By Brenda Long, Michigan State University Extension
Many older adults value a high quality of life that is directly tied to the ability to continue living independently. Independence depends on if the home continues to meet the older adult’s needs and whether they have a continued connection to daily services, based on a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University — Projections and Implications for Housing a Growing Population: Older Households 2015-2035. Let’s explore these decisions to help you devise a realistic strategy.
According to the Make the Most of Your Home’s Value lesson from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), there are some financial obligations to consider related to homeownership. Beyond any mortgage debt obligations, these include property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, utilities, homeowners association (HOA) fees, repairs and cost-of-living increases. Do you have adequate income and savings to cover these expenses? According to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), housing costs should be less than 31 percent of income to be affordable. However, an estimated 12 million renters and homeowners are cost burdened, paying more than 50 percent of their income on housing. It is recommended to pay off one’s mortgage before retirement, if possible. Also, it is critical to understand the income tax implications for annual deductions and home sale capital gains exclusion.
Other considerations are your values and lifestyle preferences. How do your priorities impact your decision to stay in your current housing or transition to a different situation? Think about these factors:
your social network
proximity to family, friends, and caregivers
access to transportation
weather/climate
closeness to health care services
mobility issues
family legacy and security
local income taxes and/or inheritance and estate taxes
whether or not your home can be modified
manageable home and yard maintenance
Programs from local and national organizations are available in Michigan to help repair single family homes. They include weatherization, repairs and improvements, and accessibility modifications to assist homeowners to stay in their homes.
Consider attending our free Retirement Planning online workshops held several times each year. The September series registration is https://events.anr.msu.edu/RetirementSept18/. Financial planning takes time, patience, and discipline. Find more information about financial and housing decisions at MIMoneyHealth.org.
The answer could be yes if you use the towel for many purposes, have a large family and are not a vegetarian, according to a new study of germs lurking on towels.
Forty-nine percent of the kitchen towels collected for the study were laden with bacteria, and the bacterial count increased with the number of family members and kids, researchers from the Indian Ocean island/nation of Mauritius reported.
“Cross-contamination is happening in the kitchen, and those bacteria could reach our food and cause food poisoning,” said lead researcher Susheela Biranjia-Hurdoyal. She is a senior lecturer in the department of health at the University of Mauritius.
Specifically, the researchers found that towels used for a variety of tasks—such as wiping utensils, drying hands, holding hot utensils or cleaning surfaces—had more bacteria than towels used for one task. In addition, damp towels had more bacteria than dry ones, the investigators found.
Of the 49 samples that were infested with bacteria, 37 percent had Escherichia coli (E. coli), 37 percent had Enterococcus, and 14 percent were infected with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
For the study, Biranjia-Hurdoyal and her colleagues sampled 100 kitchen towels that had been used for one month. They classified the types of bacteria on the towels and also how much bacteria was present.
Higher rates of S. aureus were found among low-income families and those with children, the findings showed. The risk for E. coli was higher in damp towels than dry ones, from towels used for several jobs rather than single-use ones, and from those used in non-vegetarian households.
Both E. coli and S. aureus were found at higher rates in families with non-vegetarian diets.
E. coli is a normal bacteria found in the intestine and is released in large numbers in human feces. S. aureus is a bacteria found in the respiratory tract.
The researchers’ advice? “Avoid humid and multi-usage towels,” Biranjia-Hurdoyal suggested.
Kevin Sauer is an associate professor of dietetics at Kansas State University College of Human Ecology in Manhattan, Kansas. He said, “The key advice is to remain attentive to food safety when preparing food in the home, which includes proper hand-washing, avoiding cross-contamination, and cooking and storing foods at the right temperatures.”
In a food-handling study he did in 2015, Sauer found that cloth towels were the most contaminated.
“However, even when provided with disposable single-use paper towels, participants were still observed using these in a way that led to additional contamination of contact surfaces,” he noted.
Sauer advised that people should avoid using towels in place of hand-washing, because they can easily become contaminated with harmful germs from raw meat and poultry juices.
“Furthermore, reusing contaminated towels to wipe hands or other surfaces can easily lead to cross-contamination, and therefore should not be reused throughout meal preparation, since they too can contribute to contamination of hands, surfaces or other food products,” Sauer said.
Findings from the study were scheduled for presentation at the American Society for Microbiology meeting, in Atlanta. The findings should be considered preliminary because they have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
According to Jessica Corwin, MPH, RDN, community nutrition educator for Spectrum Health Healthier Communities, and Kristi Veltkamp, an outpatient dietitian at Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital, we should all follow these key tips to avoid cross-contamination:
Always wash your hands with soap and water before preparing or handling food.
Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood securely wrapped to prevent any juices from contaminating prepared dishes and raw foods.
Take time to rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water. Scrub any firm-skinned produce with a vegetable brush.
Avoid re-using towels, platters or utensils that were used with raw meats.
Corwin urges people to follow food safety precautions, even if they ignored them in the past and didn’t feel any ill effects.
Not everyone responds to infections the same way. Those most at risk of serious complications include small children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
By Beth Clawson, Michigan State University Extension
Michigan is home to more than 1.3 million onsite wastewater treatment systems. Most are for single family homes that include a septic system. Indeed, the onsite wastewater treatment system including a septic tank and soil absorption field is the most common domestic wastewater treatment system in rural homes in the United States. In Michigan, it is estimated that 10 percent of these systems are in some level of malfunction or have failed.
Malfunctioning and failed onsite waste water systems make our ground and surface waters susceptible to fecal contamination. Several rivers in the Lower Peninsula have been tested during low-flow conditions and were found to contain genetic markers indicating the presence of human fecal matter. This contamination can come from leaky septic systems. Keeping septic systems in good repair can protect Michigan’s water quality.
Rural homes in Michigan include onsite wastewater systems that require regular maintenance. Maintenance and inspection of your system depends upon its size, the number of people that live in the home and what county you live in. Michigan is the last state to still adopt uniform onsite wastewater regulations. Lack of uniform statewide laws leaves regulation and inspection laws up to local officials through county health departments and districts. This means that rules for onside wastewater system laws vary between counties.
Most counties have a sale transfer ordinance requiring septic tank inspections but few have the same or similar size and installation regulations. Most ordinances cite the average of pumping and inspecting recommendation of every three years for a family of four. Many also require inspection of newly installed systems. None return a year or two later to ensure that the system is functioning properly.
An onsite wastewater system typically consists of three basic parts:
The drain waste pipes from the house into a septic tank;
The septic or settling tank, sometimes divided in half with a baffle; and
The dispersion box and soil absorption or drain field.
Waste water flows from the toilets, laundry and sinks in the home through the drain pipes to the septic tank. The septic tank, made of solid cast concrete (in most cases) has an inlet and an outlet for effluent. Once the waste enters the tank the solids settle to the bottom to decompose and become the sludge layer. Effluent water is in the middle and the lighter grease and soaps float to the top to create the scum layer. The effluent water flows out through a pipe to the drain field. Newer tanks sometimes contain a baffle creating a second settling area before water is released to the soil absorption field. Michigan State University Extension’s webpage on Septic systems gives more detail on this topic.
If the sludge is not pumped out on a regular basis then the layer gets thick allowing solids to flow into the drain field. This plugs and compacts in the drain tiles and the soil causing failure. Many times people think that this is a sign that the septic is full, and indeed it is but it is also a failure. Drain field failure requires soil removal and replacement and can become an expensive repair. This is one of the most common failures. Other common causes of septic failure include tanks collapsing from being driven or parked on; tree roots; excessive water from parties or heavy rains; pipes clogged from flushing items other than toilet paper such as, feminine products and personal sanitary wipes; biological processes stopped from over use of chlorine or antibiotic soaps.
If you are experiencing sewage waste backup into your house from your septic tank this may indicate a total blockage of the tank and drain field and could indicate a costly repair or replacement. Regular inspections and pumping can prevent expensive repairs later. Just as it is recommended to regularly inspect our cars and furnaces, we should also inspect and clean out our onsite waste water systems. The average recommendation is every three years for a typical family home with three bedrooms equipped with a 1000 gallon tank. It’s important to know the size of your septic tank.
Older homes may have smaller tanks. Smaller tanks need to be pumped more often. For example, if a three-bedroom home has a 900-gallon septic tank with six people living there, they should schedule their pumping for every one and one half to two years to avoid failure. If a home uses a garbage disposal, consider that they are increasing the amount of solids (pre-digestion) going into the tank. This home will require more frequent pumping.
Concrete, plastic and fiberglass tanks are not infallible, lots of things can cause the material to fail resulting in collapse. Inspectors look at the integrity of your system. Fractures caused by frost/freeze break up, ground heaves, earthquakes, manufacturer defect, burrowing animals, and tree roots all have an impact on our systems. Michigan DEQ does have a guide on subsurface onsite wastewater treatment systems but its recommendations are not enforceable by law. Michigan County Environmental Health departments have laws, consult your County for its recommendations for onsite waste water system maintenance.
For more in depth information the National Environmental Services Center, West Virginia University has a good publication that includes a time table in years for pumping recommendations at http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/pdf/ww/septic/pl_fall04.pdf.
If you want to learn more there are videos available: Click here for a short video (under five minutes) about onsite wastewater septic systems, or click here for a longer training video (about 110 minutes) about onsite wastewater septic systems.
For more information about and water quality contact Beth Clawson, MSU Extension Educator. To learn more about onsite waste water treatment septic tanks, contact Michigan State University Extension Natural Resources educators who are working across Michigan to provide water quality and septic tank maintenance educational programming and assistance. You can contact an educator through MSU Extension’s “Find an Expert” search tool using the keywords “Natural Resources Water Quality.”
By Sonny Haskins, Master of Public Health Care Administration Intern at Wyoming Community Health Center
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women. It is the third leading cause of cancer related deaths in women, and the second leading cause in men.
Lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer:
1 in 21 for men
1 in 23 for woman
The American Cancer Society estimates that in the United States in 2017 there will be:
95,520 new cases of colon cancer
39,910 new cases of rectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is a concern throughout the United States, however death rates from colorectal cancer has declined over several decades for both men and women. This trend may be caused by the improved care to treat colorectal cancer over the years. The decline can also be credited to the ability to screen patients for early signs of the cancer; with these screenings, colorectal cancer can be prevented.
When you should get your colorectal cancer screening:
You should begin screening annually soon after you turn 50 years old
If you or a close family member have had colorectal cancer or signs of colorectal cancer
If you have been diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
If you have been diagnosed with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch Syndrome)
If you have not been screened for colorectal cancer contact your primary care provider to schedule your appointment today.
Remember with a colorectal cancer screening you can be preventing cancer!
Summer is in full swing here here in Michigan, and aside from the warm days and clear skies, summer means that the kids are out of school. Whether they’re around the corner or coming for a special visit, spending quality time with your grandkids is a great way to enjoy the season, and there are so many options for fun activities that everyone can enjoy. Having an itinerary for good weather and bad is essential for any grandparent, but which activities should be added to the list of must do’s? Here are 6 ideas for summer fun with the grandkids!
Rock Painting
Rock painting is a fun activity perfect for all ages. It’s also inexpensive, as most of us can find buckets of rocks in our backyard. Art projects are fun for everyone, but there’s more value in getting creative than just enjoyment: kids get to be expressive and work on problem-solving skills, and everyone gets a lasting keepsake from the visit.
There’s no right or wrong way to do rock painting. Just find any rocks, large or small, then wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt or sand on the surface. Acrylic paints are easy to find, washable, and dry quickly–just be sure to seal it with a spray sealant to make sure that your craft stays vibrant.
Baking
We all know how Michigan weather can be. One minute it’s a bright sunny day, and the next it’s a gloomy downpour. Baking is the perfect activity to make the most of less-than-perfect weather.
The family recipes will forever hold a place in your grandkids hearts, and passing along recipes is a meaningful way to make memories. But you can also consider mixing it up a bit with a more unconventional recipe. For example, kids love the creativity and silliness involved in making kitchen sink cookies. They consist of whatever you have lying around: nuts, candies, spices–the options are limitless. This is a great way to get your grandkids engaged and thinking creatively. You might end up with peanut butter and mint cookies with Cheerios on top, but you’ll have a blast bonding with your grandkids. Just remember, it’s best to make small batches.
Picnics
Everyone loves a good picnic. Getting away and eating a meal outside is a break in most people’s usual day-to-day, and they’re so easy to organize. Try picking a spot that’s near a nature walk or in a park. After you are done eating you can play and explore until your heart’s content.
Visiting an animal shelter
Visiting an animal shelter is another excellent rainy day activity. Many shelters have rooms for kids, under supervision, to interact and play with cats or dogs. Some shelters will even let you walk the animals. This serves a dual purpose: animals are socialized and more likely to make good pets, and your grandkids will have a blast interacting with them. Visiting animal shelters is also a valuable educational experience. It’s a way to build empathy towards animals, and inspire kids to give back to their communities.
Science experiments
Doing science experiments with your grandkids is educational and fun. It’s important to always keep children engaged with learning, even over the summer, and easy science projects are a great way to get them interested. There is nothing more memorable than watching their faces as they light up with wonder and amazement from a toilet paper rocket blasting off.
There are many science kits you can buy online or at the store, but you don’t have to spend a lot to create exciting projects. There are countless DIY experiments you find online. For example, try putting an egg in vinegar and watch as it dissolves the shell. Learn more about how plants grow by putting celery stalks in colored water. Or, you can always do the classic Mentos in diet soda trick to make an explosion–just put safety first, and be ready for some sticky clean-up!
Making jam
Michigan is full of amazing orchards and farms with a ‘pick your own’ option available. The summer offers a variety of fruit to choose from. The most popular ones include strawberries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and raspberries. Native Michigan fruits are a delicious treat when eaten fresh, but you can make them into another fun, educational activity by creating jams and preserves. Everything tastes better homemade, and jams are no exception. They’ll get to see the process from start to finish and bring home a sample of their work.
In the summer months, explore different ways you to connect with your grandkids. Michigan has an endless supply of grandchild-friendly activities, meaning long summer days filled with endless smiles and continuous laughter. These are the precious memories that last a lifetime.
Service dogs may help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol in military veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder, a new study finds.
For the study, researchers compared a group of veterans with PTSD who had a service dog to a group of veterans on the waitlist to receive one.
“Our previous research suggests that the presence of a service dog reduced clinical PTSD symptoms and improved quality of life,” said study co-leader Maggie O’Haire. She is an assistant professor of human-animal interaction at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, in West Lafayette, Ind.
“In this study, we wanted to determine if those beneficial effects also included changes in the physiology of stress,” O’Haire said in a university news release.
The researchers focused on cortisol, a biomarker involved in the stress response system, and one that is detected through saliva.
According to study co-leader Kerri Rodriguez, “military veterans with a service dog in the home produced more cortisol in the mornings than those on the wait list.”
Rodriguez explained that “this pattern is closer to the cortisol profile expected in healthy adults without PTSD.”
In addition, “having a service dog was also associated with less anger, less anxiety and better sleep,” she noted. Rodriguez is a human-animal interaction graduate student.
The findings are the first of their kind and offer insight into how service dogs may provide mental health benefits to veterans with PTSD, according to the study authors.
The researchers are now conducting a large-scale, long-term U.S. National Institutes of Health clinical trial comparing veterans with service dogs to those without.
The report was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Benefits of owning a dog:
Fight heart disease. Owning a dog has a positive impact on blood pressure, which is one of the main factors in heart attack and stroke, according to Thomas Boyden, MD, MS, Spectrum Health program director of preventive cardiology. The American Heart Association reports a link between pet ownership and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Studies also show you’ll be more likely to survive a heart attack if you have a dog.
Relieve stress. “Being around pets, and dogs in particular, actually changes your body at a hormonal level,” Jared Skillings, PhD, ABPP, Spectrum Health chief of psychology said. Of course, it’s not a cure-all. “Getting a dog won’t cure depression or clinical anxiety, but it certainly can help.”
Reduce loneliness. Dogs provide unconditional love. They’re caring, excited to see you and glad to be by your side. Need to talk? “Dogs are good listeners and they’re not going to argue with you,” Dr. Skillings said.
Improve sociability. There’s also the added benefit of the camaraderie among dog owners. “Having a dog can connect people to other pet owners, which can reduce isolation, too,” Dr. Skillings said.
Inspire exercise. A study published in the journal BMC Public Health said the average dog owner walks 22 minutes more per day than those who don’t own a dog. Daily walks have lots of added benefits, from controlling chronic conditions to burning weight and improving moods.
Add purpose. Having a dog or any other pet can give you a reason to get going in the morning. Size doesn’t matter. In fact, cats, horses and birds can all have a similar effect. Even tiny pets—hamsters, mice, fish, insects—can imbue you with a sense of purpose. In one study, elderly people were asked to care for a cage of five crickets. After eight weeks, the people who had the crickets in their homes were less depressed and had better cognitive function than those in the control group.
The City of Kentwood announced today that Kalamazoo Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street is slated to be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2 while the road receives a joint repair treatment.
The MSU Extension Master Gardener Program changes lives. Committed to improving the quality of life in Michigan through horticulture-based volunteerism and beautifying communities throughout the state, the program provides instruction in basic, research-based horticulture science to motivated and active gardeners through an adult (18 years or older) educational program offered by MSU Extension. More info here.
We’ve been fed alternative facts: There is no such thing as multi-tasking. You’re not doing two things at once, you’re switching back and forth. And if you have three or four or five things going, your performance suffers.
Your little one’s first day back to school isn’t that far off. Now is the time to think about new strategies for a productive school year. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Sue Gunnink, Spectrum Health Beat
It’s always difficult transitioning from the laid-back summer schedule to the hectic schedule of the school year.
It usually takes a good month or so to get back into the groove, at least to where you feel confident everyone in your household is back on track.
And once you’ve gotten into the groove again, don’t you wish you could keep it going all year long? Wouldn’t it be great to keep everything running smoothly ’til next June?
It just so happens that a few handy tips can keep your family functioning like a well-oiled machine, at least when it comes to nutrition and meal preparation.
We all know that one of the best tools in the toolbox is the lunchbox.
Here’s how to keep your meals on track all year long:
Pack ahead
Pack lunches the night before to avoid the rush in the morning. This gives you more time to plan meals, which increases the chances you’ll select nutritious foods. Have your kids get involved in the lunch packing, too. They’re more likely to eat the food in their lunch when they’re involved in the process.
Be a portion pro
To simplify lunch preparation, cut your fruit into individual portions for the week. For example: If you have three kids and want them to have fruit each day of the week, you can cut 15 containers of fruit on Sunday night.
Get stocked and ready
For after-school snacks, consider stocking healthier items that are easy to grab, such as trail mix, unbuttered popcorn, or peanut butter on sliced apples or pears.
Coordinate schedules
Plan dinners in advance. On Sunday night, take a moment to survey your family’s schedule for the coming the week, identifying nights that involve sports practice, school activities, special events and so forth. Plan the meals accordingly. Consider having one night where your child is responsible for coming up with a meal.
Prep and freeze
Consider preparing and freezing meals well in advance. Once every few months, you can make a large batch of a particular food item, such as lasagna, then divide it into dinner portions. These can be frozen and labeled for easy use later on.
Are you interested in learning more about balanced nutrition? Schedule a personalized appointment with a Spectrum Health registered dietitian or call 616.391.1875 to register for a group class series.
In a tech-centric world, it’s tough on the brain to focus on any one thing as it’s bombarded with data. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Don Shell, Spectrum Health Beat
It was another typically busy day.
In between testing patients, Michael Lawrence, PhD, ABPP-CN, a clinical neuropsychologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group, found himself answering instant messages and emails, grabbing a quick lunch, calling AT&T about his cell phone bill, racing to Blodgett Hospital for a meeting, and reading an article a certain Health Beat reporter had sent him for an interview.
If that sounds all-too familiar to you, you’re not alone. But if you think you’re multitasking, what you’re really doing is kidding yourself, Dr. Lawrence said.
“We all have to do it to some extent,” he said. “But we know multitasking is a misnomer. We have to be aware that you’re not doing two things at work, you’re switching back and forth. If we have three or four or five things, our performance suffers.
“The problem is, we don’t know how to deal with technology. We’re bombarded by things.”
Our cell phone addictions are doing more than stifling our real-world social lives: they’re stifling our creativity, too, Dr. Lawrence said.
“We used to think that different parts of the brain were responsible for controlling different abilities, but what we’ve learned with recent advances in neuroscience is that actually your brain is networked together,” he said. “The Default Mode Network, the DMN, actually encompasses the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. That’s the part of the brain that turns on when you’re at a resting state. And studies have shown that creativity is increased when you do nothing at all first.
There’s an app for that
New app helps track your cell phone addiction.
Are you addicted to your cell phone? If you’re like a growing number of Americans, the answer is probably yes – and it’s likely worse than you thought.
Enter the new app called Moment, which can track just how often you check your messages, emails, Facebook or anything else.
You can even set daily limits on yourself and force yourself off your device when you’re over your limit.
“It’s the last thing you look at before you go to bed, and the first thing you wake up to,” Dr. Lawrence said. “That’s why this Moment app is so interesting. I don’t think people realize how addicted they are to their phones.”
“When you’re doing too much at once, this area of the brain is burning too much energy, and your capacity to do any one thing suffers.”
This flies in the face of the common belief that things such as music can help increase focus and productivity, Dr. Lawrence said, but that doesn’t mean people can’t juggle tasks at all.
“I think you can do two things at once, but the problem is, you don’t do any one thing as well,” he explained. “The research says the quieter the environment, the more sterile, the better you do. People say they focus better with music, but your brain has to turn on to process music, and if it’s expending energy to process music, that’s energy it’s not using on whatever else you’re doing.”
The multitasking myth isn’t age-specific, either.
“They talk about kids with video games, but I think adults are even worse,” he said. “I went to a meeting the other day and everyone was on their cell phone. They say technology is making everybody ADD. It makes our lives better in some way, but at what cost? There has to be some moderation.”
Dr. Lawrence said he has a simple way to fight the anxiety of overstimulation.
“We all have that feeling, when we’re being pulled in a million different directions,” he said. “When I do it, I realize it and get anxious. What’s the first thing I do? I turn off everything–my cell phone and email–and create a checklist of the things I need to do. That helps me focus and prioritize what I need to do.”
The bottom line, says Dr. Lawrence, “We have to learn to adapt, because technology isn’t going away.”
By Spectrum Health Beat Staff; photos by Chris Clark
Imagine snoozing comfortably at home while your bed measures your heart rate and breathing—and enters those vital signs into your medical record.
Imagine tapping an app on your smartphone when you want to ask your doctor about a new symptom.
As health care technology gets smarter—and more personal—patients will find new ways to monitor their medical conditions and connect with medical experts.
Spectrum Health staff got a glimpse of products under development recently at an open house organized by Spectrum Health Innovations. Two companies involved in the Seamless Accelerator, a collaboration of startups and industry leaders, displayed their new devices to get reaction from the experts.
A bed that communicates
Hoana Medical, a Honolulu-based company, showed off its LifeBed system, a mattress coverlet embedded with sensors that measure vital signs. It detects heart and respiration rates—and can indicate whether the patient is in bed.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Staff can view the data at a central nursing station or on a handheld device, such as a smartphone.
The device aims to eliminate the need to attach sensors, electrodes, cuffs and other monitoring equipment directly to the patient, said Edward Chen, president and chief operating officer of Hoana.
“I think in a med-surg world it could be beneficial to have this continuous monitoring available,” said Liz Schulte, an inpatient nursing supervisor at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.
A rise in breathing or heart rate could indicate a patient is experiencing more pain, for example, prompting the nurse to check in. Or it might signal that a confused patient is becoming agitated, perhaps planning to get out of bed to use the bathroom.
“We can go in there and proactively act on that,” Schulte said. “A bed alarm is good only once a patient gets out of bed.”
The smartphone connection would be a big plus, she added. It would allow a nurse to view vital signs for a number of patients from any location.
The LifeBed system plugs directly into the wall, but also can operate wirelessly.
“It simplifies the process of having to move monitors,” Chen said. “It has been tested in ambulances and helicopters. Imagine deploying it for large-scale emergency triage on stretchers.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
The version displayed at Spectrum Health is intended for use in the medical-surgical, acute care or home care settings. A steady stream of nurses, doctors and therapists filed through the two-hour open house. Some tried out apps and lay on the LifeBed, watching their vital signs appear on a smartphone screen.
“I really thought the vital sign communication with electronic capability was great,” said Laura McPherson, pediatric lead therapist in respiratory care at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
The system would be even better, she said, if it could be converted to a hardback surface, which would be useful in reviving a patient in cardiac arrest.
“This could be the total package,” she said.
A doctor-patient app
Friendly Health Technologies of San Ramon, California, presented information on software and apps that connect patients with their doctor or other medical care providers.
Patients could log in to the app on a tablet or smartphone to report common illnesses.
The app asks a series of follow-up questions, using evidence-based guidelines, and enters the information into the individual’s medical record. The physician or care provider can then prescribe medication or request a face-to-face visit.
The company would adapt the software for different medical specialties, tweaking the questions to match the issues patients are likely to report.
“I’d like to see it in action,” Ginny Richards, a Spectrum Health Medical Group nurse educator, said of the telemedicine app. “It might have good potential for families that are reluctant to call.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Customer validation is “an absolute necessity in product development,” said Brent Mulder, PhD, senior director of Spectrum Health Innovations. “If they get that extremely valuable feedback, it can validate their current course of action or cause a course correction.”
Spectrum Health is one of seven partners in the Seamless Accelerator, a collaboration that gives entrepreneurs access to industry expertise while offering experts the chance to influence the direction of next-generation devices.
About enhancing health
The evolving health care technology field encompasses a number of user-friendly apps and gadgets in development that will make it easier for patients to stay on top of their health care, said Eric Topol, MD, the author of several books, including “The Patient Will See You Now: The Future of Medicine is in Your Hands.”
They include:
A bandage that monitors how a wound is healing and delivers medication when needed
A ring that detects when a patient is asleep or awake and can be used in at-home sleep studies
A tiny device that measures blood sugar levels—without a needle poke or drop of blood. Someday, Dr. Topol predicts, “Fingersticks for glucose will be obsolete.”
Already on the market is an ear scope that attaches to a smartphone. When parents suspect their child has an ear infection, they can capture a video of the inside of the child’s ears and send it to the doctor for diagnosis.
Consumer-focused “on-demand medicine” can mean more efficient care, Topol said at a recent speaking engagement. Research shows the average wait for a doctor’s appointment is 2.6 weeks. And once they arrive at the office, patients wait, on average, 61 minutes.
By communicating electronically with their doctor or running basic tests with their smart phone, patients can save time and often rest comfortably at home when they aren’t feeling well.
“It’s really about enhancing the health of humans,” he said.
Learn more about new forms of health care technology at Spectrum Health Innovations and to learn about e-doctor appointments, visit the MedNow website or call 844.322.7374.
Are you looking for that extra burst of energy in the middle of the day? How about your teenagers? Are you or your teenagers consuming energy drinks? Frequently, parents question how safe energy drinks are, especially for teenagers.
Caffeine Content of Energy Drinks
Energy drinks contain caffeine and may contain other stimulants such as taurine and guarana. According to the Mayo Clinic, excess caffeine consumption can lead to irritability, nervousness, insomnia, an increase in heart rate and increased blood pressure. Caffeine consumption can be harmful for children with certain health risks. Another reason for concern is that the amount of caffeine in each type of drink varies considerably and the caffeine content may not be listed on the beverage container. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides a listing of caffeine content by specific energy drinks that shows caffeine content varying from 70 mg. to over 200 mg. per eight ounces. The AAP has also recommended that children and adolescents should avoid energy drinks altogether.
Calories from Energy Drinks
Energy drinks and other sugary beverages, like soda, add extra calories without other important nutrients that children and teens need for growth. For example, one popular energy drink contains 130 calories and 34 grams of carbohydrates in an 8.3 ounce serving. These calories and carbs in an energy drink are higher than a cola. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Report 2017 (NHANES) found that only 33 percent of youth ages two through 19 met the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for American recommendations to limit added sugars intake to less than 10 percent of total calories. With the higher prevalence of obesity in the United States, reducing sugar consumption is an important strategy towards achieving and maintaining a healthier weight.
Better Beverage choices
In order to avoid consuming caffeine and other stimulants from energy drinks and soda with added sugars, find other ways to quench thirst and to energize. Of course, water is the best choice when it comes to quenching thirst. Try adding fresh fruit slices, such as lemon or orange, to keep it interesting for kids. Low-fat milk and diluted fruit juices are also nutrient-rich choices. Limiting added sugars is recommended in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines. Consumption of beverages with added sugars can easily increase sugar intake above 10 percent of calories, which makes it difficult to achieve a healthy eating pattern.
Choose movement to increase energy
Physical activity increases our energy levels and burns calories too. The next time your children or teens are feeling tired in the middle of the afternoon, think carefully before reaching for an energy drink. Instead, suggest a short walk. Physical activity increases blood flow and results in feeling more energetic.
Take precautions before and after entering the pool to stay healthy. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Susan Hollman Krieger, Spectrum Health Beat
You know that sign at the entryway of your local pool that asks you to shower before entering the water? Do it.
And then make sure to shower again after you are done swimming for the day. You may be saving yourself and other swimmers a miserable summertime bout of diarrhea.
According to the CDC, although both E. coli and norovirus are eliminated by chlorine and other chemicals used in pools, cryptosporidium survives for up to 10 days. People who have or who recently had diarrhea can carry the parasite into the pool, exposing other swimmers. They, in turn, develop diarrhea a few days later.
So is the answer to stay out of swimming pools and head for one of Michigan’s beautiful lakes?
Not necessarily, said George Fogg, MD, PhD, an infectious disease specialist with Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
“This parasite has always been around in our pools. It only receives attention when there is an outbreak of cases in a water park or in a community, for example, when cryptosporidium got into the Milwaukee municipal water supply,” Dr. Fogg explained. “The two most common parasites that can cause diarrhea are giardia and cryptosporidium and they have been around for a long time. We are seeing more incidences lately because we are doing a better job of detecting and reporting the cause of these intestinal disorders.”
Dr. Fogg said that swimmers developing diarrhea after being in a pool is still “very uncommon. You have a greater risk of getting norovirus on a cruise ship than getting cryptosporidium in a swimming pool—it is very rare.”
He recommends that swimmers who do experience diarrhea inform their health provider, although they will likely see the condition “self-correct” within a few days.
While there isn’t currently a chemical that is both safe to use in a pool and that would kill the parasite, Dr. Fogg said that taking normal precautions will help swimmers stay healthy.
Avoid ingesting any pool water. “That is how it gets into your system.”
Shower before and after swimming. “Soap can remove the spores from your skin and prevent you from inadvertently ingesting them through touch.”
Stay out of the pool if you have a compromised immune system. “That is who we really worry about—people who have other health conditions who are particularly vulnerable to parasites.”
All in all, Dr. Fogg said not to let unnecessary worry about what’s in the water curtail your traditional summer activities.
School garden advocates have multiple anecdotes that they can share to illustrate the value of including experiential garden education in curriculum and educational programs. They talk about how their students are more engaged, more willing to interact with the subject matter, more likely to eat the food they grow and sometimes even more likely to eat other produce items. Beyond anecdotes, there have been relatively few research studies that address the effects of engaging with school gardens, but researchers are working to change that.
Over the last decade or so, there have been an increasing number of research studies looking at the impacts of school garden education. When the results of these studies are compiled, trends and recommendations are more meaningful, and the experts agree. The Center for Disease Control has a panel of appointed experts that address public health issues. The Community Preventative Services Task Force (CPSTF) provides evidence-based findings and recommendations about community preventative services to improve public health. The task force decided to focus on school gardens last year, ratifying a report that reviewed several recent research studies in December of 2017 entitled Nutrition: Gardening Interventions to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Children.
The task force conducted a systematic review of 14 recent studies that investigated gardening interventions for youth. The studies were conducted in a variety of settings with youth ages 2-18. Study sites included early care and education, schools, after-school programs and communities. Studies were conducted in 4 different countries: United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Results showed that gardening activities increased youth consumption of vegetables and fruits in 13 of 14 studies. When the results were analyzed in relation to increasing vegetable intake alone, 12 of 14 studies showed an increase. Interestingly, fruit intake alone did not change significantly for any of the studies. The amount of vegetable and fruit intake was increased when gardening interventions were combined with nutrition education interventions, rather than just gardening alone.
The results of this review show that there is increasing evidence that garden interventions for youth can and do have an impact on increasing healthy eating habits. The review specifically recommends pairing gardening and nutrition interventions for increased success in fruit and vegetable consumption. Other recommendations included involving parents and caretakers in interventions and to share healthy eating messaging in the home, extending the garden education opportunities in harsher climates through season extension techniques and hiring a garden coordinator when possible that is dedicated to the upkeep and coordination of the garden.
While this review is something that school garden advocates can point to as evidence that school gardens do have an impact, there is still a need for further research that investigates potential benefits of school gardens.
By Linda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension
Regular exercise and physical activity are vital at any age, including for older adults. The National Institute on Aging says that being active helps older adults:
Keep and improve strength to stay independent
Have more energy to do things
Improve balance
Prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis
Perk up mood and reduce depression
According to Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, by Dr. Kate Lorig, to get the greatest benefit from physical activity, older adults need to try four types of exercise: endurance, strength, balance and flexibility exercise.
Endurance activity
Many older adults avoid endurance activity, also called aerobic exercise, because they are unsure about how much is safe for older adults. “The most important thing is that some activity is better than none,” Dr. Lorig said. “If you start off doing what is comfortable and increase your efforts gradually, it is likely that you will build a healthy, lifelong habit.” There are three building blocks for a safe, moderate-intensity goal for endurance activity:
Frequency means how often you exercise. The Center for Disease Control recommends aerobic physical activity in episode of at least 10 minutes and, if possible, spread it out through the week.
Intensity is how much effort you use or how hard you work. Endurance or aerobic exercise is safe at a moderate intensity. You will feel warmer, you breathe deeper and faster, your heart rate will rise moderately and you will still feel like you can continue a while longer.
Time is how long you exercise each time you are active. At least 10 minutes is a good starting place. If that is too challenging, start with a smaller amount of time. You can work up from there, with a moderate intensity goal of 150 minutes per week. You can try to attain your 150 minute goal by exercising 30 minutes five days per week.
Strength training
We need to exercise our muscles in order to maintain our physical strength as we get older. Otherwise, our muscles shrink from lack of use. According to the book Living a Healthy Life With Chronic Conditions, moderate-intensity muscle-strengthening exercise of all major muscle groups should be done at least two days per week.
Flexibility exercises
Being flexible means you can move comfortably in your daily life with a minimum of pain and stiffness. A series of gentle stretching exercises done at least three to four days per week can help you improve and maintain flexibility as you get older.
Balance exercises
Falling is one of the most challenging events for older adults. Injury from falls, such as broken bones, is a common experience for those with balance issues. Strong and coordinated muscles in your core and legs are key for good balance. Certain exercises, including qi gong, tai chi, yoga and others are good for improving and maintaining balance.
You can find a free user-friendly exercise book and DVD through the National Institute on Aging website called Go4Life.
According to Michigan State University Extension, once you start exercising and become more physically active, you will begin to see results quickly. In a few short weeks, you will feel stronger and more energetic, and you will be able to do things easier, faster or longer than before. Your body will get used to a higher level of activity and you can continue to build on those benefits by doing more. Be sure to check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program.
Photo courtesy of Michigan State University Extension
By Bonnie Lehman, Michigan State University Extension
Spring and summer in Michigan are great times for parents to garden outside with their children. Gardening together can be beneficial for bonding with children, educational and fun if safety is the first consideration.
Protecting children from exposure to toxic outdoor plants is crucial for keeping children safe. Ingesting plants and planting materials is a common hazard for children. Parents know how fast their small children can pick up anything and everything to put it in their mouth!
When purchasing outdoor plants, consider using safe, non-toxic plants. Plant buyers that want to protect children might not know which plants are non-toxic and will need a reliable, educational source. One source that is available free of charge is the National Capital Poison Center. This site offers a list of plants of poisonous and non-poisonous plants. The common name and botanical name are both listed. The list can be copied and taken with you when purchasing plants.
Know all of the plant names that are in your yard. The National Capital Poison Center and your regional poison center say it is important to know all the names of plants in your yard or home. The Poison Center can be reached at 1-800-222-1222 on a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week basis. They will need the common name or botanical name of a plant, otherwise they cannot positively identify plants over the phone. Keeping a written list of the plant names and location in your yard can assist child caregivers if they need to call the poison center. Be sure to store bulbs and seeds out of children’s reach.
The parent is the first teacher in a child’s life. Teach your children not to put plants, berries, soil, leaves, bark, seeds and any plant material in their mouth. Young children need patience and repeated messages to learn this skill. Even when a parent thinks the child has outgrown the stage of putting something in their mouth, they could still do it.
Be safety–minded. When gardening together with your child, remember that accidents can happen at unexpected times. They also can happen fast. Keep a watchful eye out for young children exploring the outdoors and think safety first.
E. Coli, a largely harmless but occasionally dangerous bacteria present in animal and human feces, is found throughout the Plaster Creek watershed. The E. Coli strains present in the watershed from animal waste are likely the product of agricultural runoff. However, when it comes to the E. Coli from human waste, according to professor Kelly DuBois, “it’s really not known where that’s coming from.”
So, does DuBois, a professor of biology, intend to track down the source? “Based on how often they’re finding [E. Coli]—all over the place—it can’t be one source, so we have a really small chance of pinpointing all the sources and shutting them all down,” said DuBois.
Instead, she is working with a group of student researchers to assess if green infrastructure installations could be an environmentally safe solution. In particular, they are looking at the impact of Kreiser pond, a retention basin installed in a residential area of Grand Rapids four or five years ago, “which is essentially a U-shaped little pond,” built to slow rainwater runoff. “We know it slows the flow down, it absolutely works for that,” said DuBois, “but my question was: what is it doing with the microbes in the water?”
A collaborative legacy
While according to DuBois, “it’s been shown in some instances that green infrastructure can be really efficient at removing bacterial contamination,” she hopes to prove that it’s effective in Plaster Creek’s case so that future green infrastructure projects in the watershed can be designed with microbial reduction in mind.
The project is in collaboration with the Plaster Creek Stewards, a group of Calvin faculty, staff, and students who have been working over a decade on the restoration of the Plaster Creek watershed. “It’s a fun group to be a part of,” said DuBois, “because there’s so much collaboration, and everyone comes at it from a little different perspective.”
DuBois was inspired to work with Plaster Creek Stewards after doing research through Calvin’s Clean Water Institute last year. “I was really excited to be a part of [the Clean Water Institute], and that has kind of led to [working with Plaster Creek],” she said, “because I developed that skill set last summer with my student, it was like ‘hey, we can apply these [tools] to Plaster Creek too!”
Pursuing proper stewardship
“As biologists, obviously, creation care is something that’s very important to us,” DuBois said, “I honestly love bench science, but it’s nice to have a project [where] it’s easier for students to see the direct connection with taking care of creation.” She added, “we can see, when we measure stuff in that water, that humans have had a negative impact on this little part of creation, and so it’s very practical to say we want to turn that around now.”
One of the student researchers, Kate DeHeer, a junior majoring in biology and biochemistry, has observed firsthand the positive community impacts of the Steward’s work: “we’ve only been out to the pond twice, but have met around five neighbors interested in our work.” She added, “they all seem to be fond of Kreiser and were happy to have it in their neighborhood.”
According to Tobe Ndika, a junior biology major with a pre-med concentration, “[this research] has made me aware of the need for stewardship towards God’s creation.” He added “I feel called to make the world a better place.”
Signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Medicare provides health care coverage to seniors and individuals with disabilities. For most older adults, it is a benefit they have been paying for their entire working lives. Medicare insures older adults have basic healthcare coverage. Many older adults are surprised to discover though, that dental care is not a benefit included in Medicare coverage. There is a campaign underfoot to change this.
The original version of Medicare included oral health, but like all bills, in order to become law Medicare went through several revisions. The thought at the time was that a majority of Americans lost all of their teeth by age 65, so dental care was unimportant. Today, thanks to better oral health and fluoridated water, many of us are holding onto our teeth for our entire lives. The ability to care for our teeth is integral to healthy aging.
Our mouths have a direct impact on our health. Tooth decay or loss directly affects our ability to take in proper nutrition. The ability to eat and swallow are imperative to maintaining good health as we age. Maintaining adequate nutrition is often key to remaining independent.A decline in oral health also affects our self-esteem and willingness to communicate, leading to social isolation and loneliness. Poor oral health can also have a negative impact on our general physical health. Periodontal disease has been shown to affect blood glucose levels in people with diabetes and has recently been associated with cardiovascular disease. Receiving basic oral health services helps prevent these outcomes.
Led by Oral Health America, Demand Medicare Dental is a national campaign to improve oral health (and overall health) for older adults by adding a dental care benefit to Medicare. Right now, they are working in several states and partnering with local organizations to raise awareness of the issue and to encourage legislators to begin having the conversation about including dental benefits in Medicare. Demand Dental Care has recently partnered with Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan and the Tri-County AAA in Lansing to bring their Brush Brigade to local events, asking people interested in this issue to sign their name on a toothbrush, which will be delivered to legislators this fall. It is important for lawmakers to know this issue is important to their constituents.
If you’re interested in learning more about their efforts or volunteering for the campaign, you can visit their website at www.DemandMedicareDental.org. On the website, you can also choose to send your legislator a toothbrush to let them know – “I Have Teeth and I Vote!”
By Sue Thoms, Spectrum Health Beat, photos by Chris Clark
Cuddling her favorite stuffed dog as she tucked down into a hospital bed, Acacia Walter-Rooks dreamed of life with a healthy kidney.
“I’m excited to eat more foods and go to school and see my friends,” she said.
At the top of the list for this 14-year-old: French fries and macaroni and cheese.
The busy life of a teenage athlete seemed within reach—if her body accepted the donated kidney, and if disease did not attack the new organ.
Two big ifs.
Acacia had already surmounted one big hurdle: She had a living kidney donor who was a good match.
The next day, she would undergo surgery at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital to receive a kidney from Beth Hill, a 46-year-old mother of four young children.
And Hill was not the only one who offered.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Acacia’s parents, Brie Walter-Rooks and Ryan Rooks, marveled as dozens of friends, neighbors and co-workers volunteered as donors when they learned a rare disease destroyed Acacia’s kidneys. Some potential donors didn’t even know the family well.
Transplant coordinators halted the application list at 30, just so they could process the offers on hand.
The generosity buoyed the family at a difficult time.
“My hope is that Acacia will always remember how loved and cared for she was by her community, and people’s desire to love and care for her so her life can be full and whole,” Ryan said.
For Hill, a friend from church, being chosen as the best match was an honor.
“I feel very blessed to be able to do that,” she said.
‘Always in motion’
Before kidney disease struck, Acacia exuded good health. She played soccer, made the cut on a select volleyball team, and did gymnastics for fun. She and friends from East Grand Rapids Middle School rode bikes, hung out in Gaslight Village and went to movies.
It became clear we needed to take the next big step.
Brie Walter-Rooks Acacia’s mom
“She was just a really active kid,” Brie said. “Always in motion.”
Brie and Ryan adopted Acacia when she was 3 weeks old. They also have a 15-year-old daughter, Mica. The two girls, just a year apart in age, “are totally different and extremely close,” Brie said.
Acacia showed the first signs of kidney disease in July 2013, at age 11. She had puffy eyes, swollen ankles and a bloated stomach. Her face and neck swelled.
They learned she had a rare kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which scars and damages the kidney’s filtering units.
Genetic testing showed Acacia has a genetic mutation in the APOL1 gene that is sometimes found in people of African descent. The mutation boosts protection from African sleeping sickness, but also carries a sevenfold risk of kidney disease.
Acacia had an exceptionally aggressive form of the disease, one that can rapidly lead to end-stage kidney failure. Doctors said she would likely need a transplant in two to six months.
But she went 30 months before she reached that point. Even with kidneys functioning at 30 percent, Acacia played sports full-speed and hiked in the mountains on family backpacking trips.
In January, however, her kidney function dropped below 20 percent, and her blood pressure rose. Her doctor said she should stop playing sports.
“It became clear we needed to take the next big step,” Brie said.
On Feb. 11, a surgeon removed Acacia’s failing kidneys.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
She began receiving dialysis three times a week. The treatments did the blood-cleaning work of her kidneys, but they left her nauseated and tired. She had to stay home from school.
As Acacia underwent final tests before the transplant, her parents also faced the possibility that the new kidney would not be the fix they sought. Thirty percent of those with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis get the disease back within minutes to hours after transplant.
Before the operation, Brie said she and Ryan were concerned, but they chose not to dwell on possible downsides.
“You realize there is a higher probability that she will be healthy,” Ryan said. “And you go with that.”
‘Called to do this’
Hill remembers the day at Genesis Methodist Church when Brie talked about her daughter’s kidney disease and how she would need a transplant one day.
“It was heart-wrenching,” she said.
Over the next few weeks, Hill thought several times about donating a kidney. She thought about what she would want for her four young children if they were sick. She ultimately decided she could, and should, offer to help.
“I felt called to do this,” she said. “I believe in following those urges.”
Talking with her oldest daughter, 6-year-old Emersyn, Hill explained that she had two kidneys but only needed one.
“We have to help where we can,” she told her.
And Emersyn said, “It’s like having two chances.”
At first, Hill wanted to keep a low profile about her decision to donate. She eventually agreed to discuss it publicly to raise awareness about those waiting for kidney transplants.
“So many people are suffering,” she said.
All those who volunteered to give a kidney to Acacia “are just regular people,” she said. “We all have our own lives and jobs and things that need to be taken care of. Other regular people can help, too.”
Transplant day
The morning of the transplant, the festive crowd gathered in the pre-op area. Acacia curled up under a blue fleece blanket, clutching her stuffed dog, while Mom and Dad talked, smiled and hugged her.
I’m very glad I did it. A little bit of pain is worth it.
Beth Hill Kidney donor
Julia Steinke, MD, Acacia’s pediatric nephrologist, appeared at Acacia’s bedside.
“This is the best day ever,” Dr. Steinke said.
Nearby, Beth Hill lay in another bed, while her spouse, Lisa, held her hand. Their pastor, the Rev. DeAnn Dobbs, moved from bed to bed, leading them all in prayer.
Hill went to the operating room first. As her bed rolled by, she and Acacia raised their hands to each other―a long-distance high five.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
In side-by-side operating rooms, one team worked to detach Hill’s left kidney while another team prepared Acacia for the transplant. Surgeon Stanley Sherman, MD, carried the kidney from one room to the other in a basin filled with a slushy saline mixture.
Acacia’s parents sat in a waiting room, hoping for updates.
Clinical transplant coordinator Eric Beuker soon entered with good news: The kidney was in place and already working.
“We have liquid gold,” he said.
In the hours and days following transplant, the news got even better. Acacia’s new kidney continued to function well, and her kidney disease did not reappear.
“From a well-being standpoint, she is really doing better than expected,” Dr. Steinke said.
Acacia will need medication for the rest of her life to prevent rejection of the new organ. But she will no longer have restrictions on her diet. And she will be able to spike volleyballs over the net again.
Two days after transplant, Acacia took her first walk. With baby steps, she covered 80 feet down the hall at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. She sunk back into the recliner in her room, and her parents and therapists applauded.
Acacia, exhausted, had a request: French fries and an Oreo-vanilla milkshake.
Live-saving
In Hill’s room at Butterworth Hospital, her four kids clustered around her. Kathryn, 2, sat on her lap, and Brendan, 3, asked when she would come home.
Caught off guard by the pain on the second night post-transplant, she’d pulled through with adjustments in medication.
“I’m very glad I did it,” she said. “A little bit of pain is worth it.”
Donors go through extensive medical evaluations to make sure patients will function well with one kidney, Dr. Steinke said. Surgery is done laparoscopically, so recovery is quicker than it was in the past. Still, it can take four to six weeks for a donor to recover, as the body adjusts to a 50 percent drop in kidney function.
A living donor benefits more than just the recipient. Thirteen children are waiting for kidney transplants at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. When a living donor volunteers, it means the line shortens for those waiting for a kidney from a deceased donor.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Dr. Steinke marvels at the commitment of donors like Hill. While some know the recipient well, others volunteer to give to a stranger.
“That is just an amazing, selfless act that I always am so humbled by,” she said.
For kids like Acacia, a functioning kidney means a chance at a full life and a healthy childhood and teen years.
“It’s a life-saving procedure,” Dr. Steinke said. “She will be able to follow whatever dream she wants.”
If you are considering becoming a living kidney donor, call the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital pediatric kidney transplant team at 616.391.2802.
Runners are among the high-intensity athletes who should be especially cognizant of their exposure to heat on summer days. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Jolene Bennett, Spectrum Health Beat
Early last 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.
The signs of heat stroke:
High body temperature
Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
Fast, strong pulse
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Losing consciousness
Heat stroke, also referred to as heatstroke or sun stroke, is a true medical emergency that is often fatal if not properly and promptly treated. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if heat illness is causing vomiting, seizures, or unconsciousness. Locate an urgent care facility near you.
Riders enjoying their time horseback riding at the 2017 State 4-H Trail Ride & Family Camp Weekend. All photos by Taylor Fabus, MSU Extension.
ByTaylor Fabus, Michigan State University Extension
If you’re spending time with your horse on the trail, it’s important to do so responsibly. Read on to discover many ways in which you can be sure you ride responsibly.
Travel responsibly
Stay on designated roads, trails and other areas open to horses.
Ride single file to reduce trail damage. Spread out in open country where there are no trails. Spreading out, rather than following each other’s footsteps, disperses impact and avoids creating a new trail.
Be prepared to let other trail enthusiasts know what needs to be done to keep you, the horse and other passersby safe when you meet on the trail.
Be alert and aware of the presence of other trail enthusiasts. If possible, pull to the side of the trail when you hear oncoming off-highway vehicles or bicycles.
Leave gates as you find them. If crossing private property, be sure to ask permission from the landowner.
Do not disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites.
Avoid “spooking” livestock and wildlife you encounter and keep your distance.
Water animals in areas where stream banks and water access can withstand hard use and are downstream from campsites.
Photo by Taylor Fabus, MSU Extension
Educate yourself
Obtain a map of your destination and determine which areas are open to your type of pack animals.
Make a realistic plan and stick to it. Always tell someone of your travel plans.
Contact the land manager for area restrictions, closures and permit requirements.
Check the weather forecast for your destination. Plan clothing, equipment and supplies accordingly.
By Amy Hoogstra, MSN, FNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner at Ottawa Hills High School Health Center
Your child’s first vehicle is often a bicycle. Riding a bicycle is an opportunity for your child to develop a sense of accomplishment and balance, but if not ridden safely, it can also pose a risk to your child’s health. Each year “more children ages 5 to 14 are seen in emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport.”1 Here are some bicycling dos and don’ts to consider the next time your child asks to ride his or her bike:
Dos:
Do teach your child to ride their bike on the right side of the road, with traffic and not against it. Remind them to ride as far to the right as possible.1
Do teach your child to make eye contact with drivers. Before crossing the street, your child should know that approaching drivers are paying attention.1
Do make sure that your child’s helmet fits and that your child knows how to put it on correctly. Use these tips to make sure that your child’s helmet is protecting him or her as it should:1,2
Helmets should sit on top of the head in a level position
Helmets should not rock forward, backward, or side to side
Helmets should always have straps buckled
Your child should be able to see the bottom rim of the helmet when looking up
Straps should form a “V” under your child’s ears when buckled
Your child should feel the helmet hug their head when they open their mouth
Do a safety check before a bike ride. Ensure the reflectors are secure, brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly, and tires are appropriately inflated.1
Do teach your child how to use proper hand signals before allowing them to ride on the street. Hand signaling allows for important communication between cyclists and motorists.1
Do encourage your child to ride predictably by riding in a straight line and avoiding swerving between cars.1
Don’ts:
Don’t allow your child to ride on their own until you have ridden together and you are confident in his/her bicycling skills. 1
Don’t allow your child to wear a helmet designated for another sport (such as football). Bike helmets are made specifically to protect your child from biking-related injuries.3
Don’t purchase your child a bigger bicycle with the hope that your child will grow into it. When sitting on the bicycle seat, your child should be able to put the balls of both feet on the ground while holding the handlebars.3
Don’t allow your child to ride their bike at dusk or after dark. Riding at night requires specific skills and equipment that few young children have.3
Don’t allow your child to wear long or loose clothing while riding their bike.1
If your child is in need of a properly fitting helmet, please call 616.391.7233 to schedule an appointment for a $10 bike helmet. Location: Injury Prevention Program Office, Masonic Center, 233 E. Fulton, Suite 103.
To celebrate her 11th birthday, Lily Brouwer and her family planned a mini-vacation at a beachfront cabin in Grand Haven, Michigan.
She had been battling an upset stomach and intermittent abdominal pain, but determined to have fun, the birthday girl insisted on going.
Frigid Lake Michigan waves rolled in when they arrived that dreary Sunday. They still remember the date: Dec. 30, 2012.
A more chilling fear would sweep over the family.
After loading up with Motrin and going sledding, Lily’s condition worsened. She thought she was seeing blood in her frequent diarrhea.
“I tried to tuck her into bed and prayed for her, but she was up 15 minutes later,” said Michelle Brouwer, Lily’s mom.
Lily’s dad, David, said they knew something wasn’t right, that this was no ordinary stomach virus.
Michelle drove Lily to Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
When the clock rolled to midnight on New Year’s Eve, ushering in Lily’s birthday, they were in the emergency room.
“She was lying on my lap, writhing in pain,” Michelle said. “She was in complete misery.”
Doctors told Michelle they were going to observe Lily for six hours. If she could keep fluids down, they could release her.
Instead, they admitted her. She remained there for 21 days.
Tainted food
Michelle’s parents dropped off a birthday gift to Lily at the hospital and then tended to Lily’s siblings—Madeline, Jorja and Liza—so Michelle and David could watch over their daughter.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
For four days, Lily went to the bathroom every 15 minutes. Bloody diarrhea. She vomited frequently. She took morphine every two hours for pain. A steady stream of IV fluids dripped into her young veins.
With doctors trying to pinpoint a cause, anyone who visited the room had to don gowns and gloves.
That Thursday afternoon, a pediatric nephrologist delivered the soul-shaking news: Lily had hemolytic uremic syndrome. The doctor said Lily could lose her kidneys. And her life.
Lily fell into acute kidney failure. She was rushed to the intensive care unit and put on a huge dialysis machine.
According to Alejandro Quiroga, MD, section chief of pediatric nephrology at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, something Lily ate caused this life-threatening condition.
“(Hemolytic uremic syndrome) is a condition where there is a toxin produced by a bacteria in your gut that causes your red blood cells to be destroyed and form small clots in your blood vessels, creating multiple organ damage, but particularly to the kidney,” Dr. Quiroga said.
Lily either ingested undercooked or poorly handled food, Dr. Quiroga said.
“We don’t know from where,” he said. “The health department was notified and they performed an investigation without any yield.”
David and Michelle prayed. And they cried. But they had faith. In God, and in the doctors who cared for their precious daughter.
“There were countless times I feared the loss of Lily’s life and how that would forever change the course of our family,” David said. “But we continued to pray, believe, and put our faith in the amazing team of doctors and nurses responsible for her care.”
Incomprehensible horror
Lily remained in the ICU until Sunday afternoon. While there, she began suffering from hallucinations.
“They had to rush her down for a CT scan,” Michelle said. “It can attack your brain. Every organ can be affected. She saw pretty much every specialist there is. Her heart rhythm was off. She developed pancreatitis. She had a pleural effusion.”
How could this be? Their precious daughter, who had just celebrated her birthday, appeared to be nearing her death day.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
“We had thousands of people from around the world praying for Lily,” Michelle said.
As if life couldn’t get any more terrifying, another dagger struck.
“We got a text from grandma that our baby, Liza, who was 5 at the time, was having vomiting and bloody diarrhea,” Michelle said.
David and Michelle swallowed hard as they reread the text message in disbelief.
“I was horrified,” David said. “After watching Lily for 10 days and knowing what she was going through, it was incomprehensible to think that Liza was going to have to go through that pain as well.”
Michelle returned home to check on Liza.
“I got a call from my husband,” she said. “He didn’t know what to say other than, ‘You need to get down here to the hospital right away.’ The way he said it, I didn’t know if Lily was still going to be there when I got there.”
Lily had difficulty breathing. She was upside down in bed, gasping for air.
The grandparents took Liza to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital emergency department.
“They were going to transfer Liza to the seventh floor to be right next to Lily,” Michelle said. “But at the same time, Lily was getting worse and they had to transfer her back up to ICU.”
‘I’m afraid I’m going to see Jesus’
Lily told David she couldn’t breathe.
“She said, ‘Daddy, I can’t breathe, I’m afraid I’m going to see Jesus,’” Michelle said. “She told him, ‘I don’t want to see Jesus today.’”
They intubated Lily. She remained on a ventilator for four days.
Meanwhile, the nightmare continued. Liza’s numbers trended in the wrong direction. She also tested positive for hemolytic uremic syndrome, and transferred to the intensive care unit.
“This could be lethal in some cases and Lily and Liza were critically ill and at risk of death or permanent organ damage,” Dr. Quiroga said.
Slowly, the medicine—and the prayers—began to work.
“We tried an off-label medication on them that in our experience and other centers’ case reports have shown improvement in severe cases like them,” Dr. Quiroga said.
A community responds
Michelle and David’s emotions crawled from the valley of death to the mountaintop of hope.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Lily came home from the hospital on Jan. 18. Liza followed three days later.
Hundreds of people lined the Brouwers’ street, clapping and cheering.
“Lily is a miracle that she’s here and that her kidneys started to turn back on,” Michelle said. “Our God is a big God and he did a miracle. Lily and Liza are amazing. They’re miracles. They’re perfectly healed.”
The girls went home on a special diet and required outpatient dialysis.
Now, they’re both off medication and only need to do urine checks once a year with their pediatrician.
“They are doing great now,” Dr. Quiroga said. “They have normal lives and the prognosis is excellent.”
Michelle said no one would even know the girls were sick if it weren’t for the testimony the family has to share.
The illness may be gone, but the lessons remain for the Brouwers and all who know them.
“This story affected so many people,” David said. “Lily and Liza became symbols in our community for hope, faith and healing. We were shown so much support, love and care. During that time and ever since, we have tried to do the same for others going through horrible times as well. We witnessed a profound miracle and everyone near and far realized it, too.”
Welcoming a new sibling can be a big transition for everyone in the family and can be especially tough on children. All of a sudden, a young child’s world shifts dramatically. They have to share their home, their things and the attention of their parents and other special adults. This can lead to behavior outbursts, regression and even tantrums.
Talk about it. Talk about the new baby and what things will be like. “Your little brother will come home and live here with us. Here is where he will sleep. He will cry a lot in the beginning because that is how he tells us what he needs. When he gets bigger you will be able to play with him.”
Get them involved. If possible, include your child in helping prepare for the baby before they arrive. Let them pick out special items for the baby or decorate the nursery.
Plan some special time. One of the hardest parts of welcoming a new sibling can be sharing time with Mom and Dad. Try planning some special time with your older child where they can have your undivided attention at least for a little while. This will help them feel important and special, even if they have to share your attention.
Read books. You can also read books about new siblings like, “The New Baby” by Mercer Mayer, “Peter’s Chair” by Ezra Jack Keates, “There’s Going to Be a Baby” by John Burningham or “Martha Doesn’t Share” by Samantha Berger.
Be understanding. If your child struggles to adjust to their new sibling, be understanding. Remember that it’s a big adjustment and will take time and practice. They may regress, have more tantrums or outbursts than normal or be extra clingy—this is all normal. The best thing you can do is to be empathetic instead of punishing your child. Reassure them with words, “It can be hard to share your time with Mommy, or share your toys. That makes you feel really sad. I understand. It’s OK to be sad.”
Show them love. Load your child up with lots of love and support to reassure them they are loved and supported no matter what changes are taking place at home. Give them physical affection with hugs and snuggles, verbal affection with praise and encouragement and lots of quality time together.
For more articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the Michigan State University Extension website.
To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2017 impact report. Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2017, can be downloaded from the MSU Extension website.
By Tracie Abram, Michigan State University Extension
Summertime is depicted as a laid-back joyful season, when in fact for many, it is the opposite. Summertime for families of small children means added expenses of childcare or having to pay for additional meals that normally were less expensive due to school meal plans. Summertime generally means an interruption in routine. Children may be up later and therefore not getting enough sleep and possibly skipping meals or not eating as well due to busier schedules. Having a basic understanding of what triggers children to misbehave will help keep homes happy and safe.
One basic understanding is that children (and adults too) will misbehave when they are hungry, angry, lonely/bored or tired (HALT). People will not have as much tolerance and be more irritable when they are hungry, angry or not feeling well. If you or your children are experiencing any of these emotions or feelings halt what you are doing and tend to that need before moving on.
Another reason why children misbehave is that they may not fully understand the request. For an example, if you ask the child to calm down they may not understand that you mean and how to actually calm themselves. This is also an example of a lack of experience. Children do not have the experiences that adults have. It takes time for a child to fully develop problem solving and communication skills.
The practice of mindfulness can teach children and adults how to calm their minds and bodies to find a feeling of balance or confidence. Mindfulness is a practice of paying attention to your senses in the current moment without judgement. It is about being present and acknowledging the moment to moment experiences. Mindfulness helps develop focus and self regulation. When practiced regularly, the events that require acute attention will be less stressful because your body and mind have been conditioned to work together in paying attention.
Another reason children may misbehave is because their behaviors are accidently rewarded by adults. An example is when children wait to do something an adult asks of them until the adults tone of voice increases or that crying and whining gets a parents attention. Children also copy what they see others doing.
Sometimes children do things they know are wrong such as testing the rules, and showing independence. Nobody likes to be told what to do all the time and not have any choices. Children are learning how to do many things at a fast rate and they need to be able to show off what they have learned or can do.
When you or your children are showing one or more of these seven triggers, be mindful and acknowledge what you notice in a tone that will teach, guide and train your children.
Hunger, anger, lonely/bored, tired or sickness
Don’t understand the rules
Lack of experience
Misbehavior was accidentally rewarded
Testing the rules
Copying others
Showing independence
If you are struggling with understanding your children’s behavior, Michigan State University Extension has programming that can help. Nurturing Families, RELAX: Alternatives to Anger, and Stress Less with Mindfulness are programming series that have been successful in helping many parent-child and family relationships. Peruse their website for programming near you.
ByKaren Fifield, Michigan State University Extension
This is the season for food, family, picnics and barbecues. It is important to stay food safe by using a food thermometer when barbecuing. Before you begin the grilling season, explore some tips provided by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to keep you and your family’s food safe.
When purchasing foods for grilling, be careful to transport them safely from the store to your home, keeping meats separate from other foods, particularly poultry. Transport cold foods in coolers or thermal containers, keeping them at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, refrigerate until it is time to cook.
Keep all cooking utensils and equipment cleaned and sanitized to prevent cross contamination from raw food touching cooked food. Never place cooked foods on platters that have contained raw meats. If you feel you need to precook foods for the grill, the USDA recommends partially cooking foods in a microwave, oven or on a stove to help reduce the time it takes to cook on a grill.
To prevent charring, cook foods with low flame or charcoal, also by removing any visible fat that may cause grease to flare. Other safe practices to follow according to USDA guidelines, pertain to cooking foods to proper internal temperatures.
Whole poultry: 165 degrees F
Poultry breasts: 165 degrees F
Ground poultry: 165 degrees F
Ground meats: 160 degrees F
Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts and chops): 145 degrees F and allow to rest at least three minutes
Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperatures; this is a minimal temperature as the meat can be cooked to a higher temperature if you choose to do so. Always keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, and remember to package leftovers in small amounts and keep in a refrigerator. When reheating any food items it is recommended to reheat leftovers to a temperature of 165 degrees F.
Just back from a run with her husband, Laura Metro faced a parent’s worst nightmare: Her 6-year-old daughter, Maison, ran to her screaming, “I think Clay died! I think Clay died!”
Metro’s 3-year-old son, who was swimming with family friends, was found at the bottom of the pool with his towel. One friend started CPR—or the closest thing he knew based on what he’d seen on TV—on Clay’s blue, lifeless body.
Paramedics arrived and got Clay’s heart beating again. He was taken by helicopter to the hospital and spent two days in a coma before making what Metro calls “nothing short of a miraculous recovery.”
“The doctors said, ‘We don’t know why he’s alive,’ ” Metro said. “The only thing—the only thing—we can attribute it to is the bystander CPR. … He didn’t see the inside of a hospital for an hour and a half [after almost drowning]. That was really what did it.”
Drowning is the third-leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The agency estimates there are 360,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide.
The Metros’ good fortune is anecdotal evidence of the findings from a study, published in the June 2017 edition of the journal Resuscitation, which found that chances for neurological recovery from a near-drowning increase when the victim receives CPR from a bystander.
“We would advocate for parents knowing CPR, and particularly if they have a pool, they should become familiar and get trained in mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing,” said Dr. Michael Sayre, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Whereas hands-only CPR is typically focused on someone who is not in the water and collapses suddenly for other reasons, people underwater die because of lack of oxygen.”
After Clay’s recovery, Metro founded a nonprofit called CPR Party, using the model of at-home shopping parties to encourage people to teach and learn CPR. The lessons aren’t equal to official CPR certification, Metro said, but “they will know what to do and hopefully, we create a bridge to certification. We just give them that basic knowledge to empower them.”
About one in five people who die from drowning are 14 years old or younger, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal injuries, often including brain damage. The numbers are particularly discouraging, experts say, because in many cases, drowning is preventable.
“The biggest thing we try to get through to people is you need to maintain constant, active supervision when people are in the water,” said Adam Katchmarchi, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. “Regardless of age and swimming ability, you should never swim alone. You should always swim around someone who’s keeping that vigilant watch over the water, whether that be a parent in a backyard pool or whether you’re swimming in a lifeguarded area.”
Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat
On its website, the NDPA stresses what it calls “layers of protection,” including swimmer training, facility safety and parental responsibilities designed to prevent drowning. Drowning can happen quickly and silently, without warning, Katchmarchi said.
“We’re used to the Baywatch drowning, where people see on TV that someone’s going to be waving their arms and screaming for help,” he said.
“An actual drowning victim, when they’re in that 20- to 60-second fight for survival, they’re unable to call for help because all of their energy is being used to keep their head above water. A lot of times they’re bobbing up and down, going under and re-emerging and trying to get air, so it’s really difficult for them to call out for help,” Katchmarchi said.
“It’s really easy to say, ‘Oh, I’m watching my kids,’ but you’re scrolling through Facebook or your Twitter feed. … Even if you’re distracted for just a short period of time, it can happen really quickly and really silently.”
Microbeads can evade filtration at water treatment plants and end up in the Great Lakes, and can be mistaken as food to marine life.
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The federal Microbead-Free Waters Act took effect on July 1. The new law, which was passed in 2015, prohibits the sale and manufacturing use of microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics.
Although the bill was passed in 2015, the three-year period allowed cosmetic companies to phase out the production and sale of microbeads in their products.
Research from the State University of New York in Fredonia found anywhere from 1,500 to 1.1 million microbeads per square mile in the Great Lakes.
The legislation had bi-partisan support, including Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI).
“Microbeads pose a very real danger to our Great Lakes and threaten our fish and wildlife populations,” Sen. Stabenow said in 2015, at the time of the bill passing. “This bipartisan bill is an important step in keeping our wildlife protected and our waters safe.”
Microbeads are used in body wash, facial scrubs, and shampoo to aid in exfoliation. Once microbeads are washed down drain, they may evade filtration at water treatment plants and end up in the Great Lakes, according to supplied material. These plastic particles add to the plastic pollution in the lakes and can be mistaken as food to marine life.
“This is an important step to ensure that our Great Lakes are protected for generations to come,” Sen. Peters said in supplied material at the time the ban went into effect this week. “Pollution from microbeads is a serious threat to the health of the Great Lakes, and our ban will help keep our wildlife and waterways safe from further harm.”
More information may be found on the Federal Drug Administration’s website here.
After the success of creating a transitional house for youth in 2017, Mel Trotter Ministries recently opened a transitional house for women who are experiencing homelessness. The MTM “Melanie House” was established to provide additional housing opportunities for women who have gone through a program at the Mel Trotter Ministries downtown shelter but still face challenging barriers to having a home of their own.
This housing opportunity fosters a supportive community environment and does not exclude women based on physical or mental disabilities, prior criminal history, addiction, bad credit or other barriers.
“The home will offer the tenants stable, affordable housing which they have been unable to secure in our city’s tight rental market,” said Dennis Van Kampen, CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries. “This experience will help these ladies build the foundation for independent living in the future and we believe this experience will help keep them from returning to homelessness.”
The Melanie House is located in an undisclosed location in Grand Rapids. It features two bathrooms, a community kitchen and dining area, and three private rooms for the three tenants who were formerly in an MTM program. One of the tenants serves as an on-site resident assistant and provides encouragement and guidance. Tenants pay $300-$400 a month for rent and also pay for their own utilities.
MTM will also offer aftercare services with a staff case manager who walks alongside the tenants as they connect with their new neighborhood, build credit history, navigate transportation, continue a savings plan and set goals for long-term housing.
Some items for furnishing the home are still needed by donors. To help, please go to www.meltrotter.org/needs to help out.
Becoming a caregiver for your spouse or partner can have a profound effect on your relationship.
Traditional marriage vows tenderly express commitment to love each other through the best that life brings as well as well as through the worst of times. As the journey of life continues, spouses and partners confidently face a barrage of changes and transitions together. Over time and through partnership efforts routines, roles and expectations naturally become established.
Identifying role changes and challenges
Changes in the physical, mental or emotional health of a spouse or partner can have a profound effect on relationships. This can include one partner taking on the role of caregiver of the other.
Regardless if the caregiving role developed gradually or if circumstances occurred that changed life instantly, navigating daily life and assuming and accepting the role of caregiver includes navigating both good and bad days. Grief, loneliness, anxiety and exhaustion are all natural feelings that spousal caregivers can experience as they tirelessly try to meet the needs of their loved one. Assuming unfamiliar tasks that their spouse usually completed previously and adding daily care responsibilities, often while still employed, is stressful and can take a toll on a caregivers’ health.
The isolation associated with caregiving
Spouse and partner caregiving is a labor of love. Loyalty is a significant factor that drives caregivers. Spouses often believe they should tackle caregiving single-handedly and do not readily accept offers of assistance from family and friends. Caregivers may feel they can provide the best care for their spouse and do not ask for additional help even when they are feeling overwhelmed. Most care recipients prefer their spouse to be their care provider. Yet care recipients are often dealing with multiple and ongoing health changes that make their own behaviors and needs unpredictable and sometimes challenging. Care recipients may experience a wide array of feelings like anger, grief and depression that spousal caregivers have to attempt to navigate on a daily basis.
Caregivers may experience varying degrees of guilt as they navigate and mourn the loss of what once was normal, and grapple with life as it is now. Pouring oneself into the daily care of another can also lead to isolation as caregivers slowly pull away from social engagements to spend most of their time at home. As a spouse or partner attempts to care solely for their loved one the risk of injury and other negative health factors can begin to appear in the caregiver, which can be amplified by age. It is typical for a spousal caregiver to neglect their own self-care in pursuit of immersing themselves in caring for their spouse.
Caregivers benefit from community resources and support
Every spousal or partner caregiver should be aware that they can equip themselves with new skills and knowledge through education and community support. This can help caregivers confidently provide care with sufficient help and also maintain their own self-care.
Most caregivers and care recipients experience continual transitions in their relationship and Michigan State University Extension highly encourages caregivers to seek support and help to find systems that benefit both individuals. There are evidence-based community programs designed to assist caregivers, including spousal caregivers, to maintain their own mental, emotional and physical health. The Powerful Tools for Caregivers program designed specifically for caregivers will increase self-care habits; build confidence in handling numerous caregiver responsibilities like making difficult decisions, dealing with challenging emotions and finding local community resources. To learn about the Powerful Tools for Caregivers program in Michigan contact your local MSU Extension office.
How can mutations in one supposedly single-function protein result in four unique diseases with symptoms ranging from strangely textured hair to early death?
That’s the question that biochemistry professor Rachael Baker and biology professor Amy Wilstermann are seeking to answer through three linked research projects this summer. Working with three student researchers to conduct experiments on the mitochondria of yeast and zebrafish, the professors are examining the effects of mutations in the protein’s gene to determine its other roles within the cell.
By discovering how each mutation results in each disease, Baker says they hope to more fully understand the mitochondrial system, leading to both “better treatments for people affected by rare diseases and a better understanding about health and wellness in general that could lead to treatments for things like cancer and other disorders.”
Beyond the lab
Baker and Wilstermann, however, view these direct applications as only one step in the larger process of improving the lives of those with rare diseases.
“There’s just a lot of uncertainty [around rare disease]; even when you get a diagnosis, you might not know what the prognosis is,” said Wilstermann. She and Baker aim to help remedy this through two key routes: improving the readability of scholarly work on rare disease and providing a website to collect information for patients and their families.
During the summer, Wilstermann says, the students will work toward both goals by reviewing the literature around a specific rare disease and writing a condensed summary for the website, giving them practice in “taking really complicated ideas and mak[ing] them accessible but still completely accurate.” Wilstermann says that the students will most likely start by covering the diseases which were represented at the rare disease symposium (in March 2018) and are present in the local community.
The website is broadly intended to function as a network for members of the rare disease community, including patients, families, clinicians, and researchers. “We want it to be a place where we can connect people with resources; we want it to be a place where people can connect with one another,” Wilstermann said. “There’s opportunity to bring people together and help build a supportive community around common experiences, and the common experience of being rare.”
A faith-driven approach
“This project, for me, encapsulates why I came to be a professor at Calvin college,” said Baker. “The way we do science looks different here,” she added. “We eat together each week, we value each other, and we [work] in a body of Christ model where different people have different strengths and interests [which we] bring together to be a functioning whole. We’ve employed various practices that are really rooted in Christian principles, and we’ve used those to shape how we run our research team.
“To me,” Baker said, “it’s really exciting that I get to do that and think about it explicitly.”
When the fear of falling fills your mind with negative thoughts and prevents you from participating fully take action to renew your confidence and strength.
The fear of falling is a common and prevalent concern for many older adults whether they have experienced a previous fall or not. Factors such as stamina, mobility, chronic illness, balance and strength can affect how a person thinks and feels about their ability to be active. When the fear of falling causes a person to restrict their daily activities and unplug from things they enjoy, it is important to recognize and evaluate the situation to regain the confidence to be as mobile as possible.
Do not let a fear of falling stop you from getting outside and doing the things you enjoy. Courtesy Michigan State University Extension
Recognize your fears and concerns about falling
First be honest with yourself and identify your thoughts, concerns, and fears about falling. Try to name the feelings you experience. Do you often worry about falling? Are you overly concerned if you fall, someone else will have to take care of you? Has a previous fall shattered your confidence? Have you bought into the belief that falling is inevitable? Are you thinking self-defeating thoughts or feeling hopeless believing you can do nothing about the situation? Do you feel you have lost the power to control your life? Are you concerned that you just have to accept this is how you feel? Are you afraid to tell anyone about your fear of falling?
Recognize the effects these fears and beliefs have on you
After you have identified your specific fears and concerns pause and recognize how these fears may be affecting you. Are you experiencing stress or anxiety, if so how often? Are you experiencing negative thought patterns because of your fear of falling? Are you making different decisions and changing your routine? Have you stopped getting out of your home and declined to attend activities you enjoy? Do your fears interfere with doing daily basic activities around your home? Do you feel you should just do less so you do not fall? Are you sitting down often and noticing changes in your strength or feeling fatigued? Are you cautious about sharing your fears with family, friends and your health care provider as they might not understand and believe they will not be able to help?
Challenge your negative thoughts and replace with positive thoughts
After you pinpoint your specific thoughts and emotions and discern how these potentially negative thought patterns have crept into your life, pause and look at the situation differently. You need to face the truth that being sedentary is not the answer — it only leads to continued loss of balance, strength and flexibility and increases the potential for falling. You have the ability within yourself to make positive changes. Fears, especially non-rational fears, need not rob you of a full life. Our minds are powerful and reframing our thoughts can significantly improve our beliefs and self-confidence. Turn your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Stop buying into negative self-defeating thoughts, which are harmful. Positive constructive ideas can transform you. Look for simple solutions so you can re-engage in activities you enjoy. Do not hesitate to ask for accommodations to make getting out of the house a comfortable and safe experience. Advocate for assistance and enjoy the things you love to do.
Enroll in a community program to find support and tools to overcome the fear of falling
By Maram Hekhuis, LMSW, Outpatient Therapist at Heart of the City Counseling Center
You probably opened this blog for a reason: you are tired of feeling sad, angry, anxious, hurt, hopeless and helpless, and you want to feel happy in your life. You are probably asking yourself “why me?” “why does everyone have it all, but not me?” “why can’t I be happy?”
You may feel victimized by questions that don’t seem to have the answers. As a result, you may feel your life is narrowing in around you, you may feel darkness surrounding you, and you may want to just find a way out. Happiness is not something you inherit or just find. Happiness is something that you need to build up. Building happiness is a process that requires time, patience, effort, hope, and commitment.
If you fail once in building happiness, don’t give up but rather try it again and again. Remember that life is not easy. There is the good, and there is the bad. Just believe that there are better days ahead of you.
So, what is happiness then? According to this article, research suggests that happiness is related to life satisfaction, appreciation of life, moments of pleasure, and the experience of positive emotions. But, how could we experience these factors to build our happiness? The answer is: what we think (thoughts/cognitions) and what we do (behaviors) influence our feelings.
Now that you have learned that our thoughts and behaviors affect how we feel, let’s learn how to make changes in our thoughts and behaviors to build our happiness.
Changes in Cognition:
Positive affirmations: Positive affirmations encourage us to believe in ourselves. These types of statements empower us and motivates us to self-change. You need to begin your statements with “I” or “I am”. For example, “I can do it”. You could write down a list of positive affirmation statements in your diary, on a piece of paper, or on your smart phone apps. Read or/and repeat them daily to yourself.
Be aware of your self-defeating thoughts. “If I’m not successful, then I’m a failure”. Stop and challenge them. What are the evidences that support and don’t support your thoughts? Remember thoughts are just ideas, they are not facts or necessary true. Sometimes our thoughts happen so quickly that we fail to notice them, but they can still affect our mood. These are called automatic thoughts. Remember positive thoughts lead us to feel good and negative thoughts can put us down.
Be aware of and challenge your perspectives about yourself, people and the world. We all give different meanings to situations and see things from our point of view. Therefore, broaden your perspective and see the bigger picture. Ask yourself: “is there another way of looking at this?”
Acceptance. Be comfortable with who you are. “it is as it is”. We tend to fight against distressing thoughts and feelings as if our mind is in a war zone. Learn to just notice them and don’t fight the war. Some situations we just cannot change. We can surf the waves rather try to stop them.
Be appreciative and mindful. Notice what you have rather than what you don’t have. Live in the present rather the past or future.
Behavioral Changes:
Do things for others. This will help you connect with others. Helping and giving to others make us feel valued, appreciated, needed, and happier. We could give our time, attention, and ideas, not necessary money and gifts. You may want to volunteer somewhere.
Connecting with others. Strong social relationships lead to happier and healthier life, give us meaning, and sense of belonging, improve our self-esteem, and make us feel loved, and valued.
Do what you enjoy doing. You could engage in exercise if you enjoy it as being active makes us happier and healthier as our body and mind are connected.
Learn new things or skills. Increase your interest and confidence as this will give you a sense of achievement and success. Find a job, meet new people, try out something new.
Have goals to look forward to and never stop dreaming and believing in yourself and abilities. Feeling good about the future is important for our happiness. Goals motivate us to move forward in life. Make your goals achievable.
While the end of the school year may provide a respite for some young people who are the targets of these bullying behaviors, others continue to be targeted year-round through electronic forms of bullying. According to the CDC report, 16 percent of students indicated they had been electronically bullied during the 12 months before the survey through venues including e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites or texting. Cyberbullying also is an issue in online, cooperative game platforms, according to a Pew Research Center study. 16 percent of respondents stated that they have experienced being bullied in such games.
While the CDC report focuses on young people in grades nine to 12, electronic bullying, also referred to as cyberbullying, is an issue that affects a significant number of younger kids as well. Results of a 2016 study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center showed that nearly 17 percent of students ages 12 to 17 said they had been targets of cyberbullying. Conversely, 26 percent of those students admitted to participating in cyberbullying behaviors, including posting mean or hurtful comments, spreading rumors, posting inappropriate comments with sexual meaning, threatening harm, posting hurtful pictures or videos or impersonating someone else online.
As kids have increased access to mobile technology at younger ages (73 percent of teens have or have access to a smartphone), there are also more opportunities for kids to stay connected in positive and negative ways after the school year ends.
While many schools have incorporated programs designed to prevent bullying behaviors, it is important for parents and other adults to keep these conversations going with kids throughout the summer months. These discussions are enhanced when adults have a good understanding of what cyberbullying is and how children are using technology, followed up with discussions with young people about responsible use of technology and guidelines for positive online behaviors. See the article, “Cyberbullying: What it is and how parents can respond,” to learn more.
It is also helpful for adults and young people to recognize that, while online bullying and other forms of electronic aggression might be common, a lot can be learned from those young people who report using their voices to interrupt these negative behaviors. See the article, “Kids, kindness and cruelty – and lots of time online,” to learn more.
Experts also stress the importance of providing young people with a menu of strategies they can use for responding to cyberbullying situations. When adults share these strategies with kids, as well as help them use their voices to practice what these strategies might sound like in various scenarios, kids will be better prepared for real-life situations in whatever season or setting in which they occur.
If you are looking for more information or community support on improving your social-emotional health and well-being, Michigan State University Extension offers numerous programs that can assist in this process.
ByLinda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension
Why is it so important for people with type 2 diabetes to maintain day-to-day normal blood sugar levels?As we have often been told, the complications of diabetes caused by high blood sugar levels can, over time, do permanent damage to many parts of our bodies. According to the book Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, by Dr. Kate Lorig, et al, the number one complication of diabetes over time is heart disease.
Other complications include:
nerve damage or neuropathy, which might mean burning, tingling, numbness or loss of feeling in our hands and feet
liver and kidney damage
vision problems such as cataracts, glaucoma or even blindness
infections that persist
gum disease
skin and foot problems from poor wound healing
sexual problems for men and women — erectile dysfunction, yeast infections, vaginal dryness or loss of desire.
What are the best ways to maintain healthy blood sugar levels day-to-day?Michigan State University Extension says that the most basic ways to prevent or delay complications of diabetes are to choose elements of a healthy lifestyle:
Keep yourself physically active
Pick healthy food options in portion sizes that are right for you
Don’t smoke
Be proactive to manage your stress levels
Take any medications as directed by your health care provider
Monitor your blood sugar levels as directed by your health care provider
Have regular tests to determine how your health strategies are working and to modify strategies, in consultation with your health care provider, if tests show you need to make changes
What are the tests and procedures that people with diabetes need to determine whether their health strategies are working? If you are not familiar with tests that all people with diabetes need on a regular basis, the book Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions explains:
Blood pressure: should be measured at every doctor visit
Feet: should be checked for unhealed sores at every visit, and have a complete foot exam at least once a year
A1c: should be tested at least twice a year, A1c is a blood test to determine what your average blood glucose level was for the past 2-3 months. Most people should aim for an A1c below 7, or as recommended by your healthcare team
Kidney function: should be tested once a year by means of a blood or urine test or both
Blood lipids (fats): total cholesterol; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; and triglycerides should be tested at least once a yea
Eyes: should be tested once a year with a dilated eye exam, in which your eye care professional uses eye drops to dilate the pupils
Teeth and gums: should be checked by a dentist twice a year
Pneumonia shot: People with diabetes should receive a shot no matter what age. Even if you have had one shot and are over 65, ask your doctor about having another shot
Flu shot: recommended once a year for people with diabetes
As with all chronic diseases, active managing of Type 2 diabetes is an ongoing necessity to prevent or delay complications of the disease. Ensuring that your blood sugar levels remain within a healthy range is crucial.
Besides the medication management, the other requirements to manage diabetes are very similar to living a healthy lifestyle under all conditions: be physically active, choose a healthy eating plan, manage stress levels, don’t smoke and visit your health care provider regularly. For more information about managing Type 2 diabetes, visit the National Diabetes Education Program website. To find disease prevention programs available in your area please visit the MSU Extension website.
By Ronald Christian Rivera, LMSW, Outpatient Therapist, Leonard Street Counseling Center
Summer is here, which means the weather is nicer, the days are longer and there always seems to be more fun things to do. Here are some tips from a popular Psychology Today blogger to make the most of your summer.
Reconnect with nature. Don’t love the gym? Head outside to get in your daily exercise. Also, who can resist the awesome farmer’s markets and those healthy fresh fruits and veggies?
Summer reading. Yes, it’s fun to see those summer blockbuster movies, but when was the last time you went to the beach and just relaxed and enjoyed a good book?
Vacation. Need we say more?
Be spontaneous. There are so many activities happening throughout the summer – enjoy them! Jet off to the beach, see that outdoor concert, take a bike ride. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy those non-planned outings.
Be in the moment. Summer is a great time for making memories. It always seems to be the season that passes the most quickly, so take the time to enjoy it while it’s here.
To read the entire Psychology Today blog, please click here.
