Those living with Rheumatoid Arthritis often have difficulty with daily activities and cooking is no exception. This chronic condition causes inflammation at the joints and surrounding tissues. This can affect your ability to use a cutting board, open jars, carry pots and stand for long periods of time.

But by using certain kitchen tools and modifying your kitchen environment, you can decrease the amount of stress placed on your joints. If you or a loved has Rheumatoid Arthritis, follow these tips to make cooking easier.

Use Adaptive Kitchen Tools

• Speed up and reduce prep work with a food processor
• Decrease…

by Peter Griffin

Nurses who visit people in their homes are sometimes the only way that patients receive health information and learn prevention strategies that can improve their overall health. Sometimes, the patients can be challenging, but for nurses, perseverance pays.

One such example involved a young mom of a premature infant. The mom had a history of feeding difficulty and was on some medications. Mom wanted to breastfeed but refused to pump and measure volume. What to do when trying to explain this to the mom was getting difficult? Teaching is a big part of what…

Jennifer’s final stop for the morning was to visit a long-term patient who has Neuromyolitis Optica (NMO), a degenerative disorder that is similar to multiple sclerosis but it attacks the spine rather than the brain. Patients diagnosed with NMO usually live no more than 5 years after diagnosis, and Francesca P. was diagnosed five years ago. The disease has taken its toll. She’s now blind in both eyes and is a quadriplegic. Additionally, she developed two pressure ulcers as a result of chemotherapy treatment – part of the treatment regimen for the disease.…

It will soon be a month of living in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Many people in our area are still trying to recover, and many are just at the beginning, having lost everything. In the event of a major catastrophe, children often watch quietly as their world changes. A few kids may express their fears and concerns, but some will never openly discuss what they are feeling. As parents, it is very important to keep lines of communication open and provide your children with a loving home, whether or not you are displaced.

Post 9/11…

Some of us are lucky enough to be born healthy and free of chronic diseases that can impair our ability to live full and active lives. “Lucky” is really the key word here. And maybe, we’re lucky enough to have health insurance, too. As health care is changing, so are patients and their families. They are trying to do more with less. Fewer professionals (yes, there is a shortage), less access, and fewer opportunities to prevent chronic problems (education). Health care reform briefly mentions prevention, but it doesn’t address implemenation of prevention. How…

Let’s say you are a new parent. And in that new role, which you have never experienced before, you find yourself overwhelmed by the little things that used to bring you happiness. You suddenly feel that it takes all of your effort to get out of bed. This is supposed to be an amazing and happy time–at least that is what you were told and that had been your expectation. But here you are, and that baby seems just too much for you to handle. What to do? Babies are born, and…

Recent incidents in our area have raised interest in the topic of crimes committed by children, toward children. Statistics on child crimes are tracked and the numbers are low, but the startling fact is that both violent and non-violent crimes are committed by children, who are 12 to 20 years of age. “Luring” is the act of persuading, by an adult or child/teen to another child/teen, maybe under the illusion of friendship or gifts. Do your children know how to handle this, or even what luring is? Have you ever been a victim?

Many…

The next stop after meeting with Mr. and Mrs. G. was a visit with Maharana L., a Guyanese immigrant living in Richmond Hill, Queens.

Richmond Hill has a large immigrant population from Guyana; this population is currently facing an epidemic of Type II Diabetes. Data suggests that adults born in Guyana have a death rate of 58 per 1,000,000 deaths from diabetes compared to 34 for U.S. born – that’s almost 60% higher.^*

Before we arrived at Maharana’s apartment, Jennifer told me that when she met Maharana three years ago, she was…

As we approach cooler weather, we will see and experience more colds and flu. It is inevitable — REALLY! But it does not have to be. The number one most effective way to avoid all that is in the air around us is to wash our hands. We contaminate ourselves through  hand contact. That railing you held onto to get out of the subway, contaminated. The door handle you used to get in or out of your car, house, office, school, contaminated. What can you do? Use hand sanitizers. Avoid touching…

Growing up my group of friends spent time at the local playgrounds trying to figure out if the sneaker with the pump up feature could help you run faster. Our methods weren’t exactly scientific but we eventually came to our senses and figured out that a pair of over priced sneakers won’t make you a better athlete.

However did you know older adults can reduce their risk of falling by choosing the right pair of shoes? Allow me to guide you through some of the key features to look for in a shoe that…