Yesterday we celebrated National Senior Health & Fitness Day at our center – this is the nation’s largest older adult health promotion event. In its 17^th year, National Senior Health & Fitness Day is celebrated annually by more than 100,000 seniors at over 1,000 local events across the country. The goal for this year was to “promote the importance of regular physical activity, and to showcase what local organizations are doing to improve the health and fitness of older adults in their communities” (http://www.fitnessday.com/).

At our center, we had skilled clinicians from…

OK, the topic of car seats is a pretty hot topic among both parents and kids alike. “Why do I have to wear this-I am 8 years old now!!” Maybe you are but … ‘you are not big enough, you need to be eighty pounds.” OR, (and I love this response) “My friends don’t wear car seats anymore! Why do I??” OK that is nice but you live with me, not your friend and I want you safe, end of discussion! Well I have played out so many scenarios with my…

(photo by John Morgan)

Time heals. It’s been nearly two months since my father’s sudden passing and I am so proud of my mom for all of her strength through this process of loss. When I wrote about her struggle with her new role as widow in my last entry, I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. She lives in Ohio, I live in New York. I graciously accepted the task of making sure that although we are miles apart I will always available to her for support through frequent…

One of the great benefits of the VNS CHOICE Program is that staff from a variety of disciplines are involved in members’ care. This helps to give a more complete picture of the person and allows care to be coordinated smoothly among disciplines. Members of VNS CHOICE have access to nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, physical therapists, nutritionists as well as other disciplines. It’s wonderful to be in a Day Center that’s part of a continuum of care and has access to such a variety of disciplines and support. Since…

We have heard about it, maybe even know of an infant/child that has been affected by this condition. Shaken Baby Syndrome is defined as an abusive head injury, inflicted head trauma in a child under age one but can occur in children as old as four. Repetitive shaking of the infant causes micro-damage to brain tissue leading to permanent, neurological damage or even death. It is reported that as high as 60% of the victims of this condition are males living in poverty.  Although there is no way of telling which infants…

It Has Been a Few Years
To my surprise a man in his late 80’s who I’ll refer to as Mr. Ben had agreed to be seen for his annual physical therapy checkup for the first time in a few years. His visiting nurse warned me that he agreed to see me only for short period of time so I could assess his need for a cane due to a recent fall. If I were a betting man, my guess would be that I only had about 30 minutes for the…

(Photo by bionic teaching)

I recently read on someones blog that you can’t feel the positive emotion of thankfulness and the negative emotion of anger at the same time. I’ll be thinking about this through the week as I research its validity and take calls from clients.

I talk to many patients who express difficulty managing their diabetes or caregivers who feel frustrated with the demands of caring for an elderly parent with a chronic illness. They all experience many fearful and stressful emotions.

For example, just this evening, I spoke to a 59 y.o. gentleman who…

In a previous post I mentioned that the month of May is Stroke Awareness Month. The recent events surrounding Beau Biden, the Delaware attorney general and son of Vice President Joe Biden highlights how stroke can occur at any age, and the importance of a quick response.  It’s important to get medical attention within three hours of the first symptoms. It is important to know that a stroke is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Time lost = Brain lost.

I had a patient once that shared her stroke story with me. It was Labor…

Have you seen the movie “Young at Heart”? If not, I highly recommend it. The movie is a documentary about a group of senior singers that travel all over and perform concerts including music by the Rolling Stones. They are so hip! I loved the movie because it showed seniors with humor and compassion — doing what they love, while at the same time coping with aging. They were so inspiring, funny and thoughtful, and it really highlighted how people can be productive and joyful throughout the lifespan.

Yesterday, a senior…

We all love that hug from our spouse, child, or family member, but can you imagine what it would be like to not have it. Research has shown that premature infants that receive human skin to skin contact, breathe and feed better and therefore thrive and survive. Children love the warmth of a parent’s hug and reassurance from the safety of it. Children in orphanages who do not get enough human contact often exhibit delays in growth and development and bonding. Maybe there is a solution.

As massage relaxes you and…