I have always admired caregivers for the sacrifices they make for their loved ones. In recent weeks my admiration for them has only deepened as my wife and I welcomed in our first child. We have been learning the art of burping, changing diapers, surviving those sleepless nights and of course providing the love our daughter needs.

I realized that our family’s time of transition is truly a on the job learning experience. It was not a surprise that the caregivers I’ve met in the past few years came to mind…

(photo by Ed Yourdon)

Your sister agrees to take over a caregiving shift at your parents’ home upon request. Now you have a Friday evening free which hasn’t happened in a few months, so you decide to meet up with a good friend who hasn’t seen you in over a year due to very busy personal and professional schedules.

You tell your friend to meet you at a favorite restaurant in Manhattan — a French bistro with outdoor garden seating to breathe in some air and feel the cool summer evening breeze. You order a…

Occasionally  people say that: “the cure is worse than the illness.” While that is not always true, it is important to be aware of  the side effects of treatments and have an open discussion with your doctor to adjust treatment plans as needed. However, some side effects of a treatment may not have any symptoms, so awareness is important. One such side effect is iron overload, which can occur in patients who undergo frequent blood transfusions, like those with sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease, also known as sickle cell anemia,…

(photo by David Shankbone)

After a vigorous grassroots campaign on Facebook, 88 year old Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live on May 8, 2010 to a warm and supportive audience in New York City. Betty was beautiful, charming, and definitely spunky but her comedic performance also proved that we need older generations represented in the arts. Everybody has stories to tell, especially those who have lived to share their wisdom. Intergenerational arts should be embraced by the media and Hollywood because aging is the truth and it’s good for our health.

I…

Photo by Simon Howden

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a group of elderly women on the topic of preventing falls. Of those in attendance, each lives independently in a senior building in Queens. To my pleasant surprise the planned presentation, which had four main points and an easy to follow handout, transformed into a dynamic conversation between the women.

As each person shared stories of their own falls and recovery, it was apparent their contributions injected relevancy into the statistics and insights I had presented. I appreciated their honesty…

(Photo by Ed Yourdon)

If you’re like me, you have every intention to celebrate Earth Day today, but also feel a bit overwhelmed by what it is you can possibly do to honor Mother Earth. She is giving us a whole bunch in the way of fruits, plants, fish, animals, gorgeous exotic locations, green trees and beautiful flowers, rainy days, green and blue oceans and a whole lot more. There is a lot to be thankful about when it comes to the wise ways of this planet.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible for me…

photo by Ian Britton

Earlier this week, the First Lady, Michelle Obama, announced her initiative to combat childhood obesity.  The program, called Let’s Move! focuses on children and their parents to make healthier choices.  The key components include:

• improving information to make better food choices, such as clearer labeling
• improving the quality of food in the schools
• improving access and affordability of healthy food
• increase physical education for kids

As Mrs. Obama states, “It’s not about weight…it’s about fitness and it’s about overall nutrition.”

Clinicians in home care know all too well what can happen to a person…

photo by Suat Eman

I spoke to a patient recently who asked “…so are you going to red this Friday?” This may sound like an unusual question, but we were talking about heart disease and its effects on her and her husband. Although her husband had his high cholesterol and high blood pressure under control, she on the other hand, had not been aware of her heart disease until her heart attack. It was a wake-up call that heart disease does not always have symptoms to warn you of a problem. She told me,…

Status: Post Trauma
It could be as simple as a minor fender-bender with your car or as heart-breaking as the earthquake in Haiti. The images of tragedy are on TV and heard on radio over and over again. Children are exposed to it more today than ever, and they need help understanding all of it. Here are some simple tips to help you relate this information without scaring your children.

• Leave the lines of communication open. Anything they say  is not silly, if it is a concern. Address it as simply as you can, and…