Healthy Aging: April 2017

A PUBLICATION FROM MONMOUTH MEDICAL CENTER, SOUTHERN CAMPUS

HEALTHY AGING APRIL 2017

IT’S TIME TO JOIN

‘BETTER HEALTH’

CANCER: DON’T FIGHT IT ALONE LIFESAVER ON WHEELS INCOME FOR LIFE, GUARANTEED

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Message from MMCSC CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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n an effort to be up-to-par with the most advanced medical practices, we are continually updating hospital programs and services. I’m happy to report that we recently introduced the Oncology Rehabilitation Program at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus (MMCSC).

This program is available to all cancer patients and survivors in need, whether they are newly diagnosed, currently undergoing chemotherapy, or long finished with treatment. MMCSC is committed to helping our patients live their best lives by getting them back to the activities that are most important to them.

Many cancer patients and survivors are dealing with a wide range of effects from treatment including fatigue, weakness, poor endurance, emotional reactivity and more.

Our Oncology Rehabilitation Program and team approach will help decrease pain and frustration and allow our patients to regain their independence with a customized plan to address and treat their symptoms.

Services will include occupational therapy, physical therapy, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and speechlanguage pathology. And among our team of specialists will be advanced practice RNs, medical oncologists, occupational therapists, oncology RNs, physical therapists, rehabilitation physicians, social workers and speech-language therapists.

This program coincides with the opening of the Cancer Support Community (CSC) at MMCSC located at 199 Prospect Street, across the street from the hospital. Individuals affected by cancer are given an opportunity to enhance their health and well-being through participation in professionally led programs of emotional support, relaxation, exercise and education. Anyone who is affected by cancer—the patient, family, friends and caregivers—can access CSC. To ensure that no one faces cancer alone, there is no charge for these programs and they’re available to all cancer patients in Monmouth and Ocean counties, regardless of where they’re being treated.

If you feel that either of these programs would be beneficial to you, a family member or a friend, I encourage you to reach out to us directly. For more information on the Oncology Rehabilitation Program, call 732.942.5921 or for more information on the Cancer Support Community, call 732.923.6090.

Sincerely,

Frank J. Vozos, M.D., FACS Executive Vice President, RWJBarnabas Health Chief Executive, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus

‘BETTER HEALTH!’ TO YOU

A FREE PROGRAM FOR SENIORS COMBINES MEDICAL SERVICES, HEALTH INFORMATION AND JUST PLAIN FUN. f you’re a regular Healthy Aging reader, you probably know already about the Better Health! Senior Membership Program. You may even be one of its 1,500+ members. If not, what are you waiting for?

This free program at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus (MMCSC), gives seniors VIP access to social programs, health education and preventive screenings. It offers preferred physician scheduling, with appointments guaranteed within 48 hours of your call, reserved parking at MMCSC’s Outpatient Pavilion, easy access to pre-register for upcoming services and an expedited registration process.

And there’s a host of special programs and services including exercise classes, physician lectures, educational lunch-and-learns and concerts.

Better Health! events held in 2016 were too numerous to list here. They ranged from chair yoga sessions to self-defense lessons to “Broadway Cabaret,” from a talk on brain health to a meetand-greet with physicians to balance screenings.

Health screenings offered included blood pressure, blood glucose, bone density and body mass index (BMI). Find out more by calling Kelly DeLeon at 732.961.1401.

Better Health! is easy to join.

Find a sign-up form online at barnabashealth .org/betterhealth.

Or call 1.888.726.2362.

We look forward to seeing you at the next Better Health! event.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ monmouthsoutherncampus to learn more about upcoming programs and services.

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DON’T FIGHT CANCER ALONE WHETHER YOU’RE THE PATIENT OR A FAMILY MEMBER, SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU COPE.

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diagnosis of cancer, in you or in a family member or friend, is a major medical challenge. But with today’s advanced treatments, that challenge often can be overcome with a good result.

Here’s what you need to know: Others have been there before, and their support and sharing—along with taking the best possible care of yourself—can help you through the experience.

That’s the idea behind the Cancer Support Community (CSC), a professionally led international nonprofit network. While clinicians work to treat the malignancy itself, CSC offers numerous programs of education, exercise, relaxation and emotional support aimed at enhancing health and well-being. And now CSC, whose local outlet was previously in Eatontown, is collaborating with Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, to offer services at 199 Prospect Street in Lakewood—it’s one of just seven CSC programs in the country that are hospital-based.

At CSC’s Lakewood location you’ll find support group meetings, yoga classes, nutrition instruction, exercise and relaxation sessions, bingo games, activities for kids and events connected to the American Cancer Society’s “Look Good, Feel Better” program aimed at helping patients deal with the appearance side effects of cancer treatment.

And it’s free! Anyone affected by cancer—patients, family members, friends and caregivers—can access this program. It’s available to all in Ocean and Monmouth counties, regardless of where they or the cancer patients in their lives are being treated.

“We now have a drop-in program on Friday afternoons from 3 to 6 p.m. for children whose family member has cancer,” says program director Joan Hogan.

To find out more about the Cancer Support Community and its programs, please call 732.923.6090.

For good nutrition if you’re a cancer patient “choose foods with short ingredient lists,” advises the University of Maryland’s Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Find many suggestions by clicking on the tabs “Navigating Cancer Care” and “Coping With Cancer” on Cancer.net, a website run by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

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A grateful patient’s story LONGTIME EDUCATOR JERI HADLEY APPRECIATES THE CARE SHE RECEIVES FROM PROFESSIONALS WHO KNOW HOW TO LISTEN.

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“It’s such a relief that I can receive high-quality geriatric care close to home and not have to travel to Philadelphia or New York City.”

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hough Jeri Hadley spent much of her life educating students as a secondary school English teacher and college professor, she, in many ways, has now become the student in retirement. For the past few years, she has taken advantage of educational opportunities offered through the Better Health Senior Membership Program and the James and Sharon Maida Geriatrics Institute at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus (MMCSC). These opportunities range from lunch-and-learn sessions with hospital physicians and nutritionists to one-on-one consultations with a geriatrician.

“Two years ago, I became a Better Health member after a lunch-and-learn presentation at the Four Seasons,” says Hadley. “A celebrity chef prepared a tasty brunch to educate the audience on nutritious eating and healthy choices in the kitchen. While we enjoyed the delicious meal, the Garden State Philharmonic String ensemble treated us to a medley of classical favorites and Broadway tunes. I was quite impressed with this event and, since that time, I have continued to be impressed with all that Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, has to offer.”

The Better Health Program provides seniors VIP access to social programs, health education, preventive screenings and more at no cost. This drives home the MMCSC message that aesthetics such as art and music are just as important to healthy aging as regular checkups with your primary care physician. All programs and services offered to seniors at MMCSC focus on the whole person, including physical, social and emotional aspects, which have always been a priority for Jessica L. Israel, M.D., regional director, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) and MMCSC. “I was drawn to Dr. Israel immediately and felt that she was not only an asset to MMCSC, but also an asset to me,” says Hadley. “After hearing her speak, I realized that her expertise and friendly manner were just what I needed in a primary care physician.

She listens, cares and understands the growing needs of the senior population. Perhaps

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her greatest asset is her availability, since she readily gives out her e-mail address, not just to patients but also to members of Better Health. During our initial meeting she explained that she thought I was seeing too many doctors who weren’t communicating with one another, and therefore, I was on too many prescription drugs that, in combination, were causing adverse reactions. Dr. Israel was able to help me lay out a plan of action with these physicians and allayed my anxiety about taking these medications.”

Dr. Israel is leading the way in reinventing how the health care industry treats our aging population through the James and Sharon Maida Geriatrics Institute. The only program of its kind in the region, the Institute provides integrated inpatient and outpatient services to patients 65 and older—improving ease of access while enhancing MMCSC’s interdisciplinary approach to caring for the community’s elderly population. Dr. Israel ensures that each patient is treated as an individual. She’s not only interested in medical history but in personal history as well. This approach provides unparalleled insight into how each patient views aging and health care as a whole. Part of what makes Dr. Israel such a sought-after physician is the fact that she is a good listener, she is kind and she understands the particular needs of the senior population, making herself available at all times to answer any questions or concerns.

“I thoroughly trust Dr. Israel and feel comfortable in her care and the care of everyone at the James and Sharon Maida Geriatrics Institute,” says Hadley. “It’s such a relief that I can receive high-quality geriatric care close to home and not have to travel to Philadelphia or New York City. People seem to shy away from MMCSC because it’s small, but to me it’s perfect because its single focus is on the patient. With so many extra programs and services offered to seniors, it is a true destination for geriatric care. And having the benefits of a strong health care system like RWJBarnabas Health at my local hospital makes me feel even more confident that I’m getting the very best care.”

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Left to right: Jonathan Tango, vice president, Operations, MMCSC; Marie Paskewich, administrative director, Emergency Department, MMCSC; Frank J. Vozos, M.D., FACS, executive vice president, RWJBarnabas Health, and chief executive, MMCSC; Judy Colorado, chief nursing officer, MMCSC; Jennifer Leeds, assistant director, Emergency Department, MMCSC.

Wheels at the ready SOMETIMES CRITICAL-CARE PATIENTS NEED TREATMENT ELSEWHERE. NOW A STATE-OF-THE-ART AMBULANCE CAN TAKE THEM THERE.

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atients at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus (MMCSC), who require critical-care services at other facilities will soon have a speedy and efficient way to get there: a new ambulance onsite, staffed by an MMCSC nurse.

The Advanced Life Saving ambulance will feature the highest level of equipment for critically ill or injured patients. It will be driven by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) from GEM Ambulance, a leading medical transport company.

The vehicle will be provided by Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation (MONOC), a nonprofit consortium of 15 acute-care hospitals caring for the more than 2.8 million residents of an 1,800-square-mile area along New Jersey’s coast.

Says Frank J. Vozos, M.D., FACS, executive vice president, RWJBarnabas Health, and the hospital’s chief executive: “This is one of many recent enhancements that will help MMCSC better serve our patients and community.”

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TIP Keep vital medical records in one handy place so that if a quick trip to the hospital becomes necessary, doctors will know pertinent facts about your medical background—including allergies, chronic conditions and previous surgeries.

In case of emergency . . .

The same commitment to prompt, efficient care reflected in the new ambulance also characterizes emergency care at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus. The hospital’s Emergency Department (ED), featuring 29 beds and an additional eight in the “fast-track” area, has wait times that average less than 10 minutes and has a “patient satisfaction” rate of about 95 percent.

The ED offers foreign-language interpretation and disability communication devices, on-site emergency psychiatric screenings, poison control care, sexual assault and domestic violence support and access to the entire RWJBarnabas Health network.

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FOUNDATIONFOCUS

Generosity pays WITH A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY, YOU CAN HELP THE HOSPITAL AND YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE.

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alk about your “win-wins.”

Did you know you can arrange to earn a guaranteed income for life while making a charitable gift to aid the future patients of Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus (MMCSC)?

It’s done with a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA), a gift that pays fixed income for life to a maximum of two beneficiaries (yourself and a loved one, over the age of 55 when the payments begin).

“Over the past decade, the Legacy Society has helped many people provide for the hospital in their estate plans,” says June Lynch, Director of Development, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus Foundation.

“We’d be happy to welcome you as the society’s newest member.”

If you have questions about Charitable Gift Annuities, please call June at 732.886.4148 or june.lynch@rwjbh.org.

She can help you find the giving strategy that best meets your needs. You can also find more information on the web at www.estate.gifts/monmouthsouth.

How much will you receive?

For a single-life CGA, sample rates below demonstrate payment rates based on your age when your payments begin. In other words, these are the percentages of your gift that you will receive back each year as long as you live. (These rates, effective January 2017, are subject to change. Check the latest IRS discount rates for life income gifts before making a final decision.)

AGE

PERCENTAGE

65

4.4%

75

5.8%

80

6.8%

90

9.0%

NOTE: The rates are for an annual payout. Payments may be much higher than your return on low-earning securities or CDs. Charitable gift annuities enable donors to support the causes they care about, while receiving guaranteed income for life, or their life and also the life of a loved one, as there can be an additional beneficiary who will receive payments upon the donor’s death. Donors could also consider flexible or deferred charitable gift annuities, which are great for those approaching retirement, but not ready to start taking the income yet.

Disclaimer: Not intended as legal, accounting or other professional advice. For assistance in planning charitable gifts with tax and other financial implications, the services of an appropriate adviser should be obtained.

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DOCTOR

ASK THE

HOW CAN A PHYSIATRIST HELP MY CANCER REHAB?

A QUESTION FOR CHARLES MARKOWITZ, M.D., PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION SPECIALIST, MONMOUTH MEDICAL CENTER, SOUTHERN CAMPUS.

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hysicians who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation are known as physiatrists. They diagnose, evaluate and treat patients with both major and minor disabilities, using a team approach to restore physical function to maximum potential and minimize the psychological, social and vocational effects of disability.

The physiatrist’s team approach includes treatment, input and coordination with other health care professionals. Cancer rehabilitation may include evaluation and treatment from occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, medical oncologists, oncology RNs, advanced practice RNs and social workers.

Physiatrists use the routine history and physical exam and radiological studies as other physicians do. However, they also may elect to employ a specialized test such as electromyography (EMG) or electrodiagnosis as an extension of the physical examination, in particular when

neuropathy is suspected. The physiatrist often recommends treatments such as heat, cold and electrical stimulation, as well as certain therapeutic exercises.

All of these services can be found in Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus’ (MMCSC) Oncology Rehabilitation Program. While consultation with a physiatrist Charles Markowitz, M.D. is not mandatory to enroll in the program, patients often find that a physiatrist is a specialist who cares, who empathizes readily and who treats the whole person rather than a single organ or disease.

To learn more about the program, call 732.942.5900. For a referral to a primary care physician, call 888.724.7123.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Seniors may wish to attend these upcoming events of interest.

A MATTER OF BALANCE: MANAGING CONCERNS ABOUT FALLS

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Mondays, April 3 through May 22, 2–4 p.m.

Ocean County Library, Manchester Branch, 21 Colonial Dr., Manchester.

This free eight-part series benefits mobile older adults by helping to reduce their fear of falling and increase their activity levels. It’s open to those 60 and older who are concerned about falls, may have sustained a fall in the past, limit their activities because of concerns about falling or are simply

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interested in improving flexibility, balance and strength.

To register or for more information, call 732.657.7600.

cal things you can do to protect your bones. Bone density screenings will also be provided at no charge. To register, call 732.928.4400.

BONE UP ON YOUR HEALTH: OSTEOPOROSIS 101

OPEN HEALTH SCREENINGS

Tuesday, April 4 11 a.m.–noon Ocean County Library, Jackson Branch, 2 Jackson Dr., Jackson.

Osteoporosis can affect men and women of all ages and races.

This presentation provides an overview of osteoporosis, risk factors for the disease as well as its signs and symptoms.

We will also cover popular treatment options and practi-

Wednesday, April 12 8:30–10 a.m.

3rd Floor Conference Room at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, 600 River Ave., Lakewood.

Free. Do you know your numbers? Come out and have your glucose, blood pressure, bone density and body mass index (BMI) tested. After your screening, enjoy a heart-healthy snack! Registration is required; call

RWJBarnabas Health at 1.888.724.7123.

LUNCH AND LEARN: FIVE WISHES

Thursday, April 20, 10 a.m.

St. Andrew’s Church at 1528 Church Rd., Toms River.

Many things in life are out of our hands.

The Five Wishes document gives you a way to control something very important: how you are treated if you get seriously ill.

It is an easy-to-complete form that lets you say exactly what you want. This program, presented by Claire Verruni, R.N., CHPN, an expert in hospice and palliative care, will be held in partnership with

Social Community Activities Networks (SCAN). To learn more or to register, call 732.542.1326.

SUMMER SAFETY FOR OLDER ADULTS

Tuesday, April 25 10–11 a.m.

Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, 331 Georgia Tavern Rd., Howell Let’s have SAFE fun in the sun! This discussion will include heat illness prevention, medication precautions and travel safety tips. We will also review the various types of skin protection available and the benefits of each. Registration is required; call 732.751.9453.

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