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Rutgers 5-Week Online Health & Wellness Series
Takin’ it Online! Rutgers-Newark’s Advocates for Healthy Living Hosts Five-Week Virtual Health and Wellness Series
By Ferlanda Nixon w/Contributers: Diane Hill and Donita Devance
The novel coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life worldwide. With most people encouraged to stay home as much as possible to help slow the spread of the virus, inactivity and isolation can cause serious physical and mental health concerns. This can be especially true among adults who are 65 years of age and older because the opportunity to engage in appropriate social-distancing activities can be challenging. To keep seniors moving, involved, and connected to others, Rutgers-Newark’s Office of University-Community Partnerships (OUCP), Advocates for Healthy Living Initiative (AHLI), and more than two dozen community partners launched Living Your Best Life Virtually on July 6.
Funded in part by a $10,000 seed grant from the Rutgers Global Health Institute, the five-week online series focused on maintaining the health and wellness of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have promoted the series as ‘an invitation to eat, drink, and be healthy by getting fit, staying in shape, employing mindful meditation, eating well, and engaging in music therapy featuring live performances by award-winning musical artists, all in the comfort of your own home,’” explained Diane Hill, assistant chancellor for university-community partnerships at Rutgers-Newark. “Although we target the series to seniors and their caregivers, all are welcome. Living Your Best Life Virtually is free and open to the public, but registration is required.”
More than 350 people participated in sessions that were held three days a week. Pamela Morgan, founder and executive director of Women in Media-Newark, moderated Meditation, Motivation, and Music Mondays, which featured meditation, motivational talks, insights, demonstrations, and rousing music therapy sessions led by Newark’s own Leisa, the One-Woman Band, and the renowned international musical artist and Newark native, Antoinette Montague accompanied by accomplished pianist Danny Mixon.
Moderated by community leaders from various agencies and service areas, Wellness Workshop Wednesdays showcased distinguished physicians and healthcare and aging services experts providing timely information on healthy aging, advice on responding to COVID-19, and details about available services. Community partners from Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences; University Hospital; Rutgers School of Public Health; the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health
(L.–R.) Leisa Brown, the One-Woman Band and Antoinette Montague enlivens the session with music and song. Andrelia Gaynor
Care Policy and Aging Research; Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center; Mental Health Association in New Jersey’s Promoting Emotional Wellness and Spirituality (PEWS) Faith-Based Initiatives; Greater Newark senior centers; and state legislators were among Fitness instructor the presenters. Crystal Gaynor Fun, Fitness and Food Fridays provided an opportunity to partake in two mid-day exercise programs with fitness trainer Crystal Gaynor—stretching and chair exercises and/or Zumba—immediately followed by gardening, healthy food selection, and cooking demonstrations conducted by representatives from the American Heart Association, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Greater Newark Conservancy, and Rutgers-Newark Gourmet Dining.
Living Your Best Life Virtually embodies OUCP’s Transdisciplinary Intergenerational Community Engagement Model, designed to promote sustainable partnerships between university and community. The model emphasizes elements of trust, reciprocity, mutual respect, leveraging resources, and other factors, as it brings together residents and community stakeholders to develop programs responsive to community needs. OUCP worked in tandem with the resident- and stakeholder-driven AHLI, and 27 community partners to design and execute the five-week summer series. Representatives from the partner organizations, as well as, more than a dozen guest presenters, provided content and transdisciplinary expertise. Many express excitement and deep satisfaction. “The program is a great idea,” shared Newarker Rhubie Stoudmire, a loyal AHLI program participant. “A lot of seniors don’t get out much. Now they have something to tune into and be a part of while receiving good information they can use for themselves and pass along to others.” Lorraine Woolridge, also a Newark native, echoed similar sentiments. “The sessions are great and quite helpful. I’ve learned about the coronavirus in general, the importance of wearing masks, how to self-quarantine in the house among noninfected family members, the pros and cons of wearing gloves, and how to disinfect commonly touched spaces and items.” Due to mobility issues, Woolridge especially enjoys the chair exercises. She listens to the sessions from her landline and receives technical assistance from a college student whenever necessary. “It’s certainly rewarding to know that Living Your Best Life Virtually is making a positive impact in the lives of our seniors in Newark,” said Hill. “A virtual platform also allows us to expand our reach beyond Newark, enabling people to tune in no matter where they are,” she added .
Don’t ignore Don’t ignore the warning signs the warning signs of a heart attack of a heart attack or stroke. or stroke.
Fast intervention can save lives. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of heart attack Fast intervention can save lives. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of heart attack or stroke, don’t ignore them. Call 911 and go directly to the closest emergency department. Our or stroke, don’t ignore them. Call 911 and go directly to the closest emergency department. Our emergency department, a certified chest pain and stroke center, is safe and ready to care for you. emergency department, a certified chest pain and stroke center, is safe and ready to care for you.
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Mumps, rubella, whooping cough and other diseases may seem like childhood illnesses of old. Thanks to vaccines, many of these potentially fatal diseases are rare. However, as evidenced by multiple measles outbreaks in the U.S. in the past few years, failure to immunize newborns against these diseases can have serious consequences.
In fact, pediatricians are extremely concerned, during the height of the COVID-19’s stay-at-home orders, that there was a dramatic decline in childhood well-visits and vaccinations. This concern has been documented by the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
The pediatric primary and specialty care practices of The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital remained open and continued seeing patients throughout the height of the pandemic.
Pediatricians continually reached out to patient families, especially parents of newborns, and were able to maintain upward of 75 percent of necessary well-care visits, in the past few months, noted David Jaipersaud, executive director of Saint Peter’s Children’s Hospital.
However, pediatricians including Michael Lucas, MD, FAAP, and medical director of the Pediatric Faculty Group at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, remain concerned. He said the result of families not following recommended immunization protocols could become a huge global health crisis.
“Vaccines help keep children safe from so many diseases that are active and can have devastating effects,” he explained. “Even though right now there is a heavy focus on the coronavirus, vaccinations against childhood illnesses remain critically important.
These diseases are very real and can put children in the hospital. As a pediatrician, I know how important protecting these children is, not only for themselves but for our entire public health system.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has already identified the recent decrease in vaccinations during COVID-19 as a “major public health threat.”
“If we lapse on vaccinations,” added Dr. Lucas, “we will have a large group of kids who are unvaccinated against these illnesses and there could be major resurgences of diseases we thought were dormant.” Additionally, well visits are incredibly important for infants — far beyond necessary vaccinations. “Well care is the cornerstone of pediatric medicine,” said Dr. Lucas. “We use well-care visits to offer guidance for families about what to expect as their child is going through different stages of development.”
During routine well-care visits, pediatricians can monitor the child’s growth and development. Milestones such as weight, head circumference and length are monitored so any concerns can be identified and managed appropriately.
“The reason why we have a routine child well-visit schedule that we follow is because things are happening during infancy and toddler years that are changing on a month-to-month basis,” Dr. Lucas explained. “It’s important to pick up those changes — either in a good way or in a way we don’t like.”
If a child is not growing according to schedule or not meeting developmental milestones on time, such as motor skills, rolling over, sitting, crawling, etc., it can be noted early.
“The faster we see those things, like if the child isn’t growing correctly or meeting milestones, the faster we can intervene, speak to the parents and do something so it doesn’t become a major issue for the child.”
Specialized physicians and nurses with one focus...your family. Specialized physicians and nurses with one focus...your family. Specialized physicians and nurses with one focus...your family. Specialized physicians and nurses with one focus...your family.
Exceptional care and safety for exceptional times. Exceptional care and safety for exceptional times. Exceptional care and safety for exceptional times. Exceptional care and safety for exceptional times. From newborns to seniors, Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been providing the highest level of quality patient care for more than 110 years. We are proud to be recognized as leaders in maternity, pediatrics, women’s health, diabetes, cancer care, and stroke, to name a few. With nationally-renowned physicians and award- winning nurses, you couldn’t be in better hands. To learn more about services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, call 732.745.8600 or visit saintpetershcs.com From newborns to seniors, Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been providing the highest level of quality patient care for more than 110 years. We are proud to be recognized as leaders in maternity, pediatrics, women’s health, diabetes, cancer care, and stroke, to name a few. With nationally-renowned physicians and award- winning nurses, you couldn’t be in better hands. To learn more about services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, call 732.745.8600 or visit saintpetershcs.com From newborns to seniors, Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been providing the highest level of quality patient care for more than 110 years. We are proud to be recognized as leaders in maternity, pediatrics, women’s health, diabetes, cancer care, and stroke, to name a few. With nationally-renowned physicians and award- winning nurses, you couldn’t be in better hands. To learn more about services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, call 732.745.8600 or visit saintpetershcs.com From newborns to seniors, Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been providing the highest level of quality patient care for more than 110 years. We are proud to be recognized as leaders in maternity, pediatrics, women’s health, diabetes, cancer care, and stroke, to name a few. With nationally-renowned physicians and award- winning nurses, you couldn’t be in better hands. To learn more about services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, call 732.745.8600 or visit saintpetershcs.com