Our lives can be stressful. We have deadlines at work. Families who need our attention. Bills that need to be paid. Medical appointments that need to be kept. Old friends we want to contact. Exercise goals that we want to accomplish. And traffic jams.

If New York City has taught me anything it is that in order to support my ambitions I must also find balance. Sure, that sounds like a line straight out of the film, “Eat Pray Love“, which I did see last evening and quite enjoyed, but the theme…

As the rates of diabetes increase in both children and adults, it is time to discuss a very important part of being a diabetic — your diet. You diet is a vitally important to your heath. There are many resources online and in print (books,articles etc) but there are reasons to be cautious when recommendations for dieting seems extreme. Crash diets are not an option if you  are a diabetic. Here are some key points in monitoring your nutrition:

• Consume breads that are highest in fiber.
• Protein is important and make it…

Photo by graur codrin

I recently visited a patient who had undergone cataract surgery on her eyes.  She had told me that as she got older and started to have vision changes, she just thought that was a natural part of aging, the way people eventually use reading glasses or bifocals. It wasn’t until a “cloud” started forming on her eye that a friend told her to get an eye exam and have it professionally looked at. According to the MayoClinic, the symptoms of cataracts include:

• clouded, blurred or dim vision
• increasing difficulty with…

Last week, we celebrated the 10 year anniversary of our center. We were grateful to receive Proclamations from Mayor Bloomberg, the City Council of New York and Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President. We are proud to partner with New York City to help serve seniors in Queens and Brooklyn.

We had a wonderful celebration and I’d like to share some comments from our participants:

• Age has no meaning here.
• Without this place, I wouldn’t be going out.
• I have learned a lot since coming here.
• I feel accepted with open arms.
• The staff here appreciate seniors’…

Graeme Weatherston / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many people are able to stay active outdoors with the assistance of canes, walkers, rollators and wheelchairs. However these devices are a safety hazard when certain parts start wearing out. Please take a moment to check the condition of your assistive device before going outdoors.

Brakes

Wheelchairs and rollators with worn brakes are a safety hazard. Your local surgical supply store or medical supply vendor can assist with repairing or replacing worn brakes.

Rollator Brake

Rubber Tips

Walkers and canes have rubber tips that provides traction and absorbs impact. Over time these…

When it comes to writing I have been a procrastinator my whole life. From the Western Civilizations paper in high school to the take home final for an arts in education class a few years ago, I can’t churn the work out. It’s not that I don’t enjoy writing, in fact I’m really quite fond of it, but when I set out on assignment, I am always waiting for that elusive divine spark of inspiration… that flash of brilliance that will make the essay poignant, memorable, and worth the reader’s…

It’s one thing for this hospice worker to go about his day in familiar territory aware of the curves, signals and speed traps that go into driving care for hospice patients. It’s quite another when the person being cared for is his parent.

One week ago, my Dad, who is 83, on dialysis and battling leukemia and lymphoma, was rushed to the emergency room with severe chest pain and shortness of breath. This was an unwanted twist in his disease progression. As the person responsible for his heath care decisions, Dad…