Health Matters

Column by Carolyn Sluiter, RCP, CFm, President 

October Brings Flu Shots and Breast Cancer Awareness

As in recent years, Freeport Home Medical Equipment (FHME) is partnering with the Stephenson County Health Department to offer flu shots to the public. On Wednesday, October 12^th, the Health Department will be administering flu shots at our retail store in downtown Freeport from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary and anyone over the age of six months is eligible for the shot. The cost is $25, but there is no out-of-pocket expense for people with proof of the following insurances: Medicare Part B, Humana, Unicare, or Northern Illinois Health Plan. Medicaid card holders age 18 and under also have no out-of-pocket expense.

Since its inception more than a quarter century ago, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of breast cancer issues. Today NBCAM recognizes that although many great strides have been made in breast cancer awareness and treatment, there remains much to be accomplished. They continue to be dedicated to education and empowering women to take charge of their own breast health by practicing regular self-breast exams to identify any changes, scheduling regular visits and annual mammograms with their healthcare provider, adhering to prescribed treatment, and knowing the facts about recurrence.

In October, we will be hosting several educational activities for breast cancer survivors, as well as, for women who want to stay current and knowledgeable about breast cancer prevention. A list of these events follows:

• Hope Blooms, a handmade quilt designed for a recent Relay For Life fundraiser, will be on display at Freeport Home Medical Equipment during the month of October. Mary Freidag, collector and owner of this quilt, shares the story behind this work of art.
• Handling Financial and Insurance Concerns, the second in a series of free Journey Beyond Cancer seminars for survivors and their loved ones will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. We are a sponsor along with the American Cancer Society, FHN Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center, and Well Woman of Northwest Illinois. The event will be held at FHN Family Healthcare Center – Burchard Hills, 1010 West Fairway Drive in Freeport. Ce S. Faulkner, Healthcare Benefits Consultant, Beth McWhirter, FHN Medical Social Worker, and I will discuss strategies to help handle financial issues and tackle insurance challenges specific to cancer treatment.
• Meet Linda LeMaire, American Breast Care (ABC) Specialist, on October 18, from 1-5 p.m. and October 19, from 10 – 2 p.m. at the Open Houses in our Mastectomy Boutique at Freeport Home Medical Equipment. Judy Nettles, CMF, BOC, and I will also be available to evaluate the fit of your bra and breast form. There is no charge, but appointments are requested (call 815-297-0504.) Linda will provide details about ABC’s Face Of Inspiration, a national contest open to all breast cancer survivors. Amoena’s new PurFit adjustable enhancer, designed for women to wear during their reconstruction process, will also be introduced.
• Coping With Fear of Recurrence and Check-Up Anxiety, the final free seminar in the Journey Beyond Cancer series will be held on October 20 at 7 p.m. Carolyn Perry, Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the American Cancer Society, and Mia McDermott, RN, BSN, OCN, staff nurse at the FHN Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center, will discuss the concerns faced by cancer patients and offer ways for patients and their families to address and conquer their fears and challenges.
• Friday, October 21^st is National Mammography Day. On this day or throughout the month, women are encouraged to make a mammography appointment. The aim of the NBCAM has always been to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

For more information about these activities, call Freeport Home Medical Equipment at 815-297-0504 or visit www.freeporthomemedical.com. Located at 307 West Main Street in downtown Freeport, the showroom is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and by appointment.

http://www.stephensonseniorcenter.org/seniornews.html

News from the Homefront

by Carolyn Sluiter President of Freeport Home Medical Equipment

Every Body Matters To Rehab Professionals

Rehabilitation is a medical specialty which helps restore people affected by potentially disabling disease or traumatic injury to good health and functional, productive lives. It also helps minimize physical or cognitive disabilities. Rehabilitation often centers on an interdisciplinary team approach to care by pshysiatrists (physicians specializing in rehabilitation); physical, occupational, respiratory, and recreational therapists; speech and language pathologists; rehabilitation nurses, psychologists, vocational counselors, and other professionals who work with patients to restore the greatest level of function or independence. The rehab team helps individuals overcome obstacles and accomplish normal tasks of daily living.

These, then, are the professionals we salute in September, particularly during the third week, by way of the National Rehabilitation Awareness Celebration, sponsored by their Foundation. Its mission is to educate people about the benefits and impact of rehabilitation, develop programs which aim to increase opportunities for the some 50 million Americans with disabilities, and help those who are disabled live up to their fullest potential through rehabilitation. The Foundation always sets a theme for their event and this year’s is Rehab- every body matters.

People recommended for rehabilitation treatment include all ages, all socioeconomic strata, all races, and all ethnic groups. The following are some patients that may benefit from physical rehabilitation: spinal cord injury victims, professional and occasional athletes, stroke and heart attack victims, employees with work-related injuries including carpel tunnel syndrome, arthritis and osteoporosis patients, auto and agriculture accident victims, adults with a broken hip or shoulder, and patients recovering from surgery – especially knee surgery, and cancer survivors.

Why is rehabilitation important? Rehabilitation professionals take a moderately to severely impaired patient and through specific therapies return the individual to the highest level of function and independence. Many individuals return to lives that are essentially unchanged from before the injury or disorder. Some patients, although they never return to pre-injury or pre-disease/disorder status, are able to live independently, hold down responsible jobs, and have an excellent quality of life. The cost of rehabilitation is small compared to the costs of lifelong care.

How does the rehabilitation process work? Methods differ widely with the specific injury or disorder. Rehabilitation may require prescription medications and/or specially prescribed mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, leg braces, or canes. Bathroom assist items including a bath transfer bench, shower chair, elevated toilet seat, and toilet safety rails are other items frequently recommended by health care professionals to aid in a patient’s recuperation. Bed safety rails and lift chairs can provide independence for those who cannot easily move themselves from a seated position to a standing one and are helpful tools during and after rehabilitation. A reacher to grab objects from high or low places, a sock aid to help in putting socks on, and a long-handled shoehorn can also be useful. Button fasteners, zipper pulls, flatware grips, and elastic exercise bands are other aids to daily living items often used during rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation may also require techniques including massage, heat or cold therapy, biofeedback, electrotherapy, traction, and rehabilitation exercises. In addition to physical rehab, mental rehabilitation may be required for spinal cord injury, head trauma, and stroke patients. Psychological, neurological, social, and behavioral therapy may also be added to the regimen of rehabilitation. I hope that you will join me in supporting the ideals of the National Rehabilitation Awareness Celebration and increase our community’s commitment to expand opportunities for people with disabilities. Let’s help ensure that people have access to quality rehabilitation services which can enable them to overcome injury or illness and recognize the efforts of rehabilitation professionals whose expertise and encouragement have given people the ability and courage to make their own dreams come true.

Click here for a printable version

Mark your calendar to join the Cancer Survivor Educational Outreach Coalition in a series of three free seminars on topics of interest or concern to cancer survivors. All seminars will be held at the FHN Family Healthcare Center – Burchard Hills, 1010 W. Fairway Drive in Freeport. (Map Below)  Refreshments will be provided.

Fighting Cancer with Beans, Broccoli and Chocolate Too!
22 September 2011
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Donna Weihofen, RD, MS, Senior Nutritionist, University of Wisconsin Hospital and University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center

Donna will offer up-to-date, reliable nutrition information of special interest to cancer
survivors. She will provide a bounty of tips, guidance, practical suggestions and even recipes that can help increase the ability to fight cancer, help decrease cancer risks and optimize the nutritional well-being of the whole family.

Panel Discussion: Handling Financial Aid and Insurance Concerns
6 October 2011
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Carolyn Sluiter, RCP, CFm, President of Freeport Home Medical Equipment
Ce S. Faulkner, Healthcare Benefits Consultant
Beth McWhirter, FHN Medical Social Worker

Learn strategies to help handle financial concerns and tackle insurance challenges specific to cancer treatment.

Coping with Fear of Recurrence and Check-Up Anxiety
20 October 2011
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Carolyn Perry, Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the American Cancer Society, Illinois Division
Mia McDermott, RN, BSN, OCN, staff nurse at the FHN Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center

As the Director of Social Services for Patient Navigation Services, Carolyn is responsible for
the oversight of professional navigators placed full-time at area hospitals and has substantial insight into the concerns faced by cancer patients. Mia works daily with cancer patients and their families and brings a clinical perspective to the fears and challenges they must work together to address and conquer.

To register for any or all of the sessions in this FREE SERIES, call 1-800-892-9296 or 1-815-229-1287 any time and press 3 for immediate attention or email nicole.killion@cancer.org. Please provide name, address, phone and email, and indicate if you are a cancer survivor yourself or you will be attending as a friend or family member of a survivor.

Sponsored by the Cancer Survivor Educational Outreach Coalition

http://www.stephensonseniorcenter.org/seniornews.html

News from the Homefront

by Carolyn Sluiter President of Freeport Home Medical Equipment

Are Healthy People Happier or Are Happy People Healthier?

It’s been generally recognized for a long time that happiness and health are associated, but the question of the relationship of causality (cause and effect) has been the big issue. According to Ed Diener, the Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois, there is evidence happiness helps a person remain healthier and live longer.

He says, “When researchers follow people over time, sometimes starting in young childhood, the happiness at the beginning – long before any illness or infirmities have set in – predicts longevity and health many decades later. He also cites experiments with animals to help to pin down causality. In conditions where animals are likely to be unhappy – crowded and without any control – animals are less healthy than when they are given more room and have a bit of control over their daily routine. Another source of evidence comes from stressful natural disasters, such as earthquakes. The death rate goes up immediately following such events.

“Finally,” Diener explains, “we have evidence that people put into a good mood have certain health physiological patterns, such as returning to baseline more quickly after a stressor. Therefore, all the evidence taken together indicates that happiness can increase the likelihood of a longer and healthier life. No guarantees, but not smoking, getting exercise, eating right, and avoiding obesity, are all very good ideas.”

For older adults, their measure of happiness and perceived quality of life is often linked to their degree of living as independently as possible, in relative comfort in their own home. In recent industry surveys, the vast majority of seniors polled, typically 90%, say that’s where they’d prefer to be. However, without a plan, it can be hard to stay in control of one’s life. Yet, knowing available options can make a big difference in one’s ability to stay in a familiar place.

Improved technology has created many positive changes in durable medical equipment. Even five years ago, CPAP respiratory devices, used in treating obstructive sleep apnea (periodic episodes of breathing cessation during sleep), were cumbersome at best. Today, masks are smaller, more flexible, and available in a variety of sizes and styles for a better and more comfortable fit for both women and men.

Home delivery of oxygen has also changed for the better. Units are smaller, lighter, and portable. There are even small units available to carry over the shoulder while traveling or a larger version that pulls-along like luggage. The transport wheel chair is another example of improved equipment technology as it is much lighter in weight and folds compactly. Portable bathroom safety equipment is another area of improvement. The portable, battery-powered Sonaris® Bathmaster™ allows individuals with mobility issues to take a tub bath independently.

The installation of a stair glide to the basement or second level is often a practical remedy to help those with difficulty maneuvering steps. It’s also a considerably less expensive solution than remodeling a home to make a first-floor laundry or relocate a sewing room or workshop.

I recently learned about a group called Action for Happiness, a movement of people committed to building a happier (and presumably, healthier) society. They want to see a fundamentally different way of life where people care less about what they can get for themselves and more about the happiness of others. Members of the movement make a simple pledge to try to create more happiness in the world around them through the way they approach their lives – at home, at work, or in the community.

The Action for Happiness pledge is, “I will try to create more happiness and less unhappiness in the world around me.” The pledge may be taken online at www.actionforhappiness.org. Now is a good time to do this, as August is designated as Happiness Happens Month by the Secret Society of Happy People. Their motto is, “If you’re happy and you know it….tell somebody! If someone else is happy and they know it….listen!”

From The Health and Wellness Section of The Freeport Shopping News

From The Health and Wellness Section of The Freeport Shopping News