IGH WNY #34 August by In Good Health: WNY's Healthcare Newspaper

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August 2017 •  Issue 34

Not ‘Doing It’

Things You Should Know About Healthy Aging

Helpful Summer Reads for Those Who Live Alone

Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

DONORS WANTED

Hiroko Beck, a physician at Gates Vascular Institute, is one of the first in New York state to implant the “world’s smallest pacemaker.” The June procedure took about 20 minutes and patient was up and about in one day

By 18, more than half of adolescents were still virgins, new CDC survey reveals

priceless

The American Red Cross needs your blood, and it needs it now. The group has issued an emergency call for donations. Over the past two months, there have been about 61,000 fewer donations than what is needed, the organization says.

Traveling Solo

Bye-Bye Flu Shot, Hello Patch?

The number of seniors traveling alone through The Solo Travelers Club at AAA of Western and Central New York has grown to more than 5,000 members. Some of them recently visited Casa Larga Vineyards & Winery in Fairport.

Early results look promising for dissolvable microneedle vaccine

Stressed-Out Kids How to help kids cope with stress as they go back to school

Stay Healthy

Experts discuss steps parents can take to make sure their kids are healthy for school

Home Blood Pressure Monitors They are wrong seven of 10 times, according to a new study

Most U.S. Teens Aren’t ‘Doing It’ By 18, more than half of adolescents were still virgins, new CDC survey reveals

ex is everywhere in the media, and so you may be convinced that today’s teens are always looking to “hookup.” But new federal research says it’s just not so. Instead, the study found that most teenagers in high school aren’t sexually active. “The myth is that every kid in high school is having sex, and it’s not true,” noted physician Cora Breuner, a professor of pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital, who reviewed the findings. “It’s less than half, and it’s been less than half for more than 10 years,” she said. The study found that only 42 percent of girls and 44 percent of boys aged 15 to 19 reported having sex at least once. And Breuner said that finding is nothing new. Going back to 2002, fewer than half of older teens told researchers that they are sexually active, federal data show. Further, most teens who choose to go all the way wind up losing their virginity to someone they’re dating, the survey shows. Three out of four girls said they were “going steady” with their first sexual partner, and a little more

than half of boys said the same. By comparison, only 2 percent of girls and 7 percent of boys said they lost their virginity to someone they just met. “There’s this myth that kids hook up quite a bit and have sex with someone they literally just met,” Breuner said. “This dispels that myth, that our teenagers are having sex with people they don’t know.” The statistics come from inperson interviews conducted with more than 4,000 teenagers across the United States between 2011 and 2015. The survey was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breuner believes that HIV is the main reason teens think twice before having sex these days. Back in 1988, 51 percent of girls and 60 percent of boys between 15 and 19 said they were sexually active, but those numbers dropped to today’s levels after word spread of a sexually transmitted disease that could kill, Breuner said. Teens also appear to be more aware of the lifelong consequences of pregnancy, said lead researcher Joyce Abma, a statistician with the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. About 89 percent of teen girls and 80 percent of teen boys said they would be upset if sex led

to pregnancy, the survey found. Comparatively, only 11 percent of girls and 20 percent of boys said they would be pleased if that happened. Sexually active teens are more apt to use protection these days. Nine out of 10 teenagers reported using some method of birth control the last time they had sex, compared with 83 percent of teens back in 2002. “That’s a pretty significant increase, and that hasn’t leveled off like we saw with sexual experience,” Abma said. Condoms are the most commonly used method of contraception among teens, with 56 percent of teenage girls saying they used one during their last sexual encounter. About 31 percent of girls are on the pill, and about 13 percent said they use some other form of hormone-based contraception. About 22 percent used both a condom and hormonal contraception when they last had sex. Contraception is probably more widely used because teens have better access, Breuner said. In many areas, kids can obtain contraception without having to involve their parents. The new study was published June 22 in the CDC’s National Health Statistics Report.

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In the midst of an active life with her two young children, Nora was held back by the lingering effects of flawed cardiac care from another facility. After a life-threatening cardiac crisis, she arrived at the Gates Vascular Institute, part of Buffalo General Medical Center. Our team took over her care to first save her life, and then guide her through pacemaker surgery and recovery. Their care brought back the energy she’d missed out on for years—and let her take full advantage of her very full life as a nature-loving wife and mom.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

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Critical Blood Shortage Raises Concern

Red Cross officials calling on people to donate blood to alleviate shortage By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

very year, Carolyn Woomer and her family host a blood drive in Tonawanda. It’s been three years since her son, Jed, died after battling with sarcoma, a tumor that occurs in the bones and soft tissues. He was the captain of his high school swim team and was always a blood donor once he became of age. “He went through radiation and chemotherapy and needed a lot of blood,” said Woomer. “He had to go through numerous blood transfu-

sions and couldn’t have survived as long as he did without it.” It’s a story that American Red Cross officials talk about this season. When the weather heats up in the summer, the blood supply cools down. The organization is now facing a critical blood shortage and is issuing an emergency call for eligible blood and platelet donors of all blood types to give now and help save lives. Blood donations have fallen

Carolyn Woomer donating blood at blood drive in Tonawanda in her son’s, Jed, memory. Page 4

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short of expectations for the past two months, resulting in about 61,000 fewer donations than needed and causing a significant draw down of the Red Cross blood supply. In comparison, the organization had only 39,000 fewer donations this time last year. The shortfall is the equivalent of the Red Cross not collecting any blood donations for more than four days. “During the summer months, you have less community blood drives by businesses and churches because people are on vacation,” said Patty Corvaia, communications manager of the New York-Penn Blood Services Region. “On top of that, more than 20 percent of our donations come from high school and college students, and with school being out, we aren’t able to have blood drives there. This season is always a tough time for us, but this year it is even worse.” New donors and those who haven’t given in a while are especially encouraged to roll up a sleeve and help save lives. Nearly one-third fewer new blood donors came out to give last summer than during the rest of the year due in part to schools — where blood drives are held and where new donors give — being out of session during the summer months. Because of this issue, area Red Cross organizations in Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse are setting up numerous blood drives throughout the summer to stem the tide. Throughout the New York-Penn region, the Red Cross serves around 90 hospitals. It is Rochester’s primary blood supplier for all its hospitals along with some in the Buffalo area. “We need community blood drives throughout the year. We need blood on the shelves to provide to hospitals for trauma patients and burn victims who need immediate help as well as people who are in surgery, cancer patients and those with blood disorders,” said Corvaia. “People need to understand that for just 40 minutes of your time do-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

See related story on page 18 nating blood you can save someone’s life and that can be impactful,” said Woomer. Blood cannot be saved forever with platelets lasting five days and red blood cells lasting 42 days. Blood donation is more vital than people understand, especially since less than 5 percent of the eligible population donates. The need for blood is high and officials encourage people to donate at least twice a year. Every two seconds in the United States blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant procedures, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect nearly 14,000 blood donations every day for patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals across the country. “A lot of people may be fearing the unknown if they have never given blood,” said Corvaia. “However, it doesn’t take long to give a pint of blood and it could potentially save so many lives with that one donation.

How to Help To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-7332767). The Red Cross has added more than 25,000 additional appointment slots at donation centers and community blood drives across the country over the next few weeks to accommodate more donors. Donation appointments and completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire are encouraged to help reduce the time it takes to donate.

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Bye-Bye Flu Shot. Hello Patch? Early results look promising for dissolvable microneedle vaccine

n experimental flu vaccine patch with dissolving microneedles appears safe and effective, a preliminary study shows. The patch has 100 solid, watersoluble and painless microneedles that are just long enough to penetrate the skin. Researchers say it could offer a pain-free and more convenient alternative to flu shots. “This bandage-strip sized patch of painless and dissolvable needles can transform how we get vaccinated,” said physician Roderic Pettigrew, director of the U.S. National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which funded the study. “A particularly attractive feature is that this vaccination patch could be delivered in the mail and self-administered. In addition, this technology holds promise for delivering other vaccines in the future,” he said in an institute news release. The study of 100 adults found that the patch triggered a strong immune response and did not cause any serious side effects. At most, some patients developed local skin

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reactions to the patches, which involved faint redness and mild itching that lasted two to three days. The flu vaccine is released by the microneedles, which dissolve within a few minutes. The patch is then peeled off and thrown away. Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University led the study. The results were published online June 27 in The Lancet. These early results “suggest the emergence of a promising new option for seasonal vaccination,” physicians Katja Hoschler and Maria Zambon wrote in an accompanying editorial. They are with Public Health England’s National Infections Service. The “more exciting features” of the microneedle patch include its low cost, safety, storage convenience and durability, they said. “Microneedle patches have the potential to become ideal candidates for vaccination programs, not only in poorly resourced settings, but also for individuals who currently prefer not to get vaccinated,” the editorialists wrote.

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In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2017 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved. 3380 Sheridan Dr., # 251 • P.O. Box 550, Amherst NY 14226 Phone: 716-332-0640 • Fax: 716-332-0779 • Email: editor@bfohealth.com Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto • Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo • Writers: Deborah J. Sergeant, Jim Miller, Gwenn Voelckers, Anne Palumbo, Chris Motola, George W. Chapman, Ernst Lamothe Jr., Daniel Meyer, Nancy Cardillo, Jennifer Fecio McDougall Advertising: Anne Westcott (716-332-0640.) Tina LaMancusa (716-946-2970) Layout & Design: Dylon Clew-Thomas • Office Assistant: Kimberley Tyler No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement—not to take the place of—the recommendations of your health provider. Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or health care regimen.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Meet

Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

U.S. Hospitals Still Prescribe Too Many Antibiotics: Study

bout 20 percent of U.S. hospital patients who receive antibiotics experience side effects from the drugs, researchers report. The new study included nearly 1,500 hospitalized adults who were prescribed antibiotics. The findings revealed that onefifth of those who experienced antibiotic-related side effects didn’t require the drugs in the first place. The results add to growing evidence that antibiotics are overused, according to the Johns Hopkins Hospital researchers. “Too often, clinicians prescribe antibiotics even if they have a low suspicion for a bacterial infection, thinking that even if antibiotics may not be necessary, they are probably not harmful. But that is not always the case,” said physician Pranita Tamma. She is director of the hospital’s Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Antibiotics can cause real harm and doctors should always consider if they are necessary, Tamma said. “If the patient develops an antibiotic-associated adverse reaction, even though that is, of course, unfortunate, we should be able to take some comfort in knowing that at least the antibiotic was truly necessary,” Tamma said in a Johns Hopkins news release. Tamma is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. Patients in the study were hospitalized for reasons ranging from trauma to chronic disease. All received at least 24 hours of antibiotic treatment. Overall, 20 percent had one or more antibiotic-related side effects within a month of leaving the hospital. The most common were digestive upsets (42 percent), kidney problems (24 percent), and blood problems (15 percent), the findings showed. For every additional 10 days of antibiotic treatment, the risk of side effects rose by 3 percent, the investigators found. Over 90 days, 4 percent of study patients developed a bacterial diarrhea called Clostridium difficile, which can be severe. In addition, 6 percent developed infections that were potentially drug-resistant. The study was published June 12 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Hiroko Beck, M.D. Physician at Gates Vascular Institute is one of the first in New York state to implant the “world’s smallest pacemaker.” June procedure took about 20 minutes and patient was up and about in one day Q: You’ve been installing a new kind of pacemaker into patients, what Gates Vascular calls “the world’s smallest.” Tell us about this device. A: It’s not only the smallest, the Medtronic Micra TPS is the size of a vitamin capsule. Traditional pacemakers have a generator that’s attached to the heart cavity by a wire. That can be a source of infection because there’s an incision on the chest. If the pocket gets infected, the infection can travel into the heart and can potentially cause a systemic infection. The pacemaker [we’re now using] is a cable-less, wireless device. We usually call it a leadless pacemaker and it’s the first of its kind in the world. Q: How does it charge? Does it recharge? A: It comes with a charge for 12 years. It doesn’t recharge. We actually don’t have a rechargeable battery for a traditional pacemaker either. What we do with a regular pacemaker is cut the incision open again, leave the wires in, disconnect the computer portion with the battery and replace the battery. With this pacemaker, we’ll have to put another one in. This pacemaker ends up covered in scar tissue, so it’s not going to be exposed. After 12 years, we just put another tiny one in next to it.

about 15 to 20 minutes. It’s not that long a procedure at all. Q: What’s the recovery time like? A: They can walk after about four hours of recovery. There’s no big chest incision to heal. The traditional one had a lot of restrictions for arm movement; we wouldn’t want you to raise your arms above your head for a few weeks. But since there are no wires with this one, you don’t have to worry about anything disconnecting, so we don’t need those restrictions. It’s a quick recovery, I’d say. My first patient was up and about within a day or so. He was discharged the next day. The only restriction is we asked him not to lift anything heavy because of the groin puncture. But he was pretty much back to himself. Q: Once you’ve healed, are there any activity restrictions? A: No, [you can do] anything you want. A pacemaker can still encounter outside interference, from arc welding for example. So we will have some restrictions like that. But this pacemaker allows you to go through an MRI machine. A lot of the old ones don’t.

Q: Is it a major procedure to replace it? A: It’s the same as the original implant. You go in through the groin. It takes

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

Q: Are all pacemaker candidates good candidates for this new device? A: Traditional pacemakers come in different flavors. There’s one-chamber pacing and then ones that pace multiple chambers. This one doesn’t have the capability to do multichamber pacing. It

only does ventricular pacing. They’ve made one that does atrial pacing, but it’s not approved by the FDA yet. That’s up and coming though. This is the first leadless pacemaker and it’s pretty basic. So it’s not for everybody. Q: The example I saw in the press release was for treating bradycardia (slow heartbeat). A: So pacemakers are mostly for bradycardia, with the exception of biventricular pacing. But you don’t put it in for fast rhythms. That wouldn’t help. Q: How many have you done so far with the new device? A: Only one so far. We’re trying to get approval from the hospital to do more. Another important thing to note: this is good for someone who does not have any vascular access from the top vessels. If the patient has, say, had dialysis treatment, they’ve probably used up their access. So they don’t have the option of access from the top. So they can still get the pacemaker in through the femoral vein. And of course, it helps prevention infection. Q: How common are pacemaker procedures? A: I’d say more than half of mine are device-based therapies. Q: How good are the outcomes usually for device-based therapies? A: It’s good. It pretty much guarantees that their heart rate won’t get too slow. So they do well. Q: How did you become interested in this? A: I was a journalist in Japan and actually covered a lot of medical news there. We had a gentleman from an ABC bureau who mentioned that the U.S. was a very good place to study, so I came here and studied at the University of Maryland. Q: So the stories you encountered as a journalist got you interested in practicing? A: Oh, yeah. I had options. I did entertainment news, politics, then medical news. I liked the engineering aspects of medicine. I tend to be a very rational person and found electrophysiology to be an interesting combination of medicine and engineering. It just fit right in to my personality. Q: Are you involved in any devicebased research. A: The new devices are all done in-house by Medtronic, so I’m not involved with those, but I am involved with arrhythmia operation research. It’s not device-based, though.

Lifelines Name: Hiroko Beck, M.D. Position: Cardiac electrophysiologist at Gates Vascular; Internal Medicine Cardiologist at University of Buffalo Hometown: Yokohama, Japan Education: University of Maryland Affiliations: Gates Vascular, University of Buffalo, Veteran’s Administration Hospital Organizations: American College of Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society Family: Married, one son, one daughter Hobbies: Piano

Home Blood Pressure Monitors Wrong 7 of 10 Times: Study

Checking your device against ones used at your doctor’s office may be advised, experts say

illions of older people often turn to do-it-yourself home blood pressure monitors to track that vital health sign. But a small, new Canadian study suggests that readings from the devices are wrong most of the time and could put patients at risk. A team led by Jennifer Ringrose, of the University of Alberta in Calgary, tested dozens of home monitors used by 85 patients averaging 66 years of age. The researchers found the units weren’t accurate within five mmHg of blood pressure about 70 percent of the time. And the devices were off the mark by at least 10 mmHg about 30 percent of the time, the investigators added. That inaccuracy could have serious consequences for people’s health, Ringrose said. “Monitoring for and treating hypertension [high blood pressure]

can decrease the consequences of this disease,” she said. “We need to make sure that home blood pressure readings are accurate.” One U.S. expert in diabetes and its related heart risks agreed that the findings are troubling. “This study highlights why it is so difficult to treat hypertension,” said physician Robert Courgi. He’s a specialist in diabetes care at Northwell Health’s Southside Hospital in Bay Shore on Long Island. “If the home blood pressure monitors were more accurate, we would have a better chance at successful treatment of hypertension,” he said. Should people who have bought and use these monitors toss them out? Maybe not. According to Ringrose, there are a number of ways to minimize inaccurate readings with the devices.

First, she said, “compare the blood pressure machine measurement with a blood pressure measurement in a clinic before exclusively relying upon home blood pressure readings.” Also, “what’s really important is to do several blood pressure measurements and base treatment

decisions on multiple readings,” Ringrose added. Home monitoring may still be very useful,” she said, “because it “empowers patients and [it] is helpful for clinicians to have a bigger picture rather than just one snapshot in time.”

Healthcare in a Minute By George W. Chapman

Five Health Insurance Myths

Alexis Pozen is a professor of health economics at CUNY School of Public Health. She recently debunked five widely held myths about health insurance. • 1. “The ACA forced millions to buy insurance they didn’t want.” Not true. Both before and after the ACA, the majority of the uninsured have consistently claimed they want coverage. Cost, life changes (job, school, divorce, etc.), denial of coverage, insurance not available through their employer, were most often cited as reasons for lack of coverage. Before the ACA, 45 million people lacked insurance. Since the ACA, 2010, 20 million people opted in and got decent coverage. • 2. “Expanding coverage saves money”. Unfortunately, not true. The costs from increased demand for services has far overwhelmed any savings due to improved health, at least so far. • 3. “Health insurance companies make massive profits”. Not true. In 2010, when the ACA was introduced, the average profit margin for publically traded health insurance companies was 3 percent, well below the profits of drug and medical device manufacturers. Insurance profits tend to be more aligned with economic growth (GDP) than any price gouging or denial of services. • 4. “People on Medicaid are free loaders”. Not true. Most, 67 percent, of “able bodied” Medicaid recipients work. Just 30 percent of Medicaid recipients are considered “able bodied” and they account for only 20 percent of total Medicaid spending. 44 percent of Medicaid

recipients are kids. The bulk of Medicaid spending, 60 percent, is for the elderly and disabled. • 5. “Job-based insurance means your employer pays and the government doesn’t.” Again, not true. The cost of coverage is actually borne by the employee indirectly, through lower wages than a competitive market would otherwise support, and directly through increased out of pocket expenses (employee contribution to premium, deductibles and co-pays). By not taxing employer-based premiums, the government forgoes hundreds of billions in revenue annually. This government “subsidy” was worth $275 billion last year. The government subsidy is what has tied employment to insurance. Taxing premiums frees up job seekers to choose employment based on their skills/interests vs. what the employer offers for coverage.

2016 Open Payments

Each year, for transparency purposes, the federal government issues a report that shows how much money went from drug and device manufacturers to physicians and teaching hospitals. Last year, over $8 billion went to 631,000 physicians and 1,146 hospitals; up $90 million from 2015. About half or $4 billion was for research; about $3 billion was for travel, meals and consults; and the remaining $1 billion was for ownership and investment interests.

Job Loss Projection

Most of the publicity and concern around the proposed American Health Care Act has been about the projected loss of insurance by 23 million Americans. Little attention

has been given to the projected loss of jobs in the healthcare sector as a result of the loss of 23 million insured paying customers. According to research by the politically neutral Commonwealth Fund, nearly 1 million healthcare jobs would be lost by 2026. Researchers believe that initially, if the ACA is repealed, the economy would gain about 864,000 jobs in other sectors because of the end of ACA taxes (which would only add to the federal deficit if not offset with other revenues.) The initial gain of 864,00 jobs, however, would be short-lived and eventually turn around into job losses. New York state is among top 10 states in predicted job losses.

Balance Billing

This is a bill you could receive from an out of network provider, hospital or physician, for the difference between their normal charge and what your insurance pays. This typically occurs in an emergency situation where you are transported by ambulance to an out of network hospital or when you are attended to by an out of network physician at an in-network hospital. In most of these cases, you aren’t in control. Only 21 states afford consumers some sort of protection from balance bills. Only 6 of those states provide comprehensive protection and New York is one of them.

Coming to a Mall Near You

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, malls are very appealing to healthcare systems looking to expand their primary care footprint. Many malls, conveniently located but faced with declining occupancy,

August 2017 •

are negotiating very competitive occupancy rates with providers. Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville has been an anchor tenant at the One Hundred Oaks mall since 2009. The mall, once considered almost dead, now has a 98 percent occupancy rate. Dana Farber in Boston took space in a mall near Chestnut Hill where in addition to primary care opened a gym and wellness facility for patients and staff. The increase in these hospital-based outpatient centers is due primarily in response to the encroachment of for-profit retail clinics, like Walmart, in the marketplace.

New Surgeon General

The president has nominated physician Jerome Adams to be the U.S surgeon general. The 42-yearold Adams, an anesthesiologist, was appointed Indiana Health Commissioner in 2014 by thengovernor Mike Pence. Adams took the lead in Indiana’s fight against opioid addiction. Adam’s nomination is sure to be approved. Trump fired the former surgeon general Vivek Murthy in April. George W. Chapman is a healthcare business consultant who works exclusively with physicians, hospitals and healthcare organizations. He operates GW Chapman Consulting based in Syracuse. Email him at gwc@gwchapmanconsulting.com.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 7

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Helpful Summer Reads for Those Who Live Alone

hhhhhh … summer. Long, luxurious days that stretch into equally lovely and languid evenings. Vacations by the shore. Hours at the pool. And all those trips by car or plane to exotic places or peaceful retreats — holiday rituals ripe with unlimited time to spare and to fill with books, glorious books! What better time than summer to reference the New York Times’ summer reading list and lose yourself in that spy or romance novel you didn’t get to during the busier, cooler months of the year. What? This doesn’t ring true for you? This depiction of summer and its corresponding “reading vacation” doesn’t resonate? I hear you. For those who are newly divorced or widowed, summer can be — yes — lovely. But it can also be long. In fact, it can be too long. And it can be lonely, especially if you are accustomed to traveling with a spouse and/or your family during the summer months. On your own and perhaps without the resources or resolve to travel alone or to embrace all that summer has to offer, you may be interested in a different sort of

reading list. Introducing … “Helpful Summer Reads for Those Who Live Alone.” While my recommendations may not be thrillers or pageturners, these books may be just the ticket for your summer reading vacation: • “Flying Solo: Single

Women in Midlife”

by psychologists Carol Anderson and Susan Stewart. This incredible book comes with my highest recommendation. Written in the mid-’90’ss, this book is as relevant as ever, so don’t let the copyright date dissuade you from picking it up. The authors, both Ph.Ds with extensive training and experience in marriage and family counseling, interviewed single women throughout the country, most of whom did not intend to be on their own in midlife. From the book jacket: “The authors share women’s stories and their practical advice on being single, transforming loneliness, redefining the importance of work, developing friendship and support networks, and living with and without intimacy.” This book is so good and offers so many helpful insights about women and their life choices that

I’ve recommended it to my married friends, as well. It’s a must read! • “Living Alone & Loving It:

A Guide to Relishing the Solo Life” by Barbara Feldon. Remember

Get Smart, the middle-’60s classic television comedy featuring a bungling secret service agent Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) and his effervescent sidekick, Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon)? I loved that show! Remember his cool shoe phone? But, I digress. Barbara Feldon found herself living alone in New York City after a relationship impasse, and she wrote about her experience in a quick little read that charts her personal path from despair and loneliness to “one of the most enriching and joyous periods of her life.” In this book, Feldon covers both the practical and emotional aspects of living alone, including how to nurture a glowing self-image, value connections with friends and family, develop your creative side and end negative thinking. • “Single: The Art of Being

Satisfied, Fulfilled, and Independent” by Judy Ford, a

psychotherapist in private practice. Perfect for a younger audience, this smart and funny book is described as “hip” and the “ultimate companion” for single women everywhere. It is a touching and uplifting collection of true-life experiences and practical tips that uphold the most enduring relationship you have on this earth: the one you have with yourself. Check it out! • “On My Own: The Art of Being a Woman Alone” by Florence Falk, another psychotherapist in private practice. While densely written, this

book examines and illuminates the essential role that being alone plays in women’s lives. You’ll be moved and inspired by the intimate stories of women from all backgrounds and perspectives, and you’ll welcome Falk’s frank discussion of her own journey through uncertainty to acceptance, and ultimately to a more positive and empowered aloneness. • “Second Acts: Creating the

Life You Really Want, Building the Career You Truly Desire”

by Stephen Pollan. A life coach and financial expert, the author of this highly useful and accessible text is determined to help readers reinvent their lives and to find personal fulfillment and happiness. Writing from personal experience, Pollan invites men and women of all ages to participate in a series of exercises that enable them to work through self-limiting barriers to discover their potential and live the life of their dreams. If this is your summer to turn over a new leaf, try turning a few pages in one or two of the books above. Each has held important messages for me and helped light my way. Chances are that you, too, will find some words of wisdom to guide you toward inner freedom and feeling whole and complete on your own. Enjoy!

Gwenn Voelckers is the founder and facilitator of “Live Alone and Thrive,” empowerment workshops for women held throughout the year in Mendon, NY. For information or to contact Voelckers, call 585-6247887 or email: gvoelckers@rochester. rr.com.

Ralph C. Wilson Foundation Unveils ‘State of Play’ Report on Youth Sports

he Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo recently released “State of Play,” an independent assessment conducted by the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program that examines access, quality and participation in youth sports in Erie and other surrounding counties in Western New York. “Research shows active children do better in life,” said Tom Farrey, executive director, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program. “They’re healthier, more often go on to college, and as they move into adulthood are more likely to raise active kids. So how do we get more kids off the couch, without running them into the ground? It starts with a clear-eyed account of how well a community is currently serving kids through sports. We hope this report — the first of its kind nationally — provides valuable insights that can help mobilize stakeholders.” Among the 40-plus findings in the report, which can be downloaded at RCWJRF.org/StateofPlay, are: • Not Enough Kids Active at a Healthy Level: While 84 percent of parents believe it’s important Page 8

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to have their children regularly involved in sports, only 16 percent of youth across Western New York are physically active one hour a day, the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. • It’s About More than Sports: A Johns Hopkins University analysis projects that if stakeholders in the region can get and keep just 25 percent of youth active daily, 7,488 fewer youth would be overweight and obese, saving the region more than $262 million in direct medical costs and workplace productivity losses. • Where Have the Neighborhood Games Gone?: The sports experience has changed dramatically over the past generation or so, with children participating in fewer sports and activities near their homes. Casual/ pick-up play has become far less common, with more youth primarily playing in organized team settings. • Many bright spots, but we can do better: Youth sport providers and other stakeholders across Western New York gave the region a C+ in getting kids active through sports, according to an online survey. The grade aligns with research by the Aspen Institute, which found

many innovative organizations and grassroots champions dedicated to youth, but also gaps in program access, especially in low-income and rural areas. “Our vision is to have a Western New York community in which all children, regardless of ZIP code or ability, have the opportunity to be active through sports,” said David O. Egner, president and CEO of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. “The State of Play report identifies the challenges we face as a region, but more importantly, it also shares the opportunities that all of us in the community — parents, educators, funders, and leaders — can pursue for improvement.” The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation commissioned the report and partnered with Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to create and oversee a local task force of youth sports practitioners and leaders who provided insights, expertise and feedback throughout the eight-month research process. “For the first time ever, we have a clear picture of what the state of youth sports looks like in our region,” said Clotilde PerezBode Dedecker, president and

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

CEO, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “State of Play is a playbook that will drive community conversation and action on how we can collectively address youth sports for years to come.” More than 1,000 local adults and youth informed the State of Play report through interviews, roundtables, focus groups and surveys. With the help of a George Washington University research team, the Aspen Institute analyzed the region through its existing framework of eight strategies, or “plays,” designed to increase sport participation with urban, suburban and rural youth. While the State of Play report will help to inform grantmaking strategies for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, the broader hope is that the region’s communities will begin to engage in this early conversation and collectively rally around our youth. Beginning this fall, the two foundations will partner to host a series of community roundtables and discussions to improve youth sports.

Sample of mini implant procedure by Todd Shatkins, cosmetic dentist and director of dentistry at Aesthetic Associates Centre for Plastic Surgery and Dentistry. He said that using a titanium screw instead of steel has helped create a stronger bond to the bone, as well as decrease the healing time

Dental Implants Have Come a Long Way New techniques make implants cheaper, more secure and with more natural look

Get Fit Where You Fit in Train With Odds2Beat A Basketball Skill Development Company for All Ages. • Individual / Group Training • After School Partnerships • Transitional Education Services • Student-Athlete Seminars • Adult Basketball Aerobics • Skill Development Programs for ages 5-18

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ntroduced in the mid-1960s, dental implants have come a long way in the materials used and the procedure to place them. Implants can replace a missing tooth to fill a gap in the smile. Strategically placed implants can also help secure a bridge or denture so the wearer feels more comfortable with the prosthesis since they won’t need adhesive to hold them in place. Implants can also replace up to a full mouth of teeth with a natural look that’s undetectable from natural teeth in both form and function. Eliminating dentures improves the patient’s ability to enjoy food, since dentures cover the taste buds on the soft palate. Patients also don’t need to worry about dentures slipping, since implants are considered permanent tooth replacements. Konstantinos Chochlidakis, prosthodontist, director of Prosthodontic Clinic, Eastman Institute for Oral Health at UR Medicine in Rochester, said that a pre-surgery CT scan helps the surgeon better visualize and plan the implant before performing the surgery and achieve a more precise placement. “We use implant planning software,” Chochlidakis said. “The surgeon can digitally perform the surgery in the software beforehand so he knows just where to place the screw.” Todd E. Shatkin, cosmetic dentist and director of dentistry at Aesthetic Associates Centre for Plastic Surgery and Dentistry, serves as president of the International Academy of Mini Dental Implants. Along with CT scans, he uses mini dental implants which require what he described as “pinhole sized openings” unlike the large incisions required for traditional implants. The smaller incision lessens pain, healing time and the risk for infection. He added that the guide also helps in placing the screw in the optimal location. Some people with long-term tooth loss lose bone over time. Using mini dental implants, a procedure for which Shatkin said he has developed and taught to dentists worldwide, does not require as much bone nor the need for bone grafting and sinus lift surgery, which are common with larger-sized implant screws. In fact, Shatkin calls it a “nonsurgical technique” that requires no sutures or stitches. Patients need only local anesthesia and can resume normal activity right away.

“You can put a crown or a denture on almost immediately,” Shatkin said. He added that mini implants cost 30 to 50 percent less than traditionally sized implants because patients spend less time in the chair. General dentists trained in the procedure can insert them, which means that patients won’t require referrals to dental surgeons. Once the screw is secured into place, the crown is added. The twopart mini implant is stronger and more secure than the multiple parts of the traditionally-sized implant. Shatkin also operates Shatkin FIRST in Amherst, a dental lab that makes the appliances for his dental office and offices worldwide. He said that using a titanium screw instead of steel has helped create a stronger bond to the bone, as well as decrease the healing time. Many of Shatkin’s patients can leave with new teeth within an hour — even a full mouth of implants. Shatkin said that most patients accept implants well. Even older patients who cannot tolerate surgery well are usually good candidates for the procedure since it’s minimally invasive. His success rate is more than 95 percent.

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Many of Todd E. Shatkin’s patients can leave with new teeth within an hour. He is the cosmetic dentist and director of dentistry at Aesthetic Associates Centre for Plastic Surgery and Dentistry. He also serves as president of the International Academy of Mini Dental Implants.

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August 2017 •

BFOHEALTH.COM IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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SmartBites

The skinny on healthy eating

What’s Great about Lean Ground Beef

hen it comes to nutrition, lean ground beef — defined by the USDA as ground beef with no more than 10 percent fat — might take you by surprise. While mostly recognized for its high protein content, lean ground beef also boasts a bounty of vitamins and minerals that do a body good. But let’s begin first with protein, its most abundant nutrient. A small 3-ounce lean patty (about the size of a deck of cards) delivers a whopping 25 grams of complete protein, which, for many, fulfills about half of the daily recommended amount. That’s a lot of protein for less than 200 calories! Indeed, choosing lean beef to meet or bolster your protein intake may actually be a caloriesaver, as it often takes more than twice the calories to get 25 grams of protein from beans, nuts and grains. A powerhouse nutrient, protein is essential for growth, tissue repair, energy and proper immune function. Lean ground beef sizzles with impressive amounts of several B vitamins, including niacin, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. Niacin helps improve circulation and may lower the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s; vitamin B12 is essential for keeping nerves and red blood

cells healthy; and vitamin B6 is especially important for regulating mood and preventing mental fatigue. All B vitamins help the body convert food to energy. This popular beef also rocks with zinc, knocking off about 40 percent of our daily needs in one serving. Immune-boosting zinc helps expedite wound healing, calm out-ofcontrol inflammation, and promote testosterone production. No surprise: The leaner the ground beef, the more you’ll save on

WATER

How much should you drink? By Jennifer Fecio McDougall

here’s nothing quite like a glass of water when you’re thirsty. Drink up, and go grab another glass. Andrea Derosas, board-certified in internal medicine, is a medical doctor at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center. She noted that thirst, the first sign of dehydration, is the body’s way of telling you that you need to drink. Another sign — your urine may begin getting darker and there may be less of it. “After that, you may experience dry mouth, headache, fatigue, dizziness, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, or fainting,” she said. The old adage is that most people should drink six to eight glasses of water per day, but there are certain precautions associated with this. Many of them are well known, and most of them have to do with replacing water the body may be losing. Exercising a lot? If so, your body is losing water through sweat, and it’s important to drink water to ensure the body’s supply doesn’t get low. If you have diarrhea or are vomiting, your body is losing water, Page 10

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and it’s essential to drink a lot to avoid dehydration. How about when it’s hot outside? Derosas emphasized that it’s very easy to get dehydrated on a hot summer day, especially if you are active in the hot sun. If you’re perspiring, that makes you even more prone to dehydration. “Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are very serious complications of being overheated and are almost always exacerbated by dehydration,” she cautioned. Although it’s important to drink enough water, it’s equally important to make sure you don’t go overboard. “Water intoxication can happen if large amounts of water are consumed in a short period of time, and this is just as dangerous as dehydration; it can even be deadly,” Derosas said. Her recommendation is to keep water handy at all times and drink your six to eight glasses over the course of the day. In addition, there are special considerations for certain people. Young children may not have the ability to drink the appropriate amount of water without adult assistance. “Therefore, their adult caretakers should remember to carry extra water and to offer it frequently,

calories, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Go grass-fed if you’d like to save a little more on cholesterol and shield yourself from hormones and antibiotics. Although most grainfed ground beef contains hormones and antibiotics, some major chains offer grain-fed ground beef that has neither.

Tasty Meatloaf Muffins Adapted from myrecipes.com Serves 5-6 1 teaspoon canola oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 medium carrot, shredded 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup low-sodium tomato sauce 1 pound lean ground beef ½ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Frank’s Hot Sauce (optional) ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper ½ teaspoon salt 1 large egg Preheat oven to 350°. Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and shredded carrot; sauté for about five to eight minutes. Add dried oregano and minced garlic; sauté one minute more. Cool. In a medium bowl, combine onion mixture, ¼ cup tomato sauce, and the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Lightly coat five muffin cups with canola oil (if making smaller muffins, prep 10). Spoon the meat

mixture into the muffin cups, press lightly, and bake accordingly: for larger muffins, bake for about 35 minutes; for smaller muffins, bake for about 25 minutes. No matter the size, the muffins should register 160F when tested with a meat thermometer. Let stand for five minutes before serving.

Helpful tips

Use freshly ground beef one to two days after purchase; ground beef that’s been frozen will last about three to four months. Ground beef that’s gray on the outside but red on the inside should be fine to eat: being covered with plastic wrap is the benign culprit. Ground beef that’s gray throughout, however, usually indicates spoilage and should be tossed or returned. Prevent potential food poisoning by always cooking your ground beef to 160F. Hosting a party with hamburgers or a ground beef casserole? According to the USDA, the cooked ground beef should not be left out for more than two hours.

Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle columnist, food guru, and seasoned cook, who has perfected the art of preparing nutritious, calorie-conscious dishes. She is hungry for your questions and comments about SmartBites, so be in touch with Anne at avpalumbo@aol.com.

especially during illnesses and hot weather,” Derosas explained. She said the elderly may also be at increased risk for dehydration, so it’s important to ensure that their water intake is adequate. However, she issued a caution as well. “Be mindful of the medical conditions of elderly loved ones. For example, if they have congestive heart failure or kidney disease, they may be prone to fluid overload, so it’s important to speak to their doctor before making any changes to the amount of fluids you are providing,” she said.

Meeting hydration goals Beth Schoellkopf was a busy mom, wife, and science teacher when she began a weight-loss journey using the Beachbody system. She lost 35 pounds, but she said the best thing was feeling better, healthier, and happier. She also learned about the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated. Now an online health and fitness coach, Schoellkopf aims to drink half of her body weight in ounces of water every day. She said many people find it very challenging to meet this goal when they first start out, but it soon becomes second nature. “The first week can be really tough, and people feel like they’re always in the bathroom, but once your body gets used to being hydrated, you’ll crave water if you don’t drink enough of it,” she explained. Schoellkopf said hydration brings numerous benefits — feeling better, more energy, joints

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

feel better, digestion is better, skin feels better, organs are healthier, and food tastes better. Schoellkopf offered several pro tips for staying hydrated. “As a teacher, I have to be strategic about when I fill my water bottle,” she noted, so she sets mini goals for herself throughout the day. She aims for a third of her daily intake goal before work, another third before lunch, and the final third before dinner. She said this system has an advantage — “If you get all of your ounces in before 8 p.m., you won’t be getting up all night to go to the bathroom.” For those who find water somewhat boring, Schoellkopf has a solution. “There are so many ways to infuse water; some people use lemons, mint, cucumbers, or even a little bit of honey. You just have to figure out what appeals to you,” she said.

Stressed-Out Kids How to help kids cope with stress as they go back to school

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

chool children have plenty to stress about, from their studies to friends to news to their family’s own struggles. It’s unhealthy — not to mention impossible — to eliminate all sources of stress. Local experts shared how you can help your children better cope with stress. • “Keep the lines of communication open as a parent. Make sure you ask them about their day. Pay attention. If you’re present and giving them the chance DeAngelis to talk about it, they’ll open up more. • “Have a structured routine at your home. Family biking time, outings, and meals — do that kind of thing to spend time as a family • “Consider destressing with yoga classes for kids, belly breathing and mindfulness. Research says it helps for kids and adults. It trains the brain to stay in the present. • “Incorporate gratitude into the routine. Ask at bedtime, ‘What are three things you’re grateful for today?’ • “Help your children Urdang name your feelings. A lot of times, kids don’t know what they’re feeling. You can educate them on what feelings they’re feeling and that’s a healthy coping skill to have. • “If a parent notices any concerning behavior that borders on a mental health issue like repetitive behavior, clinging or extensive crying, get an exam from a pediatrician. • “Parents need to monitor what’s ageappropriate in the media and filter. If they’re schoolaged children, it may not be appropriate to have access to a news story. If your kids have free access Logsdon to all the cable channels and TV, that’s a concern. Kids can’t un-see and un-hear it. You can’t rely on what they say they can handle because they may have nightmares Deanna DeAngelis, licensed clinical social worker in Buffalo • “Ask questions that do not have “yes” or “no” answers. When they answer the questions, pay attention. The best time to do this is right when they get home from school. If you wait till dinner or bedtime, then the energy that comes with the day is diffused and they will have less to say. • “If they hear a soothing, calming reaction instead of a

hysterical reaction, they follow the parent’s lead emotionally. • “You don’t have to go to an Ivy League school to be a happy, healthy, well-functioning adult. If academics are particularly challenging, make sure they don’t have some sort of learning issue that’s preventing them from doing well. • “It is important for children to have free play. We want to enrich their environment, but we also need to give them enough latitude and freedom to know what to do with their free time. • “Children want to feel comforted and safe. If they feel that, then the political climate and the tragedies we hear about will affect them far less. Nicole Urdang, licensed mental health counselor and holistic psychotherapist in private practice in Buffalo • “Parents send messages we’re not aware of. If on the weekends I like to relax by grabbing a beer, glass of wine or smoking marijuana, it sends the message to kids that’s the only way parents let their hair down and the No. 1 way they deal with stress. We don’t tell kids that, but we give them that message, even if we say, ‘You should do this,’ the parents doing it undoes the message. Ninety percent of people using heroin started with alcohol and marijuana. • “Parents should not be afraid to reach out for a consultation just for advice. There seems to be a stigma that going to a counselor that you’ve failed as a parent. You should be able to reach out for a professional opinion just as you would for your house or car.” Timothy W. Logsdon, licensed mental health counselor in private practice in Buffalo • “It’s nice if parents talk with their kids the day before the first day of school or other important day if their kids seem nervous. Remind them it’s everyone’s first day and everyone’s probably anxious. • “If a family has moved and are going to a completely new school, ask about orientation where your child can know what to expect and meet some teachers. that can help. If a child seems very anxious, it could be wise to drive your child or walk with them the first day so they feel safe.” Physician Gale R. Burstein, commissioner of health, Erie County Department of Health

Stay Healthy This School Year By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Department of Health

eyond routine vaccinations required for school, you can do much more to help your children stay healthy this year. Of course, supporting good health is important year-round; however, it’s easy to let a few things slide during the long, lazy days of summer. Here what the experts say:

• “Teach them good handwashing habits. Hand washing should occur before they eat, after touching something soiled, and after the bathroom. Apply soap, lather while singing ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’, rinse off with water and dry. Hand sanitizer is better than nothing. • “When you take your child to the doctor, don’t demand antibiotics. That’s a conversation I have a lot with parents. Viruses don’t respond to antibiotics. We don’t have medications that make viruses go away. You just need to let them rest so they can recover and so it won’t spread to other children. There’s no other way around it.” Rachel Kaufman, pediatrician with Buffalo Pediatric Associates, LLP, in Williamsville

• “Make sure your kids get in the habit of getting a good night’s sleep. In the summertime when you don’t have something to get up for, sleep gets slack. • “Get a knapsack that fits your child well with wide, padded shoulder straps and padded back. Make sure that the backpack is adjusted so the bottom sits at the child’s waist and make sure that the child understands that they have to use both straps. They should carry no more than 10 percent of their body weight. • “Advise them that when they sneeze or cough, cover their face with their elbow. If a classmate looks sick, it means they are sick. Advise your child to stay away from that person. • “During cold or flu season, you can’t use hand sanitizer enough. Those germs are everywhere. They can survive for over 24 hours on surfaces like doorknobs and table tops. It’s really important for kids to wash their hands and avoid putting their hands on their faces, especially when they’re in public. • “Make sure that your kids have access to nutritious foods throughout the day. That helps keep them healthy. Breakfast is really the most important meal of the day. Make sure they eat something before they leave if they don’t have access to breakfast at school. Physician Gale R. Burstein, commissioner of health, Erie County

• “A school-aged kid should be getting about nine to 11 hours of sleep a night. Adolescents need eight to 10 hours. Children need to limit screen time. They should also put away electronic devices an hour before bedtime so they can get good rest. • “We recommend flu vaccine because school-aged kids are the people who have the highest rates of flu. They just pass it around the school. • “Make sure they get enough fruits and vegetables. I never heard of a kid eating too many vegetables. • “Older kids tend to skip breakfast, but you can’t learn if you’re not having breakfast. • “If a child’s schedule gets out of routine, it’s important to be back in that routine when school starts.” Dennis Kuo, pediatrician with Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo

Gale R. Burstein

August 2017 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Golden Years How to Take the ‘Down’ Out of Downsizing The Sarans of Amherst talk about their decision to downsize By Nancy Cardillo

ownsizing. The word alone can make a person hyperventilate. After all, you’ve likely invested plenty over the years to make your house your home. It’s where you raised your family, created memories, hosted holidays and spent many evenings gathered around the dinner table. And then there are all the things that are crammed into every nook and cranny, stored in every closet and drawer, jammed into attics, garages and basements. Be honest: you’ve thought about downsizing, and you know it’s probably the right thing to do — but there are so many questions! How best to go about it? Where do you start? What about all your precious memories and mementos? What about your stuff? Leonard and Marcia Saran lived in their Amherst home for 50 of the 59 years they’d been married, raising their son and daughter there before deciding the time had come to downsize. “There were things the house needed or would soon need,” says Marcia. “We looked at each other and realized we didn’t have the energy to do the updates, the painting, the redecorating. Our house was tired and so were we. It was time to move.” “We were approaching that age

where you’re vulnerable to health issues and might need continuing care,” added Len. “We wanted to locate somewhere that offered everything we might need down the road.” Their 3,000-square-foot home had four bedrooms, a full basement, attic crawl space, dining room, living room, kitchen and three bathrooms — and was full of the treasures they’d collected traveling around the world, as well as family mementos, photos, antiques, tools and furniture. Len and Marcia are crafty. He builds model boats, she sews and makes dollhouses and quilts, so their basement was set up as a full workshop, and also housed Len’s train collection. Yet, it took just 53 days from the time they signed the paperwork at Asbury Pointe Retirement Community to empty the house, sell it and move into their beautiful, comfortable two-bedroom apartment. How did they accomplish this? Well, for starters, they were organized. Asbury Pointe gave them a layout grid for their new apartment, and their daughterin-law measured everything and determined what would fit in their new space. After deciding what they wanted to take with them, and giving the children and grandchildren what they wanted, Len and Marcia cleaned

Leonard and Marcia Saran lived in their Amherst home for 50 of the 59 years they’d been married, raising their son and daughter there before deciding the time had come to downsize. “We wish we’d done it sooner,” they say. Page 12

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out the house, room by room. “We started with the garage, which wasn’t too bad,” says Len. “Then we moved to the basement, which was very intimidating, as it was quite full.” But they tackled it a little at a time, with Len making frequent trips to the grocery store for banana boxes. “They’re the strongest,” he says. And they hired someone to carry everything up from the basement so they didn’t have to do the heavy lifting. The Sarans sold some of their antiques and artwork, held an estate sale at the house and a garage sale at their daughter’s and moved. At first, they missed their house and some of their things — “my Kittinger dining room set!” — but after three years,

they don’t miss a thing. And, as is common with downsizers, the Sarans say, “we wish we’d done it sooner!” They love their maintenancefree lifestyle that allows them to pick up and travel whenever they want. Both avid gardeners, Len and Marcia can still tend to their garden at Asbury Pointe, and they love that they don’t have to cook if they don’t want to. “The food here is fabulous,” says Len. “And we’ve made so many friends. It’s like family here! There’s plenty to do, and the staff is exceptional. “The defining moment in the downsizing process is when you make the decision to move,” adds Len. “The rest is just commentary.”

Downsizing Made Easier. Ask the Pro

amie Shaner has been an organizational specialist and senior move manager for 12 years, since starting her business, Home Solutions of WNY, Inc., in 2005. She has helped many go from huge homes to smaller living spaces, such as retirement communities. She prefers to call it “rightsizing” and says it’s never too soon to start the process. “In Western New York, most homes have attics, basements, garages, lots of closets — these are the places where our ‘postponed decisions’ end up. We keep things because we have the space to do so. When it’s time to think about downsizing, it can be very intimidating and that’s why people put it off,” says Shaner. The process of moving always takes longer than people realize, so the longer you have to go through your things, the less pressure there is, says Shaner. You’ll have more control and make better decisions when you can take your time, which is why she recommends starting the process even before the decision to downsize has been made. “There are emotional and mental health benefits to getting rid of clutter, to reducing the amount of items in a home,” says Shaner, who knows from experience that family members often don’t want Mom and Dad’s “treasures,” collectible items or large pieces of furniture, making them more difficult to get rid of. How does she help a client

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

downsize or rightsize? “I start with a walkthrough and free consultation,” says Shaner. “I will ask questions such as, ‘Do you know where you’re going?’ ‘How much space will you have?’ ‘What are you allowed to take?’ ’Will you have a meal plan?’ That helps me determine how best I can help my clients and determine what other vendors — such as estate sale, antique experts, movers, etc. — will be needed. I also recommend clients start putting “like” objects together so it’s easier to see what they have and what they won’t need.” Shaner encourages her clients to be realistic about what to take. If they’ll be taking most meals in the dining hall, they don’t need as many kitchen items or sets of dishes. If the new living room is smaller, they won’t need a couch and a love seat. “If you’re going in to senior living, it has to be a safe environment,” says Shaner. “Most, for example, won’t allow candles. And you want enough space to potentially navigate a walker or wheelchair. These are things to keep in mind when considering what to take with you.” And while she understands the emotional value in memories, Shaner knows you can’t keep everything. She recommends taking photos of items before releasing them and creating photo albums of memories. That way, “you hold on to the memories, but the items go to people who need them more than you do now.”

Golden Years

Things You Should Know About Healthy Aging

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

ging is never fun. But it doesn’t have to be incredibly painful either. In order to be healthy, happy and entertained during the “Golden Years,” there are certain steps to take. Physician Jack Freer, who practices primary care and geriatrics at UBMD / Kaleida Health in North Buffalo and is a member of ECMC Geriatrics Consulting Service, offers five tips to healthy aging. “There are numerous things that can be done to help you navigate through your senior years,” said Freer.

Drink water Water is sometimes known as the best free medicine available. Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) officials believe getting enough water every day is important for your health. Many healthy people meet their fluid needs by drinking when thirsty and drinking with meals. Most of your fluid needs are met through the water and beverages you drink. However, you can get some fluids through the foods that you eat. For example, broth soups and foods with high water content such as celery, tomatoes, or melons can contribute to fluid intake. Water helps your body keep your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, protects your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues and gets rid of wastes through urination, perspiration and bowel movements. Your body needs more water when

you are in hot climates, more physically active and as you age. “When people get older, they tend not to feel as thirsty,” said Freer, who is also the medical director of the Elderwood Long Term Care at Cheektowaga. “They can go throughout the day and not feel the need to drink water until they are incredibly dehydrated, and that is when problems start. You need to force yourself to drink water and maintain your fluids on a regular basis in the summer for anyone, but especially if you are older.”

Nutrition The CDC finds that 91 percent of New York adults fall short of consuming at least two servings of vegetables each day. One in three adults now has prediabetes. “We have to be honest with ourselves. We all like to eat the wrong things because it does taste good, but the wrong things can have incredibly problematic results as you age,” added Freer. “You have to understand what you eat helps preserve your health as opposed to just the luxury of eating for pleasure. Even as you get older and you don’t have much of an appetite, that is why it is so important to make sure you are eating the right things.”

Stay active Frailty is one of the characteristics that is often associated with seniors because as we age we typically lose muscle and get weaker. Once you start losing

muscle, you get more vulnerable and you are susceptible to other problems like infections. “To avoid speeding up the development of frailty, it is useful to exercise and maintain a steady active lifestyle,” said Freer. “Some people are able to play tennis into their 80s, and some people are able to play golf and other activities into their 90s. While you must avoid pushing yourself too much over the limit, you have to do everything you can to keep your body moving.”

Ways to avoid falls As people start to age, falling becomes one of the biggest health casualties in thee lives of many seniors. Whether that is because they lack a strong core to keep balance or are unaware of too many home hazards, it can be the beginning of a health downfall. “Even something like having throw rugs in the house where a senior can slip can be incredibly dangerous,” said Freer. “You have to be aware of common hazards around the house that can cause you to lose your balance. It is a real problem among seniors.”

Medication Freer believes the best patients are not only educated patients, but those who have a consistent advocate with them. Many times, the medication can have adverse effects whether that is overthe-counter or prescribed. Patients must be their own advocate if they

Geriatrician Jack Freer is a clinical professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo. He practices primary care and geriatrics at UBMD / Kaleida Health in North Buffalo and is a member of ECMC Geriatrics Consulting Service. feel like their medication is doing more harm than good. “You also want to talk to your doctor about safe and healthy strategies that may not involve medication. In many cases there are some good physical remedies that can help you over medication,” added Freer. “There are some situations where medication isn’t the best option for an ailment like back problems. Make sure you talk with your doctor always about other options.”

New Procedure Shows Great Potential for Glaucoma Patients

ECVA surgeon first in NYS (outside NYC) to implant the XEN Gel Stent

estern New Yorkers with refractory glaucoma can now benefit from a new procedure that more safely and successfully reduces intraocular pressure (IOP), thereby preserving eyesight and potentially eliminating the need for post-surgery eye drops, as well as the many of the complications associated with conventional glaucoma surgery, according to a news release issued by Eye Care & Vision Associates (ECVA) in Buffalo. The XEN Gel Stent is a surgical implant designed to lower high eye pressure in open-angle glaucoma patients where previous surgical treatment has failed and/or medications alone were insufficient. Earlier in July, physician Paul C. Holmwood, glaucoma fellowship trained board-certified opthalmologist with ECVA, became the first physician in New York state, outside of New York City, to perform this minimally invasive procedure,

which shows great potential for the treatment of this disease, according to the news release. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness and affects an estimated three million Americans. Glaucoma occurs when fluid builds up in the front part of the eye, increasing the pressure in the eye and damaging the optic nerve, which is the nerve that sends signals to your brain that are turned into the images you see. If left untreated, glaucoma will cause a slow but steady — and irreversible — loss of vision; however, with early treatment, blindness can often be prevented. The standard approach for glaucoma management involves treatment first with medication, in the form of eye drops, followed by laser surgery or the insertion of a glaucoma drainage device to reduce pressure. These highly effective procedures, however, are invasive and often prone to complications. This new procedure, which

Holmwood performed at the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Western New York in Amherst, allows for the implantation of a drain— without cutting and stitching — to reduce the fluid in the eye and lower the eye pressure. This drain, the XEN Gel Stent, is made of a permanent, soft, collagen-derived, gelatin. Once implanted, it creates a small channel in the eye to drain fluid and help lower eye pressure. The XEN Gel Stent is tiny — about the size of an eyelash — and is placed just under the conjunctiva, which is a clear membrane that covers the white of your eye. The XEN Gel Stent is designed to remain in the eye permanenly. The procedure is faster, more straightforward and less invasive than other treatments for glaucoma, and can be performed as outpatient surgery under general anesthetic, according to Holmwood.

August 2017 •

Paul C. Holmwood, boardcertified opthalmologist

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Golden Years Opioid Dependency Affects Older Adults, Too Expert says seniors ‘one of the fastest growing age segments for drug addiction’ By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ost people associate the opioid epidemic with younger people. While it’s true that the average person struggling with opioid addiction is younger than 45, a growing number of older people become dependent. According to AARP, nearly one-third of those using Medicare, numbering about 12 million people, received prescriptions for opioid painkillers in 2015. The same year, 2.7 million Americans aged 50-plus took painkillers off-label, either for reasons for which they were not prescribed or in excess of their prescription. AARP further related that in the past two decades, the rate of opioidrelated hospitalization for people 65 and older quintupled. According to the Erie County Health Department, in 2016, 21 percent of the total 297 overdose death victims were 50 or older. Two deaths are still pending. “It’s one of the fastest growing age segments for drug addiction,” said Carolyn Grisko, clinical director at Beacon Center in Amherst, Lockport, Niagara Falls, Buffalo and other Upstate locations. Mature adults with opioid dependence usually begin taking an opioid painkiller after an injury or surgery. If the pain lingers, the patient may shorten the time between pills or take a higher dose than prescribed. Within a short time — even mere days — the patient can become dependent. “It takes a lot of work to explain to a patient that having one opioid on top of another is not a good

thing,” said physician Robert Stall, CEO of Stall Senior Medical, LLC in Amherst. “That’s how most older people become addicted. It’s a lot easier to just refill the prescription than to work the person off of it.” If they try to fill prescriptions at more than one pharmacy, failsafes implemented in the past few years ensure they can’t. Unlike some their younger counterparts, mature patients with opioid dependency don’t tend to turn to street drugs when their prescription runs out. Stall said the next most common source is a friend or relative. While young adults may pilfer from their grandparents’ medicine cabinets, an older adult seeking prescription opioids may ask a friend or relative who has leftover pills. In sympathy, they often get what they want. Some also have someone else refill a prescription for painkillers, claiming they’ve lost pills or that their doctors did not prescribe enough refills. Physician Gale R. Burstein, commissioner of health for the Erie County Department of Health, said many prescriptions have been written for longer than what the patient will actually need pain relief. Typically thrifty, many older adults hold onto leftover drugs in case they need them in the future; however, their stockpile creates a temptation for themselves or someone else. Many of the signs of opioid addiction mimic some of the signs of dementia, making it difficult for loved ones to identify, including disorientation, poor balance, poor hygiene, mood swings and isolation. Commissioner Burstein believes

older adults resist seeking help more than younger people because of the stigma associated with substance dependency. “Denial is a big barrier to seeking help,” she said. Another issue is that many older adults simply follow their doctor’s directions explicitly and take the entire prescription whether they still need pain medication at that level or not. Burstein recommends seeking non-medicinal methods for reducing the need for painkillers, including mindfulness. “If your primary doctor says, ‘I’m not giving this to you anymore’ and is cutting them off cold turkey, they need to seek other experts in managing pain,” Stall said. “It’s very dangerous to self-prescribe any medication, let alone a narcotic medication.” Stall suggested pain specialists, physical therapists or holistic doctors, depending upon the reason for the pain. He added that general exercise and strength training may also help. For more information on substance dependency, visit www.NCAdd-RA.org.

Carolyn Grisko, clinical director at Beacon Center. She says drug abuse among seniors has increased in recent years.

For Many, Friends Are Key Living With Purpose May Help Seniors Sleep Soundly to Happiness in Old Age

s you age, the friends you keep wield an ever-greater impact on your health and sense of happiness, new research reveals. They may even outstrip family in terms of the sway they have over you, according to a new study. Lead investigator William Chopik cited several reasons why friendships might pack a bigger punch than blood relationships when it comes to influencing health and well-being. “We spend leisure time with friends. We freely choose to continue relationships with friends,” said Chopik, an assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University. If the friendships last until older adulthood, “clearly these are good friendships,” he added. “As we age, we prune away at some of the friendships that are more superficial and acquaintance-like,” he said. That means that as older adults, Page 14

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“we’re left with the ones that are deeper and make us happy,” Chopik explained. In contrast, he said, family interactions can be very serious or monotonous, and those relationships are harder to leave. The study findings stem from two surveys that, in total, asked almost 280,000 people about their relationships, their happiness and their health. Chopik found that people who placed more importance on friendship and family tended to say they were happier, more satisfied and healthier than those who didn’t. But older participants indicated that only their friendships loomed large as reliably strong predictors of how happy and healthy they felt. This rising impact of friendship occurs gradually, Chopik said. “I would say the changes begin around age 30 (or) 40, and then peak for ages 50 to 60, and remain large throughout the rest of life,” he said.

eniors who believe they have a purpose in life may sleep better, researchers say. Those who have good reasons to get up every day are less apt to have problems that keep them awake at night, such as sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, according to a new study. People tend to have more trouble sleeping as they age, the researchers added. “Helping people cultivate a purpose in life could be an effective drug-free strategy to improve sleep quality, particularly for a population that is facing more insomnia,” said study senior author Jason Ong. He’s an associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The study included more than 800 people between the ages of 60 and 100 who did not have dementia. Those who said their lives had meaning were 63 percent less likely to have sleep apnea and 52 percent less likely to have restless leg syndrome. They also had a

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

moderately better quality of sleep. Sleep apnea is a common condition where a person’s breathing pauses several times an hour. This disruption causes excessive sleepiness during the day. Restless leg syndrome causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an urge to move them, often while sitting or lying in bed, the researchers said. Only an association was seen between having purpose and sleep quality. And while the study focused on seniors, the researchers said the findings probably apply to others. “Purpose in life is something that can be cultivated and enhanced through mindfulness therapies,” Ong said in a university news release. He also said clinicians prefer non-drug solutions to improve sleep, a practice recommended by the American College of Physicians as a first-line treatment for insomnia. The study was published July 9 in the journal Sleep Science and Practice.

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New Medicare Cards Debut Next Year Dear Savvy Senior, I just received my Medicare card in the mail and was surprised to see that the ID number is the same as my Social Security number. I know it’s a bad idea to carry around anything that displays my Social Security number because it makes me vulnerable to identity theft. Wasn’t the government supposed to stop putting Social Security numbers on Medicare cards? New Beneficiary

Dear New,

Many people new to Medicare are surprised to learn that the ID number on their Medicare card is still identical to their Social Security number (SSN). After all, we’re constantly warned not to carry our SSN around with us, because if it gets lost or stolen, the result could be identity theft. But the card itself tells beneficiaries to carry it with you when you are away from home so you can show it at the doctor’s office or hospital when you need medical care. Here’s what you should do to protect yourself.

New Medicare Cards

For starters, you’ll be happy to know that the government is in the process of removing SSNs from Medicare cards, but with 58 million beneficiaries, it’s a huge undertaking that will be implemented gradually. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will start sending the new cards in April 2018, but it will take until December 2019 before SSNs are removed from all cards. Under the new system, a randomly generated 11-character Medicare Beneficiary Identifier will replace the SSN-based health claim number on your new Medicare card, but your Medicare benefits will not change. You will receive information in 2018 letting you know about the new Medicare card, with an explanation

of how to use the new card and what to do with your old one. You can start using your new Medicare card with the new number as soon as you receive it, and there should be a transition period in 2018 and 2019 when you can use either the old card or the new card.

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Until your new Medicare card is issued, here’s what you can do to protect your SSN on your current card. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a national consumer resource on identity theft, recommends that you carry your Medicare card only when you visit a health care provider for the first time, so the provider can make a copy for their files. Otherwise, make a photocopy of your card and cut it down to wallet size. Then take a black marker and black out the last four digits of your SSN, and carry that instead in case of an emergency.

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If your Medicare card does happen to get lost or stolen, you can replace it by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213 or contact your local Social Security office. You can also request a card online at SSA.gov/ MyAccount. Your card will arrive in the mail in about 30 days.

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If your Medicare card that contains your SSN gets lost or stolen, you’ll need to watch out for Medicare fraud. You can do this by checking your quarterly Medicare summary notices for services or supplies you did not receive. You can also check your Medicare claims early online at MyMedicare.gov (you’ll need to create an account first), or by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227. If you spot anything suspicious or wrong, call the Inspector General’s fraud hotline at 800-447-8477. Also, watch for other signs of identity theft. For example, if someone uses your Social Security number to obtain credit, loans, telephone accounts, or other goods and services, report it immediately to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov (or 877-4384338). This site will also give you specific steps you’ll need to take to handle this problem.

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Page 15

Golden Years

Flying Solo Solo Senior Travelers makes journeys a group effort By Nancy Cardillo

atricia Caputo has always loved to travel. But when her husband died in 2004, she thought her traveling days were over, or at least would be severely curtailed. “I have friends with whom I could travel, but we didn’t always have common interests,” Caputo said. “Some don’t like cruises and some didn’t want to go to certain places, and so it became more difficult to find travel partners.” Not wanting to give up her love for traveling, Caputo decided to try it solo. Her first group trip as a solo traveler was one of cookbook author and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich’s cooking excursions to Italy. “My kids thought I was nuts going that far away without a travel partner, but I had a great time and met so many wonderful people. I was hooked on solo travel after that,” Caputo said. Then she discovered AAA of Western and Central New York’s Solo Travelers Club, and she hasn’t looked back since. The 81-year-old retired nurse has taken cruises, motor coach trips and day trips and looks forward to every adventure. “I can’t wait for the New Year’s Eve trip to Saratoga with the club,” Caputo said. “I missed it last year because of illness and it looked like so much fun.” The Solo Travelers Club began as an experiment with the AAA of Western and Central New York, which covers the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse areas. Solo Travelers Club program manager Sue Smith would connect single ladies traveling

alone on her group tours to make the trips more enjoyable for all of them. The ladies were so appreciative they suggested AAA set up a group geared specifically toward matching single travelers. “We started with a group meeting in Syracuse in 2010. It attracted nearly 50 people, so we held meetings in Rochester and Syracuse the following week. From there, membership grew rapidly, and today we have more than 5,000 members,” Smith said. “Solo Travelers Club members can book any of our trips — which we call ‘solo friendly’ — and we’ll make sure they sit together on the coach and at meals. We also have at least six solo exclusive trips that adds to the camaraderie.” The solo club offers a roommate connection board. However, many members who love spending their traveling and meal times with others prefer their own rooms.

Appeals to older set

Smith said approximately 90 percent of the Solo Travelers Club members are aged 55 or older, but notes that “any single traveler is welcome to join” and there are travelers in their 40s. There are men and women, widows and widowers, never- marrieds and even married people whose spouses don’t like to travel, or can’t. “It’s a very diverse, very wonderful group,” smith said. “We always have such a good time on the trips. Everyone watches out for each other, and many long-term

A Cheaper Alternative to Hearing Aids?

Devices performed almost as well and are much cheaper, but they aren’t regulated, researchers note

handful of over-the-counter “personal sound amplification products” fared as well as an expensive hearing aid in helping people pick up more words in conversation, researchers report. While the study took place in a sound booth, “in this controlled environment, some of these devices helped people with mild to moderate hearing loss as well as a hearing aid,” said study author Nicholas Reed. He is an audiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in Baltimore. An estimated 16 percent of Americans have trouble hearing, and the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that almost 30 million people could benefit from Page 16

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hearing aids. But hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars, and Medicare doesn’t cover them, the researchers noted. “Hearing aids are regulated medical devices and should all be able to aid someone with hearing loss,” Reed said. “While not all hearing aids are the same, they should all be able to meet this minimum requirement of making sound louder at appropriate frequencies and with minimal distortion.” In contrast, personal sound amplification products, available at stores and online, aren’t regulated and can’t be marketed as hearing

Solo Travelers Club members (from left): Deb Rouviere of Syracuse, Karen Sheldon and Sherry Gillis, both from Rochester, posed for this photo after enjoying a winery tour and delicious lunch in Skaneateles. friendships have blossomed thanks to the Solo Travelers Club.” She adds that several romances have also come about thanks to the club. The Solo Travelers Club rewards program offers many benefits to its members, including travel discounts and rewards and exclusive invitations to events and trips. Members are invited to four meetings a year plus several social events where they can get to know each other, offer their input and maintain friendships. Trips include cruises; close-tohome cruises where travelers are brought to the cruise ship by motor coach rather than airplane; river cruises, day trips and even mystery trips, which typically sell out within days of being advertised. “We’ve gone all over, near and far, on our trips,” Smith said. “There’s always a trained tour director on the trip, and we make sure our travelers know the level of activity scheduled for the trip, so they know whether they are physically able to manage. Safety, comfort and enjoyment are our priorities, as well as affordability.”

As for Smith, she says she loves everything about the Solo Travelers Club. AAA makes it easy and affordable to sign up for trips, and takes good care of travelers, ensuring they are safe and having an enjoyable time. “If we’re traveling by motor coach, Sue always makes sure there are snacks and water available, and does a great job educating us about the place we’re going to visit. It’s really nice,” Caputo said. Plus, Caputo says she’s made great friends in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, and travels with them on a regular basis. “The Solo Travelers Club is an excellent way to travel,” Caputo said. “It’s an absolutely phenomenal group, and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves to travel but has no one to travel with. After one trip with Solo Travelers, you’ll have plenty of new friends.” It’s easy to understand, then, why the tagline for the Solo Travelers Club is “travel with friends.” For more information on AAA of Western and Central New York’s Solo Travelers Club, visit www.aaa.com/ solo.

aids. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says they’re supposed to be used by people without hearing problems to help them hear distant sounds. The devices fit in or around the ear and make use of Bluetooth technology. People do use the devices as hearing aids, however, said Todd Ricketts, vice chairman of graduate studies with the department of hearing and speech sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. But these products tend to be less technologically advanced than hearing aids, although some offer advanced features. Should you go out and buy one of the amplification devices instead of getting a hearing aid from a hearing specialist? Some audiologists will refuse to fit you for one, and the U.S. government doesn’t consider them appropriate for people with hearing loss. For the study, researchers recruited 42 patients at a university audiology clinic who had mild to moderate hearing loss. Two-thirds

were women, and their average age was 72. In a sound booth, the participants listened to sentences with “speech babble noise” in the background. The participants tried to understand what was said without any hearing assistance; while using a hearing aid (costing $1,910); and while using personal sound amplification products bought online and at a pharmacy (one was $30, and the others cost between $270 and $350). The researchers measured the average accuracy — the percentage of the time that the participants understood the sentences. It was 77 percent without a hearing aid, 88 percent with the hearing aid, and 81 to 87 percent with four of the amplification devices (Sound World Solutions CS50+, Soundhawk, Etymotic Bean and Tweak Focus). “The results suggest that the devices are technologically and objectively capable of improving speech understanding in persons with hearing loss,” Reed said.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

The Social Ask Security Office

From the Social Security District Office

Why It Pays to Keep a Careful Eye On Your Earnings Record

hether you’re ready to retire, just joining the workforce, or somewhere in between, regularly reviewing your Social Security earnings record could make a big difference when it’s time to collect your retirement benefits. Just think, in some situations, if an employer did not properly report just one year of your work earnings to us, your future benefit payments from Social Security could be close to $100 per month less than they should be. Over the course of a lifetime, that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in retirement or other benefits to which you are entitled. Social Security prevents many mistakes from ever appearing on your earnings record. On average, we process about 236 million W-2 wage reports from employers, representing more than $5 trillion in earnings. More than 98 percent of these wages are successfully posted with little problem. But it’s ultimately the responsibility of your employers — past and present — to provide accurate earnings information to

Social Security so you get credit for the contributions you’ve made through payroll taxes. We rely on you to inform us of any errors or omissions. You’re the only person who can look at your lifetime earnings record and verify that it’s complete and correct. So, what’s the easiest and most efficient way to validate your earnings record? • Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount to set up or sign in to your own my Social Security account; • Under the “My Home” tab, click on “Earnings Record” to view your online Social Security Statement and taxed Social Security earnings; • Carefully review each year of listed earnings and use your own records, such as W-2s and tax returns, to confirm them; and • Keep in mind that earnings from this year and last year may not be listed yet. If you notice that you need to correct your earnings record, check out our one-page fact sheet at www. socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-0510081.pdf.

Sooner is definitely better when it comes to identifying and reporting problems with your earnings record. As time passes, you may no longer have past tax documents and some employers may no longer be in business or able to provide past payroll information. If it turns out everything in your earnings record is correct, you can use the information and our online calculators at www.socialsecurity. gov/planners/benefitcalculators. html to plan for your retirement and

Q&A Q: I just started my first job and my paycheck is less than I expected. Why am I paying for retirement benefits when I have a lifetime to live before retirement? A: Besides being required by law, you are securing your own financial future through the payment of Social Security and Medicare taxes. The taxes you pay now translate to a lifetime of protection, whether you retire or become disabled. And when you die, your family (or future family) may be able to receive survivors benefits based on your work as well. Aside from all the benefits in your own future, your Social Security and Medicare payments also help today’s retirees. To learn more, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov. Q: I am nearing my full retirement age, but I plan to keep working after I apply for Social

August 2017 •

prepare for the unexpected, such as becoming disabled or leaving behind survivors. We use your top 35 years of earnings when we calculate your benefit amounts. You can learn more about how your benefit amount is calculated at www.socialsecurity. gov/pubs/10070.pdf. We’re with you throughout life’s journey, from starting your first job to receiving your well-earned first retirement payment. Learn more about the services we provide online at www.socialsecurity.gov/ onlineservices.

Security benefits. Will my benefits be reduced because of my income? A: No. If you start receiving benefits after you’ve reached your full retirement age, you can work while you receive Social Security and your current benefit will not be reduced because of the earned income. If you keep working, it could mean a higher benefit for you in the future. Higher benefits can be important to you later in life and increase the future benefit amounts your survivors could receive. If you begin receiving benefits before your full retirement age, your earnings could reduce your monthly benefit amount. After you reach full retirement age, we recalculate your benefit amount to leave out the months when we reduced or withheld benefits due to your excess earnings. Learn more about Social Security reading our publication, How Work Affects Your Benefits, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10069. html.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 17

Plasma Donors Touch, Save Lives Human blood plasma used to produce lifesaving therapies By Daniel Meyer

lood plasma donation is a process that helps save lives. It is considered a selfless effort that can improve the health of newborns while helping the families of those babies avoid the hardship of a devastating loss of life. As part of an ongoing promotion to bring awareness of human blood plasma collection and the importance of plasma donation, employees from local blood laboratories and donation centers are working to educate the general public about how they play an important role in saving lives on a regular basis. Transforming donated plasma into substances that are later used to prevent life-threatening diseases in newborns and producing lifesaving therapies for treatment of liver disease, rabies, tetanus and hemophilia is a detailed process known as plasmapheresis. It is estimated that the lives of approximately 36 babies are saved with each plasma donation, meaning any donor’s sacrifice of their time results in the production of substances that improve and save lives. “Donors of blood plasma provide a truly unique and special gift that can help newborns survive and contribute to the avoidance of death or serious illness of the child, something the mother and the rest of the family are forever grateful for,” said Chad Barker, center director at KED Plasma Somerset Labs, Inc. KED is a Williamsville-based outfit that specializes in the collection and procurement of high-quality plasma that is processed into plasma-based therapies. “Knowing that you have the potential to save as many as 40 lives in just one hour by being part of a powerful life-saving program is a tremendous benefit,” Barker added. The plasmapheresis donation process takes longer — approximately one hour — than donating whole blood. Because plasma is replenished in the body much more quickly than blood cells, plasma donors can donate as often as twice a week, while whole blood donors must wait for two months before donating again. What makes plasma so important is that it transports antibodies, clotting proteins, hormones, and enzymes while carrying nutrients to the body’s cells. It also removes waste products from the body’s cells and helps to maintain blood pressure. “The donation of plasma is very important because it is so vital to life and cannot be produced artificially,” said Patty Corvaia, external communications manager for the NYPenn Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. “You are giving someone a life-saving substance. Page 18

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Carol Anderson has regularly donated blood plasma for the past eight years at KED Plasma Somerset Labs in Williamsville. Chad Barker, the center director, says, “Donors of blood plasma provide a truly unique and special gift that can help newborns survive and contribute to the avoidance of death or serious illness of the child, something the mother and the rest of the family are forever grateful for.”

Five Fast Facts: Donating Plasma 1) How is it done?

Plasma is collected using a process called plasmapheresis. Whole blood is drawn utilizing a machine that removes whole blood, mixes it with an anticoagulant solution, separates the plasma and then returns the remaining components back to the donor.

2) Is the process safe?

Yes. A sterile, single-use kit is used by professionally trained staff. Because the body can replace plasma much more quickly than it can these other components, plasma donors may donate more frequently than whole blood donors. After your donation, your body replenishes the donated plasma within one to two days.

3) Who can donate?

To be eligible to participate, donors must: • Have Rh negative blood • Be at least 18 years old • Weigh at least 110 pounds • Be in good general health, which includes taking a physical • Provide a valid and current government issued photo ID • Provide proof of residency and a Social Security Card

4) What happens to the plasma after donation?

After collection, your plasma is frozen and stored there until all test results are returned indicating that your plasma is safe for further processing. The plasma is eventually separated into its various components that are processed to create plasma-derived therapies, which are distributed worldwide for people suffering from serious and rare conditions like hemophilia and immune deficiency disorders.

5) How do you learn about becoming a donor? • American Red Cross: (716) 886-7500 • KED Plasma Somerset Labs, Inc: 716-631-1281

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

That means you are helping to save lives; there is no other way of saying that is what it comes down to. It is so important. Plasma donors are special people who are compassionate human beings who have a desire to help others, which in many cases means assisting absolute strangers. It’s an incredibly generous donation by a healthy person to supply plasma to eventually be used by others who are in great need.”

Incentives for donors While most people know about donating whole blood, a procedure that takes anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, donating plasma is more time consuming, which is why Somerset Labs, Inc. provides monetary compensation for each donation. The American Red Cross regularly provides incentives in the form of gift cards and other “thank you” items often supplied by corporate partners. Western New York residents are encouraged to contact either entity to learn about the steps involved in becoming a new donor, a process that includes a free physical exam by a physician and a series of immunization injections of red blood cells. Todd Cleckley, a Tonawanda resident who works as a plasmapheresis nurse at KED, remains inspired by the generous Western New York residents and Canadian citizens who frequent the facility in Williamsville to donate plasma. “This is my first nursing job and is a second career for me,” said Cleckley. “I come into work every single day knowing that I literally play a role in saving the lives of babies. It is an honor to work with each donor because they make an inspiring commitment to participate in a process that improves and saves lives. “It is an extremely safe and easy process that takes place in a facility that is regularly inspected and audited. We are committed to our work, which is a labor of love for each of us that has an end result of great joy and happiness for the family of an ill child.” With the summer months upon us, the need for plasma donation is great during this time of year. “Summertime has consistently proven to be quite challenging because school is out of session and some of our regular donors are off on vacation or traveling and that can cause a reduction in our collection efforts. So anyone who is thinking about learning how to become a new donor is encouraged to reach out and find out if they meet the requirements to donate plasma,” said Corvaia. “You often hear about Buffalo being ‘the city of good neighbors’ and with this type of donation we regularly witness that as a real-life scenario through the blood plasma donation process,” said Barker. Cleckley believes anyone looking to make a difference in the lives of others should explore the opportunity to become a plasma donor. “There aren’t many volunteer opportunities that can provide an immediate positive impact in the lives of babies from across the globe,” said Cleckley. “Give it some serious thought. A baby’s life depends on it.”

H ealth News

Sisters of Charity gets top national rating

Sisters of Charity Hospital, a Catholic Health facility, was recognized by two of the nation’s leading independent quality rating organizations — Healthgrades and Leapfrog — in their recently released national quality reports. Sisters of Charity Hospital Main Street and St. Joseph’s campuses both received a five-star rating from Healthgrades in total hip replacement, hip fracture treatment and total knee replacement. A five-star rating is based on lower than expected complication rates for patients who have an orthopedic surgery in a hospital and is a reflection of Sisters Hospital high quality, team-based care. Sisters Main Street Campus also received its first “A” grade from Leapfrog, a non profit group that rates how well hospitals protect patients from errors, infections and accidents. For its analysis, Healthgrades independently evaluated approximately 40 million Medicare patient records from more than 4,500 hospitals across the country to arrive at its star rating system. The report identifies hospitals with better than expected (five stars), as expected (three stars), or worse than expected (one star) performance in a number of high volume procedures. The Leapfrog Group, an independent industry watchdog funded by leading companies and large purchasers of healthcare, use 30 measures of publicly available hospital data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 hospital across the county. “Hospitals that earn top marks nationally in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, have achieved the highest safety standards in the country,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserve thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an ‘A’ Safety Grade.” “We are committed to consistently providing the highest quality in care and safety for our patients. Receiving the Five-Star Healthgrades awards and an “A” grade from Leapfrog, is a reflection of the dedication, skill and hard work of all of our associates and staff,” said Martin Boryszak, president and CEO of Sisters of Charity Hospital.

Practice introduces new skin treatments The Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center (CVLC), a growing regional dermatology practice specializing in safe, non-invasive cosmetic laser procedures and varicose vein treatments, has introduced two new technologically advanced treatment options based on patient demand: HydraFacial MD for long-term skin health and the PiQo4 laser for tattoo removal and skin rejuvenation. “CVLC is dedicated to providing the latest, safest and most advanced cosmetic skin care technology

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown speaks to 130 high school students enrolled in ECMC Summer Youth Intern Program during kick-off event held on July 7.

ECMCC Holds 10TH Annual Summer Youth Intern Program Hospital program continues to stand as the only such program in the region. 130 high school students participating this year The Erie County Medical Center Corporation’s (ECMCC) 10th Annual Summer Youth Intern Program held in early July an orientation for 130 high school students who are participating in a four-week comprehensive selfdevelopment program for area high school students administered by the ECMC Foundation. Fifty percent of the participating students come from Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown’s summer youth employment and internship program. “My annual summer youth employment and internship program has put thousands of young people from neighborhoods in every section of our city to work, and in 2017 we are spending the most money in Buffalo history on youth summer employment,” Mayor Brown said.

“The 130 young people who are at ECMC will experience reallife, workplace experience, where they’ll see firsthand the demands of a busy health care facility that has an important impact on the lives of citizens,” the mayor added. The program, sponsored by ECMC Foundation, the City of Buffalo and Mayor Brown, and the First Niagara Foundation, offers summer interns a hospital-based career exploration to stimulate interest in employment in healthcare services and to help meet the future need for qualified personnel in this field. Students are required to work two six-hour days for a total of 12 hours per week, which includes a hospital-based career exploration program; a heart health education

program, an accident prevention course and/or a CPR certification course. “This competitive program helps educate our youth and provide them with opportunities to serve the patients of our community,” said ECMCC President and CEO Thomas J. Quatroche Jr. “The participating students are brought into the daily workings of ECMC and are provided an in-depth understanding of how our hospital functions and cares for the patients we serve. This is an excellent opportunity for the students to see how healthcare is delivered to the patients we serve and to consider their potential future pursuit of a career in this very challenging and rewarding field.”

to Western New York,” said Daniel Buscaglia, board-certified dermatologist and vein specialist, medical director, and president of CVLC. “The investments made in these new treatment options will help patients achieve healthier skin, rid themselves of unwanted tattoos and inspire body confidence.” According to Buscaglia, HydraFacial MD is an invigorating treatment that delivers immediate results and long-term benefits without any irritation or downtime. Treatments are given in as little as 30 minutes and tailored to meet the specific needs of all skin types. Described as the most powerful, non-invasive skin care treatment available, HydraFacial MD combines invigorating spa therapies with the most advanced medical technology to remedy skin concerns in as little as one visit, said the dermatologist. The PiQo4 laser is the latest in non-scarring tattoo removal technology and the first picosecond laser with four wavelengths to

receive FDA clearance, Buscaglia said. “It is capable of removing professional, amateur, traumatic and surgical tattoos in less time,” read a news release issued by the practice.

elements were added to enhance the visitor experience and to introduce physicians to the community. Patients can get to know their doctors by watching physician bio videos. Additionally, the new ubortho.com has been launched on a responsive platform and optimized for viewing on mobile devices, without sacrificing content. The user-friendly website enables patients to request appointments, pay bills, and access their patient portal. Patient are also able to submit testimonials about their care, and have their questions answered via the FAQ section. A special section for referring physicians has been added to the site to provide a bridge between patients’ primary care provider and orthopaedic specialist. This section is dedicated to proactively answering questions about the practice, including accepted insurances, physician-hospital associations, and doctor specialties.

UBMD Ortho unveils new website UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine (UBMD Ortho), the leading team of orthopedic physicians, physical therapists and athletic trainers in Western New York, has launched a newly redesigned website at ubortho. com. The site was designed and implemented by J. Fitzgerald Group, an integrated marketing communications firm based in Lockport. The new website features an updated, modern design and intuitive navigation, making it easier for patients and prospective patients to interact with UBMD Ortho physicians and staff. Video

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ECMC-RET-15172 IN GOOD HEALTH AD | FP - FLOAT: 9.75 X 13.75 | AUGUST ISSUE

By acting today, we can heal tomorrow’s traumas. As Western New York’s only Level 1 Adult Trauma Center, one of just 34 trauma centers (out of 453) in the United States to earn an ‘A’ rating for patient safety, the future of healthcare at ECMC is clear. With a steady rise in patient volume, we know that more of our neighbors will depend on our lifesaving trauma and emergency care than ever before. And with your support, they’ll receive it in a new facility with state-of-the-art technology, more space and privacy, and designed for better experiences and outcomes for patients and their families.

To learn more on how you can give to save lives in the most critical situations,

The difference between healthcare and true care

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2017

visit supportECMCtrauma.org.

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