LifeTimes Dec. 2020

The doctor will see you now, VIRTUALLY

Interacting on a smartphone, computer or tablet brings both benefits and challenges as telemedicine becomes the new norm.

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Living well after 50 Tampa Bay Times | Wednesday, December 23, 2020

CROSSWORD Two-Car Garage, by Merl Reagle ACROSS 1 5 9 13 16 17 19 20 21 23 25 26 27 29 30 32 37 39 40 42 46 49 50 51 52 53 54 56 59 60 61 62 66 69

Don’t be a no-show Eponymous Ernst Wartime sitcom full of cutups Used the waiting room Sea into which the Don flows Au revoir Wasp wings Supreme Court first name, 1965-69 Two cars, or an ace rider?

Two cars, or a country club?

Diner sans escort It made the Metro Bark vessel Legal conclusion Throw a fit Two cars, or camels on the horizon? Or maybe not?

Pollinator It has a pad in Fla. ___ done (painless outcome) Two cars, or a star seeker?

Tom in Twain’s Prince and the Pauper However, briefly La ___ Tar Pits A long weight Sun-driven Iranian dollar Film with Jeff Bridges as a 47 Down Two cars, or a treaty?

The mama dog in 101 Dalmatians Nonsense Image in a fortuneteller’s window Two cars, or this puzzle entry, literally?

Biol. and bot.

Sharpener

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70 Short solo 75 Two cars, or the calm?

78 Protected, as cars and drivers 79 He thought of Della 80 Becomes good as new 81 Collectibles ending 82 Naldi or Talbot 83 Swimmers may find it shocking 84 Often-sunny artists’ rentals 85 Two cars, or two snakes?

88 Some captains 90 Canadian Indian 91 Int’l games org.

92 Two cars, or the answer to: “How many thousands of pesos is this gonna cost me, Enrique?”

97 Car option 101 Pal, briefly 102 Divide by two 103 Gambler’s take 105 High places: abbr.

106 Two cars, or an English sport?

108 Two cars “locking bumpers,” or celebrities?

112 The end of Hell?

113 Ruckus 114 In mint condition 115 India tour stop 116 No alternative 117 It could erupt at any time 118 Move a muscle

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 18 22 24 28 31 33 34 35 36 38 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 52

119 Horse of few hands

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5

Chocolate sub Sun screen?

A baud-y device Morn’s opposite Old weapon

53 55 56

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The crossword puzzle solution is on Page 7.

For this purpose only Operative outfit: abbr.

Sew there?

Carta opener Crazy as ___ The Crucible setting Playmate picker Obeys a doctor’s order Giving up of rights Dan Rather’s birthpl.

Skyward-facing An old Nash?

Grumman of aircraft fame Reversible movie star As part of the firm By and by German president Johannes Mural front?

Adenauer successor Ludwig Acreage of the rich and famous Fuzz on food Cough syrup amt.

Prado content Nonsense versemaster Edward Fictional he-man Measure up Otherworldly type Revolt leader Turner Reacted to Rockwell paintings Videodisc maker Bette’s Divine nickname Walks through the park

57 Father of the Titans, Furies, and Cyclopes 58 Comedian Rock 63 Joe Papp’s passion: abbr.

64 Movie ship carrying strawberries 65 Verdi opera 66 Britain’s Fleet, for one 67 Clavicle 68 Blood pressure raiser 71 Sister of John and Bobby 72 Make a mistake

73 74 75 76 77 81 84 85 86 87 89 90 93

Chapeau perch Hebrew month Matches, in poker Micro or mega follower Punch expert Copycat Rimsky-Korsakov’s ___ d’or Soviet collectives Match unit Battery inventor Chico’s family OH player Clark part

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94 ___ “queen” (3 wds., sort of) 95 Exceedingly 96 Voice a view 98 Chihuahua chum 99 Unyielding 100 Writing assignment 104 Mammoth Cave formations 106 Eccentric 107 “Oh, what’s the ___?”

109 TV abbr.

110 AF or USMC, e.g.

111 Whack

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STEP BY STEP Sally Anderson

EXPLORE BENEFITS OF HOME WORKOUTS Between social distancing and busy holidays, perhaps you have allowed your fitness routine to take its own holiday. If you need a little motivation to jump start that routine, it might be a good idea to remind yourself that regular moderate-intensity exercise can boost your immune system and help fight off infections and viruses. Exercise is especially crucial at this time. And it is important to follow a consistent routine. A hit and miss pattern does not reap benefits.

While you may not be ready to take your regular gym classes, there remain many at-home exercises to help maintain your health and fitness. Some of the best exercises that you can do anywhere and at any time are compound exercises, just using your own bodyweight and the power of gravity. And if you have some light weights at home, you can add them to the workout. With compound movements you will be working multiple muscle groups at the same time, which is the way your body moves naturally.

One of my favorite ways to target multiple muscle groups at the same time is to combine two exercises into one movement such as performing a side lunge with knee lift.

Compound exercises offer a strong, interesting workout because they: • • • • • •

Burn more calories Create cardio benefits while building strength Increase flexibility Offer variation and variety to the workout Improve coordination Can shorten workout time

To begin your workout, don’t forget to warm up muscles for upcoming activity by doing five to eight minutes of mild activity. You can create easy movements such as marching in place while swinging arms or walking knee lifts and hamstring curls. And here are a few suggestions if you would like to inject a little more fun cardio movement into your routine: Pretend you are jumping rope or boxing, mimic athletic movements such as skiing, swimming, hitting a tennis ball or throw in some easy dance steps. And when you conclude your home workout, add some of your favorite stretches.

Photos by Dan Canoro

Your Move | Demonstrated by Ed Silverberg Side Lunge with Knee Lift

Squat with Side Leg Lift

Take a big step out on the right side lowering into a lunge with bent arms as in a bicep curl; keep both feet pointing forward.

Bend arms with elbows pointing downward in front.

Stand tall with feet together and arms by your sides and abdominals contracted.

Keep left leg straight without locking the knee and keep a bend in the right knee.

As you sink into lunge position, keep buttocks facing back.

Lower arms by your sides, push off right foot and return to standing position with a knee lift.

Beginners can tap the floor instead of adding knee lift.

Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and abdominals contracted.

Lower knees as though you are sitting in a chair, keeping weight back on your heels.

Thighs will be parallel or near parallel to the floor; avoid letting knees go beyond toes.

Extend arms shoulder height as you lift right leg out to the side as you return to standing.

Return foot back to shoulder-width distance and repeat pattern 8-10 times, on each side.

Repeat pattern 8-10 times, then repeat side lunges to the left 8-10 times.

Mountain Climbers

Warrior One

Contract abdominals and keep back flat while bringing bent right knee toward chest.

With abdominals contracted, place hands on hips, bend right knee and step right foot forward into a lunge, turn left heel slightly inward; avoid knee moving beyond toes.

Begin in plank position with hands under shoulders and weight on your toes.

Return leg to plank position.

Change legs, bringing left knee in toward chest.

Alternate moving legs in toward chest is one repetition.

Repeat pattern, alternating leg movements for 10-12 repetitions.

Feels like you are running in place.

A great stretch for improving balance and posture.

Extended back leg will be straight without locking knee.

Lift arms overhead, opening up your chest and press palms together.

Keep head in a neutral position or look upward toward your hands and remain in pose for 5 relaxing breaths.

Return to standing, then repeat movement on other side.

Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program. Sally Anderson is happy to hear from readers but can’t respond to individual inquiries.

Contact her at slafit@tampabay.rr.com

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| Wednesday, December 23, 2020 |

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Technology meets healthcare

BY AMY SCHERZER Lifetimes Correspondent

Maybe you’ve held up your iPad to show your doctor a strange lump that just appeared on your neck. Maybe you’ve described a raspy cough on FaceTime or a sore throat on a Skype call.

If so, you’re likely among the more than 40 percent of American adults who have signed onto a telemedicine appointment since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. ”At first we were getting a lot of views of ceilings and tops of heads,” said Clearwater physician Michael Rommel, part of the BayCare Medical Group.

Practicing primary care medicine online and over the phone was as new to Rommel as it was to his patients when stay-at-home orders were issued to prevent viral spread. His staff immediately began using the BayCareAnywhere app which has offered 24/7 access to a doctor since 2016.

“The pandemic was the kick in the butt that everyone needed to get going,” said Rommel who now intersperses video-enabled wellness check-ups, chronic disease follow-ups and minor acute condition exams between in-person appointments all day long. Colds, flu and asthma; migraines, ear infections and skin rashes, and in the last few months especially, anxiety and depression, are typical calls. Discussing lab results and medications is considerably more efficient than driving to the office.

“It’s not appropriate for everything,” Rommel said. “I can’t do a physical. I can’t feel and hear palpitations.

I can’t look inside your ears. There are some small

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Telehealth gives you the ability to communicate with doctors from the safety of your living room.

limitations and for those scenarios I’ll say they need to come into the office to finish the appointment in person.”

Most people adapt to the technology pretty fast, in Rommel’s experience. Preparation, as much as possible if you’re feeling ill, makes the virtual appointment most effective. It’s easy to get flustered, he said, so a good tip is to take all the vitals - blood pressure, weight, heart rate, temperature - early in the day so you don’t have to scramble to get them while you’re on the phone.

The safety and convenience of telehealth has been known for years, particularly in rural communities. The coronavirus fast forwarded its adoption as government legislators waived restrictions to widen access given the risk-reduction benefits of virtual consultations, especially for seniors.

“If someone calls in and says I think I may have COVID-19, I can evaluate them visually, if they’re not so sick that they need emergency care,” Rommel said.

Anyone experiencing shortness of breath, coughing and fatigue is asked to drive to the clinic for a rapid test in their car.

“Someone comes out and swabs their nose and they wait for the result,” Rommel said. “If they’re positive, I feel good that we can treat it without exposing my staff and myself.”

When a brown recluse spider bit Leslie Hudock in October, the Tampa attorney stayed calm but jumped online to a telemedicine portal supported by her insurance company. “I uploaded a picture of the bite and a physician on the receiving end quickly prescribed a strong antibiotic and recommended treatment, way faster and safer than if I had masked up and taken the risk of going to a local walk-in clinic.”

Reimbursement regulations previously limited telemedicine, according to Rommel. “At this point, most people should be covered as if they were coming into the office. They no longer have to pay out of pocket.”

A recent, major Medicare change expanded the types

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of appointments that can be conducted on the phone, now allowing physical, occupational and speech therapy and patient education services, such as diabetes selfcare training. You no longer need to be an established patient and e-visits with an out-of-state doctor, nurse practitioner or social worker are now approved for reimbursement.

And since the coronavirus isn’t going away soon, added Rommel, “the hope is that Medicare keeps this longterm. Once it makes the decision, all the private insurance companies will follow.”

Rommel trusts the BayCare telemedicine software to be HIPAA-compliant, with all patient data encrypted and stringent firewalls installed. “I’ve found it to be quite secure,” he said.

“Every single physician I’ve spoken to has had overwhelmingly positive experiences.”

Ten months into the pandemic, has he come to prefer telemedicine over actual office visits? That’s kind of like asking who’s my favorite child,” he said. “I like using both quite a bit.”

LifeTimes correspondent Amy Scherzer can be reached at AmyScherzersDiary@gmail.com

What to Expect at Your Telehealth Appointment What is Telemedicine: Video, smartphone and other electronic technologies used to connect a patient to a health care professional who can provide a diagnosis or support from a different location.

Equipment: You will need a smartphone, computer or tablet with a web camera and internet, audio and video capability to interact with your healthcare provider.

Appointment preparation: Record your vital signs - weight, blood pressure, temperature, heart rate. Make a list of all current medications. Prepare questions, just as you would ask in person, and have a notepad handy to jot down the conversation.

Tech Prep: Set up the computer, tablet or smartphone on a desk or table in a quiet place near a router. Check to be sure the internet connection is working and close any other applications. Position the camera directly at you in a spot with plenty of light.

Virtual visit: About 15 minutes before the allotted time, you will be connected to a virtual waiting room. This will give you some time to troubleshoot any technology issues. Soon the doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant will appear on your screen to ask about your symptoms or concerns. You may be asked to cough, show a range of motion or bring a swollen area close to the camera. The provider will review medications and possibly send a new prescription to your pharmacy.

After the visit: Most physician offices will call 48 hours afterwards and if symptoms persist, such as a swelling or pain, will advise coming in to be assessed visually or referred to a specialist.

Payment: Currently, visits are covered at the same rate as office visits. Providers are accepting insurance and Medicare as full payment, waiving co-pays, including for patient education and behavioral health services. Check with your medical and insurance provider for updates on this policy.

Telehealth appointments have skyrocketed in volume when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sanctioned major changes in health care provider reimbursement.

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| Wednesday, December 23, 2020 |

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ASTRONOMY Daryl L. Schrader January Skies: At dusk Jupiter and Saturn pair low in the southwest at the start of January. A few days later Mercury moves up to join them.

At midmonth Saturn is below the horizon with Jupiter soon to follow.

Mercury will continue to move higher in southwest. Mars is high in the evening sky and near the moon on the January 20 and 21. The Red planet will be 1.7 degrees north of Uranus on the January 21. Binoculars needed to see Uranus.

Dawn: Venus moves lower in the southeast each morning.

Sky Calendar January Jan. 1: Happy New Year! At dust Jupiter and Saturn are a close pair low in the Southwest. Jupiter is the brightest.

Jan. 13: New moon.

Jan. 2: The Earth is closest (perihelion) to the Sun at 91.4 million miles.

Jan. 20: First quarter moon.

Jan. 3: In the east, before dawn, the Quadrantid meteor shower will appear to radiate. Unfortunately, light from the moon will interfere.

Jan. 6: Last quarter moon.

Jan. 9: The moon is closest (perigee) at 228,284 miles. At dusk, very low in the West-Southwest Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury form a triangle. Mercury is the lowest one.

Jan. 11: At dawn very low in the Southeast Venus is to the left of a thin crescent moon.

Jan. 14: At dusk in the Southwest the crescent moon, Mercury and Jupiter form a diagonal line.

Jan. 20-21: At dusk look overhead to find Mars near the moon.

Jan. 21: The moon is furthest (apogee) at 251,258 miles.

Jan. 23: Mercury is at its greatest angular distance (elongation) from the Sun in the evening sky. Saturn is on the other side (conjunction) of the Sun. Jan. 28: Full moon. Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun. Daryl L. Schrader is professor emeritus at St. Petersburg College and has taught astronomy at the University of South Florida.

Seeking ordinary people living extraordinary lives

TAMPA – Growing Bolder TV is seeking people who are 50 years and older in the Tampa Bay area who are role models of living with passion and purpose. Nominees could include people who are hometown heroes for athletic achievements, volunteer efforts, artistic accomplishments or other noteworthy characteristics.

Growing Bolder’s TV program will feature some of the nominees in a one-hour special titled, “Ordinary People Living Extraordinary Lives Presented by Florida Blue Medicare.” The special will be shown next year on WEDU with some stories televised nationally.

Jackie Carlin, the show’s executive producer, said, “With this new program, we are excited to produce local stories on men and women from communities across Florida who are leading by example. Each episode will feature people from all walks of life who are making a difference, in small and big ways, in their communities, all of which leads to a wave of positive changes.”

Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins, is a 103-year-old track star featured in Growing Bolder programs.

Nominations can be submitted on the Growing Bolder website at www.growingbolder.com/ extraordinary. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 31, 2020.

Nominees and people who send in submissions will be entered into a prize package giveaway.

Source: Growing Bolder Media Group, Orlando, Florida. The company includes multi-media platforms that include entertaining, educational content for TV, radio, podcasts, magazine and social media aimed at the 50+ audience.

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MY FAVORITE CAR Toni Baird, 67, Palm Harbor

TV word search B J T S R U D O L P H C I G A

U S R K K I K S S B H D V N W

A C U Y W E L I Z A B E T H D

D K H E A S E L U W G N I Z B U D A S O H R G G N A K R I N G L E S I S I E T P L T D X V A K L L C A G R A L B Z N E X S C R O O G L S I Y G P Y U W M R X L C A L R N S O Z A R R I N G R I H U F L I L N N F R A N K S P Q U D Q G B J E C S H B K Y D Z T N Z L H I F Y L L B O O G A X E F R O S T Y R N U B R T F U M C H A R S V A Familiar Holiday Characters

B U D D Y E V W B S Y C F Z H

1966 Plymouth Satellite This 1966 Plymouth Satellite coupe was my first car, purchased from an acquaintance in 1970, my senior year of high school. I was able to commute to college for my first two years. My car made it

through a Pennsylvania snowstorm to safely get my husband and me to a Poconos resort for our honeymoon. We eventually traded it for a new Dodge Dart in their first year of production.

Tell us your love story What’s the story behind your favorite or first car? We’d like to share it. Please send: • Your name, city where you live and your age (with your date of birth).

• The year, make and model of the car, with a description of the car and why you love it.

• A high-resolution photo or a scanned image. (Must be of the actual car.)

• Send to drive@tampabay.com and put My Favorite Car or My First Car in the subject line.

(Words in parentheses not in puzzle)

Buddy (the Elf) Charlie (Brown) Cindy-Lou (Who) (Clark) Griswold (Ebenezer) Scrooge Elizabeth (Lane)

Frank (Cross) Frosty (the Snowman) (George) Bailey (The) Grinch (Jack) Skellington Kevin (McCallister)

(Kris) Kringle (Mrs.) Claus Ralphie (Parker) Rudolph Santa (Claus) Susan (Walker)

CROSSWORD ANSWERS puzzle page 2

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