Fairfield County Boomers & Beyond May 2016 ebook

Boomers d n o y e &B May 2016

Fairfield County

The Greens at Greenwich offers 28 homelike apartments..with gourmet food and comfortable common areas… call today for a personal tour! p3

Could hearing loss lead to memory loss?

Dr. Parker says “yes it could” p7

Star One Home Care and Medical Staffing: We are here for you p9 Columbia Doctors Medical Group…

Honored on Best Doctors lists Year after Year p15

Cover photo: Senior enjoying ZUMBA at the Women’s Expo, Crowne Plaza Stamford

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May, 2016

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

The shocking truth about diet and memory Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

May, 2016

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Pamela Atwood, MA, CDP, CADDCT, CLL, Director of Dementia Care Services, Hebrew HealthCare

I love the popular media; it seems they plot to confuse us in order to sell more papers/magazines/online subscriptions. Eat this, don’t eat that. This spice will cure. That spice will destroy.

These berries will protect. Those will poison. News at 11… But here’s the shocking truth: diet is important to your gray matter, but it’s not an all-or-nothing-deal.

Truth – some forgetfulness is expected with aging. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging.

Truth – there are several nutrition studies which show “correlation” effects, but are later proven wrong, or are too small to be generalized to a larger population.

Truth – the latest research supports common sense – it’s not a single food, spice, oil or supplement, but an overall lifestyle which seems to impact the risk of dementia.

A “prudent” diet was studied and compared to a “western” diet by researchers in Sweden.

Their work was published in February 2016 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

• The study was huge (more than 2,000 people), • well designed (considered demographic info, health issues, exercise, and a number of other factors), and • was a study done over a long period (2004-2010).

• The “western” diet included high saturated/trans fats, frequent intake of processed/red meat, beers, spirits and sugars.

• The “prudent” diet was characterized by more frequent consumption of fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy, fish, legumes, poultry, whole grain rice/pasta, water and healthy oils.

Truth – the Western dietary pattern was found in participants with more decline in cognition over time. People who followed the “prudent” diet had much less cognitive decline.

According to the research, “it is common that people consume a combination of healthy and less health foods...68% of the participants had mixed adherence to both dietary patterns.”

THE SHOCKING TRUTH – When the prudent diet was followed “most often”, the cognitive decline was cut in half. That means that perfection in following a so-called healthy diet is not necessary. More and more research points to diet as having a big impact on brain health, and likely more of an impact than exercise, but for those of us who “fall off the wagon” and feel like we’ve doomed ourselves, we can rest assured that “most of the time” is better than none of the time.

Waveny Care Center enlists Norwalk Community College Simulation Center for Nursing Staff Clinical Training PAGE 4

May, 2016

To meet the needs of an increasingly acute patient population and reduce hospital readmissions, Waveny Care Center – Waveny LifeCare Network’s 5-star skilled nursing and short-term rehab facility – has partnered with the Simulation Center of the Norwalk Community College Division of Nursing and Allied Health, to provide hands-on simulation training for Waveny’s nurses, specifically those who care for the Center’s short-term rehab patients.

Called “WATCH,” an acronym for Waveny Care Center’s Assessment Training Collaboration for Healthcare Serving the Community, this unique training program was developed by Mary Di Paola, RN, Waveny’s Director of Nursing and Cathleen Caulfield, RN, MSN, MS, CHSE, NCC’s Simulation Center Coordinator, to enhance Waveny’s clinical team’s ability to proactively recognize, assess and respond to challenges posed by diagnoses like CHF, COPD, Pneumonia, Post Myocardial Infarction and Urinary Tract Infection.

“Today, the medical care needs of patients discharged from local hospitals to Waveny Care Center for inpatient care are vastly more acute than they were just a few years ago,” said Di Paola. “Many of the joint replacement cases who in years past would have come to the Care Center as short-term rehab patients are now going directly home with homecare services. It’s those patients who require greater care due to their complex co-morbidities who we now see in inpatient rehabilitation, using our interdisciplinary team to manage their recovery. That’s why it’s vitally important for our nursing team to be prepared to care for these patients with the highest quality of nursing, early identification, communication and interventions to reduce complications and the need for hospital readmission.”

The NCC Simulation Center, which launched in 2011, allows healthcare students and community professionals across disciplines to practice skills in medical procedures, using computerized SimMan and Noelle patient mannequins to portray patient situations. The unit’s six hospital rooms were developed in sponsorship with Norwalk Hospital, Stamford Hospital and Greenwich Hospital. Simulation educators guide students through scenarios that replicate reallife situations that they would encounter as healthcare clinicians. NCC has ten full-body simulation mannequins that mimic many human functions, including breathing, talking and coughing. The students diagnose health issues and perform therapies such as intravenous therapy and injections.

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

“We want to be a community resource with state-of-the-art services for healthcare students, faculty, professionals and community organizations to improve their clinical knowledge and research capabilities to promote patient safety and quality care,” explained Caulfield. “We’re eager to work with Waveny to provide them with innovative education using simulation capabilities to stay ahead of the curve on patient diagnostics, skilled nurse training and overall care.”

“As both a nurse and a nursing supervisor who oversees other clinicians, this experience reinforced my assessment skills, deepened my confidence and gave me a feeling of empowerment,” said Mariola Germaine, RN, Nursing Supervisor and one of Waveny’s participants in the hands-on training. “The training lab’s robot-mannequin provided us with a wonderfully interactive experience, where practice was allowed to make perfect. I believe this type of groundbreaking classroom training is taking our profession of nursing to new heights.”

This training was used in tandem with education on the INTERACT program, a Quality Improvement Program (QIP) designed to lower readmission rates, improve care transitions, enhance communication, positive clinical outcomes and operational success. “By using the INTERACT program to better identify the early signs of change in a patient’s condition, our nurses will know how to evaluate and review each patient’s care plan,” said Di Paola. “For example, our nurses will know if an IV or respiratory treatment is necessary, or if we need to involve our weekly consulting cardiologist or wound care physician in the case to preempt transfers to the hospital.”

Norwalk Community College’s Simulation Center uses best practices in healthcare simulation and was just awarded Provisional Program Accreditation in Teaching/Education from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, a leading international society that advances inter-professional healthcare simulation world-wide. Full program accreditation is expected within a year. Two NCC educators in the Division of Nursing and Allied Health,

Cathleen Caulfield and Cheryl Moore, RN, MBA, MSN, CNL, CHSE are Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators (CHSEs); roughly 500 educators worldwide have achieved this certification. For more information on Norwalk Community College’s Simulation Center, contact Cathleen Caulfield at ccaulfield@ncc.commnet.edu.

Celebrating 40 years of serving the community, Waveny LifeCare Network provides a comprehensive continuum of healthcare to serve the growing needs of older adults from all areas. Waveny is a not-for-profit organization that offers independent living at The Inn, assisted living for people with Alzheimer’s and memory loss at The Village, and skilled nursing at Waveny Care Center. It also includes Waveny Home Healthcare, Waveny at Home, the Brown Geriatric Evaluation Clinic, Geriatric Care Management, an Adult Day Program available on weekdays with flexible hours, inpatient and outpatient Rehabilitation Services, and respite programs at The Village and Care Center. For information call 1-855WAVENY-1 or visit www.waveny.org.

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Norwalk Community College and Waveny Care Center partner to promote exceptional outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions. (L-R) Cathleen Caulfield, RN, MSN, MS CHSE; Simulation Center Coordinator; Crystal McLean, Student Simulation Coordinator; Mariola Germaine, RN Supervisor; Janet Awlasewicz, RN Charge Nurse; Kadian Hunter, RN Charge Nurse; Mary Di Paola, RN, CDP, Director of Nursing; Ava Dedic, LPN Charge Nurse; Gesta Bonnet, LPN Charge Nurse; Marie Paul, RN Supervisor.

Local CEO selected as member of Young Presidents’ Organization Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

Regional Hospice and Home Care’s President & CEO Cynthia Emiry Roy is on track to share and acquire new ideas from the best and brightest of her generation. Roy was recently named a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, an international group of leaders from the business and non-profit sector under age 45 from 130 countries.

Members of YPO are peers who share in common the achievement of success at an early age; a commitment to learning as a lifelong adventure; and a desire to connect authentically in an environment of trust and confidentiality. Roy is only one of only a few women in the YPO’s Fairchester Chapter encompassing Westchester and Fairfield Counties.

Roy was the vision and force behind the Center for Comfort Care & Healing that opened in February of 2015. The center is a 12-bed, private patient suite, state of the art, in-patient, specialty hospice facility with amenities for families to stay with loved ones—the first of its kind in the State of Connecticut. Since the center’s opening last year, Regional Hospice has cared for more than 850 patients and their families, both in the center and in their homes, from Connecticut and nine states throughout the United States.

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After spending nine years as executive director of another hospice, Roy was drawn to Regional Hospice and Home Care in Danbury in 2007 by its unique bereavement program, the Healing Hearts Center for Grief and Loss. A licensed clinical social worker, she has worked with families coping with end-of-life issues throughout her career. Roy saw an unmet need and planned to take the thirty-year-old hospice and palliative home care agency in the direction of offering an in-patient option. A quick study,

May, 2016

Roy soon acquired new depths of understanding of a much wider regional need; financial feasibility; the optimum design for patient care, comfort and family support; revising antiquated state regulations; and structuring a development plan.

Together with her volunteer board of directors, Roy marshalled community generosity and raised the $10 million needed to build the new center, all while ensuring adequate funds to sustain the highest level of clinical care for which the agency is known and the continued support of its award-winning bereavement programs.

“It's an honor to be part of s prestigious group of young presidents whose experiences are vast. We all have so much to learn from and teach each other. I have learned so much building our dream of an in-patient center, and I am so pleased to be given the opportunity to be part of an amazing group of innovative thought leaders,” said Roy. Chairman of the Regional Hospice and Home Care Volunteer Board of Directors John Royce recently endorsed Roy’s appointment, “I have known and worked with Cynthia for over five years.

Her leadership, her vision, her passion for her work and her character are all impressive beyond measure. She will surely be a terrific addition to the YPO”.

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The Young Presidents’ Organization was founded in 1950 by manufacturer Ray Hickok who, at the age of 27, inherited his family’s 300-employee company in New York. He and other young presidents began meeting regularly as a peer network looking to become better leaders by learning from each other.

Today the YPO provides 24,000 peers and their families, from throughout the world, with access to unique educational and networking experiences designed to support their business, community and personal leadership.

Regional Hospice and Home Care’s team of experienced clinicians have been providing physical, emotional, spiritual and bereavement support to children, adults and their families through our palliative and hospice care program for the past 30 years. Regional Hospice and Home Care is a nonprofit, state-licensed and Medicare-certified home health care and hospice agency. Now, with the opening of our new private-room, specialty hospital for palliative and end-of-life care — the Center for Comfort Care & Healing — Regional Hospice and Home Care can bring that same hope and compassionate care close to home and under one roof.

Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging specialists receive national certification

Two dementia care specialists with the Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging were recently certified as Certified Dementia Practitioners by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. Patricia B. O’Brian, CDP, patient and family engagement coordinator, and Michelle Wyman, LSW, CDP, life enrichment coach, joined the Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging staff in 2015 and are based in Southington.

The goal of the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners is to develop and encourage comprehensive standards of excellence in direct-care skills, education and sensitivity in the area of dementia care.

O’Brian, a Cromwell resident, and Wyman, a West Hartford resident, are two of the highly experienced dementia care professionals with the Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging. The Center for Healthy Aging, a not for profit mem-

ber of Hartford HealthCare Senior Services, is a resource and assessment center whose mission is to enhance access to services and information related to attaining optimal quality of life for seniors and their caregivers.

O’Brian and Wyman have extensive experience in dementia care and can provide effective strategies to improve the quality of life for caregivers and persons with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. They offer home, telephonic and office assessments specifically for caregivers/family members who have loved ones with a dementia and can develop effective strategies to improve the quality of life by offering continued follow up and support. They also facilitate educational programs for caregivers.

For more information about Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging, visit cthealthyaging.org or call toll-free 1877-4AGING1 (1-877-424-4641).

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Advertiser’s Index

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May, 2016

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

ColumbiaDoctors...........................................................................................15 Glen Island Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation........................................11 The Greens at Greenwich...............................................................................3 Parker Ear, Nose and Throat of Fairfield County....................................7 StarOne Home Care & Medical Staffing.....................................................9 Waveny Lifecare Network..............................................................................2 VNA of Hudson Valley...............................................................................16

Boomers d Fairfield County

& Beyon

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Corporate Information

Healthcare News - Fairfield County, CT edition - Vol. 3 No. 5 - is published monthly, 12 times a year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore Street, New Windsor, NY 12553. Postage Paid at New Windsor, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Healthcare Newspaper, 1 Ardmore Street, New Windsor, NY, 12553. No financial responsibility is assumed by this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for typographical errors except of reprinting that part of the ad which was omitted or in error. Omissions or errors must be brought to the attention of the newspaper during the same month of publication.

Our View Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mother’s out there.

Is there any holiday more universally accepted across different cultures than Mother's Day? More than 40 countries worldwide have designated a day, usually in spring, to thank mom for all of her love, hard work and patience.

While mothers get most of the press, grandmothers and greatgrandmothers, aunts and a variety of mother figures and mentors share equally in the celebration, as they should.

They do not ask for anything in return for their limitless love and admiration for their children. All they want is happiness for their children and loved ones. However, we should let our moms know they are appreciated and truly loved. Their hard work should never be overlooked.

Let's take this opportunity to get together and wish every mother on this planet and show how important they are in our lives. Boomers & Beyond would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our Boomers & Beyond readers. Mother’s Day is May 8 this year, but we celebrate you every day, that’s for sure. We hope you all enjoy a great day with your family. Happy Mother’s Day from all us at Boomers & Beyond!

Get in touch at info@healthcarenewspaper.com.

Jim Stankiewicz, General Manager

Next Month Retirement Communities Enjoying the retirement years!

Hernia Awareness Month Long Term Care Security when making a big decision National Nurse Assistant Week Recognizing the unique contribution of those who provide daily care in nursing homes, home care and other short and long term care settings Cataract Awareness Month

Hearing Loss: Is the third most common health problem in the United States Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

As part of Better Hearing Month, Boomers & Beyond is encouraging consumers to be more aware of their hearing health. On average, most Americans consider hearing loss a condition that is simply associated with aging, and don’t know how to recognize the condition or who is qualified to diagnose and treat the condition.

Hearing loss can be caused by exposure to loud noises; ear infections, trauma, or ear disease; harm to the inner ear and ear drum; illness or certain medications; and deterioration due to normal aging process.

An audiologist is a highly educated and clinically experienced health-care professional who specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating people with hearing loss and balance disorders. Hearing loss can affect patients of all ages—newborns, infants, babies, toddlers, children, teens, adults, and the elderly.

You may have a problem with your hearing and need to see an audiologist, if you have trouble hearing conversation in a noisy environment such as a restaurant, are unable to hear people talk to you without looking at them, or have a constant ringing or pain in your ears.

The first step in treatment of a hearing problem is a hearing evaluation by an audiologist.

Audiologists have a variety of specialties to include, but not limited to: • Performing Hearing evaluations on newborns and infants • Prescribing and fitting hearing aids • Assisting with cochlear implant programs • Performing ear- or hearing-related surgical monitoring • Designing and implementing hearing conservation programs and newborn hearing screening programs • Providing hearing rehabilitation training such as Auditory training Speech reading Listening skills improvement

Although most hearing loss is permanent, an audiologist can determine the best treatment, which may include hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and hearing rehabilitation.

May, 2016

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May, 2016

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

The Inn’s “From Sea to Shining Sea” Musical Revue

The “Inn-Notes” singing group took their standing-room-only audience on an all-American musical adventure at The Inn’s “From Sea to Shining Sea” Musical Revue. With a "state-ly" assortment of musical acts, skits and sketches, the group travelled from across our entire nation – from New York City all the way to the California Coast – through song. Located at 73 Oenoke Ridge in New Canaan, The Inn provides carefree, independent senior living and welcomes older adults from all areas. For more information, call 203.594.5450 or visit waveny.org.

photos provided

Clinical Care in the 21st Century Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

In recent years, ophthalmology and optometry have seen tremendous advances in their application of imaging technologies. These technologies allow ophthalmologists and optometrists to visualize and map the microscopy of the eye in ways never before imagined. One benefit of these changes is that optometric and ophthalmic care have become more closely intertwined.

Karina Conlin, O.D., F.A.A.O.

According to Dr. Amaro-Quireza, “The most important effect of these new technologies is how they preserve ‘the gift of sight’ and impact the quality of a patient’s life so profoundly. What we see and how we see determines the course of our lives.” Dr. Conlin agrees that the ability to use these emergent technologies enables optometrists to better diagnose and monitor ocular health. “At Columbia, we have access to advanced technologies that assist in the diagnosis and monitoring of vision conditions, helping to ensure our patients’ quality of life.”

These new technologies encouraged Dr. Conlin, a corneal expert, to join the Department. “With these advances, our corneal specialists are now able to diagnose and treat complicated corneal diseases by performing corneal transplants and using corneal cross-linking therapy.” After undergoing these treatments, many patients require custom contact lens fittings for additional comfort and relief. This area is one of Dr. Conlin’s specialties. She fits patients with custom-made scleral lenses, or large contact lenses that create a tear-filled vault over the cornea.

Scleral contact lenses are designed to treat a variety of eye conditions, many of which do not respond to other forms of treatment.

Dr. Conlin, who majored in Dietetics as an undergraduate, has always been intrigued by how nutritional deficiencies can impact a person’s vision. Therefore, she approaches vision care with a keen eye towards a patient’s overall health. “Many vision diseases and

disorders emerge from systemic health problems,” she states. “I appreciate the fact that I can combine my work in dietetics and optometry to diagnose, monitor, and suggest treatments for my patients.”

Dr. Conlin received her B.S. from the University of Madison-Wisconsin and her O.D. at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. She completed rotations at the Illinois Eye Institute and the Veterans Affairs Southern Nevada Health Care System, among other locations. She later served as Instructor at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the Illinois College of Optometry.

Dr. Amaro-Quireza’s specialties include the diagnosis and treatment of amblyopia (lazy eye), astigmatism, hypermetropia (farsightedness) and myopia (nearsightedness), and anterior segment diseases such as dry eye, conjunctival diseases, and ocular allergies. She also specializes in elec- troretinography recordings, or ERGs, which mea- sure and analyze retinal and optic nerve function . She is particularly fond of interacting with infants and young children while administering the tests. A native of Spain, Dr. Amaro-Quireza muses, “My ‘Spanish lullabies’ work very well on the babies and toddlers, keeping them calm for the duration of the ERG.”

May, 2016

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the Center for International Optometry. She received her O.D. from the New England College of Optometry. Afterward, she completed an internship at Moorfields Hospital in London at the ERG service, and served as an Optometrist at the New England Eye Center of Tufts University and the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center.

Given the significant advancements in recent years, Drs. AmaroQuireza and Conlin are excited about future developments in optometric science. “At Columbia, we have so many dynamic technologies already; it makes me imagine what new ones will emerge as my time here progresses,” states Dr. Conlin.

For more information, please visit http://www.columbiaeye.org

Transforming healthcare with in home care services that put clients and their families first.

Star One provides outstanding, person-focused quality home care services. Our highly skilled caregivers offer clients in-home support for well-being, personal care, home care, housekeeping, social connection, health treatments, rehabilitation, assisted daily living, nursing and allied health services and transport.

These services are available for Short term or Live-in Care, including recovering from surgery or injury.

Maria Luz Amaro-Quireza, OD

photos provided

Her work in optometry also inspired a passion for humanitarian causes. “A lack of access to proper vision care creates socioeconomic divides here and around the world. I have always wanted to help those who were not as fortunate as I was.” About ten years ago, Dr. Amaro-Quireza joined The Salvadoran Association for Rural Health. She has volunteered multiple times to travel to El Salvador and help individuals living in remote and poor, rural areas who do not have access to vision care.

Dr. Amaro-Quireza completed her undergraduate work at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Optometry and her Master’s Degree in Optometry at

Life is an incredible journey and we are proud to offer support every step of the way

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Letters

to the Editor

May, 2016

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

To the Editor:

Volunteers are one of Regional Hospice and Home Care’s greatest assets. As we celebrate National Volunteer Month at Regional Hospice I am inspired by an extraordinary former patient, who chose to spend her last days shining a light on the loving volunteers who enriched her last months.

During the last week of her life, our patient, Sara, started writing an article entitled, Volunteers—More Than Just a Cup of Coffee. She was savvy to the intangibles that go beyond medical expertise to fill a waning life with joy, and the vast army of dedicated volunteers it takes to make those intangibles materialize through positive life experiences.

She shared with us some of the incredible things that volunteers did to enhance her final months.

“A volunteer was my trip down the Seine River; with them I explored artists and learned about classic cars. I felt like one of their old Navy pals. One volunteer shared her love of music, and she sang to me. Another volunteer baked me cupcakes; I waited for her visits every week. Deb, my personal family support volunteer, did everything—she became my hands and my voice and kept the normal parts of my life going when I could not.”

These are only a few of the volunteer experiences that Sara mentioned in her article, yet more than 800 patients of

our patients have similar stories about our 330 Regional Hospice volunteers. This past year alone, our volunteers generously donated 16,800 volunteer hours to help our families and assist with our programs. They greeted visitors in our Center for Comfort Care & Healing, worked in our gardens, provided pet therapy to our patients, gave their time and resources as members of our board of directors, made flower arrangements for patients and helped to maintain our building. Volunteers work in our offices; they raise significant support through chapter events, our gala and our golf tournament to keep our in-patient center doors open and sustain our programs; their commitment is endless!

Sara wanted us to promise her that we would find new ways to show them how important they are: multimedia, interviews on the big screen, more pictures and interviews on the website.

You name it; she was excited about the possibilities to make them feel like the rock stars they truly were to her!

My deepest thanks to all volunteers who freely give their time and compassion to help Regional Hospice and Home Care and every other non-profit that could not exist without you. This is your month—Sara would want you all to savor every last bit of our gratitude!

Cynthia Emiry Roy, MS, LCSW, CHA President & CEO

Boomer’s & Beyond helping the community! What can we do for your Organization?

Contact Jim Stankiewicz jim@healthcarenewspaper.com 845-202-4737

May is National Arthritis Awareness Month

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

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May, 2016

May is recognized each year as National Arthritis Awareness Month. Arthritis is a disease that impacts more than 50 million Americans, making it the number one cause of disability in the country.

That means 1 in every 5 adults, 300,000 children and countless families are affected by arthritis.

These numbers are only going to keep growing—unless we take a stand.

The Arthritis Foundation is leading the way to conquer arthritis and its effects through our advocacy efforts at the state level and on Capitol Hill, our cutting-edge scientific research, and our tools and resources that help you live your best life.

The first steps in conquering arthritis are learning the facts, understanding your condition and knowing that help is by your side. Below, you’ll find some telling statistics about the current impact of arthritis on the U.S. population, resources to help you learn more about arthritis, and additional information on how you can help and get involved.

Arthritis by the Numbers: • Nearly 53 million adults have doctordiagnosed arthritis; that number is expected to grow to 67 million by 2030.

• Almost 300,000 babies, kids and teens have arthritis or a rheumatic condition.

• Arthritis is the nation’s No. 1 cause of disability.

• Working-age men and women (ages 18 to 64) with arthritis are less likely to be employed than those of the same age without arthritis.

• 1/3 of working-age people with arthritis have limitations in their ability to work, the type of work they can do or whether they can work part time or full time.

• People with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis –two major kinds of arthritis – miss a combined 172 million workdays every year.

• Arthritis and related conditions account for more than $156 billion annually in lost wages and medical expenses.

• There are nearly 1 million hospitalizations each year due to arthritis.

• 57% of adults with heart disease have arthritis.

• 52% of adults with diabetes have arthritis.

• 44% of adults with high blood pressure have arthritis.

• 36% of adults who are obese have arthritis.

• 1/3 of adults with arthritis age 45 and older have either anxiety or depression.

source: Arthritis Foundation

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Promoting Sun Safety in Your Community: Senior Centers PAGE 12

May, 2016

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

Summer sun is around the corner, and May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

The odds of developing skin cancer rise as you age; in fact, between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have at least one skin cancer. Older white men are at particular risk: Caucasian men over the age of 65 have had an 8.8 percent annual increase in melanoma incidence since 2003, the highest annual increase of any gender or age group. Melanoma will kill an estimated 5,700 men in the US in 2011.

Many older adults think that there’s no point in protecting themselves since the damage has been done, but it’s never too late to help prevent further damage and lower your skin cancer risk. Read about The Skin Cancer Foundation’s tips for helping seniors stay sun-safe, below:

• Distribute brochures and display posters in senior center common areas like lobbies, dining rooms, gyms, and restrooms to promote sun safety.

• Use an event like Senior Citizens’ Week as an opportunity for educating older adults about sun-safe behaviors.

• Encourage visitors and residents to wear protective clothing, wear broadbrimmed hats and UV-filtering sunglasses on outdoor excursions.

• Encourage the application of water-resistant, SPF 30 or higher sunscreen before excursions.

• Review available shade in the building or complex. Consider applying UV-blocking film to windows in common areas.

• Schedule outdoor excursions and other activities to avoid the hours between 10 AM and 4 PM. Ensure that there are frequent “shade breaks,” or times to rest in sheltered areas.

• Educate staff to give appropriate advice on the early detection of skin cancers.

• Work with local medical organizations to offer a skin cancer screening at local centers. source: www.skincancer.org

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer, but with early detection and proper treatment, it is nearly 100% curable, according to the AAD. Follow the “ABCDE rule.”

See your doctor if you have a mole or new growth that has:

Asymmetrical shape

Border with a ragged or notched edge Colors that include more than one shade of

A

brown or black, or red, white, or blue pigment

A

Diameter bigger than a pencil eraser Evolved in shape, size, color, or texture

source: American Academy of Dermatology

Leavitt Family Jewish Home at JGS Lifecare continues “Bubbies” Passover tradition Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

In what has become an annual tradition, the Leavitt Family Jewish Home at JGS Lifecare continued its Passover Take-Out program-- “Bubbies” – for the Jewish Holiday. Passover begins the evening of April 22 and ends at sundown April 30.

The “Bubbies” (which is the affectionate Yiddish term for “grandmother”) program was established as a convenience to Jewish community members who may not have the time to cook for Passover.

Today was pick-up day for the culinary specialties that included appetizers such as chopped liver, barbecued meatballs, chicken soup, matzo balls and gefilte fish with red horseradish. Dinner specialties included boneless breast of chicken with stuffing, roast brisket of beef jardinière, potato scallion kugel, carrot and sweet potato tzimmes, charoses, rosemary roasted potatoes, and mixed fruit compote.

Passover Seders, featuring a feast of traditional Kosher for Passover dishes, were also celebrated at the nursing home and Ruth’s House Assisted Living Residence on the 22nd for residents, family and friends.

JGS Lifecare is a leading health care system serving seniors and their families.

JGS Lifecare services include nursing home care, home health and hospice care,

May, 2016

Lara Curtis of Longmeadow picks up her Bubbies for Passover. Also pictured are Cindy Springer, JGS Lifecare Dietary Aide, and Kim Grandfield, JGS Lifecare Development Coordinator

assisted living, adult day health care, rehabilitation services, palliative care, music therapy and subsidized independent living.

The Leavitt Family Jewish Nursing Home is a Joint Commission accredited 200-bed skilled nursing facility offering short-term rehabilitation and long-term

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provided

nursing care. Part of JGS Lifecare’s family of services, it is located on the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus in Longmeadow, MA.

Join us—Lady Luck will find you!

provided

An Evening in Monte Carlo to benefit Regional Hospice and Home Care is coming to the Salem Country Club in North Salem, New York on Saturday, June 4th.

The public is invited to join a glamorous evening of magic, music, elegant cuisine, games of chance and whimsical surprises—all to support Regional Hospice’s home care and bereavement programs and its Center for Comfort Care & Healing.

Try your luck at poker, craps, roulette, blackjack and slot machines.

Your winnings will be in the form of raffle tickets to win luxurious prizes and vacation getaways. By sharing a beautiful evening for such an exceptional cause—everyone goes home a winner!

Tickets are $150 pp. For more information on An Evening in Monte Carlo, please contact events@regionalhospicect.org

Regional Hospice and Home Care’s team of experienced clinicians have been providing physical, emotional, spiritual and bereavement support to children, adults and their families through our palliative and hospice care program for the past 30 years. Regional Hospice and Home Care is a nonprofit, state-licensed and Medicarecertified home health care and hospice agency. Now, with the opening of our new private-room, specialty hospital for palliative and end-of-life care — the Center for Comfort Care & Healing — Regional Hospice and Home Care can bring that same hope and compassionate care close to home and under one roof.

For more information, visit www.RegionalHospiceCT.org.

Follow us on twitter: @RegionalHospice. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RegionalHospiceandHomeCare.

Sixteen for ’16: Columbia Ophthalmologists honored among Best Eye Doctors in New York, Nation PAGE 14

Stanley Chang, MD

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

May, 2016

George A. Cioffi, MD

This year, a host of eye doctors from Columbia University Medical Center, once again, have been named best in the local region, state and nation, according to listings from an industry source.

Dr. Stanley Chang, Dr. G.A. “Jack” Cioffi and Dr. Jeffrey Liebmann are among top doctors from CUMC’s Department of Ophthalmology, who lead the national, state-wide and regional rosters, according to Castle Connolly and New York Magazine’s annual “Top Doctors” listings.

Jeffrey M. Liebmann, MD

A total of sixteen Columbia Ophthalmologists, as listed below, made the prestigious lists, which include thousands of doctors from a wide range of specialty areas.

From these lists, Drs. Stanley Chang and Jeffrey Liebmann are Castle Connolly’s longest running CUMC-based, national title-holders, dating back to 2000. Also at the national level, Dr. George “Jack” Cioffi has held the similar national distinction over consecutive years since 2013.

Rounding out the list of clinicians, Dr. Daniel Casper has been named among the best in the region consecutively since 1996.

Daniel S. Casper, MD, PhD

For the five boroughs, New York Magazine publishes a selection from the Castle Connolly grouping of those local practitioners who represent excellence in Manhattan and its neighboring communities for its own list of top doctors. This listing can be seen on the New York Magazine website. The 2016 list will be published in May, according to a representative of the lifestyle magazine.

For more information, please visit www.columbiaeye.org photos provided

‘Smart’ contact lens could improve vision, predict glaucoma risk

“This contact lens allows us to differentiate those who were progressing faster from those who were stable,” Dr. C. Gustavo De Moraes told CBS News New York in a recent interview. Patients wear a wireless device that sends a readout to the ophthalmologist. Doctors said the ultimate goal of the smart lens technology is to help monitor patients continuously, day and night. “We have no way of measuring pressure at night at the moment.

We are missing critical pieces of information to help us make decisions,” Dr. Jeffrey Liebmann said.

To learn more about Columbia Ohthalmology galucoma please visit www.columbiaeye.org

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

May, 2016

PAGE 15

SPECIALIZING IN CARDIOLOGY, INTERNAL MEDICINE AND GASTROENTEROLOGY

HONORED ON

‘Best Doctors’ LISTS YEAR AFTER YEAR

ROBERT BELKIN, MD GABRIELLE BOLTON, MD MARK BORKIN, MD SUSAN CAMPANILE, MD LEO CARDILLO, MD MAXWELL CHAIT, MD ALBERT DELUCA, MD JEFFREY DONIS, MD JOYDEEP GHOSH, MD LAWRENCE GLASSBERG, MD EDUARDO GRANATO, MD CRAIG HJEMDAHL-MONSEN, MD KUMAR KALAPATAPU, MD

SRIRAMA KALAPATAPU, MD RICHARD KAY, MD ANDREW CARL KONTAK, MD ANDREW KUPERSMITH, MD STEVEN LANDAU, MD YAT WA (BETTY) LI, MD SANJAY NAIK, MD DIMPLE PATEL, MD RONALD PRESTON, MD ANTHONY PUCILLO, MD TODD C. PULERWITZ, MD MONICA REYNOLDS, MD JAE RO, MD

WARREN ROSENBLUM, MD ABDOLLAH SEDIGHI, MD INDERPAL SINGH, MD SUSAN SOEIRO, MD DAVID E. SOLARZ, MD CARMINE SORBERA, MD ELENA L. TSAI, MD STEVEN L. VALENSTEIN, MD MELVIN WEISS, MD RONALD WEISSMAN, MD PRESTON WINTERS, MD

Visit us at one of our locations: 19 Bradhurst Avenue Suite 700 Hawthorne, NY 10532 (914)593-7800

15 North Broadway 2nd Floor White Plains, NY 10601 (914)428-6000

5 Coates Drive Suite 2 Goshen, NY 10924 (845)294-1234

30 Greenridge Avenue Suite 207 White Plains, NY 10605 (914)328-8555

180 East Hartsdale Avenue Suite 1E Hartsdale, NY 10530 (914)725-2010

3 Michael Frey Drive Eastchester, NY 10709 (914)337-3500

688 White Plains Road Suite 210 Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914)723-3322

334 Route 202 Bailey Court Somers, NY 10589 (914)277-4367

154 Pike Street Port Jervis, NY 12771 (845) 858-4444

105 Stevens Avenue Suite 101 Mount Vernon, NY 10550 (914)667-8777

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May, 2016

Boomers & Beyond - Fairfield County

1-877-Call VNA V A vnahvv.org

Your home. Yourr needs. Our services. ces.

Visiting Nurse Association of Hudson Hu udson Valley delivers the best quality professional in-home nursing, rehabilitative, home health aide and hospice services to residents of Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Expertise. Communication. Commitment.

Our specialty programs ensure the best possible care. Ǧ ơ Ǥ

Call us 24 hours/7 days a week for all of your needs.

Corporate Address: 540 White Plains Road, Ste. 300 Tarrytown, NY 10591-5132 Ȉ (914) 666-7616

Putnam Address: 20 Milltown Road, Ste. 101 Brewster, NY 10509-4309 Ȉ (845) 278-4068