March Special Section
2 | March 2021 | NorthFulton.com
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
Types of Licensing for Assisted Living Communities in Georgia Brought to you by — Oaks at Suwanee Creek In 2012, Senate Bill 178 passed into law creating an additional level of licensure for Personal Care Homes in Georgia. The spirit of this legislation was to give seniors a choice on where they wished to live, and to equip Personal Care Homes with a license that would allow seniors to age in place, eliminating the need to move to a nursing home or skilled nursing facility. Requirements In order for a Personal Care Home to achieve the “Assisted Living” license, they must comply with several requirements from an operations and life safety standpoint such as increased staff training, employment of Certified Medication Aides, and increased life safety standards including sprinklers installed in all areas. Emergency Compliance Under Personal Care Home Regulations, residents must be able to ambulate independently and evacuate with minimal assistance in case of an emergency. This is referred to as “self-preservation.” Under Assisted Living Regulations, residents may live in the community as long as the staff is able to demonstrate
that all residents can be evacuated to a point of safety within 12 minutes, regardless of the ambulatory status of the senior. How does this additional licensure benefit you? You can feel more secure knowing that the physical location and life safety elements of the licensed Assisted Living Community creates a much safer environment in the event of an emergency. You are assured that the delivery of medications are of the highest standards due to having Certified Medication Aides, compared to communities without this license where anyone of any training level can deliver and manage medications. You have the greatest possibility of never having to move again, allowing you to spend the rest of your life with all of your friends in an environment that you love. Oaks at Suwanee Creek is currently offering specials and scheduling tours, so please reach out today for more information by calling 470-235-5300 or emailing benita.watts@oaksseniorliving.com. Make sure to like and follow their Facebook page as well!
Committed to Serving with Faith, Knowledge, Compassion and Love Newly installed GPS air purification systems with technology that attacks and kills pathogens such as viruses, mold spores and bacteria, in addition to reducing particles that bother those with allergies and neutralizes odors. Vaccine clinics being held on March 19, April 9 and April 30
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
Recuperative In-Home Care Can be the Key to a Healthier Future You’ve had a planned procedure or were faced with emergency surgery. The next critical step is a successful recovery, and to understand that people heal more slowly and can have more complications with age. It’s important to take stock of the care you’ll need when you get home, whether it’s directly from the hospital or from a rehabilitation center. At Home Helpers of North Atlanta, we understand the difference a proactive level of Care Management can make for a faster and more successful recovery. The transition home can be very challenging as your mobility, health and emotional needs have changed. With current COVID concerns, your support network must also be safe and appropriately use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Juggling physical or occupational therapy visits, managing nutritional needs and therapy homework can be overwhelming. Home visits from Physical or Occupational Therapists typically happen one to three times a week. We know the hardest part for you or an older loved one can be carrying out therapy homework instructions daily and exercising faithfully, but this can determine your mobility and best quality of life going forward. Here are some things to consider on your recovery journey. Your doctor will do a medical assessment to determine your in-home care needs, and what level of assistance you’ll need with the activities of daily living (ADL’s). With in-home care, you may be discharged directly home. If you enter a rehabilitation facility, that assessment will happen when you’re ready to be dis-
charged. In either case, work with your in-home care agency to determine a plan of care in advance. There are five areas of integrated wellness for a holistic approach we believe must be considered for the best level of recuperation. The safety of your current situation, whether hydration and nutrition needs are being met, what level of daily physical and therapeutic activity should be followed, your mental health, and levels of social and emotional support. The question we constantly seek to answer is where are you today, and what can we do to move your recuperation forward? Your skilled Home Helpers caregiver can take notes at therapist visits, help you follow a therapy homework schedule, remember any restrictions you should follow, help around the house, assist with personal care, infection control and medication reminders. They can provide specialized support for stroke recuperation, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc. Change is constant as you recover, and it’s important to adapt quickly to your situation. It’s not enough to set up a care plan and make a wonderful match of heart centered caregiver to client. It takes proactive attention to detail by a team with depth and skill. At Home Helpers we have added Care Managers who form a critical communication and coordination link with you and your family as needs arise. We’re here to help – from six hours a day to 24/7 and live-in care. For a free consultation please call Home Helpers of North Atlanta at (678) 430-8511.
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4 | March 2021 | NorthFulton.com
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
Genetic Editing (Part I) Brought to you by: Michelle Wilson, Wilson Legal, PC This past weekend on February 19, 2021, the Wallstreet Journal published and written by Walter Isaacson about gene editing. Part MICHELLE of my job is helping WILSON parents’ wishes come true for their children including children with special needs. The article talks about one such child with sickle cell disease who believed that his compassion and patience came from the trial of growing up with the disease. Scientists have cured one woman with sickle cell disease using this genetic editing method to change her DNA removing the gene that causes the disease. The boy was asked years later (now that he ready for kids of his own) whether he would want to avoid passing the gene for sickle cell disease to his children. He said that he would. I have parents whose children are affected by a genetic condition from birth. Would they have wanted to be able to give their children a life without disability
if they could? Some have said yes. Let us know what you think. Email us at: info@wilson-legal.com. Here at Wilson Legal we stay up to date on the current break through news that impacts our families. Our families continue to receive value long after they first see us because we continue to care and continue to research and apply what we learn to our solutions. If you want the best solution for your family, don’t you want a law firm like that?
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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
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6 | March 2021 | NorthFulton.com
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
Want legs that stand up to summer activities and look good while doing so? Brought to you by: Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta Many times, cosmetically bothersome spider veins are the tip of the iceberg. Between 33 and 50% of the time, patients with spider veins have underlying varicose veins or venous insufficiency. If someone has varicose veins, leg discomfort, leg swelling or other signs of deeper vein disease, then medical treatments are often useful to ensure that cosmetic treatments are successful. If underlying vein disease is present, medically significant venous disease can be a driver of cosmetic spider vein development. Treating underlying varicose vein disease can help make cosmetic spider vein treatments more durable and successful. If you are sure that you only have spider veins (little purple or red netted cluster of tiny veins) and have no signs of any underlying vascular issues (tired, achy legs, swelling of the ankles, discoloration of the skin at the feet or ankles, restless leg syndrome, blue bulging veins etc.) then you can treat the spider veins with sclerotherapy or laser treatments – sometimes a combination of both. Sclerotherapy is a method by which a vein expert injects a medical solution into a vein. The solution irritates the interior of the vein, which undergoes closure and becomes invisible as blood no longer can fill or pass through the vein. Lasers, such as the 1064nm Nd:Yag used in our practice are very effective at eliminating the spider veins that are too small to be injected with sclerotherapy. How many treatments are needed and how long do you wait between treatments? With each of the treatments listed above, a reasonable goal is that 75% of the veins treated will resolve with each treatment. Therefore, more than one treatment or type of treatment may be needed. Patients should wait roughly 6 to 8 weeks between treatments. The tiniest spider veins can sometimes resolve in as little as 3-4 weeks but many require 6 weeks for resolution, and larger reticular and varicose veins can take several months to resolve. The larger the vein, the longer the resolution takes. If you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms of vein disease, then your path to a cure is quite different. The first step is to visit a physician and discuss you vein disease. This is critical, as insurance companies require proof/ documentation of a vein complaint along with several specific questions answered about how your vein issues are affecting your quality of life. This first documentation of a vein complaint is Day 1. In order to get your vein treatments covered by insurance, most insurance
companies mandate that a patient try “conservative therapy” for 90 days before any medical vein procedure will be covered. Conservative therapy consists of over the counter pain medication, leg elevation, exercise and medical grade compression stockings. If it seems likely that vein disease is causing the patient’s symptoms, an ultrasound will be ordered. The ultrasound provides a map of the venous system and a diagram of which vein or veins are diseased and would benefit from treatment. Medical records and ultrasound report are sent to an insurance carrier for review and prior authorization is requested. (Prior authorization is not a guarantee of coverage, and if you know a politician, please ask them to fix that!) Often, a patient’s varicose veins can connect with one another. That means that treating one cluster of varicose veins can sometimes result in multiple adjacent varicose veins also going away. It is often in the patient’s best interest to space out treatments to minimize the number of treatments needed to achieve a cure. So, as you can see, a patient who has never tried “conservative therapy” and who has multiple varicose veins needing treatment may require 5 months or more to complete treatment given 1) a 90 day conservative therapy waiting period, 2) a prior authorization review, and 3) a month or two of spaced treatments. Cosmetic treatments would then typically follow medical treatments if desired. This can all be greatly accelerated if a patient has already completed conservative therapy before their first consultation with their physician or if the patient is not going through insurance for treatment. A final useful tip is that the spring and summer are still a great time for a first meeting with a vein specialist. Given the potentially lengthy timeline outlined above, a spring or summer appointment can help ensure that treatments are completed in the same calendar year. This helps eliminate the danger of having to reach a deductible more than once. If you or a loved one has venous disease or spider veins, know that advanced, minimally invasive, safe and highly effective treatments are available. Seek out a vein specialist who is a member of the American College of Phlebology (ACP) and who has taken and passed the board exam of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine (ABVLM). Dr. Brent Taylor is a committed and caring vein specialist. Consider calling Dr. Taylor at Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta today.
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
Make Your Smile Beautiful with Veneers By Dr. David Remaley Your smile speaks volumes about you. A wide, full smile usually tells others that you are open and friendly. A pursed, straight-line smile typically indicates that you are shy and closed off. Healthy, clean teeth are the mark of someone put together and organized. Have you stopped and taken a second to consider what your smile is saying about you? If it’s not very positive, chances are that your teeth are to blame.
Common Causes of Unsightly Teeth • • • • •
Discolorations Stains Chips Gaps Crookedness
DISCOLORATIONS/STAINS Your morning coffee and that glass of wine at dinner, while making you extremely happy, are staining your teeth. Discolored teeth can age you and make you appear unattractive. It is important to maintain a regular cleaning routine to keep your pearly whites, well, white. CHIPS/BROKEN TEETH Only pro hockey players can pull off chipped or broken teeth, and that’s because they have the amazing story to explain it away. For the everyday person, chipped and broken teeth create an unbalanced smile. Tooth decay can cause your teeth to become weak and break easily. So, even if your tooth loss is due to an accident, people may take it as a sign that you don’t have the best oral hygiene. Talk about embarrassing.
GAPPED/CROOKED TEETH Gapped and crooked teeth throw off the uniformity of a smile. In regards to beauty, balance and symmetry are very important for creating an appearance that is attractive to the eye. Gaps and crookedness that create an asymmetrical look can affect how appealing your smile is.
When Brushing Just Isn’t Cutting It
Thank You for Voting US Best Dentist in North Atlanta for 6 Years!
Dr. David Remaley
2015
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
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•
BEFORE
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If your teeth could use a little improvement to give you a gorgeous smile, see how porcelain veneers can help you. Set up your consultation with Dr. David Remaley to discuss your options today! Call 470-375-9244 to schedule your appointment today.
Presented By
2017
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
WINNER 2018
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
WINNER 2019
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
WINNER 2020
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
Our services include:
• • •
AFTER
2016
Best Of North Atlanta
WINNER
Dedicated to providing exceptional dentistry and creating beautiful, healthy smiles for over 30 years.
•
BEFORE
Dr. Destinee Hood
WINNER
It can’t be stressed enough that a daily, thorough oral regimen will help by leaps and bounds in providing you with an attractive smile. Healthy teeth are the most important part of a smile. But even if your teeth are healthy, they may not be aesthetically pleasing. Sometimes it’s impossible to fight discoloration and the fact that you are sporting a huge front gap. Brushing certainly isn’t going to bring back a chipped tooth, and it can be embarrassing living with unattractive teeth. Luckily, you don’t have to. You can reclaim your beautiful smile with the help of porcelain veneers. Porcelain Veneers Porcelain veneers are thin, shell-like sheets that cover the outside of damaged teeth. They require little alteration of the existing tooth structure and become very strong once bonded. Veneers can last over 15 years with good detail care. BENEFITS OF PORCELAIN VENEERS • Make teeth appear whiter • Obscure crooked and gapped teeth • Are customized to match existing tooth color and shape • Are non-porous and resistant to staining • Have minimal pain associated with the application procedure
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Crowns and Bridges in a few days • Custom Baked Cookies Daily Porcelain Veneers • FREE Nitrous Oxide and Oral Conscious Sedation Tooth Colored Composite Fillings • Facial Aesthetic Enhancements Teeth Whitening- no sensitivity including BOTOX and Dermal Fillers Oral Cancer Screenings on all patients Teeth Cleanings, Digital X-Rays and Comprehensive Oral Exams on all new patients Cosmetic Smile Makeovers and Full Mouth Digital X-Rays Reconstruction (Complimentary Consultation) $100 Value Occlusal Guards and Bite Adjustments New patients only. Snore Guards and Sleep Apnea Analysis Digital X-Rays (90% less radiation) and Intra-Oral Photos Digitally Scanned Dental ImpressionsNo more gooey impressions! Electronic Records Accept and File all Major Insurances Implants Root Canals Extractions Same day appointments available! Spa-like Relaxing Atmosphere
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Excellence in Dentistry
470.288.1152 • roswelldentalcare.com 1570 Old Alabama Rd • Ste 102 • Roswell, GA 30076
8 | March 2021 | NorthFulton.com
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
Specialist in Integrative Oncology Cancer Treatments Including: IV Vitamin C Fractionated Chemotherapy Nutrition Supplementation
Jonathan Stegall, MD 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
WINNER 2016
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
WINNER
WINNER
2016 Of Best Of Best North North Atlanta Atlanta Presented By
Presented By
Holistic/ Alternative Medicine
Nutritionist
Oncology
3333 Old Milton Pkwy. Suite 560 • Alpharetta, GA 30022 (770) 551-2730 www. drstegall.com
Can stress cause cancer? Brought to you by Jonathan Stegall, MD Did you know that negative emotions such as stress increase cancer risk substantially? A study published several years ago found that STEGALL women who experienced a significant, negative life event had an increased risk of developing breast cancer. The breast cancer risk was even greater in women who experienced a severely striking life event. Other studies have shown similar findings regarding stress and cancer risk. We know that stress sets off a cascade of events inside the body involving various hormones and neurotransmitters which affect the health of the body’s cells. Our current understanding is that significant stress, especially over the long term, causes significant damage and dysfunction in the body which can result in cancer. It turns out that the mind isn’t a separate entity from the body, but rather, in close communication with the body at all times, with tremendous power over how the body
Three reasons to take CBD today Brought to you by – The Hemp Farm Store
functions! The good news is that there are many strategies we can adopt in order to reduce our stress and anxiety. I highly recommend a regular daily practice of prayer and meditation. Exercise, being outside in nature, breathing techniques, and engaging in healthy relationships with others are also proven stress-lowering strategies.
The most well-known cannabinoids are THC and CBD. CBD has become increasing popular for in’s non-psychoactive health benefits that do not produce the “high” experienced with THC. You have heard about CBD, but why do people take it? Remember Sleep? As more innovative products hit the market, CBD and other minor cannabinoids like CBN are formulated with lavender, chamomile, and other sleep-inducing remedies. CBD works with your endocannabinoid system to regulate your circadian rhythm helping you get more consistent and restful sleep. Life is Stressful. Pandemic, work, kids, bills, oh my! Who isn’t faced with a daily stress battle? Whether via the endocannabinoid system or modulating serotonin’s pathway, CBD can help alleviate effects of daily and chronic stress. CBD also encourages neural regeneration, specifically in the hippocampus, which also provides reduction in stress and its damaging properties. Inflammation. Numerous disease states have a basis of inflammation. Whether you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, or eczema CBD’s ability to regulate your endocannabinoid system can offer health benefits. Only take products that third-party tested for purity and quality. Each body is unique and at The Hemp Farm Store we pride ourselves with a broad range of products to suite individual wellness.
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
2018
Feel good about your teeth. We provide full-service general and cosmetic dentistry for our valued patients and measure our success in our ability to always exceed your expectations.
• One-Day Crowns • • Implant Therapy
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
2020
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
Honored as Honored as Honored as 1st Runner Up 1st Runner Up Winner Best Dentist Best Dentist Best Dentist 2018 2020 2019
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• General and Cosmetic Dentistry
770 569-0613
www.northfultonsmiles.com northfultonsmiles@gmail.com 12315 Crabapple Road, Suite 121 Alpharetta, Georgia 30004
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10 | March 2021 | NorthFulton.com
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
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