For Better Health October 2018

For Better Health

THE NEWTOWN BEE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018

Liam O’Keefe, co-owner of On the Mend Medical Supplies & Equipment, demonstrates one of the store’s many in stock alternating pressure and low air pressure chair and bed pads.

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On the Mend Medical Supplies & Equipment’s 24/7 response team, clockwise from upper left, Liam O’Keefe, Max Retallick, Marci Beck, and Bob Rainey, take advantage of a brief moment to relax among the company’s huge in-stock inventory of custom lift and sleep chairs at their Southbury retail center.

—Bee Photo, Voket.

Marci Beck of On the Mend Medical Supplies & Equipment in Southbury sits on one of the many motorized scooters in stock and ready for pickup or delivery at the company’s retail center. On the Mend can sell or rent scooters as well as a number of mobility devices like rollators and wheelchairs.

Need Medical Supplies, Equipment Now? On The Mend Is On The Way!

By John Voket SOUTHBURY — Say what you will about the competitive pricing and convenience of online shopping for many products and items we use every day. But when it comes to medical supplies or equipment, clicking your way through countless options, and then figuring out how to assemble and use the items you ordered a day or two later, is neither practical nor convenient.

The 24/7 response team at Southbury’s On the Mend Medical Supplies & Equipment can not only beat Amazon or a host of other online suppliers to your door — often within mere hours of your call — but they also arrive with the knowledge, training, and

know-how to install or assemble the equipment you are buying or renting.

Plus, they will confidently and patiently teach you everything you need to know about their products, so you, your loved one, or the individual you are caring for can begin to heal or get the support they need to minimize the burden and inconveniences of their particular injury or health condition.

On The Mend owners Liam O’Keefe, Bob Rainey, and their team members Marci Beck and Max Retallick recently invited For Better Health into their 6,400-square-foot retail and warehouse center at 385 Main Street South #102, which serves as home

base for all of Litchfield, Fairfield, and northern New Haven Counties in Connecticut as well as parts of Westchester County, N.Y., and other regions of Southern New England.

The retail side of their store is packed with product, including alternating pressure and low air pressure surfaces, bathroom safety and shower systems; canes; knee walkers; rollators and wheelchairs; compression socks, stockings, custom garments, and footwear; hospital beds; patient lifts; incontinence supplies; lift, reclining, and sleeper chairs; power scooters; power chairs and accessories; as well as ramps and handicap access solutions — even stair, platform, and portable lifts.

While Mr O’Keefe and Ms Beck handle business in the retail store, along with providing knowledgeable advice on how to get the most out of every product they sell, Mr Rainey, Mr Retallick, several other staffers, or a select group of vetted installation and service contractors are often out on the road making deliveries and getting folks set up to enjoy or take the best advantage of their On The Mend acquisitions at home or in various regional assisted living and age restricted communities.

The company also purveys a variety of top quality CPAP machines and portable oxygen devices and contracts with Jennifer Iamacelli, a Registered Respiratory Therapist who also practic-

es at Bridgeport Hospital and Danbury Hospital.

Mr O’Keefe said On The Mend separates itself from its online and other regional retail competitors by being ultra responsive; he said his entire staff and trusted contractors truly care about each customer, patient, caregiver, and family member they meet.

“We refer to On The Mend as a ‘Now Center.’ So whether you are coming in here for a pair of compression stockings, a cane, or you need us to come out and evaluate your home or room for a full agingin-place or recovery renovation, we all treat our clients like we would our own moms and dads,” he said. “That means if your mom is coming home from the hospital

at nine o’clock on a Sunday night and she has to have a hospital bed delivered and set up, we’ll be there to take care of all your needs.”

Mr Rainey said he, his staffers, and his contractors also have a working familiarity with many of the various living communities, assisted living complexes, and housing stock in their service area, and they are uniquely qualified to perform installations from simple shower or toilet grab bars, to complex ramp systems and stair lifts.

“We’ll either get a call that someone is coming home from the hospital or from rehab, or somebody’s loved one is aging, they’ve fallen, or they are afraid they are going to fall,” he explained. “So we’ll go

out and do a thorough, free consultation and survey of the home or living space. We’re not trying to sell them everything we can, just give them a solid idea of the options we offer and the potential cost to help keep their parent or loved one safe.”

The On The Mend field call may only initially be for one thing, but clients are entitled to a full and free evaluation so they not only have a complete picture of what their loved one may need today, but the types of products that might be helpful and make their lives and lifestyle better for months or years to come, he said.

Mr Rainey added that his company is simply there to provide ( continued on page C - 2 )

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THE NEWTOWN BEE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018

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By Kendra Bobowick Chef Raquel Rivera-Pablo is always excited to reveal her secrets on food, cooking, health, and whipping up enjoyable meals. And she does so in a big way — by educating entire communities on the importance of healthy cooking, understanding nutritional information, and shopping on a budget.

In 2009, Chef Raquel created her own cooking business, A Pinch of Salt LLC, offering hands-on cooking instruction on the preparation of healthy, inexpensive, and easy-to-recreate meals.

Since moving to Bridgeport in 2013, she has shared her cooking knowledge with the community through her partnerships with Cooking Matters, the YMCA, the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, and during demonstrations at the Bridgeport Farmers Market Collaborative.

Sitting down for an interview, the food expert looked back to her humble beginnings.

“I started about ten years ago. After working for cooking studios in New York, I wanted to do something for a wider range of people.” Her intent was to show others “how to utilize products to the best of their ability so that anyone can [cook] in the kitchen.

She said, “A pinch of salt — salt is a foundation about making food delicious, and salt is inexpensive, making the cooking welcoming and entry-level.”

Chef Raquel believes people are empowered when a recipe “is something they are capable of doing start to finish. Things can seem elaborate, but it’s how you treat the ingredients.”

She first recognized her need to learn to cook abruptly.

“When my mom moved — she was my eating source — I invited a boyfriend over, and I didn’t know how to make a meal.”

So she started watching food programs and read a lot of recipes. “I soon enrolled in culinary school and realized the work that goes into it – the why behind the recipe.

Chef Raquel said, “Some people get rattled in the kitchen. People can realize that cooking is not that difficult.”

Start with “good, fresh ingredients,

Chef Raquel Rivera-Pablo yes! Let ingredients speak for themselves” When it comes to cooking healthy, Chef Raquel says, “A lot of work I do is with farmers markets; there are seven in Bridgeport, and I do a cooking class or demo, so as people are out shopping, they can learn to use an ingredient or cook it differently.”

She will combine zucchini together with ricotta cheese, demonstrating how to do a recipe “quick and easy” and shoppers can taste it, she said.

“Evaluate your pantry; you can start

making little changes,” she said. “Make a return back to basic ingredients.

Rather than buying prepared marinara sauce, buy whole or diced tomatoes,” as they are usually less expensive and more versatile and lower in sugar.

“Take things to the basic level,” she said.

Beans are versatile, she explained.

“Canned beans can be used in soup or humus or smashed over toast to put protein into your diet,” she said.

“Stick to things you like, so it’s not like a diet and something forced — so

you’re enjoying it,” she said.

Her suggestion: “Adding almonds to salad and lessening the amount of red meat and adding another protein — It’s about making small improvements.

Maybe using olive oil to saute or make a salad dressing.”

She also recommends eliminating processed foods. “Rather than keeping salad dressing, take olive oil, vinegar, and mustard” and combine ingredients to make a dressing. “…it’s about the little things,” said Chef Raquel.

So what about cooking on a tight budget?

During her demos, she said, “I have a table and little burner to turn on. So even people with limitations [with kitchen equipment] can learn stove-top cooking, and meals can be prepared by using just that.”

She will use simple ingredients. “I made a soup with lentils — something dry that you get in the bag. I add carrot, celery, diced tomatoes; I use fresh or sometimes canned. Some people rely on food pantries, and its soup — you can make it, store it, keep it fresh, incorporate herbs, and bump up the flavor without bumping up the price.”

Onions and garlic, they can store for a long time, she said. “Using aromatic ingredients also lessens the amount of salt.”

She tries “to make it simple so a person can understand that they can do this,” Chef Raquel said.

For shoppers she sees at a farmer’s market, she said, “They can get a recipe — maybe it’s online, or sometimes I have something written to give them at the moment. They can learn a recipe by grabbing things that are at the market.”

Chef Raquel graduated with highest honors from the Institute of Culinary Education and completed her internship at the legendary Le Bernardin in New York City.

Because of her dedicated service to City Harvest in New York, Chef Raquel received the honor of an invitation to the launch of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative held on the White House South Lawn.

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A small crowd listens as Chef Raquel speaks about healthy ingredients and cooking on a budget.

Chef Raquel prepares a salad to demonstrate how to combine ingredients for a healthy meal.

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Need Medical Supplies, Equipment Now? On The Mend Is On The Way!

( continued from page C - 1 )

solutions so anyone with a medical or mobility challenge can live more happily, comfortably, and independently.

He revealed that the company is poised to expand and launch a subsidiary called On The Mend Rehab, which will be uniquely positioned to serve critical patient needs for those undergoing or recovering from rehabilitation.

Mr Rainey said in many cases, the investment in specialized equipment, or even a temporary rental, can save patients money, and in some cases they pay for themselves.

“That’s because maybe instead of having two aids, you’ll only need one because we provided you with a lift or a lift chair or a scooter,” he said. “We also provide sleeping solutions. Part of On The Mend Rehab will be involved with home care beds and stair lift solutions. As people age, they want to stay home.

So these can help you move up in your home instead of

moving out of your home.”

Anyone who calls On The Mend should know that while their “Now Center” team will provide them with a comprehensive checklist of options

based on the specialized needs and lifestyles of the loved one requiring the outfitting or equipment, they can also help caregivers prioritize so they get the best

solutions available within anyone’s set budget.

“We’re not a cutthroat business,” Mr Rainey added. “We are fully focused on the customer, not our competitors.

Southbury’s On the Mend Medical Supplies & Equipment has plenty of custom orthotic footwear and hosiery for men, women, and youths. And if they don’t have it, chances are they can get what customers and patients need, often as fast or faster than trying to buy online.

—Bee Photo, Voket

We feel strongly that we’re not going to stick people with things they don’t need or can’t afford, and we service and train you how to use everything we provide. And if something goes wrong with anything we provide, we’ll be there immediately to swap it out with a loaner.”

If by some chance a patient has a highly specialized equipment or supply need the team at On The Mend does not carry, they have immediate access to regional, national, and global resources that can put them in the know with a phone call or a few clicks of a mouse.

Mr Rainey said, “If you need it, and we don’t know about it today, we’ll be experts on it by tomorrow.”

To learn more about On The Mend, for a consultation, or to determine if they have the equipment or products you need, call 203- 262-0383 or visit onthemendmedical.com.

And tell them you heard about them by reading about them in For Better Health.

THE NEWTOWN BEE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018

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Human Impact Unclear—

Professor Mulls Implications Of First Asian Longhorned Tick Found In State

By Andrew Gorosko DANBURY — While conducting a routine tick collection in July “somewhere in Fairfield County,” a research assistant from the Tickborne Disease Prevention Laboratory or “tick lab” at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) discovered one of the many ticks she collected seemed out of the ordinary. It was unlike any of the other ticks she had been collecting over the past two years.

Brittany Schappach, a recent WCSU biology graduate, had collected what is technically known as Haemaphysalis longicornis — an Asian longhorned tick. It was the first such tick to have been found in Connecticut.

The Asian longhorned tick is an invasive species that can harm livestock, and it can carry deadly diseases. So far, the tick is not known to be a danger to humans in the US, according to the tick lab.

Associate Professor Neeta Pardanani Connally, PhD, MSPH, who is the tick lab’s director, said, “It remains to be seen what the implications are... At this point, It’s a question mark.” Dr Connally is a medical entomologist.

It is unclear whether the longhorned tick carries human pathogens, she said, adding that it also is unclear how long the longhorned tick has been in Connecticut. The insect also is known as the bush tick or the cattle tick.

The tick, which is native to Eastern Asia, is an invasive species to Australia and New Zealand. Besides Connecticut, the tick has been found in eight other states — Arkansas, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Ms Shappach said, “We have only found one (longhorned) tick in Connecticut.”

Dr Connally noted that the longhorned species is unusual in that it is capable of reproducing without mating, meaning that its numbers could increase rapidly. The lifespan of the longhorned tick is unknown, she said.

Researchers at the tick lab are seeking to learn precisely how the longhorned tick travels. Ticks typically travel by attaching themselves to the body of host animals, such as mammals, birds, or reptiles The longhorned tick is distinctive in that is has a reddish/brownish body.

A deer tick’s ability to spread disease to humans through its parasitic bloodsucking action is partly possible because humans often do not feel the physical presence of a tick on their skin, Dr Connally said.

Research assistant Sandra ZapataRamirez said that a few scientific papers have been published in New Zealand and Korea about the longhorned tick, but there

are many unknowns about the species.

When considering the potential for humans to acquire diseases when they come into contact with parasitic ticks, a goal of the tick lab is to keep people from encountering ticks.

A Surprising Discovery Ms Shappach recalled finding the single longhorned tick in the woods.

“Right away, when I was counting the ticks, I could tell this one was different,” she said. “The size, shape, and color were all different from the blacklegged ticks that we usually collect.”

Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, transmit Lyme disease.

“This particular (longhorned) tick looks very similar to rabbit ticks that we have collected in the past,” Dr Connally said.

“But rabbit ticks do not really threaten livestock health the way that this invasive tick species can, so it was important to confirm for sure what kind of tick we had on our hands.”

Dr Connally sent the tick to the Center for Vector Biology at Rutgers University, where it was first identified using DNA analysis. The USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa then confirmed the identification.

“We knew that there was a good chance the (longhorned) tick was present in Connecticut because it was recently detected in neighboring New York State, but we had not seen any unusual ticks among the thousands of ticks we have collected from both residential properties and public forests,” Dr Connally said.

The WCSU tick lab plans to expand its tick monitoring efforts.

“Because we just became aware that this tick is present in the US, we still have a lot to learn about how it will behave in the environment and how it will affect the hosts on which it can feed,” Dr Connally said.

The first confirmed US collection of the longhorned tick was in New Jersey in 2017, but researchers have since determined

Sitting at a powerful microscope, Neeta Pardanani Connally, PhD, MSPH, foreground, is a medical entomologist who is an associate professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. Dr Connally is the director of the Tickborne Disease Prevention Laboratory there. Also shown in that lab are research assistants Brittany Schappach, left, and Sandra Zapata-Ramirez.

—Bee Photo, Gorosko

that the tick has probably been present in the US dating back to at least 2010.

In its native range, the longhorned tick is a troublesome pest of livestock and is capable of transmitting disease-causing pathogens to humans. Currently, it is unknown if it can transmit pathogens to humans in the US. Because Connecticut is home to blacklegged ticks and other human-biting tick species, Dr Connally said the typical methods for preventing tick bites on humans should work for longhorned ticks, too.

“People should always remember that spending time outdoors in our region means that they can encounter a tick,” she said. “Performing daily checks, showering after coming indoors, and wearing repellent are ways you can reduce your risk for a tick bite.”

The Second Tick Newtown Public Health Director Donna Culbert said the discovery of the longhorned tick is recent, so it remains unclear

if it poses any new health risks to humans.

But she recommended that people who are active outdoors continue practicing the standard measures intended to prevent disease transmission by ticks.

Goudarz Molaei, PhD, MSc, BSc, who is an agricultural scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, said that on September 20 the parents of a child who had been bitten by a longhorned tick in Fairfield County submitted that intact blood-engorged tick to the experiment station for scientific research. It is the second such longhorned tick known to have been found in Connecticut.

Dr Molaei said on September 28 that he planned to visit the area where that tick was reportedly found in seeking to find other specimens of that tick species.

Because longhorned ticks have been able to overwinter in the US, they will become an established species here, Dr Molaei said. Scientists are will be studying whether longhorned ticks are able to transmit

Lyme disease to humans. Lyme disease is the disease most commonly transmitted by ticks to humans in the US.

A microscopic photo of the Asian longhorned tick. — Steven Engborg photo

Brittany Schappach, a research assistant at the Tickborne Disease Prevention Laboratory at Western Connecticut State University, is seen pulling a “drag” across some wooded terrain to collect ticks that will be scientifically analyzed.

— Peggy Stewart photo

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—photo courtesy of Dr Aaron Gilman

DIY Teeth Straightening Not Aligned With Professionals’ Care

By Alissa Silber Do it yourself (DIY) teeth straightening can be tempting for anyone in search of a perfect smile on the cheap. But medical professionals warn that the irreversible damage it can cause is nothing to smile about.

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, last year, its members reported a 13 percent increase in the number of patients who have tried DIY teeth straightening.

Even though most people say they have “crooked teeth,” it is not the tooth itself that is bent.

The alignment of the teeth can make a tooth appear crooked due a variety of factors, including genetics, the physiology of the aging process, and certain repetitive habits that effect facial muscles, like smoking.

Despite the common misconception that wisdom teeth play a role in shifting teeth, Orthodontist Dr Aaron Gilman at Newtown’s Dental Associates said, “The third molars are innocent bystanders that just happen to grow in at the same time that the human jaw starts to get more narrow.”

The physiologic aging process begins at the age of 20 and continues throughout life, causing the jaw to decrease by millimeters — enough sometimes for teeth to overlap.

“As I’ve seen throughout my career, a lot of people that don’t have wisdom teeth or never grew them in have the same late crowding that exists in those patients that say to me ‘I think my wisdom teeth

are causing my teeth to be crooked,’” he explained.

With YouTube and other social media sites being so accessible, it is easier now more than ever to share DIY teeth straightening methods to impressionable audiences of all ages who are looking for a quick fix at a low cost.

There countless tutorials online showing how to use everything from rubber bands to paperclips to shift teeth — some even recommend pushing on the teeth directly with your fingers to move them into the desire position.

Earlier this year, the British Dental Association urged YouTube to remove all DIY teeth straightening methods from its site and warned that there are irreparable effects that can result from them.

“It’s very dangerous,” Dr Gilman says of the DIY trend.

“An orthodontist understands how to apply forces to the teeth in a controlled way to prevent problems with the surrounding bone and the gum tissues. When you are doing it unsupervised — whether you are paying a company online or you are just doing home remedies — you can cause severe damage to the surrounding structures of the teeth, which can result in tooth loss, gum loss, and bone loss.”

He has seen the consequences of DIY teeth straightening firsthand on his patients from Newtown who have tried these unsafe practices.

“I’ve had cases where I’ve had to fix a situation when the patient had done something on their own, unsupervised,”

he said. “Sometimes, the damage is irreversible, because once you lose bone around a tooth, then the tooth is most likely to fall out. That’s very expensive to fix.”

Dr Gilman has also had patients come in for a consultation, only for them to tell him that they are going to try a method that they found online because they believe it is cheaper.

“Then they come back and say, ‘Okay, that didn’t work; it was very frustrating, nothing fit right, and there was nobody to talk to,” he said.

On top of that, the patient can be out more than $1,500 if they purchased a DIY mold through companies like SmileDirectClub, in addition to the cost of paying a trained professional to fix the damage they created from the DIY trend.

Teeth Are For A Lifetime “Orthodontic treatment is not a product or a device. It is a professional medical service,” Dr Gilman emphasized.

“An orthodontist is guiding teeth through bone, and he or she can recognize if something is going wrong and correct it.”

Medical professionals, like himself, receive extensive training to be able to give customized service to patients that no DIY method can provide.

Recently, Dr Gilman had a young patient with misaligned teeth come in to Dental Associates where they did an x-ray that revealed she had a cyst in her bone that needed to be addressed.

“Having not had that x-ray, she could have lost a portion of

her jawbone… and it was inadvertently spotted during and orthodontic examination,” he said.

Since every case is different, Dr Gilman advises those seeking straighter teeth see a professional to find out the necessary steps that need to be taken for them.

Patients can choose from traditional metal braces or clear plastic liners, both of which can be needed for as little as three to six months or up to two years, depending on the situation.

“The teeth have to be put under a pressure that is gentle and light over time to prevent the surrounding tissue and bone from having negative consequences,” Dr Gilman explained.

For those considering turning to DIY teeth straightening methods because of the cost of braces, there are ways the treatment can be made more affordable.

“One of the things that we try to do is to make treatments affordable by spreading payments out over time. Also [by] helping patients to maximize insurance and use flexible spending and health savings accounts,” he said.

Today, he treats children as young as 7 years old all the way up to adults in their 70s who want good health for the years ahead.

“Orthodontic treatment is an investment for a lifetime of a beautiful smile and for good health,” Dr Gilman said. “It is not just the cosmetics of the teeth. You are paying for many years of function and the ability to talk, chew, and bite.”

State Receives $12.2 Million To Support First Health Information Exchange System HARTFORD — Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced on September 6 that the State of Connecticut will receive a $12.2 million grant to support ongoing work that will establish Connecticut’s first statewide health information exchange.

The grant, awarded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS), supports efforts to develop a secure, modern health information exchange that facilitates the sharing of health data to further patient care, improve proper efficiency, and rein in the high cost of health care.

“Healthy communities are an important part of a strong economy and building a strong workforce that attracts businesses and spurs job creation,” said Governor Malloy in a September 6 release. “Establishing the health information exchange will improve patient care and save valuable time and resources for providers — an important factor in containing health care costs. Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy is fighting aggressively to advance access to high-quality health care and rein in health care spending. Health care is a basic human right that should never be out of reach for anyone. I want to especially thank [Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman], OHS Executive Director Vicki Veltri, and Social Services Commissioner Rod Bremby for their leadership on this issue.”

Lt Governor Wyman said health care is changing quickly.

“Connecticut providers need a modern, clear, and cohesive system for information exchange that ensures timely information to providers so they can deliver the best care quickly,” said Lt Governor Wyman, who heads Connecti-

cut’s health reform efforts.

“Having a health information exchange that works for providers and patients across the state will improve the quality of care for consumers, help us identify gaps in care and health care disparities, and get us to lower overall health care costs. Connecticut is consistently rated among the top ten states for health care in national surveys — we must continue this progress for our residents and for Connecticut’s economy.”

OHS Executive Director Vicki Veltri thanked CMS and the hundreds of community partners, advocates, providers, and experts for efforts in supporting a health cost containment.

“Through the health information exchange, providers will have quick access to clinical and diagnostic data that gives them a comprehensive picture of their patients — important information that leads to better care, fewer unnecessary tests, and using health care dollars more efficiently,” said Ms Veltri. “The health information exchange also advances our efforts to improve population health and reduce racial, ethnic, and gender health inequities.”

Department of Social Services Commissioner Rod Bremby said the initiative to create a statewide health information exchange is vital to the health of the state’s residents, especially older adults with complex or multiple conditions.

“When you have doctors and other health care providers treating various conditions simultaneously — for example, heart, kidney, and primary care issues — it is critical that up-to-date information is shared in real time,” said Mr Bremby. “Medication regimens also must be exchanged, especially when a patient completes a hospital stay or outpa-

tient care. We are also grateful to CMS for its continued investment in the Connecticut Medicaid health information technology infrastructure. This will help Connecticut sustain a leading Medicaid program that has successfully improved patient outcomes while controlling costs.”

The grant follows a $5 million federal investment the state received in 2017 that facilitated health information exchange planning. To qualify for the additional resources, states outlined how their health technology plan would improve disease management, serve the Medicaid population (more than 800,000 Connecticut residents), combat the opioid epidemic, and improve overall health care using clinical data.

The new round of funding launches a pilot program for the health information exchange, which was one of the nine recommendations made by the Health Information Technology Advisory Council, a statutory body tasked with a comprehensive examination of Connecticut’s current health technology needs.

“The health information exchange will improve care.

Providers will be able to exchange clinical and diagnostic data in real time — efficiencies that will save time and resources for health care systems and patients,” said OHS Health Information Technology Officer Allan Hackney. “We engaged nearly 300 providers and consumers and 75 organizations across the health sector in Connecticut to help us understand the issues and opportunities for improving care delivery and outcomes.

Technology can and should be a great partner in health reform.”

The health information exchange will also enable a platform for measuring clini-

cal quality and more quickly analyzing population health — one of the keys to improving health care accessibility and correcting racial, ethnic, and gender health inequities, according to the release. Currently, analysts most commonly use insurance claims data, which is only a proxy for realtime clinical information. This use of the health information exchange dovetails with the work of OHS’s State Innovation Model Office and the Health Systems Planning Unit in their efforts to better address gaps in health care, improve community health, and evaluate the performance of Connecticut’s health care providers.

CFO and Vice President of Business Planning for the Connecticut Hospital Association John Brady said, “Patients receive more coordinated care when the systems that providers use are interoperable.

Interoperability, which is when disparate systems work together, allows providers to have the latest information about a person’s care at their fingertips, no matter where that person has been seen previously. We look forward to working with the state to ensure the [health information exchange] that is developed leverages current provider-led efforts and avoids duplication.”

The health information exchange is underpinned by a trust framework that both stipulates the permitted use of data, which is protected under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and outlines the responsibilities of providers to data exchange. It will be designed in compliance with national standards for security, including HITRUST certification. It is expected to be operational by early 2019, according to the release.

THE NEWTOWN BEE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018

C-FIVE

Senators Murphy, Blumenthal React To Passage Of Federal Opioid Bill WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and US Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, are applauding the passage of the final bipartisan package of measures to combat the national opioid epidemic.

The bipartisan SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act includes dozens of new policies and grant programs to combat the nation’s opioid crisis, like closing loopholes to stop the flow of illegal drugs from crossing the border, improving care and support for substance-exposed babies and their mothers, funding research grants to discover new nonaddictive painkillers, and expanding an existing program to train more first responders to carry and use Narcan, a medication used to treat a narcotic overdose in an emergency situation.

Sen Murphy’s Recovery COACH Act and At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act were both included in the final bill, which was moved to the President’s desk for signing.

“When I travel across Connecticut, I hear over and over again how addiction has been tearing families and communities apart. The opioid crisis in this country is getting worse, and for the last two years, Republicans have spent most of their time trying to decimate treatment funding,” said Sen Murphy.

“This legislation shows that Congress can still come together and act on behalf of the American people,” Sen Blumenthal said. “I fought hard for reforms and investments that will increase the number of local drug takeback programs, increase transparency in opioid prescribing, improve the care

those in recovery receive at sober homes, and empower law enforcement with the tools they need to keep deadly, illegal drugs off our streets.”

Numerous provisions led by Sen Blumenthal were included in the final package, including: *The Access to Increased Drug Disposal Act: Introduced in April 2018 by Blumenthal, along with US Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), this bill would increase participation in federal prescription drug take-back programs by providing grants to states to help pharmacies meet DEA requirements for such programs. *The Fighting the Opioid Epidemic with Sunshine Act: Introduced in May 2018 by Blumenthal, along with US Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), this bill would increase transparency in opioid prescribing by requiring drug companies to disclose payments made to nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Similar disclosure requirements already exist for payments made to doctors. *The Comprehensive Screenings for Seniors Act: Introduced in May 2018 by Blumenthal, along with US Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), this bill would require doctors to screen seniors for substance use disorder and the risk of addiction during annual wellness visits. One in three Medicare Part D beneficiaries received a prescription for an opioid in 2017, according to a report from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General.

US Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), left, and US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), reacted favorably to the recent passage of new and sweeping federal opioid legislation. *The Substance Abuse Prevention Act: This bill would reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy and several other important programs. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Blumenthal helped secure Committee approval and was a co-sponsor of the legislation.

The bill also includes provisions similar to those coauthored or supported by Blumenthal, including: *A total of $1.5 billion in funding — $500 million per year through 2021 — for statetargeted response grants to expand access to medicationassisted treatment, including Narcan, the lifesaving overdose reversal drug, and recovery coaches. Connecticut has already received a total of $11 million through this program. *A provision to help sober homes improve care and identify fraudulent and bad actor sober home operators by requiring HHS to establish new federal best practices and guidelines for sober homes. *A provision to strengthen the Customs and Border

Patrol’s ability to track and stop illegal trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs into the United States by requiring certain incoming international shipments to provide advance electronic data to the United States Postal Service.

Earlier this year, Sen Murphy and Senator Shelley

A Stitch In Time

and simply increase the level of care as needed.”

Another option is an assisted living facility for those with minimal needs for assistance with daily living and care.

Assisted living facilities can vary widely, from smaller home-type environments to larger communities that offer activities and amenities. Most facilities at a minimum provide secure living spaces, meals, assistance as needed for daily activities, transportation, and medication management.

To determine which type of housing is the best fit, Mr D’Aquila suggests comparing current average yearly living expenses with estimates for either independent or assisted living facilities.

Factors include mortgage, utilities, taxes, lawn care, home repairs, food, transportation, and personal care, as well as projected costs for equipment or home modifications that may be necessary to adapt the home for aging needs, for example a ramp, stair lift, or bathroom equipment. There are also costs associated with selling a home and moving.

“If you decide to move, make a list of the things you won’t compromise on, such as the size of the home, location of community, distance to family, etc.” said Mr D’Aquila. “After narrowing it down, compare the costs and perks of living at each place.”

For those who need extra assistance beyond what an assisted living facility can provide but don’t want the

expense of a long-term care facility, a personal caregiver can bridge the gap.

“We currently have many caregivers with clients in Assisted Living Communities who work collaboratively with the staff,” said Mr D’Aquila.

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Mr D’Aquila explains that wireless remote monitoring systems, fall detection sensors, and electronic medication dispensers are an efficient way to ensure the wellbeing of residents. For example, wireless bed pad sensors with an alarm alerts staff when a resident sits up to get out of bed at night, perhaps to use the restroom. Staff can quickly assist the resident to the bathroom while reducing the risk of falls during the night.

Most long-term care policies cover ALS services. Medicare currently does not cover services, but that it may change in 2019. Generally, this type of service is private pay. ALS is very familiar with other options that can help families, such as the Connecticut Homecare Program for Elders, the Aid and Attendance Pension for Veterans, and techniques such as reverse mortgages.

“For any living situation, our skilled personal care assistants can ultimately support each client to retain a sense of empowerment and independence,” said Mr D’Aquila.

Medical Marijuana Database Available

HARTFORD — On Thursday, October 4, the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced that a medical marijuana brand database is now available to the public through Connecticut Open Data.

The database will include medical marijuana brands registered with DCP complete with name, manufacturer, image of the label, image of the medica-

tion, dosage type, and strengths.

“We are proud of how our program has grown to help nearly 28,000 patients, and now we have another tool available to support patients, physicians, and law enforcement,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull. “We are committed to continuing the growth of our program thoughtfully and providing

more resources for the public along the way.”

The database of medical marijuana products can be accessed by visiting data.ct.gov/healthand-human-services/medicalmarijuana-brand-registry/egd5wb6r/data.

For more information, contact the Medical Marijuana Program at dcp.mmp@ct.gov or 860-713-6066.

dy.

This provision will require state Medicaid programs to suspend, as opposed to terminate, a juvenile’s medical assistance eligibility when a juvenile is in custody. This will also make access to medical assistance for children under foster care consistent with the Affordable Care Act by extending the age of edibility to 26 and require states to process applications for medical assistance submitted by or on behalf of a child.

“This bill is a small but important step in the right direction,” Sen Murphy said, “and I’m glad that two of my proposals were included, including the Recovery COACH Act based on Connecticut’s own program.”

“This package will save lives, but communities — like the ones I’ve spent time with in Connecticut — that have borne the brunt of this tragic epidemic cannot afford for Congress to stop now,” said Sen Blumenthal. “We owe it to them to continue our bipartisan effort to put an end to the scourge of this epidemic.”

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How To Find The Best Fit When Looking For Elderly Housing

MERIDEN — Many aging adults will at some point come to the conclusion that living alone in a home full of memories may no longer be the best fit for them. Assisted Living Services Inc, a Connecticut home care agency that allows seniors to age in place, recognizes the benefits of downsizing as well as the challenges.

“The financial aspect is just one component of making the decision to remain at home or move to senior housing,” explained Ron D’Aquila, RN, vice president and co-owner of Assisted Living Services (ALS). “Other factors include your personal abilities and need for assistance with daily living activities, your opportunities for socializing, and your home’s architectural barriers and maintenance requirements.”

One option is an independent community for active, healthy seniors who are able to live on their own. These communities have age restrictions — usually over 55 — and many offer amenities like clubhouses, gyms, snow removal, landscaping, social programs, and security. This is like living in any neighborhood and assistive services are not generally provided.

“Many people prefer this type of independent living complex so that they can enjoy the carefree lifestyle of an apartment or condo in a community of their peers,” said Mr D’Aquila. “By using a personal care provider and cost-effective technology, they can remain in that environment

Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced their bipartisan Recovery COACH Act, which was inspired by Connecticut’s recovery coach program.

The bill will provide states with grants to ensure that individuals with substance use disorder have access to specifically trained coaches in recovery themselves who can serve as a mentor; provide insight, encouragement, and support for families; and help patients navigate treatment options. Sen Murphy has hosted several round tables and town halls and visited hospitals and recovery centers in Connecticut, listening to recovery coaches, medical providers, and people suffering from addiction when drafting this bill.

Last year, Sen Murphy and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) reintroduced the At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act, legislation to ensure that children who spend time in the juvenile justice system continue to receive muchneeded health care coverage and treatments immediately after their release from custo-

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Western Connecticut Health Network Launches Breast Cancer Clinical Trials

NORWALK — Four cutting-edge breast cancer clinical trials have launched at Norwalk Hospital, part of the Western Connecticut Health Network.

The breast cancer clinical trials are an extension of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) Physicians at Norwalk Hospital, a first-of-its-kind cancer-care collaboration between the esteemed oncologists at the C. Anthony and Jean Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital and the renowned MSK. Norwalk Hospital is currently the only hospital in Connecticut offering these four clinical trials.

Under the leadership of Linda Vahdat, MD, MBA, Chief of Medical Oncology and Clinical Director of Cancer Services at Norwalk Hospital and Breast Medical Oncologist at MSK, the clinical trials will study the effectiveness of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. This cancer is an aggressive form of the disease that cannot be treated with hormone therapies or cancerfighting drugs that target the three more common receptors that fuel breast cancer growth.

Dr Vahdat, a triple negative breast cancer expert, has more than 20 years of experience caring for people with breast cancer. Her extensive research is geared toward finding new therapies that offer hope to patients with triple negative breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer, and breast cancer that is at high risk of recurrence.

Her dual appointment at Norwalk Hospital and MSK has helped to bring these important clinical trials to the Fairfield County community.

“Through these clinical trials, we have an opportunity to connect patients who have advanced and aggressive forms of breast cancer with world-class doctors and treatment options. In addition to giving hope to patients and their families, these clinical trials also minimize the stress of traveling for treatment by providing local patients with access to cutting-edge community-based care,” said Dr Vahdat.

Neania Buehler, a United States Army Veteran, is currently enrolled in one of the clinical trials at Norwalk Hospital, and Dr Vahdat is her medical oncologist. Ms Buehler, 59, was first diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer on Christmas Eve in 2014.

“I was shocked, and I started to cry. You never think it will happen to you,” said Ms Buehler as she recounted hearing her diagnosis for the first time.

She had a lumpectomy to remove a tumor in her left breast, followed by infusion chemotherapy and radiation. She was in remission from October 2016 to August 2017, until she developed a persistent cough that prompted her to seek care from a pulmonologist.

A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed that her cancer was back and that it had spread to her lungs.

Ms Buehler was diagnosed with metastatic triple negative breast cancer on August 30, 2017.

“Even though we knew I was at risk of my cancer coming back because of the type I had, my husband and I were at first devastated. But we also felt stronger this time. We said, ‘Okay, we’ve done this before.

DERBY — Griffin Hospital in Derby has been awarded Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care by Planetree International.

This Person-Centered Care Certification recognizes Griffin Hospital’s achievement and innovation in the delivery of person-centered care. Griffin Hospital is one of only 88 health care organizations worldwide to receive the Person-Centered Care Gold Certification since the program’s launch in 2007.

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Let’s figure out what to do next.’ So, I started an oral chemotherapy treatment,” said Ms Buehler.

Devastating Setbacks Ms Buehler’s advanced breast cancer led to lifethreatening pneumonia. She was hospitalized twice for pneumonia and spent five days in intensive care.

She also rapidly lost 50 pounds, and during this time, she also learned that the oral chemotherapy was not effectively treating her cancer.

“We understood that this was not an ‘easy’ cancer.

We knew we needed to come up with a solution. We could not watch her lose this battle,” said Ms Buehler’s husband, Manfred Buehler, who accompanies his wife to all of her appointments and treatments at Norwalk Hospital.

The Buehlers set out on a quest for a solution, tapping their worldwide network of family, friends, and colleagues, and were ultimately referred to Norwalk Hospital and Dr Vahdat. Ms Buehler started treatment in the clinical trial earlier this year on April 4.

“I didn’t meet the criteria to participate in other clinical trials we inquired about because I had already received prior treatment for cancer. I was also not a candidate because of my ill health from the pneumonia. So when I learned that I was not only accepted into the clinical trial at Norwalk Hospital, but that I was also getting the treatment drug, I felt so hopeful,” said Ms Buehler.

“We had so many thoughts going through our heads.

We needed to educate ourselves and learn about our options. We read a lot. We consulted with our family and friends. But at the end of the day, it came down to trust in Dr Vahdat and Norwalk Hospital. Dr Vahdat explained everything we needed to know very clearly, and we had confidence in the treatment plan for Neania,” said Mr Buehler.

“Everyone at the Whittingham Cancer Center has

Mustering Support As an Education Technician at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Ms Buehler oversees the academic side for her department, where they train a 44,000-person Corps of Cadets to be commissioned military leaders of character.

“Neania’s colleagues at West Point are all emotionally invested because she’s such a wonderful person.

She’s also a very important part of our department and the development of freshman- to senior-level cadets at West Point,” said Colonel William Ostlund, Infantry, Director of Military Instruction, United States Military Academy.

“She’s also eternally optimistic, which is why it was even harder to see her disappointment when she did not meet the criteria for other clinical trials. She was disheartened. It was defeating. But that all changed now that she is in the clinical trial at Norwalk Hospital. We are so thankful for the opportunity Norwalk Hospital is giving Neania. Participating in the clinical trial has noticeably improved her emotional and physical well-being and has enhanced our entire team,” he said.

Ms Buehler is sharing her story with the hope that she can help other women and families going through a similar experience.

She wants to emphasize the importance of breast cancer screenings because she was initially diagnosed with breast cancer during a routine mammogram.

She wants to encourage women facing breast cancer to find the strength to talk about their experiences because she knows it helps.

Lastly, she wants anyone battling a challenging disease to be persistent, to search for new treatment options, and to never give up.

Individuals that have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer — as well as those who have already undergone prior breast cancer treatment — may be eligible to participate in these triple negative breast cancer clinical trials. All four clinical trials are offered at Norwalk Hospital, and one of the trials is also offered at Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital.

To learn more about these triple negative breast cancer clinical trials, call 203-852-2996 or visit: https://www.norwalkhospital.org/msk-physicians-atnorwalk/triple-negative-breast-cancer

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been great, and we’re so thankful for this advanced treatment option at Norwalk Hospital. Without options like this clinical trial, and without a supportive care team, family, friends, and colleagues, it’s so much harder to fight this disease. It’s like putting an army together. We feel like we’re in a safe place now, and we have the right tools to fight. We’re going to continue to fight,” said Ms Buehler.

Ms Buehler is thankful that the treatment is tolerable. She is able to go about her day after the treatment, which is very important to her because she loves her job.

Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care represents the highest level of achievement in person-centered care, based on evidence and standards.

Person-centered health care prioritizes the active participation of patients and their families throughout the health care process, with an emphasis on partnership, compassion, transparency, inclusion, and quality.

“We strive every day to raise the bar in the care and support we provide to our patients, our community, and our staff of caregivers. Together, Planetree and Griffin Hospital are changing the face of health care by partnering with patients and their caregivers to improve not just the health of our community, but its overall well-being,” said Griffin Hospital President and CEO Patrick Charmel.

The criteria that Griffin Hospital satisfied to achieve Planetree Gold Certification reflect what patients, family members, and health care professionals in hundreds of focus groups say matters most to them during a health care experience. This qualitative data aligns with the growing evidence-base for person-centered care and establishes the Person-Centered Care Certification Program as a

concrete framework for defining and measuring excellence in person-centeredness.

The criteria address components of a person-centered health care experience, including the quality of patient-provider interactions, access to information, family involvement, and the physical environment of care.

Importantly, the criteria also focus on how the organization supports staff; opportunities for staff, patients, and families to have a voice in the way care is delivered; and the ways that Griffin Hospital is reaching beyond its walls to care for its community.

The process also included a review of the organization’s performance on patient experience and quality of care measures and how measurement of these indicators improves organizational outcomes.

For more information on Planetree’s Person-Centered Certification Program, including the criteria, the application process, and more, visit certification. planetree.org.

Mental Health Services Funding Available For Evacuees Of Hurricane Maria

HARTFORD — The State of Connecticut is receiving a $750,000 in federal grant funds to provide mental health support to children and their families who were evacuated from their homes and are living in Connecticut as a result of Hurricane Maria.

The funding, which was granted by the US Department of Health and Human Services, will be used by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), to provide these services at child guidance clinics serving the most heavily affected cities in the state — Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Britain. Ser-

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ~Hippocrates

vices include mobile crisis, outpatient counseling, medication management, and school outreach.

“Thousands and thousands of young children had their homes destroyed by a catastrophic storm that left them displaced and uprooted from the only place that they have ever known,” Governor Malloy said.

“Today, many of these families are living thousands of miles away in Connecticut and rebuilding their lives,” he said. “A tragedy of this proportion is incredibly traumatic for children and can have a lasting impact, which is why it is critical for them to receive these services now so they can lead healthy, productive lives. We are appreciative of the many organizations in our state that are participating with our efforts to ensure these services are available in the wake of this horrible storm.”

“This funding is long overdue for the evacuees who have come to Connecticut, and something we’ve all been advocating for,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy, and Congressman John Larson said in a

joint statement.

“We’re proud of the work that the state and local organizations and volunteers have done to help these families,” the lawmakers added.

“This money will ensure that the mental health needs of the people who evacuated to Connecticut are being met.

While this aid is welcome, far more is needed for states like Connecticut who have opened their arms to evacuees and for the island that is still struggling a year later without reliable public infrastructure and jobs.”

“Many of the children and families who were evacuated to Connecticut after Hurricane Maria experienced severe trauma, enduring the powerful storm itself, the devastation of losing their homes and then having to acculturate to a new community,” DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon said. “We know that addressing trauma early leads to improved mental health outcomes, so providing this support is critical in ensuring families will thrive.”

DCF Commissioner Joette Katz explained that the services will be provided by

child guidance clinics that already provide a range of effective services for Connecticut children and their families, including those who were affected by Hurricane Maria more than one year ago.

“By expanding support for and enhancing our partnership with our existing community-based service provider network, we will be able to extend help to many more deserving children and families,” Commissioner Katz said.

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College estimates that 135,000 people evacuated Puerto Rico to the mainland United States in the first six months after the hurricane made landfall, and approximately ten percent of them relocated to Connecticut.

Immediately following the storm last year, Connecticut created a unified command to help coordinate assistance for hurricane survivors arriving in the state. Since that time, Connecticut has provided disaster case management services, housing assistance, and support to schools that were impacted.

THE NEWTOWN BEE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018

C-SEVEN

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From left, Project Manager of the Prevention Training and Technical Assistance Center Program Lisa Mason, Health Director/ Prevention Council Co-Chair Donna Culbert, Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS) CSC Program Coordinator Chelsea Preneta, Newtown Parks & Recreation Director and Prevention Council Vice Chair Amy Mangold, and Nina Chanana of Chanana Consulting stand together at the September 20 Newtown Prevention Council meeting with one of the signs that will be placed in local parks and areas maintained by Newtown Parks & Recreation.

New Signs To Proclaim Local Parks ‘Tobacco & Vape Free’ Areas

By Eliza Hallabeck New signs will proclaim local parks and areas maintained by the Newtown Parks & Recreation department as “Tobacco & Vape Free” areas, thanks to the Western Connecticut Alliance for Tobacco Free Communities and the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The awarding of the grant that covered costs to produce the signage was announced following the September 20 Newtown Prevention Council meeting by Director of Parks & Recreation and Newtown Prevention Council (NPC) Vice Chair Amy Mangold.

According to Ms Mangold, the NPC is a coalition of diverse community members committed to creating a culture in Newtown that positively engages the community to empower youth and families to make healthy, thought-

ful decisions and to support healthy, substance free living.

She explained in an e-mail that one of the ways the NPC achieves its goal is through town-wide plans that are designed to reduce youth and adult tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use/abuse while promoting effective prevention, intervention, and treatment.

The Newtown Parks & Recreation department applied for the Connecticut Alliance for Tobacco Free Communities and the Connecticut Department of Public Health grant for the signs, according to Ms Mangold. She first learned about the grant opportunity from First Selectman Dan Rosenthal.

“It’s something we have talked about wanting to move forward for quite a few years,” said Ms Mangold. “Once we received notice of the grant,

we just needed to tell the Alliance how many we needed.”

Her department was awarded and received 26 signs. In the coming weeks, residents will begin seeing them in different locations in town, including Dickinson Memorial Park; Lake Lillinonah; Eichler’s Cove Beach; Orchard Hill Nature Center; Glander Field; Newtown Park & Bark; Liberty Fields; and areas maintained by Newtown Parks & Recreation on the Fairfield Hills campus, like the trails, The Victory Garden, High Meadow Field, and athletic fields, Ms Mangold said.

One of the signs reads, “Enjoy your tobacco & vape free parks.” Another reads, “Young lungs at play! Tobacco & vape free area.” Ms Mangold said the signs will be chosen to best fit the spaces where they will be put on display.

Ms Mangold added that she

expects the signs to start going up at facilities and fields around town by mid-October.

“More and more cities and towns across the country have made the decision to make their parks tobacco and vape free, and Newtown wanted to do the same for the health and safety of our residents,” Ms Mangold commented.

“Besides decreasing litter and wildfire problems, tobacco free parks give our residents the opportunity to model healthy behaviors for our children and help us to enjoy beautiful outdoor recreational opportunities for the enjoyment of our residents and visitors,” she added. “The Prevention Council and Parks & Recreation were excited and thankful to receive this grant and to adopt the policy to help serve our goals and missions to support healthy and substance free living.”

Turn Your Kids’ Halloween Candy Haul Into A Teachable, Healthy Moment Consumers will spend about $2.6 billion in Halloween candy this fall, says a recent National Retail Federation survey — but $2.6 billion in Halloween candy will not be eaten.

That’s because parents play their annual game of keepaway with children, trying to temper holiday excitement with health concerns as several pounds of assorted sweets suddenly plop onto their tables.

Close to 70 percent of parents, according to The National Confectioners Association, confess to confiscating some of their kids’ Halloween haul.

The fear with that approach, however, is that it could prompt children to start gorging or hiding candy because they know their coveted prize will soon disappear, or it could create a scary start to a lifetime of bad eating habits.

Yet, there are better alternatives to establish a win all around.

Eating habits expert and sociologist Dr Dina Rose, author of IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BROCCOLI: Three Habits to Teach Your Kids for a Lifetime of Healthy Eating (Perigee), offers a new approach to make the candyfilled holiday a stepping stone to healthy eating.

Dr Rose, a contributor to Psychology Today who has been training parents, pediatricians, dietitians, and early childhood educators, offers these suggestions: Set Up A Candy Container — All the candy from Halloween (and from birthday parties or anywhere else) goes into one place and then parameters are set up within your household as to how much and how often candy can be enjoyed — creating habits. This candy is mixed into your already-established

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sweet routine — cookies, cupcakes, ice cream. The Halloween candy is not an additional supplement.

Have A Meal First — Teach children to save room for their Halloween haul by giving them a small meal before trick-or-treating. Then remind them to pay attention to their tummies.

Offer A Trade — Allow your children to trade their candy for something else, within reason, such as a trip to the toy store.

Turn The Candy Into A Sensory Game — Turn the introduction of unfamiliar sweets into an opportunity for sensory exploration — the best method for overcoming picky eating and laying a foundation of healthy eating habits for a lifetime. Allow children to explore their variety of candy loot, with all of their senses — smell it, feel it, hear it, touch it and even

look at it — not just taste it.

Do this together with children as a fun activity.

Limit The Collection — Want to limit how much candy your kids eat? Then limit the amount of candy your children can collect.

Reduce the number of houses your kids can hit up or make sure their Halloween bag is somewhat smaller than a suitcase. Also, focus part of the Halloween experience on the costumes and decorations — it’s not all about the sugar.

Don’t Focus On Nutrition — The suggestion to use Halloween to talk about nutrition is misguided. Simply telling your child their Halloween candy is unhealthy will not stop them from wanting to try it, sometimes crave it, and start eating broccoli instead.

Focus On Habits — Sweets and treats are part of life, but we have to put them into our

diets in the right ratios. Set limits and parameters as to how much candy and how frequently it can be consumed.

The timing doesn’t really matter; let your child decide when to eat the treat. However, once he/she has had the amount of daily treat you’ve established, then it’s done for the day. This allows children to better understand proper proportion. If they eat a candy bar at 10 am, that’s fine, but that’s it for the day, or they may choose to eat a candy bar after dinner, but that’s it.

We All Make Mistakes — There will be days when your child will have a treat in the morning and then be invited to an ice cream outing in the afternoon. Sometimes you’ll break the rules because it’s all a learning process.

For more information about Dr Dina Rose and her work, visit itsnotaboutnutrition.com.

We believe we can guide our children toward a better future by getting back to the basics of healthy living. Our dedicated team at Newtown Center Pediatrics is committed to serving all of our childrens’ healthcare needs from birth through graduation.

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C-EIGHT

THE NEWTOWN BEE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018

Do You Have Relationship ADHD? Psychiatrist Offers Tips On Navigating Modern Relationships MENLO PARK, CALIF. — Relationships have always been complicated. It takes time and effort to develop trust and intimacy and the deep love that sustains a couple over many years and through the rough patches.

It takes sacrifice and compromise and putting another person’s wants and needs ahead of your own. These are timeless truths. Yet it seems that the ways in which relationships develop — or fail to develop — have changed.

Psychiatrist Dr Alex Dimitriu observes that his dating clients find that prospective partners come and go before either person has even had a chance to evaluate the potential for a lasting relationship.

“What’s going on?” he asks.

“Do we have ‘relationship attention deficit disorder’?

Have our lives become so fragmented and our attention so distracted that we can no longer focus long enough to form a strong bond with a potential life partner?”

It would appear that is, indeed, often the case.

Life moves fast. We expect everything to be easy, every need to be instantly gratified, often without human interaction. Dinner is delivered to our door. Directions are spoken into our ears.

Alexa answers every question.

The thrill is in the new — in the chase — and when the excitement wears off or when one party opens up and shows some vulnerability, it’s easier to tell yourself that you’re bored or that “things are getting too intense” and run away than to open up and really get to know someone on a deeper level. When a new date can be found with a swipe, why take the time to let a real

relationship develop?

Dr Dimitriu notes that one of the most important ways in which the dating game has changed is that the age-old assumption that dating is a prelude to a committed relationship no longer holds — or at least, not for everybody.

“There is often a mismatch of intentions,” he says, “when only one party views dating as the means to finding a life partner and the other just wants to hang out, hook up, and move on — to live just for the moment, not for the future.”

A 2016 study found that as many as one-third of unmarried serious relationships are “asymmetrically committed,” that is, one partner is completely devoted and oriented toward a long-term future and the other is enjoying the convenience of the relation-

ship but is not invested in or committed to it.

“Many of these relationships break up,” says Dr Dimitriu, “with all the attendant conflict and heartbreak.

While the relationship may have been serious, it was hardly happy.”

“The elephant in the room is technology,” says Dr Dimitriu. “It is in every aspect of our lives, especially our social lives. Our social media selves — what we choose to show and tell the world — become more real than our true selves.”

What we truly want and need is sublimated to the superficial projection of a life that doesn’t really exist. The same is true of projecting an image of a perfect relationship while losing sight of the reality of two flesh-and-blood people who can’t possibly live

up to that image.

“And when our primary means of communication is the text message — with anxiety and resentment surfacing when responses aren’t instantaneous — there’s little opportunity for real understanding and empathy.”

Given this environment, how are we to manage our dating lives? How do we develop relationships that strengthen and deepen over time and don’t fall apart at the first sign of trouble?

Dr Dimitriu offers some suggestions: Put down the phone! — In one form or another, social media is here to stay. It isn’t necessary to delete your account or to keep those romantic photos to yourself, but it is important to recognize that there’s more to your

relationship than professing your love to hundreds of friends. Invest time not in posting updates, but in developing real intimacy and working on the quality of the interactions with your partner.

Put down the phone! — Dozens of texts a day won’t put your relationship on firmer footing. Make time to talk to each other — openly and honestly, with your full attention — about what matters, about hopes and dreams, about how you each feel about your relationship.

Put down the phone! — Don’t snoop on your partner’s phone. Whether or not you find something damaging to the relationship, no good will come of breaking the bonds of trust. Once broken, trust is hard to rebuild. If something is bothering you enough to tempt you to snoop, talk about it.

“I don’t mean to imply that technology is at the root of all relationship problems,” says Dr Dimitriu, “but there is some irony in the fact that a communication device may be the very thing that is getting in the way of meaningful communication.

“The only route to a lasting relationship is through meaningful communication.

When you meet someone new, do you let them know that you hope to build a lasting relationship? Or, for fear of frightening them off, do you play along with the casual sex and good times in the hope that something deeper will develop? There is no right answer, but as in everything, honesty is the best policy,” he added. “In this or any other time, the only way to avoid ‘relationship ADHD’ is through open and honest communication.”

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Hartford HealthCare Inks Agreement to Acquire St Vincent’s BRIDGEPORT — St Vincent’s Medical Center has signed a definitive agreement with Hartford HealthCare (HHC) for HHC to acquire substantially all of its assets and its related operations.

The transaction is subject to required governmental approvals. St Vincent’s, with more than 3,200 associates, includes a licensed 473-bed community teaching hospital, a 76-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport, a large multi-specialty provider group, and St Vincent’s Special Needs Services.

St Vincent’s is part of Ascension, the nation’s largest nonprofit health system.

“We are delighted to have reached an agreement whereby St Vincent’s associates, physicians and volunteers will continue to provide safe, highquality, and accessible health care to the Bridgeport and Fairfield County communities,” said Patricia A. Mary-

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Hartford HealthCare would be privileged to work with the St Vincent’s team to enhance access to exceptional, personalized, coordinated care.”

“As we look forward to receiving all necessary approvals and finalizing the transaction, our caregivers, physicians, and volunteers are focused on continuing to deliver safe, compassionate, personalized care to those in our community we are privileged to serve,” said Dawn Rudolph, president and CEO of St Vincent’s Medical Center.

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land, executive vice president of Ascension and president and CEO of Ascension Healthcare.

As part of Hartford HealthCare, St Vincent’s will continue to be part of an organization that is trusted for the care it provides and for meeting the health care needs of the community. HHC is committed to operating St Vincent’s in the Catholic tradition.

Hartford HealthCare, a fully integrated health system with more than 19,000 employees, currently includes six acutecare hospitals, the state’s most extensive behavioral health network, a large multi-specialty physician group, a regional home care system, an array of senior care services, a physical therapy and rehabilitation network, and an accountable care organization.

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