Stay Mentally Active

Mental decline as you age appears to be largely due to altered connections among brain cells. But research has found that keeping the brain active seems to increase its vitality and may build its reserves of brain cells and connections. You could even generate new brain cells.

Low levels of education have been found to be related to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s later in life. This may be due to a lower level of life-long mental stimulation. Put another way, higher levels of education appear to be somewhat protective against Alzheimer’s, possibly because brain cells and their connections are stronger. Well-educated individuals can still get Alzheimer’s, but symptoms may appear later because of this protective effect.

You don’t have to turn your life upside down, or make extreme changes to achieve many of these benefits. Start with something small, like a daily walk. After a while, add another small change.

Keep your brain active every day:

• Stay curious and involved — commit to lifelong learning
• Read, write, work crossword or other puzzles
• Attend lectures and plays
• Enroll in courses at your local adult education center, community college or other community group
• Play games
• Garden
• Try memory exercises

~Source: Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org)

Loss of Intimacy

One of the joys of life rises out of relationships we develop with others.  Most of us seek a partner with whom we can share, set and achieve goals, and create a family together.

Life creates challenges to these relationships through job, family membership, community involvement and illness.  One of the most serious of which is the loss of intimacy due to a chronic illness or aging.

Our sexuality develops over time and is shaped by our vision and the culture around us.  Maturity impacts sexuality, intimacy and sexual behavior or expression.  Intimacy is the bond we have with someone we love on a much deeper lever.  Mutual respect and love are an integral part of intimacy.  Intimacy is dynamic!  It exists between people based on the depth of a relationship. 

Sexual expression includes/but is not limited to socialization, communication on a deeper level, friendship, boundaries in relationships, body awareness, human connectedness, genital interactions, assertiveness, self image, self-care, decision- making and a personal code of ethics.  This is defined often by our age of development.

Diagnosis such as diabetes, arthritis, pain, cancer, cognitive impairment, bladder changes, heart disease-- along with medication side effects and hormone changes can impact intimacy.  Negative stereotypes about sex and aging, sensory losses, and discrepancies between the expectations of partners in a relationship (i.e. spouses or partners) threaten intimacy and sexual expression.

 Loss of intimacy can include lack of privacy, decrease in stamina, depression, fear, stress or anxiety, apathy, communication changes, and a shift in the way we express intimacy.    If a spouse is caring for a partner, the whole relationship can change from a peer relationship to a caregiver/care receiver relationship where they are not necessarily equal any longer.  Adding the dimension of memory loss shifts the peer relationship when the care receiver may not recognize a spouse or may have disease related behaviors that affect a loss of intimacy. 

Changes in roles, physical or cognitive function, anger, recognition of a partner, fatigue, loss of peer relationship, depression, and most significantly, loss of dreams dramatically change intimacy.  Caregivers report that few medical professionals/ social workers address these issues and rarely talk about them at an appointment.  Discussing feelings and sexuality openly (like we discuss changes in blood pressure, eating habits, and mobility) reassures caregivers that professionals recognize this aspect of caregiving.  Loss of intimacy causes as much grief as the caregiving tasks may.  A caregiver’s role requires they think and do for their loved one leaving little time and energy for nurturing the intimate part of their relationship.  Professionals would serve their clients well to learn to address this aspect in a sensitive and open manner.

Here are some tips for caregivers:

·        Talk with a trusted friend, physician or counselor about the changes in your relationship how you feel about that

·        Find new ways to spend time together (cuddling, walking, holding hands)

·        Use touch as an intimate form of communication (massage, dancing, hugging, lotion rubs, etc).  Touch can express compassion

·        Learn new ways to physically express intimacy in your relationship (touch, cuddling, physical closeness)

·        Cognitively and physical changes may require that you offer your loved one something to cuddle (a body pillow or stuffed animal)

·        Remember daily what you once had with your partner

·        Find creative outlets that promote your self-esteem, purpose and value in the world

·        Create healthy and safe way to build understanding and express your sexuality

·        Maintain your social activities and relationships

Here are some tips for professionals working in the health care field:

·        Recognize intimacy/changes in partner relationships as an integral part of individual identity regardless of diagnosis

·        Seek the personal information and plan ways for the patient to self-express intimacy alone or with a partner in a health facility

·        Educate staff

·        Provide safe and private places for partners to be intimate  (use the PLISSIT model)

Our sexuality and how we express it on an intimate level are intertwined.  As we age we may need assistance from our caregivers in the expression of who we are.  Using these approaches will help all of us remain a fully functioning human being.

Contributed by Nancy Abrahamson, Caregiver Support Coordinator, ADRC of St Croix County.

Smoking: Do You Really Know the Risks?

 

You probably know about  the relationship between smoking and lung cancer, but did you know smoking is also linked to heart disease, stroke and other chronic lung diseases?  Smoking can also increase your risk for cancer of the bladder, throat and mouth, kidneys, cervix and pancreas.  Thinking about quitting? Look at the facts!

Why you should quit?

• Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the United States. 
• Smoking causes more than one in five deaths in America. 
• 90 percent of lung cancer in men is directly related to smoking and 80 percent of lung cancer in women is caused by cigarettes.  
• About 23 percent of adult men and about 18 percent of adult women smoke.
• The highest percentage of people who smoke are between the ages of 25 and 44.
• According to the American Heart Association, most adult smokers started smoking when they were preteens or teenagers. Unfortunately, many young people don’t fully understand the dangers of smoking.
• About 60 percent of American children ages 4-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.
• On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. 
• Since 1965, more than 45 percent of adults who have ever smoked have quit.
• You can be one of the millions of people who successfully quit every year.

What makes cigarettes so toxic and dangerous?

There are 4,000 chemical components found in cigarettes and at least 250 of them are harmful to human health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here are a few examples:

• 1,3-Butadine is a chemical used to manufacture rubber.  According to the CDC, “it may increase risk of cancer in the stomach, blood and lymphatic system.”
• Acrolein is a gas linked to lung cancer. It inhibits DNA repair and can destroy the lining in the lungs that protects you from lung disease.
• Arsenic is used to preserve wood.  In humans, it can cause heart disease and cancer.
• Benzene is used to manufacture other chemicals. It can cause cancer, particularly leukemia, in humans.
• Cadmium is a metal used to make batteries.  Cadmium can interfere with the repair of damaged DNA, as well as damage the kidneys and the lining of the arteries.
• Chromium VI is used to make alloy metals, paint and dyes.  It has been proven to be linked to lung cancer.
• Formaldehyde is a chemical used to kill bacteria and preserve human and animal remains.  It’s a known cause of cancer, one of the main substances linked to chronic lung disease and a very toxic ingredient in secondhand smoke.
• Polonium-210 is a radioactive element inhaled directly into the airway.  Some studies show that people who smoke a pack-and-a-half of cigarettes a day are receiving the same radiation they’d get from 300-plus X-rays per year!
• Tar is solid, inhaled chemicals linked with an increased risk for cancer.  It also leaves a sticky, brown residue on your lungs, teeth and fingernails.

Carbon monoxide & nicotine: A dangerous duo
Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas you inhale when you smoke.  Once in your lungs, it’s transferred to your bloodstream.  Carbon monoxide decreases the amount of oxygen that is carried in the red blood cells.  It also increases the amount of cholesterol that is deposited into the inner lining of the arteries which, over time, can cause the arteries to harden.  This leads to heart disease, artery disease and possibly heart attack.

Nicotine is a dangerous and highly addictive chemical. It can cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and a narrowing of the arteries (vessels that carry blood). Nicotine may also contribute to the hardening of the arterial walls, which in turn, may lead to a heart attack. This chemical can stay in your body for six to eight hours depending on how often you smoke.  Also, as with most addictive substances, there are some side effects of withdrawal.

Second-Hand Smoke
Smokers aren’t the only ones affected by tobacco smoke. Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard for nonsmokers, especially children. Cigarette smoke contains more than Nonsmokers who have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol have an even greater risk of developing heart diseases when they’re exposed to secondhand smoke.

Environmental tobacco smoke causes about 46,000 heart disease deaths and 3,400 lung cancer deaths. Studies show that the risk of developing heart disease is about 25-30 percent higher among people exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at home or work. Secondhand smoke promotes illness, too. Children of smokers have many more respiratory infections than do children of nonsmokers. Nonsmoking women exposed to tobacco smoke are also more likely to have low-birthweight babies. Excerpted and adapted from "When Risk Factors Unite," appearing in the Stroke Connection Magazine January/February 2005 (Science update May 2008)

These are just a few of the dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes; there are many more.  But you do not have to spend the rest of your life giving in to your addiction! Thousands of people kick the habit every year, and you can be one of them.  It may not be easy, but you can do it!

~Source: American Heart Association

Holiday Eating Tips

10 Holiday Eating Tips

A healthy diet can be difficult to maintain at any time of year, but once the holiday season rolls around, the task becomes ten times harder.  Not surprisingly, the average holiday dinner contains more than 2,000 calories, according to the American Dietetic Association.  Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to feel good and stay healthy while enjoying the festivities.  Just follow these tips from the American Heart Association.

Don’t Go to Dinner Hungry- This is the biggest mistake you can make, thinking that by skipping breakfast or lunch, you can gorge yourself once you sit down for dinner.  It’s when we come to a meal hungry that we tend to overeat.  Instead, eat a light breakfast and satisfying lunch before sitting down to the holiday meal.

Check out Your Options- Take time to survey the dinner table or buffet and decide which foods you can’t live without.  Feel free to take healthy portions of the foods you choose, but don’t waste calories on items you can enjoy any day of the year, such as dinner rolls.

Drink responsibly- Don’t think of an alcoholic beverage as an accompaniment to the meal, instead, think of it as part of the meal.  Most drinks equal empty calories.  Once cup of alcoholic eggnog, for example, packs about 350 calories- more than the average slice of pumpkin pie.

Don’t Let Your Eyes Be Your Guide- Even though it’s the holidays, it’s important to eat reasonable portions.  For example, fill your plate with a four-ounce slice of skinless, light meat turkey, half a cup of veggies and half a cup of the starch of your choice.

Eat slowly- Holiday dinners are not a race.  Eat slowly, taking the time to savor your food and your company.  Most importantly, stop eating when your stomach tells you you’re full.

Avoid Seconds- If you’ve had one plate, you’ve had enough.  As difficult as it may be, try to restrain yourself from going back for seconds.  Chances are, the food will still be in the fridge tomorrow.

Clear the Table ASAP- Don’t let the temptation linger.  Clear the table as soon as you’re done eating, and move the family away from the kitchen.

Exercise after the Meal- This is a great time to get moving.  Physical activity is essential to maintaining a healthy diet, especially during the holidays.

Experiment with Substitutions- If you’re the honored cook of the big meal, try substituting high fat, high calorie ingredients with healthier options.  Replace sour cream with low fat plain yogurt, and try sprinkling hot veggies with fresh herbs instead of butter- your guests are sure to love it.

Maintain Perspective- Overeating at one meal won’t make or break your diet.  If you overindulge at a holiday meal, just try to put it behind you, and return to your usual eating plan the following day.

Stop Germs

Stopping the Spread of Germs

Get Vaccinated

The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season. The 2012-2013 flu vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1, and two other influenza viruses (an H3N2 virus and an influenza B virus).

Good Health Habits

Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, public buildings, etc. when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

• Cover Your Cough
  Stop the Spread of Germs that makes you and others sick.

Clean your hands.

Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.

• Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives
  Tips on hand washing and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers
• Wash Your Hands Often
  Brochures and posters from "An Ounce of Prevention" campaign
• Clean Hands Campaign
  Facts and survey results, educational materials from American Society for Microbiology’s “Clean Hands” campaign
• Consumer Advice: Clean: Handwashing
  Links to lots of educational materials, including those for parents, schoolchildren, and health care workers. From www.foodsafety.gov
• It's a SNAP Toolkit: Handwashing
  Handwashing materials. Part of It's A SNAP program aimed at preventing school absenteeism. From the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention, a collaborative project of the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Soap and Detergent Association

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. 

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.

Stop the Spread of Germs

Healthy habits can protect everyone from getting germs or spreading germs throughout the community.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

Dental Health Resources

Any adult or child that is uninsured, underinsured or is a participant of the Medical Assistance or BadgerCare Dental Program may contact these dental health resources. If you need to apply for Medical Assistance/BadgerCare benefits, please call Columbia County Health and Human Services at 608-742-9227.

St. Vincent de Paul Dental Clinic

Address:  1906 North Street Prairie du Sac, WI  53578

Phone: 608-644-0504 ext. 10 or 12

Hours of Operation: Monday through Thursday

Accepts Medical Assistance, Badgercare, uninsured and underinsured.  Federal Poverty Guidelines are used to determine eligibility.

Family Health Medical and Dental Center: La Clinica de los Campesinos

Address: 400 South Townline Road Wautoma, WI  54982

Phone: 920-787-5514

Hours of Operation: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8AM-5PM, Monday, Thursday 8AM-7PM

Accepts Medical Assistance, Badgercare, Insured, Low-Income (Uninsured)

Mauston Dental Clinic

Address: 880 Herriot Drive Mauston, WI 53948

Phone: 608-847-6700

Hours of Operation: Monday, Wednesday 8AM-7PM, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8AM-5PM

Accepts Medical Assistance, Badgercare, Insured, Low-Income (Uninsured)

Meriter Hospital: Max Pohle Dental Clinic Dental Residency Program

Address: 202 South Park Street Madison, WI 53715

Phone: 608-417-6500

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM After Hours Emergency Care Available

Accepts Uninsured, Underinsured, Medical Assistance children and adults

Marquette Dental School Clinic

Address: 1801 West Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53233

Phone: 414-288-6790

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM (4PM Summer)

All patients accepted including Medical Assistance and Title XIX, Low-income, Uninsured, 13

years and older for general clinic.  Pediatric clinic available.

Wisconsin Dental Association Mission of Mercy Program for 2012

Address:  Alliant Energy Center Madison, WI

Phone:  414-276-4520 (Wisconsin Dental Association in Milwaukee)

Dates:  June 29, 2012 and June 30, 2012 6:00 am to 5:00 pm

The Wisconsin Mission of Mercy program provides free dental care to the uninsured, the under-insured and any child or adult who has difficulty getting to a dentist. Care is given on a first-come, first-served basis on June 29^th and June 30^th 2012.  Appointments are not taken for this program.

• Note this is not a complete list. It was updated in the summer of 2011 and is a reflection of the information the Wisconsin Dental Association was able to gather from dentists.

Two Free Days of Dental Care!

WISCONSIN DENTAL ASSOCIATION

“MISSION OF MERCY” 2012

The Wisconsin Mission of Mercy Program provides FREE dental care to the uninsured, the under-insured and ANY CHILD OR ADULT who has difficulty getting to a dentist.

         

WHERE       

The Exhibition Hall at Alliant                                                       Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison

TIME             

Doors open 5:30 a.m. Patients seen                                       on first-come, first-served basis                                with approximately 1,750 patients                               treated each day. Our patient quota                          typically reached before noon, so come early!

WHEN          June 29, 2012 AND

                        June 30, 2012, 6:00 am—5:00 pm