Healthy Aging: July 2016

A PublicAtion from monmouth medical center, southern campus

HEALTHY AGING july 2016

HELP FOR

CAREGIVERS HOW OXYGEN HEALS LIVE WELL WITH DIABETES!

ZIKA VIRuS:ARE YOU SAFE? HealthyAging.0716.4.indd 1

6/29/16 10:27 AM

WElcomE lEttEr

W

elcome to the summertime edition of Healthy Aging! As it warms up outside, the construction is heating up for our Geriatrics Institute at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus. We are getting closer to opening every day and we are all very excited about it at the hospital.

Summer makes keeping healthy and active a little easier because the snow and ice are gone.

However, the season also brings seniors some special challenges and risks. (See my “4 Tips for a Healthy Summer,” at right.)

Risks aside, summer has long been one of my favorite seasons—mostly because as a kid and a young adult I went away to summer camp and it changed my life (primarily because of the amazing people I met there). I loved just being away from school, spending time outdoors and being with my camp friends. In fact, my camp friends from long ago are still my closest friends today.

I mention that because as I write this, our Better Health Program has more than 1,000 members! As most of you know, while our Better Health events usually have a health education component, there is also a wonderful social component. It is never too late to make friends and have some fun. What better time than now?

I’d like to end with a special “thank you” to the many of you who have reached out to me to introduce yourselves and talk about your community and your health care concerns. This has really been a highlight for me as I spend more time in Ocean County. You can reach me via email at jisrael@barnabashealth.org.

Have a happy, safe and friend-filled summer!

Jessica l. Israel, m.D. Regional Director for Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus

4

tips for a healthy summer Jessica L. Israel, M.D., regional director for Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, offers these suggestions:

1

Be mindful of the heat—especially if you have a cardiac or respiratory condition. Use your air conditioner or take advantage of gatherings in air-conditioned places.

2

Don’t spend too much time in the sun. Remember the sun’s rays age our skin quickly, and this increases the risk of skin cancers. Use sunscreen and don’t forget to wear your sunglasses and hats!

3

If you like to garden or hike, make sure you do a skin check for ticks when you return home. The risk of Lyme disease from these ticks decreases if there has been less than 24 hours of exposure.

4

Watch out for the potato salad and deviled eggs at a barbecue to avoid food poisoning.

These foods do not do well when out in the hot sun for long periods.

2 HealthyAging.0716.4.indd 2

6/29/16 12:29 PM

Learn to

manage your diabetes The diabetes Self-management Program at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, offers free monthly glucose screenings on the first Thursday of the month from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. and a free monthly support group for people with diabetes on the third Thursday of the month from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The diabetes self-management classes held weekly at the Center for Healthy Living (see accompanying article) feature four class session agendas covering these topics:

Help for people with diabetes

Class 1— n Pathology of disease n Types of diabetes n Adjusting to self-managementfamily/social support n Identification of nutrients on blood glucose levels n Building a meal plan—breakfast Class 2— Medications for treating diabetes n Tracking blood sugars n Hypoglycemia—low blood sugar n Hyperglycemia— high blood sugar n Building a meal plan—lunch n

Class 3— Sick day guidelines n Tracking blood sugars n Making healthy food choices n Prevention/treatment chronic complications n

Class 4— Tracking blood sugars/hemoglobin A1C n Dining out n Benefits of exercise—effects on blood sugars n Overall health plan n Building a meal plan—snacks n

Follow-up— Review of goals n Recapping pre- and post-meal sugars n Healthy choices n

A speciAl progrAm prepAres newly diAgnosed pAtients to Achieve blood-sugAr control And mAke smArt lifestyle choices.

A

re you one of the nearly 24 million Americans who have been diagnosed with diabetes? You can live a full and satisfying life with this disease, but that depends partly on you. How you manage your diabetes can make a big difference in how well you feel—and whether you develop serious complications.

Happily, there’s help. At Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, a special program focuses on diabetes self-management. First you meet one-on-one with a diabetes educator. Then you attend a series of four two-hour class sessions, offered on Thursday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon at the Center for Healthy Living at 198 Prospect Street in Lakewood. The classes, recognized by the American Diabetes Association, are taught by a registered nurse and a registered dietitian/certified diabetes educator.

You’ll learn about diet and nutrition (including tips for dining out), glucose monitoring, medications, meal plans, the benefits of exercise and the prevention and treatment of diabetes complications. One challenge many people face, says dietitian and diabetes educator Lauren Dorman, is getting used to smaller portions at meals—and making up for that change by having healthy snacks more frequently through the day to maintain an even blood-sugar level.

Sessions typically draw from four to seven people, most but not all of them seniors. Each of the four sessions focuses on a different agenda. (See “Help for People With Diabetes,” at left.) If you miss one, you can make it up when that session is offered later. Attendees will need a doctor’s prescription; the cost can be billed to Medicare or your health insurance carrier. To register, call 732.886.4731 or 732.923.5025.

“People come out of these sessions feeling good about the knowledge they’ve gained,” says Dorman. “After all, knowledge is power.”

3 HealthyAging.0716.4.indd 3

6/29/16 12:30 PM

Better breast care, close to home

Ocean cOunty residents nOw have the benefit Of the renOwned Jacqueline M. wilentz breast center.

S

tatistics show that one in eight women will develop breast cancer—but worrying about it won’t help. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to have a screening mammogram. Mammography can help spot cancers early, when they can be treated most effectively and there’s a good chance for a cure. Fortunately, Ocean County residents now have a top-quality facility close to home that provides screening mammograms—as well as diagnostic services, breast surgery consultation and high-risk cancer assessment.

It’s the Jacqueline M. Wilentz Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus.

Earlier this year it moved from a temporary facility to a new permanent location on the medical center campus. Says Laura Gallo, special projects manager: “We provide the same services you get at the main Monmouth Medical Center—but you don’t have to drive to Long Branch.”

The new Lakewood location is a branch of the main Wilentz Breast Center, which has been honored as one of the nation’s finest breast care facilities. Providing care in Lakewood is breast surgeon Manpreet K. Kohli, M.D. (See “An Award-Win-

ning Breast Surgeon,” at right.)

In a recent educational program, Dr. Kohli discussed the importance of breast screenings, the prevalence of breast cancer, risk factors, preventive strategies and advances in breast surgery. It’s important to know about any members of your family who have had breast cancer, she said, but she also stressed that 75 percent of cases occur in women without a family history of the disease.

Thanks to medical advances, says Dr. Kohli, doctors are able to diagnose and treat breast cancer earlier and to provide each woman with care that is suited to her individual needs. Whether treatment includes a mastectomy (removal of a complete breast) or lumpectomy (removal of a section of tissue that contains and surrounds a tumor), chemotherapy, a pill taken orally, radiation therapy or a combination of these methods, Dr. Kohli and patient navigators make sure breast cancer patients are aware of their options throughout the process. This allows each patient to make educated and informed decisions and to remain knowledgeable throughout treatment.

For information or to make an appointment for a mammogram or a consultation, call 732.923.7700.

An awardwinning breast surgeon Manpreet K. Kohli, M.D., a board-certified and fellowshiptrained breast surgeon at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, provides women with comprehensive breast care, including prevention, detection and treatment.

Before coming on board at Monmouth South, Dr. Kohli served first as a general surgery resident and then as chief resident of general surgery at Monmouth Medical Center’s main campus in Long Branch.

During her tenure as chief resident, Dr. Kohli received the prestigious Dr. Cyril S. Arvanitis Award for conducting her work with dependability, efficiency and promptness. Dr. Kohli earned her medical degree from Kasturba Medical College (Manipal University) in India. She completed her breast surgery oncology fellowship at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Roosevelt/Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. She is a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians and the Association of Women Surgeons.

4 HealthyAging.0716.4.indd 4

6/30/16 3:46 PM

3 tips for caregivers

ATTenTiOn,

caregivers!

Support groupS let you Share ideaS—and feelingS— with otherS who are in the Same boat.

I

f you regularly take care of a sick or frail elderly individual, you’re not alone. And don’t stay alone.

So says Kathleen Holahan, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., who leads the weekly twohour meetings of two Caregivers Support Groups—Tuesdays from noon to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays from 12:15 to 2:15 p.m.—at the Center for Healthy Living at 198 Prospect Street in Lakewood.

The groups give caregivers a chance to socialize, share practical tips and— most importantly—confide in people who understand because they’re in a similar situation.

“Caregiving can be very isolating,” says Holahan. “When you have a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease, nobody wants to go out to dinner with you anymore.”

The groups break that isolation.

They’re for people of any age who care for patients with any condition, she explains, but most attendees live with dementia patients. That means they have stories to tell that may not be right for the typical neighborhood chat.

Memory failures, disorientation, flashes

of anger, incontinence, wrong-gender attire—group members have seen it all. Whatever you’re going through with your loved one, someone in the group can relate. And you’ll hear a lot of laughter—not always at things you’d normally consider a laughing matter.

“It’s a kind of gallows humor,” says Holahan. “It’s a relief to laugh.”

As a meeting begins, she suggests a discussion topic or simply opens the floor. Groups usually include no more than a dozen people so everyone can share. But members know that sometimes a person facing a crisis may need more time than usual, while some others just listen and offer feedback.

Participants give each other rides when necessary, report on experiences with home health care aides and adult day care centers and even get together for lunch when Holahan is on vacation.

“These are some of the most heroic people you’ll ever meet,” says Holahan.

“It’s not hard to fall in love with them.”

She recalls one woman who dutifully provided the physically demanding, round-the-clock care her seriously incapacitated husband required—

Kathleen Holahan, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., facilitator of the Caregivers Support Groups at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, suggests: 1. Join a group. Find other people who are in your situation and meet with them regularly.

2. Find a good geriatrician. Your family doctor may not be sufficiently informed, unless he or she has special training in this field or has known your family for a long time.

3. Reach out. Don’t assume that a relative or friend—even a much younger one—wouldn’t want, say, to look after your loved one while you take a much-needed two-hour break. Says Holahan: “It could be that there are people who are willing to help you, but you just haven’t asked them. And they don’t know what to do.”

despite being 89 herself!

Of course, caregivers aren’t perfect; for one thing, they often fail to take proper care of themselves.

“They don’t get enough sleep, and they don’t see their doctor often enough; they’re too busy taking their loved one to doctors,” says Holahan.

“Then they end up getting sick. They deal with very high levels of stress.

And stress can make you sick—we know that.”

Groups can help caregivers maintain perspective and remember to treat themselves well, if only so they can continue in their vital role. Says Holahan: “We ask, ‘Who’s going to take care of him—or her—if something happens to you?’”

The Caregivers Support Groups are open to residents of Ocean County or people who are caring for residents of Ocean County. There is no age limit for the caregivers; however, the person for whom they are providing care must be 60 or older.

The Caregivers Support Groups are sponsored by Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, and the Ocean County Office of Senior Services, and funded by a federal grant.

Meetings are free, but registration is required. Sign up—or learn more—by calling 732.730.9112.

5 HealthyAging.0716.4.indd 5

6/29/16 12:31 PM

Express

to Long Branch A free shuttle now operAtes between lAkewood And the MAin MonMouth MedicAl center cAMpus.

N

eed transportation to the hospital? Local residents now have access to a new shuttle van that picks up patients at their homes and takes patients, visitors and guests back and forth from Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, at 600 River Avenue in Lakewood to Monmouth Medical Center at 300 Second Avenue in Long Branch. The service is a partnership between the two health care facilities and Bikur Cholim, a volunteer social service organization whose name means “visiting the sick” in Hebrew.

Free to community members, the shuttle offers regular

trips between the medical center campuses. Trips take about one hour, leaving Lakewood at 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. and leaving Long Branch at 11:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The shuttle also offers residents of Lakewood and Long Branch free door-to-door transportation from home to either medical center campus. This service requires reservations.

(No reservation is needed for the scheduled trips between campuses.)

To learn more or to make a reservation for the van to pick you up, please call 866.905.3020.

Doctor

Ask the

What is the Zika virus?

A question for sAndeepA utpAt, M.d., An infectious diseAse speciAlist At MonMouth MedicAl center, southern cAMpus.

Z

6

ika is a mosquito-borne virus that, when contracted by a pregnant woman, can cause the fetus to develop a birth defect called microcephaly—a smaller-than-normal head with a brain that may not develop normally. Other problems detected among infected fetuses and infants include defects of the eye, hearing deficits and impaired growth. There have also been increased reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system, in areas affected by Zika.

The mosquitoes that carry

HealthyAging.0716.4.indd 6

Zika are aggressive daytime biters, but they can also bite at night. A mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person already infected—it can then spread the virus by biting more people. Zika can also spread during sex with a man infected with Zika, from a pregnant woman to her fetus during pregnancy or around the time of birth, and probably through blood transfusion.

Although there is no vaccine to prevent Zika, the best way to prevent diseases spread by mosquitoes is to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites by: n wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants; n staying in places with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside; n taking steps to control mosquitoes inside and outside your home; n treating your clothing

and gear with permethrin or buying pretreated items; n using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents and always following the label instructions. (Used as directed, these insect repellents are proven safe and effective even for pregnant and breastfeeding women, but do not use insect repellents on babies younger than 2 months old, and do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children younger than 3 years old); n using mosquito netting to cover babies younger than 2 months old in carriers, strollers or cribs; n sleeping under a mosquito bed net if you’re outdoors or if air conditioning or screened rooms are not available; n preventing sexual transmission of Zika by using condoms or not having sex.

If you contract Zika…

If you believe you may have contracted Zika, see a physician promptly.

There is no specific medicine to treat this virus, but you can treat the symptoms: n Get plenty of rest. n Drink fluids to prevent dehydration. n Take medicine such as acetaminophen to reduce fever and pain. n Do not take aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. n If you are already taking medicine for another condition, talk to your healthcare provider before taking additional medication.

To help prevent others from getting sick, follow strict steps to prevent mosquito bites during the first week of illness.

For a referral to a primary care physician, call 888.724.7123. To learn more about Zika, visit the Travelers’ Health website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov/Zika.

6/30/16 3:46 PM

When a wound just won’t heal For diabetic Foot ulcers and other stubborn problems, a special Facility at monmouth south oFFers all needed services in one handy location.

S

ometimes poor circulation, diabetes or another condition can make a wound resistant to healing. That’s when the Wound Care Center at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, can help.

The center offers a variety of stateof-the-art treatments for chronic wounds, including an enclosed pressurized chamber that offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy—that is, therapy with oxygen at greater-than-normal pressure, used to stimulate the body’s natural healing.

To make the service more convenient, the Wound Care Center has moved to the medical center’s campus, where it is now adjacent to the hyperbaric chamber. Patients who require both hyperbaric services and other wound care can be treated at one time, in one location.

With a team of specialists dedicated to superior wound care, the Wound Care Center combines expert diagnosis, state-of-the-art treatment and highly specialized care to put patients on the path toward healthy healing.

It has experts in treating chronic and non-healing wounds that develop for a variety of reasons. Whether you have diabetes, are bedridden, have poor circulation or suffer from any other condition that inhibits healthy wound

healing, the center is the place to go.

It starts with a proper diagnosis.

Why aren’t you healing? The clinicians at the center get to the bottom of it to address the real issues and reverse the problem. A diagnostic exam may include X-rays, vascular testing, wound cultures and/or biopsies. Once the cause of your problem is identified, team members work together to provide the treatment you need to heal again.

Depending on your unique wound needs, your team may include professionals in a wide range of disciplines, such as: n podiatrists specializing in wound care n vascular surgeons specializing in wound care n infectious disease specialists n plastic surgeons n general surgeons specializing in wound care n wound care-certified registered nurses n a registered dietitian n a diabetes educator Managing chronic or hard-to-heal wounds requires a comprehensive approach to care. Having the skills, experience and treatment options to establish and maintain healthy healing is vital. The Wound Care Center

delivers the appropriate care at the appropriate time. Depending on your needs, treatment may include a combination of: n surgical debridement n skin grafting n off-loading (keeping weight off the foot to manage foot ulcers) n nutritional support n rehabilitative services n home health care n case management n referral to hyperbaric treatment For patients with aggressive wounds, the center’s specialists may employ special interventions and techniques as needed—including advanced surgery, specialized skin grafts and growth factor that stimulates healing.

Because the growth of healthy tissue depends on numerous factors including lifestyle, environmental, medical and nutritional needs, the team also assesses these elements, making recommendations to optimize your healing potential. The result is a highly personalized plan of care, designed to facilitate and accelerate wound healing.

To find out more about treatment at the Wound Care Center at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, call 732.942.5927.

7 HealthyAging.0716.4.indd 7

6/29/16 12:32 PM

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Here are some upcoming events that will be of interest to seniors.

JULY

HEALTH FAIR SPONSORED

BY JACKSON TOWNSHIP LIBRARY

AGING BEAUTIFULLY: KEEPING YOUR SKIN HEALTHY AFTER 60

Thursday, July 7 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Jackson Township Library, 2 Jackson Dr., Jackson No registration required.

Tuesday, July 19 11:30 a.m.

Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, Conference Rooms A & B, 600 River Ave., Lakewood Register by calling 888.724.7123.

SAFETY AND SUNDAES: KEEPING YOUR GRANDKIDS SAFE AND HAPPY WHILE IN YOUR CARE

Monday, August 1 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Center for Healthy Living, 198 Prospect St., Lakewood Register by calling 888.724.7123.

MONMOUTH MEDICAL CENTER, SOUTHERN CAMPUS, GOLF CLASSIC

Monday, July 25 10 a.m.

Eagle Oaks Golf & Country Club, 20 Shore Oaks Dr., Farmingdale Register with the MMCSC Foundation at 732.886.4438.

Build up

Monday, July 11 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Manchester Library, 21 Colonial Dr., Manchester Register with the Manchester Library at 732.657.7600.

SAFETY AND SUNDAES: KEEPING YOUR GRANDKIDS SAFE AND HAPPY WHILE IN YOUR CARE

RECURRING GROUPS ALL LEVELS YOGA Fridays, July 8, 15, 22 & 29, 1–2 p.m.

Center for Healthy Living, 198 Prospect St., Lakewood Register with the Better Health Hotline at 888.726.2362.

Better Health members ONLY. CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP

Every Tuesday, noon–2 p.m.

Every Wednesday, 12:15–2:15 p.m.

Center for Healthy Living, 198 Prospect St., Lakewood For more information, call 732.730.9112.

GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN SUPPORT GROUP

Every Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Center for Healthy Living, 198 Prospect St., Lakewood For more information, call 732.730.9112.

your giving through monthly donations.

Learn more about how a small monthly gift can make a big impact.

Please contact the Foundation at 732.886.4148 or email us at junlynch@barnabashealth.org.

www.monmouthsouthgiving.com

8

HealthyAging.0716.4.indd 8

6/29/16 12:32 PM