To Your Good Health Health and Fitness You need more than an apple a day
Commit to be fit in 2019 January 23, 2019
A special supplement to The Wetumpka Herald, The Tallassee Tribune & The Eclectic Observer
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JANUARY 23, 2019
TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH 2019
Ivy Creek offers multiple services for patients, caregivers By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
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esidents of Dadeville and Wetumpka who may be suffering from sleep issues or are caring for a loved one can turn to Ivy Creek facilities to get the help they need or get a break from caring for a family member. Patients dealing with issues such as sleep apnea or snoring can visit one of the sleep labs offered at both Elmore Community Hospital in Wetumpka and Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville and receive a diagnosis to obtain the treatment they need. “We have been offering sleep lab services for two years now,” Ivy Creek’s Amanda Hannon said. “We have two rooms in Wetumpka and can handle up to 10 patients a week. We have the same setup in Dadeville.” Hannon said the Wetumpka sleep lab offers the same services with the same technicians patients would receive in Montgomery, while the sleep lab in Dadeville works with the same technicians patients would work with in Auburn. Each room in the sleep lab is set up in a similar manner to a hotel room, with a large bed and television. Once a patient is in the room, he or she is connected to a number of sensors monitored by a technician in a separate room. Hospice care is another big service Ivy Creek provides for patients. Although the care has undergone a rebranding in recent years, Hannon said the staff and the quality of service remain the same. While many may think of hospice as being “end-of-life” care, Ashley Benton with Ivy Creek said that is somewhat of a misconception. “It’s more than just end of life,” Benton said. Hannon added, “We have actually seen multiple patients who have lived longer with hospice care than they might have without it.” Additionally, Hannon and Benton said the hospice care offered by Ivy Creek is for more than patients in Elmore and Tallapoosa counties; it is also available in Coosa, Chambers, Clay, Lee and Macon counties. One of the newer services Ivy Creek offers to clients is the Ivy Creek Respite Resort. Designed as a short-term relief program for primary caregivers, it allows caregivers to take a break from providing care to their loved ones. “We started it around six months ago at both of our facilities,” Benton said. “However, we had been wanting to do this for a long time.” As the respite resort, those receiving care stay in a private hospital room, where they have access to a 24-hour nursing staff who can assist with medication and other basic needs. Meals are provided for all patients, with special diets available for those who may have certain nutritional needs or restrictions, Benton said. Hannon said the average stay at the respite resort has been five to seven days, though arrangements can be made for an overnight stay. Benton added patients at the respite resort are allowed to bring items from home to make their stay more comfortable. Hannon said around six patients and their caregivers had taken advantage of the new respite resort at the Elmore Community Hospital, while Benton said roughly the same number had used the service at Lake Martin Community Hospital. While there are a limited number of beds available for the respite resort, Hannon said patients are welcome to use this program as long as there is an inpatient bed available at the hospital. “It’s been a huge word-of-mouth thing,” Benton said. Hannon said, “The immediate reaction we hear is relief. The caregivers feel confident their loved one will be taken care of while the family gets a break.” For more information about the Ivy Creek Respite Resort, Elmore Community Hospital can be reached at 334-514-3688, while Lake Martin Community Hospital can be contacted at 256-825-3201.
Donald Campbell / Tallapoosa Publishers
“We have been offering sleep lab services for two years now. We have two rooms in Wetumpka and can handle up to 10 patients a week.” — Amanda Hannon
Above: The Ivy Creek Respite Resort at Elmore Community Hospital provides patients with a private room, access to a 24-hour nursing staff and assistance with everyday tasks. The resort at Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville is set up in the same way. Below: Ivy Creek’s sleep lab gives patients a comfortable setting to have the study conducted in. Set up like a hotel room, the lab has a large bed and a television for patients.
JANUARY 23, 2019
Poor diet among causes of local health issues By DONALD CAMPBELL Staff Writer
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for everyone. This includes eating right and exercising, among other things. Despite this, health issues abound. Throughout the Southeast, concerns such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and heart issues are highly prevalent. What causes these issues and what can be done to try and combat the problem? Nationally, nearly one out of every three deaths occurring each year is caused by heart disease and stroke. Of these, it has been estimated 200,000 deaths were preventable. In the most recent report from the Alabama Department of Public Health, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the state, with 12,824 deaths in 2016. Diabetes was the cause of 1,181 deaths and another 560 were the result of hypertension. “Heart issues are a big concern for us,� said Ashley Benton with Ivy Creek Health, which operates the Elmore Community Hospital in Wetumpka and Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville. “It’s hard to say what we see more.� Although she is unsure which one is seen most at Ivy Creek facilities, and while all four may manifest themselves in different ways, Benton said there are a few factors they all share.
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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH 2019
Benton said diet plays a significant role in health issues seen throughout the area. Fried foods and plentiful home-cooked meals are a virtual staple of the South, and the comfort these foods bring is not always easy to give up. “The foods we eat, it can sometimes be hard to get away from them,� Benton said. Economic status can also play a role in health issues, Benton said. She said there is a misconception healthier foods are often more expensive than alternatives not as nutritious to the human body. While finding ways to overcome these issues and return to a healthier lifestyle may be a difficult task, it is not impossible. Benton said Ivy Creek offers a number of educational services designed to help patients lead healthier lives. These include customizing a diet plan to show how easy it can be to eat healthier and not have to spend a great deal of money to do so. Ivy Creek also offers echocardiograms, stroke prevention tests and carotid artery ultrasounds to patients with heart issues to help detect and prevent these concerns from becoming larger or deadlier. Even though there may be a number of obstacles to overcome when looking for ways to eat healthier and maintain a better lifestyle, it can be done with work and determination.
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Ivy Creek Health operates Elmore Community Hospital in Wetumpka, above, as well as Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville. Ivy Creek’s Ashley Benton said heart issues are a big concern for the facilities.
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JANUARY 23, 2019
TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH 2019
Community Home Health and Hospice helps like a neighbor By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
File / Tallapoosa Publishers
A group of city leaders and volunteers began a walkability study of Tallassee’s sidewalks Aug. 18 after attending a workshop hosted by Alabama Communities of Excellence that focused on how to make the city more walkable and pedestrian-, bicycle- and wheelchair-friendly. The group walked the Jordanville neighborhood, including all of Jordan Avenue and the lower housing authority site. Pictured are volunteer Ann Christian, Mayor Johnny Hammock, councilmember Damain Carr, and Tallassee High School student councilmember Nicole Patterson.
PATH TO GOOD HEALTH:
Tallassee’s new sidewalks challenge residents to get active
By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
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esidents in East Tallassee welcomed new sidewalks along Main Street last summer and city officials said the newly laid concrete not only adds to the community’s aesthetics but also offers residents a path to good
health. “We want people to get healthy,” Tallassee Mayor Johnny Hammock said. “We want to get them health conscious and have them get out and walk more.” Over the last year, Hammock and members of the Tallassee City Council attended workshops hosted by Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) and focused on creating ways to make the city more walkable and friendly to pedestrian, bicycle and wheelchair traffic in the future. “We wanted to see where we had sidewalks that needed to be repaired, where we needed to cut back some stuff, like brush growing over the sidewalks and things of that nature,” Hammock said.
Not only did city officials offer residents a path to better health, they also challenged the community to get out and walk. “We have challenged everyone in town to walk a hundred miles by May,” Hammock said. The City of Tallassee and Tallassee City Schools have teamed up to encourage families in the community to get healthy by establishing the new “Healthy Families Initiative.” As part of this initiative, the 50- and 100-Mile Club at Tallassee Elementary School is being expanded to include everyone in town. “I have already walked a hundred miles,” Hammock said. Some parts of the city do not have sidewalks but Hammock said that could soon change. “We’re looking at areas in the city to add new sidewalks,” Hammock said. “We replaced the sidewalks in East Tallassee and in the future maybe we can write a TAP grant to add sidewalks in areas that don’t have them.” For more information about the 100-mile challenge, see Suzannah Wilson at Suzannah’s Photography, located at 305 James St., or call her at 334-283-8172.
Community Home Health and Hospice, an affiliate of Community Hospice Care, is the only locally owned and operated non-profit home care and hospice agency serving Tallassee, Eclectic, Reeltown, Wetumpka and surrounding communities. Located on Gilmer Avenue in Tallassee, the healthcare company strives to be the area leader in quality in-home care services in Elmore, Macon and Tallapoosa counties, with staff members available 24 hours a day. The Community Home healthcare team guides and instructs patients on the road to recovery in the comfort of their homes. Its team of nursing, medical social work, therapists and home health aides work with patients, families and their healthcare providers to achieve their recovery goals. “We have made it our mission to provide restorative care with compassionate hearts and skilled hands,” Community Home Healthcare director Sharon Tatum said. “We have a personal interest in our community and the surrounding areas because not only do we work here, we live here. Our families, friends, neighbors and church families are here. This hometown foundation enables our team to provide an unparalleled level of personalized care that enhances your home health experience and, most importantly, your recovery. I am honored and blessed to be part of such a skilled and dedicated team of professionals.” The hospice care team began caring for patients in 2001. It understands the complexity of issues that surround hospice care and the end of life. The care process is designed to maximize a patient’s and family’s quality of life. It offers patients and their loved one’s comfort, support and guidance when facing a terminal illness. Patients can receive care in their homes, in a nursing home or in an assisted living facility. Families receive services during the care process and also receive continued services after the death of a loved one. “Folks tell me all the time how great my staff is,” Community Hospice Care director Kim Vest said. “I can honestly say that each person working for Community Hospice Care is not just doing a job. They see their role in hospice as a personal ministry, caring for their neighbors, friends and community. It is a wonderful service and I am so blessed to be a part of it.” The Community Hospice Care team also consists of the Heart of Hospice volunteer program which works with patients and families in the home setting. Volunteers visit with patients and sometimes read, play games or just enjoy fellowship with them. Some volunteers also work in the office answering phones, copying, filing and assisting with events and activities. Community Home Health and Hospice provides services up to 35 miles from the home office on Gilmer Avenue. Referrals can be accepted from any hospital or physician’s office. For more information, call Community Home Health at 256-283-4522 or Community Hospice Care at 256-283-4250.
JANUARY 23, 2019
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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH 2019
Wetumpka’s Cody Arant returns home as athletic trainer By CALEB TURRENTINE Sports Writer
As the calendar changes from December to January, people want to find new ways to improve themselves. More exercise, better eating and other health-related goals find their way to the top of most lists. For full-time trainers, these are the kind of goals set every day for the people they work with. Cody Arant is in his first season as the full-time athletic trainer at Wetumpka High School. Arant spends his days with all the student-athletes, treating injuries and keeping the players healthy so they can stay in the contest as long as possible. “It’s rewarding for us to have a position here for a former student to come back and work with us,” Wetumpka athletic director Tim Perry said. “To have a young man with his expertise and experience here at the school is invaluable. The quality of care our athletes are able to receive here at the school, it’s just invaluable.” Arant graduated from Wetumpka and returned this year to help his alma mater enhance its athletic program. After receiving a degree from Samford, Arant spent two seasons working as an athletic trainer with the Mississippi State football team before returning home. As a full-time trainer, Arant said his main goal is making sure every athlete stays as healthy as possible and providing the best on-site healthcare he can. He wants
Submitted / Tallapoosa Publishers
Wetumpka trainer Cody Arant, left, works full time with each of the school’s athletic programs to provide immediate care for injuries.
to see the players commit to staying active and being healthy for the full season. “There is a lot we can do right here at school,” Arant said. “We have Phoenix (Rehab) that helps out a lot so we’re pretty fortunate here. We can handle a lot so it
can take some of that stress off the players and the families … The goal is to try to get them feeling better and miss as little time as possible.” Trainers are often seen on the sidelines of sporting events and quickly jump
into action when needed during a game. However, a lot of their work happens behind the scenes. Arant is at the school each morning for whichever sport is working out earliest. He stays on campus all day, working with players and evaluating injuries as quickly as possible. “With every sport, I’m here for every practice,” Arant said. “We have to make sure there is cold water available to avoid heat injuries. If I see something in the way, you have to make sure to move it if someone could get hurt. It’s about making sure our guys aren’t put in a bad position.” When people set new goals about improving their health, the typical advice is about getting rid of bad habits and replacing them with good ones. Arant said it is similar when working with athletes. Getting high school athletes to prepare for a season is no easy task. As with most people preparing for new workouts, Arant helps set goals for the athletes and helps them stick to the routine to stay in shape. “Establishing something is a big thing,” Arant said. “For example, I worked with (Wetumpka senior Colton) Adams and stretched every day before the season when he was working through some small injuries. “We got into a routine and those things didn’t bother him as much at the end of the season. You have to be able to get at it hard and heavy early on so you can build that habit.”
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JANUARY 23, 2019
TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH 2019
Save the Tatas Benefit Ride scheduled for July By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
Event coordinators have announced the Save the Tatas Benefit Ride to raise awareness of breast cancer is scheduled for July 27. Last year’s benefit ride raised about $9,000 for the Joy to Life Foundation and it has raised approximately $51,000 during the last eight years. The poker run-style benefit ride takes bikers on a 125-mile course beginning in Wetumpka at Quail Walk Country Club and ending at the Tallassee VFW. Helen Phillips of Eclectic began the benefit ride in 2010 after losing her mother to cancer. “I started this ride because of my mama,” she said. “It continues to grow because of so many of you that believe in the cause. The Joy to Life foundation does a lot for men and women throughout the state.” The organization provides free mammograms and other breast cancer screenings when necessary to medically underserved women in Alabama. Joy to Life also provides limited
grants when needed and strives to build and support breast cancer awareness among all Alabamians. Phillips said she is pleased with the benefit ride’s success and appreciates the many volunteers who worked so hard to bring it fruition. “I could not have done this without every member of the staff and all those that have ever supported ‘Save the Tatas,’” Phillips said. “I want to thank them all from the bottom of my heart.” According to Phillips, this year’s ride will be as enjoyable as those in the past and she and her team are currently brainstorming new ideas. “Right now, we are trying to come up with new and exciting things to do,” she said. With six months remaining before the big day, Phillips hopes this year’s benefit ride will be one for the record books. If you want to donate to this cause or for more information about the 2019 Save the Tatas Benefit Ride, contact Phillips at 334-531-2715 or visit www.facebook.com/ savetatasbenefitride/
File / Tallapoosa Publishers
This year’s Save the Tatas Benefit Ride is scheduled for July 27.
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JANUARY 23, 2019
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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH 2019
How to maintain a healthy workout regimen and diet By AMY PASSARETTI Elmore County Living Editor
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lot of people set their New Year’s Resolutions to be something involving losing weight. Whether it’s to eat better or work out more, everyone wants to shed a few pounds. But it’s a combination of both that actually seems to work best and keeps those pounds off for the longterm. “Fitness can be beautiful,” said Cara Tidwell, fitness and wellness coordinator at Total Fitness in Alexander City. To maintain a healthy workout regimen, it’s best to start small, according to Total Fitness fitness specialist Amy Jones. Even just 10 minutes of walking will help, she said. “If you feel like you can’t devote a large chunk of time to working out, find 10 minutes earlier in the day and then another two sets of 10 minutes throughout your day,” Jones said. “It makes it more manageable. The No. 1 goal is to keep moving.” Even daily activities such as sweeping, mopping, gardening and playing basketball with the kids, all
count toward a daily exercise routine. Jones said to incorporate exercise into engagement with the family, so it doesn’t feel like work. For health purposes, 30 minutes of exercise is recommended, and for weight loss it needs to be more. “It doesn’t have to be drudgery,” Tidwell said. “Park farther away in the parking lot. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.” Personalizing a fitness routine is vital for success as well, Tidwell explained. How people start off will determine their desire to continue a workout program. In conjunction with exercise, a popular resolution people make is to eat healthier and in turn, lose weight. Goal-makers need to not be discouraged though and realize creating these patterns of habits take time. “You usually see people wanting to make this change coming into the New Year,” Russell Medical registered and licensed dietitian Linda Moore said. “I think a lot of people are looking for the miracle quick fix,” The best solution, Moore said, is to go back to the basics and common sense of healthy eating. “Cut back on portion sizes; don’t
Audra Spears / Tallapoosa Publishers
Amy Jones, back, and Cara Tidwell from Total Fitness demonstrate an exercise move.
skip meals; eat healthy snacks,” Moore said. “Start by looking at the calories on a label; then, check out the ingredients. The first ingredient is going to be the most prevalent in that product.” Picking foods with less ingredients means they are less processed, which goes back to the basics. Things that
should be avoided are excess sugar and excess fried foods with saturated fats. For more technical, in-depth instruction on reading labels and how to determine what to look for, contact a registered dietitian. They also could help develop a plan that works specifically for an individual.
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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH 2019
JANUARY 23, 2019