Intermittent fasting—the fancy term for going up to 14 or 16 hours without eating anything—is all the rage these days.
Dietitians and their celebrity clients are touting it as the latest and greatest weight-loss tool.
And there’s been some promising evidence that the approach may even lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, one of the most serious chronic illnesses in the world.
Researchers who have linked intermittent fasting to improved sensitivity to insulin also recently discovered it might lower pancreatic fat in rats. And that may reduce the odds of developing diabetes.
In a small study of humans with pre-diabetes, participants who ate from the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. saw significant improvements in their insulin sensitivity and blood pressure.
But don’t approach intermittent fasting without some measure of caution.
Kristi Veltkamp, MS, RD, outpatient dietitian at Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital, said it makes sense to take intermittent fasting with a healthy sprinkling of skepticism, especially when it comes to its relationship to diabetes prevention.
“Some people do lose weight when they try this style of eating,” she said. “And the No. 1 way we know to prevent diabetes is by losing weight.”
Even shedding as little as 5 to 10% of your body weight can reduce the risk of diabetes by 58%.
“So this type of eating may be helpful because people are losing weight,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean intermittent fasting gets the credit. From that perspective, any weight-loss method can be said to lower diabetes risk.”
The strict timing of meals can have a significant downside for some people.
“Often, they get so hungry that they overeat during their eight-hour window, sometimes making poor food choices,” Veltkamp said.
For others, it’s just not convenient, especially if they are trying to eat meals as a family.
Most people consume the last meal of the day in the evening, not by 3 p.m.
“By all means, experiment,” she said. “For example, often people are surprised to discover that they feel better eating breakfast later in the day.”
But until more conclusive data emerges, pay close attention to the guidelines already proven to prevent diabetes.
5 proven ways to keep diabetes at bay:
1. Eat the Mediterranean way
If you haven’t already experimented with a Mediterranean diet, now’s the time. Eating meals with plenty of fish, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil has been linked to an 83% lower chance of developing diabetes.
2. Nix the nighttime snacks
Even if you never try intermittent fasting, those evening snacks—often scarfed down in front of the TV—can sabotage any healthy diet. Once you’ve left the dinner table, try to stop eating for the evening.
3. Pay attention to protein
Veltkamp recommends including some protein in every meal and snack. This includes dairy, nuts or cheese. “It keeps people full longer and helps with cravings,” she said.
4. Quit bashing carbs
While processed foods, soft drinks and white sugar cause rapid ups and downs in glucose levels, Veltkamp worries that too many people vilify all carbohydrates.
Whole grains and fruits are a healthy part of every diet, she said.
“Sugar isn’t all bad,” Veltkamp said. “I’ve yet to have to tell a patient that they’re eating too many apples.”
5. Strive for flexibility
Finally, when you’re looking for a lifetime approach to healthy eating, it’s smart to be gentle with yourself.
While all-or-nothing diets may be the craze—from the Keto plan to Whole 30—she advocates a much more forgiving approach, with an 80/20 rule.
Strive for solid, sensible meals 80% of the time, then relax with the remaining 20% of meals.
It was a 14-word headline – “Name of 10-year-old killed in Gaines Township golf cart crash is released” – followed by an 86-word story.
In those words on the mLive website on July 19, 2014 was a tale of tragedy: details on the death of Brookelyn Elias, who had died the day before when a golf cart she was on rolled over.
Brookelyn Elias never backed down from a challenge on the soccer field, and her mom approaches life with the same determination (courtesy of Elias family)
But the story didn’t end that terrible day in July five years ago. And it won’t end anytime soon says Brookelyn’s mom, Tonya Elias. That’s because in the wake of Brookelyn’s death, she and her husband, Paul, started a nonprofit called Blessed by Brookelyn, using the life insurance money received after her death to do so.
“Out of our grief, we have developed a deeper faith and perseverance,” she says. “And we are using the nonprofit that carries Brookelyn’s name to impact our community.”
Among those on the receiving end of that positive impact are elementary schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools system. This past soccer season Blessed by Brookelyn donated some 150 pairs of cleats, plus numerous pairs of shin guards, soccer socks and even balls to the GRPS soccer program. They also purchased gift cards for GRPS volunteer coaches in memory of Brookelyn.
Now Elias and her organization are collecting basketball shoes to donate this winter to GRPS for the elementary school season, which starts after Christmas (donations are still needed, and Elias can be reached at blessedbybrookelyn@gmail.com or via the charity’s Facebook page).
The current basketball shoe drive for GRPS requires some washing of the footwear before it is given to the students (courtesy of Elias family)
A Teacher Giving Back
The connection to GRPS schools is a natural for Elias, a former GRPS teacher who taught at both Harrison Park and Westwood middle schools before moving to East Kentwood High School, where she continues to teach while also heading up her charity.
But beyond her background and belief in education, there is also Brookelyn’s history as an athlete, including as a soccer player who loved the game and was a strong last line of support as a defender. Today the charity that bears her name provides a similar last line of support, equipping numerous kids who might not otherwise be able to play with the tools needed to participate.
For Kellie Kieren, a physical education teacher at North Park Montessori and district coordinator for elementary soccer for GRPS elementary schools, the partnership with Elias has been unexpected but vital.
“It fell into our laps,” she says. “Tonya is an amazing human being. Whatever she could do, she just wanted to help. She and Paul are particularly passionate about helping kids in need within Grand Rapids, and they’ve done amazing things for our district. She will get it done.”
And it’s not just soccer and basketball gear that Tonya collects. Word is getting out about the charity, and donations of clothing now make regular appearances at both the Elias house (on Facebook, Tonya jokes with friends that “yes, the porch is always open”) as well as at the headquarters for both the charity and Paul’s HVAC business on Madison Avenue SE in Grand Rapids, just south of 28th Street.
It was a joy for Tonya Elias to be part of the GRPS elementary soccer season and students felt the same way (courtesy of Blessed by Brookelyn Facebook page)
Developing Center for At-risk Youth
The couple is in the process of renovating the building, which they purchased in the summer of 2018, and there, Tonya plans someday to open a resale store. She also brings in young people every week who are required to complete community service hours due to car theft, petty theft, assault, and various other juvenile offenses in Kent County. Together they sort clothes and cleats and whatever else needs doing, and they often have a meal together.
Eventually, she says, the goal is to set up a job training and internship program for at-risk youth, with all of the money from the resale store going to provide their mentees with a paid, part-time job to go along with a structured learning experience.
Through it all, Tonya and Paul draw strength both from memories of their precious daughter, and from the power of the stories that are now being written because of the charity that bears Brookelyn’s name. Indeed, on the Blessed by Brookelyn Facebook page there are lots of posts about the work of the charity, the need for donations, where things stand with the renovations and more, but there are also more personal entries.
On Oct. 13, there was this from Tonya: “Yesterday, the soccer season at GRPS ended. I cried. I cried because of the kids. The season was over. I cried for the kids. I cried from all the hugs. But the tears weren’t tears of sorrow but tears of joy. Tears for the smiles, the laughter and joy that came from them allowing me to be a part of their story.”
Their story, her story, Brookelyn’s story.
For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
Rob Buitendorp didn’t worry much about the little lump he found on his neck, behind his right ear.
It didn’t hurt, didn’t get in the way. He had no problems swallowing or speaking.
But he had a doctor’s appointment in three weeks, so he decided to ask about it then.
He is so glad he did.
Buitendorp, a 73-year-old retired insurance adjuster, is one of the growing number of people diagnosed with HPV-related throat cancer. And thanks to his quick reaction, he benefited from early detection and treatment.
“If the cancer is detected early, then patients are more likely to have a choice of effective cancer treatments,” said Thomas O’Toole, MD, a Spectrum Health head and neck surgical oncologist.
It is the most common HPV-associated cancer in the U.S.—more common even than cervical cancer. But the lack of awareness about the disease hampers efforts to combat it.
“This is an epidemic,” Dr. O’Toole said. “It can happen to basically anybody and it’s the scariest thing. It really strikes middle-aged healthy people out of the blue.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Early detection is key to surviving—or suffering fewer physical effects. But the earliest signs often go unrecognized by patients and, sometimes, even by doctors, Dr. O’Toole said.
The most common early symptom patients notice is a painless bump on the neck. A sore throat is the second most common sign. Too often, people wait months, hoping the problem will go away, before they seek medical care.
“If you have a bump on your neck and it’s been there for more than two weeks, you should go to your doctor, even if you don’t feel any other symptoms,” Dr. O’Toole said. “The quicker we get a diagnosis, the quicker you can get treatment, which is important in terms of improving patients’ survival.”
He recommends the HPV vaccine to prevent the cancer from occurring.
The Food and Drug Administration initially approved the vaccine for youths age 9 to 26 years. But in October 2018, it expanded the approved use of the vaccine to include men and women age 27 to 45 years.
“Because HPV-related cancers may develop decades after exposure to the virus, it may be a while before we see the impact of the vaccine on the incidence of oropharynx cancer,” Dr. O’Toole said.
Cancer rates on the rise
In the 1980s, the medical community began identifying problems with throat cancers related to the human papillomavirus, or HPV.
As smoking became less popular, the incidence of most head and neck cancers declined, as expected. But one form began to show up more often—cancer of the oropharynx.
If you open your mouth and look in a mirror, you see much of oropharynx at the back of your throat. It includes the tonsils, the base of the tongue, soft palate and the back wall of the swallowing passage.
Long before Buitendorp’s diagnosis, lab analysis of oropharynx cancers began to find evidence of a virus in the tumors. They identified HPV in 15 to 20 percent of tumors in the 1980s, and in 80 percent of tumors by 2004.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
HPV viruses, which can be sexually transmitted, are common and doctors believe many people have been exposed to them.
“It’s only rare that people end up with cancer from it. It’s something we don’t fully understand—who’s going to develop cancer,” Dr. O’Toole said.
Treatments for cancer of the oropharynx include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
“We try to identify what we think is going to be the most effective treatment for the patient with the fewest side effects,” Dr. O’Toole said.
To reduce delays in diagnosis of throat cancer, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has developed a clinical practice guideline for evaluation of adult patients with a neck mass, Dr. O’Toole said.
“They recommend that when adult patients have a neck mass for more than two weeks or of uncertain duration without signs of infection, there should be an examination of the upper aerodigestive tract, including the oropharynx and larynx,” he said. “This usually will require referral to an otolaryngologist.
“Dr. O’Toole’s office called and said this is something that should be seen immediately.”
Bob Buitendorp
When Buitendorp’s internist looked at the lump on his neck in February 2018, he recommended seeing an otolaryngologist. He gave him the phone number for Dr. O’Toole.
When he arrived home, Buitendorp discussed it with his wife, Ruth. He figured he would follow up on the advice—eventually—but he wasn’t worried. The bump was painless.
“In my family, we have a problem with procrastination,” he added.
Fifteen minutes later, a phone call surprised him.
“Dr. O’Toole’s office called and said this is something that should be seen immediately,” he said.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
At the first appointment, Dr. O’Toole examined Buitendorp’s throat and showed pictures of a suspicious area on the right tonsil.
“He showed me a growth on the inside that was directly related to the external growth,” Buitendorp said.
Dr. O’Toole performed a fine needle aspiration biopsy in the office. Later, in an operating room, he performed a biopsy of the tonsil, which confirmed an HPV-related cancer.
Dr. O’Toole performed the operation with the use of the da Vinci robot. The minimally invasive procedure is performed through the mouth. He made only one incision a few inches long in the neck to remove lymph nodes.
The minimally invasive approach makes recovery easier, he said.
A more traditional approach could involve cutting the jaw in half and opening the face like a book. Or a surgeon might make an incision across the neck and take apart the muscles that attach the voice box to the jaw.
“All those things disrupt the muscular attachments,” he said.
He advises patients considering surgery to get an evaluation by a surgeon who can perform a minimally invasive operation.
Dr. O’Toole removed the tumor, which affected the back of the tongue, tonsil and throat. And he removed 66 lymph nodes.
Buitendorp spent five days in the hospital recovering.
“Everything went better than I ever expected,” he said. “I was talking the first day.”
After the surgery, Buitendorp didn’t eat for a week. He lost 25 pounds.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
In the year since then, he has worked with speech therapists to regain the ability to eat a variety of foods. He takes small bites and eats slowly.
“I’m also getting my taste buds back slowly,” he said.
The post-surgery weight loss is common, Dr. O’Toole said.
“Most people can expect to lose 10 to 20 percent of their body weight,” he said.
Buitendorp knows the cancer or the treatment could have taken a far greater toll without quick treatment.
“This could have been serious if I had not said something to (my doctor),” he said. “That is the key. If you see something wrong, talk to your doctor.”
The holidays are over. The tree has been dragged outside for pick-up, the ornaments packed up and stored in the attic until next year, and that surprise pup you gave the kids for Christmas?
About to be kicked to the curb.
Alas, Bowser’s novelty has worn off, and the kids have moved on to the next new, shiny thing. Pup is growing fast, eating you out of house and home, and because no one makes time to train or exercise him, behavioral problems arise—chewing is a biggie; so, too, is possessiveness. If Bowser hasn’t been neutered, well, you can look forward to other ‘problems’.
He knows he’s been bad—just train him
So, you’re probably at your wits’ end, amiright? You’re thinking about rehoming the critter. Maybe take him to a shelter and let someone else deal with the behavioral issues.
Or possibly you’re taking another tack. Maybe you’re thinking of posting Bowser on Craig’s List and other social media sites. Something like this, perhaps: ‘Cute puppy FREE to a good home’.
First off:
Always charge a rehoming fee. Always.
We get it. Sometimes life circumstances precipitate the need for rehoming. Holiday gift disaster aside, maybe you’re moving overseas, or perhaps there is a severe illness or death in the family.
Animal testing
Anyway you slice it, rehoming can be a challenge: On the one hand, you want to be open-minded to different ways of life, yet you don’t want Bowser to fall into nefarious hands.
“The danger with free pets is that people are devious,” said Ginny Mikita, animal advocate and attorney in Rockford, Michigan. “Some acquire free animals to supply to medical testing facilities.”
Unfortunately, there is no foolproof way to discern the true motivation for potential adopters wanting a free animal, Mikita said. Dog fight trainers acquire animals in myriad ways. Live bait animals come from shelters or from ‘free to good home’ ads. Some animals are stolen out of yards.
Maybe someone responding to your ad shows up on your doorstep looking clean-cut and respectable. It’s a common ruse. In Florida, a young man and a woman purporting to be his grandmother led a family to believe that their pet would be a companion animal for the elder. The family waived their rehoming fee. Once home, however, the two tossed the pup into a cage with a fighting dog; things did not end well.
Maybe you’re not all that fond of Bowser, but would you really want something like that to happen to him?
Puppy mills—the reality
Other atrocities abound. Aside from cats and submissive canines becoming bait for fighting dogs, smaller animals become food for snakes or star in crush videos—and we’re not talking Hollywood. (We’ll wait here while you look it up.)
Some people want free animals so that they can breed them—un-neutered Bowser could end up neglected in a puppy mill, producing scores of unsocialized, ill pups, and living in a small cage without vet care or affection.
And then there are the hoarders, people with a compulsion to collect free animals. We’ve all read stories about how that ends up.
The best way to ensure that your pet is going to a bonafide good home is to post a rehoming fee and to vet prospective adopters carefully. Here are some tips:
• Visit the home. Speak with other members of the family and ask questions—are there other pets in the household? Where will Bowser live? Who will care for him? Does anyone have allergies? Are all family members aware that Bowser is being adopted? • If you can’t visit, ask someone to visit the home for you. Perhaps the interested party lives far away from you. Ask a rescue in the town to perform a home visit for you. Some rescues have volunteers that will help facilitate long-distance adoptions. • Ask for personal references. And call the references—ask if the interested party takes good care of their current or former pets. See if you can find out what happened to their past pets. Did they die of natural causes? • Ask for a vet reference. Call their present or former veterinarian about the party’s other pets and how well they were cared for. At the very least, the vet can confirm that the party has a relationship with the vet. Ask if the vet recommends the party as a good guardian. • Check animal abuser registries. Michigan doesn’t have one set up yet, but other states might. In response to pressure from the public, registries are becoming more commonplace. • Google the potential adopter. Google is an amazing resource. A search may turn up past crimes. • Be prepared to take Bowser back. Sometimes even the best intentions don’t work out—maybe Bowser can’t stand the new family’s other pet. Maybe a family member discovers a previously unknown allergy. Keep Bowser safe by being ready to take him back; let the adopter know that you are willing to do so if things don’t work out. • Have the adopter sign an adoption contract. Here’s a boilerplate pet adoption contract that can be downloaded and printed out. • Beware of Craigslist. There are reputable animal databases like Petfinder, breed-specific rescue sites, and local shelters. Most people sourcing animals on Craigslist are looking for free cats and dogs; these people can come off as charming and are confident that they can get you to waive the re-homing fee. Don’t risk it. • Check out breed rescues. If your pet is a purebred, contact a breed-specific rescue, which will perform a thorough vetting of any potential adopter.
From Lin, Doris. (2019, October 24). Why You Should Never Give Pets Away ‘Free to a Good Home’. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/dont-give-pets-away-free-127759
This… is how it should be
Pets are a huge part of our lives; they’re family. Companion animals give emotional support and help reduce stress levels. They ease the pain of loneliness and encourage us to get involved in social activities. They offer unconditional love and can boost a child’s self-esteem.
In return, as responsible pet owners we have a duty to ensure that our animal friends are kept healthy and fit, are exercised regularly, consume nutritious food, and are provided with love and affection, as well as proper housing and care. And if you absolutely cannot keep him, make sure that the home he is going to will be safe and that the family will give him love and affection.
On Nov. 25, 2019, the president signed the bipartisan Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act into law, making it federally illegal to engage in cruelty to animals. The bill immediately went into effect, meaning those found violating the act could be federally prosecuted, fined, and jailed for up to seven years.
Everyone hates you. You’re a freak. You’re a loser.
Did you react viscerally to these hurtful words? Did the phrases make you cringe or recoil, maybe make your stomach uneasy or your muscles tense?
If so, you just experienced—ever so slightly—the pain, fear and hurt that victims of bullying experience on a daily basis.
Bullying happens every day, in every school building, in every neighborhood throughout the country. But changes in society and technology have brought us to a place where bullying has become especially rampant and particularly vicious.
Dr. Lowery regularly works with young people who are bullied on a daily basis. While such professionals see firsthand the harm that it causes, it doesn’t mean the rest of us should be blind to it.
The same mechanisms that allow bullying to become widespread—the Internet, social media, instant communication, smartphones—are also tools that inform us about bullying. We’ve all seen stories in the news, or on Facebook, about families and children who have left communities to escape bullying. We’ve read stories about adolescents driven to suicide because of relentless bullying online or at school.
What’s going on and how can we stop it?
Who’s at risk?
Bullies pick targets who are perceived as vulnerable and less likely to fight back or tattle, Dr. Lowery said.
A New England Journal of Medicine report found that gender issues also play a major role in identifying children most at risk of bullying. The study interviewed about 4,270 fifth-graders, following up with them in seventh and 10th grades. Across all grades, the children identifying or perceived as gay, lesbian or bisexual were 91 percent more likely to be bullied.
Many other children are also targeted every day, for different reasons.
They’re perceived as different from peers—overweight or underweight; wearing glasses or different clothing; new to school; unable to afford items other kids consider “cool.”
They’re perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves.
They’re depressed or anxious, or they have low self esteem.
They’re less popular than others and they have few friends.
They don’t get along well with others, they’re seen as annoying or provoking, or they antagonize others for attention.
Effective school programs, awareness campaigns and legislative protection can help protect children, Dr. Lowery said, but such measures can’t completely erase the harmful behaviors.
Dr. Lowery screens for bullying risk with her patients by asking questions during any exam. She noted a few trouble signs to watch for:
Depression and anxiety
Isolation
Mood changes, especially after time on social media
School avoidance
Such symptoms can be attributed to many different causes, but bullying is high on the list. It’s important for parents and teachers to intervene early and get help, she said.
The great agitator: social media
Social media and addiction to technology have without a doubt escalated the problems associated with bullying, Dr. Lowery said.
Bullying is potent in itself. Add social media and instant communication, and it takes on a vicious life of its own.
Children today feel tremendous pressure because the bullying doesn’t stop when they get home from school; there are now no limits to how far bullying can spread.
If you’re a bullied child, there is no escape.
“Because kids are so attached to their technology, it can appear as if they are even going along with it, watching their own abuse play out,” Dr. Lowery said, recalling a patient who was being bullied on Facebook. “When I suggested she simply stop looking at her phone, she said, ‘This phone is my life. Social media is all I’ve got.’”
It’s dangerously counterproductive. “It’s a Catch 22 where they don’t have social relationships or social acceptance, but they can’t look away from the social media,” Dr. Lowery said.
Parents need to help their children set proper values on things like smartphones and social media.
“I had a young lady who was suffering and miserable from bullying,” Dr. Lowery said. “I said to her, ‘No more Facebook. You don’t need social media to survive.’ You have to convince them to take steps.”
One of the key differences in children who are equipped to respond appropriately to a threat and those who aren’t: Support.
Support at home, support at school, support in their life.
Dr. Lowery said she’s seen children perform better when they’re linked to someone who can provide guidance and support: An in-school advocate, a teacher, counselor, a bus driver, or any mentor who can help that student regularly while at school.
“Bullying is not easy to stop,” Dr. Lowery said. “If a child comes to us for an assessment—particularly if they are reluctant to open up at home—we can at least become more informed and take steps before serious damage happens.”
At home, families need to encourage open communication, especially when it involves technology and social media.
“You’ve got to know what is happening on social media with your kids, regularly,” she said. “Ask about it, check in and tackle it together. Set limits. Get off the social media regularly, so that life without it feels normal, too. Brainstorm for activities to replace social media during those breaks.”
Parents need to help their children understand that social media “checkups” aren’t a form of punishment; they’re simply an added layer of protection that lets kids know “you have their backs,” Dr. Lowery said.
Proactive
When bullying happens, it comes down to helping kids know they’re connected and they have options.
“If we can help with counseling resources, assessments or even medication, sometimes we can help navigate the administrative pathways with parents and the teens,” she said.
While Dr. Lowery believes a traditional school setting has great value, it must sometimes be set aside for the health of a child. When a bullying situation has become too traumatic or has spiraled out of control, Michigan offers other alternatives, such as homeschooling or an online curriculum.
“Whether it allows a student to take a step back or becomes the permanent solution, (it) depends on the school’s resources and the family,” Dr. Lowery said. “But it’s better than letting a young life spiral out of control. Suicide is a real risk related to bullying.”
In 1790, it took about 650 U.S. marshals to complete the first decennial census. Two-hundred thirty years later, the U.S. Census will need a lot more than 650 people to complete the 2020 Census.
And like many employers, the U.S. Census is finding it difficult to find qualified candidates. The Bureau has fallen short of its goal of more than two million applicants to fill the estimated 500,000 temporary, part-time census positions needed to complete this year’s census. In fact, the only place in the United States not looking for census workers is the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, according to a recent press release from the U.S. Census Bureau.
“With low unemployment, the Census Bureau is taking extraordinary efforts to attract enough applicants to fill nearly 500,000 positions this spring,” said Timothy Olson, Census Bureau associate for Field Operations.
Michigan is one of the states were census workers are most needed. Kent County has reached about 48.2 percent of its applicant goal while Ottawa County has done a little better, filling a little more than half of its applicant goal.
“Our aim is to reach interested applicants right now, inform them of updated pay rates in their area, and get them into the applicant pool to be considered for these critical jobs,” Olson said. “The hiring process occurs in stages, and we are encouraging everyone to apply right now before selections being in January and February.”
To learn more about or to apply for a position with the U.S. Census Bureau, go to 2020census.gov/jobs.
According to a press release from the U.S. Census Bureau, the positions, — many are enumerators, people hired to take the census of the population — offer competitive pay, flexible hours, paid trainings, and weekly paychecks. Pay rates for census takers in Michigan have increased, with a range from $14 to $25. Currently the rates for Kent County is $20 per hour and in Ottawa County, it is $18.50 per hour. Visit 2020census.gov/jobs to confirm or check on pay rates in other communities.
The positions are open to anyone who is 18 or older. Census takers will be hired to work in their communities and go door-to-door to collect responses from those who did not fill out their census questionnaire. The selection process starts this month with paid training taking place in March and April. After paid training, most positions will work between May and early July by going door-to-door to collect responses from households who have not responded online, by phone, or by mail.
The U.S. Census is important not just because it counts the number of people living in a city, state or the country, but the results can have an impact on how billions of dollars in federal funds are allocated to local communities every year for the next 10 years. Some of the federally funded programs that use the census in determining allocations are community block grants, road funding, and school lunch programs.
The U.S. Census also determines the number of seats a state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2010, the census showed the number of Michigan residents fell by .6 percent since 2000 with Michigan’s number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives being reduced from 15 to 14. The census also determines the number of Michigan House of Representative seats as well.
For more information about the 2020 Census, visit 2020census.gov
By April 1, all U.S. households will receive an invitation to participate in the census. Residents will be able to respond one of three ways, online, by phone, or by mail.
Starting in April, census workers will begin visiting college students who live on campus, people living in senior centers, and others who live among large groups of people. Census takers also begin conducting quality check interviews to help ensure an accurate count.
Starting in May, census workers will begin visiting homes that have not responded to the 2020 Census to make sure everyone is counted.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census of the population be conducted every 10 years. By law, the U.S. Census Bureau must deliver apportionment counts to the President and the U.S. Congress in December. Redistricting counts will be sent to the states by March 31, 2021.
An estimated 11 million residents of the United States do not have formal authorization to live there. Some overstayed visas. Others crossed the border illegally in search of work, safety, or family members.
Over the years, they have become contributing members of their respective communities: from Savannah to Spokane, from Albany to Albuquerque. They clean our hotel rooms, pick our produce, construct buildings, and even start businesses in their adopted cities.
Born of the farmworker movement, Cosecha (Spanish for “harvest”) is advocating for life with dignity for all immigrants. Sergio Cira Reyes explains how.
When moving into an assisted living facility, the shift can be hard for both the resident and their family. You may have moved your loved one into an assisted living facility to help them be more social and gain a new community, but that doesn’t mean your job is done. Staying in touch and involved in your loved one’s life can make a huge difference in how they receive their new circumstances and their quality of life.
Here are a few ways to stay in touch and stay involved even if you are far away.
Get to know the community
If possible, when your loved one first makes the move, try to meet the other residents, their families if possible, and get to know the staff. When you’re involved, it will be easier for your loved one to connect a new life to their old one and find comfort in familiar interactions. While they may be hesitant to reach out and let others in at first, by breaking the ice for them, you can invite them to connect to others.
Plan visits
If you are close enough that you can visit on a regular basis, plan out those visits on a calendar and put that calendar in a visible place. This gives your loved one something to look forward to and planning out a whole month can make upcoming weeks more exciting. But, be sure to take the dates on the calendar seriously. Once the visit is on the calendar, every effort should be made to keep it. A missed date is worse than no planned date at all.
Send care packages
Fun packages can make the space between visits or scheduled calls more eventful and give your loved on something else to look forward to. But, when planning a package, get specific. Fill it with items that are personal to your family member, not just generic items. Try, books you’ve talked about, snacks you know they like, special pens if they like to do the crossword. These all show you are thinking about them when putting the package together. Getting these items can add an extra lift to their day even when they can’t see.
Listen
Even if your visits don’t happen often due to distance or other reasons, make the most out of the time you do have by truly engaging and listening to your loved one. This means acknowledging any challenges your loved one might be facing and recognizing that life has changed for them. They may feel as though they’ve lost something and, even if you know it’s the best choice, you should acknowledge those feelings. Ask questions that reveal genuine facts about their lives, not just surface level questions about the weather.
Use technology
If you can’t be with your loved one, there are still ways to keep in touch. Technology has given us countless ways to reach out across distance and taking advantage of these advances is crucial when managing a long-distance relationship with your loved one. Video chatting through FaceTime or Skype will offer face-to-face contact and can close the distance even more than a phone call.
Smartphones are becoming more and more common, and even older generations are taking advantage of their perks. Send a daily text with pictures and updates to your loved one and bring a smile to their face.
Folks with loved ones at a Vista Springs community can take advantage of our newest addition, Care Merge. This app is updated daily by the staff with images and updates about your loved one. Access your family member’s profile with a password and experience their everyday activities to ensure they are living full of life.
Whether it’s a big visit or a small gesture, just reaching out is a great way to make sure your loved one knows you care.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we begin the new year with topics that, to some, are hot-button issues: the implementation of the state’s recreational marijuana law — and licensing of facilities approved to sell the now legal product — as well as how Kent County handles the difficult job of animal control.
First, we will talk with the man in charge of the state’s marijuana regulatory efforts. Then we talk with Kent County Health Department’s top health official, who was selected to modernize and improve the county’s animal control efforts.
In Focus is Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency, the agency which has been responsible for implementing the regulatory program enacted under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act. In simple terms, the MRA is the state office which controls both the state’s medical and recreational marijuana distribution facilities.
With us is the agency’s Executive Director, Andrew Brisbo, who was appointed by Governor Whitmer to lead the MRA, the successor to the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation.
Also In Focus is Kent County Animal Shelter, which is administered by the Kent County Health Department. Late last year, the Kent County Board of Commissioners Executive Committee received an update on an on-going reorganization of the shelter conducted, in part, due to past criticism of the shelter’s operation.
With us is the person ultimately responsible for the shelter’s reorganization, Kent County’s Administrative Health Officer Adam London.
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.
As we head into the first full week of 2020, Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma compiled the top WKTV Journal stories of 2019. Those vying for the number one spot were all stories about raising awareness on a variety of subjects, child abuse and neglect, autism, Multiple Sclerosis, and helping those in need. We salute all who have worked to make the world a better place.
Mel Trotter Ministries hosts its annual Thanksgiving event. (Supplied)
As of Jan. 1, Heartside Ministry and Mel Trotter Ministries have merged. Reducing operating costs, eliminating potential duplication of services, and creating a greater impact for the populations the agencies both serve were the driving forces for the merger, according to organization officials. Services will not be immediately impacted as officials said the two organizations will need most of 2020 to work through the details of the merger.
Fun Fact: Pie Fight
Once, a long time ago, a northern Michigan city decided it needed a “claim to fame” so the residents of Charlevoix made the world’s largest pie at 17,420 pounds. Well, Charlevoix’s city to the south, Traverse City, was not to be outdone. In 1987, the city made a pie weighing in at 28,350 pounds and to prove it was the world’s largest pie, had officials form the Guinness Book of World’s Records certify it. Of course, that called for a “Who can make the biggest pie” challenge with a town in Canada — Oliver — taking over the title in 1998 with a pie that weighed 39,386 pounds. A monument to the pie wars still remains in Traverse City at 3424 Cass Road where the original cherry pie tin stands along with a marker as the World’s Largest Pie…in 1987 that is.
A scene from Emily Bridson’s Community Conversation on Homelessness (and WKTV podcast) at Broad Leaf Local Beer in Kentwood in late 2019. (Supplied)
WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
A part of her continuing community conversations, City of Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson will co-host a Community Conversation on Immigration, focused on America’s immigration policies, on Thursday, Jan. 9, from 5:30-7 p.m., at Broad Leaf Local Beer.
“The New Year promises to be a polarizing time in our country’s history and we need to find a way to work together,” Bridson said about the planned event. “Let’s gather for a candid community dialogue on immigration. We will discuss licenses for all, detainment, and health care, to name a few.”
The panel will include Hillary Scholten, Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, and Bo Torres, local Hispanic community leader.
The event will be moderated by Bridson and Marshall Kilgore, Western Michigan Director for United Precinct Delegates.
“As I research and learn more about immigration issues, I was fortunate to be invited to attend a large meeting last month where local organizations that serve immigrants gathered to create a plan to ensure that President Trump’s Executive Order 13888 (EO), which focuses on refugee resettlement in our communities, would be addressed by his established deadlines,” Bridson said.
On Dec. 17, 2019, the Kentwood City Commission voted to allow further resettlement in our city.
“It was a night of heartfelt personal stories where community members shared their memories of making Kentwood their home,” Bridson said. “We know Kentwood is a special place and it is because we embrace cultures and people from around the world in all of our neighborhoods.”
Bridson pointed out that in a recent study, the economic impact of foreign-born residents of Kent County contributed nearly $3.3 billion to the county’s GDP.
“The numbers speak for themselves on the continued positive impact immigrants have in our community,” she said.
“Our first community conversation was focused on discussing solutions to address homelessness,” Bridson said. Kilgore and Bridson “had over 50 interested community members join us. Bringing our community together to find solutions to pressing issues has been the driving force behind our efforts.”
Historic postcard of Idlewild Lake dock and boat (Supplied)
Rare Idlewild photos collected by Rose Hammond. (Supplied)
Idlewild’s Michigan State Historic Site sign. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
To say “In Between the Trees”, Rose Hammond’s 2019 documentary film about the historic African-American resort towns of Idlewild and Woodland Park, was a labor of love is only the first part of the story.
“I was attracted to the story when coming home and our family went up north to visit our grandpa’s old house,” Hammond said to WKTV. “While in Woodland Park all I heard were the stories of how it used to be. I then decided that someone needed to put a collection of interviews together to maintain the historical value of the community, but Idlewild came first.”
Idlewild was started in 1912 by white investors created a resort for black vacationers during the Jim Crow era — when most resorts would not allow blacks to book stays. Woodland Park came a little later.
Rose Hammond at WKTV Community Media for the premiere of her film “In Between the Trees”. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The film about the history of the towns — produced, substantially filmed, and edited at WKTV Community Media by long-time WKTV volunteer Hammond — is based on her 1994 book “Idlewild & Woodland Park, Michigan (An African American Remembers)”.
Hammond is from West Michigan and is retired as an Executive Administrative Assistant in the mental health field.
“In Between the Trees” had its initial screening at WKTV in December 2019 with Hammond discussing the film with an audience of special guests, friends and interested persons in attendance. She previously entered the trailer for the film, and three creative designs on canvas, in 2018 ArtPrize event.
“I began working on the book after completing the interviews for the documentary,” Hammond said to WKTV. “The documentary was (initially) put on the back burner.
“Some of the key interviews were Rita Collins, Steve Jones, Lillian Jones, Ann Hawkins, Sonny Roxborough. But, there were so many. We interviewed at least 12 people over a course of two summers, every weekend.”
The interviews with Steve Jones and Ann Hawkins were the key interviews, she said. “But all of them had historical stories of value.”
Rose Hammond at WKTV Community Media for the premiere of her film “In Between the Trees”. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“This probably is not a surprise, but all of the interviews that weren’t used … still told history. Locating the actual ownership to the utility company in Idlewild that brought the first lights to Idlewild. The second interview with Lillian Jones, Merrill Township first African American Township Clerk. Ole Man Tyson touring one of the first buildings right off the lake, telling us who all spent the night.”
And how much work does it take to nearly single-handedly produce at documentary film?
“Hard to count the hours and hours of editing, changing to work with two editors, just about everyday over the course of one and a half years. But the project began in the (19)90’s,” she said.
But she doesn’t regret a minute of her work.
“History has no percentage of value,” she said. “No matter what becomes of the two communities they will always be known as an outlet for thousands of African Americans to entertain and vacation like their counterparts. It will always be Idlewild and Woodland Park.”
Future screenings of the film are planned. The trailer for the documentary can be viewed here and another here. For a WKTV interview with Rose Hammond while the film was in process, visit here.
After a two-year shared services agreement that combined operational functions, Grand Rapids homeless advocacy nonprofits Heartside Ministry and Mel Trotter Ministries have taken the next step in their partnership by formally merging. The merger of agency assets became official Jan. 1. No services or jobs are effected by the merger.
Reducing operating costs, eliminating potential duplication of services, and creating a greater impact for the populations the agencies both serve were the driving forces for the merger, according to organization officials.
“We have enjoyed a partnership with Mel Trotter Ministries for the past two years, and have realized the benefit of combining our teams and services to provide more for the people we serve,” said Heartside Ministry executive director Gregory Randall. “We’re attempting to show radical hospitality to the same people Mel Trotter serves and we’re pursuing the same donors and volunteers, so it makes sense for us to collaborate in a formal manner.”
“Both organizations have always shared the belief that demonstrating the compassion of Jesus toward anyone experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty is what we’re called to do, so we want to be the best stewards of the assets we have to fulfill that mission,” said Mel Trotter Ministries chief executive officer Dennis Van Kampen. “The neighbors and guests of our respective agencies will benefit from this move.”
Starting in 2017, Heartside Ministry engaged Mel Trotter Ministries to share operational functions including human resources, facilities management and information technology. It was during that time that agency leaders began discussing additional ways to save money while increasing efficiency and outcomes for the people they serve. As executives from both organizations mentioned the partnership to donors and key stakeholders, it became apparent that the idea of collaborating resonated in the community. The notion of formally merging was discussed by each organization’s board of directors for more than a year, followed by in-depth talks between Randall and Van Kampen. Both boards approved a formal merger at each of the board’s December 2019 meetings.
“In recent years there have been donors, community leaders and even board members that have suggested and even advocated for Heartside neighborhood agencies to combine forces, so we knew the time was right to take this next step,” said Van Kampen. “We will be better stewards of the talent and treasures given to us and grow in ways that perhaps wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”
“As a church in the Heartside neighborhood, we depend on our community partners as we together seek the flourishing of our neighbors. Both Mel Trotter Ministries and Heartside Ministry are valuable partners because they help our church members walk alongside our neighbors,” said Rev. Michael Hoogeboom, minister of outreach at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church. “I’m hopeful that the combination of unique gifts and experience that each organization brings to this new partnership will result in a thriving Heartside community.”
Randall and Van Kampen estimate it will take most of 2020 to sort out the best approach to combining all of the services offered by Heartside and Mel Trotter. Heartside Ministry will retain its name and current location at 54 Division Avenue South. The executives anticipate the eventual move of Heartside Ministry staff and programs to Mel Trotter’s headquarters, located at 225 Commerce Avenue SW, in an effort to reduce operational expenses in maintaining two locations.
Communicating this news to the marginalized populations of Heartside will be the immediate focus for the combined entity.
“We want to ensure continuity of services for our neighbors and guests, so we will not be making any immediate, bold changes with regard to the kinds of services we provide or how we provide them,” said Randall, who intends to continue in his role as executive director of Heartside Ministry’s services. “We know that this news might be confusing and perhaps overwhelming to those we serve, so we want to take a measured approach and provide the best care we can for our neighbors.”
Additional information will be shared publicly as it becomes available, but the organizations have provided a webpage that will provide up-to-date information on the merger for anyone interested in following the news: www.meltrotter.org/heartside.
Homeless, with Homework: A new School News Network series on homelessness in schools and its connection to housing. As costs rise and the rental market has low availability, nearly 2,500 students in Kent ISD public schools are facing homelessness. These stories look into what’s led to the issue and how it impacts students. For more on the series, click here.
When students in Kent County schools are identified as homeless, district coordinators have items ready — school uniforms, backpacks, coats, school supplies, bus passes, even mattresses.
What’s become more and more difficult is helping families find adequate shelter.
Schools — urban, suburban and rural — are seeing increased numbers of homeless students and fewer options for housing because of high rents and scarce vacancies. Coordinators who work with students and families facing homelessness ask where they are staying and inform them about 211 services including shelter information. But they often can’t do much more. Even shelters have long waiting lists.
The school coordinators say families are living in cars, campers, motels and, most commonly, in “doubled-up” arrangements with other families.
“I really feel, truly, when it comes to finding a house, I’m more of just emotional support because there aren’t options,” said Sarah Weir. She is Kentwood Public Schools coordinator for the McKinney-Vento Act, federal legislation that helps children continue to go to school even if they don’t have a permanent home. (To receive services, such as transportation, under the act, they must be identified as homeless, according to certain criteria.)
Casey Gordon, who coordinates the McKinney-Vento Act grant for Kent and Allegan counties at Kent ISD, said more students are facing prolonged homelessness and are being newly identified as homeless.
Sara Weir
“It’s directly related to the lack of affordable housing,” she said.
School districts each year start their count of homeless students in July. During the first few weeks of school in Grand Rapids Public Schools, 194 students newly reported as homeless.
“It was huge. We had to rush,” said Edna Stewart, the district’s homeless/foster care coordinator. Last year, 953 students were homeless in the more than 15,300-student district compared to 661 in 2017-2018.
‘ALMOST EVERYONE I WORK WITH IS WORKING, THEY JUST CAN’T AFFORD THE RENT. SO MANY ARE DOUBLED UP.’
– Sara Weir, Kentwood Public Schools
Weir, who is in her fourth year in the position, said last school year 216 students were identified as homeless in Kentwood. This year that number was already at 165 in mid-November. “It’s never been this high in the three years before this,” she said. “It’s been the busiest start that I’ve ever had.”
Rural and suburban areas are seeing similar trends, say district coordinators. In Cedar Springs Public Schools in late October, Ashley Reynolds has already worked with 75 students. Last school year, 60 registered by the end of the school year. In Comstock Park, Missi McPherson has already assisted 42 homeless students. Last year’s total was 61.
No Place to Call Home
Gordon said the issue is as much a problem of housing availability as affordability. Grand Rapids has less than 4 percent of rental units available, which is one of the lowest rates in the country.
Casey Gordan
“That means we have lots and lots of people applying for every apartment and home that’s available,” Gordon said. “Landlords and rental companies then have a variety of applicants to choose from. They look at every factor, including incredibly high credit scores. Anyone who has a barrier in their past credit history, it becomes very difficult for them to find an affordable unit.”
Gordon said she received eight calls in one week from people asking for rental assistance. “They are working multiple jobs and still don’t have enough to make their rent payment.”
However, there aren’t enough resources to meet demand for help paying the rent. “We absolutely have a dire need for more resources to keep people stable,” she said.
‘THEY ARE WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS AND STILL DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE THEIR RENT PAYMENT.’
– Casey Gordon, Kent ISD
That’s the case on Grand Rapids’ rapidly developing West Side, where skyrocketing rents have driven out many residents, while homes for sale are hard to come by and out of many buyers’ price range. So says Jim Davis, a city planning commissioner and executive director of Westside Collaborative, an alliance of nonprofits and faith-based agencies that works to support equity and quality of life for all. Davis says renters may hear from landlords, “Hey, we love having you, your lease is up. We’re going to take your $900 a month payment and it’s going to be $1,800, but we hope you’ll stay” – not a realistic option for most.
Related Story: ‘We didn’t notice they’re gone’ – A West Side resident with two children in Grand Rapids Public Schools, Jim Davis worries about the families who can’t afford to live in that booming area and the impact on schools.
Skyrocketing Rents
With 43 percent of families not earning enough to afford basic needs, according to a reportcompleted by the Michigan Association of United Ways, incomes aren’t aligning with housing prices.
Units that advertise as affordable often really aren’t, Stewart said.
“Affordable housing here is not affordable housing. Who are you really targeting when you say ‘affordable housing’ and you promote these new apartments being built? You are not targeting (those) in need of that housing.”
Edna Stewart
In Kenowa Hills Public Schools, which had 173 homeless students enrolled last school year, area hotels and motels serve as temporary living arrangements.
“In the last five years, that’s been the trend they’ve seen increasing,” Gordon said. “People from Grand Rapids and northern parts of Kent County and many other districts are landing in the hotels in Kenowa Hills.”
In Kentwood, Weir said most families that come to her — about 10 each week — have exhausted their options. Minimum wage jobs paying $9.45 per hour — that’s $1,638 a month for a 40-hour week (if one got paid in full for every week of the year) — don’t come close to paying the bills.
‘AFFORDABLE HOUSING HERE IS NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YOU ARE NOT TARGETING (THOSE) IN NEED OF THAT HOUSING.’
– Edna Stewart, Grand Rapids Public Schools
“They can’t find a place,” Weir said. “Almost everyone I work with is working, they just can’t afford the rent. So many are doubled up — more than ever before.”
Weir has families facing sudden homelessness because apartment complexes are hiking rates and not renewing leases, forcing families to move when prices increase. “We are running into a lot of people who have a place to live and they think everything is fine, then they get kicked out because (the property owner) can charge more.”
Weir used to print out lists of available rentals. Now, she helps families get on a list for shelters. One Kentwood family living out of a car was 21st on a waiting list to get into a shelter.
“I tell them the best thing is to keep your eyes open when driving around,” she said, noting that private homeowners aren’t always as strict about credit and eviction records.
Waiting Lists, Shelters, Hotels
In Comstock Park, McPherson, educational support services coordinator, said many of her families — working two or three low paying jobs to make ends meet — are priced out of the rental market. She had 15 students in early November living in Grand Rapids shelters.
“They were on the waiting list so Salvation Army was putting them up in hotels until there were openings,” McPherson said. (Under the McKinney-Vento Act, students have the right to be transported to their district of origin if needed and feasible.)
Missi McPherson
About a quarter of students in Comstock Park schools live in the York Creek Apartments, where two-bedroom units start at $785. If families lose those units, there are few other options available. One hotel in the district offers extended stays, but it’s full too, she said.
“When a house or apartment comes available that’s reasonably priced, it’s snatched up very quickly. There’s just not the availability out there. We are so small and there are not that many rental properties outside of York Creek,” McPherson said.
In Cedar Springs, “We are the highest we’ve been since we’ve had a homeless liaison,” Ashley Reynolds said of the 75 homeless students she’s worked with so far this year.
“There were two houses listed for rent and two of our families went to look at them, but they were like $1,600 for a three-bedroom. They just don’t have the means to afford that.”
‘WHEN A HOUSE OR APARTMENT COMES AVAILABLE THAT’S REASONABLY PRICED, IT’S SNATCHED UP VERY QUICKLY.’
– Missi McPherson, Comstock Park Public Schools
A fire at Red Flannel Acres, an affordable housing community in the district, destroyed eight units, displacing several families and leading them to double up with other families.
Another trend is living in campers or tiny cottages on campgrounds, Reynolds said. “We have a couple families who have campers that are going to try and stay in there all winter. You never want to see that, but then if they don’t have anywhere else to go it’s better than nothing.”
Prices Higher than Many Can Afford
Many families live on incomes above the poverty level, but don’t earn enough to cover basic needs.
Statewide, of 3.935 million households, 14 percent lived in poverty in 2017 and another 29 percent had incomes under what’s needed to cover basic expenses.
In Kent County, including those living below the poverty line, 37 percent of families did not earn enough to cover basic needs.
As for wages, 61 percent of all jobs in Michigan pay less than $20 per hour.
Ashley Reynolds
Gordon hopes to see increased community efforts to help families afford housing, keep their jobs, be able to work — and have their children go to school without worrying about being displaced at the end of the day. “We need real affordable housing,” she said, adding, “$1,200 a month is not affordable housing for a family of five that has one income and little ones.”
Action Needed Locally
Gordon said many cities and counties across the nation are taking steps to increase affordable housing options. They are tapping into grant sources, incentivizing developers and working through planning commissions.
The issue can be controversial, however, because of the stigma surrounding affordable housing. Communities often resist multi-family residences.
‘WE HAVE A COUPLE FAMILIES WHO HAVE CAMPERS THAT ARE GOING TO TRY AND STAY IN THERE ALL WINTER.’
– Ashley Reynolds
But city master planning should prioritize long-term stability and growth, without increasing family and youth homelessness, she said.
“We see some very hopeful things but we also see problems that continue to be a problem. The ‘We don’t want affordable housing here. Why would we incentivize multiple family units?’ It is a tension between everyone wanting a wonderful place to live, work and be, but how do you ensure you have equality in that system?”
Nevertheless, she said, people can work together for the benefit of all.
“Business owners, politicians and the city really have a significant interest in ensuring we are a community where everybody is able to live and work and get around.”
For more stories about local schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
Winter gatherings might not seem complete without a warm crackling fire, but when a get-together includes kids, safety needs to be on everyone’s mind.
First of all, a window should be cracked open to provide proper ventilation whenever a fire is burning, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Then, the group suggests, take these additional steps to help avoid fire-related accidents and injuries:
Check the damper or flue before starting a fire. This can be done by looking up the chimney with a flashlight or mirror. Make sure the flue is open. Then, keep it open until the fire is out completely so that all smoke goes outside. It’s also important to check for animal nests or other blockages in the chimney that could cause smoke to fill the house. Chimneys should also be checked at least once a year by a professional.
Avoid burning wet or green wood. Dry and well-aged wood burns evenly and creates less smoke and soot that can build up in the chimney. It’s also a good idea to burn smaller pieces of wood on a grate. They will burn more quickly and generate less smoke than larger logs.
Don’t allow ashes to build up. Once a fire is out, the ashes left behind should be removed. Ashes restrict air supply to burning wood, which produces more smoke. There should never be more than an inch layer of ashes in a fireplace.
Clear the area around the fireplace. Placing furniture, curtains, decorations, newspapers, books or other items near a fireplace could result in a house fire. Nothing flammable should be stored too close to a fireplace. Also keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Don’t leave fires unattended. There should always be an adult in the room when there’s a fire in the fireplace. Never leave children alone in a room with a fire. Children should also be taught about fire safety. And, before leaving the house or going to bed, make sure that the fire is completely out.
Use safety screens. Hot glass doors in front of a fire can cause serious burns. Installing a safety screen in front of the fireplace can reduce the chance of an injury.
Store fireplace tools out of children’s reach. Kids can be tempted to play with the tools. Also store lighters and matches out of sight.
Equip your home with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Check the devices monthly to make sure they’re working. Replace their batteries at least once a year.
The Crockery Creek Watershed Advisory Council announced that it will host a workshop on resources for land and water best management practices at its next business meeting, Tues., Jan. 28, at 6:30pm at Cellar Brewery, 133 E. Division St., in Sparta.
Speaker Ben Jordan of the Ottawa Conservation District will discuss the services it offers to farmers and land owners, as well as funding resources available to implement better environmental practices. The conservation district currently has funding to offer confidential, free or reduced-cost assistance to residents in the Deer and Bass Creek Watersheds wanting to implement better land and water management practices on their property.
“The conservation district hopes to be able make more best management practices resources available in the Crockery Creek Watershed, so we encourage residents to join us at this presentation to learn more and get involved in the process,” Jordan said. “Until then, we are always able to provide advice, technical assistance, and connect residents to resources they need to get started with their own conservation work.”
Agricultural, water and land best management practices are designed to assist land-owners and agricultural producers in: balancing efficient production with sound environmental practices, meeting scientific standards for best environmental protection, runoff prevention, planning for emergencies, and safe fuel and chemical storage.
According to Callie Melton, who handles pubic relations for the Crockery Creek Watershed Advisory Council, there are are number of things people can do right now to help address water problems where they area. She noted that all the waterways are connected.
One example is to let your grass grow to three inches or higher before moving or leave more areas un-mowed.
“The more water captured by the ground, native plans and deeper root systems — will help reduce water flow into the Grand River and Lake Michigan,” Melton said.
For more tips and ideas, visit the the Crockery Creek Watershed Advisory Council meeting and workshop on Jan. 28.at Cellar Brewery.
Federal health officials have unveiled plans to allow prescription drug imports from Canada and other foreign nations.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing a rule under which states could import some prescription drugs from Canada, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced recently.
The agency also plans to make it easier for drug manufacturers to import their own FDA-approved drugs that are manufactured abroad and intended for sale in other countries.
“This would potentially allow for the sale of these drugs at lower prices than currently offered to American consumers, giving drug makers new flexibility to reduce list prices,” Azar told reporters.
Azar touted the proposals as “historic.”
All imported drugs would have to be FDA-approved, tested to ensure quality and relabeled to meet U.S. labeling requirements, added Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health.
State programs created to import medications would be limited to pills that patients would typically get from a pharmacy, Azar said.
Injectable products, controlled substances, biologic products and intravenous drugs would not be allowed.
States would create these programs, possibly in conjunction with wholesalers or pharmacies, and then submit them to FDA for approval, Giroir said.
However, drug manufacturers would be able to import any of their own products from other foreign countries, Azar said. That would include products such as insulin, which has recently been subject to steep price hikes.
“Every product is available for importation from every country by a manufacturer,” Azar said. “There is no restriction there, if a manufacturer is willing.”
The manufacturer pathway is intended to address the “bizarre” system of drug rebates that some pharmaceutical companies have blamed for high prices, Azar said.
“Even if the drug company would like to lower the list price of their drug, they may actually be precluded from doing so because of their arrangements with these middle men, where they have to funnel a certain amount of rebate money to those middle men,” Azar said.
Drug companies have said if they can get a new National Drug Code for an imported version of the exact same medicine, then they would compete against their own products at a lower list price, Azar said.
The new proposals are only aimed at brand-name drugs, Giroir said.
“The draft guidance does not address generic drugs because we are not aware of similar private market challenges for reducing the cost of generic drugs,” Giroir said.
The FDA is open to considering similar proposals for generic if warranted, he added.
The officials could not say how soon patients will benefit from these proposals, but said that the manufacturer’s guidance will likely move faster because it faces fewer regulatory hurdles.
Longevity science is targeted not only towards extending our natural life spans, but also improving the quality of life overall. Longevity science has grown in recent years into a complicated and advanced discipline, with a variety of studies emerging that may have very real benefits within our lifetimes. Here are some of the tips and tricks discovered that appear to slow the process of aging.
Keep mentally active
Crossword puzzles and Sudoku are popular for a reason. Keeping yourself mentally active is one of the keys to reducing mental aging, such as dementia and the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. While keeping mentally active is not a cure to either of these issues, it can significantly slow down their progression. Play memory games, read books, and do other mentally focused activities each day.
Get your exercise
Physical fitness is important not only to keep you comfortable and healthy but also to keep your mind sharp and your spirits raised. Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive performance and mood. That doesn’t mean that you need to take a step aerobics class each day. Taking a long walk, gardening, and hiking are all excellent examples of physical activities that will slow down the aging process without being too intense.
Invest in hobbies
Hobbies are one of the best ways to keep yourself active. Knitting, book clubs, and other social hobbies can fulfill multiple needs at once — and all hobbies provoke thought. Think about the things that you enjoy doing; if you enjoy doing it, there’s almost certainly a group devoted to it. There are even groups available for individuals who enjoy scrapbooking and other relaxing activities. Your hobbies are one of the things that will likely keep you the most active outside of the house.
Stay social
Whether you volunteer at a local community center or simply chat with your friends, remaining well-socialized is one of the keys to keeping yourself active and fit. Socialization isn’t just a basic human need; it also involves a lot of mental stimulation. When you carry on a conversation with your friends, you’re remembering things and applying logic — both things that will keep your mind sharp. Remaining well-socialized also helps keep you motivated.
Eat right
Studies have shown that the cultures with the most longevity tend to eat diets that concentrate on lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. These diets often include high amounts of good fats, such as those found in avocados and olive oils. Red meats and starchy staples are relatively rare. By eating right, you can both feel better and potentially slow down your aging process. Antioxidants are also said to have a positive effect.
Slowing aging isn’t just about living a long life — it’s also about living a comfortable one. In general, keeping both physically and mentally active is one of the best ways that individuals can slow down the aging process and remain youthful and vital even in their later years.
You may be familiar with the census—it happens every 10 years, after all—yet there are often a number of misconceptions about how it works and why it is done.
The U.S. Census Bureau is set to conduct the next census in 2020, and if you are a Michigan resident, it is important that you are counted! The census count determines the share of billions of dollars in federal funding that Michigan receives each year, and your being counted helps communities create jobs, provide housing, fund K-12 education, prepare for emergencies, support programs for older adults; and build schools, roads, hospitals, and libraries.
There are changes being made in how the count will be managed this time around, which may make it more difficult and confusing for older adults and lead to opportunities for scammers to take advantage of seniors. We want you to be prepared and confident when filling out your census information; therefore, here are a few quick things you need to know.
How it works:
Each home will receive a request to respond to a short questionnaire—online, by phone, or by mail in mid-March. This mailing will include a unique Census ID code for your residence. This year will mark the first time that you will be able to respond to the census online, and you also have the option of responding by phone.
A reminder postcard and letter will be sent before a census worker will come to your home to try to fill out the census. They will wear an official Census worker badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and expiration date. Be aware, census workers will never ask for a Social Security Number or banking information. Census forms are filled out by household. Everyone living at the address matters and everyone needs to be counted, including children.
Funding:
As mentioned, federal funding is determined through the census. The distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds, grants, and support to states, counties, and communities is based on this census data. For each person that is not counted properly in Michigan, the state will lose approximately $1,800 in state and federal funds per person each year for the next ten years. You matter!
How you fit in:
Courtesy Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan
Of course, we want everyone counted and that means YOU. Be ready for the census information to come out in mid-March, and if you happen to travel to a different state in the winter months but spend more than six months each year in Michigan, then you should still respond as a Michigan resident. You can use the unique Census ID code sent to your Michigan address to respond online or by phone, or you can wait to respond until you get home.
It is also important to note that the census is completely confidential, and your responses to the census are safe and secure. Under Title 13 of the U.S. Code, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about individuals, households, or businesses, even to law enforcement agencies. The Census Bureau can only use your answers to produce data and statistics.
Be sure to fill out the census this coming spring! You can learn more about the census at https://mivoicecounts.org/ or by calling (517) 492-2400.
Well the calendar flipped to a new decade — it you start at zero to mark the decade — and with the changing of the calendar, we thought we would take a look at some of the most popular WKTV stories of 2019.
In compiling this list, I took a look at both page views on a story, which indicates the number of people who clicked on the article, and also social media statistics. The result is a mix of both most read and shared articles from the WKTV Journal website.
Ranking Number One
All we can say about the top 2019 story is that everyone must love a good mystery as the “Mystery billboards along US-131 revealed” was the WKTV’s most read story for 2019. The billboards which featured the words “abuse, lonely, neglect, fear, trauma, abandonment” got people talking which according to officials from D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s was the purpose in raising awareness about April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Top 2018 stories for the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming
There was a lot of anticipation of special events, the City of Wyoming’s annual Spring Carnival, and all of the redevelopment activity at Woodland Mall which included the addition of Von Maur and The Cheesecake Factory.
“It’s never too early or too late to work towards being the healthiest you.”
Anonymous
Seeing 2020 (health) in 2020
The quest for health and fitness can be a difficult challenge with the hectic pace of busy schedules and the bustle of the holidays. But January is a great time to start by making a resolution to strive for health.. Go here for the story.
Eating is part of healthy living
A typical workout doesn’t give you license to eat whatever you want. Even a full hour of vigorous skiing burns just 600 calories — less than the amount in a super-sized fast food sandwich. Go here for the story.
Healthy questions to ask the Doc
Even if your yearly physical isn’t scheduled for several months, there are questions you should ask your doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner during your appointment. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
Be an ‘8 percenter’!
Less than 8 percent of people actually stick to their resolutions each year, according to some estimates, but whether you want to lose weight, get organized, or achieve anything else in 2020, it’s all about sticking to your goals. Source.
Winter in the Midwest is no joke! Sudden storms and freezing temperatures can make life difficult for anyone who lives here—especially for seniors. It’s important for seniors to have a steady internal temperature, as their bodies aren’t able to regulate body heat and maintain warmth the way they could when they were younger.
In the Midwest, winters can be extremely harsh, so it’s important that you take the necessary steps to ensure that your senior loved one is staying warm. From making sure their apartment is full of blankets and sweaters to limiting outdoor exposure as much as possible, there are plenty of ways you can help protect your loved one and keep them warm!
1. Turn the heat up
While most of us are used to turning down the heat in winter to help save money on heating bills, a senior’s home should be kept at a warmer temperature to protect them from getting chills. Remember, a senior’s body loses heat faster than people middle aged or younger. A senior’s home should be kept at 70 degrees during the winter at the very lowest.
2. Prepare for outages
Harsh storms can sometimes cause power outages at the most inopportune moments. Having no heat or light is a dangerous situation, so help your loved ones prepare for the risk by:
Stocking their house with flashlights and batteries
Keeping an eye on the weather report and encouraging your loved one to go stay with family before big storms
Reminding loved ones to keep their cell phones charged
Having a case of bottled water and shelf-stable foods in case of multiple-day outages
3. Dress in layers
It’s always easier to take layers off when you get too hot than it is to try and add them on after you’ve gotten too cold. Putting on a sweater after your internal body temperature has dropped often means a slow reheating process.
Encourage your elderly family members to wear multiple layers, which will help them maintain their body temperatures. And remember, layering isn’t just for heading outside, it’s equally as important to have extra clothing while staying indoors as well.
4. Keep blankets nearby
When we start to feel chilly, throwing a blanket over ourselves is a great way to quickly warm up. In your loved one’s home, make this simple task even easier by strategically leaving blankets in places where they might need them, such as near chairs or by their bed.
5. Warm drinks and foods
Eating and drinking warm foods can help encourage the body to maintain its internal temperature, as well as proving the essential nutrients needed for the body to maintain its mass and health during the winter. Rather than cold foods and iced water, encourage your senior family members to have foods like hot soups and tea.
6. Cover extremities
It’s important to remember in colder months that the hands, feet, and head are the parts of the body that get chilled and lose their warmth first. With that in mind, it’s essential for these extremities to be protected in winter.
Hats, mittens, gloves, socks, and slippers are all examples of clothing items that are necessary to keep an elderly loved one from getting too cold throughout the winter. Hats and gloves can be worn inside to stay warm if needed, and having these clothing items nearby is helpful, so seniors don’t need to go searching when they get cold.
7. Safety when traveling
Just like we need to prepare for a power outage, it’s important to prepare for vehicle breakdowns in winter as well. If your loved one travels alone, ensure they keep extra coats, blankets, and even boots in their car in case of an emergency. Similarly, if they are being driven by someone else, make sure they have extra warm clothes and water with them in case of an emergency.
8. Limit outdoor exposure
The worst of winter weather is obviously found outdoors. Freezing temperatures, ice, and wet snow that chills us quickly are all dangerous features of a Midwest winter. In order to protect your loved one, do what you can to keep them out of the elements.
Helping keep a loved one indoors can mean anything from running errands for them to doing what you can to encourage them to enjoy the weather from inside the home rather than out of it. Keeping seniors inside helps them stay warm, and also reduces the risk of dangerous falls.
While Midwest winters are more punishing than in other areas, they are still manageable with a plan and some preparation. Helping your senior loved ones stay warm is a wonderful to keep them safe from the elements, even as the winter storms rage outside.
Apart from the sheer fun of owning a pet, having a dog enhances well-being and even personal growth in many ways.
Caring for a dog teaches kids responsibility and offers everyone in the family unconditional love.
Many studies have found that the social support that dogs—and pets in general—provide boosts their owner’s emotional health.
There are also many physical benefits to dog ownership.
Walking Rover on a regular basis—once or twice every day—can help you reach your own daily exercise goals and, in turn, lower your heart disease risk.
In fact, according to one study, owners who walk their dogs on a regular basis are over 50% more likely to meet minimum exercise guidelines. Surprisingly, though, many people simply don’t walk their dogs enough for them or their pets to get in a good workout.
The advantages of having a dog extend beyond the home.
Bringing your pooch to work can reduce your stress.
And studies by researchers at Central Michigan University suggest the presence of a four-legged “co-worker” can boost cooperation, bonding and trust among employees.
That’s important because getting people to work effectively as a group is often a challenge, even when companies try to engage staffers with activities like team-bonding exercises.
For the study, researchers divided participants into groups with and without a dog and gave each group creative tasks to complete. People in the groups with a dog showed more enthusiasm and energy and felt more closeness and trust than those without a dog.
It seems that having a dog in the room encourages kind and helpful behavior, which in turn can help boost how well you do.
If your workplace morale needs a jolt, consider a canine addition to the staff.
“Just this side of Heaven is a place called the Rainbow Bridge.” — unknown
Almost without exception, someone during the monthly grief support group I facilitate will ask about or refer to ‘The Legend of the Rainbow Bridge’.
The Rainbow Bridge tells of a pastoral place filled with green meadows and hills located just outside of Heaven’s gates. According to the Legend, when a companion animal dies, he goes to this place — free of illness and injury but saddened by the continuing absence of his human companion. The animal, it continues, playfully romps with other animals as they patiently await the arrival of their human companions. Upon the death of an animal’s human companion, the two reunite to walk over the Bridge into Heaven, hand-in-paw, to live eternally ever after.
It is unknown who originally penned The Rainbow Bridge. A number of people claim authorship including the following: Paul C. Dahm, a grief counselor who is said to have written the poem in 1981 and published it in a 1998 book of the same name; William N. Britton, author of Legend of Rainbow Bridge; and Dr. Wallace Sife, head of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, whose poem All Pets Go to Heaven appears on the Association’s website as well as in his book, The Loss of a Pet.
Today, The Rainbow Bridge appears in publications as well as websites throughout the world. Veterinarians routinely provide copies to their human clients upon the death of a companion animal. There are a stack of take-home cards with the words printed on them sitting on a small table alongside a box of tissues in the Serenity Room, the room offered to people whose animals have just died, at the Humane Society. The Legend has inspired writers to gently dissect the rainbow by color and meaning and use it as a launching point for the development of a grieving kit. There is even an interactive virtual memorial home for companion animals at http:/www.rainbowsbridge.com.
The Rainbow Bridge is undergirded by what some would believe to be religious ideas of an afterlife and Heaven. While none of the world’s religions ascribe to such a place, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the Judeo-Christian tradition, after the Flood, God establishes a covenant Noah and “every living creature.” God tells Noah to keep an eye out for rainbows, as they will forever serve as a reminder of God’s eternal promise.
The Legend also shares similarities with the setting of Canadian Margaret Marshall Saunders’ 1902 book, Beautiful Joe’s Paradise. Her book was a sequel to her 1893 story, Beautiful Joe, for which she had won a Humane Society writing contest. Saunders’ vision in her book differs slightly from that of The Rainbow Bridge. In Saunders’ imagination, companion animals arrive to a green land to heal and learn from neglect and abuse suffered during their lives. When ready, animals are taken to Heaven by a balloon.
When The Rainbow Bridge is broached in our Group, the reactions mimic those I’ve received to my informal inquiry made in preparation for writing this month’s column. Most people experience an extreme response. Either the Legend provides a great source of comfort, or it evokes an expression of scornful derision.
Yesterday, a veterinarian friend of mine shared her love-hate relationship with the idea. On the one hand, she finds it to be a kitschy cliché to which people desperately cling for comfort. On the other, it actually is a source of deep comfort and healing. She went on to share that she had recently attended a conference in which The Rainbow Bridge was put to music and played during a guided grief meditation. My friend admitted to being instantly reduced to tears.
In the end, the critical question isn’t whether one believes in the existence of The Rainbow Bridge or not. What matters is whether The Rainbow Bridge is a meaningful source of comfort and light in the painful and dark journey of grieving.
Animal advocate and attorney Ginny Mikita is the founder of Animal Blessings, an organization dedicated to honoring the sacred worth of all animals. Mikita’s companion animal loss support services include facilitating a monthly Companion Animal Loss Grief Support Group, officiating an annual Memorial Service in December, writing grief columns for local publications and speaking at gatherings — local and national — of animal care and protection professionals. Additionally, Mikita regularly officiates Blessings of the Animals in both religious and secular environments.
It’s important to be involved with your loved one’s health as they age so you can best assist them with medications, doctor’s visits, and other care needs. While being aware of the physical needs of your family members is essential, it’s equally important to be mindful of the state of their mental health.
Seniors can often suffer from loneliness and depression that goes undiagnosed and untreated. Typically this omission comes from the fact that seniors tend to hide mental health concerns from their families out of guilt or shame. That’s why it’s critical to know what signs to be on the lookout for in senior family members and understand how depression and loneliness manifest in elderly people.
A serious epidemic
Shockingly, many people are under the impression that loneliness and depression in old age are a normal part of the aging process. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Loneliness and depression are diagnosed medical conditions that aren’t just a part of growing old, but are part of a serious epidemic in seniors.
Just as with younger people, untreated depression and loneliness in seniors can have severe consequences on both mental and physical health. And, when paired with other health conditions that many older people experience, the symptoms of these mental health issues can have even farther-reaching long-term effects.
Four unexpected consequences of loneliness and depression
Senior loneliness is a specific type of social isolation that occurs when an older person no longer engages in the world around them as they did when they were younger. This condition often occurs in seniors who live at home and don’t have daily social interactions.
While living at home rather than moving to a senior living community is a favorable idea for most seniors, it can become extremely lonely if transportation and mobility become limited. And, if children and grandchildren are too busy with their own schedules to visit often, older family members can find themselves alone and overwhelmed with feelings of worthlessness and detachment.
Less frequent communication with family and friends
Debilitating medical diagnoses
Despondent attitude
What is senior depression?
Like loneliness, senior depression is often the result of changes in health, mobility, or mindset. While it’s reasonable for seniors to have some feelings of anger or sadness about their changing position in life, a serious mental health condition like depression is different than these general emotions and should never be taken lightly.
If you believe a loved one is suffering from depression, speak to them immediately and ensure they have access to the necessary resources should they reach a breaking point, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Depression should never be ignored, even if having a conversation with your senior family member about their mental health is difficult. By being open and willing to listen to them while also being on the lookout for signs that overall sadness has progressed into something more, you can help protect your loved ones.
Signs of senior depression
Overwhelming feelings of sadness, hopelessness, shame, or guilt
The consequences of senior loneliness and depression are frightening to consider, but the good news is that there is plenty that you can do to help your loved ones. The number one thing you can do is to be there for your family members and make time to check in and visit with them.
In addition, you can offer them rides to social events if you live close by, take them out for dinners and shopping trips, and encourage them to find new opportunities to engage with other people. Socialization is essential for maintaining cognitive and mental health in old age, so doing your part to help seniors stay social goes a long way in preventing and treating loneliness and depression.
If you are still concerned that your loved one isn’t getting the necessary interactions they need to stay healthy, you might want to talk to them about assisted living. Assisted living provides seniors not only with the care services they need to age in place, but plenty of opportunities for making new friends and relationships with other residents.
While leading an exhibit on frogs, second grader Alex Meyer focused on the facts: They eat bugs. They have teeth on their upper jaws (but toads are toothless). Poisonous ones are colorful.
Kalen Lee shares information about snakes. (School News Network)
Alex indicated how he found interesting information within several nonfiction books during his time spent as a researcher. “My teacher had me put sticky notes in books,” he said.
Alex and his classmates at Oriole Park Elementary School spent a recent morning as mini-experts, presenting information in the multi-purpose room turned nonfiction museum. The event was attended by parents, teachers and district administrators. The museum served as a celebration to cap off a month-long study by students on topics like hurricanes, tigers, butterflies, horses and birds.
“There are billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy,” said second grader Jace Bloomer as he talked about the sky and space.
Said student Amy Hernandez during her presentation: “Hurricanes are bad but cool, and are amazing but dangerous.”
Jace Bloom researched and presented on the sky and space. (School News Network)
Students of second grade teachers Danielle Terpstra, Kristen Accorsi and Sarah Buys-McKenney created their own nonfiction books, complete with ideas condensed into sections and lingo as well as illustrations and diagrams. Each student used several books for research and to develop their materials.
“Because they had to look over multiple books, they couldn’t just focus on one page, they had to think about their ideas across all of their texts,” Terprsta said.
The teachers use a curriculum called Lucy Calkins Units of Study, which involves a nonfiction unit. Students learn early research skills, like how to access and read nonfiction. The class focused on becoming “tour guides of their knowledge,” McKenney said.
“Our real focus is that they learn to retell and talk about what they know as a topic, not just retell and talk about what happened in a book. It so they can pull in lots of books about the same topic and be able to talk in that expert way about what they wanted to talk about.”
The annual January Series concert will be by the 5 Browns, on Jan. 16. The 5 Browns — Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae — all attended New York’s Juilliard School. (Supplied)
WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
The January Series, according to the series’ Calvin University website, “cultivates deep thought and conversations about important issues of the day in order to inspire cultural renewal and make us better global citizens in God’s world.”
It is also a safe space to engage in religious thought and debate on topics originating from America and around the globe. Including a discussion on creation vs. evolution, and reports on religious freedoms in China, the Middle East, as well as here at home in America.
This year from Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, through Tuesday, Jan. 28, the free-admission, 15-day annual lecture series will be held on the campus of Calvin University, and is also available via closed-circuit broadcast at more than 60 remote sites — in more than 50 cities throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe — or online for live audio streaming.
According to the university, the 2020 edition of the January Series features New York Times best-selling authors, Billboard-topping musicians, and a 41-year veteran of the White House press corps, and it includes issues ranging from poverty and hunger, the global water crisis, immigration, mass incarceration, to big data’s inequality and threat to democracy.
Najla Kassab’s lecture, “The Reformed Church in the Middle East: Hopes and Challenges”, will be Jan. 28. (Supplied)
Among the religious-themed lecturers, discussion titles and dates are: Todd Charles Wood and Darrel R. Falk, “Moving Beyond Label to a Christian Dialogue about Creation and Evolution”, Jan. 9; Bob (Xiqiu) Fu, “When Caesar Demands to be God: Religious Freedom in China”, Jan. 17; Karen Gonzalez, “The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to belong, Jan. 27; and Najla Kassab, “The Reformed Church in the Middle East: Hopes and Challenges”, Jan. 28.
Notable names, religious openness
A few of the more notable names in the lineup include Ann Compton, a television reporter who covered seven presidents; Mitch Albom, an author, columnist, radio host, and philanthropist whose books have sold over 39 million copies and been translated into more than 45 languages; and Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at NYU whose last two books were New York Times best-sellers.
Jonathan Haidt’s lecture, “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are setting up a Generation for Failure”, will be Jan. 13. Albom’s lecture, on Jan. 21, will be “A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family. Compton’s lecture, on Jan. 22, will be “Up Close and Very Personal: My 41 years in the Whit House Press Corps”.
“Gaining knowledge is the first step to making a difference,” Kristi Potter, the director of the January Series. “If we don’t know about these topics, then we don’t know how we can actually make a difference.”
Potter says this work starts with listening, even to those with whom we may disagree, such as evolution.
“We have the opportunity to hear from two respected scientists who hold opposing viewpoints on the topic of origins,” she said. “One is a six-day creationist, the other a theistic evolutionist, and both feel strongly about their views. Both actually feel the other person’s view is harming the church. … And yet, the two have learned to talk to rather than past one another, using respectful dialogue with the understanding that they are both Christians.”
While Potter says the series will dig deep into some of the complex issues facing the world today, it will also highlight the great progress being made in some of these areas. One talk will be Johan Norberg’s, “Progress: 10 Reasons to Look Forward to the Future”, on Thursday, Jan. 24.
“It’s not all doom and gloom, positive things are happening,” she said.
Cathy O’Neil’s lecture, “Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequity and Threatens Democracy”, will be Jan.14. (Supplied)
Among the other lecturers, discussion titles and dates are: Longtime Calvin volleyball coach Amber Warners, “The Fierce Humility of Winning”, Jan. 8; Sandra Postel, “The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity, Jan. 10; Cathy O’Neil, “Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequity and Threatens Democracy”, Jan.14; Deborah and James Fallows, “Our Towns: A 100,000 mile Journey into the Heart of America”, Jan. 15; Alice Marie Johnson, “After Life: My Journey From Incarceration to Freedom”, Jan. 20; and Jeremy Everett, “Solving America’s Hunger Crisis”, Jan. 23.
The concert by the 5 Browns will be Jan. 16. The 5 Browns — Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae — all attended New York’s Juilliard School. In fact, they became the first family of five siblings ever accepted simultaneously. The piano playing quintet have released three CDs that each went to #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Album Chart. The New York Post has proclaimed: “One family, five pianos and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years.”
The series runs from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Covenant Fine Arts Center on Calvin’s campus. No tickets required for the day or one evening events (but they do fill up quickly, so do not be late).
A typical workout doesn’t give you license to eat whatever you want.
Even a full hour of vigorous skiing burns just 600 calories—less than the amount in a super-sized fast food sandwich. That’s why it’s important to think of exercise as just one part of a shape-up plan.
Exercise works the cardiovascular system and builds muscle, but it takes calorie restriction to also lose weight. Small diet tweaks that you can make when you’re building a healthier body through exercise will maximize your efforts.
Here’s what you need to know about nutrition when you work out regularly.
You don’t need to fuel up like a marathon runner, but give your body some nourishment about two hours before every workout to make exercise more effective. Have a small meal with healthy carbs and protein and some fat. If eating two hours in advance doesn’t work with your schedule, aim for a small snack about an hour before your workout.
It’s also important to eat a small meal with carbs and protein within two hours after your workout to give your body the nutrients it needs.
Keep in mind that “calories in and calories out” is a balancing act that varies from person to person.
So whether you’re trying to lose weight or maintain, keep a journal that records the amount of calories you get from food as well as the amount of calories burned off during workouts to see if your intake needs to be adjusted up or down.
Beware of so-called training supplements. These products aren’t regulated and their claims may not have any science behind them.
If you’re getting a good amount of whole foods in your diet—that is, unprocessed and unpackaged foods—you shouldn’t need any of these aids.
Finally, it can’t be stated often enough: Drink water as needed before, during and after exercise to stay hydrated, especially in hot and humid conditions.
The quest for health and fitness can be a difficult challenge with the hectic pace of busy schedules and the bustle of the holidays.
It seems that New Year’s Day offers us all a fresh new outlook and opportunity to start the year with optimism and hope to improve our lives.
Health and fitness is a journey that requires dedication and commitment.
There is no easy quick fix, patch, pill, cleanse or detox that will replace optimal nutrition and exercise.
Sometimes we can get side-tracked by injury, self-doubt, medical issues and a host of things, which complicate and derail our health goals. It is important to never give up and always continue to fight the good fight for your health. You are worth it!
Jan. 1 is a great time to start by making a resolution to strive for health.
Here’s how:
1. Schedule your annual
A physical exam with your primary care physician or provider should be first on your list. Make sure you are up-to-date on your screening labs, preventive cancer screenings and immunizations.
If you are starting an exercise regime or have weight-loss goals, this is an excellent time to discuss your options with your doctor and create a plan that will hold you accountable at future follow-up appointments.
2. Strive for 60 minutes of exercise a day
This could be broken up into smaller bits of time throughout the day. For example, you could take the stairs at work or park farther from an entrance.
3. Find a workout partner to hold you accountable
You are much less likely to let another person down. You can keep each other on track virtually through text messages or agree to meet in person to walk or exercise.
4. Add exercise to your schedule, and hold firm
Exercise either before work or on your way home from work. It is much easier to either get it done before the day starts or before you get home.
5. Prep your work-out items the night before
If you are an early morning exerciser, get all set well in advance of the alarm going off.
Sometimes sleeping in your exercise clothes might be the trick until you get into the habit of rising early. Set your shoes out, have your water bottle filled and things ready to go.
6. Get at least eight hours of sleep
Studies have shown that adequate sleep reduces stress hormones and will help with weight loss and overall health.
7. Drink enough water
Stay hydrated. This means 64 ounces for an average size adult. (Sorry, caffeinated beverages don’t count.)
8. Cut screen time
Decrease the amount of time spent in front of screens (TV, computer, tablet, phone) and move as much as possible.
Consider walking on your lunch break or taking a 10-minute walk around the house instead of checking social media posts.
9. Fill up on fruits and veggies
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables at all meals. This is an easy way to increase the amount of healthy foods without taking the time to measure anything.
10. Know the stats
Research shows it takes 21 days to make a habit. If you fall off the wagon, climb back on. The ride is much more enjoyable when you are doing positive things for your health.
Commit to just the day in front of you and make it great. Pretty soon, you might have an entire compilation of days that could add up to a new, healthier you.
Many people have heard the term “hospice” without really understanding exactly what it is or what hospice care provides. Those who don’t understand the term have probably never had a reason to think about it, and most don’t think about it until they are in a situation that requires it.
But, hospice care is something everyone should understand because you never know when a family member may require hospice services. But, before we answer, ‘what is hospice care?’ It’s important to point out that there are a lot of misconceptions about hospice. So, let’s start by talking about what Hospice care is NOT.
Hospice is NOT:
Just a place or facility
Whether you desire the full-time care of a Hospice facility or the convenience of a team of caregivers in the comfort of your home or in an assisted living community, hospice care offers flexibility.
Just for cancer patients
A long-standing myth, hospice provides end of life care to those with a wide range of end of life conditions such as kidney failure, heart failure, and advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Just for the patient
Many hospice services provide not only medical care for the patient but grief counseling and after death assistance for the family.
Permanent
Hospice is not a permanent choice. Anyone in hospice care may choose to leave and receive curative treatments at any time.
So, what is hospice care?
Hospice is medical care geared toward maintaining and improving quality of life for an individual whose illness or condition is likely incurable. Hospice is offered as an option when all curative measures have been exhausted and the life prognosis is six months or less.
Hospice IS:
Well-rounded care
Hospice care doesn’t just focus on one aspect of end-of-life care, like pain management. Pain management is part of it, but hospice professionals look at the whole life of the patient. They want to make them comfortable, help them engage in life as much as possible and help ease their minds and hearts. To do that, they provide not only medical care but emotional care as well.
A team of caregivers
Hospice isn’t just a single individual. To provide proper, end of life care, a team of professionals works together to administer medications, provide support, give physical therapy, and provide all the services that account for a fulfilled life, all the way to the end.
Respite care
Even those individuals who have vowed to care for their sick loved one sometimes need a break. In order to provide the best care possible, they need to be able to step away from time to time and leave their loved one in the care of someone they trust. Many hospice providers offer respite care so, even if you haven’t turned to a facility for full-time hospice help, you can still get the help you need when you need it.
Affordable
Many insurance plans cover a portion of the expense for Hospice care but for those that don’t, it is “covered by Medicare (through the Medicare Hospice Benefit), Medicaid (in most states), and The Veteran’s Health Administration,” according to the American Hospice Foundation’s website.
While different programs may offer different benefits, you can find a list of the services most Hospice Care Services provide on the the Hospice Foundation of America’s website. You should be sure to ask any facility or service you are considering what exactly they provide.
Bullied teens are more likely to develop mental health problems—and people with mental health problems are also more likely to become bullies, researchers report.
Even though many studies have shown that being bullied can leave mental scars, “no studies to date” have tested the notion that mental health issues might also help drive bullying, explained study author Marine Azevedo Da Silva. She’s a postdoctoral researcher in Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, in New York City.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 13,200 U.S. youth, aged 12 to 17, and found that:
79% said they’d never bullied others
11% said they’d bullied others over a year ago
10% said they’d bullied others in the past year
16% said they’d bullied others over a month ago
5% said they’d bullied others in the past month
Youth who said they’d been bullies were more likely to have a moderate to high rate of mental health problems than those who said they hadn’t bullied others.
The study also found that teens with moderate to high rates of mental health problems were more likely to bully others, compared to those without such issues.
In other words, the link between mental health issues and bullying “is likely to be bidirectional,” Azevedo Da Silva said in a school news release.
According to study senior author Dr. Silvia Martins, the findings suggest that efforts to stem bullying “should consider how to take into account and handle negative feelings and mental health problems” of young perpetrators.
Martins directs the Substance Abuse Epidemiology Unit at Mailman.
It’s estimated that between 18% and 31% of U.S. youth are involved in bullying, the researchers noted.
The study was published recently in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
— The eternal optimist
Hope is a roof over your head
The 3:11 Youth Housing Program is for youth ages 18 to 24, to transition from homelessness to stability. They focus on that age range because it’s when people are entering adulthood. It now consists of eight rehabbed duplex-style homes in Grand Rapids, each with room for three to four youths and a mentor or mentor couple. More info here.
Still time
David Wiesner (American, b. 1956), Art & Max, 2010. (Supplied)
If you haven’t taken your kids to the Grand Rapids Art Museum yet during winter break, you’re still in luck. The GRAM will waive admission fees for visitors age 17 and under through Jan. 5.
Grieving the loss of a loved one?
The holidays can often serve as a stumbling block on the journey from grief to healing. The topic of grief is not often something anyone wants to talk about, especially at a time of year that, for most, is a time of great joy and happiness. Here are some tips on how to cope.
Fun fact:
It’s nothing new
Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) began the concept of celebrating the new year in 2000 BC. Back then, people observed new year in mid-March, around the time of the vernal equinox. See? We’re not so special.
Senior Kuwann Crawford wasn’t looking to live an extravagant lifestyle on his firefighter’s salary, but he found himself feeling flummoxed when discovering that being able to pay the bills meant living with his parents.
“This is very stressful,” he said, looking for ways to cover the cost of housing, transportation, food, furniture, technology and clothes, before even thinking about having anything left for entertainment or charity.
Kuwann was participating in a simulated budgeting session using an app called Bite of Reality 2 in East Kentwood High School teacher Amy Broekhuizen’s personal finance course.
His challenge: create a budget on an income of $1,864 a month (the amount left after deductions from a $2,500 monthly income). He and his classmates chose professions with varying salaries and visited 10 stations with options for how to spend their money. An Audi Q7? A used Ford Focus? Restaurants every night? Cooking at Home? High-tech electronics? A modest Internet package?
Kuwann at first chose to live in a studio apartment for $640 month, drive a used Honda Civic for $459 per month in total transportation costs, and eat at home for $360 a month. He soon found he couldn’t stretch his income to pay for everything else.
“I’m in debt!” he said, after figuring in clothing costs. “I feel like I’m seeing how hard it is to be an adult and realizing all these responsibilities.”
Kuwann circled through the stations twice, begrudgingly agreeing to live with his parents and switch to a used Ford Focus to cut costs. “Figuring out how to manage the money is stressing me out.”
After more finagling, he ended up with $109 at the end of the month, 30 percent of which he put into savings and 70 percent toward the credit card debt the game had assigned him.
Senior Chase Montague found out he needed a ‘side hustle’ to make ends meet. Senior Kuwann Crawford had to readjust his budget several times. (School News Network)
Lessons In Money Management
Ben Harman, a relationship development manager with Arbor Financial Credit Union, offered the simulation as a cornerstone of several sessions he’s led in the class on financial literacy. He said many students don’t know how to buy a car or even what a credit report is, and East Kentwood is unique in offering a personal finance class. The Kalamazoo-based credit union has partnered with other high schools as well.
“The reason it’s important to reach these young people is they haven’t really had a chance to make a ruckus of their credit reports or bank accounts; they probably don’t have many bills,” he said, adding that if he can protect one of them from being taken advantage of losing money he considers himself successful.
East Kentwood’s semester-long personal finance class can be taken as an elective or for a math credit. Topics include taxes, checking and savings, credit cards, loans, credit reports, investing, insurance and budgeting.
Senior Kuwann Crawford works to balance his budget. (School News Network)
“The big takeaway is for them to really understand that a lot of the financial decisions they make now are ones that need to be continued throughout life,” Broekhuizen said. “They don’t have to have that instant gratification of buying it now and getting into debt… You need to get into the habit of saving so you can make those large purchases without going into debt.”
During the simulation, senior Morgan Arnold had a bit more money to work with than Kuwann, with her $4,100 lawyer’s take-home income. She had the most left over in the class — $1,400 — at the end of the month. “You don’t need to buy a new car to have a nice car,” was one of her tips. “Prioritizing is the biggest thing.”
Senior Chase Montague, however, learned he would need to take on a “side hustle” blogging to live on his journalist’s salary, $1,700 a month after deductions, wasn’t cutting it.
Senior Deivi Martinez also struggled, deciding against becoming an actor after trying to cover expenses on a $2,100-a-month income. “I couldn’t afford a nice car and a decent apartment,” he said. Instead, he wants to be an electrician.
For more stories on local schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
Homeless, with Homework: A new School News Network series on homelessness in schools and its connection to housing. As costs rise and the rental market has low availability, nearly 2,500 students in Kent ISD public schools are facing homelessness. These stories look into what’s led to the issue and how it impacts students. For more on the series, click here.
Eight years ago, Ja-Quari Moore-Bass was crashing at friends’ places because he had no permanent home. He knew several other teenagers also facing homelessness.
“Most of my classmates were couch-surfing,” said Moore-Bass, who was a student at Crossroads Alternative High School in Kentwood. He had also attended an alternative school in Kelloggsville. “They were staying at their neighbor’s house, a distant relative’s house. They weren’t living at home with parents.”
He drew the attention of Lauren and Jon VanKeulen, youth group leaders with CityLife Church in Grand Rapids, who dropped him off at the place where he was crashing.
They asked Moore-Bass if they could help in any way, and the answer turned out to be a broad one.
“The three of us found time over the next series of weeks to talk about the overarching issue,” he said. Many young adults needed a roof over their heads paired with guidance for navigating everything from budgeting to gaining employment.
“It’s more than just me,” he explained.
Moore-Bass and several others in situations similar to his own met with the VanKeulens. “We all came together to talk about things we felt we needed, as well as things we felt people didn’t understand about our situations.”
Ja-Quari Moore-Bass was a homeless youth. He co-founded 3:11 Youth Housing
Building Trust, Dispelling Misconceptions
The group started to create a blueprint for a youth housing program. The most concrete need was shelter, but other needs were more nuanced and complex.
“Overall, we needed a place to stay that did not have a large amount of restrictions, but had a guideline,” Moore-Bass said. They needed mentorship in finding and keeping jobs and maintaining and building relationships.
But that required understanding. “Some of us just need to talk to someone we know isn’t thinking the worst of us,” he said. “Oftentimes people assume you and your parents are fighting and you ran away; you are on drugs or have been drinking; you have a violent history or you chose the situation, which is not the case in most situations.”
Moore-Bass, for one, was finishing up high school credits when he became homeless. He was 19 and his mother was moving out of state, and he chose not to join her.
After she left, he soon ran out of money and found himself couch surfing. “From there it just continued. I didn’t have anything, a phone, address, nothing. Getting a job was the biggest thing, but I couldn’t get a job without an address or phone.”
He knew many homeless youth faced the same problems. Issues surrounding homelessness snowball and many youth lacked support.
A Blueprint Created With Youth
The3:11 Youth Housing Program took shape, opening its first house in 2013. Moore-Bass was one of the first residents. Having a stable living arrangement made it possible to find a job, which he did in the first week of living there.
The program was serving needs in a unique way because it was based on what youth indicated they needed most, Moore-Bass said.
“WE ARE IN A SPOT WHERE PEOPLE ARE REALISTICALLY SPENDING 80 TO 90 PERCENT ON HOUSING. WE SEE THE CRISIS OF HOMELESSNESS CONTINUING TO GROW, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES.”
– Lauren VanKeulen, co-founder of 3:11
The program is for youth ages 18 to 24, to transition from homelessness to stability. They focus on that age range because it’s when people are entering adulthood. It now consists of eight rehabbed duplex-style homes in Grand Rapids, each with room for three to four youths and a mentor or mentor couple.
“Eighteen is when you first get out of foster care. It’s when you are acknowledged as an adult and the outside world expects you to know everything: the square root of pi, how to apply for a grant, how to do everything on your own — you’re an adult. Just get the job done. OK, who was supposed to teach me any of those things?” he asked.
Youth pay $250 per month in rent; $50 is saved toward their first month’s rent and security deposit when they move out, $50 pays for utilities, and $150 helps defray the costs of operating the homes. They receive at least the first month free, as they work to stabilize, find employment and get on their feet.
A mentor lives in each property, providing guidance and support. Moore-Bass also served as a mentor.
“We have housed 47 people since we started, 23 youth along with six children,” said Lauren VerHeulen, co-founder and co-executive director of the program. She added that there is no time limit on how long a person can stay. Many have aged out of the foster care system.
3:11 Youth Housing houses young adults ages 18-24 and provides mentorship
Demand is High
Moore-Bass, now a board member for 3:11, said he is seeing more demand than there are rooms available. “The problem is consistently growing and currently there isn’t enough money for available property for us to fix the issue.”
Skyrocketing rental prices have left people with no options, said Lauren VanKeulen, who sits on the steering council for the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness and the executive committee of the Continuum of Care.
“Homelessness in general is on the rise. The crisis of affordable housing is significant. In Grand Rapids, where you once could afford a one-bedroom on minimum wage and maybe make it work, it’s entirely impossible now,” she said. “It creates real problems for any kind of affordability in trying to maintain your life.”
“EIGHTEEN IS WHEN YOU FIRST GET OUT OF FOSTER CARE. IT’S WHEN YOU ARE ACKNOWLEDGED AS AN ADULT AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD EXPECTS YOU TO KNOW EVERYTHING: THE SQUARE ROOT OF PI, HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT, HOW TO DO EVERYTHING ON YOUR OWN.”
– Ja-Quari Moore Bass, co-founder of 3:11 Youth Housing
The general rule of thumb is that one shouldn’t spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. “We are in a spot where people are realistically spending 80 to 90 percent on housing,” she said. “We see the crisis of homelessness continuing to grow, especially for youth and families.”
Moore, who now works at the retail store Hot Topic and at a pizza restaurant, lives in a Wyoming apartment with roommates. He graduated from Crossroads in 2012 and attended GRCC for a while, but going to school full time made it difficult to pay the bills, he said. He plans to go back to college and eventually study psychology or psychiatry.
Through 3:11 Youth Housing, Moore has seen people get on their feet, getting jobs, promotions, raises, driver’s licenses and cars. He’s seen them move out to new apartments and buy homes.
“It’s an amazing experience to be a part of the growth of other people… just seeing people achieve things that they didn’t think were possible … achieve things that hadn’t crossed their minds before. It’s amazing.”
For stories about local schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
“Baby boomers are a lot more willing to embrace hearing aids than their elders were,” said Debbie Youngsma, AuD, CCC-A, an audiologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group. “They are into their smartphones. They are into all that technology. And hearing aids are smart.” (Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat)
There long has been a big gap between the number of people with hearing loss and those willing to wear a hearing aid.
But tech-savvy baby boomers just might be the ones to narrow that gap.
“Baby boomers are a lot more willing to embrace hearing aids than their elders were,” said Debbie Youngsma, AuD, CCC-A, an audiologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group. “They are into their smartphones. They are into all that technology. And hearing aids are smart.”
The number of people with hearing loss is growing as rapidly as hair is graying in the baby boomer population.
According to a recent federal report, 17 percent of Americans—1 in 6—say they have trouble hearing. Not surprisingly, the number increases with age. Forty-three percent of those over 70 report hearing loss.
Those self-reported numbers likely don’t capture the full picture, Youngsma said.
People don’t always recognize when they have trouble hearing. Why? The loss may occur too gradually to notice. They may have never had their hearing checked. Or they could be in denial.
“Less than 21 percent of those with hearing impairment are wearing hearing aids,” she said.
Those who do get hearing aids wait an average of seven to 10 years to seek help. That’s a lot of missed conversations.
Accepting the technology can mean a big difference socially and emotionally, Youngsma said.
“Untreated hearing loss usually results in isolation and withdrawal from social situations,” she said. “They can get depressed, frustrated and lonely.”
“Obviously, the earlier you get (hearing aids), the easier it’s going to be to adjust and get back into the world of hearing.”
Tired of saying, ‘What?’
Rochelle Morris, 52, said she didn’t realize how much she missed before she got hearing aids two years ago.
She traces problems with her left ear to a car accident in 2004, when the air bag deployed and slammed into the left side of her head.
She started noticing problems hearing about five years ago. She often asked co-workers or family members to repeat something. She missed the punchlines of jokes.
“I felt myself not doing things because I didn’t want to say, ‘What?’ or ‘Say that again,’” she said.
Morris resisted the idea of wearing hearing aids—until she saw how small and unobtrusive they are.
“I pictured an old person and was really kind of embarrassed about it,” she said. “I didn’t need to be, because you don’t even notice it.”
Within a couple of days, she embraced the technology.
Youngsma said she is encouraged to see the stigma waning, particularly among the young baby boomers.
Many are still in the workforce, and communication is crucial to performing their jobs. They also are more likely than their elders to see a hearing aid as just one more technological device—to add to their tablet, laptop, smartphone, Kindle, FitBit or Apple Watch.
“You can act like you’re texting while you’re changing what the hearing aids are doing,” she said.
For Morris, hearings aids opened up a world of sounds she had missed—from the wind blowing through the trees to conversations with her husband, Brian, and their children, Anna and RC.
And when she could hear better, her balance improved.
Causes of hearing loss
Injuries, like the one Morris sustained, are one of several causes of hearing loss, Youngsma said. Others include aging, ear infections, cancer treatments and exposure to noise—either cumulative or one loud burst.
And remember when your parents would tell you to turn down your music? Well, they were on to something. Going to loud concerts, or listening to loud music with ear buds, can take a toll on your hearing.
Impacted ear wax also can cause temporary problems with hearing.
“Hearing loss is the third most common complaint, following hypertension and arthritis, in older adults,” Youngsma said.
