According to the CDC website, cloth face coverings are recommended as “a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the cloth face covering coughs, sneezes, talks or raises their voice.”
“For outdoor gatherings, masking remains key in preventing transmission,” said Doreen Marcinek, manager of infection prevention at Spectrum Health. “If unable to mask for health reasons, social distancing of at least 6 feet is recommended.”
It’s all about the fabric
Light color masks will be cooler than dark as they do not absorb ultraviolet light. (WKTV)
During warms days, Marcinek recommends wearing a cotton mask as it may be more comfortable. Cotton is a more breathable option than other fabrics, but it can also absorb sweat, which could cause issues on hot and humid days. Marcinek said she encourages people to carry a couple of masks with them so they can switch the masks out if one does become saturated.
Another light weight option are masks made form bamboo. According to The Miami Herald, bamboo is 40 percent more absorbent that organic cotton fabrics and it can absorb up to three times its weight in liquid. Bamboo is known for its insulation properties, allowing it to be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It is hypoallergenic and eco-friendly. Also because of its antibacterial properties, its is less likely to develop an order.
Remember that lighter colors, white and pastels, tend to reflect ultraviolet rays and will be cooler than wearing darker colors such as black or dark blue.
If you can’t breathe, remove the mask
According to the CDC, if a person is having trouble breathing, it is OK to remove a mask. When the mask is removed, the person should adhere to the six feet of social distancing.
In fact, the CDC recommends the following people not wear masks:
Children 2 and under
Anyone who has trouble breathing
Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance.
There are other reasons as well for people not to wear masks, such as those who are hard of hearing and rely on reading lips and those who work in manufacturing where the strings of the mask could get caught in the machinery. For the list, click here.
Skin care important
A mask should cover the nose and the chin. Megan VanderMaas, a physician assistant at Metro Health Cosmetic Treatment Center said there are no special tricks or ways to wear a mask without compromising the integrity and fit of it.
“Wearing a mask for long hours you are bound to get irritation, potential acne, redness, etc.,” VanderMaas said. One of the thing she would recommend is keeping the face clean and free of make up. The makeup can build up under the mask and clog the pores. Washing the face in the morning and night will help remove any dirt and oils from the day.
VanderMaas said after wearing a mask, try putting on products that will help soothe and calm any area with irritation. Also making sure the skin is well hydrated and try to avoid harsh products that may irritate the skin more, she said.
Wash and repeat
Make sure to wash you cotton masks. The CDC recommends that cotton masks be washed daily and allowed to dry completely before wearing again.
Many publications recommend that you wash your mask in hot water and use high heat to dry to eliminate as many germs as possible. Also ironing a mask after washing will help to eliminate germs as well.
Basic health tips in dealing with hot weather
Our health experts mentioned that when the heat and humidity are high to take the normal precautions to avoid overheating or heat stroke. From the Metro Health – University of Michigan Health website:
Stay indoors and away from the sun.
If you must work outdoors, drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade.
Wear light colored clothing that is lightweight and loose fitting and wear a hat.
The City of Kentwood announced to WKTV this week that a dozen or so city vehicles will parade throughout the community on Saturday, July 4, as a way “to celebrate Independence Day safely in lieu of its traditional celebration activities this year.”
The city did much the same as a truck tour last month in celebration of national Public Works Week. See a WKTV video of the event here.
The July 4 parade will begin at 9 a.m. on the western border of the city, near the intersection of Division Avenue and Maplelawn Street, and travel toward the eastern border the city, ending about 11 a.m. near the intersection of Burton Street and Forest Meadows Court.
A small scale map if at the bottom of this story. The full parade route and tentative timeline is available online at kentwood.us/july4. The timeline is tentative as the parading vehicles will be traveling at a faster speed on main roads and at a slower speed on residential roads, according to the city’s webpage on the event.
Residents are invited to watch the parade from the nearest street to their home on the parade route but, according to the city statement, to practice physical distancing from others when they do so.
“The City of Kentwood is pleased to be able to offer a safe, alternate way of engaging with our community on the Fourth of July,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said in supplied material. “It is our hope to inspire joy and celebration for America’s independence by bringing the traditional parade to residents throughout the Kentwood community.”
In early June, the City of Kentwood decided to join other communities in canceling this year’s annual July 4 celebration.
“Due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and restrictions on large group gatherings, the City Commission voted against hosting the event this summer out of an abundance of caution,” according to the city statement.
The fireworks show planned for July 4 has been postponed to the Kentwood Food Truck Festival this fall.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-134 on June 26 which extended the temporary suspension of evictions until July 15 and created the Eviction Diversion Program.
According to a statement from the state, the diversion program outlines a process for renters “to get fast rental assistance or establish a manageable payment plan” to keep residents in their homes. Rental assistance under the Eviction Diversion Program will be available beginning July 16.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (State of Michigan)
“No Michigander should have to worry about losing their home during a global health pandemic and, at the same time, landlords and management companies need rent from their tenants to sustain their businesses,” Gov. Whitmer said in supplied material. “This innovative new program will save lives, save money, and save businesses by keeping families in their homes and providing immediate financial relief to landlords for back rent they’re due.”
Under Executive Order 2020-134, $50 million of rental assistance will be made available in the form of lump sum payments to landlords in exchange for allowing tenants to remain in their homes, forgiving late fees and up to 10 percent of the amount due.
Tenants whose back rent is not completely covered by the Eviction Diversion Program will be entered into manageable payment plans facilitated by Supreme Court Administrative Order 2020-17.
The program was created following the passage of Senate Bill 690, which passed unanimously out of both the Michigan House and Senate on June 17. The legislation appropriated $60 million in Coronavirus Relief Funding to the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity for the creation of a rental assistance program to assist tenants and landlords after the eviction moratorium concludes.
There’s no feeling like coming home after a long day. As seniors age, it becomes important to them that they have a home in which they can feel safe, relaxed, and secure. However, this can become a major sticking point that makes seniors unwilling to move to care communities like assisted living.
Many seniors want to age in place, or have a single home that they live in for as long as possible. For most, this means their family home. But, as they age, more and more older adults need assistance that they cannot provide for themselves—which makes staying at home difficult on themselves and their families.
Rather than aging in place at a family home, assisted living provides seniors with opportunities to age in a community that can provide them with care and personal services—along with other benefits—as needed, rather than moving multiple times when new care concerns arise.
Why seniors think they need to live at home
Seniors want to stay in their familiar homes for many reasons, which aren’t limited to but can include:
Not wanting to burden or trouble their families with a move to a senior care community
Guilt or shame about growing older
Wanting to avoid thinking about serious health concerns
Many seniors also have images in their heads of dull and dreary nursing homes, where they are confined to small rooms and lose all their self-sufficiency in a single day. There also is a common misconception about how much senior living costs. Aging adults might think staying at home is a less expensive option, when the opposite is often true.
Challenges that arise later in life
It’s a sad but true fact that many seniors experience a steep decline in their ability to care for themselves after they turn 70. In fact, over 75% of seniors have a serious chronic illness they likely need assistance with, and health concerns can’t always be addressed by a family member.
The longer a senior and their family wait to start looking at senior care options, the more limited their options become. It’s hard to find the right place to meet a seniors’ individual needs when:
You aren’t sure what care needs a loved one might need in the future
In addition, moving to senior living when there is no longer a choice can make things physically, emotionally, and mentally draining on both seniors and their families. And having in-home care when looking for living arrangements can become incredibly expensive.
Benefits of aging in assisted living
Assisted living communities understand the fears and reluctance that seniors have about leaving their family home. They work to provide a comfortable environment where seniors get the care they need as new conditions and needs develop over time.
When seniors make the move to assisted living before their condition becomes dire, they have time to readjust to a new community. Most assisted living communities even provide catered living for seniors who don’t need specific care services yet, but want some of the messy parts of life like laundry and cleaning taken care of for them.
Assisted living provides a variety of services that don’t take independence away from seniors, but give help in needed areas. These areas include:
Bathing & dressing
Personal care
Moving around the community
Medication management
Housekeeping
Meal planning & cooking
Moving to assisted living also helps reduce the stress on family members. Living at a family home may seem like a great idea for seniors, until they need everyday help and a child or other family member has to put their career and personal life on hold to become a full-time caregiver.
Living independently and aging in place at Vista Springs
Assisted living communities like Vista Springs offer many benefits that seniors can’t get when they age at a family home. These include:
Vista Springs offers everything from catered living to skilled nursing care to hospice and palliative care for end-of-life services. With this wide array of options, seniors can find a new home and age in place at Vista Springs!
It’s important for seniors to feel comfortable and secure in their home as they age. But living at home can create problems down the line. When seniors move to assisted living before a situation becomes desperate, they can enjoy incredible benefits during their golden years.
The Kent County Health Department is partnering with the Black Impact Collaborative and LINC UP to provide a free COVID-19 community testing today, Monday, June 29, from 2 to 7 p.m., at the Gallery at LINC UP located at 1167 Madison S.E., Grand Rapids.
The county announcement is also available in Spanish at the link at the end of this story.
In Kent County, members of the Latinx community account for 39.4 percent of the COVID-19 cases while comprising 10 percent of the population, while African Americans have 19.25 percent of the cases but make up 10 percent of the population.
Federal CDC-provided Coronavirus test kit. (KCHD)
“We know that COVID-19 has been disproportionately impacting the African American and Latinx communities, so the Black Impact Collaborative wanted to partner with Kent County to make sure that African Americans and Latinxs in our community have the opportunity to get tested,” Robert Womack, Kent County commissioner, said in supplied material. “This is such a needed resource for our community to allow anyone to get tested and we are thankful that the County put this testing day together.”
Any person, 6 months of age or older, can get tested, according to the county statement. Pre-registration for this event is encouraged by going online through this link or calling 616-632-7200 but walk-in testing is available.
The specific location of the free testing is based on county data.
“Our data is showing that 17 percent of our COVID-19 positive cases are located in the 49507 Zip Code and yet only six percent of Kent County’s population resides in this area,” Dr. Adam London, director of the Kent County Health Department, said in supplied material. “This type of data continues to inform our response to COVID-19 and ensures our resources are accessible to the most impacted neighborhoods.”
The county health department “will continue working to address the racial and ethnic health disparities by collaborating with community partners to offer testing in areas that are showing a higher prevalence of positive cases,” according to the county statement.
“We are excited to work with community partners like the Kent County Health Department, who recognize that racial health disparities exist and are actively working to address them by changing their practices,” Vincent Thurman, communications manager at LINC UP, said in supplied material. “COVID-19 has further revealed how stark these disparities are and how much needs to change.
“Partnering with KCHD is a great step forward to improving equity in healthcare. The data shows that Black and Brown communities are at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and we are happy to have free tasting available to residents in our neighborhoods.”
To learn more about Kent County Health Department services visit accesskent.com/health.
The Kent Intermediate Superintendents’ Association, during a Tuesday, June 23, teleconference, released the results of a survey of more than 30,000 Kent ISD area parents asking questions related to the school reopening issues.
The bottom line of the extensive survey (link at end of story), according to a summary shared with media during the teleconference, is that while some parents seek continued distance learning for various reasons including their child’s safety, the majority desired “safe, in-school” education for their children.
“Most parents would like to see a return to school as normal in late August,” Ron Caniff, superintendent of Kent ISD, said in supplied material. “Our superintendents are working to ensure a safe opening, researching all information regarding the steps necessary to protect students and staff, and will remain connected with the health department and parents throughout the summer to ensure they are well informed about school re-opening plans.”
Kent ISD website photo. (Supplied)
The survey results come in preparation for the planned release June 30 of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Michigan’s Return to School Roadmap”, which is expected to set state directives for the reopening of schools in August.
The survey, commissioned by the Kent ISD on behalf of the superintendents’ association and administered by Gartner Marketing, was conducted from May 29 through June 10. The 30,000 responses represent parents from the 20 public school districts across Kent ISD but did not include any private or charter school parents, according to the Kent ISD.
The Kent Intermediate Superintendents’ Association (KISA) Future Learning Committee hosted the meeting. The speakers included Superintendent Caniff; Kevin Polston, Superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, KISA Future Committee Chair and member of the Governor’s Return to Learn Advisory Council; Sunil Joy, Data Scientist at Kent ISD; and Ron Koehler, Education Consultant and former Kent ISD Assistant Superintendent.
The Kent Intermediate Superintendents’ Association represents the superintendents Kent ISD and each of the 20 school districts it serves.
Survey summary results highlights
Among the key findings of the survey, according to the KISA summary (link at end of story), is that parents want to see school open in the fall, in a traditional face- to-face setting; continued parental concerns about safety will likely necessitate an online option; and a hybrid option has many of the same challenges as an online learning option and “It is also not highly preferred by parents.”
Part of the reason for a hybrid option — where students would spend part of their time in school and part of their time at learning remotely — is that there would be little cost savings on the part of the districts currently facing possible loss of state funding due to COVID-19’s economic impact. (See a WKTV story on the possible funding losses here.) And there would be little difference between the costs of an in-person or hybrid option.
Kevin Polston, Superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, KISA Future Committee Chair and member of the Governor’s Return to Learn Advisory Council. (Supplied)
“We know that hybrid and in-person costs are going to be very similar,” Superintendent Polston said during the teleconference, “because even though you may have fewer students back each day you still have your full compliment of staff the needs to be back each day.
“And, in addition, for a district like Godfrey-Lee, … we served more meals closed than we did open. That means for the students that aren’t at school each day are still going to need the nutritional services that schools provide. So we are going to need to allocate additional resources.”
The survey summary presented at the teleconference (link at bottom of the story) was, as explained by the Kent ISD’s Sunil Joy, a “stratified random sample of 800 respondents … (that was) … representative of the demographic makeup of our region.”
Sunil Joy, Data Scientist at Kent ISD. (Supplied)
“A random stratified sample just is a statistical method to ensure the respondents to the survey actually look like the county’s demographics,” Joy said to WKTV. “For example, if East Grand Rapids parents made up a significant percentage of all respondents — that wouldn’t be very representative of our county as only a small percentage of our county is from East Grand Rapids. So that’s why it’s a stratified sample — so it’s more representative of our districts as whole.”
The survey data was also “disaggregated by respondent groups (e.g. race/ethnicity, special education, income, etc.)”
“This simply means that I reported data not just ‘overall’ but also for different respondent groups,” Joy said to WKTV. “For example, in the question of whether childcare is an issue if school did not open 100 percent this fall, I included both what parents said overall, but also by different grade-levels. As no surprise, parents of younger kids had greater concerns with childcare if school didn’t open normally in the fall.”
In addition to the overall, county wide survey results released at the teleconference, each district has access to their own district-specific reports.
“Each district will share the results in the way they see fit with their constituents,” Joy said to WKTV. “The best way to get them is to contact the district directly, if it is not already available on their website or social media.”
School Re-entry Plan
At the teleconference, and using the results of the survey as part of their guidance, the superintendents’ association also released a School Re-entry Plan, in both English and Spanish. (See links to both at bottom of the story.)
Among the highlights of the plan are: a “desire” to return to full-time, face-to-face instruction, per state health requirements; the intent to provide a high-quality online learning option for students and families; districts will share best practices in virtual instruction to maximize efficiency and quality; families who choose an online option will have continued access to local district extracurricular and co-curricular activities.
The plan also makes clear that a a hybrid option — a mix of face-to-face and online learning — is “not preferred and will be implemented if it is the only way to have in-person instruction as mandated by state executive order.”
Superintendent Polston, in summing up the position school districts could be put in come June 30 and the result of the Governor’s “Michigan’s Return to School Roadmap” plan, said the best interest of the students must and will come first.
“Regardless of the model for teaching and learning, together we must be ready to meet the challenge that awaits,” Polston said. “And we will.”
Woodland Mall recently welcomed the reopening of the Apple Store, joining the Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Von Maur anchor stores and dozens of other stores and restaurants.
And while the customer experience is now a little different from the time before the COVID-19 shutdown, the efforts of Woodland Mall management company PREIT make clear that safety and cleanliness is now an important part of that experience.
WKTV talked with Cecily McCabe, Woodland Mall marketing director, to detail some of those measures.
For the latest WKTV Journal story on the re-opening of Woodland Mall, including the Apple Store, visit here. (The Apple Store is now asking customers to make appointments for service at the store at apple.com/retail/woodland.)
Safety, cleanliness at the Mall
In order to comply with Michigan requirements, occupancy numbers are limited as the mall operates on reduced hours — Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. (Some stores may limit those hours.)
Woodland Mall asks guests to follow CDC recommendations, make use of the several hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall, wear masks and practice physical distancing.
In addition to Woodland Mall carefully reviewing policies and procedures, and thoroughly cleaning the mall using CDC-recommended disinfectant, common area furniture and other elements where physical distancing cannot be enforced have been removed. While the play area also remains closed indefinitely, food court seating is now available at reduced capacity.
A complete list of venues open at the mall, as well as updates on safety and cleanliness protocols, can be viewed on Woodland Mall’s website.
Nearly 13 million Americans will have dementia by 2040—nearly twice as many as today, a new report says.
The number of women with dementia is expected to rise from 4.7 million next year to 8.5 million in 2040.
The number of men with dementia is projected to increase from 2.6 million to 4.5 million.
Over the next 20 years, the economic impact of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia will be more than $2 trillion.
Women will shoulder more than 80% of those costs, according to a report released recently at the 2019 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit in Washington, D.C.
“Longer life spans are perhaps one of the greatest success stories of our modern public health system,” said lead author Nora Super, senior director of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging.
“But along with this success comes one of our greatest challenges,” she added in an institute news release. “Our risk of developing dementia doubles every five years after we turn 65; by age 85, nearly one in three of us will have the disease.”
With no cure on the horizon, reducing the risk of dementia and its cost must be the focus, Super noted.
“Emerging evidence shows that despite family history and personal genetics, lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise and better sleep can improve health at all ages,” she said.
The report recommends expanded research, programs to maintain and improve brain health, increased access to testing and early diagnosis and services and policies that promote supportive communities and workplaces for people with dementia and their caregivers.
“As this important new report shows, dementia is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time,” said Sarah Lenz Lock, the AARP’s senior vice president for policy and brain health.
“It also demonstrates that we have the power to create change, whether by helping consumers maintain and improve their brain health, advancing research on the causes and treatment of dementia, or supporting caregivers who bear so much of the burden of this disease,” Lock said in the news release.
As people age, the odds of having a sleeping disorder rise dramatically. Many older adults either can’t fall asleep at night, wake up too often, or can’t breathe properly while trying to sleep. In fact, 40% of seniors struggle with serious health problems as a result of poor sleeping habits and a general lack of sleep.
What are the senior health problems that arise from not getting a good night’s sleep? And what can you do to help combat sleep deprivation? Look through this blog to get the information you need about seniors and sleep—along with ideas on how you can fix your sleeping habits before bedtime tonight.
What constitutes a ‘good night’s sleep’?
There’s a common misconception that seniors don’t need as much sleep as other adults, which has likely arisen due to the large number of seniors who struggle to get enough sleep. However, that’s just not true. Seniors need the same amount of sleep as they did when they were younger. All adults over 20 years of age need somewhere between 7-9 hours of sleep per day.
Why seniors don’t get enough sleep
The main causes of sleep deprivation in seniors can usually be linked to two different sources—insomnia or sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder that occurs when breathing patterns are interrupted during sleep. This limits the flow of oxygen to the brain, which in turn causes you to wake up in order to correct the breathing error. While there are certain groups of people who are more likely to have sleep apnea, it generally becomes more common as you age.
If you suspect you might have sleep apnea, talk to your doctor. They might be able to give you tips on lifestyle changes that will reduce your overall risk, or help you get a CPAP machine or other device that can help open up your airways.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder characterized by an inability to fall asleep or an inability to stay asleep. Seniors often get insomnia from:
Side effects of medications needed for other health problems
Anxiety and stress about aging
Other health-related issues such as chronic pain
The dangers of sleep deprivation on senior health
The number one danger of sleep deprivation is daytime fatigue, a condition that makes people extremely tired throughout the day—although they don’t fall asleep as a result of their sleepiness. Instead, they suffer from:
With sleep deprivation being such a dangerous issue for seniors to contend with, it’s important that immediate steps are taken to fix sleeping habits. Try avoiding taking sleep medication if you can—it can be expensive, habit-forming, and comes with its own side effects. Instead, use mediation and prescriptions as a last resort and first try natural ways to improve your sleep.
Create a sleeping routine
A nighttime routine can help signal to your brain that it’s time for bed, which is especially helpful if you struggle with insomnia. A routine can include things like:
Taking a warm bath before bed
Drinking a glass of water
Winding down with some light reading and relaxing music
Turning off all lights
Going to bed at a consistent time (and waking up at the same time each day)
Avoid certain behaviors at night
Sometimes engaging in certain behaviors or activities before bed can hurt your chances of getting a good night’s sleep. Things to avoid before bed include:
Watching TV or using smartphones and other electronics
Drinking anything with caffeine or alcohol before you try and sleep
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol during the day
Smoking right before bedtime
Exercising at night
Optimize your room for sleep
There are simple changes you can make in your apartment and bedroom that can help you improve your sleeping habits, such as:
Making your room dark
Keeping the temperature cooler at nighttime
Taking electronics and TVs out of the bedroom
Creating a noise level that lulls you to sleep—usually either silence or a soft white noise
Removing distracting or unnecessary lights and sounds in your room
Using your bed only for sleeping, not for relaxing in during the day
It’s essential that seniors get to sleep at night, or you can risk coming down with some serious health problems. By being aware of how much sleep you should be getting and taking immediate action steps, you can improve your sleeping habits and get the right amount of rest as you age.
“This will end. As stressful and devastating as it is, it will end. We are all in it together as a global community, and I do see the light at then end of the tunnel.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, in a June interview with UK newspaper The Telegraph
Kent County Health Department
The Kent County Health Department’s efforts to make COVID-19 testing more widely available to specific segments of the public has expanded by the opening of community testing sites, including ones at the Wyoming’s The Potter’s House school, and in Kentwood at the Kent County Health Department South Clinic. Go here for the story.
Metro Health
COVID-19 has exposed large health inequities both nationally and locally, resulting in devastating, even life-and-death consequences. In Michigan, over 40 percent of the deaths from COVID-19 were African American. Metro Health is working to address that issue. Go here for the story.
Mercy Health’s Clinica Santa Maria
Mercy Health Saint Mary’s is offering free COVID-19 testing for 1,000 residents of Grand Rapids’ Roosevelt Park Neighborhood, thanks to funding made available through the federal CARES Act grant to Kent County. Go here for the story.
Just the (sad) facts:
4,156 and 115
The Kent County Health Department has almost daily updates of Kent County and State of Michigan statistics. On May 18, they reported 4,156 total cases of COVID-19 but only 115 deaths. Source.
We hike, swim and paddle. We run until we’re breathless.
We get close to nature, inhale fresh air and gaze at the stars.
All those outdoor activities require fuel. And with a little planning, the camping menu can be just as healthy—and fun—as a day at the beach, says Angela Fobar, RDN, a Spectrum Health dietitian.
A mom with three young children, Fobar has spent many nights at campgrounds with her family, both in a tent and a camper. They roast marshmallows over the campfire and eat their share of s’mores.
But as a dietitian with Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital, Fobar also looks for ways to eat healthy on vacation. In her pre-trip grocery shopping, she opts for kid-friendly foods that deliver good nutrition.
And simplicity is key.
“It’s camping,” she said. “You want to spend your time relaxing, hanging out and doing activities—and not spend an hour making an elaborate meal.”
She shared three tips for keeping nutrition on track, even when you’re sleeping in a tent or camper.
One-pot (or packet) meals
“We like to cook a lot of our meals over the fire,” Fobar said. “To do that, I think, takes a little planning.”
She creates foil packets that combine some form of protein—chicken or shrimp, for example—with assorted vegetables, olive oil and spices.
A favorite packet dinner combines turkey sausage with potatoes and green beans. You can vary the spices, adding Italian seasonings or a fajita flavor.
“I think that’s the fun of it,” she said. “You can mix and match whatever you want.”
The ingredients can be cut and prepared at home before the trip. You can assemble the packets at home or at the campground. (Combinations suggested below.)
And if you don’t want to make individual servings, you can combine the ingredients in a cast-iron skillet and cook the dinner over a fire.
If she uses a camper and has an electric hookup, Fobar often prepares one-pot soups and stews in a Crock-Pot.
This recipe for Six-Can Tortilla Soup, found on allrecipes.com, works especially well for a camping trip because the ingredients don’t require refrigeration. The tasty soup combines canned chicken with beans and other ingredients.
Because some canned goods are high in sodium, she advises looking for salt-free or low-sodium options.
Fire-grilled pizza
Using a cast-iron pizza pan over a campfire, Fobar makes pizza dinners that her family calls “hobo pies.”
Using bread as the crust, they layer pizza sauce, cheese and a variety of toppings. She usually makes hers meatless, but the toppings available can vary with a family’s tastes.
“It’s fun because the kids get involved,” she said. “They can choose whatever ingredients they want to add.”
Fruits and veggies
Even when camping, you can still get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, Fobar says.
“I like to cut up fruit ahead of time so I have tubs of fruit available,” she said.
She also keeps a tub of veggies on hand. Often, she chooses ones that require no prep—carrots, baby tomatoes, sugar-snap peas.
Having a stockpile in the cooler or a camper fridge makes it easy to add fruits and veggies to every meal.
Packet meal recipe
Use one of these combinations for a one-pot or foil packet meal. Or feel free to vary them and concoct your own.
Turkey sausage or kielbasa, red skin potatoes, onion and green beans. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
Apple chicken sausage, sweet potatoes, red onion and Brussels sprouts. Season with salt, garlic, thyme and cinnamon.
Chicken, onion and red, yellow and green peppers. Add fajita seasonings.
All veggie: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, onion and summer squash. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary or thyme.
Directions
Prep for packets can be done while camping or at home and taken to the campsite in your cooler or fridge.
Think size when cutting your items. Items that take longer to cook can be cut smaller than items that cook in a shorter time.
Assemble packets. You will need a square of foil, 12 by 12 inches, for the top and bottom of each packet.
Build with desired chopped ingredients.
Add olive oil—2 tablespoons per packet, to prevent sticking.
Add seasoning.
Fold each side of the packet two or three times to make sure they are secure when flipping over the fire.
Cook on a grate or grill over a bed of hot coals for about 40 minutes. Check the temperature of any meats with a meat thermometer prior to serving.
Whether your family’s travel plans include some fun in the sun, makin’ a splash or skiing the slopes, nothing puts the damper on a vacation faster than illness or injury.
There are several things you can do before, during and after your travels to make your experience a memorable one. For all the right reasons.
1. Think like a Boy Scout
Travel itself is stressful. And breaks can be a particularly crazy and frustrating time, especially if you’re traveling with kids.
“The most important advice I give to my patients is be prepared. That, and remember to pack your common sense,” said Philip Henderson, MD, division chief, internal medicine and pediatrics, Spectrum Health Medical Group. “People on vacation tend to do things they’d never do at home, which can lead to trouble. You’ll be able to deal with the unexpected and avoid a lot of stress by being well-prepared and using your head.”
2. Give yourself a boost
A healthy immune system before you leave can lessen the chance of downtime due to illness on your vacation and when you get back home. So, before you even think about what to pack, give your immune system a boost: get plenty of rest, eat right and stick to your normal exercise routine.
Make sure you and your kids are up to date on all your vaccinations, including your flu shot, Dr. Henderson said. Take this quiz to find out which vaccines you or your children age 11 years and older may need, and be sure to get them a couple weeks before you travel.
Pack enough of your prescription medications in your carry-on luggage to last the entire trip—and a little extra in case your return trip is delayed. Bring a list of the brand and generic names of all your medications, including the dosage and frequency, in case you need to get a refill during your trip.
Bring both your standard, everyday medications, as well as any emergency medications you might need. This may include an EpiPen if you have a severe allergy or an inhaler if you’re prone to asthma attacks.
Take a basic medical kit with you. Dr. Henderson suggested:
Band-Aids
Antibiotic ointment
Aspirin or Tylenol
Aloe gel (for sunburn)
Antacids such as Tums (for upset stomach)
Pepto-Bismol tablets (for traveler’s diarrhea)
“Be sure you get the real Pepto-Bismol,” Dr. Henderson said. “Look for bismuth subsalicylate as the key ingredient for it to really work.”
If you take certain medications, or have chronic health conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy, carry an alert notification or identification card with you.
“This is especially important for people who take a blood thinner,” Dr. Henderson said. “If you’re in an accident or are unconscious, emergency medical personnel need to be aware in order to properly treat you.”
4. Going airborne
Given the lengthy time spent in crowded planes, air travelers are often concerned about catching an illness from other passengers. In addition to what’s floating around in the air, studies have shown that illness-causing bacteria can survive on surfaces inside airplanes for days or even up to a week.
So how can you stay safe and healthy on the airplane?
Clean your hands thoroughly and often. Travel with a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Use it once you are settled in your seat and again after you depart the plane.
Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf or tissue if someone near you sneezes or coughs in your direction. Discard used tissues right away and then wash your hands.
Bring your own pillow and blanket instead of using those handed out by the airline.
Drink lots of water and nonalcoholic, decaffeinated beverages to stay hydrated. The air in airplanes is dry so it’s easy to become dehydrated.
Stretch your legs. Even healthy people can get blood clots in their legs after long flights. When allowed, walk up and down the aisles and stretch your calf muscles while you’re sitting.
Remember, the risk of infection doesn’t end when you get off the airplane.
Cruise ships and busy resorts can also expose you to some nasty infections. Norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, is known to plague these vacation escapes.
Scrupulous hygiene is the key to avoiding these highly contagious bugs. Wash your hands after every trip to the bathroom and before every meal. Soap and water is best, or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
5. Avoid traveler’s stomach
Changes in diet can wreak havoc on your digestive system. While a slice of pizza or a burger might be tempting while waiting for your flight, eat a salad or something rich in fiber to avoid stomach problems later.
Once you arrive, try to eat as much like your normal diet as possible. Go ahead and have some treats. It’s your vacation, after all. But make sure the majority of your meals contain vegetables, fruit, lean protein and whole grains. Drink plenty of water, too.
If you know you have a sensitive stomach, take one Pepto-Bismol tablet each day to prevent traveler’s diarrhea, Dr. Henderson suggested.
And a final word of caution on food safety: If food left out on a buffet table looks wilted or dry around the edges, it’s probably best to stay away.
6. Drink up
Water, water, water. Staying well hydrated is important.
“People don’t realize how much water they lose when they sweat,” Dr. Henderson said. “And when your body is dehydrated, you feel lousy. Dehydration affects your metabolism, your circulation, and causes headaches and dizziness.”
One way to tell if you’re drinking enough water is to look at your urine. If you’re going at least four times a day and it’s relatively clear in color, you’re in the clear. If it’s dark in color, you’re dehydrated and need to drink more water.
If drinking alcohol is part of your break, remember that it can impair your judgment and actions.
Binge drinking, in particular, can be a problem on vacation. It’s the most common pattern of excessive alcohol use, defined for men as consuming five or more drinks, and women consuming four or more drinks, in about two hours.
7. Beware the buzz
Educate yourself about the local bugs and reptiles, especially if you’re traveling off the beaten path, Dr. Henderson said. Know which are poisonous and which are not.
Mosquitoes carrying dengue fever, Zika virus and chikungunya virus, once found only in Africa and Asia, have been found in Florida, Hawaii, the Caribbean, South America and Central America.
To avoid bites, stay inside or in screened-in areas or cover up during peak mosquito hours–sunrise and sunset, and in early evening. Also avoid tight clothes, dark colors and perfume. Natural repellents with 20 percent picaridin, or deet-based products with 30 percent deet or less, also work well.
“Decisions about pregnancy planning are personal,” Dr. Romero said, suggesting that those who are considering becoming pregnant use condoms and put off conception for up to six months after returning from a visit to a Zika-confirmed area. “We recommend talking with your health care provider if you’re not yet pregnant, but thinking about having a baby in the near future.”
8. Soak it up. Safely.
It’s tempting to soak up the rays by staying in the hot sun all day. Although getting a little sun can have some health benefits (think vitamin D boost), the sun’s ultraviolet rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes.
“Terrible sunburns are by far the most common thing we see in people returning from vacations,” Dr. Henderson said. “Be sure to apply sunscreen to the top of your feet. That’s one spot where we see the worst burns. The other is on the top of the head for men who are bald or have thinning hair.”
This also applies to those enjoying ski trips—that powdery white snow reflects the sun’s rays and can burn you to a crisp if you aren’t careful.
Always practice sun safety: wear a hat, protect your eyes with wraparound sunglasses that provide 100 percent UV ray protection, and for sunscreen, use one with a SPF double what you’d normally use at home, said Dr. Henderson.
9. Home sweet home
Once you’re home, pay attention to how you feel. While it’s normal to feel a little rough around the edges after traveling for a day or two, if you feel worse each day rather than better, see your doctor.
Golfers with knee osteoarthritis do not need to be concerned about worsening their disease by walking the course. In fact, walking provides the best health benefit. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Golfers with knee arthritis should park the golf cart and walk the links instead, researchers say.
While using a golf cart may seem the obvious choice for golfers with knee problems, a new small study finds that walking provides much greater health benefits. Moreover, it’s not associated with increased pain, inflammation or cartilage breakdown, the researchers said.
“Individuals with knee osteoarthritis are often concerned about pain and may be more likely to use a golf cart,” said lead study author Dr. Prakash Jayabalan. He’s an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
However, “this study has shown that golfers with knee osteoarthritis do not need to be concerned about worsening their disease through walking the course. In fact, walking provides the best health benefit,” Jayabalan said in a university news release.
More than 17 million Americans older than 50 golf regularly. Knee osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability in this age group. The condition causes swelling, pain and difficulty moving the joint.
The study included 10 older golfers with knee osteoarthritis and five without the disease, which is usually caused by wear and tear of the joint.
On one day, the study participants played one round of golf (18 holes) walking the course. On another day, they used a golf cart to play 18 holes. On each occasion, the researchers monitored the participants’ heart rates to determine their level of exercise intensity, and took blood samples to measure markers of knee inflammation and cartilage stress.
On both occasions, the golfers had an increase in these markers, but there was no difference between use of the golf cart and walking, the findings showed.
When walking the course, the heart rates of the golfers with knee problems were in the moderate-intensity zone for more than 60 percent of the time, compared with 30 percent when using a cart.
But even using the cart, golfers met daily exercise recommendations, according to the study authors.
“Bottom line: walking the course is significantly better than using a golf cart, but using a golf cart is still better than not exercising at all,” Jayabalan concluded.
The study was presented recently at the Osteoarthritis Research Society International annual meeting in Liverpool, England. Research presented at meetings is usually considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Kent County announced Friday, June 11, that a majority of the county’s departments, offices and agencies will resume in-person services today, Monday, June 15, including the animal shelter, the county clerk, veterans services and others.
However, court operations — 17th Circuit Court, 63rd District Court, and Probate — are open but remain closed to in-person services, following the mandated phased approach ordered by the Michigan Supreme Court. Court staff is assisting the public by e-mail and telephone. Additionally, to the greatest extent possible, hearings and proceedings are being conducted electronically and live-streamed via YouTube, according to a county statement.
While a majority of offices will reopen on June 15, residents are encouraged to visit the county’s website to determine if their service can be fulfilled remotely. Visitors are also asked to stay home if they are feeling any symptoms of illness or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, wear a mask if they are medically able, limit visits to one person per household, and maintain a 6-foot physical distance between others.
Please visit the county’s website — accesskent.com — for specific information on how to interact with each county department, office and agency.
Kent County Health Department worked with Guiding Light to provide an COVID-19 isolation facility for homeless persons. (Kent County Health Department)
The Kent County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to allocate $94.2 million of a $114.6 million federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grant to assist “a range of local governments, community partners, and small businesses which experienced costs due to COVID-19,” as well as to reimburse the county’s direct coronavirus mitigation efforts.
The remainder of the CARES grant available, $20.4 million, was placed in reserve for a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections, according to the June 11 county statement.
But Kent County’s efforts to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, and assist other county entities impacted, started almost on Day 1, when the crisis was labeled as such in late-March, including quickly applying for and receiving the CARES Act grant and forming a COVID Relief Subcommittee to spearhead a countywide effort starting in April.
Prior to this week’s formal county commission action June 11, WKTV talked with Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt about the county’s efforts and expenditures.
The Kent County Health Department and the county’s communication team have supplied the public information on COVID-19 in many ways, including a series of live videos. (Kent County video screenshot)
“First and foremost, we wanted to keep this community safe,” Britt said in a late May interview. “We wanted to communicate (with the public) right off the bat, and we have pushed hard on our communication. The health department has been stood up with additional resources … county staff has managed the communication … that was first and foremost, right up front, making sure we got out in front of this.”
Britt said county representatives, in the first days of local impact of the pandemic, “got out” and met a wide range of community groups via Zoom meetings, “with church leaders, with the black community … the Latinx community, the Vietnamese community. We got out to the chambers, the Grand Rapids chamber (of commerce). The business side of things.
“Communication was really huge. Developing the relationships, continuing to grow the relationships. … Really just getting ahead of it. Every day (to begin with) we conducted command meetings, emergency management meetings every day, but that is ramped back now.”
The county either set up or assisted in setting up homeless shelters and isolation centers. They worked with Grand Valley State University and Michigan State University and a host of other organizations. They focused on reducing the risk at high-risk facilities such as the county correction facility and juvenile detention facility. They focused on developing hotspots across the county.
Wyman Britt, Kent County Administrator/Controller. (WKTV)
“The team has done a fantastic job, getting out to the nursing homes, to the convalescent centers. Making sure we jumped on that,” Britt said.
“I can’t believe the work we put into this thing. It is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. It is just every day grind it out. … We have weathered the storm. We weren’t ready but we got ready quick. Unfortunately we lost 70 plus (county deaths to the virus as of late May, the number now stands at 111), but compared to other parts of the state … this community has responded.”
County leadership led funding process
Considering the often slow response time of many governmental entries to form and execute a plan as complex as Kent County’s COVID-19 response and recovery plan, the action this week by the Board of Commissioners was fast — by design.
“The COVID-19 public health crisis has significantly affected residents and businesses across our county, and it was critical for our board to allocate this federal funding as quickly as possible,” Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Mandy Bolter said in supplied material. “As we do on so many issues, we worked closely with several businesses, organizations and non-profits to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure the funds meet the needs of our community and reflect the intent of the federal legislation.”
As part of the Federal CARES Act, Kent County was awarded a grant of $114.6 million from the U.S. Treasury on April 24 from which the county could gain reimbursement for COVID-19 mitigation expenses and economic relief for a wide range of economically impacted community groups and businesses.
According to Britt, Kent County was one of only four counties in the state, in addition to the City of Detroit, to receive CARES Act grants. But to take advantage of the grant, to be able to seek reimbursement, the county had to review needs, plan for how those needs would be met, and formally allocate funds to meet those needs.
That is where the COVID Relief Subcommittee — basically the already formed county commission Executive Committee, with some others added for specific needs such as state legislative liaison — came into play.
“Their charge was to analyze all available funds coming into the county, and how they are being applied,” Britt said. “The needs of the community. The process and strategies to allocate and disperse CARES funds under the guidelines established by the Federal Government. … We don’t want to duplicate efforts, but we want to make sure we can push those dollars to as many places as we can.”
The county, in addition to the CARES Act grant of $114.6 million, is also looking at other funding reimbursements sources for COVID-19 expenses and recovery efforts, including possibly from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The COVID Relief Subcommittee met twice a week during the past two months and, according to supplied material, “received testimony from representatives of underserved communities who are being disproportionally impacted by the pandemic, as well as representatives of local chambers of commerce” and other groups and individuals.
County expenses and community support
A set of funding recommendations — and executive report — was then developed for the full Board of Commissioners’ review and approval. Among the funding approvals was $35 million in direct county expenses —including community education, emergency operations, homeless population response, surveillance and contact tracing, testing, public safety and correctional facility.
Kent County Health Department staff at a county COVID-19 testing station. (Kent County)
As of a May 3 estimate of Kent County expenses, the latest report available, the county has spent or committed to spend about $6.3 million of the $35 million allocated. The major expense areas are $1.86 million in payroll — including $1.3 million in county Health Department payroll — as well as a separate expenditure of $1.5 million for “Essential Worker Compensation”.
“There are these essential workers who have no alternative but to be here (and can’t work from home) — they have to be here,” Britt said. “Our health department, our nurses who are engaged with setting up the homeless shelters. Our sheriff’s correction officers. Our road patrol officers. Those are essential workers. … What’s happening there is we are providing them eight hours of vacation for every week worked during the COVID, because they are on the front lines and to offer incentive for them to be here.”
The essential workers “have been very supportive of doing what is necessary to keep our community safe. … We have to have the right people on staff to ward off this terrible pandemic.”
The other major county expenditure included in the May 3 report are $1.1 million in medical and safety supplies.
Other CARES reimbursable expenses approved by the board this week included $25 million in business assistance, $15 million in assistance to local governments, $12.2 million for care of venerable populations, $3 million in “return to work” personal protective equipment (PPE) for county businesses, and $3 million to aid the county’s existing and newly homeless.
Administrator Britt and county administration will now develop a “process to distribute the funds” in partnership with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, the Heart of West Michigan United Way and other groups. Additionally, “the County will contract with a firm to conduct an audit on the distribution and use of the CARES Act funding,” according to the county’s June 11 statement.
The CARES Act funds must be fully spent by Dec. 30 or will be forfeited back to the federal government.
For more information on Kent County’s CARES Act and COVID-19 related activities, visit here. Copies of the COVID Relief Subcommittee Executive Report is available in English and Spanish here.
The City of Kentwood has reopened its Little Free Pantry by appointment and is also in need of donations to support community members who may be struggling to keep food on the table, the city announced June 11. Through the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, a partnership with Meals on Wheels also has senior meals available.
Located within the Kentwood Activities Center at 355 48th St. SE, the pantry typically serves hundreds of people each year, but that is expected to increase due to the financial hardship some individuals may be facing as a result of the coronavirus and associated closures, according to the city’s statement.
“Even before COVID-19, the demand for our pantry goods had been steadily growing and the shelves were becoming empty on a weekly basis,” Val Romeo, director of Kentwood Parks and Recreation, said in supplied material. “We’d like to be able to continue to fill the immediate and local need we have here in our community.
“In order to do that, we need the help of individuals and organizations who are able to give financially or provide tangible donations, such as canned goods, shelf-stable food and personal items like toilet paper, shampoo and toothpaste.”
The City of Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is in the Kentwood Activities Center. (City of Kentwood)
Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is available by appointment from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those who would like to utilize the pantry are asked to call ahead to 616-656-5270 and set up a time to come in. Upon arrival to the Kentwood Activities Center, a staff member will allow the individual in to take the items they need.
In addition to bringing donations to the Kentwood Activities Center, businesses, community organizations and other groups may partner with the city to better stock the pantry by accepting a Kentwood Little Free Pantry collection bin for canned goods and other non-perishable items at their facility. More information, including the application for a collection bin, can be found at: kentwood.us/littlefreepantry.
Meals on Wheels also available
The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department has also partnered with Meals on Wheels Western Michigan to bring back the Senior Meals program in a grab-and-go format for residents who are age 60 or older.
Participants can do curbside pickup at the Kentwood Activities Center on Mondays between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. However, the meals must be reserved ahead of time by calling 616-656-5270 no later than the Friday before. There is no cost to participate, but donations are accepted. More information is available at mealsonwheelswesternmichigan.org.
The phrase “activities of daily living” is often thrown around within discussions about senior living options and different care services. But what exactly are ADLs, and how do they differ from IADLs—another common term used in senior care?
Wonder no more! This blog will talk about the differences between ADLs and IADLs and what activities are included under each term, along with an explanation of how these different care services become benefits for independence within assisted living communities.
What’s the difference?
Both ADLs and IADLs refer to key life tasks that need to be accomplished daily. ADLs, or activities of daily living, are more basic tasks that are essential to independent living. IADLs, or instrumental activities of daily living, are more complex tasks that are still a necessary part of everyday life.
A good way to remember the difference between the two is to think of ADLs as tasks we learned as children—like eating and walking—and IADLs as things we learned as teenagers—like money management, driving, and housekeeping.
Activities of daily living
Care services for ADLs can range from simple assistance, such as check-ins and monitoring services, to full dependency on a nurse or caregiver to complete tasks. These care services are broken down into six specific categories:
1. Ambulating
This care service mostly involves helping with walking—both inside and outside. However, it can also include pushing a wheelchair, following alongside someone with a walker, or holding a senior’s arm while they walk.
2. Eating
The physical act of eating, including getting food into a person’s mouth and their ability to chew and swallow is another ADL that some seniors need assistance with.
3. Grooming
Grooming includes picking out clothes and getting dressed, brushing hair, cutting nails, brushing teeth, and taking care of personal appearance and hygiene.
4. Toileting
This care service includes all aspects of using the bathroom including getting to the toilet, using it, and properly cleaning oneself.
5. Bathing
Washing the face, taking a shower or bath, cleaning all parts of the body, and getting in and out of the tub are examples of ADLs that fall under the category of bathing.
6. Transferring
“Transferring” means moving the body from one position to another. For example, helping a senior with transferring can include getting them out of bed, sitting them up, moving them into a wheelchair, or helping to get them standing up.
Instrumental activities of daily living
IADLs have a much more broad range of care service categories than ADLs. Rather than having exactly six different groups of activities, there isn’t a consistent number of IADLs. However, there are some common examples that all involve complex thinking and organizational skills that can be lost as people grow older.
Money management
Managing one’s money includes things like paying bills, balancing checkbooks, going to the bank, depositing checks, and monitoring the flow of cash in and out of an account.
Transportation
Transportation needs include being able to drive oneself to different places, or arranging rides and organizing transport when you cannot drive alone.
Housekeeping & maintenance
These tasks include keeping up with house cleaning, doing laundry, fixing minor maintenance needs like broken toilets or leaky faucets, and keeping things decluttered and tidy.
Knowing how to use the phone or computer to check messages, emails, and voicemails are all things that fall under a general category of “communication”, along with opening and replying to mail and remembering dates when visitors were coming to visit.
Medication management
Knowing what medications to take and when, along with knowing when a prescription is running low, when it needs to be refilled, and how to refill it is all part of medication management.
Cooking & meal preparation
This can include planning out meals for the week, grocery shopping, storing groceries and checking expiration dates, and all the aspects of cooking a meal. It can also include picking the right food to meet dietary needs.
Daily care in assisted living
Seniors begin to lose independence when they are no longer able to complete ADLs and IADLs on their own. In order to help community members maintain independence for as long as possible, assisted living doesn’t require all of these tasks to be taken care of at all times, like you would expect in a nursing home.
Assisted living communities will only give seniors assistance on ADLs and IADLs that residents need help with. Beyond these needed care services, community members are able to take care of their own daily tasks however they best see fit.
Because assisted living has the care services to provide for all of these needs as they arise, it’s easy for seniors to be able to age in place in assisted living communities knowing they will get the services they need, when they need them.
Education leaders local and statewide are warning of what Superintendent Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Kevin Polston calls “unprecedented budget deficits” at Michigan public schools resulting from decreased tax revenues due to the COVID-19 economic crisis.
While the looming school funding concerns are just beginning to hit the news, the community may have some questions, need a little background and history.
Why will lower tax revenue impact public school funding? How does the state fund public schools? What is the recent history of changes in tax-payer funding of schools? How do public schools spend their state funding?
The Kent ISD recently produced informational videos that tries to explain the state’s taxpayer funded public school finances — including one specific to current school funding concerns. (See additional information videos descriptions and links below.)
Superintendent Polston, in a recent Godfrey-Lee schools community-wide email, makes clear the current — and urgent need — for community understanding and action on the current threat to public school funding. He also urges increased state and federal support for public schools.
“Without federal intervention, the budget shortfall for the remainder of 2019-2020 through 2021 school year would total $6.2 billion for all Michigan public schools. Godfrey-Lee alone could see a deficit of over $1.2 million ($700 per student) for just the 19-20 school year that is about to end,” Polston said. “Further cuts are projected for the 2020-21 school year that begins on July 1, 2020.
“Put in context, this is roughly twice as large a deficit as Michigan public schools faced in the Great Recession, yet federal aid to date has been less than 20 percent than was given at that time. In fact, of the $2 trillion of aid granted by the (federal COVID-19 recovery) CARES Act, less than 1 percent went to fund public education.”
Polston points out that school districts are required by state law to present a balanced budget by June 30, 2020 for the upcoming school year, even though the state has not provided an answer about the shortfall for 2019-20 or given a projected budget for 2020-21.
“This is unacceptable,” he said. “To meet our legal requirement, we have to use the budget forecasts that have been provided (to Godfrey-Lee schools). These forecasts call for $2,750,000 in cuts for our upcoming school year. Cuts of this magnitude would devastate GLPS and would challenge the district’s future solvency.”
To aid Kent County schools districts explain the current funding system, and the need for community support and action, the Kent ISD produced a series of short videos.
An ISD is a regional education service agency. The job of Kent County’s ISD, one of the state’s 57 agencies, is to “help local school districts with programs and services that are best done on a regional basis — things that are highly specialized or that would be far too expensive on an individual basis,” according to the Kent ISD.
The videos:
History of Michigan Public School Finances, which details how school financing in Michigan is guided by Proposal A which was approved by Michigan voters in 1994 which shifted ‘day to day’ school finance to a state-based model.
What Public School Finances Fund, which details how public schools in Michigan spend a majority of their resources on personnel and describes how dollars are divided up to fund education in this state.
Taxes and Public School Education, which explains how everyone who works or lives in Michigan helps to support public schools by paying taxes, and where tax dollars for public education come from and how they are spent.
COVID-19’s Impact on Michigan School Funding, which details how school finance will be greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the economic impact will negatively affect Michigan’s public schools.
Runners are among the high-intensity athletes who should be especially cognizant of their exposure to heat on summer days. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Early one summer, incoming Kent State University freshman Tyler Heintz, 19, fell severely ill during an early-morning football practice.
His breathing grew labored and he began to slip in and out of consciousness. An ambulance rushed him to a hospital, but he later died.
The cause: exertional heat stroke.
This dangerous condition can strike an athlete of any stature, even those who have reached the pinnacle of their sport. In August 2001, 6-foot-4, 335-pound offensive tackle Korey Stringer, of the Minnesota Vikings, died shortly after collapsing during drills on a hot, humid day.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies groups most at risk of heat stroke, including the very young, the very old, the chronically ill, people who work outdoors and people in low-income households.
It is not uncommon for an athlete to sweat 1 to 2 liters per hour on a hot day. A large football player can lose up to 15 pounds of water in a single practice session.
The problem is most athletes drink far less than they sweat, simply because they underestimate the extent of their sweat loss.
Limitations
With summer underway, athletes young and old are more often found
outdoors. It’s an essential time to impress the importance of proper
hydration and rest.
Summer training camps for runners, soccer players and football players are proving grounds for excellence, but they can be ground zero for heat stroke trouble.
When athletes—especially runners and football players—participate in vigorous exercise in the warm months, dehydration can turn fatal.
Almost all heat-related deaths occur from May to September, according to the CDC, which also identifies exertional heatstroke as a leading cause of preventable, non-traumatic exertional sudden death for young athletes in the U.S.
Two-a-days, those notoriously difficult practices common to football, can often lead to trouble. Last year, the NCAA Division I Council banned two-a-days in preseason practices.
A 2016 study in the Journal of Athletic Training found that exertional heat exhaustion occurs at an increased rate in the first 14 days of practice, and especially in the first seven days.
About a decade ago, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association issued guidelines for preseason heat acclimatization. The guidelines establish a 14-day plan that helps athletes acclimatize to the heat. It zeroes in on the first three to five days of summer practice as the most important for progressive acclimatization.
On Day 1, for example, athletes shouldn’t participate in more than one practice and they should wear limited gear, as well as limiting the level of exertion and physical contact. For full-contact sports, “100 percent live contact drills should begin no earlier than Day 6.”
Coaches and training staff must carefully consider their approaches to summer practices, scrutinizing duration, intensity, time and place.
On especially hot days, for instance, the practice may need to be limited in length or simply rescheduled to a cooler part of the day.
Keeping watch
Athletes and parents need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of dehydration and heat stroke.
Keep in mind that thirst is not always the best indicator of dehydration. By the time a person senses thirst, the body may have already lost more than 1 percent of its total water. Athletes, coaches and parents should emphasize the importance of proper hydration before, during and after sporting activities—and then keep watch for any signs of trouble.
Not urinating, or very dark yellow or amber-colored urine
Dry, shriveled skin
Irritability or confusion
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Rapid heartbeat
Rapid breathing
Sunken eyes
Listlessness
Shock (not enough blood flow through the body)
Unconsciousness or delirium
When dehydration goes untreated, the body can no longer maintain
homeostasis, which leads to heat stroke. This can cause impaired
cardiovascular function and neurological failure.
An athlete experiencing heat stroke may become agitated, confused or unable to maintain balance.
As area theater companies began to cancel productions due to gathering restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, Theatricks owners David Johnson and Kateri Kline-Johnson went from making costumes to making masks.
“It was an easy switch,” said David Johnson during an interview at his costume shop Theatricks, 2136 Plainfield Ave. SE. “As theaters closed, we just went from making costumes to making masks. We didn’t think much of it. We figured we would probably make about 100 to 200 masks.”
About ten weeks and more than 2,000 masks later, Johnson said the shop has been able to make enough masks to stay open during the pandemic, keep the three employees — himself, his wife, and another employee — employed, plus cover all the building’s utility costs as well as the supply cost for the masks. Johnson owns the building that his business is located in.
Some of the masks available at Theatricks. (WKTV)
“We have not had to take out any government loans or layoff any employees,” Johnson said.
The group decided to offer up a basic mask, made of two pieces of 100 percent cotton with non-adjustable elastic straps. This mask comes in small, for children 2-11, and adult regular and large. They also make a mask with a pocket to place a filter and adjustable elastic straps.
As surgical and N95 masks became harder to find along with the Michigan guidelines that residents should wear a mask while in public places, cloth masks became the answer. According to the Mayo Clinic, cloth masks can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus by people who have COVID-19 but don’t realize it.
“One of the hardest things we ran into was getting the supplies needed to make the masks,” Johnson said. With only word-of-mouth and social media as advertising for the store’s masks, Theatriks was inundated with requests.
This coupled with the fact that many had taken up making homemade masks, made getting the needed elastic for the masks tough. So the Johnsons innovated and started making masks with a tie made from corset lacing.
Theatricks owner David Johnson with some the masks that are available at the Plainfield Avenue store. (WKTV)
Johnson said they listened to customers about specific needs such as how the elastic on a mask could start to hurt the ears after long periods of use. So they designed a mask with the elastic going over the head instead of around the ears.
Then a customer came in with the suggestion of making a headband with buttons on either side for the mask’s elastic band, which the store started making as well.
While costs for materials have gone up, Johsnon said the couple made the decision early on to keep the price for the masks low, which start at $3 for a basic mask and goes up for the speciality masks.
“We honestly, really did not think that it would take off as much as it did,” Johnson said, adding that they have had individuals come in to buy a few masks to churches and organizations ordering more than 100.
Having been in business for 39 years, Theatricks is known for building and providing costumes to community, college, and high school theater productions. The store staff also makes period pieces for those who participate in Civil War reenactments and Renaissance festivals.
“We actually have had a few people coming in to have costumes made for the Renaissance fairs for when they start back up again,” Johnson said, adding he usually has a booth at the fairs for costumes and other related items. Johnson said he is hoping that the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly, Mich., will still take place in late August.
Also over the past few weeks, local theater companies have been reaching out as well as they look ahead to their upcoming productions and the possibility of being able to open in the fall, Johnson said.
Still it is quiet in the store with Johnson spending a portion of his time cutting elastic in the north corner of the shop that is filled with costumes, masks, wigs, make up and jewelry. The actually sewing area is a clean room with only those making the masks allowed in.
“It’s all done by hand,” he said with a laugh as he measured out the elastic strips. We chat for a few minutes and then I gather up my prize — five brand new masks.
Cases of deadly melanomas on the head and neck rose more than 51% over two decades among young people in the United States and Canada, a new study reports.
Researchers found that the incidence of head and neck melanoma rose nearly 4% a year from 1995 to 2001 and 1.2% a year from 2001 to 2014 in children and young adults.
Using data from a North American cancer registry, the investigators looked at patients from infancy to age 39 who were diagnosed with head and neck melanoma between 1995 and 2014.
During that time, nearly 12,500 people were diagnosed with the cancer.
Of those, 55% were boys and men, and 91% lived in the United States, the study found.
“This is an important finding because melanoma in other parts of the body are usually more common in females than males,” said study co-author Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters. He is an assistant professor in the department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at St. Louis University School of Medicine.
“It is therefore important that melanoma prevention campaigns do not only focus on young women,” he explained.
The researchers zeroed in on melanoma of the head and neck because, although it accounts for only one in five melanoma cases, its survival rates are worse than for other melanomas.
“In fact, the five-year survival rate of head and neck melanoma is worse than the 10-year survival rates of other regions of the body,” Osazuwa-Peters explained in a university news release.
Also, while melanoma patients are diagnosed at an average age of 63, this type of cancer from sun exposure and indoor tanning is most common among teens and young adults.
Osazuwa-Peters said that the public can help spot melanoma early.
“For example, barbers and stylists might be the first to spot irregular skin on the scalp before the doctors do. It is therefore important to increase awareness about this cancer,” he said.
The report was published online recently in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery.
Kent County Health Department’s Wyoming location, The Potter’s House school, is a “walk-through” testing site is available Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon., until Aug. 1. (KCHD)
The Kent County Health Department’s efforts to make COVID-19 testing more widely available to specific segments of the public has expanded by the opening of community testing sites, including ones at the Wyoming’s The Potter’s House school, and in Kentwood at the Kent County Health Department South Clinic.
According to a June 3 statement, testing is available to individuals over the age of six months who live in a community impacted by COVID-19, have a known exposure to a person with confirmed COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19, or work in a job that puts them at high risk for exposure (jail, homeless shelters, nursing homes or assisted living facilities, food processing facilities, or any business that limits the ability to practice social distancing, or has repeated close contact with the public).
“Expanding COVID-19 testing in Kent County is important,” Christopher Bendekgey, the department’s community clinical services director, said in supplied material. “We wanted to establish sites in the geographic areas where we are seeing the highest incidents of positive cases and where individuals have less access to transportation.”
Federal CDC-privided Coronavirus test kit. (Kent County Health)
The Potter’s House “walk-through” testing site is located at 810 Van Raalte Dr. SW, and available Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon., until Aug. 1. The Kentwood “drive through” site is located at Kent County Health Department South Clinic, 4700 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. noon, until Sept. 1.
Other sites in the county which offer the tests include the drive-through Kent County Health Department Main Clinic, 700 Fuller Ave. NE, Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon, until Sept. 1; and the walk-through Baxter Community Health Center, 958 Baxter SE, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., until Sept. 1.
Registration for the testing is “strongly encouraged” and can be done by visiting accesskent.com/health or by calling 616-632-7200.
No insurance or identification is needed to receive the free test. However, people who have health insurance are asked to bring their insurance cards.
Individuals must wear a mask when arriving at a testing location. The test is administered by inserting a small swab into the nose and gently collecting nasal secretions from the back of the nose and throat. “It can cause mild discomfort but is a quick procedure,” according to the county statement.
Results should be available within three to five business days. If positive, individuals will receive further information from KCHD.
Part of the goal of the increased testing availability is “so we can get more accurate idea of the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Bendekgey said. “It will not only protect individuals and their families but is an essential part of our overall strategy towards recovery.”
Summertime means barbecues, lake trips and fun in the sun with family and friends but it can also mean lawn mowing, weed pulling, bug killing and other (not so fun) tasks to keep your home or yard in shape. While they are not fun for anyone, for aging adults these tasks can become increasingly difficult. Moving to an assisted living facility can mean exchanging tedious and arduous home tasks for simply enjoying everything the summer has to offer.
What do you give up when you choose an assisted living community? Things you don’t want to be doing anyway.
Home maintenance
Never change a light bulb again. Don’t worry about that leaky faucet and definitely don’t climb up on that ladder to clean the gutters. All the stuff you dread doing around the house, repairs, cleaning, leaky faucets, is taken care of when you live in a retirement community with a full of life focus.
Plan trips & activities
It’s great to take trips; it’s not always great to plan them. The effort of searching for something to do, researching parking, finding food in the area and figuring out transportation can often take away the joy of visiting a new place. So, let someone else plan the logistics for you while you simply tag along for the fun. No driving, no parking, no fighting traffic, just a good time.
Watch your house while you’re gone
If it’s always been your dream to travel in your retirement years, you don’t want to be burdened by the requirements of home ownership. Leaving a home behind for extended periods means keeping it safe and locked up, planning for yard maintenance while you’re away and worrying about what might happen while it’s empty. If you’re traveling during the winter, it’s your responsibility to keep your sidewalks clear, and snow build up on your home can often cause damage if not tended to immediately. When you’re traveling, you want to enjoy your time away. When you live in a community like Vista Springs, your home is taken care of, no matter where are.
Cooking
An elaborate meal tastes great, but the before and after can be tedious. Preparation can take hours and doing the dishes sometimes makes the meal more of a hassle than a reward. A luxury living community means a variety of exciting, healthy meals that you can enjoy with friends or family, without the hassle of preparation or cleanup.
Yard work
From raking to snow shoveling, yard work can take its toll on your back and joints and can make owning a home as you age a painful burden. Rather than paying a neighbor kid to shovel the sidewalk every time it snows or watching the leaves pile up while you dread getting out the rake, depend on your community to create and take care of a lush and beautiful landscape.
Excessive foot pronation increases the stress at the knee and hip joints, which can create problems in the foot, ankle, knee, hip and lower back. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
When packing for your summer vacation, be sure to include the right footwear, a podiatrist advises.
“The type of vacation you go on will determine the type of shoe you need,” Dr. Ronald Lepow, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine’s department of orthopedic surgery, in Houston, said in a school news release.
If you’ll be doing a lot of walking, wear shoes with good support and consider where you’ll be going. For example, if you’ll be strolling on uneven cobblestones, the flexibility of your shoes will be more important than if you’re visiting a location with smooth, level walkways.
If you’re going to the beach, bring flip-flops or clogs, Lepow said. Don’t walk barefoot on hot sand because doing so can cause blisters. Be sure to put sunscreen on your feet, he added.
Athletic shoes can be a good choice for evening walks along the beach, and water shoes can help prevent injuries from stepping on objects or uneven surfaces under the water.
If available, use foot showers to wash off any potential contaminants from your feet, Lepow advised.
At pools, wear shoes or flip-flops when not swimming to protect yourself from athlete’s foot, nail fungus and warts, he said.
And if you’re going hiking, you should wear hiking boots. They are well-insulated and provide good heel, arch and ankle support.
Finally, if you buy new shoes, be sure to break them in a couple of weeks before your trip. Walk around the house in them, bend them and use shoe inserts to stretch them, Lepow suggested.
The most commonly encountered ticks—the deer tick, the western black-legged tick and the lone star tick—carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Think you live in a place that’s free from disease-carrying ticks? Don’t be so sure.
Citizen scientists found ticks capable of transmitting Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses in dozens of places across the United States where the pests had never previously been recorded, a new study reports.
All told, disease-carrying ticks were detected in 83 counties where they’d never been found before across 24 states.
The numbers reflect a rise in tick populations across the country, said study author Nate Nieto. He’s an associate professor with Northern Arizona University’s department of biological sciences.
“People should be aware of ticks and tick-borne disease, even when they may think there’s not a recorded incidence of a tick in a county,” Nieto said. “These things, they’re not obeying borders. They’re going by biology. If they get moved there by a deer or bird or people or pets, they’re going to establish themselves and start growing.”
The massive nationwide study also provides evidence that ticks are born carrying infectious diseases, rather than picking germs up from the animals upon which they feed, said Wendy Adams, research grant director for the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, in California.
All life stages of the most commonly encountered ticks—the deer tick, the western black-legged tick and the lone star tick—carried the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, Adams said.
“That’s important, because that would say that a tick doesn’t need to acquire an infection from a blood meal. It’s born with the infection,” Adams explained.
These findings are the result of an unexpectedly successful effort by the Bay Area Lyme Foundation to collect tick samples from across the country.
Between January 2016 and August 2017, the foundation and Northern Arizona University offered free tick identification and testing to the general public. People were encouraged to send in ticks they found on themselves, their pets or around their communities.
The scientists’ original goal was to collect about 2,000 ticks. They wound up with more than 16,000, sent in by people from every state except Alaska.
“We got such a phenomenal participation,” Nieto said. “Two weeks in May, we got almost 2,000 packages per week. That is just powerful data.”
People found ticks in areas not represented in tracking maps maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the researchers discovered.
Most of these new areas were right next to counties with known tick populations, Adams said.
“Ticks are spreading. Tick populations have exploded,” Adams said. “This is good data to show the extent of that. It’s a message to people that even if you think ticks aren’t a problem, they could be.”
The 24 states that contain counties with newly documented populations of deer ticks or Western black-legged ticks are Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Further, ticks were found in states where they simply weren’t supposed to be, Adams said. Lone star ticks were found in California and black-legged ticks were found in Nevada, both for the first time ever.
People also found ticks carrying Babesia—microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells and cause the potentially life-threatening disease babesiosis—in 26 counties across 10 states in which the public health department does not require physicians to report cases of the disease.
The new study “highlights the geographic variability of ticks and the pathogens they carry,” said Dr. Paul Auwaerter, clinical director of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
“Surveillance is increasingly important as we see climate and environmental changes, because we do see expanding ranges of ticks. We’ve seen that with Lyme disease. We’ve seen that with babesiosis,” said Auwaerter, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Adams agreed, suggesting that more funding should be directed to these sorts of crowd-sourced tracking efforts.
“We have to invest federal dollars to examine the spread of ticks,” she said.
In the meantime, the Bay Area Lyme Foundation suggests that people protect themselves from ticks by:
Wearing light-colored clothes to make ticks more visible.
Do regular tick checks after being in a tick-infested area, and shower immediately after to wash away ticks that might be crawling on you.
Consider using tick repellents like DEET for skin and permethrin for clothing.
Talk with your doctor if you develop any symptoms following a tick bite.
The new study was published online in the journal PLOS One.
“Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshiped and fondled like a priceless diamond.”
Hunter S. Thompson
Good News — ‘Small Victories’ in dark days
WKTV recently hosted Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson and her guests for a casual conversation over Saturday morning coffee to “Celebrate the Small Victories” during the global pandemic. The discussion included insights from community leaders who have a broad perspective of local businesses, non-profits and our thriving New American community. Go here (and scroll down a little) for the video podcast on WKTV’s The Whole Picture podcast page, and here for the WKTV In Focus audio only podcast.
Good News — Arts Festival’s virtual weekend
While we are not yet able to gather for concerts, go to the ballet, or walk through art galleries, Festival of the Arts and the other 20 cultural organizations that make up the Grand Rapids Arts Working Group are working together to host a Virtual Arts Festival. Go here for the story.
Good News — Farmers Markets are open/opening
Get out in the sun and find the bounty of spring farm produce and so much more, as many area farmers markets such as the Metro Health Farm Market and the City of Kentwood Farmers Market are or will soon be open. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
2.3 billion
The number of people who are active daily on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger, sharing news good and bad. (That compares to about 2.2 million watching Fox News (average in April 2020). Source.
The State of Michigan Secretary of State’s office announced May 28 that currently closed branch offices will reopen June 1 “by appointment only for essential transactions not available online.
“While the offices were closed to the public we conducted more than 3,000 emergency appointments for essential workers and planned and implemented protocols so that we could reopen in a way that ensures the safety of employees and all Michiganders,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in supplied material. “Customers can be confident they’ll be able to conduct their business with us safely and efficiently.”
Beginning the week of June 1, all 131 branch offices in Michigan — including two in the Wyoming and Kentwood area — will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for appointment-only services for transactions including: driver licenses and state ID transactions that must be done in person; title transfers; operator, CDL, chauffeur, mechanic and motorcycle testing; and seasonal commercial vehicle renewal.
The Wyoming branch office is located at 1056 Rogers Plaza SW, and the Kentwood area branch office is located at 3601 28th St. SE.
According to the Secretary of State’s announcement, branch staff will follow strict health and safety protocols, including wearing masks, standing six feet apart, using desk shields, and continuously disinfecting shared or common surfaces. Branch doors will be locked, and each branch will have a greeter to let customers with appointments in at scheduled appointment times.
In addition to preparing to reopen branches, the Michigan Department of State began sending updated renewal forms this week, color-coded based on the type of transaction needed and with streamlined information to explain how best to conduct the transaction.
To schedule an appointment visit Michigan.gov/SOS or call 888-SOS-MICH. Advance appointments can be made up to 180 days ahead of time. Same-day appointments become available 24 hours prior to the appointment time.
Kentwood’s Woodland Mall announced May 27 that it plans to reopen Monday, June 1, for shopping appointments with new sanitation protocols in place “to enhance the safety of all and to promote physical distance.”
The reopening, City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley points out, continues the promise of local economic recovery from COVID-19 caused retail business restrictions.
“The mall and (Woodland Mall management) PREIT have made a significant investment in Kentwood with the redevelopment (of the mall), which has resonated with our residents and the broader community,” Mayor Kepley said in supplied material. “We wish the mall continued success as we work collectively to jumpstart our local economy.”
While several mall retailers and restaurants have offered limited curbside pickup since March, the mall itself closed March 23. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent executive order permits Michigan retailers to offer shopping appointments.
Visitors will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall, and it is recommended shoppers wear masks for the safety of all.
In order to comply with State of Michigan requirements, access and total mall occupancy numbers will be limited initially. The mall will be operating on reduced hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Some stores may modify those hours further.
Given the limited occupancy allowance, the mall will temporarily ask all guests under the age of 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
According to supplied material, Woodland expects many of its retailers to join Von Maur and Urban Outfitters in offering appointments to up to 10 shoppers at a time, although smaller stores may choose to limit the maximum number of shoppers further.
“To say we are excited about Monday’s reopening is an understatement,” Tony DeLuccia, Woodland Mall general manager, said in supplied material. “Our retailers are eager to welcome back customers now that shopping by appointment is permissible in Michigan. … We are truly thrilled to be opening our doors again and have spent significant time and energy to ensure we can do so safely.”
Guests will notice other changes when they return to Woodland Mall.
Parent company PREIT has “carefully reviewed policies and procedures and thoroughly cleaned the mall using CDC-recommended disinfectant,” according to supplied material. “Common area furniture and other elements where physical distancing cannot be enforced have been removed. The play area will be closed indefinitely, and food court seating has been eliminated.”
PREIT and its service providers have also established a rigorous cleaning and sanitizing schedule, particularly for high-touch surfaces. All housekeeping, maintenance and security staff will follow CDC and state health guidelines, and will be wearing masks and gloves when working.
Even during the mall’s temporary closure, it has supported West Michigan during this time of COVID-19, including hosting three community food drives, which will continue to operate during the pandemic.
“Woodland Mall has been a gathering spot for our community for more than 50 years,” DeLuccia said in supplied material. “That has not changed, even though we have made some modifications to ensure the safety of all. We are ready to open our doors on Monday and look forward to seeing our friends and neighbors again.”
Both Michigan and Kent County report COVID-19 numbers routinely, but a big question these days is what specifically does those numbers mean — people who are sick, people who had the virus and did not get sick, people who never contracted the virus for whatever reason?
Kent County, for example, reported 3,385 cases as of May 23 (with 68 deaths), while statewide numbers had 54,881 “confirmed cases” as of May 25.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced last week that it had changed the way it reports data on COVID-19 testing to make those numbers a little clearer.
“The change makes the data more accurate and relevant as the state continues to expand diagnostic testing to help slow and contain the spread of COVID-19,” the Man 23 MDHHS statement read. “The update to the website separates out the results of two different types of tests – serology and diagnostic. Michigan – along with some other states – has not separated data for diagnostic and serology tests.”
Data on serology testing – also known as antibody testing – is separated from the other testing numbers. Currently, serology testing can be used to help determine whether someone has ever had COVID-19, while traditional viral diagnostic tests determine if someone has active disease.
“Accuracy and transparency are paramount as we continue to respond to this pandemic,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health, said in supplied material. “We continue to expand and improve data reporting to make sure the public understands where their community stands with the COVID-19 outbreak.”
Digging into the numbers
MDHHS emphasizes that the change in reporting does not affect the number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan. It does lower the percentage of positive tests over the last nine days — when serology testing became more common. Michigan’s overall percentage of positive tests since the beginning of the outbreak remains virtually the same — changing from 14.2 percent positive tests to 14.3 percent.
Michigan’s COVID-19 website now shows results for 512,891 total tests reported to the state – with 450,918 diagnostic test results and 61,973 serology results.
Diagnostic tests are most helpful in tracking the spread of COVID-19 since they can show the number of people who currently have the COVID-19 virus. Serology tests are still being studied regarding their utility. They are currently most helpful in understanding how much a community may have been exposed to the disease.
“However, it is unknown if the presence of an antibody truly means someone is immune to COVID-19, and if so, for how long,” the statement continues. “Results of antibody tests should not change decisions on whether an individual should return to work, or if they should quarantine based on exposure to someone with the disease.”
Approximately 12 percent of Michigan’s tests overall have been serology tests; about 60 percent of those have been from the past nine days.
We all know the horror stories about nursing homes—they are dreary and dull, and the people who live there are unhappy and lifeless. While a lot of that is just a bad rap, it’s true that nursing homes are very different from other kinds of senior living communities, like assisted living.
Assisted living provides seniors with many great advantages, most of which you won’t be able to find in a nursing home. Take a look at five of these different assisted living benefits, and see how assisted living can be a better option for most senior loved ones.
1. Different levels of care
The number one difference between nursing homes and assisted living communities is the level of care that is provided. A nursing home provides dedicated, intense care to seniors who have serious medical needs, usually far beyond what a caregiver can manage.
While this level of care is important to have as an option, assisted living can cover everything from limited services like simple medication management, to skilled nursing for memory care and dementia, to even end-of-life care like hospice and palliative care. This provides seniors with a lot more options than just the type of care offered at a nursing home.
As the population of aging seniors continues to grow, many families prefer to have their loved one age in place at a community that can cover all their care needs, even if those needs change as a resident grows older or has a new health concern. And assisted living does that with a continuum of care.
2. Help with only the necessary ADLs
ADLs, or activities of daily living, can include things like:
Bathing
Dressing
Grooming & personal hygiene
Mobility (getting out of bed or moving from room to room)
Housekeeping
Maintenance work
Meal planning and cooking
Financial management assistance
Not every senior is going to need help in all of these areas. Some seniors might only need help with one or two ADLs. At an assisted living community, a resident only gets help with the tasks they need, and can make plans with the staff accordingly.
A nursing home, on the other hand, doesn’t offer much choice in what ADLs are taken care of for residents. All of these are usually taken care of automatically, due to the high level of care that residents in nursing homes need—even if a senior is capable in a particular area.
3. Options for room plans, layouts, & decor
Assisted living apartments are made to have a homey and comfortable feel to them, and can be decorated and set up to the preferences of a resident. An assisted living room can include a kitchenette, living room, or even a dining area, and rooms can be studios, one-bedrooms, or have multiple separate bedrooms for friends who want to live together.
A nursing home will typically only be a bedroom, often shared with another resident. They won’t include kitchenettes or different layouts. Most won’t even have an attached bathroom, but will have a communal bathroom and shower so residents can have help from staff during those tasks, rather than allowing community members to have more privacy and choice of living arrangements.
4. New activities and engagement opportunities
The activities and opportunities for engagement are more varied in assisted living than in a nursing home. It’s common for residents to leave the assisted living building and get out to different areas of the local community for events or performances.
Even in-home activities tend to be more cognitively engaging and fun for all the residents, and there are exercise and other types of activities not found in nursing homes. Nursing home activities are much more limited, due to the limited physical activity that residents can partake in. Assisted living works to create an environment that is stimulating and entertaining for your senior loved one.
5. Independence
One of the most significant differences between assisted living and nursing homes is the level of independence that the residents have. In assisted living, community members are in charge of their daily plans and activities, can choose who they engage with and the friendships they make, and have freedoms that aren’t found in nursing homes.
In luxury assisted living, like Vista Springs, there’s even more ways for residents to live their best lives as they age, with gourmet dining, spas, salons, cafes, and beautiful grounds. Overall, assisted living can provide more benefits and opportunities for the good life than a nursing home.
As a sizable percentage of the population reaches old age, many families worry about the health of their loved ones. A common fear is that a senior family member will be diagnosed with dementia. Dementia, which is a name given to describe a large number of specific memory diseases, affects about 10% of Americans, although the anxiety surrounding dementia makes many people think that the numbers are higher.
Dementia has many stages and forms, but most people are only aware of the late-stage symptoms that can be the most frightening and upsetting. Because these are the more well known symptoms, it can become difficult to understand what the early signs of dementia actually are.
It’s important to try and get a dementia diagnosis as soon as possible so the best treatment plan can be put in place, meaning it’s equally important to know what the earliest signs of dementia are and how to recognize them in your loved ones.
Memory loss
The most well-known and obvious sign to spot for dementia is memory loss. After all, dementia is another name for memory disease. But memory loss can mean different things, and it’s important to know when something could be a sign of dementia, and when a behavior is part of the normal aging process.
Simple forgetfulness, such as blanking on a name or word but then remembering it later, isn’t necessarily the type of sign you need to be on the lookout for. Something that might be a more significant sign of memory loss would be forgetting the name of a close relative or friend, and not being able to recall it later.
A good indicator of whether memory loss is a simple brain lapse or a serious sign is if the memory loss is interfering with the daily life of your loved one. For example, if they can no longer hold a conversation because they forget names, dates, and events, it could be an early dementia warning sign.
Confusion
Another important indicator of oncoming dementia is confusion. While not as unmistakable as forgetting names of relatives, confusion can often be the result of other, less obvious, characteristics of memory loss. If an elderly family member is having more confusion than normal, such as not understanding where they are, what day or time it is, or who they are talking to, it could be pointing to a more serious problem than a simple senior moment.
Changes in attitude
If you notice abrupt changes in attitude from senior family members, then it could be another early sign of approaching dementia. Sometimes people who are suffering from early dementia symptoms will become angry, irritable, aggressive, scared, or anxious. Usually these behavioral changes are because they are afraid of what’s happening to them, and are either lashing out or withdrawing from confusion.
A major shift in overall personality is another warning sign to be aware of, such as a normally social person becoming reclusive, or a usually shy person suddenly becoming more outgoing and reckless.
Cognitive difficulty
Dementia affects more in the brain than just memory, and a person’s cognitive thinking and mental abilities are often damaged by dementia. Early dementia symptoms can be represented by difficulty with things like:
Puzzle-solving
Organizing
Scheduling
Complex thinking
Following directions
Simple math
Problems with speaking or writing
If your loved one stumbles over words occasionally as they continue to age, there probably isn’t a reason to get overly concerned. However, if your extremely well-spoken relative is struggling to remember even basic words and is forgetting what simple phrases mean, it could be a sign of something more severe.
Similarly, if you notice that a loved one can no longer write the way they used to and is using increasingly poor grammar and spelling, it could be another early dementia warning sign.
Remember:
In today’s world, we can sometimes be hyper-vigilant when it comes to searching for signs of dementia. While it’s important to get an early diagnosis, we can also be a little paranoid with our loved one’s health.
It’s normal for seniors to have a few lapses in memory and some mood changes as they age, so not every dropped word and misplaced item is a reason for alarm. However, if you notice a possible symptom getting rapidly worse, or a number of signs presenting together, you may want to consider talking to your loved one.
Always keep your senior family members informed about your suspicions, and don’t exclude them from any decisions you make. If you think that a trip to the doctor is necessary, go with your loved one to show support. Working together as a family is always the best way to approach serious health issues, including dementia.
In addition to information and connections to many COVID-19 related resources, the State of Michigan is now offering confidential emotional support counseling, available 24/7, at no cost to Michigan residents who call the state’s COVID-19 hotline.
Michigan Stay Well counselors are available any time, day or night, by dialing the 888-535-6136 and pressing 8 when prompted. Language translation is available for non-English speakers.
The service is part of a federally funded grant program implemented by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Administration (BHDDA) in partnership with the Michigan State Police.
“Because of COVID-19, many of us are grappling with strong emotions, including anxiety, depression and fear,” MDHHS Director Robert Gordon said in supplied material. “We want Michiganders to know it is okay to have these feelings — and okay to ask for help. You don’t have to carry this burden alone.”
Callers to the COVID-19 hotline will hear a recording that begins by saying to press “8” if they would like to speak with a Michigan Stay Well counselor. The counselors, though not licensed professionals, have received specialized training from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) Disaster Technical Assistance Center on how to provide emotional support to residents of federally declared disaster areas. A major disaster was declared in Michigan on Friday, March 27, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
BHDDA hopes that adding Stay Well counseling services to the hotline will provide callers with relief from the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Emerging or lingering anxiety, distress, irritability and loss of hope are important feelings to recognize in ourselves and others, and it can help to talk to someone,” Dr. Debra Pinals, psychiatrist and MDHHS medical director for behavioral health, said in supplied material. “If it’s helpful, the counselors can also provide callers with referrals to local mental health agencies and substance use disorder support services.”
State employee volunteers also continue to answer general COVID-19 questions on the hotline. The current hours for general questions are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
If you come across a suspected triatomine, the CDC recommends placing it in a container with alcohol and taking it to your local health department. It can be tested for Chagas disease. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
It sounds like something out of a horror film: A blood-hungry insect feeds on its prey’s faces while they sleep, leaving behind a parasite that can cause stroke and heart disease.
But the triatomine, or so-called “kissing bug,” is all too real and found regularly in Latin America, but also has been found in several areas of the United States, as far north as Illinois and Delaware.
And while it often targets faces, the insect will settle for any patch of exposed skin.
With summer barbecue season on the horizon, how worried should people be?
It’s important to keep things in perspective, said Dr. Caryn Bern, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California School of Medicine.
After an acute flu-like period that lasts from weeks to months, most people who test positive for Chagas disease show no symptoms.
“The estimate is that 20 percent to 30 percent of people with Chagas disease will eventually develop heart or gastrointestinal disease, although heart disease is much more common,” Bern said. “That’s over a lifetime and it usually doesn’t show up until years after the infection occurred.”
It’s not the bug that causes Chagas disease, but rather a parasite that lives in its poop.
When a person inadvertently rubs the bug’s feces into the bug wound, their eye or another mucous membrane, the parasite sometimes makes itself at home.
Chagas disease also can be transmitted from mother to fetus, from contaminated blood transfusions, via an infected organ donor or, in rare cases, through food or drink.
While about 300,000 people in the United States have Chagas disease, most of them contracted it while living in Mexico, Central America and South America, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates up to 6 million to 8 million have been infected.
All told, the disease causes more than 10,000 deaths a year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
But it’s important to keep in mind that since 1955, there have been fewer than 50 documented cases of people who have acquired the parasite from exposure to the triatomine in the U.S., said Dr. Susan Montgomery, who leads an epidemiology team in the Parasitic Diseases Branch of CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria.
“The parasite has to get into a human’s body or an animal’s body by contaminating the wound,” Montgomery said. “It’s pretty complicated.”
But there is cause for concern, said Paula Stigler Granados, an assistant professor at Texas State University who leads the Texas Chagas Taskforce.
Stigler Granados and her team work to raise awareness about Chagas in a state where more than 60 percent of triatomines test positive for the parasite that causes the disease.
“The more we look, the more we find,” Stigler Granados said, noting that since the American Red Cross started screening new blood donors for Chagas disease, they have identified many people infected with the disease. “Although the blood donation tests are extremely sensitive and sometimes have false positives, that’s an indicator that it could be a bigger problem we should be monitoring.”
There is a treatment for people who have Chagas disease.
In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration approved benznidazole, a 60-day medication regimen for people ages 2 to 12.
Once Chagas disease becomes chronic, the medication may not cure it but could slow the progression in younger people.
For older people who are affected, experts recommend doctors and patients weigh the individual benefits with the possible side effects of the medication, which can include rash, abdominal discomfort and numbness or tingling in the hands and feet.
The best bet is to avoid infection altogether.
The CDC advises people to use window screens, seal any gaps in the home, allow pets to sleep indoors and eliminate things near the house that attract insects, including lights and wood, brush and rock piles.
If you do come across a triatomine, don’t kill it, the CDC recommends.
Instead, capture it with a container and either fill it with rubbing alcohol or freeze it.
Then take it to your local health department or university laboratory for identification. Testing can help to determine if it is a triatomine, and if so, whether it carries the parasite.
In the meantime, experts agree on one thing: People should stay calm.
“The important thing to remember is that these bugs are more interested in staying out in the woods and feeding on animals than they are in feeding on you,” Montgomery said. “It’s important to prevent Chagas disease if you can, but it’s very hard to get this infection and it’s not happening often.”
Tired of all the sad, bad news these days? City of Kentwood commissioner Emily Bridson will host a casual conversation to “Celebrate the Small Victories” during the global pandemic via a Facebook Live Event on Saturday, May 23, starting at 10 a.m.
“Let’s focus on the positive, what we’ve learned, how we adapted, and what moving forward looks like,” Bridson said in supplied material. “This will be an uplifting take during this challenging time but will include real stories of pain and struggle and, of course, the small victories.”
In the discussion, Bridson will be “Celebrating the Small Victories” with guests Hanna Schulze of Local First, Tarah Carnahan of Treetops Collective and Sagar Dangal, an activist in the Bhutanese community.
The discussion is expected to include topics such as the local economy, personal growth, practices of local businesses that prioritize people’s safety and needs and facilitating the sense of belonging in our community, according to supplied material.
Also on the agenda are how we will be more adaptable, proactive and action-oriented; job flexibility for working parents and workforce health considerations moving forward; creating more equitable opportunities for caretakers and those with underlying conditions; and, finally, looking to the future.
The discussion guests
Dangal is owner of the local business Everest Tax Services. In addition, he is vice-president of the Bhutanese Community of Michigan and host of the podcast “Bhutanese Talk”.
Carnahan is the executive director and co-founder of Treetops Collective, which has the mission: “To connect refugee women with people and opportunities in their new community so they can flourish for generations to come — standing tall and impacting others.”
Schulze is the executive director at Local First, a group with the vision: “We lead the development of an economy grounded in local ownership that meets the basic need of people, builds local wealth and social capital, functions in harmony with our ecosystem, and encourages joyful community.”
Bridson is a Michigan native, community activist, business professional and retired professional athlete. She serves as a Kentwood city commissioner and serves on Kent County’s City/County Building Authority.
During the discussion, Facebook Live comments and questions may be discussed in real-time.
Considering the medical science surrounding what we already know about the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for people to continue the practice of wearing a mask while in public. The personal policy of behaving as if you are carrying the virus is ultimately a wise one as it directly saves the lives of those around you.
We encourage everyone to remember that COVID-19 is a newly discovered virus and the medical and science community is the best source of it’s characteristics.
Because of the ability for anyone to put anything up on the internet and social media and pass it off as legitimate, we also encourage caution when absorbing what you may read or see. Please stay with mainstream news sources and with the CDC (Center for Disease Control).
We also encourage everyone to be aware that minimizing the spread of COVID-19 is the surest and fastest way for our society and State to get beyond this pandemic. Practicing this behavior, as recommended by medical and science professionals, will also likely bring a more solid and sustainable re-opening of our local economy.
The following link, to a recent article by writers at the magazine Science, who’s COVID-19 reporting is supported by the prestigious Pulitzer Center, is an example of good reporting on the science of COVID-19. (Linked with permission.)
