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Healthy Living AN ANTON MEDIA GROUP SPECIAL

JUNE 9 - 15, 2021

FACILITY STAFFING Board Names President Elder Abuse Dr. Marlene L. Levy PhD, LCSW, DAAPM CONTACT: 516.944.3885 CLINICAL HYPNOSIS /PSYCHOTHERAPY/TELETHERAPY OR INPERSON ANXIETY • STRESS MANAGEMENT • RELATIONSHIP THERAPY • INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ISSUES

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Parag Mehta Named President-Elect Of Medical Society I

nternist Parag Mehta, MD was elected president-elect of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) on May 1. Mehta is the senior vice chairman of the department of medicine and the chief medical information officer at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (NYPBMH). In addition, he is an associate professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. A graduate of NHL Medical College in Ahmedabad, India, Mehta completed his residency in OB/GYN at NHL Medical College and his residency in internal medicine at New YorkPresbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn. He is board certified in internal medicine, hospice and palliative care and integrative and holistic medicine. He has taken courses in health information technology from Cornell University and artificial intelligence from MIT Sloan School of Management. An active member of organized medicine, Mehta is the governor

Parag Mehta, MD

Photo credit Riz Shah

for the New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians (NYACP) for Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. In addition to MSSNY and NYACP, he is a member of AMA, Kings County Medical Society, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and Indian Medical Association.

In 2011, NYACP awarded him its highest honor, the Laureate Award, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions in the areas of governance, quality, public policy and education. As a physician wellbeing champion, he promotes wellness and engages discussion through grand rounds. Mehta’s many contributions to MSSNY include service as councilor, assistant treasurer, vice president, commissioner of the membership division, chair of the future task force for infrastructure/organization, chair of the international medical graduate committee, and young physician councilor. He presently serves as councilor for Kings and Richmond counties and as a New York Alternate Delegate to the American Medical

Association. Mehta has been involved with the implementation of EHR at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital for the last 16 years and has helped the institution to reach HIMSS Level 7. In this role, he brings IT and clinicians together to improve the user’s experience based on the user’s input. Mehta lives in Manhasset Hills with his wife, Isha Mehta, MD, who is chief of gynecology at Elmhurst Hospital and is a founder of “A Stitch in Time,” an organization that treats gynecological conditions at no cost to women around the world. They have two daughters, Ruju, an environmental engineer and Setu, a pre-med student at Harvard College. —Medical Society of the State of New York

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June: Elder Abuse Awareness BY ANTON MEDIA STAFF

specialsections@antonmediagroup.com

Preventing elder abuse

Everyone has a role to play in protecting older adults. Advocates seek to raise awareness of the problem among doctors, bank employees and law enforcement. The general public, too, are urged to know the warning signs: • Unexplained bruises, broken bones, burns, cuts or scars.

When it’s time to act

Seniors who are being mistreated may be too ashamed or afraid to talk about it. They may not want to get a relative in trouble. They may fear retribution from the abuser. And they may believe that the abuser is their only source of care. If you suspect an elder has been victimized, reassure them that it is not their fault. Explain that you are concerned, and offer to assist them in getting help. Report your concerns to the appropriate adult protective services agency. You can find contact information on the website of the National Center on Elder Abuse (www. ncea.acl.gov). If you think the person is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police number to get help right away.

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Elder abuse is sometimes perpetrated by a stranger A random robbery, a scam telephone call, or a “friendly stranger” who works their way into the senior’s life for bad purposes. But sadly, said Balbera, experts report that most elder mistreatment is at the hands of a “trusted other”—perhaps a family member, a friend, a neighbor or a financial advisor. Though the risk of elder abuse increases when an older adult is dependent on others due to mobility

• Poor hygiene, dirty clothes, unusual weight loss or bedsores. • Withdrawal from normal activities and relationships. • Sudden change in an elder’s financial situation. • Depression and signs of trauma. • Belittling, threats or other power abuse by caregivers. • Lack of appropriate medical care.

lder abuse isn’t a topic anyone enjoys discussing, but it’s important to talk about it. “Experts estimate that 10 percent of older adults are victims of elder abuse, yet only a small percentage of cases are ever reported,” said Gregg Balbera, president of Right at Home Nassau Suffolk. Balbera explains that elder abuse includes: Physical abuse Use of physical force that results in illness or injury; restraining an older adult against their will. Emotional or psychological abuse Insults, threats and other behavior that causes mental pain; isolating the individual from other people. Sexual abuse Involving the person in forced or unwanted sexual contact. Neglect and abandonment Failure to provide food, shelter, hygiene, medical care and other basic necessities of life. Financial exploitation Theft, forgery, stealing from an older person’s bank account or retirement benefits; fraud; improper use of guardianship or power of attorney.

challenges, dementia or other disabilities, elder mistreatment happens to seniors of every socioeconomic and health status. It can happen in the person’s home, in a care facility, or in the home of a family member. Gerontologists also say that social isolation is a top risk factor for elder abuse, giving World Elder Abuse Awareness Month 2021 increased significance. Balbera said that stayat-home orders have curtailed many of the services that keep older adults connected to the world outside their homes. Economic insecurity has raised instances of financial abuse. And scammers have been out in full force, taking advantage of the fears of older adults to sell them useless treatments and cures, or to scare them into divulging personal information that allows the crooks to access the elders’ bank accounts.

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Balbera also pointed out that if an elder neglects their own well-being, which might be due to dementia, poor health or substance abuse, this is considered self-neglect and also should be reported so the person can be helped.

Keeping our loved ones safe

“Professional in-home care services can help,” said Balbera. “Professional caregivers assist clients with personal care, health care management, transportation and companionship. They provide watchful supervision for frail seniors and those with dementia. They lessen the workload for family caregivers, and liaison with family who live at a distance.” Balbera stressed the importance of hiring through an agency that screens and trains their caregivers. This provides peace of mind for family and ensures the well-being of their loved one.

For years, they took care of us. Now, it’s our turn.

At Gurwin Healthcare System, we’ve been caring for Long Island families for generations, providing a full continuum of services that offer unparalleled clinical excellence, innovative approaches to care and unmatched safety protocols. It’s reassuring to know that Gurwin will be here, helping you care for your family the way they cared for you, no matter what tomorrow brings.

Healthcare System

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Our family of healthcare services includes: Home Care

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Island Nursing and Rehab Center in Holtsville is now a member of the Gurwin Healthcare System.

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“Especially now, it’s important for family to stay in close touch with older family members,” said Balbera. “Visit as often as possible. These days, that might mean video visits or phone calls. Make these contacts frequent. Know the red flags listed above, and encourage your loved one to be open about things that concern them.” Sadly, a family member is sometimes responsible for elder abuse. The more family members involved with a loved one’s care, the better. If a loved one is moving to a senior living facility or adult family home, check it out. And family should learn all they can about people with whom they entrust their loved one’s care. Sometimes a person with ill intentions can masquerade as a “loving friend” or a competent professional.

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Fourth Generation Physician

r. and Mrs. Louis Kavoussi of Manhasset proudly announce the graduation of their daughter, Adriana Kavoussi, MD, from SUNY Downstate Medical School, where she graduated with AOA honors and humanitarian award recognition. Adriana has joined the profession of medicine like her brother, her father, two grandfathers and a great grandfather. Her grandparents, the late Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Pennisi, were long-time Manhasset residents. Adriana is directly a fourth generation physician. She is also a 16th generation physician on her maternal grandmother’s side of the family. Her great grandfather,the late Dr. Ottorino Memmoli, MD, of Jamaica Estates, was the 13th generation of physician from Rome, Italy. Adriana is the first woman in the family to “break the glass ceiling” and become a

physician, with the exception of her cousin, Dr. Maggie Furlong Burns, MD, MHS class of 2012. Dr. Adriana Kavoussi will continue her medical training and residency at Duke University.

Adriana Kavoussi, MD

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We make House Calls!

www.nstv.org Access Spotlight “Ticks, What You Should Know” Presented by: Dr. Joseph C. Licata, Pediatrician Airs: Wednesdays at 1pm & Saturday at 4pm EST on NSTV Channels 20, Altice/Optimum 37, Verizon/Fios E-mail: info@nstv.org for further information

www.comfypeds.com Book a visit at www.comfypeds.com Tell us your concerns. We visit you. Our local North Shore board certified team is on call for Covid, Flu and Strep tests, as well as virtual triage and evaluation.

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NURSING HOME STAFFING LEGISLATION Nursing homes throughout New York would welcome the opportunity to have unfettered access to qualified staff, however, we oppose this one-size fits all legislation because it ignores the fact that New York does not have enough qualified workers to meet the mandate and it fails to provide enough funding to pay for the costs of the mandate. Staffing is a highly complex issue that is comprised of multiple clinical variables that are unique to each nursing home and its resident population. The simplistic staffing ratios in this legislation do not in and of themselves improve the quality of care. This legislation is based on outdated pre-pandemic 2019 staffing data and ignores the findings of Cornell University in the Department of Health August 2020 minimum staffing study that highlighted New York’s long-term care workforce crisis. On top of New York’s nursing home workforce shortages, the state continues to underfund nursing home care. The average cost of providing 24-hour nursing home

care in New York is $266 per resident per day, but the state only pays an average of $211 per resident per day—or $8.79 per hour. New York’s chronic underfunding of Medicaid directly inhibits a nursing home’s ability to recruit and retain workers when hospitals can always pay nurses more. If legislators were sincere about addressing the long-term care workforce crisis, they would hold public hearings and implement measures to meaningfully recruit and retain workers into long-term care and increase Medicaid reimbursement to nursing homes before imposing unworkable staffing mandates that are detached from reality. —Stephen Hanse, President and CEO of the New York State Health Facilities Association New York State Health Facilities Association (“NYSHFA”) is a statewide organization representing more than 325 nonprofit, for-profit and government-sponsored skilled nursing facilities. Hanse’s response is in response to staffing mandate bills being advanced in the state legislature.

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Abstain From Alcohol With Liver Disease Alcohol associated liver disease is the most common cause of cirrhosis in the United States. Since the start of the pandemic, hospital admissions for alcohol associated diseases have increased nationally by 300 to 400 percent. Long Island is not immune from this frightening trend and our hospitals have seen similar rise in admitted persons with alcohol issues. Perhaps the most concerning statistic is that the majority of these admissions are in people, men and women, aged in their 20s through 40s. Young people! Many of them already have developed cirrhosis and its complications including acute alcoholic hepatitis. Many, because of their continued alcohol use, will not be candidates for liver transplantation if their livers fail. Alcoholic hepatitis is a clinical syndrome. Patients usually seek medical attention with a multitude of complaints such as nausea, pain over the right upper area of the abdomen, low-grade fever, or jaundice. On examination, the liver is enlarged and tender to palpation. When blood testing is done, the liver tests are elevated and the bilirubin is high. Survival is 50/50 and many patients progress to liver failure, bleeding and death. Mostly,

undiagnosed until it is too late. sugar provides the protection and Alcohol use can lead to a spectrum the protection may be lost with the of liver injury, from simple fatty liver to addition of milk and/or sugar. AntonAlcohol Media Group would like to messages recirrhosis and its complications. So what are the take home THE regarding alcohol liver. One, associated liver disease is now the mind our readers that the and CDCtherecomSPECIALIST in the vast majority of people, responleading indication for liver transplanmends to alcohol washuse their hands for tation in the United States. Having people said sible will not lead to liver David Bernstein, MD that, most people who drink responsidisease. Two, advanced liver at least 20 seconds to combat thedisease corobly will not develop liver disease. alcohol may occur with greater navirus. Needfrom a timer? Hum the Happy There are no medications to prevent frequency in women. Finally, alcohol alcohol associated liver disease. should be avoided intopatients Birthday songusefrom beginning end with There is only alcohol avoidance. any underlying liver disease as the these patients are not candidates twice. Coffee, however, has been shown in threshold quantity of alcohol required for liver transplantation. Alcoholic many studies to decrease the risk of to cause more advanced disease is yet hepatitis occurs in about 20 percent of percent of heavy drinkers and occurs in developing alcoholic cirrhosis by more undetermined. Therefore, people with liver disease should avoid alcohol. people with significant underlying liver than 20 percent and to prevent the development of liver cancer in these David Bernstein, MD, FAASLD, scarring. Therefore, having alcoholic patients. The mechanism is unclear. FACG, AGAF, FACP, is the vice chair of hepatitis means that the person has No one understands how much coffee medicine for clinical trials and chief of significant liver disease and is in is needed to protect the liver. What hepatology at the Sandra Atlas Bass trouble. The treatment is a combinais known is that black coffee without Center for Liver Diseases. tion of nutrition and steroids for severe cases, in the short term. The long-term treatment is to avoid alcohol. The only Anton Media Group would like to way to prevent recurrence is to cease remind our readers that the CDC all alcohol intake. recommends people to wash their It does not take much alcohol to hands for at least 20 seconds to develop significant liver disease. As little as a drink a day in women or combat the coronavirus. Need a one to two drinks in men can lead to timer? Hum the Happy Birthday serious complications. Many women song from beginning to end twice. with alcohol associated liver disease go unrecognized and therefore

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