Community Health April 2013

Page 1

APRIL 2013

THE MONEY ISSUE

SKY’S

THE LIMIT BREAK FREE FROM FINANCIAL WORRY WITH SOUND DECISIONS

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MID AMERICA

Story ideas, email: editor@cmghealth.net

Swansea therapist helps couples cope with job loss

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mid america

CONTENTS VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 4

MAKE

MORE CENTS

Like it or not, money runs our lives in many ways. And how we manage our finances affects our health. It might seem overwhelming at first. But you can make smarter, healthier money decisions for you and your family—even if you’re on a budget. BY ERIN GOLDEN

D E PA RTMEN T S 6 Editor’s Letter 9 Local Focus 15 News+Notes 21 Q+A 23 Well Said 48 Picture of Good Health

M ON ITO R S 26 WOMEN 28 MEN 30 FAMILY 32 SENIORS

38 WORK THROUGH THE LOSS

44 WHO SAYS YOU’RE OLD?

‘Old’ is older than ever before. People used to live into their 60s. But living until you’re 90 is no shock nowadays. As our population dies at older ages, we wonder about the challenges that come with living longer. Find out how to live your best life, regardless of your age. BY PAIGE FUMO FOX

4

APRIL 2013

C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H

9

When your partner loses his job, it can take a toll on his body and mind—and possibly your relationship. Learn how to help them through, and strengthen your bond. BY DANETTE M. WATT

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CHAIRMAN

Larry Perrotto MANAGING DIRECTOR

Mark Hornung EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

[ A note from the medical editor ]

Carole Sharwarko ART DIRECTOR

Bret Figura ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jackson A. Thomas LOCAL EDITOR

Danette M. Watt

Avoid dinner deal breakers

AD TRAFFIC MANAGER

Joseph Krystofiak MEDICAL EDITOR

Janis Mendelsohn, M.D. SALES DIRECTOR

Liz Latta

Families like to dine out for a change of scenery. It can be fun and relaxing for everyone. On top of that, someone else is cooking. The potential expenses you face when the bill comes can break your budget. But they really don’t need to. So let’s talk about healthy dining out that is within your budget. Here are the questions you should ask: ³ What can you afford? ³ Can you make healthy choices? ³ Can you satisfy your picky children and keep it fun? The answer to all three questions is yes. Here are some suggestions for dining on a budget: ³ Choose the restaurant carefully. Do your homework online to fit your budget and see whether it is “kid-friendly.” ³ Avoid fast food restaurants. They’re chaotic and expensive. ³ Children’s menus offer smaller portions, which are cheaper. ³ Avoid ordering alcohol. ³ Share main courses and desserts. The portions are usually large enough to go around. ³ Stay away from fried foods and sauces, and look for a salad bar. This will give you a bigger bang for your buck (especially vegetables). Opt for grilled meats or fish. Rules of the road for the kids: ³ Plan ahead. Have some idea about the service. Is it fast or slow? Kids get antsy if the food doesn’t come quickly. ³ Set the rules before you leave the house. ³ Allow some freedom of choice, but don’t let them go overboard. ³ Don’t force your kids to finish everything. Let them take some food home.

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Call Liz Latta at (312) 504-3555. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send comments, letters, story suggestions and photos relating to your local health news to editor@cmghealth.net.

1550 S. Indiana Ave., 2nd Floor Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 880-0370 (312) 880-0371 fax editor@cmghealth.net This magazine and its contents are for general consumer educational use only. Nothing contained in this magazine is or should be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by a licensed medical practitioner. Community Health magazine content is published to educate consumers about health care and medical issues that might affect their daily lives. As always, please consult your physician. Community Health magazine is a publication of Community Magazine Group Inc. Copyright ©2013 Community Magazine Group. All rights reserved. Community Health magazine is published 12 times per year monthly and four times per year quarterly. Postmaster: Send address changes to Community Magazine Group, 1550 S. Indiana Avenue, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60605.

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Dr. Janis Mendelsohn medical editor

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6

APRIL 2013

C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H

Knee Pain

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Med + Plus also offers two Medicare approved knee braces. The first brace makes walking less painful by relieving pressure from the narrowed joint space. This is an Unloader Brace that helps stabilize the knee joint. The other brace is the BioniCare and this one helps to reproduce a normal and healthy knee joint. BioniCare is the only FDA approved device that is capable of rebuilding knee cartilage. Patients will also be able to avoid dependency on pain medication. Patients wear this brace during the day or at night when they are not active. In fact, BioniCare pads can be worn at bedtime so that the knee is repairing itself while the patient sleeps. Best of all, the greatest benefit of the brace is that total knee replacement may be prevented. Both of these braces are Medicare approved.

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Autism Awareness April is Autism Awareness Month and although more is known about the disorder than ever before, in some ways it continues to baffle leading researchers and the general public. For example, there is no cure for or way to prevent autism, and where it comes from definitively is unknown. Given that the prevalence of the disorder in children is now 1 in 88 (this translates to about 7,000 children living in the state of Kentucky), it is unlikely Becky L. Nastally, PhD, BCBA-D, Licensed Behavior Analyst that the problem is one of access to the population. In fact, it is more likely that most people come into contact with a child or adult with autism regularly at work, in the community, or have a family member living with the disorder. If there are still so many unanswered questions about autism, one may legitimately ask what is known about the disorder. One piece of good news is that today experts are increasingly better at recognizing the early signs and symptoms of the disability, which allows for better treatment and an overall prognosis. Autism is currently classified in the DSM TR-IV (2000) as one of five disorders under the category of pervasive developmental disorder. It has three defining characteristics associated with it. r ÄłF Ĺ…STU JT EFMBZFE EFWFMPQNFOU PG MBOHVBHF 'PS FYBNple, children with autism, even at ages three to four and older, may have trouble communicating what they want (e.g. saying “I want juice, Mommyâ€?) or naming things they see (e.g. as a typically developing child might start to say ‘mama’, ‘ball’, or ‘doggie’ when one of those things is present).

r ijF TFDPOE DIBSBDUFSJTUJD JT B UFOEFODZ UP BWPJE TPDJBM interaction with those around them. Most children take an interest in other people from an early age and easily engage with friends and family through eye contact, giving hugs and kisses, or asking questions. Pronounced differences are often observed in children with autism in that they tend to shy away from these types of interactions preferring more inwardly or self-directed activities. r ijF UIJSE DIBSBDUFSJTUJD JT SFQFUJUJWF CFIBWJPS PS B SFstricted area of interest. Repetitive behaviors may include rocking back and forth, hand flapping, or saying the same words or sounds over and over again. A restricted area of interest may again be more self-directed and may be preferred over more child or age appropriate items or activities. One example might be a child who consistently prefers to play with or simply carry around one LegoŽ block, instead of building something with a whole set of blocks. Tremendous progress has been made in the treatment for auUJTN ijF NPTU DPNNPO JOUFSWFOUJPOT DBO CFTU CF DBUFHPSJ[FE as either a behavioral or communication therapy, medical intervention, or specialized diet. Behavioral and communication therapies such as applied behavior analysis (ABA) and speech therapy started at a young age represent the most effective treatment strategy that has been identified by scientific reTFBSDI ijFTF UIFSBQJFT IBWF UIF BEWBOUBHF PG UBSHFUJOH UIF specific skill deficits discussed above, as well as the challenging behaviors that often accompany the symptoms of autism. Negative side effects of these therapies are often non-existent and interventions are tailored to the individual person’s strengths which complements the variable nature of the disorder. **If you have a child that you suspect meets the defining characteristics of autism, it is best to contact a health professional who is knowledgeable about the disorder. Diagnostic evaluation is often the first step to determining the best course of action.

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METRO EAST: SWANSEA, IL

MID AMERICA

Find Your Value

Build a stronger relationship with your partner after a job loss BY DANETTE M. WATT

You know money troubles can negatively impact your physical health. You toss and turn in bed, worried about the interest on your credit card statement. If you’re trying to save cash, you might cancel a gym membership. And research has shown that financial stress may increase your risk for stroke, coronary artery disease, abdominal obesity and type 2 diabetes. With all these physical risks on their plate, people who lose their jobs may find their mental health more at risk than their employed partners. And while some people spin a job loss into a new opportunity, others may jeopardize their identity and their relationships. A WORKING IDENTITY Tony Victor is a marriage and family therapist who works with couples at The Midwest Relationship Center in Swansea, Ill. He says money is one of the biggest issues people always have to deal with. A financial crisis either polarizes a couple, or brings them together, depending on the

state of their relationship. “Preparing for these sorts of situations beforehand is what builds a strong relationship,” Victor says. “Talking, developing a strong feeling of trust for our partner, and doing the positive things in a relationship that will keep couples feeling connected will strengthen their bond.” When a worker loses his job, the relationship with his spouse can provide some extra meaning if he’s feeling down in the dumps. Without that feeling of trust, people may become too focused on their own needs, and forget about their partner. Victor says our identities are often tied to our jobs. When we’re not employed, we can feel unimportant and worthless. We develop something similar to tunnel vision, because we fear meeting our financial obligations and can’t see our options, he says. “(Motivational speaker and author) Wayne Dyer says losing your job is the best thing that can happen to you, and you should see it as an opportunity,” Victor says. “Our job isn’t our genuine identity.

Preparing for these sorts of situations beforehand is what builds a strong relationship. THERAPIST TONY VICTOR

A job loss is a chance to discover who we are under that false identity.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS KEY Couples worried about their relationship status and their financial statements don’t need to totally throw in the towel. Victor says you can take some steps to work through a job loss, so your relationship remains solid. “The first and the most important thing to do is to just listen to your partner, without rushing to problem-solve and without offering platitudes, such as, ‘You shouldn’t feel that way.’” When out-of-work people are able to express their hopelessness, they can begin to see the situation from another perspective. Victor says encouraging your partner to acknowledge the reality of a job loss—without necessarily accepting it— is beneficial for their physical and mental health, and yours. “Acknowledge it for what it is, then move on,” he says. Moving on may not be easy, but it can lead to the next step, which is to “begin to be curious,” Victor says. “I ask people, ‘How do you want to spend your time?’ But I don’t ask them to be practical. We grow up hearing that we need to get a job that will pay the bills. But no one asks us what would be exciting and fun,” he says. Then he says to formulate a plan. “What would you have to do QUICK TIP to get to that point?” It’s not going to be easy, but Victor doesn’t hesitate to chalencourage your lenge someone, especially if he laid-off partner to asks for details and doesn’t see see their job loss any passion. as an opportunity The presence of money—or to reconnect with lack thereof—is just the surface their true identity. issue, he says. Our real sense of Then, make a plan for the future. identity, self-worth and self-value comes from our connection with others, not from jobs.

C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H

APRIL 2013

9

Christian is

My Choice

Dr. Jay Jensen, our Chief of Surgery, chose Christian when he needed his own surgery. Few people have a deeper understanding of a hospital’s standard of care and commitment to excellence than its Chief of Surgery. So when Dr. Jay Jensen had his own prostatectomy performed at Christian Hospital using our minimally invasive da Vinci® Surgical System, it was both an informed decision and a ringing endorsement. Dr. Jensen knows that Christian Hospital has a tradition of embracing new procedures and innovative technologies – after all, we were

the first community hospital in the region to perform open-heart surgery. And he also knows that Christian is not only one of the founding hospitals of the BJC HealthCare organization, we’re one of its top performers, too. Want to learn more? Watch Dr. Jensen’s story for yourself. Visit ChristianCares.org today.

METRO EAST: ST. LOUIS

MID AMERICA

Control and Commit Resist your buying impulses with strategies to save It’s time for another family trip to the mall. You’ve come to buy one thing and one thing only. But no matter how hard you try to resist the smells from the food court and kiosks filled with useless accessories, you end up buying something you don’t need. Don’t beat yourself up. Impulse buys happen to all of us. But there may be real reasons behind our spending habits, and why we buy things we don’t need at the last minute. Leonard Green is a professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. He studies choice and decision making, and is also a developer of behavioral economics. This field focuses on how psychological factors, such as impulsivity and self-control, affect our financial decision process. “We know it’s important for people to save money,” Green says. “Right now, so many people aren’t, and it’s clear there will be problems down the road. It doesn’t make sense economically (that people aren’t), but it does from a psychological standpoint. People would rather have more money now than more later on.” Green calls this thought process “discounting.” We discount, or overlook, the value of a reward if it’s still a ways in the future. If you could have $80 now, or $100 in six months, Green says most people take the $80. The $100 goes down in value because of the time delay.

BY DANETTE M. WATT

And though the answer seems simple—to hold out for $20 more—it may not always be always wiser to wait. “It might not be the wrong decision depending on the situation,” he says. “If you have to feed your kids, you’re going to (take the money now).” According to Green, people discount at different levels. “Addicts, for example, seem to discount more easily,” he says. “They’re more susceptible to taking the drug they want now.” But a businessman might have the self-control to hold off on making an investment, if he can see the bigger picture for his entire company. This certainty effect also comes into play when we make money-related decisions, Green says. “Would you rather have $1,000 for certain, or $2,500 later on, but only a 50-50 chance of getting it? Most people will take the $1,000 because of risk aversion. But a risk-taker, such as a gambler, would see those as good odds,” he says. Green doesn’t believe in “sheer willpower.” Saving money—and making any other behavior change—requires you to make a commitment strategy. And letting your friends and family know your intentions can give you an extra boost. “Social support is incredibly important to changing our behavior,” he says. “Joining a group that does investments together is effective because then you will, too.”

OUT OF YOUR HANDS Having trouble saving money? One advantage to signing up for automatic savings plans offered by banks and investment accounts is less stress on your decision-making process. Studies have found that if a new employee has to opt in or opt out of a retirement plan, it is likely they won’t do either. But if they’re automatically enrolled, they’re less likely to opt out, even if they’re not enrolled in the best plan for them. “It’s easy to stick with what you have,” says psychologist Leonard Green. Sign up to sock away more than you think you need. You’ll get used to it and, chances are, you won’t miss it over time.

People would rather have more money now than more later on. PSYCHOLOGIST LEONARD GREEN

A commitment strategy can help take the decision out of your hands. Having a plan in place could determine if you make rent next month, or what you spend on groceries. And it doesn’t matter if we’re trying to put away more money or even puff one less cigarette. We’re all responsible for our own choices. “If you’re trying to quit smoking and are meeting friends, you can choose to meet where smoking is allowed or not allowed,” Green says. “If it’s not allowed, you know you can’t smoke. The decision is made for you. If you pick a place where smoking is allowed, then you have a choice of whether to smoke. When the opportunity is right there, we might give into it.”

C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H

APRIL 2013

11

Facing Up to a Heart Attack ‘I Knew Something Was Seriously Wrong’

Exercise physiologist Laura Sheridan, MS, instructs Liz Lockhart during a cardiac rehab session.

L

iz Lockhart no longer tries to hide her surgical scar. “I’ve decided it’s okay if people see it. It’s a good conversation starter,” she says. “People tell me I don’t look like a heart patient, but they need to realize I am what a heart attack looks like.” Not only did Liz not look like a heart patient, she says she didn’t feel like one either. She never experienced the classic chest pain that most people associate with heart attacks. The Cape Girardeau area resident found it easy to attribute the symptoms she did have to other things.

J. Darryl Ramsey, MD

Liz says her primary symptom, which she describes as a “gripping sensation” in her throat, started six or seven years ago. After making several Emergency Room and doctor visits and having numerous tests performed, Liz still didn’t have answers. “The tests all said my heart was strong.” Liz continued to experience throat Gabe Soto, MD, PhD pain, as well as nausea and fatigue, but found a reasonable explanation for everything. She blamed the fatigue on the stress and busy schedule that came with opening her own real estate business in early 2012, and attributed her nausea to gallbladder surgery. Liz also started experiencing shortness of breath and pain on the left side of her face but assumed it was asthma and migraines.

Recognizing the Signs By September 2012, Liz began to think it could be her heart. “I realized I could bring the symptoms on with physical activity and also make them stop by slowing down. They never lasted for longer than five minutes,” she notes. “I thought I could control it since I could make the symptoms go away.” On Friday, Oct. 5, Liz realized she wasn’t in control when her symptoms occurred three times over the course of the

Are you at risk? Visit SEhealth.org/HeartCenter to learn more about heart health.

day. “I had a foreboding feeling that I might not make it to Monday.” Liz went to the Emergency Department at Southeast Hospital. “I told them I thought it was my heart and they whisked me back and started an EKG before my husband even parked the car. The ER doctor also realized it was my heart, even though the initial tests didn’t show it.” The following morning Gabe Soto, MD, PhD, of Cardiovascular Consultants, performed an angiogram which showed that Liz would need open heart surgery. “I had four blockages at 100, 90, 80 and 60 percent,” she notes. Liz wasn’t worried about the surgery. “I was ready to have it fixed so I could get on with my life.” On Oct. 8, J. Darryl Ramsey, MD, of Southeast Cardiac and Vascular Surgery performed Liz’s quadruple bypass surgery at Southeast Hospital. Four days later, she was discharged from the Hospital and eager to get back on her feet.

The Time for Recovery She started cardiac rehab at Southeast Hospital less than a month after her surgery, but she tackled her recovery even sooner. “I started walking after a couple of weeks and had worked up to a mile by the time I started cardiac rehab,” she notes. She takes full advantage of the Cardiac Rehab services, doing three sessions a week. “My clock almost stopped but it didn’t,” she says. “I have all the time in the world to do rehab because I was given the time. It’s also a completely safe environment to push yourself physically as far as you’re willing to go.” Dr. Ramsey praises Liz’s positive attitude. “Liz didn’t let herself get depressed or overwhelmed by the situation. She stayed focused on what she needed to do to get better and has made enormous progress.”

Guarding Your Heart “I want women to understand that they may not have the classic heart symptoms,” Liz stresses. “I never felt tightness or pressure in my chest, but I knew something was seriously wrong. If you think it could be your heart, tell someone! I was in denial and embarrassed to keep going to the doctor. Now I realize it was my heart all along.”

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If you’ve been sidelined call and schedule an appointment today at (618) 692-6109. Injured in the big game this week? Now there is an even better way to see the doctor.

8 Sunset Hills Professional Centre Edwardsville, IL 62025 I-270 “BJC Medical Group� generally refers to BJC Medical Group of Missouri, BJC Medical Group of Illinois and BJC Medical Group of Sullivan, all of which are well-established physician organizations.

bjcorthopedics.com

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SOIL NEWS+NOTES

MID AMERICA

Sports medicine specialist treats muscle injuries Dr. Janiece Stewart recently joined Alton Memorial Hospital as its new sports medicine specialist. Stewart is based at BJC Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Specialists in Edwardsville, and also has office hours at Alton Orthopedic Clinic. Stewart is the head team physician for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and spends each Thursday afternoon in the SIUE campus training room treating the athletes. Stewart is trained to provide care for children and adult patients, for injuries including joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. She is trained to address issues associated with nutrition and sports psychology, and counsel athletes on injury prevention. For more information, call BJC Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Specialists at (618) 692-6109, or Alton Orthopedic Clinic at (618) 463-7600. ALTON ~

Dr. Janiece Stewart, of BJC Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Specialists, works with Cierra Hutchinson, a freshman on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville softball team.

Imaging center gets accreditation

Hospital among nation’s top 50 heart facilities

The PET/CT Imaging Center was recently awarded accreditation in oncology by the American College of Radiology. The imaging center meets or exceeds nationally accepted standards of care for its use of positron emission tomography (PET) scans in the diagnosis, staging and monitoring of specific cancers. The Swansea facility is among the only ACR-accredited PET providers in Southern Illinois, and one of 10 sites in the state. The center achieved accreditation after voluntarily undergoing an on-site survey and an independent review of the practice. This review included an evaluation of its procedures, equipment, criteria for staff and the quality of its scanned images. PET scans let doctors observe how organs and tissues function within the body, and to detect unusual metabolic activity potentially indicative of disease.

BELLEVILLE ~ St. Elizabeth’s Hospital recently was named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics. This is the first year St. Elizabeth’s has been awarded this honor. It’s one of four hospitals in Illinois and Missouri named on the list. Truven Health Analytics examined the performance of more than 1,000 hospitals nationwide, by analyzing outcomes for patients with heart failure and heart attacks, and for those who received coronary bypass surgery. Researchers scored hospitals in key performance areas such as risk-adjusted mortality and risk-adjusted complications. “Being recognized for our outstanding cardiovascular care is a great honor,” says Maryann Reese, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital president. “It shows our ongoing commitment to the community in providing quality health care. I commend and congratulate our entire service line team and our dedicated physician partners from Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants in achieving this top honor.” St. Elizabeth’s cardiac services have partnered with Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois, a community-based network of hospitals and clinics, since January 2011. This partnership lets the hospital offer continued high-level cardiovascular care.

SWANSEA ~

SUPPLIED PHOTOS

Health center launches teleneurology service ALTON ~ St. Anthony’s Health Center has partnered with Specialists on Call to guarantee that patients suffering from stroke or any other neurologic emergency have immediate 24/7 access throughout the entire year. Patients can get this treatment from board-certified neurologists via telemedicine. SOC is the nation’s leading provider of acute telemedicine services. Telemedicine uses telecommunication and information technologies to provide clinical health care from a distance. “We’re always investing in new technologies to provide our community the best possible care,” says E.J. Kuiper, St. Anthony’s Health Center president. “Specialists on Call’s teleneurology service is a terrific offering that will pay tremendous dividends in the stroke care we deliver to our patients.”

Hospital wins Best Place to Practice honors St. Joseph Memorial Hospital was one of five hospitals in the country to receive Best Place to Practice honors from Press Ganey Associates in 2012. The Best Place to Practice Award is reserved for hospitals that have reached and sustained the 95th percentile on their physician partnership surveys. High partnership scores indicate physicians are strongly aligned with the hospital’s goals of delivering efficient, effective care. Press Ganey Associates partners with more than 10,000 health care facilities, including more than half of all U.S. hospitals, to measure and improve the patient experience. “We are proud to partner with St. Joseph Memorial Hospital,” says Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey Associates. “Achieving this level of excellence in physician satisfaction and engagement reflects the organization’s commitment to delivering outstanding service and quality. St. Joseph’s efforts benefit patients in Southern Illinois, and will directly improve the patient experience.” Members of the hospital staff accepted the Best Place to Practice honor on behalf of their peers. Pictured clockwise from top are Press Ganey Associates CEO Patrick Ryan, and members of the hospital staff Cyndi Roberts, Donna Crawshaw, Melissa Lightfoot and Karen Henderson. MURPHYSBORO ~

Do you have an item for News+Notes? Email dwatt@cmghealth.net.

C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H

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provides exceptional medical and surgical retina care Marion Eye Centers is pleased to announce the addition of two new highly trained physicians Omar Ahmad, MD

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SEMO NEWS+NOTES

MID AMERICA

Doctor honored for research Dr. Jeffrey I. Gordon recently received awards from the National Academy of Sciences and the Association of American Medical Colleges for his pioneering research to define the human gut microbiome. The National Academy of Sciences awarded him the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology, which included a $5,000 prize. The Association of American Medical Colleges awarded Gordon the 2012 Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences. Gordon’s research centers on how trillions of microbes in the human gut and their millions of genes shape our physiology, metabolism and nutritional status. His work has helped create a new field of research called metagenomics, and could help combat a variety of diseases, including obesity and malnutrition. Gordon has served on the School of Medicine faculty for more than 30 years. He is director of the Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology at Washington University. ST. LOUIS ~

Hospitals name new presidents Joan Magruder, who has served as president of Missouri Baptist Medical Center, has recently become president of St. Louis Children’s Hospital. John Antes succeeded Magruder as president of Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Antes was previously president of Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Progress West HealthCare Center in St. Charles County. “I am very pleased to announce these hospital president appointments from the wealth of leadership talent and experience within BJC,” says Lee Fetter, BJC group president. “Joan Magruder has provided exceptional leadership at Missouri Baptist, and will bring great energy and passion to her new role at Children’s. Missouri Baptist also gains an extremely talented and dynamic president who has created a very strong and better-integrated presence for our St. Charles County hospitals.” Magruder joined BJC as vice president of business development, physician services and alternate care sites in 2000 from Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. She served as administrator of the department of surgery, outpatient services, transplantation and the physician group practice. Antes joined BJC in 2005 to help with planning and community engagement during the construction of Progress West HealthCare Center. He has served as president of PWHC since its opening in 2007, and added responsibility as president of Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital in 2009. ST. LOUIS ~

Hospital names new lab director CAPE GIR ARDEAU ~ SoutheastHEALTH vice president and chief operating officer Sylvia Moore recently announced Lauren Thomas as its new laboratory director. Thomas succeeds Norman Anderson, who completed a distinguished 45-year career with SoutheastHEALTH. Thomas began her career at SoutheastHEALTH in 2000 as a phlebotomist, and has had technologist, supervisor and manager positions since that time. “Lauren has made many positive contributions, and has used her certification in Six Sigma and LEAN management strategies to improve patient satisfaction and operational processes in the lab,” Moore says. Thomas earned a Master of Science in health care management from Kaplan University, and is a member of the Med Assets Laboratory Advisory Committee. She also participates in the Missouri State Laboratory Response Network.

Regional operations vice president joins hospital team

Rheumatologist offers specialty clinic Dr. Chad M. Ronholm recently joined the Perry County Memorial Hospital medical staff, offering a comprehensive rheumatology specialty clinic. Ronholm focuses on the treatment of various conditions such as fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders, tendinitis, arthritis, and muscle, bone, and joint disorders. “We are very pleased to have Dr. Ronholm coming to Perryville on a frequent basis to care for our patients. We welcome him to Perry County Memorial Hospital,” says PCMH president Patrick Carron. “Adding his expertise to our already existing rheumatology clinic will not only complement the services we offer in our outpatient specialty clinics, but to the organization and medical staff as a whole. The subspecialty of rheumatology is one of the more difficult specialties to find.” Ronholm earned his medical degree through Saba University School of Medicine, and completed his residency at St. Louis University School of Medicine.

SUPPLIED PHOTOS

PERRY VILLE ~

CAPE GIR ARDEAU ~ Paula Harris recently was named vice president of regional operations of SoutheastHEALTH. Harris is now responsible for all SoutheastHEALTH facilities outside Cape County. Harris previously served as CEO of Advanced Health Care Management Services headquartered in Poplar Bluff, and assumed her new role in January. Her background includes clinical experience in acute, skilled, ambulatory and home care settings. Harris says she is delighted about joining the SoutheastHEALTH team. “The culture of Southeast and their commitment to providing excellent care at an affordable cost, close to home is a great fit for the communities we serve. Area residents will be assured of an ongoing continuum of care,” she says.

Do you have an item for News+Notes? Email dwatt@cmghealth.net.

C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H

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17

GUEST EDITORIAL

Ask the

Expert

Step into spring

Question: I sprained my ankle last spring while I was running. The ankle doesn’t really hurt anymore, but it keeps ‘giving out’. What should I do?

Jeremy McCormick, M.D.

Answer:

By Dr. Sandra Klein, foot and ankle surgeon Washington University Orthopedics

Ankle sprains are the most common foot and ankle injury in sports. Typically, sprains occur when the foot inverts with an awkward step while running or jumping. As the foot rotates inward, the ligaments on the outside, or lateral aspect of the ankle, are stretched, causing swelling and pain. Most frequently, sprains will recover completely with rest, ice, compression, elevation and early mobilization.

Spring is here with warmer weather, outdoor activities and our favorite sandals. Frequently, foot pain and problems are a direct result of the shoes we choose. These tips can help keep your feet safe in the spring and summer months.

In less than 10% of cases, while ankle swelling and pain improves, the ankle continues to “give out� or feel unstable. Classically, this occurs when walking on uneven ground or when stepping off of a curb. Repeated episodes of “giving out� is a condition called chronic ankle instability. Most frequently, this is a result of incomplete recovery from an acute ankle sprain that leaves the ankle with weakness and impaired postural control.

• Warm weather often encourages us to participate in new activities. While outdoor athletic activities are a healthy pursuit, be careful when starting something new. You should make sure the shoes you wear are appropriate for the particular sport or activity. Overuse injuries are frequently seen in the foot and ankle when you try to do too much of one activity after a long winter. Start slowly and increase your activity as you become stronger, and your endurance increases.

The initial treatment for chronic ankle instability is a program of structured rehabilitation with the help of a SK\VLFDO WKHUDSLVW ([HUFLVHV DUH DLPHG VSHFLÂżFDOO\ DW strengthening the peroneal tendons which run on the outside aspect of the ankle. The regimen should also include use of a balance board or similar device to work on proprioception – awareness of the position of the foot and ankle in space. Improved proprioception helps the ankle react more quickly to stresses, preventing future sprains. After 6-8 weeks of intensive therapy, if the ankle continues to feel unstable, one might be a candidate for surgery to reconstruct the injured ankle ligaments. At this point, an MRI is helpful to identify any underlying injury such as cartilage damage at the ankle or peroneal tendon tears. Complete recovery from surgery takes at least 3 months, but patients will typically be able to return to full activity without limitation, and, most importantly, without the sensation of their ankle “giving outâ€?.

Washington University Orthopedics

• Flip-flops rule at the pool. Many patients ask whether flip-flops are safe to wear, and the answer is yes and no. When protecting your feet from hot pavement at poolside, flip-flops are an excellent choice. Flip-flops can actually help strengthen feet, and are best worn on flat, reliable surfaces. When you head to the local amusement park for a day of walking or to the closest state park for an outdoor hike, opt for sturdier, more supportive footwear. Long periods of walking and extensive walking on uneven ground with flip-flops or any open-back sandal can cause injury to the foot. • Stylish sandals and shoes for men can offer minimal support, and risk injury to the foot and ankle when worn for inappropriate activities. While there is no harm to wearing these shoes to a casual barbecue or dinner party, you may cause injury to your foot if you decide to hop on a bike or participate in the unexpected softball game. Wearing your favorite summer dress shoes should be limited to activities that require a low level of activity. Choose the shoe to match the activity. Keep a pair of supportive athletic shoes and socks in the car, so you are ready for anything—and enjoy the weather.

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314.514.3500

If you’d like to find out more, call Washington University Orthopedics, 14532 S. Outer Forty Drive, Chesterfield, Mo., at (314) 514-3500.

GUEST EDITORIAL

Your Life Care Clinical Team

Connie Smith, Social Services Director; Tara Jones, RN Staff Coordinator; Julie Welker, Rehab Service Manager; Brenda Parkhurst, Director Of Nursing

Because

Matters

573-335-2086 www.LCCA.com Joint Commission Accredited

New standard of artery catheterization By Dr. Steven J. Carr Interventional Cardiology Cardiovascular Consultants, SoutheastHEALTH Each year, more than 1 million cardiac catheterizations are performed in the United States. The procedure usually starts at the femoral artery found in the groin, to gain access to arteries that lead to the heart. Cardiologists at SoutheastHEALTH in Cape Girardeau, Mo., now have a new option for patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Called radial artery catheterization of radial access catheterization, the procedure uses the radial—wrist—artery instead of the femoral artery to thread a catheter through the blood vessels and into the heart to diagnose and treat cardiovascular problems. Studies have shown the radial access approach is superior to the femoral access, particularly for patients who have suffered an ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, the most severe type of heart attack. This type of heart attack occurs when the coronary artery is completely clogged by a blood clot. The longer an artery is clogged, the more heart damage occurs and the greater the risk for mortality or lifelong disability. Recent research has found radial artery catheterization is safer than a femoral procedure because it reduces the risk of bleeding complications. The radial artery is smaller and nearer the skin’s surface, so we can virtually eliminate internal bleeding, or control it easily. Patients also can sit up, walk and move around almost immediately after the procedure, making them more likely to be discharged faster than those treated with femoral access. While the femoral approach is more common in the United States, as more cardiologists become skilled with the radial access approach, it is likely radial access will become the recommended or gold standard approach for treating STEMI patients. In a peer-reviewed multi-center study published in Lancet in April 2011, more than 7,000 patients with acute coronary syndrome were randomly assigned to either radial or femoral catheterization. Called the RIVAL trial, the study found that radial artery catheterization significantly lowered the rate of complications at the access site, and enhanced overall patient comfort. Radial artery catheterization is a major advancement in the field of interventional cardiology. It is a rapidly developing specialty that has proven results and great promise for additional applications.

Q+A

MID AMERICA

Want to help your aging parents stay in good financial health? Lower their likelihood of being financially exploited, and help them manage their finances. Kristina Anderson is director of operations at Home Instead Senior Care in Collinsville, Ill. She offers tips on how to prevent and spot financial abuse. For more tips, download the free Senior Fraud Protection Kit at CaregiverStress.com.

Protect seniors from financial fraud What is financial exploitation? Financial exploitation is manipulating the goodwill of seniors for financial or monetary gain, whether that’s a cash payment, paying someone’s bill for them, or giving them access to records.

How can age or forgetfulness affect how seniors manage money? Forgetfulness plays a critical role in how seniors manage their finances. They may pay the water bill on Monday, forget they did, and pay it again on Wednesday, and again on Friday. Pretty soon, they’re overdrawn. Or they may forget to pay the bill altogether, and then they’re in danger of having services cut off. Aging can affect finances. If they can’t write legibly, then a check might be returned with penalties. If they can’t hear a collector on the phone, they’ll agree to anything.

How can adult children help their parents manage money? Get a joint bank account, so you can inquire about transactions you see. A debit card means they don’t have to worry about writing checks legibly, but they will have to save receipts so they can be recorded. A second set of eyes and ears in the home can help, too.

What if parents refuse help? Seniors fear a loss of independence and identity. Continue to have conversations with them, and approach them with respect and gentleness. If they buy into the idea, they are less likely to be resentful.

How can adult children help their parents if they’re victims of fraud? Take good notes of dates, times, the amount of money that’s missing, and to whom it was given. Then contact local law enforcement. Assure them it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We’re living in a digital age now, so set them up with a Facebook page. This will get them interacting online. Seniors are very trusting. They grew up in an era when a handshake was all it took, so they had a code of ethics.

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ADVERTISEMENT

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Fibromyalgia Syndrome by Dr. Tomasita A. Lahue, D.C.

What is Fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a syndrome of generalized conglomeration of symptoms. These symptoms may vary from patient to patient but include chronic, widespread pain and tenderness to the touch, moderate to severe fatigue, heightened sensitivity of the skin, tingling of the skin (often needle-like), achiness in the muscles, swelling/inflammation, prolonged muscle spasms, irritable bowel, weakness in the limbs, nerve pain, and chronic sleep disturbances. There is also a cognitive or mental component that includes impaired concentration, difficulty making decisions, short-term memory problems, and the inability to multitask. There is no known cause of the disease. However, several interacting factors such as muscle overload, poor spinal posture, disturbed sleep, psychogenic factors and increased concentrations of free radicals may be the cause. “Bagis and colleagues in the Rheumatology International Journal (Volume 25, April, 2005) reported that oxidant/antioxidant balances were changed in Fibromyalgia. Increased free radical levels may be responsible for the development of Fibromyalgia.” There is also a hypothesis that low oxygen levels in the blood and muscles cause pain in the muscles associated with Fibromyalgia. Using SPECT Scans, a study from the University of Alabama found that there is a lessened brain blood flow in people suffering from Fibromyalgia than in people without Fibromyalgia.

Current Medical Drug Treatment A drug for every symptom, which only exacerbates the situation as the drug interactions and sideeffects take on a life of their own. One popular drug, lyrica and other drugs similar to it used in the treatment of Fibromyalgia may cause serious, even life threatening, allergic reactions. These drugs increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior including new or worsening depression, anxiety, restlessness, trouble sleeping, panic attacks, anger, irritability, agitation, aggression, dangerous impulses or violence. Once on the drug, patients have to wean themselves off of it. The label says, “If you have suicidal thoughts or actions, do not stop lyrica without first talking to your doctor.”

A Better Way….Landmark Research! Hyperbaric oxygen treatment has been used for years for divers with the bends. There are also 13 other Medicare cleared conditions including wound healing. One issue with HBO therapy is the possibility of oxygen toxicity in the hard chambers where 100 percent oxygen is used. Mild chambers

concentrate oxygen perfusion into the tissue without the danger of oxygen toxicity. A study performed by medical researchers at a Turkish military hospital revealed astonishing results with the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on Fibromyalgia patients. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study exposed Fibromyalgia patients to a total of 15, 90-minute hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments. Results indicated that Fibromyalgia patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy reported a decreased number of tender points and an increased pain threshold. After 15 sessions, patients recorded half the number of original tender points and twice their original pain threshold. (reference: Yildiz, .; Kiralp, M.Z.; Akin, A.; Keskin, I.; Ay, H.; Dursun, H.; Cimsit, M. The Journal of International Medical Research). The study results were amazing, but the response in affording this treatment to chronic pain and fatigue sufferers is lacking, practically nonexistent. Most Fibromyalgia sufferers have no idea that this alternative therapy has been clinically proven. But the fact remains, this is a proven therapy to reduce your pain naturally. It can change your life!

What can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy do for you? The increased pressure in the chamber causes the blood plasma and other liquids of the body to absorb MUCH LARGER QUANTITIES of oxygen, greatly increasing oxygen uptake by the cells, tissues, glands, brain, other organs, and fluids of the body. This causes dormant cells to come alive. The improved uptake of oxygen allows for increased circulation to areas that may have swelling or inflammation, while decreasing the swelling, inflammation and pain.

Mineral/Antioxidant/Enzyme Support in Conjunction with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy! Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, ND states in her book, The Magnesium Miracle the many roles magnesium plays in overall health, including regulating blood sugar (which can lead to fatigue with highs and lows), regulates brain neurotransmitters and in fact low brain magnesium can lead to over excited nerve response (simple touch causes pain). She says that magnesium also relaxes blood vessels reducing muscle spasms, inflammation and pain. I have found that ionic magnesium and malic acid are the best forms for the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue sufferer. Some of the research focuses on specific biochemical markers. “Sendur and colleagues in the Rheumatology International Journal (2008 Oct 14) showed us that Serum glutathione and catalase levels were significantly lower in Fibromyalgia patients than controls. They concluded, “These findings support other studies, we assume that these two antioxidants might have impact on the pathogenesis of Fibromyalgia disease.” Spanish researchers Cordero, MD, et all, found

“CoQ(10) deficiency could represent a good marker for the diagnosis of FM (Fibromyalgia).” Clin Biochem. 2010 Sep;43(13-14):1174-6. doi: 10.1016/j. clinbiochem.2010.06.013. Epub 2010 Jul 1. There is no need to guess or self-diagnose. With the help of the right holistic practitioner and assessment tools you can find out what specifically you need, how much and for how long.

Take Back Your Life!! You deserve to live a high quality of life without the haze of being under the influence of antidepressants and narcotic pain killers. This is why if you suffer from the incessant pain of Fibromyalgia, you need to call and set up your complimentary test dive in our oversized chamber. In addition to the HBOT, my Fibromyalgia protocol includes a customized treatment plan just for you that may include chiropractic, nutritional assessment and recommended supplementation (including CoQ10, malic acid and glutathione), homeopathic remedies, lifestyle changes and laser therapy. Visit our website, www.MyHolistic-Health.com or call us at 618-624-9384 and make your appointment today.

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Dr. Tomasita A. Lahue is a Doctor of Chiropractic and Health Director of Holistic Health & Wellness, a licensed NRCT facility, located at 4965 Stone Falls Center, O’Fallon, IL 62269. She can be reached at www.MyHolistic-Health.com, MyHolisticHealthNow@gmail.com, or 618-624-9384.

WELL SAID DANETTE M. WATT

Deeper than your pocketbook It’s about 6 inches long, and about 2½ inches wide. It comes with a plethora of nicknames. It’s a simple piece of paper with no value in and of itself. But we give it values, and use it to buy just about everything. I’m talking about money. Whether we realize it, we assign other meanings to this thin, papery green stuff. For some of us, money means power, status and worthiness. For others, it’s an opportunity to give back to people who are less fortunate than we are. We learn many of our attitudes about money as children. I grew up in a working-class home where money was often tight. We didn’t have fancy material goods back then. Even today I couldn’t care less if I have the latest tech gadget, designer clothes or a flat screen television. One of my core beliefs is that experiences are more important than material possessions. That’s what I tried to instill in my children when they were growing up. Millions of Americans lost their jobs during the Great Recession, which tore a hole through their savings. When people lack money or lose their job, fear and anxiety take over, especially if the loss is sudden. That’s certainly understandable. Our identities are wrapped up in our jobs. When we lose them, we doubt our values and who we are. The abundance of money—or lack thereof—is just a surface issue, therapist Tony Victor says. Our real sense of identity, selfworth and self-value comes from our connection with others, not from our jobs. Read how spouses of out-of-work adults can help them move through the job loss on page 9. Ever wonder why you make the choices you do? Psychologist Leonard Green conducts research on how impulsivity and selfcontrol affect our decisions involving money. You can read how this fascinating area of study could help us save money, lose weight and devise better programs to help recovering addicts on page 11. I hope you enjoy these stories and the many other informative articles in our financial health issue.

One of my core beliefs is that experiences are more important than material possessions.

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It’s hard to pay attention when your vision is žE[IH

Vision is more than clarity. It is a complex combination of PIEVRIH WOMPPW MRGPYHMRK XVEGOMRK ½\EXMSR JSGYW GLERKI FMRSGYPEV JYWMSR and visualization. When all of these are well developed, children and adults can sustain attention, read and write without careless errors, give meaning to what they hear and see, and rely less on movement to stay alert. VISION THERAPY improves many skills that allow a person to pay attention. Anyone diagnosed with AD(H)D should have a complete evaluation by a behavioral optometrist. 'EPP (V 7XIMRLEYIV XSHE] JSV ER ETTSMRXQIRX XS HMWGYWW LS[ :MWMSR 8LIVET] QE] LIPT ]SY

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APRIL 2013

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H.K. REDDY, M.D., FACC RUBINA MIRZA, M.D., FACC, FCSAI STANLEY ZIOMEK, M.D., FACS JAHAN ZEB, M.D. GIRISH BHATT, M.D., FACC, FACP

HEART CARE

Q&A

CARDIOLOGY EXPERTS DISCUSS THE ADVANCED HEART CARE AVAILABLE LOCALLY AT POPLAR BLUFF REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER’S ACCREDITED CHEST PAIN CENTER.

Taking good care of you—especially your heart—is first and foremost at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. As an Accredited Chest Pain Center, PBRMC offers the latest in cardiology services, technologies and expertise right here at home. Q. Why is it important to have a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit? Dr. Bhatt: Our CVICU provides care for patients with critical congenital and acquired heart ailments. The nurses who staff the unit are expert practitioners and have been trained in meeting the specific needs of our cardiac patients. Q. What is the impact of PBRMC being an Accredited Chest Pain Center? Dr. Mirza: It’s more than a distinction. It means that our cardiology team can perform the latest procedures, is trained in the newest technologies, and can meet the highest quality and performance levels available in heart care. That is a remarkable advantage to every patient. Q. How does living near an Accredited Chest Pain Center benefit patients? Dr. Reddy: To earn this distinction, a hospital has to meet the highest quality and performance levels available in heart care. Poplar Bluff Regional is one of them. We give patients access to a cardiology team that can perform the latest procedures and is trained in the newest technologies.

Q. What are some of the advantages of the cardiac catheterization program at PBRMC? Dr. Zeb: We offer the latest equipment, including special catheters with ultrasound, to diagnose and treat various heart and vascular conditions. And our laboratory is on 24/7 standby to immediately treat patients suffering heart attacks. Those are just two of the reasons we are one of the region’s busiest laboratories. Q. Why does PBRMC have one of the best survival rates in the state for heart bypass? Dr. Ziomek: We have an exceptionally skilled team of surgeons and CVICU-trained nurses. Our experience and training is a large part of the reason we consistently beat national standards for fast treatment with life-saving balloon angioplasty and coronary intervention.

Care for our future. Schedule an appointment with one of our cardiologists today. Call 855-444-PBRMC.

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MONITOR

WOMEN

Family Breadwinners As women level the fiscal playing field, they still lag in financial literacy BY ERIN GOLDEN

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Not so long ago, a woman primarily supporting her household would have raised an eyebrow or two. These days, it’s no surprise. Women are increasingly taking control of the financial responsibilities at home. And many are becoming the household’s primary breadwinner. A recent study by Prudential Financial found that 53% of women surveyed are the primary earner in their household. Of those married or living with a partner, about 25% make more money than their partner. But while women are bringing home the bacon, they lag behind men when it comes to confidence about their decisions in investment, saving and spending. The same Prudential survey found that 23% of women breadwinners think they are “very well prepared” to make wise financial decisions, compared to 45% of men. Meanwhile, 15% described themselves as financial “beginners,” compared to 7% of men. So, why the gap? Mary Gresham, an Atlanta-based psychologist who specializes in financial issues, says women often let their partner handle money because they simply have too much on their plates. “Women, especially those who work and have families, are already stressed,” she says. “They feel this is one area where they don’t have to take care of everything.” It may be tempting to have one less thing on your to-do list. But Gresham says failing to understand and have some control over your finances likely leads to problems down the road. Most women outlive their husbands, Gresham says. So after years of letting someone else handle the nitty-gritty of the bank account, you may have a lot of catching up to do in a short amount of time. A recent study from the Federal Reserve Board found that women gain financial savvy as they get older—for that very reason. Eighty percent of women involved in this survey caught up to their husbands’ financial knowledge as they reached potential widowhood. That’s good news. But Gresham says women shouldn’t wait around to try their hand at money management. They need to get more confident about their skills sooner rather than later. She suggests reaching out to others to talk about money issues. Too often, she says, women just buy a book about financial planning. Then they either get busy, bored or stressed, and put the book aside. “Women learn financial material better when they’re solving a current problem, either in their life or their friends’ lives,” she says. “I try to get women to partner up, make little groups, and just start talking openly to each other about money issues.” Women should also seek out more open conversations with their partners about money. She suggests renegotiating the balance of work at home. One partner could take over more money matters, while the other picks up the slack on cooking and cleaning. And those changes for better financial health can also boost the family’s emotional health. “Things tend to get better in relationships and families when all the adults are carrying some of the worry about money, instead of only one adult,” Gresham says.

SURVEY OF WOMEN AGES 25 TO 68 Annual Income 7% More than $150K 19% $100K to $150K 14% $75K to $100K 19% $50K to $75K 24% $25K to $50K 18% Less than $25K

Employment Status

39% 17% 15% 12% 11% 6%

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Employed full time Unemployed Homemaker Employed part time Retired Self-employed

Savings and Assets 50% 12% 11% 10% 9% 6%

Less than $25K $50K to $100K $25K to $50K $100K to $250K $250K to $500K More than $500K

SOURCE: PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL +/- 2% MARGIN OF ERROR

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MONITOR

MEN

Check Yourself Don’t let ego clean out your bank account BY KEVIN CARLSON

Every guy wants to be that guy. We all aspire to a swath of achievements, among them to be well-dressed, well-traveled, well-groomed, and, well, perfect. And it’s not cheap. All those clothes, the right car, and fancy dinners and gifts for the lady in his life can really set a guy back. If his friends are around to up the ante, he’s headed home with an empty wallet for sure. Whether it’s buying a round of drinks for your buds, or going all-in on that pair of aces, men have a tendency to let machismo influence their financial decisions. If you can set aside your ego, and maneuver through some high-pressure situations, you can still feel like a man, but stay out of the poorhouse. MR. MONEYBAGS A man’s worth is often tied to his spending power, and this machismo has turned many men into financial fools. But what might feel good in a spontaneous chest-thumping moment can quickly turn into crushing “Did-I-do-that?” panic. Let some of the air out of your ego, says David K. Dodd, a psychologist and author based in Wisconsin. Dodd says guys need to check their pride at the door, to stay aware of how much they spend, and avoid worrying about what their friends shell out. Some men are so concerned about what others think, they spend beyond their means in a social setting. This behavior is called high self-monitoring. “High self-monitors are very concerned about how they appear to others. They actively monitor themselves to achieve a certain public image,” Dodd says. Money can play a part in how men portray themselves to family and friends. Dodd says the high self-monitor man often spends more to impress others. “The high self-monitor will behave very differently at a poker table, family reunion, or funeral, but in each situation will try to achieve his most favorable image,” he says. “What is most favorable will depend on traits valued by the individual, and this is where machismo might come in to play.” If a high self-monitor man values the almighty dollar, he wants to project an image of wealth, even if his bank account is bust. THE BRO BUDGET So how can a guy feel “manly” around his friends, and still spend wisely? Set your own standards: It’s OK to want to feel confident in your manhood. But understand your masculinity is not based on how much money you spend. “Men put undue pressure on themselves to buy the newest gadget or look like a hotshot with a lot of money,” says Aaron Stewart, a financial adviser with The America Group in St. Louis.

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MONEY AND THE MIDLIFE CRISIS We’ve all heard the stereotypes about middle-age men, especially the guy who gets halfway around the track of life and buy a sports car. What a silly decision, right? Not so fast. “There really is no link between middle age and a reckless rash of big-ticket expenditures,” says financial adviser Aaron Stewart. “The reason these purchases are being made by men in their 40s and 50s is because they have worked a long time to be able to afford these things. They want to enjoy them while they still have a semblance of youth.” If a 55-year-old guy buys a Corvette, don’t assume he’s taking out a second mortgage to do it. “These men are typically well-disciplined when it comes to finances,” Stewart says. “They spend the money simply because they have it, and they can afford to buy things they’ve always wanted.”

Being macho should not be defined by the inches of your TV, but by the size of your savings account. “The bottom line is this: Borrowing against your future cash flow to make yourself look good in front of your friends is just plain dumb,” Stewart says. Go Dutch: There’s nothing in the Guy Code that says you have to foot the bill for your buddy’s steak and bourbon. Tell him you want to split the check. He’ll appreciate your practicality. Have a good comeback: Guys are always going to find an opportunity to tease each other. If your thrifty attitude elicits accusations of being wimpy or even “whipped” by a spouse, laugh it off by predicting the awesomeness of your newfound savings—a vacation, a nicer deck or a new house, for example. Find a balance: All your bros are going to the paintball field for the day, but you know the $75 price tag is going to send you into the red. “Building and sticking to a real budget is instrumental to achieving financial success,” Stewart says. “It has become more difficult to make younger generations understand the devastating affect that using credit cards to subsidize the purchase of luxury items can have on your financial situation over a lifetime.” Save up for the stuff you really want to do, and if you don’t have the bucks, take a pass. It means you’ll stay in the black.

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MONITOR

FAMILY

A Numbers Game Fun apps help kids learn basic money management BY CLARE WALTERS

It’s one of the toughest conversations parents have with their children, right behind “the birds and the bees.” We mean money—how much you have, how to save it, and how to spend it smartly. It’s a challenge for many parents. “We’re so hung up about money as a society, and we bring those hang-ups to our kids,” says Jason Alderman, senior director at Visa Inc. “Have that open dialogue. Take the taboo away.” Alderman says it’s crucial to teach children the basics about saving, budgeting and—when age appropriate—borrowing, to lay the foundation for healthy money management later in life. “It doesn’t need to be awkward,” he says. “Even if you feel like you’ve made financial mistakes, even if you feel like you don’t have all the right answers for them, it’s OK. You don’t need to share the negativity. But based on how old they are, share what you’re thinking.”

He suggests engaging children in conversations about money as soon as they become interested in it, which could be at ages 5, 10 or 15. “Don’t force anything upon them until they’re ready,” Alderman says. “A natural way to do this is to share your decision-making process with your kids. That is invaluable. Our kids are observing us every second of every day.” If you want to open a dialogue about money management, consider using a mobile app or game as a fun tech-based path to learning and sharing. You can download countless apps for finances and money management. And many games are specifically designed to teach children. “Play it with them first,” Alderman says. “Once kids get the idea, you can let them loose on the game. Don’t miss that opportunity to engage with them in something fun.”

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Even if you feel you don’t have all the right answers for them, it’s OK. JASON ALDERMAN, VISA INC.

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AGES 16 AND UP

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SENIORS

Safe Surfing The world of Internet shopping is like a swimming pool. New swimmers who cannonball into the deep end find themselves overwhelmed, flailing to reach the surface. The experience may leave them hesitant to venture into the water again. But those who ease in slowly find their stride. CONNECT IN PERSON You may be curious about online shopping, but feel daunted at the prospect of trying it for the first time. The easiest way to begin is to stick to stores where you’ve shopped in person, says David Blank, spokesman for the Alliance for Retired Americans. Most department stores and boutiques have websites offering the same merchandise—and with more selections—that they carry on the shelves. Senior shoppers can feel more secure about patronizing a merchant website when they’ve seen how the store operates in person.

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Don’t be scared to buy online. Spot the signs of Internet scams and shop securely BY VANESSA RENDERMAN

“You are likely to get a sense from the people you meet who work there whether they are trustworthy,” Blank says. When browsing a store’s website, look for an “About Us” link before clicking anything else. It should provide information about the company, and help you detect if it’s an imposter website, Blank says. “I am more skeptical of sites that don’t have a real human being’s name somewhere front and center,” he says. “Also, (consumer review) sites such as Yelp offer customer feedback that can be helpful.” CREDIBLE AND COMFORTABLE Blank says he is much more comfortable shopping at a website that lists an actual address, or city and state in America.

FAST FACT Look for an “About Us” button on any store website. It should tell you more about the company, and help you figure out whether it’s safe to shop there.

“You are more likely to know someone who can tell you whether the address is an empty, boarded-up building, or a true business with a sign out front,” he says. “Some foreign sites may be fine, but if you see an address in a country you’ve never heard of, it’s harder to check out.” If you’re still wary about Web spending, ask friends and family where they shop online, Blank says. Your child or grandchild may have site suggestions, and can direct you to reputable online-only stores, such as Amazon.com and Overstock.com. “People who have had really good or really bad experiences often are eager to share them,” he says. “If your friend got swindled or was unable to return a purchase that was made by mistake, you probably don’t want to shop there.” STOP THE POP-UPS Websites usually offer great deals, such as free shipping and online-only sales. But if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Those offers often surface in popup ads. They’re usually accompanied by flashy images, multiple exclamation marks and promises of amazing deals— but only if you click on them. Clicking these links can put your computer at risk for viruses and possibly compromise your bank account’s security. Be skeptical. Blank says older online shoppers should look out for spam emails that use gossipy or exciting language, and have typos and misspellings. “Bad spelling is an indication the site is not for real,” Blank says. “If you come across a very basic site that is out of date or has links that don’t work, it’s not necessarily a criminal enterprise. But it’s a red flag.”

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First, there are no magic bullets, no foods that will whisk away the cancer cells from your body or slay them when they crop up. The best you can do is to adopt a lifestyle that lowers the chance cancer cells can form and spread. The Mediterranean dietary approach is a lifestyle associated with a reduced risk of some cancers, including epithelial, colon, breast, genital tract, prostate and skin cancers. With all this benefit, they must be doing something right. Don’t feel like you have to match the Mediterranean cuisine molecule for molecule, and eat pasta and parmesan, or baguettes and brie every day. It’s more important to follow the principles that help prevent cancer. And rule No. 1 is to get real. The diet includes many types of foods, but all are real foods— everything was grown, not synthesized in a lab: fruits, vegetables, legumes and olive oil. Fish is their staple meat. Any of these standard components of the diet can help reduce cancer. Taken together, their synergistic effect makes the cancer-preventing benefit that much stronger. So eat real food, and avoid synthetic sugars such as aspartame and high fructose corn syrup, synthetic fats such as hydrogenated oils and Olestra, along with the preservatives, stabilizers and chemicals that give your food the shelf life of steel belted radials.

THEM’S FIGHTIN’ FOODS Some foods are better at preventing cancer than others. When making food selections, don’t feel like you have to eat piles of these foods. Simply include them on your plate.

Cruciferous vegetables Broccoli, cabbage, and collards are perhaps the best of the best cancer preventers, because of their indole-3 and isothiocyanate molecules, which can prevent the oxidative stress that leads to cancer formation in the first place, and block the proliferation of cancer cells that have already developed.

Orange foods

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Carrots, pumpkin and squash are loaded with the carotenes that make your cancer risk plummet.

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The financial decisions PICK THE BEST PLAN Yes, choosing a health insurance plan is like navigating a maze—one that keeps changing just when you think you’ve mastered it. But it’s important to ask questions, and sort through all your options before making a decision. If you work for an employer that provides health insurance, you already have a head start. But when you have several options, such as low-deductible and high-deductible plans, it’s crucial to figure out which will best meet your needs, rather than just going for the cheapest option. Nancy Metcalf is senior program editor for Consumer Reports. She suggests first taking stock of all your potential needs for the year. Do you have any lingering problems from an old injury? Big dental work you’ve been putting off? Then it might be a bad idea to opt for a cheaper monthly plan with a high deductible that could drain your budget if you end up in the emergency room. “There’s no free lunch, no bargain in health care,” Metcalf says. “You get what you pay for, because insurance companies have to stay in business.” If you don’t have an employer-sponsored health care plan, you have several options—and they’re going to change later this year because of the Affordable Health Care for America Act. For now, Metcalf says, your best bet is to search for plans using an authoritative source: HealthCare.gov. It’s a government-run site that includes information on only 38

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There’s no way around it. From diet to exercise to how often you visit your doctor, money matters when it comes to your health. Keeping your body and mind running in tip-top shape requires smart, calculated decisions—the kind of decisions that may seem overwhelming when you’re on a budget. But before you throw up your hands and think you’ll never be able to manage your health and your pocketbook simultaneously, take a minute to pick up a few tips from the pros. Turns out, the healthy choice isn’t always the more expensive one.

BY ERIN G OLDEN

INVESTMENT that can make or break your health reputable insurance providers, not the scammers that frequently turn up in a simple Internet search. “Unless you are on the website of a famous insurance company, like BlueCross BlueShield—don’t fill out any (forms), because swindlers will call you,” Metcalf says. By the end of 2013, however, people looking for individual insurance plans will be able to use state exchanges. These will provide much of the same guidance as employers that offer health insurance, Metcalf says. “They will make sure that all the plans sold on the exchange are good, and won’t leave you exposed to enormous amounts of out-ofpocket expenses, or big gaps in coverage,” she says. When you select a plan, read the fine print. Make sure it covers everything you’re looking for—whether that includes prescriptions, dental and vision care, or benefits for other family members. Mary Gresham, an Atlanta-based psychologist who also works with clients on financial planning, says taking the time to be thorough often results in big savings. Too often, people don’t take advantage of flex spending accounts, or they don’t spend the money they’ve set aside for health expenses before it expires. “Really make an effort to understand the financial literacy side of health care, because most people don’t. They leave a lot of money on the table,” she says. But it’s not all about your insurance plan. Making good decisions every day is just as important for your health and your bank account.

DON’T BLOW YOUR STACKS Don’t spend money on more than you need. Sure, a deal on a big bag of fresh apples or spinach sounds great on paper. But it ends up being a waste if you can’t eat it all before the food spoils.

MAKE SMART CHOICES IN THE KITCHEN It’s great to be able to splurge on shiny, high-tech appliances, and load up your cupboards with expensive ingredients from the health food store. But big spending certainly isn’t a requirement for a healthy balanced diet. If you’re trying to rein in spending, opting to cook at home more often than you dine out is an easy way to find significant savings. Plus, when we eat at home, we tend to make better decisions—without even realizing it, says Connie Diekman, director of campus nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis. “We tend to think about what we need, and not loading up a full plate,” she says. Of course, it helps if you’ve first made the right decisions at the grocery store. Looking at the price tags can be overwhelming, especially for shoppers trying to make smart, healthy choices. Organic products are typically more expensive, as are many others stamped with some kind of “healthy” label. “Most food, whether they are organic products or grass-fed beef, nutritionally all those products will be almost identical,” Diekman says. “If there are differences, they are too small to worry about if you want your dollars to go the furthest.” Take advantage of coupons and other deals at the grocery store, so long as you don’t stock up on more than you need, Diekman warns. Staples such as grains, cereals and frozen vegetables can survive for weeks or months. But a deal on a big bag of fresh apples or spinach ends up being a waste if you can’t consume it all. Also, don’t fall into the trap of buying something just because it’s on sale, or because you have a coupon. When you do buy fresh food, Chicago-based nutritionist Renee Clerkin suggests looking for in-season produce and choosing whole carrots, lettuce and other veggies, rather than the sliced up, prepackaged versions. And as for spending a lot of cash to outfit your kitchen? No need. Just get the basics and take good care of them. “I don’t have anything in my kitchen that my grandma would not have had in hers,” Clerkin says. “You don’t need an herb mill if you have a knife or a garlic peeler. Keeping it simple in the kitchen is key to spending more time in the kitchen. And that is the whole point behind cooking healthy.”

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THINK BEYOND THE GYM Depending on where you live, a gym membership can be a major drain on your bank account, usually costing at least a few hundred dollars each year. And building up your own home gym? If you’re looking at treadmills or other cardio machines, you’re talking thousands. But unless you’re training for the Olympics, you can probably make do with a lot less. Dr. Rahul Khare is a doctor and health sciences researcher at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Khare says gyms are convenient, because they have everything you need in one spot. Even easier, though, is just lacing up your running shoes and taking a walk or jog through your neighborhood. If you have some room in your exercise budget, pick up a pedometer or another activity tracker, such as a Nike+ wristband, to keep track of your mileage. Khare says aiming for 10,000 steps per day is ideal. “Make it a routine,” he says. “Get a group of friends who like to walk. Combine social interaction with exercise.” Khare also suggests searching the Internet for workout routines you can do at home with some or no equipment at all. Aim for reliable sources, such as well-known health and fitness websites. Start working on push-ups, adding a few every day. Find ways to use your own body weight for resistance, and the changes will quickly add up. “That is all you really need,” he says. “You don’t need any fancy bands or free weights or machines.” And if you’re worried about the cost of getting your kids involved with multiple sports teams, Khare says that means you’re thinking about activity in the wrong way. They don’t need an organized sport to be active and connect with peers. “Playing in a non-structured environment with friends will also help developmentally, and with their problem-solving,” he says.

SEE FINANCES AS A FAMILY MATTER Your money has a big impact on all sorts of decisions about your personal life: if and when you get married, when you have children—and how many—where you live, and even if you can afford a pet or go on vacation. Psychologist and financial expert Gresham says everyone involved in those choices should have a role in the discussion, because it can cut down on conflict. “Money tends to be the No. 1 argument in marital problems,” she says. Beyond that, it’s another chance to sort through the options. Family meetings can provide an important time to make lists. Discuss what the family wants to do, whether it’s a remodeling project or a vacation, and then how that fits into the budget. “Even the children get a vote, so they start making these decisions, too,” Gresham says. “Say, ‘We can either take this airplane trip and go far away, or stay nearby and have a nicer hotel. What’s most important to us?’”

LOCAL CONNECTION SOIL and SEMO Better Business Bureau spokesman offers tips for finding a financial planner BY DANETTE M. WATT

A financial planner can help you navigate the often-confusing maze of debt management, retirement and estate planning, and investment advice. How can you tell if you’ve hired a Warren Buffett and not a Bernie Madoff? Chris Thetford, spokesman for the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, offers some tips.

with the Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulators. Contact the Better Business Bureau for complaints about specific people.

MAKE SURE THEY’RE CERTIFIED If they are, they’ll have “CFP,” which stands for “certified financial planner,” after their name. And they have to stay qualified by taking continuing education classes.

ASK HOW THEY’LL GET PAID If it’s by commission, that’s when the tough questions come in. There might be a better plan for you than what they’re trying to sell you.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK Check with the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors and the Financial Planning Association if the planner is a member. If the planner gives investment advice, check

BECOME EDUCATED Learn the vocabulary and terms of financial planners. Research available investment and savings plans. “You need to feel confident enough to ask the tough questions.”

BE WILLING TO HEAR THE TOUGH ANSWERS You may get hooked into a plan that doesn’t work for you, Thetford says. Don’t listen to someone promising “the sun and moon. That’s a big red flag. No one can predict the future, or has a crystal ball.”

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CALCULATE WANTS VS. NEEDS It’s the little things that can help us get through the grind of every day: a fresh haircut, a massage, a splurge on a new outfit, or a top-of-the line set of golf clubs. But those purchases can leave holes in your budget, especially if you haven’t taken the time to plan for them. Psychologist and financial expert Gresham says it’s crucial to see every expense as something that fits into a category. “What’s really important is to sit down and make what we call a ‘forced choice’ list of values,� she says. “The reason it is a forced choice is because all values are important, but you can’t fund all of them.� Then, put the values in order. You might be most interested in saving money and building a nest egg for the future. Or the top priority might be education—yours or your children’s, or both. It might be your physical health. Whatever it is, your spending should reflect it when you pencil out your finances. “Take a step back, and look at the big picture,� Gresham says. “If you’re spending more than you truly value on appearance or clothing, you can shift that just by noticing, every time you spend, the way you feel.�

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WOULD MORE CASH IMPROVE YOUR MOOD? We’ve all heard the same old lines: “The best things in life are free.� “Money can’t buy happiness.� Solid advice, right? Not so fast. Princeton University researchers a surveyed about 450,000 people in 2008 and 2009. The researchers found that the more money people earn, the less likely they are to feel sad or worried on a day-to-day basis—at least up to a certain point: $75,000. Over that amount, people continued to feel positive about their life overall as their income levels went up. But for those exceeding the $75,000 salary level, there was no major decrease in daily worries or stress. The researchers wrote: “We conclude that high income buys life satisfaction but not happiness, and that low income is associated both with low life evaluation and low emotional well-being.�

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What is Old? BY PAIGE FUMO FOX

We’re living longer, which is great. But more years means more bills, an aging body and time spent alone. How we can live our best life—no matter how long it lasts.

Laverne Hart, a World War II Navy veteran and retired insurance auditor from Chicago’s south suburbs, enjoys her almost daily card games and lunches at senior centers, and the park district in her neighborhood. A widow for many years, Hart lives alone. Her only son lives in California. She uses a walker, but still drives and maintains her own home. “I have a lot of ailments, but I keep on going,” says Hart, who is still energetic at 90 years old. Or perhaps that should read, “energetic at 90 years.” Period. “I’m not old,” Hart says. “‘Old’ is not by age.” People like Hart used to be the exception. But now, living into your 90s is no surprise. The average American life expectancy is 78. That’s 10 more years than 1950, when most people lived until 68. And it’s more than 30 years longer than the life expectancy at the turn of the century. Like beauty, age is now in the eye of the beholder. Most of the oldest baby boomers think they will be “old” when they turn 79, according to a 2011 study by MetLife, which surveyed people born in 1946. About 20% of the 1,012 respondents thought they were mentally at their sharpest in their 60s. As people live longer, they celebrate birthdays with family and friends, but struggle with the challenges of a breaking-down body, fizzling finances and the question of whether they are “old”—and what that even means.

AGING IS INEVITABLE

IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION While life expectancy has climbed over the past few decades, Dr. Timothy Vavra says he fears that trend may reverse because of the increase in obesity in the United States. “There are a lot more diabetes and obesity-related complications. It’s going to lead to shorter lives,” Vavra predicts.

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You may feel as sprightly as a child with the wiles of a teenager, but sociologist Linda Waite says you must pay attention to your body when it starts telling you you’re old, no matter how active you are. “A 100-year-old might feel 15, but her body isn’t the same as a 15-year-old’s,” says Waite, who directs the Center on Aging at University of Chicago. “She doesn’t sleep like a 15-yearold. Her mind isn’t like a 15-year-old’s.” People are living longer because of better health care and more knowledge about how to stay physically sound. But no matter what you do to feel young, your body breaks down over time. No one can escape the inevitable physical decline that comes with our mortal selves. “Men are more likely to get the big serious stuff,” Waite says. “Women are more likely to have the things that don’t kill you, but make your life miserable,” such as hearing and vision loss, arthritis, mobility issues, and memory loss. Dr. Timothy Vavra is an internist at Loyola University Medical Center in suburban Chicago. He says he cares for plenty of healthy and active older patients, and others who suffer more from the effects of age. “You see all extremes,” he says. And while he consults a few patients riding their bicycles into their 80s, and traveling through Alaska in their 90s, that doesn’t mean they are without pains and problems. “People are living longer these days. Twenty, 30, 40 years ago—we didn’t have the aging problems back then,” Vavra says. “Arthritis is the biggest issue.” Arthritis is joined by heart disease and hypertension as the three most common chronic conditions among people age 65, according to the government report Older Americans 2012. Even among relatively healthy adults with strong hearts, physical failings are typically in store. “Your ears are going to go bad. Your eyes are going to go bad,” Vavra says. Medical science has figured out how to correct some issues. “Cataracts, those can be fixed.”

LOSSES AND CHANGES The longer we live, the more we lose—hearing, memory, mobility and loved ones. It can all be quite depressing. “What are the things that help us age with grace? What can mitigate those losses? Staying involved,” says Signe Gleeson, a geriatric care manager in suburban Chicago. Staying active and connected is important, Gleeson says. Without it, an older person can feel isolated, leading to a loss of emotional well-being, and even cognition. Older people can connect at community senior centers and adult day care centers, and get help from Area Agencies on Aging that offer services, including transportation and meal delivery. Churches and community colleges also offer trips, classes and other programming geared toward older adults. Facing the limitations of an aging body can be emotionally difficult, but small adjustments can actually ensure people stay healthy and independent. “Our big concern is patients falling,” Vavra says. He talks with patients about ways to prevent those falls, such as rearranging furniture, using a cane or walker, and relocating their bedroom to the first floor. When appropriate, he encourages patients to use physical therapy to prolong their mobility. “Once you’re in a wheelchair, muscle mass deteriorates quickly,” Vavra says. Vavra says it helps when family members are involved in older people’s lives, and take part in discussions about health care and lifestyle. Don’t think your family is interfering. They care, and that’s a good thing. “We’re all going to get to that point when we need our kids to take care of us,” Vavra says. “Most of us who have good families know we should be watching out for our families.” When Vavra consults seniors who don’t have a ready network of care, he often gets the hospital’s social workers involved. They can visit the patient’s home to determine their needs ,and arrange for Meals on Wheels and other services.

‘Old’ is very much a state of mind. RETIRED SCHOOLTEACHER KAREN SCANLON

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MORE TIME, LESS MONEY

ESTIMATED LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH YEAR

2008

75.6

80.6

2000

74.1

79.3

1990

71.8

78.8

1980

70.0

77.4

1970

67.1

74.7

1960

66.6

73.1

1950

65.6

71.1

1940

60.8

65.2

1930

58.1

61.6

1920

53.6

54.6

Karen Scanlon, a retired schoolteacher in California, says she feels pretty good at 65. She is doing all the things she hoped to do—travel, babysit her grandchildren, and care for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Scanlon says when she was 40, she figured she’d still be working now. As a divorced mom, she didn’t have much retirement savings. But she went back to school to earn her teaching certificate, and got a job with a pension. She also remarried in 2006, becoming part of a double-income, double-pension household. Retirement, and the fun that comes with it, became a reality. MetLife’s 2011 survey of people born in 1946 found that half of the seniors think they are “on track or have achieved their retirement goals.” But while some baby boomers retire with comfortable pensions or 401(k) savings, others struggle to make ends meet with Social Security payments and scant savings. Many just keep working, says Derek Tharp, a financial planner for Mote Wealth Management in Iowa. “The economy, rising health care costs and longevity haven’t helped retirees,” Tharp says. “But lack of planning and earlier saving has a bigger impact on those who are prepared, and those who aren’t.” To maximize their income as late into life as possible, Tharp suggests clients consider only partially retiring, and waiting as long as possible before claiming Social Security. “Choosing the optimal strategy can mean the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Tharp says. In the past, older people mostly only worried about financial plans for after their death. Now they have to plan for how to manage their household for the long haul, through downsizing and health issues, says attorney Darcy Chamberlin, of Chamberlin Law Group in suburban Chicago. Twenty years ago, Chamberlin says her practice mostly focused on planning funeral arrangements, and how to divide up an estate after a family member’s death. Now, families often need help figuring out their role in the health and finances of their aging mom or dad. And the parents need to make some decisions, too. “If you’re unable to participate in your health care decision-making or financial decision-making, how do you make sure your wishes will be carried out?” Chamberlin says. Chamberlin encourages her clients to talk with their children or caregivers about big decisions, including where they want to live if they can’t remain completely independent. Seniors may consider legal documents, such as a durable power of attorney for health care, and a mental health care declaration. Some seniors keep working through their 70s, because they want to work, not because they need the money, says Lauren Lindsay, director of financial planning for Personal Financial Advisors based in Louisiana. “They love what they do,” Lindsay says. “It’s more men than women. I think men tend to be more tied to their career as part of their identity.” Others keep working because of habit or because they may be widowed, lonely or bored.

MAKE IT COUNT 1910

48.4

51.8

1900

46.3

48.3

SOURCE: NATIONAL VITAL STATISTICS REPORTS, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

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Age comes with perspective. It’s one of the great benefits of getting older. Don’t pass up this chance for self-reflection, and an opportunity to affect your world, your family and neighborhood, says geriatric care expert Signe Gleeson. “It’s an opportunity to consider your legacy, what you want to pass on,” Gleeson says. “Examine what you want. What kind of community do you want? What are your values? What are the inner resources you have to be able to manage with grace?” Draw on your inner strength and character, and make your last years— however many they may be—the best yet.

AGING ACHES AND PAINS Baby boomers are accounting for the Silver Tsunami, the term for the upsurge in older adults. As seniors are living longer, they are more at risk for joint problems and heart disease. Data collected in 2009 and 2010 show that many people 65 and older live with some common ailments. 56% of women have arthritis 45% of men have arthritis 26% of women live with heart disease 37% of men live with heart disease 17% of people 65 to 74 need help walking 28% of people 85 and older need help walking

People are living older these days. Twenty, 30, 40 years ago— we didn’t have the aging problems back then. DR. TIMOTHY VAVRA

OLDER IN AMERICA IN THE END, IT’S YOUR AGE As people age nowadays, they can be torn between an old and new set of values. Instead of quietly slipping into “old age,” with all the slow-down that accompanies it, a new attitude expects seniors to socialize, absorb new technology, and be as vibrant as they ever were. And many people would like to live their longer life to its fullest. Gleeson founded ElderCare Solutions 15 years ago to support children, spouses, siblings and other caregivers of older people. The service helps them manage their medical and lifestyle needs. Geriatric care management is a field that has grown in the past two decades, hastened by the influx of older adults. Gleeson says she would like people to embrace some of the change that comes with age, and be realistic. “You see these ads, they have these people climbing Mt. Everest at age 90. That’s not the norm,” Gleeson says. “There are things we can do to stay healthy, but we still age.” Even so, many people see their later years as a chance to do the things they never had time for while raising families and holding down jobs. In her retirement, Scanlon has been enjoying photography, a book club, and especially traveling. Scanlon says her younger self may have once considered 65 to be “old,” but not anymore. “Late 80s is old. Or maybe ‘old’ is when your life is inhibited by health issues,” Scanlon says. “But someone who’s in good shape and they’re 80, that’s not old. I think ‘old’ is very much a state of mind.” And there’s nothing wrong with feeling and acting young, as long as you have a good perspective on your age, for your happiness and safety. “Most people age very well,” Gleeson says. “(But it has) its own sense of challenges. Aging is part of the life cycle. The challenge is accepting limitations with grace, and accepting assistance.”

13% The number of Americans 65 and older in 2010. 20% of the U.S. population will be 65 or older by 2030. That’s 1 in 5 Americans. 26% of older Americans are living with low incomes (from $10,458 to $20,916), down from 35% in 1974. The burden of housing cost has increased for seniors. In 1985, households with at least one person age 65 or older spent 30% of their income on housing and utilities. By 2009, that cost reached 40%. 87% of those older than 65 were Caucasian in 2010. The diversity of the U.S. senior population will increase. That number will drop to 77% by 2050. SIDEBAR SOURCES: ADMINISTRATION ON AGING, A PROFILE OF OLDER AMERICANS: 2011; FEDERAL INTERAGENCY FORUM ON AGING-RELATED STATISTICS; U.S. CENSUS BUREAU FORECASTS; U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, THE NEXT FOUR DECADES: THE OLDER POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES: 2010 TO 2050

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MID AMERICA

GODFREY, IL

PICTURE OF GOOD HEALTH

Investment Partners CASH PLAY Activities included bounce houses, tug-of-war, photo booths, craft tables, and more.

MAKING MONEY AMUSING Kidz Dayz brings together community businesses and residents to help kids learn and grow. Sam represents Liberty Bank at many community events. He is part of the bank’s plan to make learning about money and investing fun for kids through games and activities.

HEADQUARTERS Lewis and Clark Community College hosts the event each year.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

THE DOLLAR DUO Leah Maggart, 3, of Elsah, Ill., holds the hand of Sam the Eagle at the fifth annual Kidz Dayz event in Godfrey, Ill.

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HOW MANY CAME TO LEARN? About 650 people attended the event.

Do you have a photo you’d like to see in Picture of Good Health? Email dwatt@cmghealth.net.

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C O M M U N I T Y H E A LT H

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