Category Archives: Community Health

10 healthy tips for the new year

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Make 2020 a year of health and well-being. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Kathy Grierson, PA-C, Spectrum Health Beat


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.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Study links bullying, mental health

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Mental health issues may play a role in driving bullying, researchers have found. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


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.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.




Snapshots: For Auld Lang Syne

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By WKTV Staff

victoria@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“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.

Are boomers embracing hearing aids?

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“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)

By Sue Thoms, 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.


They can even use their smartphones and tablets to change the settings on their hearing aids.


“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.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


The importance of proper dental care during aging

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By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Proper dental care is an essential part of aging healthfully. As we grow older, our oral health has an even bigger impact on our overall well-being than in past years, so maintaining a dental hygiene routine is important.


While brushing and flossing routines remain central, some additional steps are important for seniors’ dental health. People with dementia, severe arthritis, or mobility struggles need assistance with this crucial habit, so make sure your aging loved ones have the help they need. With these things in mind, you can prevent future problems and ensure the best oral health possible.

Tips for improving senior dental care during aging 

  1. See your dentist at least every six months. Routine cleanings help prevent decay and cavities, and also allow your dentist to detect gum disease in the early, reversible stages.
  2. Let your dentist know of any health conditions or new medications that may lead to oral problems. Tell them right away if you ever experience increased sensitivity.
  3. Quit smoking. In addition to the risk of lung cancer, smoking can lead to gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss.
  4. Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride-containing toothpaste, and floss once a day.
  5.  If you wear dentures, remember to clean them daily. Remove them for at least four hours a day, preferably at night.
  6. Eat whole foods and avoid sugar. Processed, high-sugar foods do not support oral health in any way, but teeth and gums thrive on a high-fiber diet.

Medical conditions connected to oral health

Many of the health problems that concern seniors are linked to oral health. A strong dental hygiene routine doesn’t just support your teeth and gums; here are a few of the ways excellent dental care is connected to overall health:

Cardiovascular disease

Oral health is closely connected with our heart health. Periodontitis allows bacteria below the gum line, contributing to the spread of toxins through our body. Studies have found that severe periodontal disease is associated with higher risks of stroke and double the risk of fatal heart disease, and in some cases, tooth infections can cause infection in the heart’s lining or valves. In the absence of gum disease, fewer bacteria are present in the cardiovascular system. While researchers don’t fully understand the connection between oral and heart conditions, it’s clear that good dental hygiene supports the cardiovascular system.

Pneumonia and respiratory problems

Poor oral health can contribute to pneumonia. In fact, some studies have shown a higher mortality rate in pneumonia patients who also have more gum problems. When bacteria from the mouth is inhaled into the lungs, an infection may occur in the respiratory system and existing medical conditions can become much worse. Regular brushing and cleaning helps remove dangerous oral bacteria and helps prevent internal infection.

Diabetes

Oral health is essential for people with diabetes. Gum disease inhibits the use of insulin, and high blood sugar leads to gum infections. People whose glucose is poorly managed suffer from gum disease much more often than those whose glucose is well-controlled, so stay mindful of your blood glucose levels.


These are just a few of the ways doctors and scientists have demonstrated the essential role played by our oral health. With education and energy put toward dental hygiene, you or your aging loved ones can enjoy a healthier, more comfortable daily life. 


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


‘It is more than a skin blemish’

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Adolescence is a tough time, and blemishes make it all the tougher. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Jason Singer, Spectrum Health Beat


It’s intuitive that acne causes depression, but a massive new study out of England shows just how devastating acne can weigh on people’s psyches.


Researchers, following nearly 2 million men and women in England over a 15-year period, found a 63 percent increase in clinical depression in the first year people had acne compared to those without acne.


Most people were younger than 19 at the start of the study, but they ranged in age from 7 to 50.


“This is not surprising,” said Adele Cadieux, PsyD, a pediatric psychologist with Spectrum Health Helen Devos Children’s Hospital. “Unfortunately acne begins when kids are much more focused on their physical appearance” than other qualities.


Acne is mostly unavoidable: About 85 percent of people will experience a breakout at some point, making it the most common skin condition in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Women are more likely to get acne, and more likely to suffer depression because of it.


There are ways, however, to reduce children and teens’ risk of suffering depression after an outbreak.

Recognize the signs

Acne is a skin condition in which hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. This can cause whiteheads, blackheads or pimples on the face, forehead, back, chest and shoulders.


Many people think of acne as a relatively benign condition, but the study shows otherwise, researchers said.


“For these patients with acne, it is more than a skin blemish—it can impose significant mental health concerns and should be taken seriously,” Dr. Isabelle Vallerand, the lead researcher, noted in a statement.


Parents concerned about their children should look for possible signs of depression.


“If (kids) mention they might not want to go social or extracurricular activities, or their child’s behavior or grades start changing, or they seem more withdrawn,” those could be signs the child is struggling with something, Dr. Cadieux said.


“Whether the child identifies whether any of this is related to acne or not, it’s important to take that next step of trying to evaluate what’s contributing to these changes.”


The best way to find out answers: Ask questions, Dr. Cadieux said.


If kids seem reluctant to talk to their parents, take them to a pediatrician or encourage a special teacher, coach or religious figure to talk with them, she said. Sometimes children are more likely to open up to non-family members than they would a parent.

‘You’re on a stage and being judged’

An effective way to gird children and teenagers against depression is to focus on qualities other than physical appearance.


“One of the things that is really important for kids is to focus on aspects of their life that are going well,” Dr. Cadieux said. “Families can be very important in providing some of that feedback, whether it’s their personal qualities, their skills, really anything other than focusing on physical appearance.”


Fostering those other skills and qualities—getting them into music classes, sports leagues, coding or theater camps, depending on their interests—can also help them form an identity around those qualities rather than their physical appearance, doctors said.


If those efforts don’t work, counseling is an option.


The increase in risk of depression is the worst in the first year of acne, and lasts for five years, the study showed. Although still high, the increased risk of depression decreases each year after the first year of diagnosis.


After five years, the increased risk disappears, even if the acne persists. This also isn’t surprising, Dr. Cadieux said.


“As you get older, your maturity level changes,” she said. “In adolescence, you’re so focused on physical appearance, as if you’re on stage and being judged.


“But as you transition into adulthood, you begin to recognize your skills, abilities and successes—you can build your self-esteem on these and not focus as much on physical appearance. These can help reduce the risk of depression.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.




Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

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By Chia-Hui Neilly, NP-C, Barry Community Health Center


Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to maintain normal levels of blood glucose using a hormone known as insulin. Currently, more than 100 million people in the U.S. are diabetic or pre-diabetic. If this trend continues, almost 1 in every 3 people will have this condition (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Moreover, diabetic and pre-diabetic patients are more prone to heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems than other individuals.


1. What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?

  • Overweight and obesity: The more fatty tissue, the higher chance for type 2 diabetes
  • Inactivity: Inadequate physical activity leads to weight gain that causes type 2 diabetes.
  • Smoking: Smokers are susceptible to type 2 diabetes, and non-smokers are more immune to heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses
  • A family history of diabetes is associated with a high risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • Pregnancy-onset diabetes (gestational diabetes) increases risk of type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome, characterized by an erratic menstrual cycle, obesity, and excess hair growth, is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

What is the first step to preventing diabetes?

  • Always observe for type 2 diabetes symptoms, which include: increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, fatigue, headaches, and blurred vision.

What are the best strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes?


You may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by doing the following:

  • Lose excess weight by balancing food intake and physical exercise. A 5% to 10% reduction in weight significantly lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and substantially improves one’s health status.
  • Stay active for at least 30 minutes daily to prevent excess weight gain and reduce fatty tissues. A relatively high-paced walk with no extra gymnastics per day is an adequate physical activity to maintain a healthy body.
  • Avoid sedentary behaviors such as physical inactivity, continuous watching of television, and prolonged sitting sessions.
  • Adopt health-conscious diets and behaviors to avoid being overweight and to counteract other food-related risk factors for type 2 diabetes. To achieve this goal, one needs well-balanced meals that contain the following items.
    • A variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
    • Protein from diverse sources, including seafood, white lean meat, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products
    • Fat-free or low-fat dairy products, namely milk, yogurt and cheese, and soy milk
    • Nut-based oils such as olives and avocados

What other dietary measures are effective to prevent type 2 diabetes?

  • Limit daily consumption of meat, sweets, and refined grains.
  • Avoid sweetened drinks such as soda and juice.
  • Maintain the recommended portion sizes in every meal by filling the plate with ¼ grains, ¼ protein, ½ fruits. Additionally, consume six to eight glasses of water daily.
  • Always consume a high-fiber diet to enhance digestion, facilitate weight management, and control blood sugars.
  • Limit the amount of alcohol to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The recommended daily liquor intake for men is two drinks, but women should ingest half that amount.

Are there tests for type 2 diabetes?

  • Three different tests for type 2 diabetes are available. However, your primary care provider will determine whether one test is adequate to confirm an individual’s diabetic status.

Please feel free to contact us for any questions, comments, or concerns. Importantly, discuss with your primary care provider about testing for type 2 diabetes.


Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.




A soda-stroke link?

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Research has uncovered an association between soda consumption and stroke risk, particularly among older women. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Alan Mozes, HealthDay


Older women, beware: New research warns that drinking a lot of diet sodas or artificially sweetened fruit juices may increase your risk for stroke.


In a study that tracked nearly 82,000 postmenopausal women, those who drank two or more diet drinks per day saw their overall stroke risk rise by 23 percent, compared with those who consumed diet drinks less than once a week.


Blocked arteries were often the main culprit, with heavy diet drink consumption linked to a 31 percent greater risk for an ischemic stroke, which is triggered by a clot, the study findings showed.


Study author Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani acknowledged that an “association does not imply causation.” But she stressed that the findings held up even after taking into account the nutritional value of each participant’s overall diet.


So, “we can’t assume these diet drinks are harmless, particularly when consumed at high levels,” Mossavar-Rahmani said.


“The take-home message is that these findings give us pause,” she added. “We need to do more research on why we are seeing these associations. What are the scientific mechanisms? Is there something about the artificial sweeteners, for example, that affect the bacteria in the gut and lead to health issues?”


Mossavar-Rahmani is an associate professor in the department of epidemiology and population health’s division of health promotion and nutrition research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York City.


The study authors pointed out that the American Heart Association has recently underscored the lack of sufficient research into the cardiovascular impact of diet sodas. Until more work is done, the AHA says the jury remains out on whether artificially sweetened beverages do or do not hasten heart disease.


Women in the latest study were between 50 and 79 when they first enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative trial between 1993 and 1998.


Investigators tracked the general health of all the enrollees for an average of nearly 12 years. During that time—at the three-year mark—all the women were asked to indicate how frequently they consumed diet sodas and diet fruit drinks over a three-month period.


The researchers did not take note of which brands of artificially sweetened drinks the women drank and so did not know which artificial sweeteners were being consumed.


That said, nearly two-thirds of the women consumed diet sodas or drinks very infrequently, meaning less than once a week or never. Only about 5 percent were found to be “heavy” consumers of artificially sweetened drinks.


After taking into consideration a variety of stroke risk factors—including blood pressure status, smoking history and age—the study team concluded that heavy consumption of diet drinks did appear to be tied to cardiovascular risks in a number of ways.


For example, those women who drank two or more diet beverages a day saw their overall risk for developing heart disease increase by 29 percent. They were also 16 percent more likely to die prematurely from any cause.


Certain groups fared even worse: Among obese women and black women with no history of heart disease or diabetes, a diet drink habit pushed clot-driven stroke risk up by roughly twofold and fourfold, respectively, the researchers reported.


Whether or not the findings would apply to either men or younger women remains unclear, the study authors noted.


The findings were published online recently in the journal Stroke.


Lona Sandon is program director of the department of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.


She agreed that more research is needed to further explore a possible diet drink-heart disease connection. But for now Sandon offered simple advice: diet or regular, sodas offer no nutritional value other than calories.


“If they replace other drinks, such as milk and 100 percent fruit or vegetable drinks, then these women miss out on valuable nutrition for protecting the heart and vascular system,” Sandon warned.


“The nutrition you are missing because you are drinking artificially sweetened beverages instead may be the real problem,” she said.


A group representing the artificial sweetener industry offered another caveat about the findings — that many women who drink diet drinks are already struggling with weight issues.


“It is likely study subjects were already at a greater health risk and chose low-calorie sweetened beverages to manage their calorie and sugar intake as these products are proven safe and beneficial for those managing their weight and blood glucose levels,” said Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council.


“The contribution of reverse causality, meaning that individuals already at a greater risk of stroke and cardiovascular events chose low-calorie sweetened beverages, is very likely the cause of the associations presented by these researchers,” the council added in a statement.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

A cure for kitty—and caretaker?

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Researchers likely have a ways to go before they’ve perfected a cat vaccine that alleviates allergic reactions in humans. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Allan Adler, Spectrum Health Beat


Swiss researchers are working to develop a vaccine that could help alleviate cat allergies in humans.


The twist? The vaccine is given to the cat.


It’s unknown if the treatment will work as proposed, but it’s a fascinating approach to an old problem.


Researchers are essentially using the cat’s immune system to target and reduce a feline protein that affects humans.


HypoPet AG, a Swiss-based company, is the firm trying to develop the vaccine.


“This is an interesting concept,” said Theodore Kelbel, MD, section chief of allergy and immunology at Spectrum Health. “However, there is much to be studied before this will translate to regular practice.”


The vaccine would be administered to cats in three doses over nine weeks, with some cats getting a booster shot six months later, Dr. Kelbel said. The injections would be administered in the cat’s hind legs. It can be given to any cat at any age, but a booster shot may be necessary. Consequently, the effect on the feline protein may not be immediate.

Purr-fect solution?

In theory, humans would benefit because the cats would only need the three shots and a booster.


People who require allergy shots, on the other hand, typically get them on a more continuing basis.


Dr. Kelbel said individuals usually receive weekly shots for a few months, returning to a physician each month for a shot over a three- to five-year period. They also require booster shots if a cat lives in the house.


Allergy shots for humans have been around for decades and they work reasonably well, Dr. Kelbel said.


Researchers have plenty of testing to do on the cat vaccine, Dr. Kelbel said. They need exposure studies in which immunized cats would come into contact with humans who have known allergies to the felines.


They also need to conduct long-term studies, he said.


If a cat is still producing the protein in smaller amounts, it could build up over time and eventually affect humans again.


Other companies continue to research new medications or shots for people, which could improve the currently available treatments. But “the research is still very, very early,” Dr. Kelbel said.


From a common sense standpoint, there remains a leading solution for a person allergic to cats: Avoid contact with the animal.


That is, until researchers fine-tune their vaccine.


“I think it will be a few years, at minimum, before they can tell us (the vaccine) will be clinically beneficial for cat allergy patients,” Dr. Kelbel said.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.




Self-care ideas for caregivers

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Courtesy of Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Being a caregiver for a loved one is a job most people are happy to take on. They want to take care of the person who, in many cases, took care of them. And while caregiving has its rewards, it’s also a 24/7 job. Caregivers are on call at all hours of the day, especially if they are the primary caregiver. This constant responsibility and added emotional and physical strain can cause something called caregiver stress. When caring for a loved one, you are less likely to care for yourself, give yourself much-needed breaks, or keep yourself healthy.  

Caregiver stress can result in:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Headaches
  • Body aches
  • Weight loss/gain
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia

In many cases, those keeping others from becoming even more ill, end up in the hospital themselves. To stay strong for your family and avoid the ails caused by caregiver stress, remember these self-care ideas.

Ask for and accept help

If you’re caring for a family member, ask another family member to step in once in awhile. Even if they just come by to read while you sit with a cup of coffee, this small break can refresh your body and mind. Or ask a neighbor to stop by for an hour while you go grocery shopping. Even though you are the primary caregiver, you don’t have to shoulder the responsibility on your own.


Or, take advantage of the short-term stays that communities like Vista Springs offer. Even if your loved one isn’t ready to make a move into assisted living, short-term stays can give you the chance to take a vacation and return feeling refreshed.

Join a support group

The chance to talk to someone who understands what you are going through can lift a huge weight off your shoulders. Only another caregiver will understand that while you love your family member, you may sometimes get frustrated with them, and then feel guilty about it. Find a safe space where you can express these feelings with people who are probably feeling the same things. It’s also a place where you can brainstorm solutions to the problems you face every day and find the resources you need to face those problems head on.

Stay active

You can combat fatigue, depression, and insomnia by staying active. Even if it’s just a 20-minute walk every day or jogging in place in front of the TV, any movement helps. Try Yoga in the morning before your loved one wakes up or a simple stretching routine every night before bed. It doesn’t have to be intense; it just needs to get you moving. Though, if you do have the option to get out the house (remember when we said to ask for help?) getting outside can play a large role in staying happy and healthy.

Stay social

While it’s tempting to spend almost all your time with your loved one, chatting, watching TV, reading or playing games, it’s also detrimental to your health to cut off other connections. When we don’t socialize, ailments like depression and loneliness are quick to set in. Maintain your social life as much as possible by asking neighbors or other family to step into the caregiver role once in awhile. Make daily phone calls to friends and family and share updates and stories with your loved one. If they have a hard time getting out, they will enjoy hearing your stories and being involved in your life.


Overall, the best advice for caregivers is to take care of yourself, too. Eat right, drink water, get plenty of sleep, and see your doctor regularly. You won’t be any help to your loved one if you wear yourself down!


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.



An ounce of prevention goes a long way

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Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


Many of my patients come to see me about symptoms and health issues they are experiencing, but I make it a point to help them recognize when they are at risk for something they don’t yet have.


This is especially true if they have increased risk factors for specific diseases or various health problems. There are changes they can make to help prevent these issues.


One of my patients, who I’ll call Judy, was faced with some life-changing decisions she needed to make, so we sat down and talked about what was happening in her life.


Judy’s mom had recently been diagnosed with end-stage endometrial cancer, and Judy wanted to know how she could shape her own future to be different from her mom’s. We first looked at Judy’s current health and how she was handling perimenopause.


For the most part, she was taking her perimenopausal symptoms in stride, but she struggled with weight gain (especially around her middle) and she was a smoker. She was afraid to quit smoking, fearing that she would gain even more weight.


As with all of my menopause patients, we discussed what she wanted her Picture of Self to look like at a specific point in her future and what she had planned to help her achieve her goals.


Before we discussed the changes Judy could make, we talked about some of the well-defined risk factors of endometrial cancer that she can control.


Excess estrogen increases the risk of endometrial cancer because it induces the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to grow. When this growth occurs unchecked, there is a risk of abnormal or cancerous development. Progesterone acts as a natural balance by stabilizing the endometrium and keeping it from growing out of control.


Excess estrogen can occur for two reasons: the levels can increase naturally during perimenopause, or there may be too much “unopposed” estrogen if you take estrogen-containing medications without balancing them with progesterone.


Low-dose combination oral contraceptives and appropriate doses of hormone therapy can help prevent endometrial cancer by controlling the level of circulating hormones and thus the growth of the lining of the uterus. Progesterone-releasing IUDs also help control the growth of the endometrium and decrease the likelihood of abnormal growth.


Finally, Judy and I discussed some lifestyle habits that can make a significant impact on her risk of developing endometrial cancer.


Smoking increases the risk of developing many cancers—another great reason to quit! Weight loss can help to decrease the risk, because estrogen, like many hormones, is stored long-term in body fat. Therefore, decreasing the body fat reduces the excess estrogen in your body. Other healthy changes you can make include increasing your physical activity, and eating a diet low in saturated fats and high in ruits and vegetables.


After talking with Judy, she was much more optimistic about her future. She has a clear understanding of her specific risk factors, specifically her smoking and central obesity. She has also regained a sense of control, and by making healthy choices, she is continuing to work toward her goals.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Family caregivers provide a vital service: Part 2

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Senior Living, ,

By Linda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension


As it was mentioned in part one of this series about the importance and value of informal family caregiving, caregivers often experience depression as well as physical health challenges. In a Family Caregiver Alliance 2006 report, Caregiver Assessment: Voices and Views from the Field Caring, it says that caring for persons with dementia can impact a person’s immune system for up to three years after their caregiving experience ends, increasing their chances of developing a chronic illness themselves.


In the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP 2009 report, Caregiving in the U.S., it states that 17 percent of caregivers feel their health in general has gotten worse as a result of their caregiving responsibilities. The report also says that studies have found that 23 percent of family caregivers who have been providing care for five years or more report their health is fair or poor.


Michigan State University Extension says that caregivers need to make their own care their first priority. It isn’t possible to be an effective caregiver for others without taking responsibility to keep their own well-being in mind. But, because of the constant demands of family caregiving, it is often difficult to include self-care in the daily list of responsibilities.


It is important to keep self-care simple. Stick with the basics. According to the National Center of Caregiving at the San Francisco-based Family Caregiver Alliance, it is vital to focus on the following basic self-care practices:

  • Learn and use stress-reduction techniques.
  • Attend to your own healthcare needs.
  • Get proper rest and nutrition.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Take time off without feeling guilty.
  • Participate in pleasant, nurturing activities.
  • Seek and accept the support of others.
  • Seek supportive counseling when you need it, or talk to a trusted counselor or friend.
  • Identify and acknowledge your feelings.
  • Change the negative ways you view situations.
  • Set goals.

All of these activities are easier to accomplish with the support of family, friends and community resources. Reaching out to others to gather support for your family caregiving efforts can mean the difference between the normal caregiver burden and disastrous caregiver burnout. Contact your local MSU Extension office, your county commission on aging or the regional Area Agency on Aging to locate community resources to support your valiant efforts at family caregiving and self-care.


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




Snapshots: 2019 WKTV Journal social advocacy interviews you might have missed

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Crime Prevention, Health, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Volunteers, WKTV Journal In Focus

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“In these days of difficulty, we Americans everywhere must and shall choose the path of social justice …, the path of faith, the path of hope, and the path of love toward our fellow man.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Supporting parole reentry

In Focus talks with Todd Cioffi, an associate professor at Calvin College, and director of Calvin Prison Initiative. This five-year program results in a bachelor of arts degree from Calvin College, but it is much more than simply an educational effort. Go here for the story and YouTube link.

Working on poverty in Kent Co.

WKTV Journal In Focus talks with Susan Cervantes, the Director of the Kent County Community Action program which, according to its 2018 annual report, served more than 7,000 individuals including more than 3,800 families, and also handled more than 42,000 information and referral calls. Go here for the story and YouTube video link.

Helping homeless LGBTQ-plus youth

WKTV Journal In Focus talked to two members of Grand Rapids HQ, a drop-in center for youth ages 14-24 in housing crisis, including but not limited to LGBTQ-plus youth. Go here for the story and YouTube video link.

Facts to Give Hope:

$30 billion and $75 billion

The National Retail Federation (NRF) placed holiday spending in 2018 at nearly $30 billion. Foundation giving in 2018 increased to $75.86 billion. Source.

Four ways technology enhances senior living

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Senior Living, Tech Trends
Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


The digital age we live in today is fast-paced and full of constantly changing technology. This can be intimidating to aging adults who may fear they can’t understand new devices. However, combined, seniors and technology can be a powerful tool.


Modern devices connect us with loved ones, keep us in touch with medical professionals, and help us stay safe. If your loved one is nervous about getting started, here are a few easy ways to explore technology for seniors.

1. Use Technology to Connect

Today’s technology offers powerful ways to connect with our family and friends. For seniors who may not be as mobile as they once were, this is a huge benefit. There are many ways to use the digital world to stay social:

  • Help your loved one set up a social media account to see the latest photos and updates from grandchildren or long-distance relatives.
  • Use Skype or other video-chatting services to stay in touch when distance or health prevents face-to-face visits.
  • If your elderly family members can’t attend gatherings, upload family videos to YouTube and share privately.

2. Find Community Resources

The first step to understanding the digital world is mastering basic computer skills. For those of us who didn’t grow up with modern technology, this can be quite a challenge! If you need assistance or ideas for helping your aging loved one become comfortable with computers, research what resources are available in your area.


Many senior living community centers offer technology education. Local libraries, schools, and junior colleges have computer facilities and may offer classes or tutoring programs to the general public. Another great resource is your local Area Agency on Aging, a free service offered by the U.S. Administration on Aging.

3. Start Learning and Creating from Home

As we age, we may find that active pastimes are simply too demanding for our current health. Additionally, the living spaces in most retirement communities may not allow space for large projects. However, the digital revolution has made a huge range of new creative and educational activities possible from the comfort of our own homes.


Many people have always wanted to learn another language, but never had the time; some have a novel inside them just waiting to be written. Perhaps your loved one would enjoy blogging on a favorite topic and connecting with others who share their interests. Technology makes all these things possible! Check out resources like the National Novel Writing Month and Khan Academy for inspiration.

4. How to Get Started

No matter our age or lifestyle, trying new habits can be intimidating. Some seniors are ready and excited to get started with new technology, while some may be very overwhelmed.

  • Focus on small steps and loving communication.
  • Forming a new habit takes at least two months, so remember that this change in your loved one’s lifestyle probably won’t happen all at once.
  • To help keep your loved one from becoming even more overwhelmed, start with bite-sized projects.
  • Even a few small changes can make a huge difference! Just one email or social media account is enough to increase contact with family and friends.

These are just a few of the ways modern technology can enhance senior living for aging adults! With a few simple steps to introduce your loved one to the digital world, you can help them enjoy a happier, safer, and more convenient lifestyle. No matter where we are in life, the digital world is an exciting place to learn and explore. 


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


Artificially sweet? A genuine problem

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Studies have found associations between artificially sweetened beverages and increased risk of stroke and heart disease. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Len Canter, HealthDay


The health risks of sugary drinks, from juice to soda, are well known.


They can lead to overweight and diabetes, stroke and other problems in the brain, including poorer memory and smaller brain volume.


But diet sodas aren’t the answer.


A number of studies have found an association between artificially sweetened beverages and an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, heart attack and other heart-related deaths in women.


The most recent was published earlier this year in the journal Stroke, with researchers suggesting that, even without identifying a specific cause and effect, people should seriously consider the potentially harmful effects of artificially sweetened drinks.


And there’s more.


Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine followed 4,000 people of both sexes over 10 years.


Using MRI tests, they linked just one artificially sweetened soda a day to brain changes that can lead to dementia, as well as the type of stroke caused by a blockage in a blood vessel.


These risks were triple those of people who don’t drink diet sodas.


It didn’t seem to matter which common artificial sweetener—saccharin, aspartame or sucralose—was consumed.


While some people see diet soda as a way of weaning off regular soda, it may be healthier in the long run to skip this type of transition.


If you like soda’s carbonation more than the better option of water, flavor plain seltzer with a squeeze of your favorite citrus fruit, a few crushed berries or both.


For variety, try freshly grated ginger, chopped mint or a teaspoon of vanilla. Also consider replacing soda with a glass of milk—you’ll get important protein and a shot of calcium in the bargain.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.




Tips for healthy eating over the holidays

3-bottom, Community Health, Food, Health, Holidays, How-To's, Senior Living,
Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


The holidays are notorious for overindulgence, whether it’s from eating too much at the family dinner table or from having too much rich and sugary food that isn’t healthy for us. But what can you do over the holidays to avoid packing on the pounds when healthy options aren’t as readily available?


Thankfully, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to avoid overeating and making poor health choices during big family feasts, while still enjoying your favorite foods. Take a look through this list of helpful ideas that you can use to make better decisions this holiday season, and celebrate without the stomachache. 

1. Watch what you drink

The beverages we consume during the holidays is an often unexpected source of carbs and calories. Sweet drinks and alcohol can have unhealthy ingredients, and when we don’t stop to consider what we are drinking, we can find ourselves shaking our heads in shock at the scale next year. 


To help avoid overindulging with unhealthy drinks, make sure you are consuming plenty of water throughout the day. Not only will this help you quench your thirst, but drinking a glass of water before a meal can also help you feel full and calm your cravings before dessert is brought out.

2. Stop snacking

Eating healthy, full meals is the best way to avoid gaining weight over the holidays, so don’t skip out on breakfast and lunch in favor of unhealthy snacks! Not only are snacks typically high in fats and sugar, but they fill us up before we have a chance to eat our veggies during dinner.


If you are going to snack, try going to healthier foods like cut vegetables, fruits, or other foods that provide additional health benefits like boosting energy levels and building endurance.

3. Stay active

Staying active in winter isn’t always the easiest task, but it’s important to do what you can to combat additional calories with exercise. Even something as simple as taking a walk after your meal can go a long way in keeping your overall health in check over the holiday season. Just be sure to watch out for ice!

4. Find healthy options

Make sure that there are plenty of healthy options on the table, like salads and other vegetable side dishes. If you are hosting dinner, ensure that you provide the options your family and friends need to have a balanced meal. If you are visiting someone else, call ahead and see what the menu is, or offer to help out the host by bringing your own healthy dishes to share.

5. Fill up on vegetables

When filling up your plate with food, try and keep a ratio of 50% vegetables, 25% meats, and 25% starches. This will help you get the servings of veggies you need while still enjoying the other items on the table. A helpful hint: more color on a plate often means a healthier meal!

6. Pick the best spot

Having the best seat at the table doesn’t just mean more elbow room! If you aren’t seated right in front of the buffet table, you can avoid some of the cravings for second and third (and fourth) helpings. Staring at the available options during dinner can make it difficult to stick to one serving, so don’t sit yourself in the way of temptation!

7. Take your time

Don’t rush to stuff yourself just because holiday food tastes good! Things will be just as delicious if you take your time and savor each bite. Slowing down while eating helps you to fill up naturally, rather than still feeling hungry even though you’ve already overeaten. 


In the same vein, don’t rush to get up and have additional helpings of food before you’ve finished the entire plate, including all your veggies and healthier items. This will help you stick to just one serving of each of your favorite foods, which will be more than enough when you take your time enjoying them!

8. Stop when you are full

The biggest favor you can do for yourself this holiday season is to stop eating once you are full. When eating foods we enjoy, most of us want to push ourselves past our limits, which leaves us aching and uncomfortable. By listening to our bodies and putting down the fork once we’ve had enough, we can save ourselves the discomfort and enjoy a much healthier holiday. Remember that leftovers are always an option!


Holidays are always a wonderful time for family and friends to gather together and enjoy each other’s company. As a part of that tradition, we often indulge in delicious meals, but it’s important to keep our health in mind. That doesn’t mean we can’t eat our dinner favorites, but following these tips can help us avoid feeling too full on unhealthy foods, so we can experience the absolute best that the holiday season has to offer.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.




The burdens of bread

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Food, Health, How-To's
Whole-grain breads provide immunity-boosting nutrients and dietary fiber that can help improve cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By American Heart Association, HealthDay


There may be no dietary staple more in need of a public relations makeover than bread.


Concerns over carbs, sodium and gluten sometime overshadow what can be a simple, tasty way to add important vitamins and minerals as well as fiber to daily meals.


But some breads are better for you than others.


Whole-grain breads are good sources of nutrients that help maintain a healthy immune system. They also provide dietary fiber that can help improve cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.


Refined grains, on the other hand, can lead to a surplus of sugar in the bloodstream, which in turn becomes stored in the body as fat.


And refined-grain breads—which have a finer texture and a longer shelf life than whole-grain breads, but lack most of the nutrients—turn up often in everyday foods. White bread is an obvious example, but French bread, bagels and pizza crust commonly contain refined grains as well.


White bread “looks pretty much like plain sugar, really, just simple carbohydrates,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, an associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University in New York. “Not the complex carbohydrates that we find in whole grains.”


Fad diets may warn against bread’s calories and carbohydrates, but both are necessary components of a daily diet. Complex carbohydrates provide energy for longer periods of time than simple carbohydrates, like those found in white bread.


“I always find it comical when I see low-carbohydrate bread, because you know, it’s all carbohydrates,” St-Onge said. “If there are concerns about bread, it’s probably more about what you put between those two slices than the slices themselves.”


A slice of whole-grain wheat bread typically contains 70 calories, compared with 77 calories in a slice of white bread. Whole-grain bread has more dietary fiber than white bread (2 grams compared to 0.8 grams) and white bread has 1.64 grams of sugar while whole-grain bread has none.


Whole-grain bread can come in a variety of forms, with a variety of other healthy ingredients.


“You can be very creative with the types of bread that you consume,” St-Onge said. “Having different breads that are whole grain can be a way to make your sandwiches more interesting. You can include flaxseed, rye, oats, walnuts, hazelnuts. Those are good for your heart.”


Whole grains are typically low in sodium, but salt may be added during processing of certain types of bread.


“Bread must have sodium. It needs it,” St-Onge said. “You have to stop the yeast at some point, and you need to have salt to do that for preservation purposes. But I would not consider that to be a reason not to consume bread.”


Bread also contains gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, barley and rye. People who have celiac disease are unable to tolerate gluten and others may have a sensitivity to gluten that causes symptoms such as nausea or abdominal pain.


Gluten-free bread may be an option, St-Onge said, but only if it is truly necessary.


“The gluten craze is something to be wary about,” she said. “Baked gluten-free foods often do not have optimal nutrient value.”


The safest way to make sure your bread is healthy, St-Onge said, is to make it yourself.


“It’s easy; you can use a bread machine or a no-knead recipe where you don’t even have to knead it,” she said. “You can control the flour that you put in. There are no additives.”


Some people trying to limit the carbs and calories of bread may opt for tortillas or lettuce wraps, St-Onge said, but there are dietary implications to be considered.


“A leaf of lettuce will have a couple of calories, where a slice of bread will have 100-something calories. But will you have the same amount of vitamins and minerals in a leaf of lettuce that you will get in a slice of bread? No,” she said.


“Have your regular sandwich and add in leaves of lettuce. Make it crunchy. Make it fresh. And then your sandwich is heftier, it’s bulkier, it’s bigger. It’s more satisfying.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Five questions to ask your health care provider

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, How-To's,
Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


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.

Here are five questions you should ask at your checkup:

1. What is my risk for a heart attack?


It’s important to know what factors are in your control and which ones are out of your control when it comes to your risk for a heart attack. I recently saw a patient for her annual exam and she told me she had experienced a scare with chest pain since her last yearly physical.


A visit to the ER revealed a problem with her gallbladder instead of a heart issue. She knew she had high cholesterol and her weight put her at risk for heart disease, but she wasn’t too concerned about her numbers. After her recent scare with chest pain, she began to care a great deal more. So, she asked me what she needed to do to keep her risk as low as possible.


First we looked at her family history. Her father had experienced a heart attack but not until age 72, and her mom was healthy, with no heart disease. She didn’t have pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and had not experienced gestational diabetes. All of this showed that the things she could not change were in her favor—good news!


Next, we looked at things she could change: cholesterol (overall 240—high), triglycerides (180—high), HgA1C level used to test for diabetes (5.7 percent—borderline high), CRP level (2.5—indicates an average risk for heart disease), waist circumference (39—very high), and blood pressure (142/89—high).


The reality was that the factors she could control were increasing her risk of heart disease. In addition, her health habits could be improved. She walked three days a week but didn’t do any strength training, and her diet was mostly meat and potatoes with a salad thrown in once in a while.


So, together, we mapped out a plan to include some dietary changes and add at least two Zumba classes each week, plus water aerobics on the weekend. She also promised to buy the book Sugar Busters to help her learn about healthy versus unhealthy sugars.


2. What is my risk for breast cancer?


We use a scale called the Gail Model to measure breast cancer risk. It includes your family history, your age when you started your period, whether or not you have been pregnant, whether you ever had breast biopsies, and how old you were with your first pregnancy.


Other risk factors we study include your alcohol intake, Body Mass Index (BMI), and current activity level. I recently had a patient who had a significant risk of developing breast cancer based on the following factors: her sister had breast cancer, she had early onset of periods, and she had chosen to not have children. She made an appointment at the high-risk breast clinic and made the personal choice to have a mastectomy. The results revealed extensive DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), which indicates pre-cancer in many women.


For this patient, understanding her risk saved her life and early treatment allowed her to continue taking hormones. Even if your risk of developing breast cancer is low, it’s important to talk to your physician about the risks and follow the guidelines suggested for mammograms. If it’s time, get it done.


3. What is my risk for osteoporosis?


Bone health starts early—in the womb, to be exact.


Our bones begin to be formed based on the amount of Vitamin D and Calcium our mothers take when they are pregnant. After we are born, our bone health depends on our diet and activity level. By age 32 our bone mass reaches its peak, and we experience overall loss the rest of our lives.


Our bones are constantly being remodeled. Over time, breakdown occurs more rapidly than buildup. During menopause, if there is no estrogen replacement, the bone loss accelerates to a rate that increases the risk of fracture.


Several factors can make us lose bone even faster than normal aging: smoking, inactivity, consuming large amounts of soda water or pop, drinking more than two alcoholic beverages per day, hyperthyroidism, and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.


Long-term use of birth control hormones such as Depo, as well as taking drugs used to fight breast cancer, can also increase bone fragility. Of course, there are medications to improve bone strength, but the most important way to prevent fracture is to live a healthy lifestyle and eat a balanced diet.


4. What is my risk for colon cancer?


Colon cancer is very common, and the strongest risk factor is aging. Everyone needs a screening colonoscopy at age 50, but some of us need it sooner. If you have a family member who has had large colon polyps or colon cancer before 50, you are at high risk of having the same. Ask your doctor about early screening if you fit into this category.


Also, if you are experiencing persistent, unexplained symptoms such as lower pelvic or abdominal pain, a persistent change in bowel habits (lasting more than two weeks) or blood in your stool, you might need a colonoscopy to see what is causing these issues.


You can reduce your risk by living a healthy lifestyle: consuming less than two alcoholic drinks a day; eating a maximum of two servings of red meat per week; eating a high fiber diet; and exercising at least five days per week. Remember—a colonoscopy is much less stressful than colon cancer. If it’s time, get it done.


5. What immunizations do I need?


There are several immunizations that are recommended, and I encourage you to discuss these with your healthcare provider:

  • A flu shot before winter arrives.
  • The Hepatitis A and Meningococcus vaccines if you are heading off to college soon.
  • The Gardasil vaccine if you are under 29 and have not had this series yet.
  • The Gardasil vaccine if you are newly single, over 29, and HPV negative.
  • The Tdap (including Pertussis) once in your lifetime.
  • A Td (tetanus) vaccine every 10 years.
  • The Shingles vaccine at age 60.
  • The Pneumococcal vaccine at age 65.

Be sure to ask your doctor to look at your immunizations record and confirm that you are up to date on all of these.


The bottom line is that it is your responsibility to maintain your health and keep a journal or record of your health history. As you send your kids off to school each year, use that time as a reminder to pull out your book and make sure you are on track.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Foodie, know thy oil

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Food, Health, How-To's,

Canola, grapeseed and safflower oils are suitable for high-temperature cooking because they have a high smoke point. Olive oil and avocado oil are better for sauteing at medium heat. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Len Canter, HealthDay


Oils are one of the most widely used ingredients in cooking and are healthy alternatives to butter and margarine.


All cooking oils, including olive, canola and peanut oil, contain 14 grams of total fat per tablespoon and roughly 120 calories.


So measure amounts carefully because even though some fat is essential for good health and these are excellent choices, they’re still high in calories.


For high-temperature cooking like stir-fries or when searing meat, use high smoke-point oils like canola, grapeseed and safflower oils. For sauteeing vegetables at medium heat, use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, which has gotten popular in recent years.


Since baking uses gentle heat, you can go with any oil you like. For cake and brownie recipes, try replacing butter with light olive oil, which has much less saturated fat but is still light in flavor.


Though all oils are great for salad dressings, try aromatic nut oils, like walnut oil or hazelnut oil, and seed oils, such as pumpkin seed oil and flaxseed oil, for a flavor twist. Keep them refrigerated to prevent them from going rancid—they’re very delicate.


Let them come to room temperature if they thicken in the fridge.


Here’s an easy dressing recipe that you can use on any side salad or over cold, chopped vegetables. It works especially well on peppery-flavored watercress.


Watercress Salad

  • 2 tablespoons walnut oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 8 ounces watercress
  • 16 walnut halves, coarsely chopped

Whisk oil, mustard and garlic salt in a large bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk again. Add the watercress and toss well. Divide among four plates and top with equal amounts of chopped nuts.


Yield: 4 servings


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

10 ways to cope with grief this holiday season

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Holidays, How-To's,

By Janet Jaymin, MA, LPC, Bereavement Manager at Faith Hospice


Family and togetherness are key themes around the holidays. And when a loved one is missing from those gatherings and traditions, the holiday season can be especially difficult. 


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. 


For anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, the holidays can bring about intensified or renewed grief. You may become flooded with memories or find the carrying-out of past traditions to be overwhelming.


With all of this in mind, we’ve developed a list of ways to cope with grief this holiday season. In doing so, we hope to generate an increased level of empathy when helping a friend or family member through grief in this season.

Why is recognizing grief around the holidays important?

Grief isn’t the same for everyone, nor is there a right or wrong way to cope—particularly around the holidays. Depending on what someone’s relationship was to a person who has passed, the intensity of that loss will be felt differently. For older generations, it may be a spouse, sibling or close friend. For younger generations, it might be a parent or grandparent. Different relationships mean different memories, experiences, and traditions that were shared with that loved one.


Because of this, grief can come about in a variety of ways. Accepting and understanding these truths is key, whether you’re coping yourself or are close to someone who is coping. If you’re finding yourself struggling on your journey from grief to healing this holiday season, or know someone who is, here are 10 tips for coping:

1.  Plan as much as you can.

The holidays bring with them an increased pressure to attend parties or gatherings. This can be stressful for anyone, but for someone grieving a loss, it can cause an even greater level of anxiety. This is why it’s even more important to plan ahead regarding which events you’re going to attend. Trying to manage your grief is hard enough, overloading your schedule can only lead to more stress. That leads us to the second tip:

2.  It’s OK to set boundaries.

Protect yourself from gatherings you feel may be too much. You may fear anything from a specific song playing to seeing your loved one’s favorite dessert is going to cause you to be emotional in front of a large group of people. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions regarding who will be there, how long the event will last, etc. That way, if there are people you may not be ready to face or if you are worried about how long you’ll have to endure the event, this will allow you to be prepared or, simply to say, “no”—and that’s OK.

3.  Drive yourself.

To expand on No. 2, for the gatherings you decide to attend, it’s recommended you drive yourself. This way, should you find yourself in a situation that’s overwhelming or feel the need to leave, you’re not dependent on someone else’s schedule.

4.  It’s OK to need a break from tradition.

If trying to carry out past traditions you would’ve typically shared with your late loved one is too painful, its OK to change things up. For example, if decorating the Christmas tree was always something you did with your spouse, perhaps put decorations up outside or help a friend decorate instead. It doesn’t mean you can’t go back to your tradition, you’re simply allowing the wound to heal—especially if it’s your first holiday without that loved one.

5.  If you’ve typically hosted, ask someone else.

This goes back to the notion that managing your grief is hard enough on its own. Adding the planning of a party and preparation of a large meal can only lead to additional stress. If you typically have hosted for the holidays, try asking another family member to this year. Better yet, you could go out to eat at a restaurant instead. This takes the pressure off one person to cook, clean, etc. and is an especially good option if you’re feeling guilty (even though you shouldn’t) about asking someone else.

6.  Use your pain for the betterment of others.

You’d be amazed how getting out to volunteer or giving to a cause can have incredibly healing effects. And it doesn’t have to be volunteering; perhaps you know someone who is alone this holiday season—an elderly person in your neighborhood or a person whose family lives far away. Try inviting them over, or see if they’d want to do something together. Maybe the elderly woman down the street doesn’t put up decorations because her husband always did, or her age no longer allows for her to do so (now you can combine elements of #4 as well). The point is, doing something good for someone else changes the mood, and not only are you doing something good for yourself, you’re helping someone else in the process.

7.  Honor your loved one.

For anyone sharing in the loss, coming together to share stories, lighting a candle in your loved one’s memory, or playing a favorite song can offer healing—just because they’re gone doesn’t mean you forget them or stop loving them. 

8.  Laughter really is the best medicine.

Many coping with grief find themselves feeling guilty when they catch themselves laughing or feeling happy in the wake of a loved one’s death. They’re thinking, “No, I should be sad.” Or, “If I appear happy, does that mean I’m not mourning my loved one enough?” However, it’s good for us to find joy or humor in times of grief. And what better way to incorporate honoring your loved one than by sharing funny stories or fond memories with others sharing in the grief.

9.  Self-care.

One of the best things you can do during this time is to take care of yourself. The holidays are busy and stressful enough, let alone trying to cope with your grief. Take time for yourself. Get your rest. Eat well. Get some fresh air and exercise. Treat yourself to a massage. Take that class you always wanted to try. Whatever it may be, now more than ever, is a great time for you. 

10. There’s no right or wrong way to cope.

Wherever you are in your journey through grief, just remember that however you’re feeling is not only normal, but valid. Losing a loved one directly leads to change in a person’s life and past traditions aren’t the same. For those who may know someone struggling with grief, it’s important to be mindful of what they’re going through and remember that grief appears in different ways.

Everyone will experience grief at some point in their lifetime, and the best thing we can all do is be understanding and support one other.


Need support in your journey through grief? Faith Hospice offers counseling and guidance through a number of programs—from individual counseling to support groups—and invites you to join any of the support services that are appropriate for you.


For additional help through your journey through grief, contact the Faith Hospice Bereavement team at 616-235-5122 or visit our website at https://faithhospicecare.org/services/bereavement/



Why health literacy is important for senior living

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By Vista Springs Assisted Living


As we move into our golden years, it’s more important than ever to educate ourselves on how to stay healthy. Basic health care services are essential, but modern research shows that this is just the beginning for the healthiest, happiest senior living. Here are a few areas where education and preparation can help you or your aging loved ones avoid future risks and enjoy life to the fullest.

Dealing with chronic conditions

Chronic health conditions create ongoing daily challenges for senior living. The physical, emotional, and practical demands of living with a chronic illness can be overwhelming. With some understanding and planning, however, it’s possible to minimize the frustration and isolation that often comes with chronic illness.

  • Develop an exercise routine that is appropriate for your physical condition. Even a ten-minute walk or a gentle stationery bike ride will strengthen you and lift your mood. Building flexibility and endurance gives your body essential tools for the fight against sickness and fatigue.
  • It’s important to be educated on the appropriate use of medications. Know how each prescription interacts with other drugs and what impact it will have on your body.
  • Understanding nutrition can make a significant difference for senior living. The vitamins and nutrients found in fresh, whole foods are powerful weapons against disease and fatigue.
  • Decision-making and evaluating new treatments can be difficult for someone suffering from chronic illness. If your aging loved one finds it difficult to make important decisions, make it a priority help them stay informed. Develop a calm, orderly strategy for working through decisions with the assistance of doctors and family members.

Emotional well-being

While working with your doctors to ensure the best medical treatment, remember that emotional health is also a significant part of your overall well-being. Many aging adults are unaware of the risk of depression that comes with many common health problems. However, by educating yourself on the symptoms of depression, you can notice and handle potential problems before they get out of control.


A therapist or counselor will help you adopt healthy emotional responses to the stress of health problems. The physical consequences of stress are minimized when we understand how to care for ourselves emotionally in painful or stressful situations. If we take the time now to understand the psychological and spiritual challenges that accompany aging, we can more easily prevent problems from arising in the future.

Health literacy is essential

It’s impossible to over-emphasize the importance of good health education for seniors and their families. There are many programs and resources available to assist aging adults and their families in these essential matters. Discuss these situations with the staff at your community to find out what they can do to support healthy, educated senior living.


With a good understanding of your own medical needs, you have the power to improve your daily quality of life. You can help your medical team keep you strong by focusing on areas of life that relate to health and happiness. Healthy emotional habits, a diet full of fresh whole foods, and an appropriate level of exercise can all dramatically improve the quality of senior living. Improve your health literacy today to take control of your health and happiness in your golden years.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Kentwood City Commission adopts resolution supporting refugee resettlement in the city

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City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley is congratulted after the signing of a Kentwood City Commission resolution on Tuesday, Dec. 17, which stated support of the continued resettlement of refugees within city limits. (City of Kentwood)

By City of Kentwood

In response to an executive order on Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement, the Kentwood City Commission adopted a resolution in support of the continued resettlement of refugees within City limits.


City Commission unanimously approved the resolution, which affirms resources and capacities are available within the City of Kentwood to devote to sustainable resettlement, which maximizes the likelihood refugees placed in the area will become self-sufficient and free from long-term dependence on public assistance. Kentwood is one of the first communities in West Michigan to publicly affirm its support of Executive Order 13888.


“Kentwood has long been able to welcome refugees facing persecution thanks to numerous corporations, faith-based organizations, schools and families with the resources available to support the arrival and integration of refugee families,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley. “As the current home of resettled refugees from more than 90 countries, Kentwood City Commission is committed to ensuring refugees not only feel welcome to come to our City, but to truly feel a sense of belonging within our community.


“Kentwood’s quality of life has been enriched by the friendships and contributions of our neighbors from all over the world. We look forward to embracing those who seek to find refuge in our City for many years to come.”


In a heartfelt commission meeting, numerous community members, many refugees themselves, shared comments in support of the resolution. These included representatives from Kent County Board of Commissioners, At-Tawheed Islamic Center, the Vietnamese-American Community of Grand Rapids, Bethany Christian Services, Samaritas and Gateways for Growth.


“The approval of this resolution demonstrates the city’s character and commitment to all New Americans and says loud and clear what type of community Kentwood leaders want to create for all people who want to call this place home,” said Joel Lautenbach, executive director of Development at Samaritas and leadership team member of Greater Grand Rapids/Kent County Gateways for Growth Welcome Plan.  “We want new residents from all over the world, including refugees, to be able to find a place to live here — to raise their families, to contribute economically and be successful, contributing members of our community.”


Project Coordinator Elvira Kovachevich of the Greater Grand Rapids/Kent County Gateways for Growth, whose objective is to develop and implement a welcome plan to address different sectors of obstacles for immigrants and refugees in Kent County, also spoke to the importance of the resolution.


“Seeing the City of Kentwood unanimously approve a resolution to welcome refugees to our community is more than a statement; it is a commitment to welcome everyone with open arms and promote belonging, no matter where you come from,” Kovachevich said. “As a child of refugees who works to welcome other New Americans to our community, the City of Kentwood’s affirmation of the value of refugees is inspiring; the City is truly serving as an example to others.”


Issued on Sept. 26, Executive Order 13888 requires official consent from state and local governments within 90 days in order for the federal government to resettle refugees in a given area, impacting all refugees coming through the U.S. Department of State.

Feeling glum? Just embrace it

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It’s far better for your long-term mental health if you accept your negative emotions, rather than passing judgment on yourself. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Len Canter, HealthDay


Feel bad about feeling bad? Don’t.


Studies done at the University of California, Berkeley, have found that acknowledging a blue mood—and not berating yourself for it—can help you work through it more easily.


It turns out that accepting negative emotions is better for your long-term mental health than constantly passing judgment on yourself, which can cause your feelings of negativity to snowball.


Putting pressure on yourself to feel upbeat can make you feel even more downbeat, according to the research.


It turns out that the people who let feelings like sadness, disappointment and even resentment run their course had fewer mood disorder symptoms than people who judged themselves for having them or who tried to bury them.


Accepting negative emotions seems to help you better cope with your stressors.


There’s one important caveat, however.


While it helps to acknowledge the normalness of negative emotions and not think you can—or need—to feel happy 24/7, it’s also important not to ignore a persistent and deep blue mood and other signs that could signal depression.


Symptoms of depression include a loss of interest in things that you used to enjoy and deep feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness that last for three or more months.


Unlike a blue mood, depression needs treatment, such as counseling, medication or both.

Key signs of depression

  • Deep sadness
  • Lack of energy or overwhelming fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Thoughts of suicide
  • Not sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Loss of or marked increase in appetite
  • Irritability

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Family caregivers provide a vital service — Part 1

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By Linda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension


As the American population ages, family caregiving emerges as a major concern for more and more families. In the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP 2009 report, Caregiving in the U.S., it was reported that 65.7 million caregivers make up 29 percent of the United States adult population that provide care to someone who is ill, disabled or aged. The report says that caregivers average 20.4 hours per week providing care and caregivers who live with the person they care for spend 39.3 hours per week caregiving.


According to the National Alzheimer’s Association 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, in 2010, 14.9 million families and other unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, provided about 17 billion hours of unpaid care. This represents an average of 21.9 hours of caregiving per week or 1,139 hours of care per caregiver, valued annually at $11.93 per hour—an estimated $202.6 billion in 2010.


Needless to say, the contributions of informal caregivers are very important, valuable and necessary to the well-being of many older adults and a huge contribution to our society. But the challenges and physical, emotional and financial toll of caregiving are also huge.


A Family Caregiver Alliance 2006 report, Caregiver Assessment: Voices and Views from the Field, states several statistics about the emotional and mental health challenges of informal caregiving. Caring for a person with dementia can impact a person’s immune system for up to three years after their caregiving experience ends, increasing their chance of developing a chronic illness themselves.


Also, 40 to 70 percent of family caregivers show symptoms of depression. Caregivers who are caring for someone who has emotional or mental health problems, in result are more likely than others to report a decline in their own health.


There are often physical health challenges for informal caregivers as well. In the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP 2009 report, Caregiving in the U.S., it says that 17 percent of caregivers feel their health in general has become worse as a result of their caregiving responsibilities. The report also states that studies have found that 23 percent of family caregivers who have been providing care for five years or more, report their health is fair or poor. Twenty-one percent of older caregivers caring for those age 65 and older, report a higher degree of physical strain, compared to 13 percent who are younger caregivers.


The immense challenges of informal caregiving make it very clear that caregivers need to make sure they take good care of themselves. It may seem impossible when responsibilities pile up, but with support and thoughtful planning, self-care for caregivers can make the difference between maintaining good health and becoming someone who needs caregiving. For more information about self-care for caregivers, watch for Family Caregiving – Part 2 coming soon. For more information on caregiving, visit the Michigan State University Extension Caregiving page.


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



5 ways to celebrate holiday traditions in assisted living

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Many of our most treasured holiday memories take place at Mom and Dad’s house. So after a loved one has moved into a senior living facility such as an assisted living community, it may feel like you can’t celebrate the usual holiday traditions. Luckily, that just isn’t true at all. While locations may have changed, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy everything the season has to offer.


Holiday traditions are usually based around activities that take place in the home, which is why we can feel as though there isn’t a way to celebrate favorite family traditions the way you used to. However, with the right attitude (and with the right tips and tricks up your sleeve) your family can still enjoy the same traditions, just with a slight twist.

1. Holiday shopping trips

Going out searching for presents is often a time of bonding for family members. After all, nothing brings a family closer together than navigating the crowds at the mall! But with a loved one in assisted living, it may be difficult to make that trip out to the store. Talk to your loved one about how they would feel about this type of day trip, and consult their physician to see if it’s safe for them.


If it’s going to be too difficult to take your loved one out for the day, take the shopping mall to them! Online shopping allows you to find the perfect presents with only a few taps of a computer. Help your family member search the gifts they want to purchase, or just enjoy browsing around together and seeing what the holiday sales and hot-ticket items are, all from the comforts of home!

2. Deck the halls

Even if your loved one doesn’t have a large home to decorate after making the move, their senior living apartment still can get the full holiday treatment! Help them make their living space feel more in tune with the holiday spirit by taking time to decorate together. Try things like:

  • Setting up and decorating a small, fake tree with bright lights and your loved one’s favorite ornaments.
  • Adding blankets, pillows, and other cozy items to warm up the apartment.
  • Stringing garland or tinsel around walls.
  • Hanging a wreath over their door. For extra bonus points, make it a fun crafting experience and build the wreath yourselves!
  • Bringing the outdoors inside with decorations of pinecones, cranberries, branches, and other woodsy elements.

To make apartment decorating even more of a holiday celebration, have several different family members come over, make some yummy snacks and hot cocoa, and play carols that make the day even merrier. 

3. Open presents together

Giving and receiving gifts is a favorite tradition for families, but it’s one that senior loved ones in assisted living communities can often miss out on. Rather than just call a loved one and fill them in on the joys you experienced together, bring the whole family over for a visit and enjoy opening presents as a group, so no one feels left out!

4. Enjoy a holiday dinner

Having a large family meal is often the highlight of everyone’s holiday traditions. When the whole family gathers together to eat, drink, laugh, share stories, and enjoy each other’s company it exemplifies all the reasons that the holiday season is so special. 


Assisted living communities know that eating together is a huge part of family tradition, and that’s why they plan and throw holiday parties full of delicious food and treats for families to enjoy with their loved ones. When everyone gathers together in celebration, no one will ever feel left out!

5. Keep family at the heart of the holidays

The number one reason that people struggle to find ways to celebrate the holidays in assisted living is because they are so used to thinking about these activities in a different setting. But just because “home” has a different meaning than what it used to doesn’t mean that the holidays will never be the same.


Much more important than where we spend the holidays at is who we spend the holidays with. Family and friends are what really keep our memories of holiday traditions alive, not the location where they took place.


In order to make the most of the holiday season, spend time with your loved ones, no matter where they are. When the family is together and celebrating, the holidays are always cheerful and bright.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.




Young adults see rise in colon cancer

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Researchers have seen colon cancer cases in young adults rise as much as 18 percent a year in some countries. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By E.J. Mundell, HealthDay


The rise in colon cases among younger adults that’s been seen in the United States is also occurring in wealthier nations worldwide, new research shows.


In the decade leading up to 2014, the number of cases of colon cancer among people under 50 increased by 3% a year in Denmark, New Zealand, Australia and Canada and by 1% per year in Britain.


The increase was most pronounced among those aged 20 to 29, noted a team led by Dr. Marzieh Araghi, from International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.


Among twenty-somethings, colon cancer cases rose by 18% a year in Denmark and 11% in Norway, according to the study published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hematology.


“Although the incidence of colorectal cancer in adults younger than 50 years remains much lower compared with that in older age groups, our findings are of concern and highlight the need for action to counteract the rising burden of the disease in younger people,” Araghi said in a journal news release.


The increase in cases among the young runs counter to declines in colon cancer among people over 50, the researchers pointed out.


For example, between 2004 and 2014 cases of colon cancer fell each year among people over 50—by 2% in Australia and Canada, 3% in New Zealand and 1% annually in the U.K.


Colon cancer remains a huge global killer.


According to the research team, in 2018 alone nearly 2 million cases of colon cancer were diagnosed and the disease claimed 881,000 lives worldwide.


But why the surge among the young? According to Araghi, the increase is likely driven in part by increases in certain risk factors, specifically obesity and poor diet.


On the other hand, he said, the decrease in colon cancer among people over 50 is most likely due to better screening stool tests or colonoscopy that catches tumors early.


Dr. David Bernstein is chief of hematology and a gastrointestinal specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Reviewing the new report, he said similar data has already changed medical practice in the United States.


“The U.S. findings have led to updated (American Cancer Society) colon cancer screening guidelines, which now recommend the initiation of colon cancer screening at age 45, as opposed to previous guidelines recommending the initiating of screening at age 50,” Bernstein noted.


Early screening and detection could bring colon cancer numbers down again among the young, he said.


Dr. Elena Ivanina is a gastroenterologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She believes younger Americans need to pay more heed to avoiding colon cancer risk factors.

“This includes things like obesity, diet, smoking and other carcinogens,” she said. “Patients should discuss their colon cancer risk with their physician and not ignore any symptoms like rectal bleeding, no matter what their age.”


In the meantime, Bernstein said, “perhaps the more important question is ‘why in high income countries is the incidence of colorectal cancer increasing among young adults, and what factors are leading to this?’” Bernstein said. “Significant work needs to be done to answer this critical question.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Fibromyalgia origin: Insulin resistance?

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Studies have shown differences in the brains of fibromyalgia sufferers, sometimes with areas of lower blood flow than expected. Similar problems have been seen in people with diabetes. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Serena Gordon, HealthDay


Fibromyalgia is a mysterious and misunderstood illness, but researchers may have uncovered at least one key to the disease’s origin: insulin resistance.


The new research compared a small group of people with fibromyalgia to two groups of healthy people and noted that a long-term measure of blood sugar levels was higher in the people with fibromyalgia.


Insulin resistance develops when the body starts to struggle with breaking down sugar.


To see if treating those higher blood sugar levels might help, the researchers gave people who had blood sugar levels in the pre-diabetic range or higher a diabetes medication called metformin.


People taking metformin reported significantly lower pain scores, according to the study.


“We combined metformin with standard drugs used for fibromyalgia and saw a much greater degree of pain relief,” said study author Dr. Miguel Pappolla. He is a professor of neurology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.


In fact, Pappolla said, the additional pain relief was so significant that the researchers actually called patients on different days to re-check their pain scores.


Because this is a preliminary finding, the researchers aren’t sure how insulin resistance might contribute to fibromyalgia or how metformin might reduce pain. “Metformin may have some analgesic (pain-relieving) activity on its own,” Pappolla said.


Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems and distress, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Even celebrities aren’t spared from this painful condition—Lady Gaga reportedly had to cancel concerts on her tour due to pain from fibromyalgia.


Though the cause of the disorder isn’t clear, it appears that people with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than other people—what the CDC calls abnormal pain processing.


Pappolla said that studies have shown differences in the brain between people with fibromyalgia and those without, such as areas with a lower blood flow than expected.


The researchers noted that similar problems have been seen in people with diabetes.


The study included 23 people with fibromyalgia.


The researchers compared their hemoglobin A1c levels to large groups of healthy people from two other studies.


Hemoglobin A1c is a simple blood test that measures what someone’s blood sugar levels were during the past two or three months. A level of 5.7% to 6.4% is considered pre-diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. A level of 6.5% or higher means a person has diabetes.


Only six of those with fibromyalgia had normal blood sugar levels. Sixteen had levels considered pre-diabetes and one met the criteria for diabetes.


When the researchers compared the average blood sugar levels of the fibromyalgia group to healthy age-matched people in the other studies, they saw that the blood sugar levels were higher in the people with fibromyalgia, suggesting insulin resistance.


The findings were published online recently in the journal PLOS ONE.


Dr. Edward Rubin, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, said, “It’s interesting that there’s a possible connection between fibromyalgia and blood sugar. We’ve been attacking the symptoms of fibromyalgia, but we don’t have a good understanding of the root cause of fibromyalgia.”


Rubin, who wasn’t involved in the study, said there may be enough evidence here to try metformin along with other medications used for fibromyalgia for people whose blood sugar levels fall outside of the normal range, to see if they have a positive response.


Dr. Bharat Kumar, from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, said this study shows people with the disease that there is hope.


“People with fibromyalgia are often told (falsely) that they have a disease that simply cannot be managed. This article shows that it’s not true. Although it’s unclear if metformin will work for every person suffering from fibromyalgia, there is active research into finding solutions for this frustrating and overlooked condition,” he said.


Kumar said it’s biologically plausible that insulin could have an effect on pain.


“We know that other hormone abnormalities can cause fibromyalgia-like symptoms, so (this finding) is not too surprising,” he added.


Still, he said, he didn’t expect that metformin would be a “silver bullet” for all fibromyalgia pain. He said there are likely a number of causes of the disease.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Suspect in pancreatic cancer: Gut fungi

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In experiments using mice, researchers found some populations of fungal species increased at a higher rate in a cancerous pancreas. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By E.J. Mundell, HealthDay


Fungi living in the gut can move into the pancreas, triggering changes to normal cells that can result in cancer, a new study suggests.


The finding could advance the prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer, which is usually fatal because it’s often detected too late.


The disease has been in the news lately because “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek is waging a battle against an advanced form of the illness.


The new research focuses on a particular form of the cancer, called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which can be fatal within two years.


While the exact causes of pancreatic cancer remain unclear, the American Cancer Society has long recognized that viruses, bacteria and parasites can help spur pancreatic tumors, the authors of the new study noted.


But fungi haven’t been shown to play a role—until now.


“While past studies from our group have shown that bacteria travel from the gut to the pancreas, our new study is the first to confirm that fungi, too, make that trip and that related fungal population changes promote tumor inception and growth,” study co-author Dr. George Miller said in a news release from NYU Langone Health.


Miller is co-leader of the Tumor Immunology Research Program at Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, in New York City.


Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is cancer of the tube in the pancreas where digestive juices drain into the intestines.


This exchange causes fungal populations in the gut and pancreas—the “mycobiome”—to become abnormal, the NYU team explained. That change may cause pancreatic cells to turn malignant.


In the new study, the researchers first looked at fungal transfer from the gut to the pancreas in mice that already had pancreatic tumors.


In those experiments, the researchers found that treating the rodents with an antifungal drug shrunk the weight of tumors from between 20% to 40% over 30 weeks.


Investigating further, the team catalogued the species of fungi in the poop of mice with or without pancreatic cancer. They even tagged the fungi with “glowing” proteins to watch the microbes travel from the gut to the pancreas.


Certain patterns emerged, with some populations of fungal species increasing at a far higher rate in the cancerous pancreases versus the non-cancerous ones.


One such cancer-linked species is called Malassezia.


“We have long known that Malassezia fungi—generally found on the skin and scalp—are responsible for dandruff and some forms of eczema, but recent studies have also linked them to skin and colorectal cancer,” study senior co-author Deepak Saxena noted in the news release.


“Our new findings add evidence that Malassezia is abundant in pancreatic tumors as well,” said Saxena, who is professor of basic science and craniofacial biology at NYU College of Dentistry. Pancreatic cancers in the mice grew about 20% faster when Malassezia was allowed to grow unchecked, the team noted.


The researchers theorized that fungi spur growth of the cancer by affecting immune system mechanisms that lead to abnormal tissue growth.


Study co-first author Smruti Pushalkar, a research scientist at NYU College of Dentistry, added, “Moving forward, one goal for our team is to determine which species are most relevant to cancer, as doing so could guide future attempts to slow tumor growth with targeted antifungal medications, and to avert side effects.”


The results of the study add evidence to the theory that fungi increase the risk for cancer by activating an ancient part of the immune system, the researchers said.


This immune response fights infections but also increases cell growth as the infection is cured. Past studies have shown that aggressive tissue growth can cause cancer when it’s combined with genetic flaws.


The report was published recently in the journal Nature.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.



Dear Santa: Spare me the stress

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Finances are often a source of misery at the holidays. To save money, try giving one meaningful gift to someone, rather than a barrage of soon-forgotten items. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Stress abounds during the holiday season, but you can ease it, an expert says.


The way to manage stress is to recognize it and take steps to minimize it so it doesn’t overwhelm you, according to Cinnamon Stetler, an associate professor of psychology at Furman University, in Greenville, S.C.


One way to ease holiday stress is to avoid unrealistic expectations, such as believing the holidays will change people and family relationships.


“If your stress stems from other people’s actions, that’s largely out of your control. What you can do is limit your exposure,” Stetler said in a university news release.


Don’t obsess about family holiday traditions.


“Reflect on why that tradition is so important to you and what about it carries the meaning. See if there’s a way to adapt the tradition while still maintaining the important pieces of it,” Stetler said. “While it is good to maintain traditions, they can cause extra stress if you feel you have to do it the same way no matter what.”


Change your approach to gift-giving, which can cause financial worries.


For example, instead of buying a person several gifts, choose just one or two that will be especially meaningful.


And remember that material things provide only short-term happiness, while doing things for others and appreciating what you have can bring lasting happiness.


Take care of yourself during the holidays.


Get plenty of sleep, watch your diet, exercise regularly and find some time for yourself each day.


“Try to maintain as much of your normal routine as you can. You can treat yourself and indulge in small ways. The holidays are not the time to make big changes,” Stetler said. “Try to get a little bit of physical activity in, even if it’s a 10-minute walk around the neighborhood.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.




Find peace of mind with a senior living waitlist

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


The sudden need for an elderly family member to have assistance or be a part of a senior care community can be a big shock. Getting caught off guard with the sudden need to move your loved one to an assisted living community or nursing home can add stress to you and your family’s lives.


However, you can avoid all the stress and uncertainty by planning ahead and adding your loved one to a senior community waitlist. Once your family member is on a waitlist, you can rest assured that they will have a place to get the care and services they need when the time comes.

What is senior living?

The most basic definition of senior living is a retirement community or housing group where retirees who can generally care for themselves live to enjoy activities and socialization opportunities together. However, while some of the more exclusive communities might require waiting periods, when we talk about a waitlist for senior living we mean a different kind of senior living option.


As seniors age, they generally need help with their day-to-day care or activities of daily living (ADLs). To get assistance with things like medication management, bathing, and mobility, many seniors need to find a living situation where these kinds of services are provided.


Assisted living communities and nursing homes offer assistance with ADLs and, in the case of nursing homes, dedicated nursing care for seniors who need in-depth aid. Getting your loved one on the waitlist to be in line for a spot in a community ensures that your loved one has these services when they need them.

What is a senior living waitlist?

A senior living waitlist lets you reserve a place in a senior living community like an assisted living community or a nursing home without having to immediately move in. Most places are going to require a deposit, which may or may not be refundable. Once placed on the list, most communities will let you know when you reach the top and are able to move in. Sometimes you can defer the move-in and maintain your position at the top of the list, or you may be moved to the bottom of the list after deferment.

How can a senior living waitlist relieve stress?

It’s difficult to know exactly when your loved one is going to need assisted living or nursing care, so having a plan in place can relieve a lot of the stress that you experience when helping make a plan for an aging family member.


Making a snap decision due to stress when your loved one suddenly needs help with ADLs or needs to quickly be moved to a senior living community often means picking the first available location—even if it doesn’t really fit the needs or wants of your loved one.


Having a spot reserved on a senior living waitlist gives you both security and control when it comes to making these difficult choices for your family member. You have the time to find the right community to fit your loved ones needs. You can look at the differences between assisted living communities and nursing homes, look at pricing across communities, and take your loved one to tour so they know what their new home will be like.

When is the right time for a waitlist?

You don’t necessarily need to start looking for a waitlist to join the minute a loved one reaches retirement age, but you should be aware of their health to look for signs that they might need assistance with ADLs. Once you notice some signs, it might be time to talk with your loved one about finding a community and being added to their waitlist.


Warning signs that it might be time to consider making a move to senior living include:

  • Falling or stumbling often
  • Lapses in memory or cognitive function
  • Struggle to keep enough food in the house
  • Difficulty remembering when to take medications
  • Decreased social life and engagement
  • Unclean or grimy house
  • Visible changes in appearance
  • The need for frequent medical care

What should my next steps be?

If you think you want to get your loved one on a waiting list for senior living, there is no better time to start looking than now. Researching early on can help you find the right place that fits your family member’s lifestyle and budget range.


Be prepared, and don’t let the period to add your loved one to a waitlist pass by. Look for signs that it may be time for them to move, and have a plan of action in place so that you aren’t caught unawares. Being on a senior living waitlist can help ensure that your loved one will have the care they need, when they need it.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.


Red wine—a microbiome fertilizer?

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As little as one glass of red wine each week could enrich the good bacteria in your stomach, according to researchers. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay


A little pinot noir now and then might help keep the bacteria in your tummy healthy and happy.


As little as one glass of red wine a week can increase the diversity of the good bacteria in your microbiome, which can help lower bad cholesterol and keep your weight down, researchers say.


“The more people drink, the higher the diversity. But even small amounts, such as one glass of red wine every week, shows a benefit,” said study first author Caroline Le Roy. She’s a research associate in the department of twin research and genetic epidemiology at King’s College London.


Le Roy cautioned that while the findings in the study were robust, they can’t prove that red wine improves the microbiome, only that the two are associated.


It’s not the alcohol that has this effect, but rather the polyphenols in red wine. Polyphenols help feed the good bacteria in the microbiome, the researchers explained.


Polyphenols are also found in fruits and vegetables, and include antioxidants.


For the study, Le Roy and her colleagues looked at the effect of beer, cider, red wine, white wine and whiskey on the gut microbiome of 916 female twins.


Only red wine resulted in a more diverse microbiome, the investigators found.


The microbiome is a collection of bacteria in the gut that has an important role in health. A healthy microbiome helps digest food and keeps some diseases at bay.


An unhealthy microbiome can lead to poor functioning of the immune system, weight gain and high cholesterol, Le Roy said.


A microbiome with lots of different bacteria is a healthy microbiome, she added.


Le Roy’s team found that red wine improved the number of different bacteria in the microbiome, compared with those who didn’t drink wine.


The researchers were able to confirm their findings in three other groups in Britain, the Netherlands and the United States, which brought the total number of participants to nearly 3,000.


Moreover, the results remained constant even after accounting for factors such as diet, socioeconomic status and age.


Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, thinks that drinking red wine may be a marker of a healthy lifestyle, so the health benefits may be due to other factors.


“Do they, in general, lead healthier lives, such as not smoking, eating more of a plant-based diet and exercising?” she asked.


Wine comes from grapes, which like a lot of plant foods, are rich in polyphenols, Heller said.


But polyphenols are also found in vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, legumes and teas that don’t contain alcohol, she noted.


“In addition, plants are our only source of dietary fiber, which is the favorite food for the microbes that live in our gut. When they are healthy, they help keep our bodies healthy,” Heller said.


While drinking small amounts of red wine has apparent health benefits, there are also unhealthy effects of drinking too much, such as liver disease, certain cancers, pancreatitis and a depressed immune system, she said.


“Guzzling red wine, or any alcoholic beverage, is not the miracle we have been led to believe,” Heller said.


For those who drink, the American Heart Association recommends an average of one to two drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for women (one 12-ounce beer, 4 ounces of wine, 1 ounce of 100 proof spirits).


“Let’s be honest, most of us probably drink more than that. If you do not drink alcohol, there is no reason to start,” Heller said.


The report was published recently in the journal Gastroenterology.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.




City of Kentwood promotes Capt. Bryan Litwin to Deputy Police Chief

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Deputy Chief Bryan Litwin. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)

By City of Kentwood

The City of Kentwood has promoted Capt. Bryan Litwin to deputy police chief of the Kentwood Police Department.

Previously serving as captain of the Professional Standards Division, Litwin succeeds Richard Roberts, who was appointed to the role of police chief in November.

As deputy chief, Litwin is responsible for assisting with the planning, coordination and management of the City’s police, code enforcement and traffic engineering functions and staff.


 
“The leadership, communication and strategic planning skills Bryan has demonstrated during his more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement with the Kentwood Police Department made him the perfect candidate for this position,” Chief Roberts said. “He has proven to be an invaluable asset to the department’s success, demonstrating his clear dedication to the department, profession and service to our residents.”

“I have complete confidence Bryan will continue to demonstrate outstanding leadership in his new role.”

Litwin began service to the City of Kentwood as a patrol officer in 1999. Litwin has also served as a field training officer, community services officer, staff services bureau officer, special response team member and team commander. He has been a member of the training committee and now serves as its chair.

He was promoted to sergeant in 2012 and then to captain in 2016, where he has overseen the Professional Standards Division and served as the public information officer. Also in that role, Litwin oversaw the police cadet program to recruit and develop future police officers.


This past summer, Litwin helped to implement the City’s first Youth Police Academy, which gave high school students and recent high school graduates hands-on experience in a variety of police-related tasks.

During his tenure with the City of Kentwood, Litwin has also taught ethics in law enforcement to police academy recruits at Grand Valley State University and developed GVSU’s Police Academy Subject Control program. The program includes instruction on safe subject-control tactics, use-of-force constitutional amendments and federal and state case law.


With a commitment to professional development, Litwin has completed numerous trainings, including: Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations, Michigan Association of Chief of Police Executives Training, Public Agency Training Council’s class on internal affairs, DeWolf & Associates’ Public Information Officer program, West Michigan Tactical Officers Association’s SWAT Leader and Commander seminar, Grand Rapids Police Department Leadership Institute and Force Science Institute.

Litwin sits on the board of the West Michigan Criminal Justice Training Consortium and serves as vice chairman for the GVSU Police Academy Advisory Board. Litwin has also served as president of the West Michigan Tactical Officers Association.

Litwin attended Grand Valley State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.

 

On Tap: Wyoming, Kentwood breweries share the ‘love’; welcome to Eastern Kille

3-bottom, Beer, Community Health, Crime Prevention, Local Business, Non-Profits, Recreation,
Beer and cocktails — and drinking responsibly — go hand and hand in West Michigan. (Courtesy New Holland Spirits)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
 
Local brewers Broad Leaf Local Beer, Railtown Brewing and TwoGuys Brewing have joined a group of more than 20 Grand Rapids craft beverage producers to support Safe Haven Ministries’ mission of solving the problem of domestic abuse in the community through the “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” effort.

According to supplied material, participating breweries, wineries and distilleries have each created a new beverage named “Love”, and the unique brews, ciders and cocktails will have a portion of its proceeds donated to benefit Safe Haven Ministries. The project kicked off Thanksgiving week and will run through the remainder of the year.

The Mitten State, an apparel company based in Grand Rapids, will also donate a portion of sales of its Michigan “Love” apparel series. A few participating locations will sell limited-edition “Love” pint glasses to benefit the nonprofit.

“First and foremost, the goal of this project is to support Safe Haven in their mission to solve the problem of domestic abuse in our community,” Dana Mate Dones, operations manager of The Mitten Brewing Company, said in supplied material. “But a secondary goal is to prove that when responsibly enjoyed, alcohol can be a force for good and actually be a part of breaking the cycle of domestic abuse, despite its long negative association with the issue.”

Safe Haven Ministries provides emergency shelter, case management, support groups and more to women and children suffering from domestic abuse. The organization also provides education and prevention programs for businesses, schools, healthcare providers and other members of the community.

Safe Haven Ministries, according to supplied material, believes in a multi-faceted approach to solving the problem of domestic abuse in the Grand Rapids community. The organization offers emergency safe shelter for individuals fleeing domestic violence. Safe Haven also offers prevention and outreach programs for the entire community.

In addition to the Wyoming and Kentwood breweries, other participants include Founders Brewing Company, The Mitten Brewing Company, Speciation Artisan Ales, Long Road Distillers, City Built Brewing, The People’s Cider Co., Vander Mill Grand Rapids, Eastern Kille Distillery ( the new name of Gray Skies Distillery; see story below), Cedar Springs Brewing Company, Harmony Brewing, Harmony Hall, Trail Point Brewing, Rockford Brewing, Thornapple Brewing, Wise Men Distillery, Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery, Brewery Vivant, Atwater Brewing, Coldbreak, and Better Drinking Culture.

“We are honored to be a part of the ‘Love Shouldn’t Hurt’ project, along with many of our friends in the Grand Rapids brewing community to support survivors of domestic abuse,” Mitch Ermatinger, owner of Speciation Artisan Ales, said in supplied material.

Grey Skies Distillery rebrands as Eastern Kille Distillery

After nearly four years in business — the business of distilling some pretty fine liquor in downtown Grand Rapids, in my humble opinion — Gray Skies Distillery recently changed its company name to Eastern Kille Distillery.

The new Eastern Kille name, we are told, comes from the work “Kille”, a Middle Dutch word for “riverbank ” — the distillery’s location in the city’s Monroe North neighborhood on the eastern side of the Grand River.

“We started our distillery in 2014 to produce premium spirits, with Great Lakes water and with Michigan pride,” Steve Vander Pol, Co-founder, said on the company’s website. “We set out to craft authentic spirits with quality, natural ingredients, distilled and bottled in the heart of Grand Rapids — our new name reflects that commitment.”

 

The name change, according to multiple media reports, was the result of a trademark trademark dispute involving the Gray Skies name with Campari America LLC, the U.S. affiliate of Milan, Italy-based Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., the owner of the Skyy vodka brand.

The name change coincides with the first statewide launch of the company’s Michigan Straight Bourbon Whiskey — after all the legal wrangling, a good shot was probably well deserved.

 
“With our bourbon, gin and whiskey, we respect tradition but dare to explore unique flavor profiles, and this new bourbon is the purest representation of our passion,” Vander Pol said, also on the company’s website. “We’ve created a bourbon to be sipped with the best of them, a bourbon Michiganders can call their own.”

Maybe there is a vodka coming which Michiganders can also call their own. (Just saying …)

For more information visit easternkille.com.

DeHop’s Brewing Co. earns German-style beer honors

Walker’s DeHop’s Brewing Co. & Café was recently earned notice from the World Beer Awards, World Beer Championship, and U.S. Beer Open Championship.

DeHop’s Schwarzbier German Black Lager was crowned the Best Dark Lager in the United States from the 2019 World Beer Awards, according to supplied material. The beer was also awarded a silver medal in the 2019 World Beer Championship along with other DeHop’s brews Brahm’s Best Vienna Style Lager and Maibock.

The brewery was also inducted into the Brotherhood for the International Embracement of the Reinheitsgebot (BIER), an exclusive club based out of Munich, Germany. This award goes to brewers who are creating lagers that support the German Purity Law, which limits the ingredients in beer production to its authentic German roots. All DeHop’s Lagers are brewed in accordance with the German Purity Law.

For more informant visit dehops.com.

Helping older adults with substance abuse problems

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, How-To's, Senior Living,

By Linda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension


If an older adult were ill or needed help, most people would reach out and help in whatever ways they could. But, if the illness were signs of alcoholism or drug abuse, it’s often really hard for most people to know what to do or say. Often, it’s difficult to tell if what we see are symptoms of substance abuse. In older adults, these signs can seem to mimic other conditions, such as diabetes, dementia or depression.


Is it substance abuse? According to Hazelden, a prominent addiction recovery center, there are two types of alcoholism in older adults. Two-thirds of older adult alcoholics are early-onset – those who have been heavy drinkers most of their adult lives. The other one-third are those who began to drink excess amounts in their older years, often in response to a difficult life situation or transition.


Doctors routinely prescribe tranquilizers for older adults. More tranquilizers are prescribed annually than for all other medications, over 16.9 million prescriptions each year – with the exception of heart medicine.


Some of the challenges that come with prescription drug use by older adults include:

  • Older people often take higher doses than prescribed because they forgot that they already took a pill or because “if one is good, two are better.”
  • It is not unusual for older persons to take their prescription drugs to a friend or spouse — even when the prescription is old, if the drug fits a self-diagnosed ailment.
  • An older person may also become dependent on alcohol or drugs after a major operation or a lengthy hospital stay. This dependency can be life threatening, yet is treatable.

What are possible signs of abuse? Hazelden has identified several warning signs:

  • Drinks in spite of warning labels while on prescription drugs.
  • Always has bottles of tranquilizers on hand and takes them at the slightest sign of disturbance.
  • Is often intoxicated or slightly tipsy, and sometimes has slurred speech.
  • Disposes of large volumes of empty beer and liquor bottles and seems secretive about it.
  • Often has the smell of liquor on his/her breath or mouthwash to disguise it.
  • Is neglecting personal appearance and gaining or losing weight.
  • Complains of constant sleeplessness, loss of appetite or chronic health complaints that seem to have no physical cause.
  • Has unexplained burns or bruises and tries to hide them.
  • Seems more depressed or hostile than usual.
  • Can’t handle routine chores and paperwork without making mistakes.
  • Has irrational and undefined fears, delusions or seems under unusual stress.
  • Seems to be losing his or her memory.

How can we begin to help our loved ones get help for substance abuse problems? Before talking to your older loved one or friend, talk to a professional trained in addiction and older adults. Prepare by gathering information:

  • A list of prescribed and over-the-counter drugs the person is taking.
  • A list of doctors the person is seeing. They may have a general practitioner and a specialist.
  • A brief life history including religious and cultural background and important life events.
  • An idea of the person’s present ability to live alone and take care of themself.
  • How drinking or the misuse of medicines is affecting their health, family and social life, etc.
  • A list of family members and friends who are concerned and would be willing to help, if necessary.

Together, you and the professional should be able to make an informal assessment as to what type of help the older person needs and how to approach the topic with them. You may decide, for example, that it would be better for your friend’s physician to bring up the problem, since many older people trust their doctors. Or perhaps you can ask another close person, such as a minister or an old acquaintance of your friend to sit down for a personal talk. Find out more at www.hazelden.org about how you can help your friend or loved one get help for substance abuse.


If the person is ready to make a change, the first thing to do is listen and be supportive. You may want to urge your friend to see a physician to get a professional assessment of the problem. Depending on the severity, the older person may need hospital care to treat the physical symptoms of alcohol and drug reactions. Many older persons can benefit from inpatient treatment for alcoholism or drug dependency, if their health insurance or other resources will cover the costs.


Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) can be a good alternative, along with individual counseling from an addiction professional that is trained to work with older adults. Founded in 1935, A.A. has helped millions of people achieve sobriety. When you talk to an A.A. volunteer, ask for a meeting where an older person could be comfortable. See www.aa.org for more helpful information for friends and families of older adults dealing with substance abuse.


Fortunately, today it is more accepted to seek help for alcohol and drug abuse problems. There are excellent resources in many communities to help loved ones and friends address the issue. Michigan State University Extension staff works with the Geriatric Education Center of Michigan at Michigan State University to bring the latest health information about older adults to health care providers throughout the state. See www.gecm.msu.edu for more information.


For more about older adults and substance abuse read Substance abuse in older adults: Underdiagnosed and undertreated.


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



AI for your ears

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Senior Living, Tech Trends
Scientists are closer than ever to developing a smart hearing aid that separates desired sounds from undesirable background noise. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Alan Mozes, HealthDay


Chances are if you’re over 60 it’s already happened to you: You’re in a crowded room and finding it tough to understand what your partner is saying a couple of feet away.


It’s a longstanding hearing-loss issue known as the “cocktail party” problem. Conventional hearing aids still aren’t able to fix it—to separate out the talk you do want to hear from the background chatter you don’t.


But scientists may be developing a device that can do just that.


The device would rely on an emerging technology called “auditory attention decoding,” or AAD. AAD cracks the cocktail party problem by simultaneously monitoring a person’s brainwaves and the sound around them.


With that data in place, the new hearing device would triangulate which voice or sound the person is focused on—and then give it an extra sonic boost.


“The cocktail party problem refers to a hearing condition where there is more than one speaker talking at the same time,” explained Nima Mesgarani, who led a group that published their new findings May 15 in Science Advances.


“Because hearing-impaired listeners have reduced sensitivity to different frequencies, they are not able to pick out the right voice,” explained Mesgarani.


He’s associate professor of electrical engineering with the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, part of Columbia University in New York City.


Conventional hearing aids—which simply raise overall sound levels—don’t help much in a crowded room.


“Increasing the volume doesn’t help hearing-impaired listeners, because it amplifies everyone and not just the ‘target speaker,’” Mesgarani said.


AAD works differently.


“(It) works by first automatically separating the sound sources in the acoustic environment,” he said. “The separated sounds are then compared to the brain waves of a listener. And the source that is most similar is chosen and amplified relative to other speakers to assist the listener.”


But this research is still in its early stages, so crowd-addled seniors shouldn’t expect to order the technology anytime soon.


For the moment, the technology requires an invasive surgical procedure and isn’t portable. Any practical application is at least five to 10 years off, Mesgarani said.


Still, the research illustrates yet again the amazing versatility of the human brain.


As Mesgarani noted, neural networks in the brain’s hearing center are remarkably adept at pinpointing which voice a person wants to pay attention to, even with lots of competing noise.


Digging deeper into that phenomenon, the Columbia team enlisted a group of people with epilepsy (who were already undergoing surgical care) to listen to a massed group of several speakers. None of the patients had hearing difficulties.


By means of electrodes directly implanted into their brains, researchers were then able to monitor how brain waves responded to the various sounds. That data was fed into a computer, which quickly learned to automatically raise the volume of the “target” speaker’s voice.


Preliminary results suggest that the technology does work as intended. But to date, testing has been confined to a controlled indoor setting and it remains to be seen whether it would work as well among those with actual hearing impairment, the researchers said.


And, of course, it will take time to convert the technology into something that could be worn as an external hearing aid.


Tricia Ashby-Scabis is director of audiology practices with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, in Rockville, Md. She reviewed the new study and said the work “sounds highly promising.”


“Artificial intelligence certainly sounds like a great option in terms of focused listening and setting precedence on which speaker the listener wants to hear,” Ashby-Scabis said.


But questions remain.


“The difficulty is, communication is dynamic,” said Ashby-Scabis. “It is ever-changing. People jump in and out of conversations, and that is a lot of processing for a device to do, and a lot of knowledge it needs to have. I am surprised if this is something we are close to having researchers solving (or) developing, but it is certainly a promising area to be studying.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.