OurHealth Roanoke & New River Valleys Oct/Nov 2012 Edition

Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center

•

2012 Retirement Living Award Winners!

Southwest Virginia edition • Volume VI, Issue VI 2012

THESE LOCAL LADIES KNOW IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY IN LIFE TO

PREVENT BREAST CANCER! Roanoke County high school students Emma Hartman, Katie Sandy, and Alexandria Smith

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Copyright © 2012 by Our Health magazine, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Our Health is published bimonthly by Our Health magazine, Inc. 305 Colorado Street, Salem, VA 24153, P: 540.387.6482 F: 540.387.6483. www.ourhealthvirginia.com. Advertising rates upon request.

our health | BASIC

table of contents

MEDI•CABU•LARY.................12 Local experts define healthcare terms

JUST ASK!..............................12 Common health questions answered by local healthcare professionals

THE LATEST...........................14 New physicians, providers, locations and upcoming events

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS Awareness to Action: Previving the Odds

41

RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS Is your favorite service provider a winner?

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS...........................54 KID’S CARE.............................69 A gold standard in education: Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center in Roanoke provides early education to all students

MILESTONES..........................73 I’m coming home: celebrating 20 years of providing America’s heroes with a place to call home

FINANCIAL HEALTH...............77 Making sense of health insurance can save you money in the long term

BODY BEAUTIFUL..................21 Advancements in breast reconstruction surgery give cancer patients increasingly more options

NUTRITION HEALTH..............35 Insight about foods that are more agreeable to people going through cancer treatments

HEALTH & FITNESS...............39 Body by Vi challenge unveils new motivations for a healthy lifestyle: local young man eats better, works out after shedding 80 pounds

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SENIOR LIVING.......................80 A checklist for seniors on home safety

our health | MEDI•CABU•LARY & JUST ASK

me d i • ca bu • l ar y

T H E L A N G U A G E O F H E A LT H C A R E E X P L A I N E D

What is achondroplasia dwarfism?

What is a Frenectomy?

What is Couvade Syndrome?

“Achondroplasia is the most common form of disproportionate short stature (dwarfism). Achondroplasia is caused by a mutation in the FGFR3 gene. Achondroplasia can be inherited from an affected parent, or can happen as the result of a new mutation. A person with achondroplasia is expected to have normal intelligence. Life span is typically normal; however, there are a number of orthopedic and neurologic medical complications that may occur. A person with achondroplasia can do everything a normal-height person can do, sometimes an adjustment for height is needed.”

A frenectomy is a surgical procedure where the frenum is removed. Frenums are strands of tissue which extend from the cheek or lip to the gums. (You can probably detect a frenum in your mouth by placing your tongue in the space between your upper lip and your central incisors.)

Couvade Syndrome is a common but underreported psychosomatic phenomenon occurring in husbands or partners (or other relatives) of expectant mothers. Thought to occur in 11-65% of pregnancies, symptoms range from the gastrointestinal such as changes in weight and appetite, and nausea to pain with headache, toothache, twitching and muscle tremors, even hypochondria, to the psychological with depression, insomnia, anxiety and pseudocyesis or delusional pregnancy of the father. Peak incidence of symptoms seems to occur during the expectant mother’s third term of pregnancy and abate by, and usually with, birth.

Emily Doherty, MD, FAAP, FACMG Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital Section of Clinical Genetics Roanoke

While frenums have no definitive purpose, they contain muscle fibers which can cause tension. In some cases the tension can result in gum recession. For those receiving orthodontic treatment to close a gap between the central teeth, the frenum can act like coil spring and cause the teeth to separate after treatment is complete.

The frenectomy procedure is very simple and safe, and the results last a lifetime!

Jason C. Grove, DO LewisGale Physicians Psychiatry Salem | 540.772.3485 Aaron Gavin, DDS Aaron Periodontics & Dental Implants Roanoke | 540.562.3166

ju st a sk!

T H E L A N G U A G E O F H E A LT H C A R E E X P L A I N E D

What is the new dependant age limit mandate under healthcare reform?

To comply with health care reform legislation, Optima Health allows dependents up to age 26 to enroll on their parent’s medical insurance at the parent’s choice, as long as they are not eligible for another employer sponsored insurance plan. Dependents may now be covered until the end of the month in which they turn 26.

This legislation went into effect in the fall of 2010. Optima Health began administering the legislation on renewal’s starting in October 2010. The legislation does not apply to stand-alone vision, dental or pharmacy policies.

Ashley B. Austin Optima Health Roanoke | 540.562.8222

Will a hearing aid help me to hear on the telephone?

Difficulty hearing on the telephone is a common complaint for people who have hearing loss. Some people can use their hearing aids as is on the phone, while others may need to activate certain features on their devices to improve their hearing ability.

Many hearing aids have what is called a T-coil or telecoil. When the hearing aid is switched to the telecoil position, the possibility of unwanted feedback or whistling from the device is eliminated and the phone sound quality is clearer. Most digital hearing aids also have multiple programs, which will allow the hearing healthcare provider to set up a specific program for use with the telephone. These programs are usually accessed by a small push button on the hearing aid or through the use of a remote control. In addition, some hearing aids are equipped with Bluetooth technology. Devices with Bluetooth capability can be used with cell phones and some land line phones.

Although all these features can be helpful, it is still important to understand that the achievable clarity over the phone also depends on the severity of hearing loss and the combination of the hearing aid and phone itself.

Tina Proffit, AuD Anderson Audiology Galax | 276.236.0778

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our health | THE LATEST

the l atest N E W P H Y S I C I A N S , P R O V I D E R S , L O C AT I O N S A N D U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

LewisGale Regional Health System Celebrates New Clinic LewisGale Regional Health System was joined by local officials Thursday for a special ribbon cutting ceremony and open house to welcome the community to the new LewisGale Physicians CRC Clinic in Blacksburg VA. The clinic, located on the campus of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC) at 1715 Pratt Drive, Suite 1100, offers primary care and walk-in services to patients of all ages.

“The CRC Clinic is a natural extension of our primary care network and one more step to fulfilling our mission of building a healthier community,” said Scott Hill, CEO, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery. “We want the community to know we are open and ready to meet their healthcare needs with immediate, quick access to primary care services.”

The clinic offers same-day and walk-in appointments Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. With 140 businesses on the Corporate Research Center campus, the clinic also serves as a convenient location for more than 2,000 employees who need medical care during their working hours.

“If a patient needs more advanced care, they also have access to the extensive scope of services offered by our hospital including imaging services, specialized tests and comprehensive lab work.”

Family nurse practitioner, Tammy Terry, R.N., M.S.N., A.P.R.N-BC, serves as the primary care provider at the clinic. Terry completed her medical education at Old Dominion University in Wytheville with an emphasis on family medicine and pediatric care. She has more than 12 years of experience caring for patients of all ages.

Longtime LewisGale physician, Robert Solomon, M.D., also oversees the clinic and assists with more complex medical cases.

For more information about the clinic or to schedule an appointment, call 540-443-3980.

LewisGale Regional Health System Welcomes New Chief Medical Officer LewisGale Regional Health System (LGRHS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Gary Winfield, M.D., as its new Chief Medical Officer. Winfield brings more than 20 years of experience to his new role, most recently as Acting Division Chief Medical Officer for HCA’s South Atlantic Division.

Winfield is a board-certified family practitioner and a member of the American College of Physician Executives. He completed his postdoctoral training in family practice at St. Vincent’s Medical Center and received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. From 1996 to 1997, he also served as the Vice President of Medical Quality Assurance for the Florida Association of Health Maintenance Organizations, Inc. As the Chief Medical Officer for LewisGale, Winfield will oversee the health system’s quality and patient safety agendas, the Quality and Risk Management departments of all four LGRHS hospitals, and the newly created Market Transfer Center that is presently under development.

“Dr. Winfield’s wealth of knowledge, exceptional leadership skills and commitment to clinical excellence will help us continue to provide high-quality care that is unsurpassed in this region,” said Victor Giovanetti, President, LewisGale Regional Health System.

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Warm Hearth Village Embarks on Solar Energy Project During its most recent strategic planning process, Warm Hearth Village developed an initiative to explore opportunities to make Warm Hearth a greener, more environmentally responsible community.

The organization has made good progress reducing energy costs, implementing sustainable tree harvesting, installing geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Village Center (currently under construction) and working in partnership with the resident-driven Greener Community Committee on many projects.

Recently, Warm Hearth teamed up with Main Street Solar Energy to design a 4000-watt solar power system that will be “on grid.” Solar panels are currently being installed on the roof of Showalter Center through which power will be generated and sent to the main power grid resulting in an energy credit for Warm Hearth Village on their electricity bills. The amount of energy generated is estimated to be sufficient to run the walkway lights throughout the Village’s independent living apartment community which includes three buildings and 144 apartments.

“The great thing about this project is that we are accomplishing our goals through a generous contribution from a donor to the Warm Hearth Foundation,” says Ferne Moschella, President & CEO. A donor interested in solar energy proposed the project and worked with Director of Physical Plant Services Davie Whitlock, to bring the project to fruition. Long-range goals include additional solar thermal and solar electric systems throughout the campus to further increase Warm Hearth’s energy independence.

Warm Hearth is a non-profit senior living community that provides a full continuum of living options from active adult living to long-term nursing care in Blacksburg.

our health | THE LATEST

the l atest N E W P H Y S I C I A N S , P R O V I D E R S , L O C AT I O N S A N D U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

Good Samaritan Hospice Hosts an Open House for Veterans Honoring those who have served in our military Good Samaritan Hospice is hosting an Open House to honor Veterans in our area on Wednesday, November 7 from 1-3 p.m. Both the Roanoke and New River Valley offices will welcome veterans and their families with a program recognizing the sacrifices they’ve made for our country.

“Good Sam has spent the last couple of years making a concerted effort to fully focus on our veterans and their specific needs at end-of-life,” explains Cindy Hagerman, Director of Community Relations at Good Sam. “We are following the lead of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in dedicating time, energy and resources to learning what truly matters to veterans and their families, especially in the sacred, final chapter of life.”

Hospice professionals across the country focus on a single purpose: to provide comfort and support at the end of life. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has established a pioneering program designed to learn how to specifically serve Veterans through the challenges they may be facing from illness, isolation or traumatic life experience. Good Sam is committed to the “We Honor Veterans” program (www. wehonorveterans.org).

For more information on the Veteran’s Open House in November, please call (540) 776-0198 (Roanoke) or (540) 381-3171 (NRV) Good Sam’s Roanoke Office – 2408 Electric Road, Roanoke, VA 24018 Good Sam’s New River Valley Office – 1160 Moose Drive, Christiansburg, VA 24073

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THE LATEST | our health

VCOM to Build Campus in Auburn Research Park The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia, will open a branch campus in the Auburn Research Park in Auburn, Alabama. VCOM will build a new facility featuring classrooms, small-group learning rooms, laboratories and a technology center. The first class of 150 students is proposed for fall 2015.

“We’re excited to welcome the college to the Auburn Research Park,” said Jimmy Sanford, chair of ARTF. “VCOM is a wellrespected institution that will provide opportunities for students to receive a medical education, support economic development, and open the door for more health science advancements by Auburn University faculty.” The Auburn Research Park is operated by ARTF as a partnership among the state of Alabama, Auburn University and the city of Auburn.

In addition to the VCOM campus, the faculty will have access to Auburn facilities such as the MRI Research Center that houses a 7 Tesla, or 7T, research scanner, which is one of fewer than 35 in the world; and a 3T scanner, the most powerful certified for clinical use. They will have opportunities to collaborate with Auburn scientists and researchers in pharmacy, nursing, veterinary medicine, rural medicine, kinesiology, chemistry, biochemistry and other health-related fields.

Students will also have access to Auburn University facilities and activities.

In addition to serving as a pipeline of primary care physicians for rural and medically underserved areas, VCOM supports programs that result in a large number of graduates commissioned as officers to serve in the U.S. military and to work in Veterans Administration hospitals around the country.

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our health | THE LATEST

the l atest N E W P H Y S I C I A N S , P R O V I D E R S , L O C AT I O N S A N D U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

Corey J. Sheppard, DDS Carilion Clinic Pediatric Dentistry 540.224.4318 Roanoke

Vishal M. Patel, MD Carilion Clinic Radiology 540.981.7122 Roanoke

J. Eric Vance, MD Carilion Clinic Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 540.853.0900 Roanoke

Mark E. Feldmann, MD Carilion Clinic Plastic Reconstructive Surgery 540.224.5170 Roanoke

Eric H. Bradburn, DO Carilion Clinic General Surgery; Trauma/Surgical Critical Care 540.224.5170 Roanoke

Ann E. Austin, DO Carilion Clinic Internal Medicine 540.224.5170 Roanoke

Laura B. Cieraszynski, DO Carilion Clinic Family Medicine 540.977.1436 Troutville

Joshua D. Farrar, MD Carilion Clinic Otolaryngology; Plastic Reconstructive Surgery 540.224.5170 Roanoke

Chidinma Osefo, MD Carilion Clinic Family Medicine with Obstetrics 540.562.5700 Roanoke

Tejal Raju, MD Carilion Clinic Pain Management 540.224.5170 Roanoke

Ashish Raju, MD Carilion Clinic Vascular Surgery 540.731.7600 Christiansburg

Hilton Lacy, MD Carilion Clinic Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 540.853.0900 Roanoke

Matthew Schumaecker, MD Carilion Clinic Cardiology 540.982.8204 Roanoke

Erik S. Storm, DO Carilion Clinic Radiology 540.981.7122 Roanoke

Kamran Rasul, MD LewisGale Physicians Endocrinology 540.772.3616 Salem

Garth Mills, PA-C LewisGale Physicians Internal Medicine 540.772.3490 Salem

Brandon Langlinais, MD Montgomery Radiology Associates Diagnostic Radiology 540.953.5131 Blacksburg

Mouza Goova, MD LewisGale Physicians Bariatric & General Surgery 540.772.3620 Salem

Christy Fagg, DO Montgomery Hospitalists Hospitalist 540.951.1111Â Blacksburg

Abby Smith, MD LewisGale Physicians OB/Gyn 540.772.5900 Salem

Joanna Kolodney, MD LewisGale Physicians Medical Oncology 540.772.3411 Salem/Pulaski

Moriah Krason, MD LewisGale Physicians Pediatrics 540.772.3580 Salem

Heather Kohli-Werner, PA-C LewisGale Physicians Family Medicine 540.382.6148 Christiansburg

Seth Palmer, DO LewisGale Physicians ENT Christiansburg/Radford 540.381.0344/ 540.639.9023

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THE LATEST | our health

Amber Hurley, OD Vistar Eye Center Eye Care/Optometrist 540.855.5100 Roanoke

Stuart Tims, MD Vistar Eye Center Eye Care/ Ophthalmologist 540.855.5100 Roanoke

PHOTO UNAVAILABLE G. Andrew Meyer, MD Carilion Clinic Radiology 540.981.7122 Roanoke

PHOTO UNAVAILABLE Twana H. Faraj, MD Carilion Clinic Internal Medicine 276.670.3300 Martinsville

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BODY BEAUTIFUL | our health

words | LAURA NEFF-HENDERSON

Advancements in breast reconstruction surgery give cancer patients increasingly more options According to the American Cancer Society, more than 292,000 American women face breast cancer each year. Second only to skin cancer overall, breast cancer is the number one cancer among women in the U.S. Women facing this disease have several treatment options. Some choose to have one or several lymph nodes removed. Others opt for a lumpectomy, in which the cancerous breast tissue is removed. Considered to be a fairly conservative approach, a lumpectomy is usually followed by radiation therapy.

Sometimes women also receive chemotherapy.

Women who have large tumors, do not want to undergo radiation therapy after having a lumpectomy, or do not want to face the possibility of a recurrence often opt to have the entire breast removed. About 110,000 of the women diagnosed with breast cancer opt to have a mastectomy, according to Breast Reconstruction Matters.

Advancements in breast reconstruction surgery are making it increasingly possible for women who have had a mastectomy to have breasts that are more natural looking than ever before.

Performed by a plastic surgeon, breast reconstruction surgery includes recreating the breast mound, the nipple and the areola complex, so that the pigmentation, shape, size, projection, and position of the breasts are symmetrical.

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our health | BODY BEAUTIFUL

Though not common in southwest Virginia, prophylactic mastectomies, surgeries to help prevent breast cancer, are common nationally for women who have already had cancer in one breast, have a family history of breast cancer, have tested positive for genetic mutations consistent with developing breast cancer, or have very dense breast tissue.

Women generally have two choices when it comes to reconstruction today. Plastic surgeons can use artificial implants, such as silicone or saline, or tissue, made up of skin, muscle, or fat, from another part of the patient’s body (flap reconstruction).

Implants are generally regarded to be a less risky surgery; they involve less time in the operating room. It’s also one of the areas where local plastic surgeon Michael Breiner, MD has seen some of the most significant advancements in the last few years. Not only have the implants themselves improved, the expanders that are used to make room for the implants are also much better.

“The reconstruction options we have now are much better than what we had even a year ago,” notes Dr. Breiner, founder of the Southwest Virginia Center in Roanoke, VA.

Implants After some leakage issues, silicone implants were removed from the market in 1992 but are now believed to be safe and effective. Silicone gel-filled implants were approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 2006, ending a 14-year ban. They are reported to be softer, with a feel and shape that is more like that of the natural breast tissue.

Silicone implants are particularly attractive to women who have very thin tissue on their chest.

“For these women, the rippling and wrinkling that can occur with saline implants may be particularly noticeable,” according to a 2009 FDA report written to help women make informed decisions.

“However, rippling and wrinkling generally occur with less frequency with silicone implants, even for women with thin tissue.”

Saline breast implants are filled with a sterile saltwater solution and are not believed to provide a look or feel that is as natural as silicone implants.

Expanders As part of the reconstruction process, an empty silicone expander is placed beneath the pectoralis muscle, located between the breast and the chest wall, to expand the breast pocket, making room for a permanent implant.

Using a port to enable the skin and soft tissues of the breast to grow, the expander is gradually filled with a saline solution for several weeks, until the implant is a little bigger than the desired size.

According to Dr. Breiner, the introduction of various sizes of expanders to the market during the last few years has had a huge impact on the outcome of the surgery for his patients.

“If you were having a mastectomy 15 years ago 22 | www.ourhealthvirginia.com

our health | BODY BEAUTIFUL

and opted to have expansion to allow for an implant, the plastic surgeon was very limited in the choice and type of expanders available,” explains Dr. Breiner. “So the expander I would use for a woman who was 5’4 and weighed 110 pounds was almost the same as the one available for the patient who was 5’10 and weighed 210 pounds.”

In addition to the increasing availability of various sizes of expanders, manufacturers are also developing expanders with new functionality.

The expanders that Dr. Breiner is using in his office have a small magnet that is attached to the expander and buried beneath the skin. By running another magnet over the skin, Breiner can easily identify the port, and, thanks to numbing medication, the process of injecting additional saline into the port every few weeks is relatively painless for his patients.

After the skin and muscle over the breast have stretched enough to form a pocket to house the implant, a second procedure removes the expander and places a permanent silicone or saline implant into the newly expanded space.

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Radiation For women who have a lumpectomy, says Dr. Breiner, the surgical procedure hasn’t changed all that much, but the potency of the radiation that follows a lumpectomy has gotten much more precise.

“Many years ago, when radiologists radiated breast cancer, they pretty much radiated everything. Now they’ve gotten so good they can really target the cancerous tissue,” notes Dr. Breiner. Because of that, more ladies are opting for a lumpectomy than ever before. He’s found that to be especially true in his practice, where the number of women coming to him for reconstructive surgery has decreased during the last five years.

“The general surgeons are getting better at lumpectomies, and radiation therapists are getting much better in radiation and chemotherapy,” says Dr. Breiner. As a result, more patients are opting to have a lumpectomy and radiation. “It’s a good problem to have,” he concludes.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS | our health

words | TINA JOYCE photography | ROBERT NATT PRODUCTIONS

Let me challenge you with a question. Have you ever picked up an article or book and asked yourself, “Is this author speaking directly to ME?” During the month of October, many women are reminded of the risks associated with breast cancer. Pink ribbons, media coverage, and races for a cure seem impossible to ignore. Then why do so many women look the other way, while other women tackle the issue head on?

October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by breast cancer charities raising funds every year to increase awareness and for research into the disease’s cause, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. According to the American Cancer Association, the awareness campaign also offers information and support to those potentially affected by breast cancer.

Awareness of the disease’s prevalence has increased significantly in the past 10 years, but sadly, motivation, response, and action are staggeringly low. In Southwest Virginia alone, only 33% of women, over age 40, schedule routine mammograms—leaving thousands at risk every year. A mammogram is a low dose x-ray of the breast that detects 90% of all breast cancers, usually well before an abnormality becomes apparent. This procedure is widely accepted by professionals as the best tool for detecting

breast cancer. Routine mammograms are covered by most insurance plans and many medical communities have programs available to serve underinsured populations.

The Virginia Department of Health partners with Carilion Clinic, as the administrative provider, to offer Every Woman’s Life (EWL), a program that provides free screenings (mammograms, clinical breast exams, Pap tests and pelvic exams) to women who are uninsured or underinsured. This program aims to assist women without adequate insurance benefits to receive preventative cancer screenings.

“Early detection of cancer cells allows for a 99% cure rate if cells are found to be 9mm or less and not in the lymph nodes,” explained Elieen Kenny, MD, Medical Director, at the Carilion Clinic Breast Care Center. “The quality of imaging and the skill www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 27

our health | BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS | our health

only

33% of women, over age

set of our imagers have greatly improved over the past 10 years,” she proudly shares. Advancements in technology and research have increased success rates dramatically.

Bob Williams, MD, a surgeon at Salem Surgical and Medical Director for the LewisGale Breast Center suggests that “Awareness doesn’t appear to be enough; we need to change behavior.” One woman recently shared with Dr. Williams that she is aware of the risks associated with the deadly disease, but since she considers herself “low risk”, scheduling a routine mammogram is simply not a priority.

However, unsettling statistics prove otherwise. Research exposes that one in eight women over the age of 40, with NO family history of breast cancer, will be positively diagnosed in her lifetime, contributing to approximately 40,000 women dying every year from a curable disease.1 “Today, many women in their 40’s are busy building careers and taking care of children and/ or parents—basically taking care of everybody but themselves,” Dr. Williams explains. Simply scheduling a precautionary screening can be a life-saving appointment because many women don’t seem to truly understand the danger of considering themselves “low risk”. I know this to be true, because I was one of those women.

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, schedule routine mammograms — leaving thousands at risk every year.

Awareness and early detection, provided by routine screenings, allows thousands of lives to be saved every year.

As of September 2012, there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.3 Although some women are considered lower risk, others are predisposed to cancer due to heredity. According to the National Cancer Institute, a woman’s risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a deleterious (harmful) BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. A simple blood test determines if a www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 29

our health | BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Nine of the ten women you pass on the street, who carry the BRCA1 gene, will be diagnosed with breast cancer. person carries the mutated gene.2 If a woman is found to carry the BRCA1 gene through genetic testing, her risk of contracting breast cancer increases to 87% and 25% for ovarian cancer in her lifetime.

Eighty-seven percent! This startling statistic reveals nine of the ten women you pass on the street, who carry the BRCA1 gene, will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Interestingly, a growing trend is evolving and allowing these women to choose a very proactive approach to conquering the fears associated with developing breast cancer.

Women across the country are electing to be cancer “previvors� as opposed to cancer survivors.

A previvor is a person who elects to live a healthy

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS | our health

lifestyle beginning at an early age in an effort to help prevent the development of cancer. In some cases, women elect to undergo proactive surgeries (typically a double mastectomy and a full or partial hysterectomy) before ever having a cancer diagnosis.

◊ Radiology Services – Carilion New River Valley Medical Center, Christiansburg, 540.731.2720

If these women choose not to have the surgeries, their high-risk status will have them seeking a mammogram or a MRI every six months with the constant fear that cancer cells could develop quickly or possibly be missed. Previvors may blog or join local support groups to find encouragement through the genetic testing and decisionmaking process.

◊ Breast Care Clinic – Bramleton, Roanoke, 540.772.7401

◊ Breast Care Clinic – Peters Creek, Roanoke, 540.265.5545

◊ Radiology Services – Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital, Lexington, 540.458.3321

The stories some women share upon learning of their genetic results is moving and even controversial at times. However, there is no denying, women with BRCA mutations are forced to make a difficult choice, a decision no one can make for them.

Previvors choose to proactively attack a deadly disease before it attacks them.

For more information about genetic testing and counseling call: 540.525.2195. To learn more about the EWL program, call 866.395.4968. To schedule a screening mammogram contact your primary physician or call: ◊ Carilion Giles Community Hospital, Pearisburg 540.921.6051 ◊ Breast Care Center - Jefferson, Roanoke, 540.985.9885 ◊ Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital, Rocky Mount 540.489.6332 ◊ Breast Care Diagnostic Center, Roanoke, 540.985.9885 ◊ Carilion Clinic Family Medicine, Blacksburg, 540.951.0352 ◊ Family Medicine, Vinton 540.983.6700

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our health | BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

◊ LewisGale Breast Center, Salem, 540.776.4983 ◊ LewisGale Imaging Center, Daleville, 540.776.4983 ◊ LewisGale Imaging Center, Brambleton, 540.283.3700 ◊ LewisGale Imaging Center, Montgomery, 540.953.5131 ◊ LewisGale Women’s Center, Alleghany 540.862.6878 ◊ LewisGale Hospital, Pulaski, 540.994.8509

1

Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2008 Incidence and Mortality Webbased Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2012.

2 Source: www.cancer.gov 3 Source: American Cancer Society

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NUTRITION HEALTH | our health

Nutrition For Breast Cancer words | TRICIA FOLEY, RD, MS

Breast cancer can be a devastating diagnosis. It is estimated that 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women this year (1). Nutrition is an important part of the healing process for these patients.

Unfortunately, chemo treatments can leave patients with a skewed sense of taste and little appetite due to nausea. Thankfully, Mother Nature has provided us with many foods that can settle the stomach and provide the strength needed to heal!

Did you know that nourished patients experience less nausea and feeling of malaise during their treatments? Maintaining a healthy weight is also very important since it is estimated that forty percent of cancer patients die from malnutrition, not cancer (2). To stay at a healthy weight, consider adding olive and coconut oils to recipes as well as calorie and nutrient dense nuts, avocados, and beans. Avoid using trans fats found in margarine and many prepackaged shelf stable snacks like crackers and cookies. These fats have been shown to negatively impact survival rates in patients with cancer.

Key nutrients including beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and selenium can improve chemo and radiation therapies while protecting healthy cells from the damage normally inflicted by chemo and radiation. Foods containing these nutrients include sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cilantro, fresh thyme, cantaloupe, romaine lettuce, broccoli, citrus fruits, berries, brazil nuts, grass fed beef, eggs, mushrooms, red bell peppers, olive oil, and onions.

It is also important to buy organic since non-organic produce can have high www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 35

our health | NUTRITION HEALTH

amounts of pesticides and toxins that strain a liver already working hard to process the chemo drugs.

In addition to the foods listed above, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower, contain helpful compounds, known as isothiocynates, that are released when the vegetables are cut or chewed.

Researchers at the University of New York compared the cancer killing effect of these compounds with two chemotherapy drugs and found that when isothiocynates were added to human breast cancer cells, the cells died within forty-eight hours, which was almost identical to the effect of the two chemo drugs (3).

Incorporating these super foods into your diet is easy! Start with recipes that are simple to make, easy to digest, and nourishing. Your favorite soups and smoothies are good examples, especially if you aren’t feeling up to eating a heavy meal. Consider cooking in bulk too; this way you can freeze the leftovers for another time. If you do decide to make a smoothie, it’s important to avoid too much simple sugar since the latest research is showing that insulin (a hormone stimulated by sugar) can speed tumor growth in cancer. To keep sugar levels low, make smoothies with unsweetened coconut milk instead of cow’s milk (see recipe below).

Unsweetened applesauce, crushed pineapple, and mashed bananas are other foods that can be used instead of sugar. Cinnamon and vanilla are also known to enhance sweetness in recipes. Use chicken stock as a great base for soup.

Then add your favorite vegetables to make a soothing meal. Shitake mushrooms, onions, garlic, and red and orange vegetables, such as tomatoes and bell peppers, have also been shown to support immune function, which is important while enduring cancer treatments.

Remember, small frequent meals are a great way to ensure you are getting enough calories and nutrients to support recovery while minimizing the chances of an upset stomach. Try eating six to eight mini meals a day to keep nausea at bay. Make sure to sit upright for up to an hour after eating, since lying down can sometimes make nausea worse.

Cold foods can also offer relief, since simply smelling hot food may trigger nausea. A bowl of cold chicken salad with chopped green apples (also shown to ease nausea) and brazil nuts is a great choice (recipe at end of article).

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NUTRITION HEALTH | our health

If you find that you still feel nauseous, try ginger tea or capsules, as these can help relieve your symptoms.

Keep in mind that ginger should be avoided if your doctor has told you that your platelets are low since ginger can inhibit blood clotting.

Herbs such as catnip, peppermint, chamomile and red raspberry can also be used as alternatives to relieve nausea. Other ideas that may help include washing your mouth out before and after meals to get rid of bad tastes in your mouth, limiting caffeine, chewing spearmint or wintergreen gum, or sipping green tea. Green tea is a wonderful drink that contains many cancer-fighting properties and when combined with peppermint can soothe an upset stomach. Aromatherapy may offer relief. The smell of fresh lemons has been shown to ease nausea. Finally, try eating in a cool room. Eating in a warm room should be avoided as the air may be stuffy and stale and make your stomach feel worse.

By nourishing your body with the proper foods, the side effects of chemo and other cancer treatments can be greatly reduced. Below are some recipes that you may find helpful. They contain many cancer-fighting ingredients coupled with anti-nausea ingredients that should be both comforting and pleasing to your palate.

Recipes: Green Apple Smoothie

Herb Flank (Grass Fed) Steak • Makes 4 servings

Ingredients: • 1 lb steak • 2 tbsp lemon juice

• Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp sea salt

• two 8 ounce chicken breasts

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ¼ C grapes, halved

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• ½ small apple, diced

• ¾ tsp pepper

• 6 brazil nuts, chopped

Directions: • Pound out the meat to tenderize. Mix the remaining ingredients and rub into the meat. You may opt to refrigerate overnight. Place the oven on broil. Line the pan with foil and place the beef on a rack in a broiler pan. Broil for 5 minutes, turn and repeat for an additional 5 minutes.

• ¼ C olive oil based mayo

Directions: • In a non-stick pan, brown the chicken over medium heat on the stove. Once cooled, cut the chicken into chunks and place in a blender to shred. Put the shredded chicken into a bowl and add other ingredients. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Carrot Ginger Celery Soup • Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 1 green apple, sliced

• 1/2 medium onion, diced

• 3/4 C unsweetened coconut milk

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1/2 C grapes, frozen

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 C blueberries, frozen

• 1 lb carrots, cut into 1-inch slices

• 20 walnuts

• ½ C chopped celery

• 1 C strawberries, frozen

• 1 tbsp peeled and chopped ginger root

• Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Chicken Salad

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• Makes 3 servings

Directions:

ingredients and allow to simmer about 10 minutes. Puree in a blender and serve.

Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Works Cited: 1. American Cancer Society, http://www. cancer.org, 2011 2. Quillin, P, Quillin, N, Beating Cancer with Nutrition, 2005 p. 85 3. Tseng E et al, Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2004, Sep;229(8) 835-42).

• 2 C low sodium chicken broth

Directions: • Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Add the remaining www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 37

HEALTH & FITNESS | our health

Body By Vi Challenge unveils new motivations for a healthy lifestyle

Local young man eats better, works out after shedding 80 pounds words | C. RUTH CASSELL

Regular reports on his Couch to 5K progress now substitute daily reports from the scale. Updates on his latest Co-op grocery store finds replace updates on Visalus meal replacement concoctions. Inspirations to not top 300 pounds become goals to maintain his weight at 220.

For friends and co-workers of Erik Williams, who started working at Virginia Western Community College when he was 25 and now holds the second senior most position in the Educational Foundation at the age of 31, he did more than lose weight.

“He made an entire lifestyle transformation,” says Jordan Leet, who works in the same building as Erik and was his teammate in the recent Marine Corp Mud Run at Green Hill Park in Salem.

In six months, Erik decreased his suit size from 56-long to 48-long. He went from wearing size 48 pants to 38, and he now proudly sports a size large T-shirt, rather than the XXL he once wore. Through the process, the Wytheville-native gained interest in natural foods, cooking and running.

“He talks about completely different things,” says co-worker Karen Rayl. “He’s introducing us to new ingredients like chia seeds, encouraging us to eat less sugar, and being a good influence on everyone.”

The transformation began with a Biggest Loser challenge with his co-workers in February 2012. Not to be outdone, Erik began a 90-Day Body By Vi Challenge to help with his weight loss goals and give him the advantage in the competition.

Body By Vi is a weight loss system combining meal replacement shake mix with metabolism boosting and appetite suppressant supplements. Erik started using Visalus, the shake product, by adding it to yogurt for breakfast and lunch. He ate www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 39

our health | HEALTH & FITNESS

a regular dinner and incorporated healthy snacks throughout the day.

“Visalus helped take the guess work out of weight loss for me,” Erik says. “I lost over half the weight in the first 90-Day Challenge and decided to continue using Visalus for another 90 days.”

Erik didn’t like the idea of drinking his meals, so he added the “shake mix that tastes like cake mix” to plain yogurt with berries, chia seeds or golden raisins. In the second 90Day Challenge, he began making oatmeal with Visalus for a lower-calorie meal. He said the protein and vitamin mixture of Visalus kept him feeling full longer and gave him more energy.

The meal replacement model also allowed him to focus on healthier snack and dinner options rather than worrying about making or buying three-to-five healthy meals a day.

His choices paid off, as Erik not only won the Biggest Loser Challenge, to the tune of over $180, but also found a weight loss strategy that worked for him, allowing him to shed pounds and learn new habits.

“I still had to change the way I eat and the things I put in my body,” he explains. “I avoid white flour, sugar, and processed food as much as possible.”

The most challenging part of sticking to the weight loss plan is Erik’s line of work. He regularly schedules or is invited

to lunch meetings, because that is when the community members he works with are able to meet. Educational Foundation functions almost always include decadent food spreads. Marketing agents often bring treats and sweets to the office during the holiday season.

Co-worker Carolyn Payne, who came in second place in the Biggest Loser Challenge and is also participating with Erik and other co-workers in the next Biggest Loser round which began the second week in September, points out that Erik is the first to say no to food just because it’s available.

“It takes will power,” she says. “That’s one thing Erik doesn’t lack. He shows his resolve in the way he operates every day, and he put that will power to use in his efforts to lose weight.

It’s paid off for him.”

Erik says at first the Body By Vi product was essential to him being able to resist indulging. After eating yogurt with Visalus in the morning, he wasn’t hungry for mid-morning doughnut treats. Visalus in the afternoon helped sustain him through many a meeting with no lunch.

Erik chose to focus on using Visalus to reach his personal goal.

Now, he makes healthier choices like salads with oil and vinegar dressing and no bread during those lunch meetings, and he stopped using Visalus after two consecutive 90-Day Challenges.

Erik also points out the benefits of exercise in his new way of life. “After losing about 70 pounds, I also found a workout routine that I can follow each week,” he says, “which is helping me keep the weight off and look more fit and toned.”

He met his next goal, to run a 5K, by completing the Marine Corps Mud Run with a team of Virginia Western co-workers in less than 45 minutes. Erik plans to keep running, eating healthy, and inspiring others to do the same.

Learn more about Roanoke Body By Vi 90-Day Challenge:

The Challenge is simple: 1. Join the challenge online at http://eliminatewaist.bodybyvi. com/ or http://roanoke.bodybyvi.com/ 2. Choose from 1 of 5 kits based on your weight loss or fitness goals. Each kit lasts 30 days!

3. Have others join, and get your product free! Work out together, and keep on track.

4. Send your before and after pictures and your testimonial and enter to win prizes!

40 | www.ourhealthvirginia.com

2012 RETIREMENT LIVING

AWARDS

RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS | our health

Independent Living Gold Richfield Retirement 3615 West Main St Salem VA 24153 | 540.380.6511 www.richfieldretirement.com Silver Friendship Retirement Community 327 Hershberger Road Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540.265.2230 www.friendship.us Bronze (tie) Warm Hearth 2603 Warm Hearth Drive Blacksburg, VA 24060 | 540.552.9176 www.retire.org The Glebe 200 Glebe Road Daleville, VA 24083 | 540.591.2100 www.theglebe.org

Real Estate Services Gold RE/Max Allpoints 5115 Bernard Drive Suite 110 Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.772.9500 www.remax.com/homes-for-sale/VA/ Roanoke-County

Silver University Physical Therapies 4633 Brambleton Avenue Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.774.0729 www.universityptonline.com Bronze Highland Ridge Rehab 5872 Hanks Ave Dublin, VA 24084 | 540.674.4193 www.thelandmarkgroupllc.com

Assisted Living Gold Salem Terrace 1851 Harrogate Drive Salem, VA 24153 | 530.444.0343 www.salemterrace.com Silver The Village At Pheasant Ridge 4428 Pheasant Ridge Road Roanoke VA 24014 | 540.400.6482 www.villageonpheasantridge.com Bronze Friendship Retirement Community 327 Hershberger Road Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540.265.2230 www.friendship.us

Senior Relocation/Moving Services Gold Crowning Touch Senior Moving 6704 Williamson Road Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540.982.5800 www.crowningtouchusa.com Silver Smooth Transitions of the Blue Ridge 2231 Woodcliff Road Roanoke, VA 24014 | 540.797.2354 www.smoothtransitionsroanoke.com Bronze Ray E. Owens & Sons Moving 3031 Shenandoah Valley Ave. Roanoke VA 24012 | 540.362.2619 www.owensmoving.com

Palliative Care Gold Carilion Clinic 1615 Franklin Road Roanoke, VA 24016 | 540.224.4753 www.carilionclinic.org

Silver Thomas and Wall Realty 120-B Wilson St Floyd, VA 24091 | 540.808.6746 www.thomaswallre.com Bronze Campbell Realty 3735 Plantation Road Roanoke, VA 2012 | 540.366.0604 www.campbellrealtyva.com

Skilled Nursing Facilities Gold Brandon Oaks 3804 Brandon Avenue Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.776.2600 www.brandonoaks.net Silver Our Lady of the Valley 650 North Jefferson St Roanoke, VA 24016 | 540.345.5111 www.ourladyofthevalley.com Bronze Richfield 3615 West Main St Salem VA 24153 | 540.380.6511 www.richfieldretirement.com

Comprehensive Rehab (Outpatient) Gold Friendship Retirement Community 327 Hershberger Road Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540.265.2230 www.friendship.us www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 43

our health | RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS

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RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS | our health

Silver Friendship Retirement Community 327 Hershberger Road Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540.265.2230 www.friendship.us Bronze Richfield 3615 West Main St Salem VA 24153 | 540.380.6511 www.richfieldretirement.com

Medical Equipment

Fitness Centers Gold Green Ridge Rec Center 7415 Woodhaven Road Roanoke, VA 24019 | 540.777.6300 www.greenridgerecreationcenter.com Silver YMCA Roanoke Valley 520 Church Ave Roanoke, VA 24016 | 540.342.9622 www.ymcaroanoke.org

Bronze Roanoke Athletic Club 4508 Starkey Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.989.5758 www.carilionfitness.com

Restaurants Gold The Roanoker 2522 Colonial Ave Roanoke, VA 24015 | 540.344.7746 www.theroanokerresturant.com

Gold Sun Medical 1807 Murray Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.389.3800 www.sunmedical.com Silver Commonwealth Home Health Care 1900 Apperson Drive Salem VA 24153 | 540.380.3393 www.commonwealthcare.com Bronze Generations Medical Supply 3825 Electric Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.776.3622 www.generationsolutions.net

Insurance Agent Gold Wendy Nelson, Nationwide 603 Apperson Drive Salem, VA 24153 | 540.375.9078 www.nationwide.com Silver Lew Thompson, State Farm 5929 Williamson Road Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540.362. 9471 www.lewthompson.com Bronze Steve Chafin, Farm Bureau 116 Tazwell St Suite 2 Pearisburg, VA 24134 | 540.921.1777 www.farmbureauadvantage.com

Pharmacy Delivery Gold Valley Apothecary 1802 Braeburn Drive Salem VA 24153 | 540.772.3788 www.valleyapothecary.com Silver Fort Lewis Pharmacy 3737 West Main St Suite 103 Salem VA 24153 | 540.380.4681 Bronze Crouch’s Pharmacy 7535 Williamson Road Roanoke, VA 24019 | 540.366.1379

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our health | RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS

46 | www.ourhealthvirginia.com

Silver Blue Apron in Salem 210 East Main St Salem VA 24153 | 540.375.0055 www.blueapronredrooster.com Bronze K&W Cafeteria 4242 Electric Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.989.3369 www.kwcafeterias.biz

After Life Services Gold Oakeys 318 Church Ave Roanoke, VA 24016 | 540.982.2100 www.oakeys.com Silver Lotz Funeral Home 1001 Franklin Road Roanoke, VA 24016 | 540.982.1001 www.lotzfuneralhome.com Bronze Bowers Funeral Chapels 1631 Bobwhite Blvd Pulaski, VA 24301 | 540.980.6160 www.bowerfuneralhome.com

Lawn Care Service Gold Varsity Lawn Care 5125 Starkey Lane Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.774.8289 www.varsitylandscaping.com Silver Green Up 919 Iowa St Salem VA 24153 | 540.389.2208 www.guysinpurple.com Bronze Tru Green 31 Wells St Salem, VA 24153 | 540.764.2786 www.trugreen.com

Barber Gold R&R Barbers - Roanoke 4323 Appleton Ave Roanoke, VA 24017 | 540.562.9823 Silver OK Barbers - Pulaski 321 East Main St Pulaski VA 24301 | 540.994.0231 Bronze Hollins Barber Shop 7545 Williamson Road Roanoke, VA 24019 | 540.366.9574

Jewelry Gold Amrheim’s 2740 Ogden Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.989.7100 www.amhreins.com Silver Finks 3545 Electric Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.344.8697 www.finks.com Bronze Lemon’s Jewelry - Pulaski 1032 Memorial Drive Pulaski VA 24301 | 540.980.7077

Grocery Store Gold Kroger Roanoke, VA | 1.800.576.4377 www.kroger.com Silver Wades Foods, Radford 401 West Main St Radford, VA 24141 | 540.639.9233 www.wades-foods.com Bronze Fresh Market 2207 Colonial Ave Roaoke, VA 24015 | 540.344.5490 www.thefreshmarket.com

Country Club Gold Blacksburg Country Club 1064 Clubhouse Road Blacksburg VA 24060 | 540.552.9164 www.blacksburgcc.com Silver Hidden Valley Country Club 2500 Romar Road Salem, VA 24153 | 540.389.8146 www.hiddenvalleycc.com Bronze Ashley Plantation 919 Greenfield St Daleville, VA 24083 | 540.992.4653 www.ashleyplantation.com

Spa Gold Pure Spa 3555-h Electric Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.904.5900 www.puresparoanoke.com Silver Innovations Salon and Day Spa Blacksburg 909 Hethwood Blvd Blacksburg, VA 24060 | 540.552.3777 www.innovationssalonanddayspa.com

our health | RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS

Bronze Salon Del Sol 2601 Franklin Road Roanoke, VA 24014 | 540.387.1900 www.salondelsolandspa.com

Elder Law Attorney Gold Anne Green 4923 Colonial Ave Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.776.6434 www.andersondesimore.com Silver Robyn Smith Ellis 220 Boulevard Salem, VA 24153 | 540.389.6060 www.robynsmithellis.com Bronze Byron Shankman - Dublin 144 Broad St Dublin VA 24084 | 540.674.3095

Speech Therapy Gold Roanoke Valley Speech and Hearing 2030 Colonial Ave Southwest Roanoke, VA 24015 | 540.343.0165 www.rvshc.org Silver Warm Hearth Village 2603 Warm Hearth Drive Blacksburg VA 24060 | 540.552.9176 www.warmhearth.org Bronze Friendship Retirement 327 Hershberger Road Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540.265.2230 www.friendship.us

Comprehensive Rehab (Inpatient) Gold Carilion Clinic Rehab Centers 1906 Belleview Ave Roanoke, VA 24014 | 540.385.8550 www.carilionclinic.org Silver Emeritus 1127 Persinger Road SW Roanoke, VA 24015 | 540.343.4900 www.emeritus.com Bronze Highland Ridge Rehab Center 5872 Hanks Ave Dublin, VA 24084 | 540.674.4193 www.thelandmarkgroupllc.com

Geriatric Care (Physician) Gold Sohier Boshra, MD 2001 Crystal Springs Suite 302 Roanoke, VA 24014 | 540.981.6753 www.carilionclinic.org 48 | www.ourhealthvirginia.com

Silver Aubrey Knight, MD 1314 Peters Creek Road NW Suite 110 Roanoke, VA 24017 | 540.562.5700 www.carilionclinic.org Bronze Karen Barnhart, MD 2102 West Main St Salem VA 24153 | 540.375.0600 www.carilionclinic.org

Nursing Home Care Gold (tie) Brandon Oaks/Friendship Retirement 3837 Brandon Ave Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.776.2616 www.brandonoaks.net Friendship 327 Hershberger Road Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540.265.2230 www.friendship.us Silver Our Lady of the Valley 650 North Jefferson St Roanoke, VA 24016 | 540.345.5111 www.ourladyofthevalley.com Bronze Warm Hearth Village 2603 Warm Hearth Drive Blacksburg VA 24060 | 540.552.9176 www.warmhearth.org

Hospice Gold Good Samaritan Hospice 2408 Electric Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.776.0198 www.goodsamhospice.com Silver Gentle Shepherd Hospice 6045 Peters Creek Road Roanoke, VA 24019 | 540.989.6265 www.gentleshepherdhospice.com Bronze Heritage Hall - Blacksburg 3610 South Main St Blacksburg VA 24060 | 540.951.7000 www.heritage-hall.org

Memory Care Gold Salem Terrace 1851 Harrogate Drive Salem, VA 24153 | 540.444.0343 www.salemterrace.com Silver Virginia Veterans Care Center 4550 Shenandoah Ave Roanoke, VA 24017 | 540.982.2860 www.dvs.virginia.gov

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RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS | our health

Bronze (tie) Emeritus Roanoke 1127 Persinger Road SW Roanoke, VA 24015 | 540.343.4900 www.emeritus.com Richfield 3615 West Main St Salem VA 24153 | 540.380.6511 www.richfieldretirement.com

Medical Supplies

Senior Transportation Gold Radar 2762 Shenandoah Ave Roanoke, VA 24037 | 540.344.6216 www.radartransit.org Silver Valley Metro 1108 Campbell Ave SE Roanoke, VA 24013 | 540.982.2222 www.valleymetro.com

Bronze Home Instead Senior Care - Christiansburg 125 Arrowhead Trail Christiansburg, VA 24073 | 540.260.3160 www.homeinstead.com

Senior Entertainment/Functions Gold Showtimers Theater 2067 McVitty Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.774.2660 www.showtimers.org

Gold Generations Medical Supply Store 1965 Electric Road Salem, VA 24153 | 540.444.0200 www.generationsolutions.net Silver Sun Medical 1807 Murry Road Roanoke, VA 24018 | 540.389.3800 www.sunmedical.com Bronze Medi Home Health 1948 Franklin Road Roanoke, VA | 540.342.65.39 www.msa-corp.com

Pharmacy Gold Valley Apothecary 1802 Braeburn Drive Salem, VA 24153 | 540.772.3788 www.valley apothecary.com Silver Kroger Roanoke, VA | 1.800.576.4377 www.kroger.com Bronze Downhome Pharmacy 40 Summers Way Suite 101 Roanoke, VA 24019 | 540.966.4858 www.downhomepharmacy.net

Senior Centers Gold Adult Day Care Center 2321 Roanoke Blvd Salem, VA 24153 | 540.981.2350 www.accrv.org Silver Vinton Senior Center 311 S Pollard St Vinton, VA 24179 | 540.983.0163 www.vintonva.gov Bronze Salem Senior Center 1851 Harrogate Drive Salem, VA 24153 | 540.444.0343 www.salemva.gov

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our health | RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS

Silver Grandin Theater 1310 Grandin Road Roanoke, VA 24015 540.345.6377 www.grandintheater.com Bronze Concert by the Lake at Richfield 3615 West Main St Salem VA 24153 | 540.380.6511 www.richfieldretirement.com

Home Health Gold Interim Home Health 4395 Electric Road Roanoke, VA 24018 540.774.8686 www.interimhealthcare.com Silver Generations Solutions 1965 Electric Road Salem, VA 24153 | 540.444.0200 www.generationsolutions.net Bronze ResCare Home Care 5115 Bernard Dr Ste 103 Roanoke, VA | 540.772.0085 www.rescarehomecare.com

Place of Worship Gold Our Lady of Nazareth 2505 Electric Road Roanoke, VA 24018 540.774.0066 www.oln-parish.org Silver Villa Heights Baptist Church 4800 Challenger Ave Roanoke, VA 24012 540.977.3705 www.villaheights.com Bronze Jubilee Christians Center 7331 Lee Highway Fairlawn, VA 24141 540.639.5672

Beauty Salon Gold Tivon Salon and Spa - Blacksburg 211 Prices Fork Road Suite B Blacksburg VA 24060 540.953.5000 www.tivonsalonspa.com Silver Bella Voi Day Spa - Salem 9 Library Square Salem VA 24153 | 540.387.2252

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RETIREMENT LIVING AWARDS | our health

Bronze Les Chevaux 2201 Colonial Ave Roanoke, VA 24015 | 540.343.7211 www.lescheveuxsaloninc.com

Coffee House Gold Mill Mountain Coffee 17 East Main St Salem VA 24153 | 540.389.7549 www.millmountaincoffee.com

Companion Care Gold Generations Medical Supply Store 1965 Electric Road Salem, VA 24153 | 540.444.0200 www.generationsolutions.net

Bronze Warm Hearth at Home 2603 Warm Hearth Drive Blacksburg VA 24060 540.552.9176 www.warmhearth.org

Silver Friendship Home Care 327 Hershberger Road Roanoke, VA 24012 540.265.2230 www.friendship.us

Silver Our Daily Bread Bakery & Café Blacksburg VA 1329 South Main St Blacksburg, VA 24060 | 540.953.2815 www.odbb.com Bronze Java the Hutt 2029 Colonial Ave Roanoke, VA 24015 | 540.342.1516

Florist Gold Kroger Roanoke, VA | 1.800.576.4377 www.kroger.com Silver Angle Florist 15 East Main St Christiansburg VA 24073 | 540.382.0258 Bronze Jobe 215 South College Ave Salem VA 24153 | 540.389.7284 www.jobeflorist.com

Golf Course Gold Hanging Rock 1500 Red Lane Salem, VA 24153 | 540.389.7275 www.hangingrockgolf.com Silver Pete Dye River Course 8400 River Course Drive Radford, VA 24141 | 540.633.6732 www.petedyerivercourse.com Bronze Westlake Golf and Country Club 360 Chestnut Creek Drive Hardy VA 24101 | 540.721.4215 www.golfthewestlake.com

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advertorial | Retirement Community Highlight

ABOUT BENTLEY COMMONS: »» Located in the heart of Lynchburg Virginia, Bentley Commons is a state of the art community that offers a full compliment of amenities and supportive services designed to maximize independence and encourage a healthy, active lifestyle. »» Bentley Commons offers seniors the assistance they may need through our Independent and Assisted Living programs.

Caregivers Overlooked In Senior Care A Closer Look Into The Lives Of Caregivers In today’s economy there doesn’t seem to be any financial breathing room for many Seniors. The cost of living is always on the rise and so is the cost of personal health care. Because of this many adult children are stepping up and taking on responsibilities they never expected. Many of us would agree that there is nothing more honorable than giving back to those who have given us so much.

The problem with the sudden increase in caregivers, is that they receive little or no training on how to handle another persons needs on top of their own. Most caregivers are ill prepared for the job and feel those responsibilities weighing heavily upon them.

An estimated 44 million Americans provide unpaid assistance and care to loved ones. Substantial research is beginning to show us that those who provide care are themselves at much greater risk to develop their own health problems. The extra emotional and physical strain can not only hurt the caregiver, but those that they care for.

Depression is the most common ailment that caregivers deal with, some say as much as 70%. Why is this?

Caregivers often lack a strong support structure and fail to relate to others who are not caregivers. Caregivers quickly reach their stress limit but do 54 | www.ourhealthvirginia.com

not know where to turn. It is a vicious cycle to go through. So what can be done about it?

Fortunately there are many options for those in need of care, including Retirement communities. They are becoming more affordable and most retirement communities allow families or hospice to provide care to their loved ones, which reduces cost. Caregiver’s can rest easier and go home with peace of mind, knowing that their family or friend is well looked after while they are gone.

Most modern retirement communities offer all inclusive prices which cut down on overall cost and make it easier to manage. There are many financial solutions out there that fit all needs. The most commonly forgotten financial benefit retirees can receive is for their military service.

Veterans can receive substantial monetary benefits based on their time in service by contacting their local Veterans Affairs office.

Also, some retirement communities host caregiver support groups to help those who have given so much. These are a great way to rebalance your life so you can be ready to help when the time comes.

»» Please feel free to call us at (434) 316-0207 if you have any questions. »» Find us on Facebook!

Bentley Commons 1604 Graves Mill Road Lynchburg, VA 24502 (434) 316-0207 www.bentleycommons.com

Retirement Community Highlight | advertorial

Independence is key at Elm Park Estates One of the main concerns for seniors who are transitioning into a retirement community is the fear that they are losing their independence. They worry that decisions will be out of their control and that they will be institutionalized, losing their freedom to be themselves.

Elm Park Estates prides itself on being the solution to that fear.

Richard Brucki, a community manager at Elm Park Estates, explains, “Independence is the real key here. We don’t try and fit people into a schedule that doesn’t work for their lives.”

Elm Park Estates isn’t a nursing home or an assisted living program, it’s an independent living community.

Brucki notes, “We do have a number of residents who get assistance from outside nursing companies, but that’s all arranged between the resident and the other party depending on the resident’s needs.” Just because Elm Park doesn’t offer nursing services doesn’t mean that they don’t offer several helpful amenities including close and compassionate care.

All residents are equipped with a pull bell in their rooms if they need assistance, and they can also call the on duty manager 24 hours a day.

These community managers are what Brucki says make Elm Park so special.

“The biggest difference is that our management team lives here. We don’t clock in and out and go home. One of the live-in managers is always on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If there’s an emergency or a resident needs assistance in any way, we’re always right there with them because we’re residents ourselves”. This creates a positive environment in which the residents are put in charge of their own lives and feel less like patients.

However, with some of the other services Elm Park offers, the residents are more likely to feel like hotel guests.

It may be an independent living community, but Elm Park Estates offers many services that seniors often find taxing or inconvenient. “We offer a complete cleaning service daily which includes changing our residents’ sheets and towels, exactly like you would get at a hotel. We also offer three full meals a day for no additional charge, and all of the food is prepared on site by our certified chef and kitchen staff,” says Brucki. In addition, they offer a 24 hour coffee bar, an onsite beauty salon, and an onsite chapel.

While residents are taking advantage of these amenities, or any of the other physical and mental activities that are planned daily at Elm Park, there’s even more they can look forward to. Elm Park Estates is owned by Holiday Retirement, a large, nationwide corporation of retirement communities throughout the United States and Canada. “If a resident has family somewhere they would like to visit or if they’re just hoping to get a change of scenery and visit someplace they’ve never been, they can stay at the nearest Holiday Retirement community and receive their meals free for up to a week,” notes Brucki. Retirement communities may be known for their activities and day trips, but hardly for their Canadian vacation weeks.

This unique blend of individual autonomy and premium resort amenities makes Elm Park Estates an exciting place to spend one’s senior years. But Brucki says what he likes most is the closeness. “If you’d told me three years ago I would consider everyone here family I wouldn’t have believed it. But I do.” If a close family filled with independent individuals is what you need, then Elm Park Estates could be your home as well.

Elm Park Estates 4230 Elm View Road Roanoke, VA 24018 (540) 904-1897 www.holidaytouch.com/Our-Communities/ elm-park-estates.aspx

www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 55

advertorial | Retirement Community Highlight

»» Augmentative communication therapy »» Low-vision therapy »» Driving evaluations »» VitalSlim® »» Home safety assessments »» Balance therapy »» Aquatic therapy »» Home Care

Friendship Retirement Community Surrounded by the scenic Appalachian Mountains in the Roanoke Valley, Friendship Retirement Community is more than just a health care community, it’s a home. At Friendship, an expansive community of residents and health care professionals all lead to an environment where the ultimate goal is the enjoyment of life.

Independent Living Retirement is a time to fully immerse yourself with the joys of life, family and friends. With Friendship’s retirement living apartments, there are 26 different floor plans to choose from ranging in prices to meet your financial needs. The Residents’ Center houses a chapel, an indoor pool, virtual golf, billiards, dining options and much more. Transportation services offer activities that extend into Roanoke and surrounding areas. Just minutes from downtown, residents are able to experience local dining, shopping, and entertainment. Trips to the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, museum exhibits, and the Grandin Theater are just a few of the experiences within reach at Friendship Retirement Community.

Assisted Living The perks of Friendship are also available to those who need a little more help. Friendship Assisted Living combines many of the same opportunities with customized around the clock care from medication management to full nursing care.

Without the worry of day-to-day difficulties, assisted living residents are able to relish in their favorite pastimes with numerous activities daily or spend time with family and friends.

56 | www.ourhealthvirginia.com

Skilled and Long-term Care Friendship’s 373-bed Health and Rehab Center is the largest in the region and offers award-winning skilled nursing care. Skilled and immediate nursing care, sub acute care, inpatient physical, speech and occupational rehabilitation, memory care, and palliative care are all part of what Friendship offers at their Health and Rehab Center. What helps Friendship offer superb care is the staff, who take a team approach when caring for every resident. Regularly scheduled care plan meetings with residents and families, staff play a vital role in providing support and reassurance.

Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Services Available to campus residents and the community, Friendship Outpatient Therapy offers citizens of all ages the means to live with the utmost comfort and safety. Rehabilitation and orthopedic services at Friendship are locally renowned not only among residents and patients but throughout Southwest Virginia. Services offered include: »» Physical therapy »» Occupational therapy »» Speech therapy

The care doesn’t stop where the campus ends. A variety of home care services bring Friendship’s quality care to your home. Friendship Home Care helps individuals remain independent in their own homes through a range of services from simple companionship to running errands. Caregivers are all trained and educated as nursing assistants if the need for more assistance should arise.

Friendship Home Care offers a free, no obligation nursing assessment to see what program is right for you or your loved one. With customized Home care services include: »» Companion care- Everyday chores such as laundry, housecleaning, and meal preparation are all taken care of.

Outside of the home, this level of care also covers shopping, doctor visits and more. »» Personal Care- Paired with the services covered under companion care, personal care covers the more hands-on tasks of day-to-day living.

This includes bathing, dressing, and grooming.

For more information about Friendship Retirement Community and the various services they offer, please visit www.friendship.us or call (540) 777-2399 to set up a tour.

Retirement Community Highlight | advertorial

Heritage Green Assisted Living Communities Heritage Green Assisted Living Communities is an organization that thrives on offering extensive, high quality care for those seniors who can no longer live on their own. Heritage Green offers traditional assisted living with all of the services one would expect from a top senior living provider, as well as a Memory Care community that is tailored specifically to the needs of seniors who struggle with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other memory loss diseases.

Heritage Green strives to meet all the needs of their different residents by keeping a key mission at heart: individual care. “We really try to individualize our residents’ care, to meet them where they are in their lives. That can mean offering the exact activities they like and what they like to eat, but it also extends to the care itself, like letting them decide when they like to bathe and how they like us to handle

that with them. We try to make that care specific to those individuals, not fit them into our program,” explains Heather Pippin, Marketing Director.

This means that one key component of Heritage Green is variety.

Activity planners seek to discover what the residents’ individual interests are and cater their services around that. “We have food shows and dancing and musical shows that come here to entertain the residents. We also have fashion shows. No one should feel like they don’t have opportunities to have fun and socialize here,” says Pippen. The Memory Care community isn’t left out of the fun. According to Pippin, “Our memory care program has activities all day long and they’re all very therapeutic. We still socialize with them and offer creative and spiritual programs. We offer lots of nature based programs and sight-seeing, as well as a lot of games and recreational fun.

What these residents are interested in is what we’re interested in providing, no matter what their condition.” The activities aren’t the only way in which Heritage Green strives to personalize and individualize their services.

Meal time is an exciting and special experience there as well. The meals offered to residents aren’t the same thing day in and day out. “We have a chef-of-the-month program that offers great variety, and we have a lot of nutritional food and food we cater to individuals, whether it’s for their medical diet or just what they love. Almost all of our food is made from scratch. Twice a month we pick different residents to eat with us to get to know them better and to ask what they like about Heritage Green and what kind of changes they would like to see,” says Pippin. The medical services are no exception to this.

Besides offering 24 hour care from a highly-trained staff and nursing team, Heritage Green employs specialists from all over the medical field. “We have an on-sight medical director, a geriatric psychiatrist, and a podiatrist.

We cover every base to give them real care,” explains Pippin. According to her it’s all about enabling the resident to stay at Heritage Green because that’s where they feel most at home.

“We’re not just offering medical needs; we’re offering a happy life. When our residents leave the facility they are really anxious to get back. That’s because this place offers real joy in their life. We’re always looking for those little opportunities to make them feel special and give them a great day.

That’s always priority number one.”

Heritage Green has won OurHealth’s retirement community gold medal for two years in a row now. That really speaks for itself.

Heritage Green Assisted Living Communities 200-201 Lilian Lane Lynchburg, VA 24502 (434) 385-5102 www.heritagegreenal.com

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advertorial | Retirement Community Highlight

Our Lady of the Valley Our Lady of the Valley is a not-forprofit, non-denominational retirement community sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Their philosophy and core values are founded on a commitment of caring and community.

These core values include preserving dignity, showing respect, offering a spiritual and enriching life, and providing excellent service and care to each resident and their family members, as well as fostering teamwork among employees. Our Lady of the Valley has been an active and respected member of the Roanoke community since 1989. It is known as a being a welcoming place for people with different faiths, backgrounds, and life experiences to receive the care and support they need in a place they love to call home.

Barbara Jackson-Ingram, the community’s administrator, takes pride in the diverse resident population that lives at Our Lady of the Valley.

“We have some residents that need complete care in our health care center and we have some residents that, even though we provide assisted living, are entirely independent except for one aspect of daily living, like medication

management or meals. It’s all about what works for the individual.” Our Lady of the Valley strives to provide a great place for active aging.

The excellent reputation of the skilled nursing and rehabilitation services offered at Our Lady of the Valley is familiar to many people, especially Our Health readers. Last year they were the recipient of the Our Health Gold award for skilled nursing care. These first-class services are located in the Sullivan Center at Our Lady of the Valley and are currently in the process of growing. “We already offer speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy. Our new therapy center addition is going to give us more space for state-of-the-art equipment and will allow us to provide these services more effectively and to a larger number of people. The new expanded therapy center is scheduled to open later this fall,” says JacksonIngram.

Our Lady of the Valley also provides an excellent environment for very independent seniors. “Active”, says Jackson-Ingram, “is the best word to describe the seniors who live here.” The growing list of activities

for residents is very diverse and exciting. “Our programs and activities include enjoying lunch or dinner at a local restaurant, going on a shopping excursion, visiting area museums or attending a concert. But we also have a lot going on internally. We have live entertainment, games, arts and crafts, educational programs and numerous social events and parties. Many volunteers from the community and different churches also bring a variety of entertainment events right here. We offer a book club and Wii Bowling and really as much variety as we possibly can,” says Jackson-Ingram. But the list of places to enjoy all the fun is also growing at the community. “Our most recent change is a large front porch that allows our seniors to get more time and access to the outdoors and to enjoy the beautiful weather. That’s been very nice for the residents and they love it.” But even with all this variety and growth it all comes down to the daily realization of their core values that makes this community such a special place.

A feeling of home is what all retirement communities strive for but only a few are successful. Our Lady of the Valley is one of those communities.

The residents who live there enjoy every moment of every day and consider the other residents and staff to be like members of their extended family. According to Jackson-Ingram this strong sense of community and family is the result of Our Lady of the Valley’s core values. “We are dedicated to live those principles every day and bring them into the lives of every resident.” Twenty-three years of excellent service is proof that living positive principals each and every day is just one of the reasons Our Lady of the Valley is a leader in retirement living in the Roanoke Valley.

Retirement Community Highlight | advertorial

The Village on Pheasant Ridge When Patty Ellingham, Director of Sales and Marketing for The Village on Pheasant Ridge, sums up what is most special about this community, she does so in a simple statement. “It’s all about achieving that balance between independence for our residents and being dependable for them.” This is a balance that Ellingham believes the Village has achieved.

The facility of luxury apartments, offered to seniors 55 or older, seems appealing to all ages. These apartments are spacious, welldesigned and gorgeously landscaped.

It’s a serene community, one that would be quiet if it weren’t for the active lifestyles of all of its residents.

It’s hard to believe The Village is so peaceful and naturalistic when it’s only

minutes away from the interstate and the cultural hub of the Roanoke Valley.

This surprising dichotomy is one that The Village residents are encouraged to take full advantage of.

The calendar of events at the community is filled with luaus, concerts, shopping, day trips and many other varied activities. “We have two vans that operate Monday through Friday that can take our residents to activities and events going on, all throughout the region. Our activities planner has been doing this for 20 years, so he has a huge number of contacts throughout the community, which gives our residents a lot of opportunities to stay active. They go to the dinner theaters and have mystery lunches. Last week they spent the day

at a winery, which included a brunch and wine tasting. Before that, they went to a creamery. So there’s a very wide variety of interesting activities we offer,” says Ellingham. With such an exciting schedule, I begin to wonder if they would make an exception for someone who doesn’t meet the age requirement.

But the social aspect is only one of the important functions The Village serves. It offers both independent and assisted living, and residents have the option of determining their own level of supervision. “Assisted and independent living are housed in the same facilities, but we are able to provide a series of services – everything from assisting with medicines and bathing to dressing, transportation, and escorting to meals.

We offer the full spectrum of assisted living services,” says Ellingham.

The meals are versatile and look delectable. No bland cafeteria food here. Three meals a day are included in your monthly rent. “We cater to our residents’ dietary restrictions, offer a variety of entrees, and always offer cakes, pastries and ice cream for dessert. These are prepared by our on-site kitchen staff and a dietary physician,” says Ellingham. She also notes that the residents can always enjoy happy hour every night at the pub and ice cream socials every week.

All these services come down to the basic philosophy of The Village at Pheasant Ridge. Ellingham explains, “The true independence that our residents have is the greatest benefit we can offer. We have a lot of residents that are fully independent. Our goal is to get people to come to meals and to get involved and form friendships. To live their lives. We’ve been successful due to word-of-mouth. Our residents love being here and they’re very proud to live here.”

Live your life and be proud of it, a philosophy that’s hard to beat and one that’s made The Village at Pheasant Ridge a huge success.

www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 59

advertorial | Retirement Community Highlight

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residents feel just like neighbors. But 60 | www.ourhealthvirginia.com

Radford Health and Rehab 700 Randolph Street Radford, VA 24141 (540) 633-6533 www.radford-rehab.com

Retirement Community Highlight | advertorial

Runk and Pratt In 2008, Runk and Pratt opened their third and most recent retirement community at scenic Smith Mountain Lake. Over the past several years, the lake is a hotspot destination for families looking for a fun and peaceful weekend away from home as well as retirees looking for the perfect retirement location. Smith Mountain Lake Retirement Village was designed to create such an environment for seniors and Runk and Pratt has found a very unique way of doing so.

According to Galyn Damiani, Marketing Director for Runk and Pratt, “It’s all about creating a lifestyle that provides ease and comfort”. These are words commonly used to describe a hotel or resort, but not traditionally associated with retirement homes. Runk and Pratt, however, hopes to offer a different type of retirement living.

The community at Smith Mountain Lake looks nothing like a traditional assisted living facility. “What’s so unique about the Smith Mountain Lake Retirement Village,” says Damiani, “is that we offer cottages for independent

living. This is an element we don’t have at any of our other communities.

The cottages are one level, have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a garage and an array of amenities.

They’re extremely spacious and encourage seniors to live active, healthy lifestyles while also providing the assistance they need to experience peace of mind.”

In the assisted living portion, experienced, 24-hour staff attend to the needs of all the residents, helping with medication management, meals and more advanced personal assistance such as bathing and dressing. Runk and Pratt also offers more additional levels of care at the facility, culminating in “a secured memory care unit for those residents experiencing the late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia.

Rather than having to move residents to a completely different facility as the disease progresses, they can stay in our community and age in a place that is both familiar and comfortable,” says Damiani. Comfort and extensive care influence every aspect of their services.

Three full meals are provided daily for all residents, both independent and assisted alike. “We have specialized meal options to meet any dietary needs residents may be experiencing. Our kitchen staff is absolutely wonderful.

They create incredible southern, home-style dishes and everyone loves it. Not only does the staff pride themselves in excellent service, they also thrive on the interaction with the community members.” says Damiani.

But the cooking isn’t the only thing that’s homegrown.

Runk and Pratt Senior Living Communities will celebrate their 20th year this October and they continue to be known for their personal touch.

According to Damiani, “it is the only locally, family owned assisted living company in the area. The owners live in the community and are very involved in it. It’s a name that is known and trusted in the Lynchburg area. That alone is truly unique.” The community ties don’t stop there.

The diverse and full schedule of activities includes the best the area has to offer. “We recently started bringing in a local artist to teach watercolor classes to encourage creativity and expression. We also bring pets in for pet therapy and have daily stretching and exercise,” says Damiani. These ties to the community are what Runk and Pratt are all about. Giving seniors a place to grow and experience life, to maintain their independence yet find a place full of dependable and caring professionals is what she hopes they have achieved. “It’s very rewarding,” Damiani says. She may have been talking of the staff and herself, but the reward for the residents at Runk and Pratt is pretty bountiful too.

www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 61

advertorial | Retirement Community Highlight

Salem Terrace So you have decided to retire. So what does retirement mean to you?

Does it mean more time for family and friends? Does it mean more time to volunteer at your church or with your favorite charity? Does it mean you can now take an art class, learn to dance or travel to places you have always dreamed of visiting?

Whatever retirement means to you, you shouldn’t have to compromise.

You have earned it. The residents at Salem Terrace at Harrogate have embraced their retirement and enjoy all that life has to offer every day.

“The residents at Salem Terrace will tell you all the reasons they personally chose not to compromise on their retirement,” says April Jones, director of marketing at Salem Terrace. “Many tell me they were looking for a friendly community that offered an active lifestyle with exceptional personalized care. And that is what we have here at Salem Terrace. Our community provides residents with numerous luxuries and amenities that enhance life, as well as being conveniently located to shopping, restaurants, medical facilities and more.” The list of programs offered at Salem Terrace not only enrich the lives of those who live there, but many are open to the public. Fitness and cooking classes, educational seminars and workshops, concerts and other entertainment events top the list.

If you have the chance to visit Salem Terrace you will know how this community got its name. From 62 | www.ourhealthvirginia.com

the wrap-around front porch to courtyards and terraces, just step outside - the views are amazing. “We take full advantage of the outdoor spaces and views when we plan our events and programs,” says Julie Abernethy, community relations director at Salem Terrace. But you don’t have to be outside to enjoy the natural beauty. Mountain views can also be enjoyed from the internet café, multi-purpose room, Spring House pub, and dining room, as well as various living and lounge spaces throughout the community. Large windows in the apartments also showcase the mountains from each residents home.

Life at Salem Terrace at Harrogate is not only friendly and fun, but supported by a team of caring professionals who work with each resident to enhance their personal independence. “Some of our residents require some assistance with daily tasks and they are a perfect example of how a little help goes a long way.

They aren’t compromising on their retirement, but fully embracing life to their full potential,” says Jones.

“Seniors who choose Salem Terrace move here knowing that they will have the added security of a licensed nurse on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Assisted living services at Salem Terrace are provided in every apartment as needed by each resident. Residents know that they will not have to relocate to receive these services.” Salem Terrace offers independent living, assisted living

and specialized memory care options.

Salem Terrace doesn’t compromise on its resident services either.

Transportation and weekly housekeeping services are just the beginning. Three delicious homecooked meals are featured every day in the main dining room.

And these meals are included for each resident. But if your view of retirement includes cooking for yourself or others, each apartment has a fully-equipped kitchen. And if entertaining is your thing, but doing the dishes are not, residents can choose to host parties for family and friends in the private dining room or one of the other spaces at the community.

So what is holding you back from fully enjoying your retirement?

Don’t let the chores of everyday life keep you from the things you love.

Choosing to move to a senior living community is one of the best ways to eliminate household chores and the high cost of home maintenance while allowing you the uncompromising pursuit of your dreams. The residents at Salem Terrace at Harrogate are glad they made that choice. The community’s motto “A new look for senior living” invites seniors to experience retirement from their own point of view.

Retirement Community Highlight | advertorial

Life at The Glebe Life at The Glebe is reminiscent of living in small town America. You know your neighbors and the people who provide your services, and they are all close by. It’s just a short stroll to “Main Street” at The Glebe where you can have lunch in the Depot Café, make a deposit or use the ATM at the full services branch of the Bank of Fincastle, check out a book at the library, meet a buddy for a game of pool, or meet your friends for bridge in the game room. For wellness amenities, just turn the corner for the fitness room, stop in and pick up a prescription at the clinic, check in for a session of physical therapy, or visit friends in Health Care or Assisted Living. It’s all under one roof, so every day is a good day to take a stroll at The Glebe.

Those who choose to make The Glebe their home live in a comfortable apartment or cottage and enjoy a wide range of programs and services catering to their individual wellness, social, intellectual, and spiritual interests. In addition, they (and their families) have the added benefit of the security of Life Care, which gives them peace of mind knowing where they will receive the on-site services available at The Glebe.

It is often said that moving to The Glebe is the best gift you can give to your family. One reason is that the

fee options cover a continuum of onsite services to meet changing health needs. Think about the last time you or someone you know needed rehab therapy. Did you have to ask someone to drive you? Did you have difficulty getting in and out of the car? Did you have to go out in bad weather? Did you feel like a burden? If you had in-home therapy, could you have benefited more if you had had access to a fully equipped rehabilitative therapy suite?

Welcome to the ease of The Glebe’s health services! If you are immobilized due to surgery or an injury and need to recuperate or have rehab therapy, you have access to short-term care in assisted living or nursing care and staff assistance to take you to therapy.

If your need for therapy has not limited your mobility, you’ll remain in your apartment or cottage and just take a short stroll to therapy.

How do you like to spend your time?

If you like to spend time at home, you’ll enjoy your spacious apartment or cottage and its amenities including large closets, conveniently located laundry room, large windows to enjoy the views, and a kitchen with all the conveniences. If you enjoy spending time with others who share your interests in continuing education, volunteering, reading, needlework, woodworking, etc., this can be an everyday event at The

Glebe. Opportunities are available at the facility, and day trips are also very popular.

Life at The Glebe is fun, it’s exciting, and it offers security that gives you confidence for your future. Everything from the motion sensor in your residence that sends a signal which automatically checks off that you are up and going each day to housekeeping and maintenance services, to transportation, to full service nursing care – it’s all at your fingertips. At The Glebe, you expand your life, and your “To Do” list is filled only with the things you enjoy.

For a glimpse of life at The Glebe, visit www.theglebe.org or find us on Facebook at The Glebe Retirement Community. And, you are always welcome to stop by for a visit.

The Glebe 200 The Glebe Boulevard Daleville, VA 24083 540-591-2200 www.theglebe.org

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advertorial | Retirement Community Highlight

Valley View Retirement Community Valley View Retirement Community has been actively serving the senior population of Lynchburg since 1988.

The primary key to unlocking their long and steady success is a simple one, “our very strong reputation for making it feel like home”, according to Community Director, Pam Grigg. As Dorothy said, “there’s no place like home”, but what makes this home so special?

For Valley View Retirement Community, a major part of their success lies with the staff. “We have staff members who have been here for ten to fifteen years or even longer. Our employees know our facility; they’re very close to the residents and have that hands-on experience that means so much”, says Grigg. There is a full staff dedicated to caring for the needs of both the independent and the assisted living residents. “We offer all the conveniences and services one would expect for assisted living—grooming, bathing, medication management and more. Having 24-hour supervision and care is a huge plus. It’s perfect for that someone who just needs a little extra help, who can no longer live independently but still wants to be active. Active is an excellent word to describe the residents of Valley View and the members of this community are determined to keep it that way.

“We take pride in offering a variety of interesting and engaging activities.

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Valley View employs two full-time activity coordinators offering a planned program for the full month.

We take the time to learn what our residents’ hobbies and interests are so that we can incorporate those into future events. Our activities currently include everything from multiple singing groups to a poker group, with tons of options in between”, says the Community Director.

When residents are not engaged in an activity, you may find them enjoying a meal. With all the options offered through their food service department, residents are guaranteed to not go hungry. A full breakfast and dinner is provided for all independent residents and an optional lunch is available for a nominal fee. Assisted living residents have three meals provided daily. These meals are prepared by their own chef and full kitchen staff. “We have a full menu with optional items available and we also have a registered dietitian who works with us to make sure residents’ meals meet their needs”, says Grigg.

Living quarters are no exception in the quest to make people feel at home at Valley View. Pam Grigg says, “Our community is not institutional in any way. Everyone here, including our assisted living residents, live in an apartment setting. Each unit features its own private balcony or patio with a scenic view of our beautiful grounds.”

Valley View also offers a walking path

for those that enjoy taking in the sights and sounds of nature during a leisurely stroll.

When asked about the secret to their success, Grigg replied, “It’s really no secret—we treat our residents like family and all of our staff show a great deal of attention to the people living here. Our inviting homelike atmosphere results in numerous word of mouth referrals from our residents and their families.” A supportive and loving family—isn’t that what makes home like no place else? If so, Valley View Retirement Community is right on the money.

Valley View Retirement Community 1213 Long Meadows Drive Lynchburg, VA 24502 (434) 237-3009 www.valleyviewretirement.com

Retirement Community Highlight | advertorial

Left to right: Lester Grubb, John Pool and “Buster” Clifton White on the front porch.

Virginia Veterans Care Center The Virginia Veterans Care Center (VVCC) in Roanoke is deeply committed to serving the veterans of our armed forces who so bravely spent a part of their lives serving us.

On Veterans’ Day in 1992, thenGovernor Doug Wilder made a trip west from Richmond to participate in the opening ceremonies for a brand-new assisted living and nursing home facility. Much time and effort had gone into building this facility, including considerations for top-level healthcare, as well as on-campus services and activities such as nature trails, library, chapel, barber shop and billiard room.

While many of the area’s retirement living centers offered similar services, there was still something unique about the Center Governor Wilder was visiting.

What’s the difference? This Center was opening specifically for our honorably discharged armed forces veterans who lived or who had enlisted in Virginia.

Today, the VVCC still remains a state-of-the-art model for longterm healthcare and one of only two state homes for veterans in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Housing 240 beds, which includes a 60-bed assisted living area and a 60-bed Alzheimer’s Care unit, VVCC continues to provide comprehensive, high quality care with on-site, x-rays, physical therapy, podiatry care, and many other ancillary healthcare services. As well, nearly all residents of VVCC receive some level of financial assistance that subsidizes their living expenses, making it a

much more affordable retirement option.

These services and resources certainly play a role in the quality of life veterans’ living at VVCC have, but according to residents and staff alike, it’s the people that make the biggest difference.

“I have been here for more than 14 years, and I can say it’s been the most rewarding job in my career,” explains Patti Smith, VVCC’s Director of Admissions and Public Relations.

“The people who work here do so with the purpose to give thanks to our veterans, to show appreciation for their efforts and to make their lives as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible.”

Smith says the camaraderie between residents at VVCC is what’s so special.

“They have so much to share and so much in common, but believe it not, it’s not just about the bond they share from being in the armed forces,” maintains Smith. “They’re like brothers and sisters – it’s such an unconditional friendship among everyone.”

Smith says that VVCC also houses the area’s only “Wander Garden” for Alzheimer’s patients. The “Wander Garden” is an enclosed, outside area where Alzheimer’s patients can visit unsupervised 24-hours a day without the threat of getting hurt or unknowingly leaving the campus.

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“It’s a wonderful place for our residents because it allows them freedom in a safe environment something many Alzheimer’s and dementia patients rarely enjoy,” says Smith.

The VVCC is heavily supported by the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and community groups. Each of the organizations lend a hand whenever called upon to help out the veterans at VVCC. “I believe the VVCC stands for many great things, but above all else, the VVCC is a way to show our veterans we care and appreciate them and all they have done,” concludes Smith.

“Everything we do here is our way of saying “thank you” to our veterans.

It’s a great feeling.”

They were there for us when we needed them, and now we will be there for them.

Virginia Veterans Care Center 4550 Shenandoah Ave. Roanoke, VA 24107 540.982.2860 800.220.VETS

advertorial | Retirement Community Highlight

Blacksburg: Not Just a College Town

Warm Hearth Village With 37 years of experience caring for seniors, Warm Hearth Village is the New River Valley’s (NRV) only comprehensive retirement community. Nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia, the woodland campus in Blacksburg is located within view of Virginia Tech and is only minutes away from shopping, cultural events, recreational opportunities, restaurants, professional services, and LewisGale Hospital at Montgomery.

Warm Hearth Village is a nonprofit community with a rich history and a mission to enrich the lives of seniors of all socioeconomic backgrounds through a wide range of choices in housing, services and care. The continuum of care includes a wide spectrum of living options designed to meet the changing needs of seniors while allowing them to stay in one community with friends and neighbors they have come to know and love. Founders Wybe & Marietje Kroontje envisioned and crafted a 100-year plan for the community’s development in hopes of fostering a retirement community focused on preserving dignity and respect for the seniors who would call it home.

The continuum begins with Blacksburg’s first active adult community – WoodsEdge. Home ownership is a key feature for these

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beautiful craftsman style homes.

Designed for those 55 and better, WoodsEdge features appealing floor plans and many custom options in a neighborhood of tree lined streets and beautiful rolling landscape.

Founders Forest features singlelevel townhomes ideal for those 60 and older who want to live independently but enjoy a host of services and amenities. Homes range in size from 1,080 to 1,561 square feet and are offered through a life lease model.

Trolinger and New River House Apartments provide affordable housing for independent seniors age 62 and older, or those needing barrier-free access, who live on low, fixed incomes.

Rent is based on monthly income and recognized medical expenses and is subsidized by the federal government’s HUD program.

Showalter Center allows for a unique transition to catered and assisted living with full-sized studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom apartments. Nursing staff there provide assistance with activities of daily living and foster a close-knit family environment. A fullservice dining room and casual cafe complement the offerings here.

Kroontje Health Care Center provides for those needing a higher level of care and offers Assisted Living Level 2,

Memory Care, and Long-term Nursing Care. The center provides a variety of room options designed to promote a comfortable, home-like environment while staff provide activities, such as programs, dining services, and specialized care planning. Rehabilitative therapies are also offered onsite and include physical, occupational, and speech services.

The newest addition to the continuum of care reaches outside the retirement community’s campus to serve those in the greater NRV. Warm Hearth at Home, a senior care management program, provides coordination of companion and caregiver services in the home. The care manager works to help families develop a support network, solve everyday problems, and provide any number of specialized services in the home.

Residents at the Village will soon enjoy the addition of the Village Center – a 15,000 square foot community center designed to promote a wellness centered lifestyle for seniors. The building features innovative sustainable technologies and will include a warm, saltwater swimming pool, a fitness center, a community room with performance stage, office and gathering spaces, as well as a grab and go café. The Village Center will serve to unite the campus with wellness and cultural programming for residents and the greater community. Whether at the Village Center or nearby, there will be a variety of amenities and activities to enjoy throughout the 220 acre campus.

Walking trails, active resident councils, fitness classes, performances, festivals and educational presentations offer a variety of opportunities for residents to interact with each other and with the beautiful woodland environment that is home to this one of a kind community.

Retirement Community Highlight | advertorial

Richfield Retirement Center Retirement living is an ever changing industry because of its ever changing clients. The seniors who turn to retirement services aren’t standing still. Their needs, conditions, and expectations change, and an effective retirement provider is expected to meet those changing needs by looking forward to tomorrow and offering the best possible solutions today. Richfield Retirement keeps this credo in mind as they drive every facet of their operations forward.

Long term care is a major factor to consider for seniors looking into retirement living. Independent and assisted living may be the appropriate fit for someone now, but ten or more years down the road, that same person may be looking at more hands-on rehabilitation or nursing home care.

Robert Rector, Richfield Retirement’s President and COO, says that is the secret behind their 77 years of excellent community service. “We offer all of those services on one campus. Since we offer that variety, people can come to our campus at any stage in their senior life and stay with us as their needs change rather than be shuffled around.”

It’s a beautiful 50-acre campus where seniors will definitely enjoy staying. The scenic lakes and mountains certainly improve quality of life, but the new

facilities being built there do so as well.

Rehab and nursing home services have been part of Richfield for a long time. “Previously, we had a rehab unit that was just one of our floors within our nursing center. Now we’re moving the rehab into a free-standing 48room, private bedroom and private bath facility. It’s geared towards short term rehab, whether you’re getting a hip or knee replacement or had an injury,” says Rector. The expanded space will certainly allow for additional patients, and the services offered are growing as well.

In the past, Richfield only offered orthopaedic rehab, but the new free-standing building will allow for expansion into other rehab services.

Rector notes, “We’re going to be doing speech therapy, physical therapy, and also occupational therapy. If anybody needs inpatient care with five to seven days of therapy to readjust after surgery, we can really focus on helping in that process. We don’t want to just focus on orthopaedic. We’d like people to consider Richfield for any rehab needs.”

Being considered for such a wide range of coverage is already a huge accomplishment for the community, but Richfield wants to be considered first.

They will set themselves apart from the other options in the area, explains

Rector, because of the rich variety of amenities that the new facility will offer.

“We’ll have a brand new therapy gym with a new aquatic therapy pool. Meals will also be made to order. You can order anything on our menu at any time from 7am to 7pm. If you want a cheeseburger at eight in the morning then you can get it. There will be sandwiches, salads, yogurt, and other things available 24 hours a day.” This impressive expansion of amenities and services isn’t just channeling through the rehab center.

After the rehab center opens in February, the nursing home will be the next to receive an all new building with much the same exciting treatment.

The goal, according to Rector is that “regardless of your financial situation or pay source, if you come to Richfield to live, then you will have a private room.”

It’s all part of Richfield’s philosophy of changing for the needs of the future.

“Soon the baby boomers will be retiring, and when that happens we want to be in a position to offer all the services and care they need and expect,” concludes Rector. It’s an ambitious goal but one that they’re effectively reaching one block at a time.

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KIDS’ CARE | our health

A Gold Standard in Education words | C. RUTH CASSELL

Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center Provides Early Education to All Students When doctors diagnosed her two-year-old daughter with autism, Karen Wu of Roanoke City got a crash course in preferred treatments, available education opportunities, and autism awareness.

The mother of twins, her daughter Molly is autistic and her son Peter is typical. At the time of Molly’s diagnosis in February 2008, her parents worried because the young girl hadn’t started talking, and they didn’t know how she would learn in a regular education environment. The twins attended a church-based preschool together, and though Peter reached all his developmental milestones, Karen and her husband Ben McConnell knew they needed another option for their daughter.

“We immediately pulled Molly out and began looking for alternatives,” Karen says.

They found Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center (BRAAC), located off Peter’s Creek Road in Roanoke, with additional locations in Buena Vista and Lynchburg. Karen and Ben felt like they found everything they were looking for in the school, which, at the time, was located in Rainbow Forest Baptist Church in Blue Ridge and is the first autism school in the Roanoke area.

The school started out as a smaller operation known as Blue Ridge Autism Center and was incorporated in September 2002 by a group of parents and professionals dedicated to providing appropriate education, support, and information for children who have autism and their families. Executive Director Angie Leonard established the school and chose to utilize a curriculum of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to treat autism and promote early intervention and early education. www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 69

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“ABA therapy is the only scientificallybased therapy for autistic children,” Karen Wu says. “When we found BRAAC, we knew we had found the place for Molly.”

In 2009, Karen’s son Peter also began attending BRAAC, which had moved to its new location in a quiet neighborhood and started offering a regular education preschool program. Executive Director Leonard notes that BRAAC offers a variety of education opportunities, including preschool, a learning disability program, and the autism program.

“Peter did very well in the BRAAC preschool program. All the parents who used it as a regular preschool were very happy with the program and what their children were learning,” Karen points out. “For those of us who have both an autistic child and a typical child, the amount of communication between parents and the staff is unlike anything you will get at another school.”

Leonard, whose son Joshua is autistic and splits his school

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day between BRAAC and Lord Botetourt High School where he is a junior and a member of the football team, explains that having both typical and autistic students in the same school helps all the children.

Her son was diagnosed early like Karen’s daughter, and both mothers say getting the children into treatment early made a huge difference in the child’s ability to learn and in being able to incorporate them into a regular classroom.

KIDS’ CARE | our health

Molly now attends Wasena Park Elementary School in Roanoke and is in the first grade with her brother Peter. They are in different classrooms and are learning on pace with each other. Karen says she saw a remarkable difference in her daughter’s learning abilities from the time Molly began BRAAC until entering Kindergarten in 2011.

“BRAAC is the gold standard in the Valley for autism education,” Karen states.

The specialized private school also benefitted her son, who was exposed not only to Molly but also to other autistic children.

Peter gained an awareness and sensitivity for children with autism, and he learned to stand up for his sister and not be caught off guard by irregular behaviors displayed by some autistic children.

Exposing typical children to autistic children and giving the autistic students a chance to interact with the regular education classroom, is a unique aspect of BRAAC. Leonard notes combining the two education styles was her goal from the time she first opened the center.

“When my son Joshua was younger and we were doing this intensive ABA work with him in our home, we saw that he was a quick learner. But, he couldn’t generalize his skills.

We had to seek out a preschool environment where he could practice his skills in a variety of models,” Leonard explains.

“As we opened the school years later, we needed to recreate that same environment.”

Having a preschool program on site allows BRAAC teachers to not only offer specialized autism education, but also to access the preschool classroom for exposure to typical students and regular education methods.

BRAAC serves students with autism in the center’s location, private homes, and within the eight contracted public school districts. With a waiting list of over 14 students, the center’s needs are many and the interest in specialized autism education continues to grow. BRAAC’s goal is for every student to be integrated into a regular education environment, either on their own, like Molly and Joshua, or with the aid of a BRAAC teacher for a short period of time. www.ourhealthvirginia.com | 71

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“Those who invest in intensive work when their child is between ages two and four will find that their children learn so much better in a regular education environment,” Leonard concludes.

About BRAAC BRAAC is licensed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to serve students age 2-22 and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). BRAAC is operated by a board of directors and funded through private donations, grants, tuition and fees. The BRAAC staff is highly qualified, and the center continues to grant opportunities to further employees’ education.

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MILESTONES | our health

I’m Coming Home Celebrating 20 Years of Providing America’s Heroes with a Place to Call Home words | RUTH CASSELL

As the Director of Admissions and Marketing for the Virginia Veterans Care Center (VVCC) in Roanoke, Patti Smith cares for more than 240 veterans who call the Center home. There’s one veteran, however, who will never call it home, and ironically, he’s the one she probably would have liked to care for the most.

Army Spc. Jared William Kubasak was “an adopted son in my heart,” Patti remarks about the boy who grew up next door to her. He came to visit her at the Center in Roanoke for the first time while on leave from active duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom. During that visit, he commented, “This is such a nice facility that I could live here.” She nodded knowingly with pride in her building, adding, “I hope you never have to!”

Sadly, Patti didn’t know those words would prove to be prophetic when barely a month later Jared was killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated near his M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle during patrol operations in Baghdad in 2005.

Every state has at least one Veteran’s Care Center. Virginia has two – the Roanoke location and the Sitter & Barfoot Veteran’s Care Center in Richmond.

This year marks the Virginia Veterans Care Center’s 20th anniversary.

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Administration (V.A.) Medical Center next door, the Virginia Veterans Care Center is located in Roanoke, literally a stone’s throw from the Salem V.A. Center. In fact, if you cross over the VVCC’s driveway, you cross from Roanoke into Salem. But while the Salem V.A. Center is run by the federal government, the Virginia Veterans Care Center is a state-run facility. That’s not the only way the two differ.

VVCC’s website describes it as a “state-of-the-art model for long term health care and the state home for veterans in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The mission of the VVCC is to provide affordable, high quality, comprehensive nursing and domiciliary care to Commonwealth of Virginia residents who are admitted to the VVCC, are aged or infirm, and are honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces. VVCC has 240 beds in the facility to provide comprehensive, high quality care with on-site laboratory work, x-rays, physical therapy, podiatry care, and many other ancillary health care services.”

The Center provides three levels of care. Of the 240 beds, 120 are dedicated to Veterans receiving a nursing-home level of care, 60 are for patients suffering from dementia, and 60 are for the assisted living unit.

“Assisted living is for a very independent veteran who can take care of him or herself,” Patti explains. For other levels of care and medical conditions, the Center can provide for almost any that don’t require hospitalization.

However, if hospitalization becomes necessary, patients can be transferred right next door to the V.A. Medical Center or to their hospital of choice.

VVCC opened in 1992 and was run by a management company until May 2003, when the Commonwealth of Virginia assumed ownership. “When the state took over, we received a new administrator and new department heads and it has just continued getting better and better ever since,” Patti explains.

How the facility came to be located in Roanoke in the first place is a story that Patti enjoys sharing because it demonstrates others’ passion for caring for veterans – something she knows all too well.

“From what I understand,” Patti explains, “there was a very active group of veterans that said, ‘There is a need here.’ They were ultimately responsible for getting the Center located in Roanoke, and many became members of the board of trustees, appointed by the Governor.”

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as important. Peter served with the United States Marine Corps from 1969 to 1973. He’s lived at the VVCC for the past 18 years and works at the V.A. “It’s a job where I help people who can’t help themselves,” Peter says during a break from his duties. “I get people into wheelchairs and escort them. A lot of them are disabled and have to be pushed to appointments. It makes you realize how lucky you are. Two weeks ago, I had a Marine come in who had lost his arm and both legs. He had a positive attitude and was determined to stay upbeat.”

“Every night and every morning, I thank God for this Center,” Peter continues. “It’s a beautiful structure, and there are all kinds of people here. I can’t say enough about the staff – they’ll bend over backwards to help you.”

The VVCC sits on 20 acres with a one mile paved wheelchair path running throughout. There’s also a deck, library, chapel, barber shop, and billiard room. One of the most exciting advancements at the facility happened in 2002 with the opening of a wander garden in the Alzheimer’s/Dementia unit, Patti explains.

When the sun goes down, some patients suffering from dementia become anxious and want to walk – a symptom often referred to as “Sundowner’s Syndrome.” To help those patients, the VVCC constructed a wander garden that allows patients to walk, unaccompanied, inside or outside and still remain safe. The staff even went so far as to consult with experts at Virginia Tech as to what types of plants would be safest in the garden in the event a patient ingested any of the greenery.

The state-of-the-art facility and outstanding care is only one part of the attraction for veterans, Patti notes. “The cost is very good for them, and we have a lot of staff. Other facilities this size might have one or two social workers – we have four. We also have free transportation to medical appointments and weekly outings, and we encourage visiting 24 hours a day. The more families we have visiting, the better we find it is for our guys.”

“It’s not home, and nothing will ever be as good as home, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another facility as good as this one,” Patti concludes. “I’m so proud of what we are able to do for our veterans.

They’re all heroes.”

Peter seems to agree. “It is my home – this is my home for the rest of my life.”

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FINANCIAL HEALTH | our health

Making Sense of Health Insurance Could Save You Money words | LAURA NEFF-HENDERSON, APR

Understanding your health insurance policy could be the difference between a medical catastrophe and a financial nightmare. According to a report published in the August 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, more than 60 percent of people who file bankruptcy, most of them middle-class, well-educated homeowners, are actually swallowed by medical bills. Additionally, nearly 75 percent of people that go bankrupt due to medical bills have health insurance, the report states.

“You just about have to have a degree in healthcare to understand your policy,” says Richard Roberts, who owns a Farmers Insurance agency that represents clients in Lynchburg and Southside, VA. That’s dangerous, he warns. Failing to understand your policy can impact your financial future.

The Right Plan Choosing the right health insurance plan can save you money.

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of adjusting their budget to get the plan they need,” says Roberts. To find the best plan, you have to understand your family’s needs and the plans you are considering.

Deductibles are typically a key factor in determining premiums. As is true with car insurance, plans with higher deductibles typically have lower premiums. For those in good health with a limited number of regular medical expenses, choosing a plan with a higher deductible may be a good money-saving option. Conversely, individuals

who cannot afford a large deductible should opt for a plan with a smaller deductible. The same holds true for co-pays, fixed amounts that the insured are required to pay at the time of service.

Co-insurance is also a factor in how high, or low, your premiums may be. A common co-insurance split is 80/20, meaning that the insurance company will pay 80 percent of a covered procedure and the insured is required to pay the other 20 percent.

When the total amount you’ve paid meets your established out-ofpocket maximum, the insurance company covers any remaining costs. Generally, the higher the out-of-pocket maximum, the lower the premium.

It’s also important for policy holders to know the maximum amount the insurance company will pay out for services rendered during the life of the plan. The insured needs to know what the insurance company won’t cover. The terms “exclusions” and “covered expenses” are key phrases. Generally, policies with more exclusions are less expensive, but they might not be worth it in the long run should you face any serious medical diagnosis.

The premature birth of a baby, according to Roberts, exemplifies why it’s so important to understand the lifetime maximum. In the past, he worked with a couple whose insurance policy was capped at $1 million. When their baby was born prematurely and the medical bills totaled $1.8 million, they were left to pay the remaining $800,000.

“That is the kind of situation that can ruin you financially, especially when many families are barely making ends meet as it is,” says Roberts.

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FINANCIAL HEALTH | our health

a little bit of planning, families can determine their annual out-of-pocket medical expenses (excluding insurance premiums) and then have that money set aside pre-tax from their paychecks to spend on healthcare expenses not covered by their insurance policy.

The average family can save about 30 percent by using an FSA, according to Roberts. If, for example, a family spends $2,500 a year on prescriptions, first aid supplies, eye glasses, and other medical expenses, they can save about $750 a year by using an FSA. One disadvantage to FSAs is the “use it or lose it” provision.

Any money that’s not spent on medical expenses is lost.

Each year, 14 percent of consumers leave an average of $723 in their FSA, according to www.planforyourhealth. com. Roberts advises his clients to find out what their FSAs cover and stock up on those supplies before the plan year ends.

Another downside, according to Roberts, is that because the money set aside is pre-tax, it is not included in your social security benefit calculations. For families making less than $30,000 a year, Roberts typically advises his clients not to use an FSA. They need the social security benefits more, he explains.

Health Savings Accounts If you don’t have much by way of annual medical expenses, you may want to consider a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSAs are tax-advantaged medical savings accounts available to those enrolled in a highdeductible health plan. Unlike FSAs, the funds roll over and accumulate year to year if not spent.

It’s also important, says Roberts, to talk with your insurance agent or human resources department about your policy when you have questions. In addition, he advises his clients to stay informed of legislative changes that could impact them.

Richard Roberts is a Farmers® Insurance and Financial Services’ agent who represents clients in Central and Southwest Virginia.

Richard can be contacted at: 540.389.1533 (office), via cell at 540.819.8615 or via email at: rroberts1@farmersagent.com

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A Checklist for Seniors on Home Safety If you’re a senior or know someone who is, you know that safety inside the home is of paramount importance. So we’ve prepared a “checklist” to help you review what is needed to keep seniors safe and help prevent injuries. It covers everything from floor to ceiling.

Let’s start with furniture. For many seniors, furniture is an obstacle course in the home, so the first step is to remove anything that isn’t needed. Make sure there’s enough space for people to maneuver around the furniture and remove any tripping hazards. Will the furniture move if someone leans on it? If so, anchor it or move it against a wall. Make sure arms and sofas have armrests to help people getting up or down. Try to avoid sharp corners on furniture and vanities. Finally, make sure chair seats are high enough so the senior doesn’t struggle getting up and down.

Next, take a look at the lighting. Are light switches at a reachable height? Are the switches paddle or flip switches? Paddles are easier to use for many seniors. Interior lighting is another important safety feature. Under cabinet lighting can help seniors’ vision. Use automatic lights and sensors that turn on and off when people enter or exit a room. Lighted switch plates also help see where the light switches are. Finally, you can put timers on light switches so room lights will be on before dark.

For exterior lighting, make sure there is adequate lighting along pathways to avoid trips and falls. Install motion detectors to light the pathways whenever someone is present, and make sure they work from dusk to dawn. For added security and comfort, install surveillance cameras.

words | CHRIS MARTIN

Every home should have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen area, and it should be checked frequently to make sure it’s fully charged and usable. Another must are smoke detectors. Always check the batteries, and change them once a year. Vacuum the grillwork around the sensor, and ensure that they’re properly located near bedrooms and away from air vents. Fire departments or local government agencies may provide assistance with this. Finally, install carbon monoxide detectors, and check them as often as you check smoke detectors. They do save lives!

If there are seniors in a home that utilize medical devices, consider using a backup generator system. This will be especially important if breathing or other life-sustaining devices are in use. A second option is a whole house generator. This is useful in power outages, but you’ll need to determine which items the generator will power. First on the list is medical equipment, followed by kitchen lights and outlets for the refrigerator and freezer. Another important item is the furnace, and if there is one, a sump pump.

This will keep you going in relative safety and comfort until the power company can get power turned on again.

One area that is often overlooked is cords. Get them out from under rugs and

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SENIOR LIVING | our health

carpeting to prevent a fire hazard. Replace damaged or frayed cords, and make sure lamp cords and phone cords don’t present a tripping hazard. Finally, make sure there are no nails or staples near cords.

Other hazards just waiting to cause an accident are rugs, runners and mats. Remove sliders, and use double-stick tape to anchor area rugs if necessary. Make sure rugs have slip-resistant backing and use rugs with rubber matting if available.

Space heaters provide added warmth, but there are some basic safety tips to consider.

Use 3-prong plugs when the heater uses a 3-prong plug. Place heaters in a place where they can’t be accidently knocked over, and keep them away from flammable materials. Keep the heater away from critical pathways like doorways and entryways to rooms. If the heater is unvented, always use them with doors or windows ajar.

If you have a wood burning stove, make sure it’s installed properly. To be sure, check with

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local building code officials or fire marshals. Be aware that some insurance companies will not cover a fire loss if the wood burning stove is not installed correctly!

handles, locks, and electrical outlets should be 49 inches high. And knee space should be 28 inches high by 36 inches wide.

Stairs are one of the biggest causes of falls in a home.

Install sturdy handrails, and make sure the steps are not worn and do not have loose carpeting. Make sure there is adequate lighting. Always wear shoes when going up or down stairs – socks are slippery! For added safety, place an abrasive strip or textured paint on the front of each stair. If needed, install exterior stairs and wheelchair lifts.

Make bathrooms user-friendly. In addition to grab bars, install low or no-threshold showers. Install shower seats for comfort, and consider adding a walk in tub for those who can’t lift their leg over a standard tub edge.

Make sure doors are 36 inches wide, and use proper level handles for doors and faucets. Grab bar heights should be 34 to 36 inches from the floor or bottom of the tub. If the senior uses a wheelchair, be aware of what’s needed for the turning radius: regular wheelchairs require 60”; power wheelchairs require 7’6”; and electric scooters require a 10’6” turning radius!

Always identify emergency exits for all residents. Make sure you have an exit plan with two exits available. Practice the exit plan to make sure everyone knows how to get out in case of an emergency.

For added safety and comfort, install ramps and handrails, both inside and outside the home. Place grab bars in bath and living areas so seniors can get in and out of tubs, showers and seating areas. If necessary, do some remodeling for access to bathrooms and kitchens. Make sure that kitchens and baths meet standard specifications: for kitchens, the counter height should be 34 inches; door

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Finally, consider installing various electronic devices for added safety. These include call buttons, intercoms, motion sensors and driveway alerts, to name a few. Have TV’s wall mounted, and use mounted cameras to keep seniors in view. Consider a medical alert bracelet along with a transmitter that uses a GPS monitoring device.

“This is just a small fraction of the items that you should consider when reviewing a home for senior safety,” says Chris Martin, Program Director for ADA Specialties, a subsidiary of F&S Building Innovations, Inc. “As a Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS), we are trained to see what many don’t see as a concern. We’ve been renovating and retrofitting homes for over 35 years, and we do all we can to keep disabled and handicapped folks safe and comfortable in their own homes.”