heisman trophy award for the booth with the best use of theme,” Beloncis said in supplied material.

For more information about the community event, visit here.

Vendors interested in participating can fill out a vendor registration form online.

Parkinson’s pandemic looms

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The motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s. (Wikipedia Commons)

By Amy Norton, HealthDay


The number of people living with Parkinson’s disease worldwide could double in the next two decades, experts project.


In a report warning of a possible Parkinson’s “pandemic,” researchers say the stage is set for cases to surge to 12 million or more by 2040.


What’s to blame? In large part, trends that are generally positive: Older age is a major risk factor for Parkinson’s. With life expectancy rising worldwide, more people will develop the disease. At the same time, Parkinson’s patients are surviving longer, which drives up the number of people living with the disease at any given time.


Then there’s a less expected factor: Declining smoking rates. While the habit has many devastating effects, research suggests it protects against Parkinson’s.


Those are obviously trends that no one wants to reverse, said report author Dr. Ray Dorsey.


There are, however, other ways to slow the projected rise in Parkinson’s, said Dorsey, a professor of neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.


“We believe there’s a lot we can do toward prevention,” he said.


At the top of the list is reducing people’s exposure to certain pesticides, solvents and other chemicals that research has linked to Parkinson’s risk.


As an example, Dorsey pointed to the weed-killer paraquat.


“It’s been strongly linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s and it’s banned in 32 countries,” he said.


It’s still used in the United States, however. And, Dorsey noted, some countries that have banned it—such as England—continue to make and export it to other countries, including the United States


Then there is trichloroethylene, or TCE—an industrial solvent that is a known human carcinogen and can contaminate groundwater, according to the U.S. Department of Health.


TCE is also toxic to nerve cells and studies have tied it to Parkinson’s, Dorsey said.


Parkinson’s disease currently affects nearly 1 million people in the United States alone, according to the nonprofit Parkinson’s Foundation.


The cause is unclear, but as the disease progresses, the brain loses cells that produce dopamine—a chemical that regulates movement. As a result, people suffer symptoms like tremors, stiff limbs and balance and coordination problems. All gradually worsen over time.


Medications and other treatments can lessen those effects, but there is no cure.


The new report—co-authored by representatives of the Parkinson’s Foundation and Michael J. Fox Foundation—paints a potentially bleak picture.


Between 1990 and 2015, the number of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s worldwide doubled, to just over 6 million. And based on the aging population, Dorsey and his colleagues project that the number will double again by 2040, to about 12 million.


But that figure, they say, could actually be higher—up to 17 million—with declining smoking rates and growing industrialization factored into the mix.


“There is an urgent and pressing need for the world to wake up and recognize there is a coming wave of Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Michael Okun, medical director of the Parkinson’s Foundation and an author of the report.


In addition to broader bans on paraquat and TCE, Dorsey said other measures could help stem the tide.


For example, people with a history of head injury face a relatively higher risk of Parkinson’s. So preventing head injuries in the workplace, sports or recreation—by wearing helmets, for instance—could help, Dorsey said.


There’s also some evidence that certain healthy lifestyle habits are protective—namely, vigorous exercise and eating a Mediterranean diet.


But beyond prevention, health care systems have to prepare for a surge in Parkinson’s, according to Okun.


“The numbers of patients with Parkinson’s disease are growing a rates that will overwhelm the world’s health care systems,” he said.


One key step, Dorsey said, will be to find ways to bring health care to patients at home.


“If I’m an elderly person with Parkinson’s who can no longer drive,” he said, “I need the care to come to me.”


Of course, many patients will have family members who can help out. But that brings up another huge issue—the burden on family caregivers.


Already in the United States, more than 30 million people provide care to an adult aged 50 or older, Dorsey pointed out.


“The main reason,” he said, “is neurological conditions, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”


The report was published recently in a supplement to the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


America’s migraine problem

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The migraine is listed by the World Health Organization as a Top 20 illness that causes a disability. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Allan Adler, Spectrum Health Beat


If you want to know where someone’s priorities lie, take a look at how they spend their money.


Take, for instance, the federal government.


In 2018, the National Institutes of Health spent $303 million on asthma research and $989 million on autoimmune disease studies. That same year, the agency allocated $23 million to the study of migraines.


This, despite the fact that migraines are 50 percent more prevalent than both of the other illnesses. Migraines affect more than 39 million Americans, and about 4 million of them suffer from the chronic form of the disease (15 or more migraine days a month).


There is indeed a gross inequity in funding migraine research compared to other illnesses, said Jared Pomeroy, MD, a headache specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group Neurology.


In pointing out the federal data, Dr. Pomeroy said one of the main reasons for the lack of funding is stigmatization—migraine patients are more stigmatized than patients who suffer from more diagnosable diseases such as asthma.


Medical tests can help determine the presence and severity of diseases such as asthma. There are no such tests for migraines.


“A lot involves patients reporting their symptoms,” Dr. Pomeroy said. “If someone is missing an arm or a leg, you can see the problem. It’s obvious there’s a disability.


“But headaches are harder to see and diagnose,” he said. “Doctors must rely mostly on what a patient reports, as opposed to relying on their own observations.”

The human condition

Migraines aren’t just an American issue—they’re a human issue.


The World Health Organization lists migraines among the Top 20 illnesses that cause a disability.


The disorder has a disproportionate economic impact as well, typically affecting people in the prime of their lives.


A bout with migraines can cause an otherwise healthy person to miss work or school, and in some cases it can lead to job loss. It can also cause a person to miss out on precious family time.


It’s truly an ailment that knows no social or economic boundaries, striking the rich and famous just as often as it strikes everyday people.


People with migraines can sporadically—and temporarily—escape the battle.


When they seek treatment, however, they sometimes find it difficult to gain understanding from people who have never suffered a migraine, Dr. Pomeroy said.


“A lot of people who don’t suffer from migraines see them as a character flaw, not as a physical ailment,” the doctor said.


Society’s conventional knowledge of migraines doesn’t always mean the public, or even employees in the medical field, will understand the nature of the beast.


Generally, migraines can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting or pulsating on one side of the head. Routine activity can aggravate them.


A migraine patient is often sensitive to light and sound.


Some patients will also experience numbness in their face or body, and the headaches may cause weakness in an arm or leg. Seeing a flashing light, experiencing tunnel vision or even temporarily losing sight are also symptoms.

Treatments

While science is still pursuing a full understanding of migraines, there are treatments available.


They usually entail over-the-counter or prescription drugs. For more severe pain, doctors have used injections or other specialized drugs to provide immediate relief.


“In the 1990s, Triptan medications were developed for acute treatment of migraines,” Dr. Pomeroy said. “Since then, we haven’t had any new classes of pharmaceutical agents developed specifically for migraines.”


Researchers have developed new drugs within existing pharmaceutical classes, the doctor said, and some medicines meant for unrelated disorders have been used effectively for migraines.


Botox has become a godsend for some, although it involves 31 tiny injections that must be repeated every 12 weeks. Others may find relief simply by placing an ice pack on the back of the neck, or on the primary location of the pain.


Patients may also see symptoms improve by changing lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, Dr. Pomeroy said. Cutting out caffeine and nicotine can be a big help.


Interestingly, the migraine sufferer’s keen intuition is often one of the best defenses.


People who frequently experience migraines can sense when a new one is approaching.


When it strikes at work or at school, they’re better prepared—even if they know their best course of action means returning home to rest in a dark, quiet room.


Some experts think migraines may be hereditary. This much is certain: There’s typically no known cause, and there is no cure.


And until there’s enough funding to help researchers develop a cure, migraine suffers must muddle through the attacks. With guidance from a good doctor, their outlook can improve.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Holding steady: Steps you can take to prevent falls

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By Emily Armstrong, Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (AAAWM)


As we get older the chance of our suffering a fall increases, in fact according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA) 1 in 4 Americans aged 65+ falls each year. Relying on your body to catch you and keep you steady, and then losing this ability, can be a serious downfall to your mobility and morale.


Sometimes the fear of falling can be such an all-consuming worry that you may start retreating from doing the things you used to love. However, just because you may notice a drop in your confidence, movement levels, and strength, it does not mean that you can’t improve upon these things and live a fulfilling life. The key to fall prevention is that because we know which factors contribute to falls, we can work to prevent them. The National Council on Aging recommends a number of steps you can take to prevent a fall and build your confidence along the way.

1. Find a good balance and exercise program. This is vital because building up your body’s flexibility, strength, and balance enables you to avoid falling in the first place; if you do happen to fall, you’ll have the ability to get up safely. The AAAWM offers a variety of evidence-based fall prevention classes through its Healthy Aging programs such as A Matter of Balance and EnhanceFitness. There are also a number of evidenced-based programs available throughout West Michigan. Check out your local Council on Aging and Area Agency on Aging as resources to learn more about these Healthy Aging programs. You can also find a class locator here: https://www.aaawm.org/classes


2. Talking to your health care provider is the second step to fall prevention. It is helpful to go over your medical history and if you’ve experienced falls in the past. Your provider also has the ability to assess your risk level for a fall and what can be addressed to lower this risk.


3. Regularly review your medications. Some medication’s side effects can increase your risk of falling, and of course, you should take medications only as they are prescribed by your doctor.


4. Get your vision and hearing checked annually. Proper sight can help you avoid trip hazards and obstacles, and abnormalities in your inner ear can also negatively impact your balance. Treat your health as a top priority to fall prevention and check in with your doctor on these three steps to ensure your well-being.

5. Keep your home safe by removing hazards that are commonly overlooked, but easy to fix. A few things to look for: Do you have a clear pathway through your rooms? Look for rugs, cords and wires, and bulky furniture that may be in your way. Assess your stairs; if steps are uneven or broken this can cause you to fall, and make sure that your stairway is well-lit and has a handrail. In the kitchen, it is best if items are not on kept high shelves, and that your step stool is sturdy if you must use it. In your bedroom, you should have a light close to the bed within easy reach, as well as a well-lit path to the bathroom. Lastly, your bathroom should have some sort of support for you to rely on when using the toilet and bathtub, and if you have a slippery shower floor, add a non-slip rubber mat. All helpful things to keep your home safe!


6. Enlist the help of your family and friends. Let them know that you are worried about falling and would appreciate their help in making your home a safe space. They can provide an extra set of eyes and hands to rid your house of obstacles. They are also likely to help you navigate talking to your doctor, checking your vision and hearing, and reviewing your medications. Having their help will make the process less overwhelming for you. Often those around you are eager and willing to help, you just need to ask!

These six steps come together to help you avoid falls, so you can continue to do the things that you love. Getting older doesn’t mean a loss of independence; it simply means adapting your environment to best fit your needs so that you can flourish. Be sure to use the resources around you; from your doctor to a family member or friend, to help you take these preventative measures. For more information, visit the National Council on Aging’s website at www.ncoa.org.



Tobacco’s latest casualty: Vision

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As if there aren’t enough ailments associated with smoking, we can now add vision damage to the list. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


If life looks gray and cloudy when you smoke, you might not be imagining it.


Heavy smoking may actually damage color and contrast vision, researchers report.


They looked at 71 healthy people who smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes in their lives and 63 people who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day. The participants were aged 25 to 45 and had normal or corrected-to-normal vision.


But the heavy smokers showed significant changes in their red-green and blue-yellow color vision and also had greater difficulty discriminating contrasts and colors than nonsmokers.


“Our results indicate that excessive use of cigarettes, or chronic exposure to their compounds, affects visual discrimination, supporting the existence of overall deficits in visual processing with tobacco addiction,” said co-author Steven Silverstein, director of research at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.


“Cigarette smoke consists of numerous compounds that are harmful to health and it has been linked to a reduction in the thickness of layers in the brain, and to brain lesions, involving areas such as … the area of the brain that processes vision,” he added in a university news release.


He also noted, “Previous studies have pointed to long-term smoking as doubling the risk for age-related macular degeneration and as a factor causing lens yellowing and inflammation.”


Nicotine and smoking harm the body’s circulatory system. These findings indicate they also damage blood vessels and neurons in the retina, according to Silverstein.


He said the results also suggest that research into vision problems in other groups of people, such as those with schizophrenia who often smoke heavily, should take into account their smoking rate.


About 34 million adults in the United States smoke cigarettes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 16 million have a smoking-related disease, many of which affect the cardiovascular system.


The study was published recently in the journal Psychiatry Research.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

5 Fun indoor senior activities

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Every year, once the calendar reaches the second half of October, it becomes clear that the Midwest’s colder seasons are well and truly here. While autumn, winter, and early spring are all beautiful and fun in their own ways, getting outdoors can be a hassle for aging adults. When the sun sets earlier, days get chilly, and we trade our beach towels for cozy blankets, indoor senior activities are the perfect way for everyone to enjoy any weather.


Staying active and entertained during fall and winter is very important for an aging person’s health — both physical and mental. Seasonal affective disorder is a mental health condition caused by a drop in exposure to the sun, and is much more common in northern states than sunnier southern latitudes. Symptoms manifest as a mild depression, causing sufferers to sleep more, lose interest in previously enjoyed activities, and withdraw from social interaction. Encouraging seniors to engage in activities such as games and crafts helps draw them out of depressive episodes, capturing their interest and stimulating their minds and bodies. Here are some great activities that are perfect to try indoors:

1. Work on hobbies or try new ones

Nurturing favorite hobbies is a fun and engaging way for aging adults to stay active during the winter. Cooking, knitting, woodwork, and sewing are all excellent activities that require concentration and hand-eye coordination. If a senior has interests that lean more towards the outdoors, try introducing them to relevant documentary films or crafts they can utilize when it gets warm, such as bird houses or garden decorations.

2. Make seasonal crafts and decorations

One wonderful thing about fall and winter is the holiday season. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day, just to name a few, all have fantastic themes that you can use for art projects, crafts, and decorations. Here are a few of our favorites: these leafy candle holders, these lovely waterless snow globes, and these candy jars.

3. Play games with others

Playing games is a great way for everyone to connect with friends and peers, especially for seniors. Games help to keep minds sharp and spirits up! Group games like charades are a fun way to get the laughter going, and board games like Scrabble, cribbage, and chess make players think strategically and use language and math skills.

4. Show off your green thumb

It can be depressing when there’s not much greenery outside. Green is a symbol of life, and can even have calming effects. So what better way to bring green back into a senior’s life during drab months than indoor gardening? Try making planters or decorating pots with them in addition to maintaining beautiful indoor flowers or plants for an extra personal touch.

5. Make gifts for loved ones

In the seasons of thankfulness and giving, sometimes a small gift goes a long way. Photobooks, cookies, clothes, and decorations are all wonderful, personalized gifts for friends and loved ones. While making gifts, talk about who they’re going to be given to, and any special memories that the senior has of them. This engages them creatively and socially, making it a great bonding activity.


Though there may be bad weather on the horizon, that doesn’t mean fun has to end! Indoor senior activities are versatile and engaging, and suitable for any age or ability level. Keeping seniors engaged all year round is critical for their health, and keeps them loving life to its fullest. 


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.



Creeping threat: Kratom

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Kratom is often marketed as a safe alternative to opioid painkillers, but this unregulated substance poses a significant health risk. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay


Calls to U.S. poison control centers related to the herbal drug kratom have skyrocketed, increasing more than 50-fold in a matter of six years, a new study shows.


Back in 2011, poison centers received about one call a month regarding someone who’d taken too much kratom, a plant that is purported to produce mild opioid-like effects.


These days, nearly two calls a day are received concerning kratom exposures, researchers report in a recent issue of the journal Clinical Toxicology.


“We’re now getting literally hundreds of cases a year versus 10 or 20,” said researcher Henry Spiller, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. He noted that kratom reports underwent a “relatively big spike” sometime between 2015 and 2016.


The researchers identified 11 deaths associated with kratom use, including two in which kratom was used by itself and nine where kratom was used with other drugs.


Unfortunately, kratom is being promoted as a safe alternative to opioid painkillers for people with chronic pain, Spiller said.


“Because it’s a plant and it’s natural, at this point it’s unregulated,” Spiller said. “A lot of people have been Google-searching it for use in chronic pain and other things and we’ve started to see a really significantly increased use and, in many cases, abuse of it.”


But taking too much kratom can cause some unintended health problems, including agitation, seizures, rapid heart rate and high blood pressure, Spiller said. In extreme cases, kratom overdose can put a person into a coma, stop their breathing or cause kidney failure.


“Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s harmless,” Spiller said.


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to consumers against using kratom and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has listed it as a “drug of concern.”


Kratom has not been approved for any medical use by the FDA.


For this study, researchers analyzed calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers between 2011 and 2017, finding more than 1,800 reports related to kratom use.


The annual number of calls increased dramatically, going from 13 calls in 2011 to 682 calls in 2017, researchers found.


About two of every three of these calls occurred recently, in either 2016 or 2017.


About a third of the calls resulted in a person needing hospitalization and more than half resulted in serious medical outcomes, the researchers said.


“The belief that kratom is harmless because it is classified as an herbal supplement is directly challenged by the findings in this report—and policy efforts need to address this knowledge gap,” said Dr. Harshal Kirane, director of addiction services at Staten Island University Hospital.


Most dangerous kratom exposures occurred among males (71 percent), adults aged 20 and older (89 percent), in a home (86 percent) and involving intentional abuse or misuse (60 percent), findings show.


Although kratom appears confined to adult use for now, children and teenagers could be exposed to the herb if its popularity keeps increasing, said Kirane, who wasn’t involved with the study.


“The dramatic increase in the rate of reported kratom exposures in recent years suggests a growing demand for this substance,” Kirane said. “Increasing prevalence of kratom use may place young children in dangerous situations, particularly if regulatory measures are not in place to ensure childproof packaging and consistency in quality of kratom.”


Idaho and Oregon are the states with the most reported kratom poisonings, while Delaware and Wisconsin had the lowest rates.


Using kratom with another substance significantly raised a person’s chances of poisoning, nearly tripling the odds that they’d land in a hospital and more than doubling the risk of having a serious medical outcome.


Of the nine deaths involving a mixture of kratom with another substance, kratom was the first-ranked substance in seven, researchers said. The deaths involved kratom used alongside antihistamines, alcohol, benzodiazepines (such as Valium or Xanax), caffeine, fentanyl or cocaine.


“Though the drug claims to cure anxiety and depression, there are very few ‘cure-alls’ in the medical world and anything that claims to alter an individual’s mental state should be taken with the utmost seriousness,” said Dr. Teresa Amato. She is chair of emergency medicine at Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Forest Hills in New York City.


“We, as doctors, are unable to tell patients how this ‘medication’ might affect them and cannot in good conscience advise the use of this medicine without a thorough FDA investigation,” said Amato, who had no part in the study.


People should be aware that kratom can interact with medications or illicit drugs in harmful ways and could exacerbate existing health problems, Spiller said.


There’s also a concern that because it’s unregulated, people may be getting kratom that either varies in potency or is mixed with other substances, he added.


“I’d be cautious,” Spiller said. “At this point, we’re not sure of everything kratom does.”


Pregnant women in particular should be careful with kratom.


The researchers identified seven babies who had been exposed to kratom in the womb, three of whom required admission to a critical care unit after birth.


Five of the babies experienced withdrawal symptoms from their mothers’ kratom use and four of those had been exposed to kratom alone.


“I would very much caution pregnant women,” Spiller said. “You can have a real impact on your child.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



It’s a fall thing: Time for flu shots

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Make your plan today to keep the flu at bay this season. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Sue Thoms, Spectrum Health Beat


Bake an apple pie. Admire colorful leaves. Sip a pumpkin spice latte.


And roll up your sleeve for a flu vaccine.


If you include that quick shot in the arm in your autumn traditions, you boost your odds of avoiding influenza in the chilly months to come, says Rosemary Olivero, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.


“Even normally healthy people can get severe influenza,” she said. “You can still get hospitalized. You can still get secondary bacterial pneumonia.”


And vaccinations community-wide can protect those at greatest risk from influenza, particularly babies who are too young for the vaccine.


“Our very young and our very old are always going to be at the highest risk for severe influenza,” she said.


Also at high risk: pregnant women, people with suppressed immune systems or chronic conditions such as asthma and heart disease.


How bad will the flu season be?


“It’s really difficult to know,” Dr. Olivero said. “It has a lot to do with climate and how waves of viruses move throughout the country.”


Michigan’s flu season typically peaks after the winter holidays and sputters out by April.


Last year, the peak hit about two months late. And the flu season lingered much longer.


“It was very unpleasant,” Dr. Olivero said.


Now is the time to get the vaccine, she added. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with four other global agencies, adjusted this year’s flu vaccine to better match the influenza strains expected to circulate in the U.S. Health officials changed the two A antigen components and left the two B virus components unchanged.


“But even if the flu vaccine is not perfect and doesn’t prevent 100% of influenza cases, it can still prevent thousands of hospitalizations,” Dr. Olivero said. “That’s a big win, too.”


If you get the vaccine—and end up getting the flu—the illness likely will be less severe and of shorter duration.


In the 2018-19 influenza season, the overall vaccine effectiveness was 38 percent and yet it still paid big benefits, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. It prevented:

  • 7.1 million illnesses
  • 109,000 hospitalizations
  • 8,000 deaths

Studies by CDC researchers, published in Healio, found in recent years that flu vaccines:

  • In children, reduced the risk of influenza-related hospitalization by 50%.
  • In adults, reduced the odds of severe outcomes, including death, by 36%.

Some people mistakenly think the vaccine can make them sick, Dr. Olivero added.


“Getting the flu vaccine does not give you the flu,” she said.

Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat


You might experience a short-lived fever, feel run down or have a sore arm at the site of the injection. But that’s not because you have influenza. Those effects are signs of your immune system revving up.


“It’s normal and expected—and it’s way better than getting the flu,” she said.

Which vaccine

The CDC recommends flu vaccines for everyone 6 months and older.


Those 2 to 49 years old can receive the vaccine in a nasal spray called FluMist. But the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends injections as the primary choice for children.


“The shot is more effective, so that’s our first recommendation,” Dr. Olivero said.


Two vaccine options are designed for people 65 and older:

  • Fluzone High-Dose, which contains four times the antigens of a standard vaccine
  • Fluad, a standard-dose shot with an added ingredient designed to produce a stronger immune response.

If the flu strikes

The flu often comes on suddenly, causing a cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache and body aches. It can also cause a fever, but that is not always the case, the CDC says.


Most people recover in a few days to up to two weeks. But some develop complications such as pneumonia, which can be life-threatening.


For those who do get influenza, Dr. Olivero advised taking the antiviral drug Tamiflu, also known by its generic name, oseltamivir.


“Folks have been timid about the use of the antiviral drug,” she said.


A study shows the medication, if taken within 48 hours of first symptoms, can shorten a bout of influenza by a day. That may not sound impressive to some.


But she and other infectious disease doctors believe many benefit from it.


“If your husband is diagnosed with influenza and you get ill two days later, which is very typical, you could take (Tamiflu) the same day,” she said. “Most of us would say it turns the illness around extremely quickly, but that’s not captured in medical studies.”


Early treatment is especially important for those with chronic medical conditions.

Preventing the flu

In addition to getting a flu vaccine, the CDC recommends everyday steps to help stop the spread of influenza:

  • Stay away from sick people.
  • Wash your hands regularly to prevent the spread of germs.
  • If you get the flu, stay home from work or school.

Check out the Flu Information Center for local flu vaccine clinics near you, or to call the Flu Help Line at 616.486.3939.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Recognizing depression in older adults

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By Linda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension


According to the Geriatric Education Center of Michigan at Michigan State University, depression in older adults can seriously affect their quality of life and health. Stress, depression and anxiety can contribute to physical ailments including digestive disorders, sleep disturbances and lack of energy. Older adults who are depressed can also have an increased risk of substance abuse, reduced cognition, higher risk of suicide and a higher incidence of heart attacks.


Older adults can experience different reasons and risk factors for depression than younger adults. HelpGuide.org, a research-based website in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, says that common reasons and risk factors for depression in older adults can include:

  • Health problems – Illness and disability, chronic or severe pain, cognitive decline, damage to body image due to surgery or disease.
  • Loneliness and isolation – Living alone; a dwindling social circle due to deaths or relocation; decreased mobility due to illness or loss of driving privileges.
  • Reduced sense of purpose – Feelings of purposelessness or loss of identity due to retirement or physical limitations on activities.
  • Fears – Fear of death or dying; anxiety over financial problems or health issues.
  • Recent bereavements – The death of friends, family members, and pets; the loss of a spouse or partner.

Michigan State University Extension says that ways you can help are to learn about and recognize the signs and symptoms of depression in older adults and the elderly. Common symptoms include sadness, fatigue, abandoning or losing interest in hobbies or other pleasurable pastimes, social withdrawal and isolation (reluctance to be with friends, engage in activities, or leave home), weight loss or loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, loss of self-worth, increased use of alcohol or other drugs, or a fixation on death, suicidal thoughts or attempts.


Is it depression or dementia? According to Harvard Health Publications, here are some signs to watch for:

  • With depression, mental decline can happen quickly, but with dementia, mental decline happens more slowly.
  • When someone is depressed, they still know things like the correct time, date and where they are, but with dementia, they become confused and disoriented and sometimes lost in familiar locations.
  • With depression, people have a hard time concentrating, and they may worry about memory problems. People with dementia have short-term memory loss and don’t notice memory problems or seem to care.
  • When someone is depressed, language and motor skills are slow, but normal, whereas someone with dementia has impaired writing, speaking and motor skills.

There is good news! According to a study published by Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publications, for those who stuck with treatment, depression resolved in seven out of 10 people. Completing a treatment regime can increase positive mood, strengthen personal relationships, increase satisfaction in activities of daily living and help people feel like themselves again.


If you are concerned that your loved one is suffering from depression as an older adult, help them connect to their primary care provider to assess the situation and to identify health and community resources to help them restore their quality of life.


For more information on depression read Depression Symptoms and Warning Signs.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).




‘A little bit of hope’

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Spravato may provide a dose of hope to people who struggle with treatment-resistant depression. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Jason Singer, Spectrum Health Beat


For the first time in decades, doctors have a new weapon to fight serious cases of depression.


Of the 16 million Americans adults living with depression, as many as four million have treatment-resistant depression, which means current treatments such as talk therapy, anti-depressants and electro-convulsive therapy have given them little or no relief.


But recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved ketamine, a fast-acting drug that differs significantly from Prozac, Paxil and other anti-depressants that have been on the market since the 1990s.


Even when antidepressants work, it often takes four to six weeks to kick in, while ketamine only takes several hours to begin showing positive effects, drug trials have shown. The approval is “welcomed news,” said David Franzblau, MD, a psychiatrist with Spectrum Health Medical Group.


“The prospects for ketamine as a long-term treatment remains to be seen,” said Dr. Franzblau, the site chief of the Spectrum Health Integrated Care Campus at East Beltline.


“Trials have shown that the duration of time before symptom-relief is generally much shorter compared to current antidepressants so it at least represents a promising bridge, if not a long-term treatment.”

A stubborn illness

Depression is a mood disorder that affects the way people feel and interferes with their ability to function at home and at work.


It can be associated with the loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating, memory impairment, and a loss of motivation and productivity, Dr. Franzblau said.


“Everybody experiences sadness and anxiety,” he said. “It’s the length of time and number of episodes, along with a constellation of other symptoms, that determine whether somebody has clinical depression.”


About one in 16 American adults suffer from clinical depression at any given moment.


“Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder in the population,” Dr. Franzblau said. “I believe the adverse impacts of even the treatment-resistant variants can be substantially decreased, and thereby improve the quality of life (of all patients), with enough time and a systematic approach.”


The first step in combating depression is consulting with your primary care physician. First-line interventions that a mental health professional might recommend include counseling and medication.


Antidepressants regulate neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. But the results have been mixed, especially for the up to 33 percent of patients who have treatment-resistant depression.


One current intervention for treatment-resistant depression is electro-convulsive therapy. The benefits of electro-convulsive therapy “were observed accidentally,” Dr. Franzblau said, “like many scientific discoveries.”


The symptoms of depression among patients with epilepsy improved after a seizure.


“The brain is an electrical apparatus: brain activity, thinking, memory and mood regulation like arousal or anxiety, those are all electrical or electro-chemical events,” he said. “So ECT is basically inducing a seizure” in a controlled environment (often in an outpatient setting), helping severely depressed people who haven’t responded to medication.


There are misconceptions about the procedure, and suitable patients have to be chosen, but it can be effective in bringing about a recovery, Dr. Franzblau said. Sometimes one course of this treatment will suffice, or a patient may require periodic maintenance treatment.

From the club to the doctor’s office

Despite $12 billion a year spent on antidepressants globally, suicide rates have increased 25 percent nationally in the last two decades, and are rising in 49 of 50 states.


That’s why any new treatment is welcomed news.


Interest in ketamine—an anesthetic used frequently in hospitals and the battlefield—has grown steadily since the early 2000s.


In 2000, researches at Yale reported that doses of ketamine provided quick relief to seven people with depression.


In 2006, the National Institute of Mental Health documented 18 people with treatment-resistant depression who received the drug intravenously and reported their issues had disappeared almost immediately.


“What seems remarkable is that the drug also seems to help domains other than depression, like anxiety, suicidal thinking, and anhedonia”—the inability to feel pleasure, noted Dr. Carlos Zarate Jr, chief of the National Institute of Mental Health’s experimental therapeutics branch who led the 2006 study.


“It seems to have more broad effects, on many areas of mood,” shared in a New York Times article about ketamine.


Ketamine does have side effects. Ketamine was once a popular drug in the 1980s and 1990s known as Special K, and can cause hallucinations and psychotic episodes in people who are high risk for them. The drug also was less effective in drug trials for people over 65.


The drug maker, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, said the non-generic medication form esketamine, which will be marketed as Spravato, would have less dramatic side effects. Like with all new drugs, Dr. Franzblau said he’ll proceed cautiously because the benefits and costs become clear only after a medication has been used for some time.


“I anticipate I will use it,” he said. “I want to make sure that the benefits outweigh any complications and side effects.”


Esketamine will be administered as a nasal spray. Patients who receive it will have to be monitored for at least two hours, and won’t be allowed to drive on days they receive the drug.


The recommended course will be two days per week for four weeks.


In one drug trial, Janssen reported that those taking esketamine only relapsed into depression 25 percent of the time, as opposed to 45 percent with a placebo. All the people in the study had previously been diagnosed as having treatment-resistant depression, and had failed with other types of treatment.


“Clinical depression represents considerable suffering for the patient and their families,” Dr. Franzblau said. “At worse, it’s a lethal condition, as demonstrated by the rising suicides in our country. New treatments are needed and offer hope.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Gene therapy targets prostate cancer

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Researchers say new drug therapies can target certain genes that play a role in the growth and spread of prostate cancer. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Amy Norton, HealthDay


A drug that targets faulty gene repair may buy more time for some men with advanced prostate cancer, a new clinical trial finds.


Experts called the study “landmark,” because it zeroed in on men with particular gene mutations that can be targeted with newer drug therapies.


It’s an approach that is already used in treating breast, ovarian and lung cancers.


Specifically, the trial tested a drug called Lynparza (olaparib), which is currently approved to treat certain patients with breast or ovarian cancers linked to mutations in the BRCA genes.


When BRCA is working properly, it helps repair damaged DNA in body cells that can lead to cancer. When the gene is altered, those repair mechanisms go awry.


BRCA mutations do not only lead to breast and ovarian cancers, though. They also help drive some cases of prostate cancer.


In the new trial, researchers recruited men with advanced prostate cancer who had alterations in BRCA or certain other genes involved in DNA repair.


The investigators found that, compared with standard hormonal therapy, Lynparza delayed patients’ cancer progression for a median of about three months. That means half the patients saw a longer delay and half a shorter one.


Along with that delay, the drug slowed down patients’ pain progression.


“Delaying the cancer from growing is meaningful,” said Dr. Maha Hussain, who led the trial, which was funded by drug makers Astra Zeneca and Merck.


“At the end of the day, patients want to live longer—and also better,” added Hussain, a professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago.


She was to present the findings at the annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology, in Barcelona. Studies reported at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed journal.


Lynparza is one of a newer class of drugs called PARP inhibitors, which block a protein that cancer cells need to keep their DNA healthy. Without it, those cells may die. Cancer cells with defects in DNA-repair genes are especially vulnerable to PARP inhibitors.


The drug class is part of a wider trend in cancer treatment, toward “targeted therapies”—where medications are tailored to target certain molecules in cancer cells that help them grow and spread.


A range of targeted drugs are available for common cancers, such as breast and lung, but prostate cancer has “lagged behind,” Hussain said.


Dr. Eleni Efstathiou, of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, described the new trial as landmark.


“Overall, these data show that, like breast and lung cancers, prostate cancer is not one but many different diseases,” Efstathiou said. “We need to start identifying different groups of patients and treating them with targeted therapy.”


She noted that only a fairly small percentage of prostate cancer patients would have alterations in DNA-repair genes—which can be inherited or arise as the cancer progresses.


And doctors do not routinely screen cancers for all those gene flaws.


Screening for inherited mutations is “becoming part of guidelines,” Efstathiou noted, but screening for non-inherited alternations is not yet done.


For the latest trial, the researchers screened 4,425 men with advanced prostate cancer that had spread to distant sites in the body and was not responding to standard hormonal therapy.


The investigators ended up with 245 patients with alterations in either BRCA or another gene called ATM. A second group of 142 patients had alterations in any of 12 other genes tied to flawed DNA repair.


Patients in both groups were randomly assigned to either take Lynparza tablets or start one of two newer hormonal therapies.


Overall, Lynparza patients saw their cancer advance more slowly, with the difference being clearer in the group with BRCA or ATM defects.


For those men, cancer progression was delayed by a median of 7.4 months, versus 3.5 months among patients on hormonal therapy. A preliminary analysis suggested their overall survival was also better—a median of 18.5 months, versus 15 months.


Lynparza does have side effects, including anemia and nausea, Efstathiou pointed out, which can make it difficult to stick with the drug. Just over 16% of Lynparza patients in the trial stopped treatment due to side effects.


The drug is not yet approved for prostate cancer, though some doctors use it “off-label” for certain patients, Hussain noted.


At this point, Efstathiou said, doctors may want to screen for DNA-repair mutations in the tumors of men with advanced prostate cancer, since “we now have evidence it can be successfully targeted.”


Like other targeted drugs, Lynparza carries a hefty price tag: Researchers have estimated that it costs more than $234,000 to extend a patient’s life by one year.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Up next: Cognitive corrosion?

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Long spells in front of the television may give rise to cognitive declines, according to researchers. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay


The old saying, “TV rots your brain,” could have some validity for folks as they age.


In a new study, middle-aged people who watched television for more than 3.5 hours a day experienced a decline in their ability to remember words and language over the next six years, British researchers found.


What’s worse, it appears that the more TV you watch, the more your verbal memory will deteriorate, researchers said.


“Overall, our results suggests that adults over the age of 50 should try and ensure television viewing is balanced with other contrasting activities,” said lead researcher Daisy Fancourt. She’s a senior research fellow at University College London.


For the study, researchers relied on data from a long-term study of aging involving more than 3,600 residents of England.


Participants reported the amount of hours of TV they watched daily. They also had their thinking and reasoning skills regularly tested as part of the study.


People who watched less than 3.5 hours of TV a day didn’t seem to suffer any deterioration in their brain power, Fancourt said.


But more than that amount, people became increasingly apt to struggle with words or language in tests conducted six years later.


The decline in language skills is similar to that experienced by the poor as they age, Fancourt said.


“We already know from a number of studies that being of low socio-economic status is a risk factor for cognitive decline,” Fancourt said. “If we compare the size of association for watching television for greater than 3.5 hours a day, it has a similar-sized association with verbal memory as being in the lowest 20 percent of wealth in the country.”


The worst deficits occurred in those people who watched more than seven hours of television daily, researchers found.


While only an association was seen in the study, there are a couple of potential reasons why this might happen.


“Due to the fast-paced changes in images, sounds and action, yet the passive nature of receiving these—i.e., television does not involve interaction as gaming or using the internet does—watching television has been shown in laboratory studies to lead to a more alert, but less focused, brain,” Fancourt explained.


Some TV viewing is also stressful and stress has been associated with a decline in brain power, she added.


The specific effect on verbal skills indicates that avid TV viewing could be replacing other activities that would be better for the brain, said Rebecca Edelmayer, director of scientific engagement at the U.S.-based Alzheimer’s Association.


“You’re spending more time not engaging with your family, your friends and having social conversations, because they’re specifically reporting a decrease in verbal recall,” Edelmayer said. “We know engagement with others in conversation is something that supports and protects verbal recall.”


People who want to protect their thinking skills need to socialize often and engage in other activities that “stretch” their brain, Edelmayer said.


In fact, a long-term study published just last week in the journal Neurology found that exercising both the brain and body during middle age may guard against dementia. Such mental exercise includes reading, playing music, sewing or painting, according to the report.


“The recommendation would always be to stretch yourself and stay as engaged as you can be, whatever the connection is,” Edelmayer said. “We’re asking you for best brain health to go outside your normal passive box.”


The new study was published recently in the journal Scientific Reports.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


PACT needs 600 volunteers 65+ for Alzheimer’s clinical trial

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By Victoria Mullen, WKTV


The numbers are staggering, the financial and societal costs exorbitant. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s today. By 2050, the number is expected to increase to nearly 14 million.

Courtesy Alzheimer’s Association

And here’s a sobering thought: Cognitive decline begins at the age of 25. Dementia — the deterioration of memory most often seen in aging adults — takes hold early on and starts gradually, but then accelerates when we are in our 70s and 80s.


But what if solving brain games and puzzles on a computer could reduce the chances of developing dementia and delay the debilitating loss of function?


That’s the premise behind a new clinical trial, which is seeking volunteers for a three-year study. The PACT (Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease with Cognitive Training) Alzheimer’s clinical trial needs 600 people of all ethnicities from the West Michigan area to play computer games. Overall, the study needs 7,600 people to enroll and will be conducted at 15 locations across the U.S.


The study is spearheaded by David Morgan, Ph.D., Professor of Translational Neuroscience at Michigan State University, who relocated here in late 2017 from the University of South Florida in Tampa.


The study began in East Grand Rapids this past July, and a second study location just opened this Fall in South Grand Rapids.


Specifically, participants will be provided free access to a series of computer games designed to increase your brain’s processing speed. If you qualify to help, you will complete three study visits of one hour each at the PACT Research study location nearest you. You will then complete 45 one-hour sessions on your own, in your own home, over the next three years. 

“This study will definitely prove if computer games can (or cannot) reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment leading to dementia,” said Morgan. “A critical piece is that everyone who declines cognitively during the study will receive a medical diagnosis, something not done in the earlier study.”


Participants must be over 65 years old, free of severe neurological or psychiatric illness, and able to play computer games. You may qualify if you:

  • are 65 years of age or older
  • do not have any neurological disorders
  • have not had a stroke or brain injury
  • do not have mild cognitive impairment or dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease

What’s in it for you? There’s no monetary compensation, but research has shown that brain games may:

  • protect against dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease
  • enhance mental quickness and visual attention
  • improve gait speed and balance
  • improve driving safety
  • maintain health and well-being
  • allow you to perform everyday tasks more efficiently
  • protect against depression

In short, all the things that money can’t buy.


If the researchers can enroll enough older adults in the trial, they will apply for a larger grant to train and monitor a cohort of participants for five to seven years. That study will include genetic testing and neuro-imaging of the brain to gain a better understanding of who is more likely to develop dementia and would benefit from this training.

Interested? Call 616.234.0952 or email msupact@gmail.com.


Daytime fatigue? A nap could help

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If you find yourself struggling to stay alert, it could hint at an underlying medical problem—or the need for changes to your nighttime sleep routine. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Allan Adler, Spectrum Health Beat


Napping isn’t just for infants and children. Adults can get in on the action, too—they need only recognize the right time, place and circumstance.


Feeling fatigued or groggy during the day? That’s a good place to start. But you first need to determine why you’re feeling that way.


A nap can be refreshing and invigorating, helping you reenergize for a trip or for the workday, or whatever activity you’re undertaking, said Mary Barr, adult nurse practitioner in sleep medicine at Spectrum Health.


But the circumstances allowing for a nap will vary.


Generally speaking, you should only be napping during the day if you’re ill or if you’re trying to relieve pain. You could also nap amid abnormal circumstances—when you’re recovering from an acute injury, for example, or managing chronic illness.


Sometimes your schedule might deprive you of some much-needed sleep. If you find there’s no way to make it through the day without stealing a few quick moments of rest—or if you’re engaged in an activity that is simply wearing you down—a short nap is entirely acceptable.


Just be sure it’s a temporary solution. You should change your activities so you can keep to your regular schedule.


If you feel sleepy while driving, pull over in a safe place and catch a few Zzzs, Barr said. Likewise, when performing tasks that require high levels of attention, consider a nap to ward off fatigue.


If you’re at work, your nap needs to happen while on break or during your lunch hour.


“A 15-minute nap—often called a power nap—can refresh you when you are feeling sluggish or inattentive, groggy or not focused,” Barr said.


Generally, a 15- to 30-minute nap is enough. You can tell if you’ve slept too long because you’ll wake up feeling more groggy than before, she said.


There’s no ideal nap time, just whenever you feel sleepy during the day. Generally, this is after lunch for most people.


Falling asleep when napping is good, although you may not necessarily fall into any deep sleep stages.

Not all naps are equal

A word of caution: Don’t nap too late in the day or too close to your typical bedtime. Such naps can interfere with normal nighttime sleep routines, Barr said.


And make no mistake—you need a good night’s sleep every single night. Usually, if your sleep routine is good, you won’t need additional napping.


Barr offered a good rule of thumb: Make sure your nap is at least six to eight hours before your normal bedtime.


She also said that napping every day could be an indication you’re not getting enough rest at night. Bad sleep habits could cause this, but there could also be a medical problem. Sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, for example, can make people feel sleepy during the day.


One American Academy of Sleep Medicine study that found frequent napping is associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in older adults.


Adults who don’t sleep well at night should analyze their sleep habits to see what might be interrupting their sleep. Stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine could be to blame, but bad sleep habits could also be the culprit.


Some other napping tips from Barr:

  • Keep the nap short—ideally about 30 minutes.
  • Make sure the nap is in a safe, comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed.
  • Avoid long weekend naps, especially if you don’t nap during the week.
  • Don’t resort to napping to make up for sleepless nights.

If sleepless nights are a recurring problem, you may need to seek help from a sleep professional to determine if there is an underlying medical cause.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Teens and tech—a troublesome pair

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Researchers have been unpleasantly surprised at the extent of the modern teen’s attachment to technology. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Amy Norton, HealthDay


Too little sleep. Not enough exercise. Far too much “screen time.”


That is the unhealthy lifestyle of nearly all U.S. high school students, new research finds.


The study, of almost 60,000 teenagers nationwide, found that only 5 percent were meeting experts’ recommendations on three critical health habits—sleep, exercise and time spent gazing at digital media and television.


It’s no secret that many teenagers are attached to their cellphones, or stay up late, or spend a lot of time being sedentary. But even researchers were struck by how extensive those issues are among high school students.


“Five percent is a really low proportion,” said study leader Gregory Knell, a research fellow at University of Texas School of Public Health, in Dallas. “We were a bit surprised by that.”


In general, medical experts say teenagers should get eight to 10 hours of sleep at night and at least one hour of moderate to vigorous exercise every day. They should also limit their screen time—TV and digital media—to less than two hours per day.


The new findings show how few kids manage to meet all three recommendations, Knell said.


It’s easy to see how sleep, exercise and screen time are intertwined, he pointed out.


“Here’s one example: If kids are viewing a screen at night—staring at that blue light—that may affect their ability to sleep,” Knell said.


“And if you’re not getting enough sleep at night, you’re going to be more tired during the day,” he added, “and you’re not going to be as physically active.”


Ariella Silver is an assistant professor of pediatrics and adolescent medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City. She agreed there’s a lot of overlap in the three behaviors.


Silver, who was not involved in the study, also made this point: The two-hour limit on screen time may be tough for high school students, since their homework may demand a lot of computer time.


It’s not clear how much that may have played into the findings, Silver said.


Still, she sees screen time as possibly the “biggest factor” here. Silver agreed that it may hinder teenagers’ sleep. But another issue comes up when social media “replaces” face-to-face social interaction.


When kids do not go out with friends, they miss out on many experiences—including chances for physical activity, Silver said.


While no group of kids in the study was doing well, some were faring worse than others. Only 3 percent of girls met all three recommendations, versus 7 percent of boys.


Similarly, the rate was 2 percent to 4 percent among black, Hispanic and Asian American students, versus just over 6 percent of white kids, the findings showed.


The report was published online recently in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Silver offered some advice for parents:

  • Instead of telling kids to “get off the phone,” steer them toward alternatives, like extracurricular activities, community programs or family time. “Their screen time will go down by default,” she noted.
  • Be a good role model. Get off your phone and demonstrate healthy habits, including spending time being physically active with your kids.
  • Talk to teenagers about the importance of healthy habits. “Ask them, ‘How do you feel when you don’t get enough sleep?’” Silver suggested. “Ask, ‘How do you feel when you don’t get outside in the sun and get some exercise?’” It’s important, she said, that kids notice how their bodies feel when they do or don’t engage in healthy habits.
  • Set some clear rules around screen time, such as no devices in the two hours before bedtime. “Make sure your kids realize these devices are a privilege, and not a necessity to living,” Silver said.

The good news, Knell said, is that since sleep, exercise and screen time are interrelated, changing one habit could affect the others, too.


“There are certainly small changes you can make that may have a big impact,” he said.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Can exercise slow Alzheimer’s?

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In people with buildup of amyloid brain protein, regular aerobic activity might slow degeneration in the brain region tied to memory. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay


For people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease, working out a couple of times a week might at least slow the onset of the illness, new research suggests.


Regular exercise over a year slowed the degeneration of the part of the brain tied to memory among people who had a buildup of amyloid beta protein in their brain.


These protein “plaques” are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, noted researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.


Aerobic exercise didn’t stop plaques from spreading, but it might slow down the effects of amyloid on the brain, especially if started at an early stage, the research team suggested.


“What are you supposed to do if you have amyloid clumping together in the brain? Right now doctors can’t prescribe anything,” lead researcher Dr. Rong Zhang said in a university news release.


However, “if these findings can be replicated in a larger trial, then maybe one day doctors will be telling high-risk patients to start an exercise plan,” he said. “In fact, there’s no harm in doing so now.”


One expert who wasn’t involved in the study agreed with that advice.


“Exercise is an excellent way to both prevent Alzheimer’s and to help patients with Alzheimer’s disease stay stable for longer periods of time,” said Dr. Gayatri Devi, a neurologist specializing in memory disorders at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.


“Aerobic exercise, three to four times a week, has been shown to help grow brain cells in the part of the brain called the hippocampus, the key area for both laying down new memories and for retrieving old ones,” she explained.


In the new study, Zhang and colleagues randomly assigned 70 people aged 55 and older to either half-hour workouts of aerobic exercise four to five days a week, or less strenuous flexibility training.


All of the patients had some amyloid plaque buildup in their brains at the beginning of the study and were classed as having “mild cognitive impairment,” often a precursor to Alzheimer’s.


Followed over one year, people in both groups maintained similar mental abilities in memory and problem solving, the researchers noted.


However, those in the aerobic exercise group showed less shrinkage of the brain’s hippocampus as seen on scans.


The hippocampus is an area of the brain important to memory and one of the first areas usually affected by Alzheimer’s, Zhang’s group explained.


“It’s interesting that the brains of participants with amyloid responded more to the aerobic exercise than the others,” Zhang said. “Although the interventions didn’t stop the hippocampus from getting smaller, even slowing down the rate of atrophy through exercise could be an exciting revelation.”


To further test the effect of exercise, Zhang is heading up a five-year trial that includes more than 600 older adults, aged 60 to 85, who are at risk for Alzheimer’s.


“Understanding the molecular basis for Alzheimer’s disease is important,” Zhang said. “But the burning question in my field is, ‘Can we translate our growing knowledge of molecular biology into an effective treatment?’ We need to keep looking for answers.”


Dr. Jeremy Koppel is associate professor of psychiatry and molecular medicine at the Litwin-Zucker Center for Alzheimer’s Disease & Memory Disorders, at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y.


Reading over the new findings, he said that, on the whole, the study was “disappointing” because exercise “did not have any specific effect on tests of memory, mental flexibility or amyloid deposition in patients with mild cognitive impairment.”


While the finding regarding hippocampus size was interesting, “this was not the primary outcome measure of the study,” Koppel noted.


So, “it may be that aerobic exercise interventions are best targeted at those not suffering already from cognitive impairment,” he said.


The report was published recently in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Rethink those sleepy Saturdays

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By Amy Norton, HealthDay

Sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday mornings may feel like a reboot from a harried week, but it’s unlikely to compensate for what your body really needs: consistently good sleep. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)


People who are sleep-deprived during the week often try to make up for it on weekends. But a new study suggests the tactic may backfire.


Researchers found that weekday sleep loss had negative effects on people’s metabolism—and “catch-up” sleep on the weekend did not reverse it.


In fact, there were signs that the extra weekend shut-eye could make matters worse, said senior study author Kenneth Wright, a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder.


The bottom line, according to Wright, is that people need to consistently get sufficient sleep.


“If you want to lead a healthy lifestyle,” he said, “that has to include good sleep habits.”


The study, published online recently in the journal Current Biology, included 36 healthy young adults. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups that all spent nine nights in the sleep lab.


One group was allowed to sleep for up to nine hours each night. A second could sleep only five hours. The third group was allowed five hours of sleep for five days, then a weekend “recovery” period where they could sleep in as late as they wanted. After that, they returned to five hours of sleep for two nights.


Wright’s team found that in both sleep-deprived groups, people lost some of their sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. They also began to eat more at night and gained some weight, on average.


The group that was allowed to sleep in on the weekend saw one benefit: There was less late-night eating on those days.


However, they went right back to post-dinner munching once they returned to five-hour nights. And their insulin sensitivity remained impaired.


In addition, Wright said, they showed decreased insulin sensitivity in the liver and muscles, specifically—which was not seen in the group that got no catch-up sleep over the weekend.


Over time, decreased insulin sensitivity can be a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. And a number of studies have linked chronic sleep loss to heightened risks of diabetes and obesity, Wright noted.


In general, experts recommend that adults get seven or more hours of sleep each night for the sake of their overall health. Yet, studies show that more than one-third of U.S. adults fall short of that goal.


Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep specialist and professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine, in Chicago, said, “We tend to buy into the myth that by ‘catching up’ on sleep on weekends, we’ll (reverse) the adverse effects of repeated sleep loss.”


But, according to Zee, who was not involved in the new research, “the results of this study support that it is indeed a myth. In fact, even the muscle and liver ‘remember’ the adverse and persistent effects of sleep loss.”


It’s true, Wright said, that real life can get in the way of optimal sleep. But he added that people should take an honest look at their habits and see if they can make time for a good night’s sleep.


“What are the ‘sleep stealers’ in your life?” Wright said. “Are you up late watching TV or on your computer?”


Late-night “screen” use is a problem not only because it takes time away from sleep, he pointed out. Staring at a blue light before bedtime can actually disrupt your ability to fall asleep.


Sleep is vital for a range of body processes, not only metabolism. And Zee said there’s evidence that other effects of chronic sleep loss—including dampened alertness and mental performance—cannot be erased with a couple of nights of catch-up sleep.


“Regularity in both timing and duration of sleep is key to brain and body health” she said.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Memory lapses are normal cognitive changes that come with aging

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By Carolyn Penniman, Michigan State University Extension


After age 50, many people notice increased forgetfulness and may be concerned about developing dementia. Forgetting where you parked your car or where you left your glasses can be frustrating and embarrassing, and using humor to acknowledge “a senior moment” often helps to dispel some anxiety!


Michigan State University Extension recommends staying mentally active and including daily physical activity as healthy lifestyle choices to improve memory. Eat low-fat protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains to provide the nutrients needed to keep your brain sharp. Watch what you drink – too little water or too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss. Stimulate your brain by doing puzzles, learning new skills, or taking an alternate route to a familiar destination. Play games, including free online brain games such as those offered by AARP, where you can adjust the skill level.


Other factors in addition to age that can contribute to forgetfulness include medical conditions and emotional problems. It is a good idea to review your medications with your health care provider to review possible side effects that may impact memory. Stress and depression can also contribute to memory loss, so make sure to enjoy regular social interaction with family and friends, especially if you live alone. Sleep is vital in helping your brain sort, consolidate and store your memories, so try to get seven to eight hours of sleep each day.


When you really pay attention to something, you remember it better. New information is lost from short term memory unless it is repeated again and again. Focusing your attention causes your brain to release special chemicals that strengthen learning and memory. You are more likely to remember appointments and other events if you keep track of them in a special notebook or calendar. The act of writing it down or saying it out loud will reinforce it in your memory. To avoid misplacing items, be diligent about putting your wallet or purse, keys and glasses in the same place each day. When you can’t recall a word or name, review the facts of the story or event.


Remembering other details will help trigger the memory you are searching for. Who has not walked into a room and then not remembered why you were going there? These are very common lapses that usually result from lack of attention or focus. By mentally retracing your steps or physically going back to where you were, the thought will often come back. Staying focused on your immediate task will help avoid this annoying experience. Studies show that the older we get, the more the brain has to exert effort to maintain focus. It also takes longer to get back to an original task after an interruption, so avoid multitasking to reduce distractions.


While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss by itself does not mean that a person has dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. Although it is common in very elderly individuals, dementia is not a normal part of the aging process.


See your doctor if you have serious memory problems that make it hard to do everyday tasks. For example, you may find it hard to drive, shop or even talk with a friend. Signs of serious memory problems may include:

  • Asking the same questions over and over again
  • Getting lost in places you know well
  • Not being able to follow directions
  • Becoming more confused about time, people and places

By taking steps to maintain memory, and seeking help with serious memory problems for ourselves or loved ones when needed, we can manage cognitive changes without allowing them to diminish our enjoyment of life.


More resources about healthy aging are available at the National Council on Aging and the American Society on Aging.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).