healthy neighbors newsletter spring 2012

7/31/2019 Healthy Neighbors Newsletter Spring 2012

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Spring 2012

Care or the Caregiver

S ome caregivers are adult children tending to anaging parent. Some are parents o a child with specialneeds or chronic illness. Most common, according toMYRA GLAJCHEN, DSW, Director o the Institute

or Education and raining in Pain and Palliative Care, is a spousetaking care o a spouse.

Because caregiving can be stress ul, Dr. Glajchen reminds caregivers,“ ake care o yoursel . Caregivers today can become patients o tomor-row i they neglect their own health while taking care o someoneelse.” Easier said than done, right? But you can better take care o yoursel i you turn to others or support. Here are some suggestionsrom Dr. Glajchen:

FAMILY. Make caregiving a amily responsibility. Perhaps a relativewho works exible hours can accompany the sick person to medicalappointments, while another relative visits on weekends. Someone whois organized can help with paperwork and ling; relatives who live araway can make help ul phone calls.

FRIENDS. Many riends will o er to help. Don’t turn down thoseo ers. When someone asks to pitch in, have speci c tasks at the ready:Do a load o laundry, cook a casserole, take your kids on a Saturday outing, come visit or two hours. Make it clear that you may take the

opportunity during your riend’s visit to keep your own doctor’sappointment or take a walk or even a nap.

DOCTORS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL. Appoint onamily spokesperson to deal with the doctors. It is extremely helpi this spokesperson can also go on doctors’ visits since it is over

whelming or a patient to take in all the in ormation. Go with a lio prepared questions and nd out the best way to ollow up withthe physician. Be sure to ask the physician or advice on paid homhealth aides and whether your relative might be eligible or somecovered hours.

SUPPORT GROUPS. Meeting regularly with a group o other careers can be an invaluable stress reliever and a source o excellent imation. Ask your doctor i the hospital provides any groups that wbe a good t or your circumstances. Churches, temples and seniocitizen centers also sponsor groups, so spread your net wide.

YOURSELF. Your attitude toward caregiving can a ect your levelo stress. “Caregiving is not all bad. I want to emphasize that cargiving, while challenging, also draws people closer together,” sayDr. Glajchen. “Caregivers have an opportunity to nd meaning anpersonal growth. With the right amount o support, caregiving caa very ul lling experience.”l

HEALTH NEWS YOU CAN USE FROM BETH ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER

The Internet can be a friend to the busy caregiver.Visit these sites for more helpful hints:

> www.NetofCare.org

> www.CaringInfo.org

> www.Cancer.gov/CancerTopics/Coping/FamilyFriends

> www.NextStepInCare.org



Message from the PresidentSpring is a wonder ul time to pause, take stock andmake sure we are doing all we can do to keep ouramilies and ourselves as healthy as possible. In

addition to the latest advanced medical and surgicaltreatments, Beth Israel Medical Center providesample resources or preventive and well care.

In this issue o Healthy Neighbors , we o er prac-tical advice to caregivers so that they can take bettercare o themselves. Continuum Cancer Centers o New York provides some important recommenda-tions or reducing your risk or cancer. We’ve alsoincluded ways to prevent on-the-job or around-the-home injuries.

I am also delighted to in orm you o an excitingpartnership Beth Israel and the other ContinuumHospitals o New York have undertaken to pro-vide valuable health in ormation to the New York metropolitan community. Te initiative, namedLive Well New York, is a high-pro le, multimediaproject through which our afliated physicians andpractitioners share important health and wellnessin ormation on a wide variety o topics with thelocal community and beyond. Tis in ormation ispromoted through stories inTe New York Daily News and in health segments onNBC-New York (Channel 4).

Whether through initiatives such as Live WellNew York or issues o Healthy Neighbors , Beth Israelseeks to provide you, your loved ones and neighborswith expert advice to help make in ormed decisionsabout improving health and wellness.

Remember, we are here to help!

Harris M. Nagler, MD, FACSPresident, Beth Israel Medical Center

Clean Out Your Medicine

Cabinet! “Once a year, everyone should clean out their medicine cabinadvises Elizabeth Palillo, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacy ManaBeth Israel Medical Center. Faced with a mess o hal -used pretions, old lotions and syrups, where does a spring cleaner bDr. Palillo o ers some advice:FIRST, THROW OUT EXPIRED PRODUCTS. “While in general, older medication

won’t harm you, they do lose their efcacy, meaning they won’t work as well as expect,” advises Dr. Palillo.

DISCARD PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS THAT YOU DON’T NEED ANYMORE.you have le tover antibiotics or a prescribed cream or a rash that cleared up, tos

IF THE SEASON HAS PASSED, OUT IT GOES. “Some people drink straight romcough syrup bottle; so i the cold season is over, those possibly contaminated bshould be thrown out,” says Dr. Palil lo. Eye drops are other items that are probacontaminated. I yours are more than three months old, get a resh bottle. Sunscare another seasonal item. “Sunscreens degrade a ter being exposed to heat. Destart the summer resh with a new tube,” adds Dr. Palillo.

THROW OUT SAFELY. Dump pills and liquids into a sealable tin can (co ee can work great) and mix with something non-edible like kitty litter or powder deterDuct tape the lid to the can and dispose in the garbage. Be environmentally rieand don’t ush your meds down the toilet. Exceptions to the no- ush rule: narcotand painkillers. “We advise you to ush those because o the potential or themound in the trash and abused,” says Dr. Palillo.

RESTOCK ON FIRST AID. While you’re making a clean sweep and purchasing supplies, make sure you have these on hand: bandages o varying sizes, rst aidment, a pain reliever/ ever reducer, an antihistamine or possible allergic reactioand the number o your local Poison Control Center placed near your medicatio

CONSIDER WHERE THAT CABINET IS LOCATED. “It’s counterintuitive, but thebathroom medicine cabinet is the worst place to store many medications—too heat and steam,” explains Dr. Palillo. Choose instead a shel in a kitchen cabinenightstand or desk drawer.l



Live Well New YorkBeth Israel Medical Center, along with other memberso Continuum Hospitals o New York, has teamed up

with Te New York Daily News and NBC-New York to provide valuable health in ormation to the New York metropolitan community via a high-pro le,multimedia plat orm. ips, news and guidelines willbe o ered through:

– Te New York Daily News:Look or weekly healthstories rom Continuum’s physicians and practitioners.

– NBC-New York:Look or daily health segments onChannel 4 on a wide range o wellness topics.

– www.LiveWellNY.com,where visitors can nd themost relevant health in o, as well as wellness tips advice, or a healthier li estyle in New York City. l

Workplace Wellness or the Deskboundtuck at a desk or most o your day? Review how your worksta-tion can prevent pain and injury in your hands, neck and back.

CHRISTINE HINKE, MD, Associate Director o Physical Medicine andRehabilitation Medicine at Beth Israel, says, “You want to remain in asneutral a position as possible while working. You don’t want the key-board too high or too low so that your arms and wrists are overly bentor stretched. You don’t want your eet to be dangling or your neck constantly turned to see your screen.” Here, she o ers a ew easy xes(and provides a real-li e example in the picture to the right):

– ry an under-desk shel that lowers the keyboard.

– Use a wrist rest to elevate your wrists.

– Situate your screen directly in ront o you, not to the side.

– Get a riser to li t your screen to eye level (try a phonebook!).

– Adjust your chair to nd a good height that eels com ortably neutral in relation to your desk and your keyboard.

– Consider a ootstool.

– I you are on the phone throughout the day and tend to cradlethe phone between your ear and neck, use a hands- ree headsetor the phone’s speaker. At the very least, put a shoulder rest onthe receiver.

Dr. Hinke also advises requent breaks. “Stop periodically throughoutyour day. Get up, stretch and take a little walk around the ofce,” shesays. “It’s a strain on your musculoskeletal system, as well as your car-diovascular system, to sit at a desk or hours on end without movingand stretching.”

If your work-related discomfort is not responding to youradjustments, get an evaluation at the Physical Medicineand Rehabilitation faculty practice, 212.844.1294.

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I s r a e l M e d i c a l C e n t e r A v e n u e a t 1 6 t h S t r e e t Y o r k , N Y 1 0 0 0 3

. B e t h I s r a e l N Y . o r g

N o n p r o f t O r g . U . S . P o s t a g e

P A I D P e r m i t # 3 1 0 9 N e w Y o r k , N Y

5 Foods That May Shield You From Cancerhere’s no magic wand you can wave that guarantees you willnot get cancer. But the Continuum Cancer Centers o New

York does say that these ve ood groups have been shown to providesome protection. Since these are good or you anyway, there is noharm in adding to your meals a little extra:

1. LEGUMES. Not only do delicious lentils, black beans, peas and

soybeans o er you plenty o healthy ber (which in and o itsel has been shown to prevent some cancers like colorectal cancer),but they also deliver saponins, protease inhibitors and phytic acid,

which remove toxins and protect cells.

2. BERRIES. Tese delicious snacks are terri c sources o Vitamin Cand anti-cancer agents called phytochemicals. Strawberries andraspberries also contain ellagic acid, an antioxidant that helps thebody destroy cancer agents and slows reproduction o cancer cells.

3. CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES.Broccoli, cabbage, cauli ower, chardand kale may help regulate a complex system o body enzymes thatde ends against cancer.

4. RED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. omatoes, pink grape ruit and watermelon—they all have lycopene to thank or their rosy glow. And lycopene protects cells rom ree radicals.

5. WHOLE GRAINS. Whole grains deliver antioxidants and a naturalprevention against blood sugar spikes.

A ew other hints to get the most nutritional advantages o these o– Fill two-thirds o your dinner plate with plant oods.– Eat plants in their natural state, not in supplements.– Eat them as unprocessed as possible—boiled brown rice is

than brown rice chips.– Buy them rozen (unsweetened, unsalted) when the ruit or

vegetable is out o season.

T

i d e : S t r a t e g i e s f o r o n - t h e - j o b a n d a r o u n d - t h e - h o m e h e a l t h a n d w e l l n e s s .

Visit the Continuum Cancer Centers’ new website,www.CancerTeam.com/cancer-prevention, for more the latest thinking on cancer prevention.

healthy neighbors newsletter spring 2012

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