The Good Life Senior Expo

1 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

Table of Contents Senior Fitness........................................................ 4 Obesity is More Than Appearance........ 6 Is it Arthritis?............................................................ 8 Stress Management........................................10 FTC Security..........................................................11 Osteoperosis in Men and Women........ 12 Nutrition Plays a Vital Role......................... 14 Publisher Vince Johnson Layout & Design Ryan Galloway Cary Howard

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2 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

In-Home Care...................................................... 15 Estate Planning...................................................16 The Dreadful Bunion......................................18 When Should You Get Tests.................... 20 Taking Personal Safety Devices to the Next Level..........................22

Sales Karen Cave Paige Macloskie Mark Pekuri

Editorial Palmetto Health Tuomey

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The Good LIfe Senior Expo • 3

Senior Fitness

By Missy Corrig

an, YMCA

Aging can’t be avoided but factors such as lifestyle choices and environment can determine the rate at which it occurs as well as the severity of the symptoms. Physical Activity, when paired with good nutrition, provides protection against most of the common debilitating conditions of older adults such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, adult on-set diabetes, osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer, depression and frailty. Physical activity can help the following systems of the body: Cardiovascular System – aerobic capacity decreases with age. Physical activity can strengthen the heart as well as the muscles associated with breathing.

4 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

Skeletal System – loss of calcium from bones leads to thinning of bones and fractures. Weight bearing activity can slow the rate of bone density loss therefore reducing risk of breaks.

Immune System – inability to fight off infection declines with age. Those who are physically active show very little decline in their immunes system’s ability to fight off infection.

Muscular System – muscle mass decreases with age which can affect body structure and strength.

Strength training can help slow muscle loss, prevent loss of strength and improve posture and range of motion.

Digestive System – Intestinal muscle tone decreases with age causing constipation and heart burn. Being physically active and consuming healthy foods can help slow the onset of these symptoms.

Endocrine System – a decrease in metabolic rate and hormones leads to increase in body fat.

While nutritional needs do not change the caloric amounts do. Exercise can help boost a slowing metabolism.

Nervous System - Serotonin (a neurotransmitter) can decrease with age. This is thought to be linked to sleep and depression. Exercise has often been found effective in reducing mild depression.

Both aerobic and strength training exercises are vital for healthy aging. The American College of Sports Medicine(ACSM) recommends performing 8-10 strength training exercises for 2 sets of 12-15 reps that target major muscle groups 2-3 times a week. Additionally, aerobic activity should be performed 3-5 times a week for a minimum

of 20 minutes.

Due to loss of balance and coordination as we age, it is recommended that exercises be performed with light weight work in a fixed, secure position either seated in a chair or standing, allowing attention to focus on the weight work itself without the risk of losing one’s balance or control of the weights.

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The Good LIfe Senior Expo • 5

Obesity

is about more than appearance Kristen Wyrick, M.D. Carolina Family Medicine

What is Obesity?

Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern. It increases your risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. It is a complex disorder involving an excessive amount of body fat. Excessive body fat can lead to an even greater chance of significant health problems.

consciously control what you eat and become more physically active as you age, you will likely gain weight.

How Can I Lose the Weight?

Most doctors recommend starting with a modest weight loss goal of 3-5 percent of your current body weight. This should be done with How Could I Become Obese? diet and exercise. Choosing healthy foods such Although there are genetic, behavioral and as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, hormonal influences on body weight, obesity with a limited amount of saturated fat can make occurs when you take in more calories than you a difference. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise, burn through exercise and normal daily activities. such as brisk walking, most days of the week Your body stores these excess calories as fat. is recommended. A combination of aerobic Obesity can occur at any age, even in young exercises, such as walking or dancing, combined children. As you age, hormonal changes and a with resistance training, such as weightlifting or less active lifestyle increase your risk of obesity. yoga, two times a week can produce even greater In addition, the amount of muscle in your body benefits. tends to decrease with age. This lower muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. These Does Obesity Lead to Diabetes? changes also reduce caloric needs and can make Being overweight is strongly linked to the it harder to keep off excess weight. If you do not development of Type 2 diabetes, but not 6 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

everyone with Type 2 diabetes is overweight.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose).

It’s the more common type and can develop at any age, though it’s more common in people older than 40. With Type 2 diabetes, your body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells — or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. The diagnosis is made with simple blood tests. It can be treated with diet and exercise for some while others also require oral and/or injectable medications.

Complications from diabetes can be minimized with good treatment compliance and working with your physician to closely monitor glucose levels. Participants in one large study who lost a modest amount of weight — around 7 percent of initial body weight — and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60 percent.

height and still be at risk for abdominal obesity due to fat storage in your midsection. Abdominal obesity results in an “apple-shaped” body type, which is usually seen in men. Women are more prone to accumulate fat around the hips and thighs to develop a “pear-shaped” body type. The most common way to determine if you are at risk for abdominal obesity is to use the waist to hip ratio measurement. To do this, simply divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

You can use the table below to determine if you are in the high range or not.

Health risk Low Moderate High

Women 0.80 or lower 0.81 - 0.85 0.86 or higher

Men 0.95 or lower 0.96 - 1.0 1.0 or higher

What Can I Do? If you think you may be obese, and especially if you’re concerned about weight-related health Waist Size Does Matter problems including diabetes, see your doctor or Abdominal obesity increases your risk health care provider. You and your provider can of metabolic syndrome (diabetes/ insulin evaluate your health risks and discuss options resistance). It also may be a risk factor for more that can significantly reduce your risk of longintra-abdominal cancers -- colon, liver and term health complications. pancreas -- due to an effect that the fat cells have To make an appointment with Wyrick at Carolina when they are in close proximity to healthy cells. Family Medicine, a Palmetto Health–USC Medical You can weigh a normal amount for your age and Group practice, call 803-774-7425.

The Good LIfe Senior Expo • 7

Is it Arthritis?

As the body ages, things start to hurt. But how do you know if the pain is more than just part of the aches and pains of aging and is something more serious – like arthritis?

Arthralgia is the medical term for general joint pain. It is characterized by aching or pain in the joints but lacks swelling. Arthralgia can be found in several joints of the body, including hands, knees and ankles.

Arthritis is inflammation or swelling of the joint along with severe pain and stiffness.

Areas arthritis can cause problems in are joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and even bones.

So what’s the difference? It all comes down to whether inflammation is present in the painful area. While you may not always be diagnosed with arthritis when you have arthralgia, if you have arthritis, you are likely to also have arthralgia along with it. The two can be hard to distinguish between since many of 8 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

Palmetto Health Tuomey the symptoms — stiffness and pain — overlap.

If there is redness in the joint area, there is a good chance you have arthralgia. If there is joint swelling, deformation, loss of bone and cartilage or very intense pain, it is most likely arthritis.

Arthralgia has a wide variety of causes.

Prolonged strain or sprains of the joint, dislocation, tendinitis, hypothyroidism or bone cancer can all cause general joint pain.

Arthritis can result from joint injury, excess pressure on your joints from being overweight, osteoarthritis (the deterioration of the cartilage between your joints causing your bones to scrape together) or rheumatoid arthritis (when your immune system wears away the membrane that surrounds your joints).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20 percent of adults in the United States have diagnosed arthritis.

A variety of tests can be done by your doctor to help determine if it is general joint pain or the more serious arthritis. Catching arthritis early is the key to retaining joint function as you age.

“You cannot always prevent arthritis,” said Danny Ford, M.D., a Sumter physician at the Palmetto Health USC Orthopedic Center. “Some causes of arthritis, such as increasing age and family history, are out of your control. However, there are a few health habits you can change to reduce your risk of developing painful joints as you get older,” Ford said.

Ford suggests a moderate diet that is rich in foods containing omega-3 fatty acids – for example, fish. Omega-3 fatty acids have a number of health benefits and may reduce inflammation in the body.

Other suggestions: • Make sure you exercise every day. Low-impact exercises like swimming or water aerobics can reduce pressure on your joints.

• Relax when you can. Meditation and yoga are good ways to activate the joints and reduce

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• I f you do have pain and stiffness, use a hot or cold compress to help alleviate the symptoms.

• An over-the-counter pain reliever can be taken to reduce pain and inflammation, but check with your doctor if you find you are taking it often to reduce pain and swelling.

• Protect your joints by using the right techniques when sitting, working and lifting. This can help protect joints from everyday strains. For example, lift with your knees and hips, not your back, when picking up objects.

“If you do start to develop painful joints, see a doctor,” said Ford. “The damage from arthritis is progressive, meaning that the longer you wait to seek treatment, the more destruction will occur to the joint.”

If you are interested in speaking with a physician about your joint health, call 803-774-CARE (2273) to schedule an appointment.

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STRESS MANAGEMENT Mark Stoll Palmetto Health

As we get older, our well-being becomes a priority – and that should include effective stress management. Managing stress, along with everything else, can seem stressful, but with a combination of strategies, we can effectively learn to meet the challenges of daily stress.

Get to Sleep!

An often underrated and overlooked stress reducer is sleep. Sleep is a stronger predictor of longevity than genetics, exercise and diet. Ensure you are getting sound sleep and cultivate healthy, regular sleep hygiene. Healthy sleep hygiene is being mindful about what you do before going to Physical Exercise bed. Take a break from electronics and read. Make The first tool for stress reduction is physical sure your bedroom is kept cool, dark and quiet. exercise. Exercise benefits both your body and Remove any stressors from the bedroom, like pets, mind. Exercise offers increased energy and television or radios. A good night’s sleep will almost reduced fatigue by way of better blood circulation. always make the next day better.

A good workout also benefits emotional wellbeing through reducing depression and anxiety. An Read to Unwind. effective workout doesn’t have to be strenuous. You Whether you’re interested in contemplative can take up walking, join a gym, take a yoga class or spiritual books, exciting fantasies or exploring new a ballroom dancing class, or try a low-impact water hobbies, reading is an excellent way to offer yourself aerobics class. The key is to just do something! resilience against stress. Read a few pages a day.

The time you set aside for yourself to sit and be still Practice Mindfulness. will have its rewards.

Another great way to reduce stress is learning how to calm our overactive minds. Almost half of our Try Something New! time is spent on autopilot, with the mind scattered Lastly, do something new that you’ve always in the past and future. The practice of mindfulness wanted to try. Enjoy a new activity as a gift to is a helpful antidote to autopilot. It is the practice yourself. Challenging yourself to do new and active of intentionally paying attention to what is taking things will show you that you can handle things that place in the present moment. To begin, focus your are outside your normal routine. Take a painting attention on the in and out of the breath, and every class, take up gardening, or start a dinner club with time your mind drifts off, gently come back to the friends. Not only does this help you see you are sensations of the breath. Do this over and over capable of doing new things, it also provides great again for five minutes, longer if you’d like. You might social interactions with like-minded people. be surprised at how it can transform your outlook If you would like more information or resources on life. People who practice mindfulness report an on great relaxation tips, visit Greater Good’s website increased sense of well-being. at GreaterGood.Berkeley.edu for fun, entertaining articles, practices, quizzes and research.

10 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

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That process starts with cutting-edge equipment and technical expertise. Locally, that means FTC. With a range of security systems and monitoring services – from basic home protection to the most sophisticated packages available on the market today – FTC security systems provide customers with peace of mind that what they cherish most is safe and secure from intrusion, fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Honeywell systems FTC installs can be customized to include additional intrusion and fire alarm devices, monitoring services, scheduled testing, special reports and cellular backup in case of a down or damaged phone line. FTC can also convert systems from other companies.

“But any system is only as good as its monitoring service. FTC, through a UL® listed central monitoring service, ensures someone will always be available to notify the police or fire department whenever an

alarm is activated,” FTC Public Relations Director Chip Chase said.

Aside from the obvious advantages of having a security system is the homeowners’ insurance discounts that come with it. The discounts vary from company to company but often the dollars saved defray nearly all of the monthly costs associated with the monitoring service. FTC has relationships with many of the local insurance providers and works with its customers to secure the discount, Chase said.

A recent addition to the FTC list of products is the Skybell video doorbell. Once installed, it gives the home added protection and surveillance.

Like the security system, the doorbell has remote access through Total Connect via a mobile device.

The customer can see and talk with the person at the door. A visitor can ring the bell to gain the homeowner’s attention or a motion detector can alert the homeowner when someone approaches.

More information is available about FTC and its products at ftc-i.net. A representative can also be reached by calling 888-218-5050 or by stopping by one of FTC’s seven stores.

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The Good LIfe Senior Expo • 11

OSTEOPOROSIS

IN WOMEN AND MEN Palmetto Health Tuomey

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every two women and one in every four men are at risk for osteoporosis as they age. This common condition reduces the strength and size of the bones, leading to increased risk of fracture and complications.

Hip and vertebrae fractures become the biggest threats from osteoporosis, making falls dangerous as they can easily cause the bone to shatter.

So what’s key to maintaining good bone health? Your diet and exercise.

“Nutrition can directly impact bone health,” says Kelly Hall, Palmetto Health Tuomey’s Clinical Nutrition manager. “By maintaining a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients throughout your life span, you can decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis and prevent osteoporosis-related fractures.”

Foods other than dairy that are great sources of calcium include green vegetables, oranges, dried figs, fish such as sardines, nuts and tofu.

Peak bone density occurs around the age of 30, so then the priority becomes maintaining strong bones. Heavy caffeine consumption and high-sodium diets are known to increase urinary calcium losses, which can weaken bones. Disordered eating patterns, including

12 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

yo-yo dieting, can have negative consequences on bone mineral density. In addition, cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake are risk factors for developing osteoporosis, so it is important to avoid such behaviors.

While you may not be able to reverse osteoporosis if you have already been diagnosed with it, you can curb its effectsin your life. One of the main harms of osteoporosis is bone fractures. To prevent fractures, make sure you have enough vitamin D in your diet and do not skip calcium. It is not too late to help your bones. For some women, hormone treatment is an option.

A great way to prepare against falls is through exercise. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, activity to improve balance and confidence is valuable for fall prevention. One example of such exercise is tai chi. Elderly people who practice tai chi have a 47 percent decrease in falls and a 25 percent decline in the hip fracture rate compared to those who do not practice. A recent International Osteoporosis Foundation study also showed that “tai chi can be beneficial for slowing bone loss in weight-bearing bones in early postmenopausal women.”

Other forms of moderate exercise that help with bone loss are weight-bearing exercises, if your health and joints allow. Weight-bearing exercises are when you move against gravity while staying upright, which helps strengthen bone structure.

There are two groups of weight-bearing exercises, low-impact and high-impact.

High-impact exercises include dancing, hiking, jogging, stair climbing and tennis. If you need more low-impact exercises, try water aerobics, fast walking or using an elliptical machine. You also can focus on strengthening your muscles by lifting weights, using elastic exercise bands, or working with your own body weight, such as squats, or standing and rising up on your toes.

To learn more about your bone health or to receive guidance on how to protect yourself from developing osteoporosis, call 803-774-CARE (2273) for physician offices.

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Nutrition Plays Vital Role in

Quality of Life

By Missy Corrigan

14 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

As you age, the body changes significantly.

Muscle mass naturally decreases, causing the metabolism to slow down. This means that your calorie intake should be less than it once was. However, this doesn’t mean you need to eat less. Because your nutrient needs will stay the same or even increase as you age this just means that every bite counts even more than it did before.

For many reasons, the changes we experience as we age impacts the choices we make: the loss of smell can influence the foods we choose to eat; changing taste buds can make our favorite foods taste bitter or sour; diminished hearing can limit enjoyable social food experiences; and gastrointestinal challenges can prevent consumption of the healthy fibrous foods that we should actually be eating more of.

By reducing intake of healthy foods we are limiting our nutrient intake which increases the risk for a weakened immune system, potentially leading to illness. In order to have a strong immune system to fight off illness you must eat protein which contains essential amino acids, healthy fats that contain essential fatty acids and complex carbohydrates for functional sugars. Illness not only decreases appetite but it also makes it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, so it is vital to stay healthy and make sure that every bite is vitamin-packed.

The USDA suggests that individuals over the age 50 choose from these healthy foods: • Fruits — 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 cups • Vegetables — 2 to 3-1/2 cups • Grains — 5 to 10 ounces • Protein foods — 5 to 7 ounces •D airy foods — 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk • Oils — 5 to 8 teaspoons •S olid fats and added sugars (SoFAS) — keep the amount of SoFAS small *If you eat too many foods containing SoFAS, you will not have enough calories for the nutritious foods you should be eating.

Inhome care In-home care can become a necessary part of a person’s life, whether due to the natural aging process, illness, or other medical conditions. It may be temporary, or the first step on a continuing path.

Preserving dignity and enjoyment of life is vital in either situation When faced with choosing the necessary care, one needs to consider the following: Medicare does not pay for nursing homes, independent living residences, assisted living or in-home care. There are some private insurance policies referred to as “Long Term Care” that may offset some of the expense. Research has shown that elderly/aging people often decline in health when moved out of their home, secure surroundings and daily routine, but it is also important to ensure that you have a sufficient level of care to meet the needs of your loved one.

In choosing the proper care, whether a nursing facility, independent, assisted living or in-home care, there are key factors to consider: • DHEC Licensure • Quality of Employees

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Proper Insurance Level of Care Offered

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If you are considering hiring someone privately to come in to your home, you should also consider: • Consistency of Care. Often when private care givers become sick, or have family emergency, you and your loved one can be left without needed assistance.

• State and Federal laws regarding employment, overtime, payroll taxes, etc.

• Proper insurance coverage in case someone is injured in your home Taking the time to do proper research into the type of care environment that best suits you and your family will allow for the best possible transition.

Planning for future needs during times of wellness of mind and body is integral to having a positive experience when living assistance is needed. So, take some time to learn what type of care plan your aging loved ones have in mind for themselves, and work together to arrange for their care and comfort.

The Good LIfe Senior Expo • 15

Estate Planning Benefits of Trusts other than Avoiding Estate Tax

by Glenn Givens As Published in The Sumter Item on Sunday, May 10, 2015

For 2015, the federal estate transfer tax exemption is $5.43 million of net assets per individual. This means that up to $5.43 million of net assets can pass through one’s estate to beneficiaries of a future generation free of estate transfer tax. Because of this fact, many people are not concerned with the usage of trusts in their estate plan. This lack of concern could be a mistake.

A person may determine that because she has less than $5.43 million of net assets there is no reason to use a trust as a tool to avoid estate tax. This may be a mistake.

There are at least three other very common reasons for using a trust in an estate plan besides avoiding estate taxes.

These three other common reasons are distribution planning, probate avoidance and asset protection planning. From one perspective, estate planning is the use of documents to answer certain questions that a particular document allows you to answer in effectuating your estate plan. For example, as far as distributing your assets, a will allows you to answer the questions of “Who will receive your assets?” “What they will receive?” and “How much they will receive?”

Additionally, a trust has the added facet that allows one to answer the question of “When your beneficiaries will receive your assets?” Answering this question is valuable in doing distribution planning for children or grandchildren under age forty. You might not want your child or grandchild to receive the entirety of the portion of your estate they are to receive at an age of less than forty or less than thirty.

You might want to stagger the distributions of a child’s or grandchild’s share over the course of several years

– such as part at age thirty, part at age thirty-five and the balance at age forty. A will cannot hold the distributions or stagger the distributions. A trust can.

You may want to stagger the distributions of your estate until a child or grandchild reaches a more mature age to increase the odds that the child or grandchild will be frugal and responsible with your inheritance. In that case, you would want to use a trust in addition to other estate planning documents.

Of course, you do not have to stagger distributions with a trust. It is merely an option.

You can use a trust to avoid probate. To use a trust in avoiding probate, you would set up a revocable living trust and fund the trust before you die with enough assets and the type of assets that would allow you to avoid probate. Assets can pass a variety of different ways and avoid probate.

These ways include expiration of a life estate, through a surviving joint owner, under a beneficiary designation or simply by not having enough assets to warrant having an estate go through probate. If one is an owner in fee simple of real property or a portion of real property or individually owns greater than $25,000.00 of personal property at the time of death, one’s estate must go through probate.

Now, if you have assets that cannot avoid probate without using a trust or you do not want to avoid probate through other means besides using a trust, then you can set up a revocable living trust and put those assets into the trust (fund the trust) before you die thereby avoiding probate with such assets when you die.

Why should you care about having your estate avoid probate? There are several drawbacks for an estate that has to go through probate. First, because of your recent death, it is a difficult time for your family to have to go through a long, sometimes cumbersome and sometimes difficult probate process.

For larger estates that require professional help, there are legal and accounting costs that have to be paid to help probate an estate. Sometimes these costs can be quite expensive. Setting up and administering a trust will not be inexpensive, but most of the time it should not be as expensive as going through probate. But, this cost comparison does not account for the usage of a professional trustee who charges fees for trust administration.

People can save money on trustee fees by appointing responsible family members as trustees who perform trust administration for little or no cost

though.

Also, trusts do not charge probate fees. Probate Courts charge probate fees based on the amount of gross assets at the time of death when an estate goes through the probate process. For the first million dollars of gross assets that goes through probate, $1,845.00 of probate fees are charged.

For every additional million dollars of gross assets, $2,500.00 of probate fees are charged. For a probate estate (assets passing through probate) of three million dollars, that is $6,845.00 of fees that one would ordinarily not otherwise have to pay if one avoided probate with those assets.

In the area of estate planning, there are a few different trusts one can use for asset protection planning. The types of trusts I am referring to protect the assets for the children of your marriage against a subsequent spouse of your surviving spouse or the children of your spouse’s subsequent marriage.

While I am not going into detail about the definitions of these trusts, one can use a unified credit trust, a qualified terminable interest property trust or a reverse qualified terminable interest property trust to give income from the principal of such trust to and to allow for very reasonable distributions of principal from such trusts to your surviving spouse for life while also requiring that the remaining principal of such trusts after your surviving spouse’s death be distributed to the surviving children or grandchildren of your marriage. In other words, you can ensure that your spouse is provided for during your spouse’s lifetime while also ensuring that the remainder of your trust assets go to your children only – not someone else’s children and not a subsequent spouse of your surviving spouse.

In other words, with these asset protection trusts, you are protecting your assets for your children and protecting your assets against outside beneficiaries while providing for your surviving spouse during your spouse’s lifetime.

There are several reasons for considering the use of trusts in your estate plan besides just avoiding estate taxes. These reasons include using trusts for distribution planning, probate avoidance and asset protection planning. A trust can be a useful tool in your box to effectuate your estate planning goals.

Glenn Givens is an attorney practicing law in Sumter with Kolb, Murphy & Givens, Attorneys at Law, L.L.C. Prior to practicing in Sumter. He practiced as a C.P.A. in Columbia for two years and as an attorney for six years in Florence with Scott & Associates, P.C. He currently practices in the areas of Estate Planning, Taxation, Probate, Business and Contracts.

The Good LIfe Senior Expo • 17

The Dreadful

Bunion:

It’s just a growth, right?

Ryan M. Putnam, M.D. Palmetto Health USC Orthopedics

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Bunions are a common disorder of the foot that impacts men and women of varying ages. They often have an inherited genetic predisposition, but can be associated with poor footwear, particularly narrow toe box shoes and high heels. Bunions can be seen in people with flat, normal and high arches. They can be present on one or both feet. They can be painful or painless. But it’s just a growth that can be shaved off, right? Not exactly.

Bunions and bunion treatment carry with them a lot of historical stigma and misinformation. It is not a growth but rather a deformity involving bone and soft tissue that starts in the mid-foot.

What one sees as the “bump” is normal bone (first metatarsal) rotating out of position. The big toe (proximal and distal phalanx) pulled away from it. Two bones within a tendon (sesamoids) are underneath and also act to pull the toe.

Over time, the deformity loses flexibility.

So how can you treat them?

Most patients recognize the width of the foot increasing and seek out shoes that fit, which generally have a wider and/or deeper toe box. Many conventional toe spacers or sleeves are available to provide relief from frictional irritation in shoes. Topical anti-inflammatories also can help alleviate pain. However, once the deformity starts, it will likely progress. No splint or sleeve will “correct” it, so do not be duped into spending money on contraptions. All they will accomplish is temporary pain relief, at best.

Equally, custom orthotics are not indicated unless a significant flatfoot or high arch foot is present. Spending $300-$500 on orthotics for a bunion is not recommended.

What about surgery?

Up until about 2015, there were as many as 100 different operations described to treat bunions. These operations largely created a

separate deformity to “move the bump over.”

The most common complication of these was recurrence (“It grew back, Doc!”). The reason for this was an incomplete understanding of the deformity and the importance of treating it where it originates, which is in the midfoot.

The Lapiplasty procedure, which I use, is effective to treat patients. Through examination of weight-bearing CT scans and cadaveric work, we’ve found that upward of 85 percent of bunions have a rotational deformity to them, which was previously not recognized. Additionally, previous surgeries often necessitated prolonged periods of nonweight bearing and immobilization. Now, we are able to allow weight-bearing within two weeks of surgery, which avoids stiffness and helps patients minimize the negative effects to their lives such as work, driving and self-care.

Typically, patients are back in shoes between six and 10 weeks and can resume physical activities between three to six months. While no procedure is without risks and complications, the majority of patients feel satisfied with the correction and improvement in shoe wear tolerance and activities.

Bunions are very common and treatment is available. However, the painless bunion is best left alone. Progression rates are very slow, so do not be scared into surgery for fear of “what may happen” or fear of getting “Grandma’s feet.”

Certainly, if there is ever a question of diagnosis or review of options for treatment, your best bet is to obtain a full series of weight-bearing X-rays (four views, which now includes the sesamoids) and consult a fellowship-trained orthopedic foot and ankle specialist.

Palmetto Health USC Orthopedics is located in Columbia, South Carolina. If you would like more information about Dr. Putnam or the practice in regards to foot and bunion issues, please call 803-774-CARE (2273).

The Good LIfe Senior Expo • 19

When Should You Get Tests?

Palmetto Health Tuomey

Men are from Mars and women are from Venus – or so the saying goes — but when it comes to health needs, are the sexes really that different?

Actually, yes. A study released earlier this year by the Institute of Medicine found that men and women are different on a cellular level. Each cell that makes up the human body has a sex, which means health, diseases, treatments and medications affect men and women differently.

Since then, we have learned that there are different challenges for women than for men when it comes to overall health – not just sex-specific issues, like ovarian cancer.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S., killing more women than cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and diabetes combined, according to the American Heart Association. Twenty-six percent of all women will die from cardiovascular disease, compared to 19 percent of men. Still, only one-third of clinical trial subjects are women, a recent study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found.

Women also go through more endocrine changes than men do. These include puberty – which both 20 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

men and women experience – pregnancy and menopause. These all have been linked to an increased risk of depression and some cancers.

Lung cancer kills more women every year than any other type of cancer, according to the Lung Cancer Foundation, and lung cancer is on the rise in non-smoking females. The primary cause?

Hormones. Due to new and indepth research, female sex hormones — particularly estrogen — have been found to influence and increase the risk of lung cancer developing, even in non-smokers.

While the same disease can impact women and men quite differently, tests to detect these issues apply to both sexes. Knowing which routine screenings to get and when to get them can be confusing, but they are life-saving in many cases..

Both men and women benefit from screenings for common illnesses and, of course, from their gender-specific screenings.

A yearly physical is recommended by doctors, and during these visits, weight, medications and other issues should be addressed. There are other screenings and tests that could benefit nearly everyone:

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Taking Personal Safety Devices To The Next Level When someone mentions personal alert devices, a line from a commercial from the late 1980s probably comes to mind.

“Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

The line took on a life of its own for that device back then. And while the technology has drastically improved, that reality for many independent-living seniors has not. Emergencies happen every day, and response times can mean the difference between life and death.

FTC recognizes that fact and offers the Numera personal alert device. A button provides the wearer a method to reach out to a 24/7 monitoring station and allows representatives from the company to reach the customer. If there is no response, emergency personnel are dispatched to the wearer’s location immediately.

“The peace of mind it would give me (as a relative) is that they are covered, so if they fell down or if something happened they would have emergency personnel right there,” said Amber Nelson, business office supervisor for FTC’s Wesmark store location.

“They can call or it has the drop protection on it. That would give me peace of mind because I definitely don’t want my grandmother falling when there’s no one around.

22 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo

“I think it can make a difference in their lives because they would need them if they lived by themselves. It gives them a peace of mind, a sense of security. I think that’s why it’s so important.”

The Numera personal alert device operates on cellular and GPS networks and can be used anywhere the carrier has service to provide assistance in emergency situations, such as falls, injuries, chronic illness and home intruders. It can be attached clipped to a belt or around the neck and since it’s waterproof, it does not have to be taken off during a bath or shower.

“The importance of this small device cannot be overstated,” Chase said. “For senior citizens who live alone, it is powerful tool that can be relied on. With the Numera and the monitoring service, it’s almost like having someone watching out for them.”

FTC’s Personal Alert system includes a $99.95 down payment to start the membership, followed by a $25 activation fee and a $29.95 monthly payment when signing-up for a three-year contract.

More information is available about FTC and its products at ftc-i.net. A representative can also be reached by calling 888-218-5050 or by stopping by one of FTC’s seven stores.

The Good LIfe Senior Expo • 23

24 • The Good LIfe Senior Expo