Healthy Options | WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives WERU-FM 89.9

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: – What is aging? Why is having a positive view of aging good for our health? – How can we stay healthy while aging? – What are “normal” or usual, stages of aging as we get older? – What is brain plasticity? How does the brain create new pathways and why is that important? – How are ageism and age-based stereotypes harmful? – How would we define elder vs. elderly? What is the difference between being an “elder” and being seen as “elderly”? – Is frailty inevitable? – What role does attitude and positivity play in staying well? – How does diet, exercise, creativity and a sense of purpose assist us in aging well?  – What is a “life span” vs. a “health span”? How can the two be combined for better outcomes?  – Why is isolation so detrimental to us? Why is it important to engage with others, and of all ages? Why might helping others be important for our own health? – Why is learning something new every day important, and why is being in nature good for us? – Are there risks to taking multiple medications? – What are the financial and legal aspects of aging well? How do we plan for a successful aging (life) experience? – Regarding grief: what is natural and expected after losing a loved one or experiencing loss in difficult situations? – Why is resiliency vital to our well being, no matter our age? Guest(s):  Marcy Cottrell Houle, MS., wildlife biologist and author of seven books including “The Gift of Caring- Saving our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare”, co-authored with Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom. FMI: In 2016, Rhonda Feiman interviewed Marcy Cottrell Houle, MS., about “The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare,” about how the current health care delivery model is ill-equipped to provide comprehensive, person-centered care to seniors, and how many treatable conditions and symptoms are dismissed as “just old age.” The discussion highlights specific tools that we can use to help prevent these mistakes and what we need to know to achieve healthy aging. archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2016/10/special-edition-of-healthy–options–10616/ www.thegiftofcaring.net Healthy Options 3/6/24: Advocating for the care needs & rights of elders in nursing homes & assisted living facilities Elder Advocate Jack Halpern, founder and chairman of MyElder. archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2024/03/healthy–options-3-6-24-advocating-for-the-care-needs-and-rights-of-elders-in-nursing-homes-assisted-living-facilities/ Healthy Options 12/6/23: Brain Health and Aging Well: Interview with Susan Wehry, M.D., geriatric psychiatrist and director of AgingME archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2023/12/healthy–options-12-6-23-brain-health–and-aging-well/ www.susanwehrymd.com agingme.org About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: – Why is prevention the best medicine when it comes to ticks? Why is it important to keep ticks off of us, to begin with? – What is a tick borne infection?  What is Lyme disease, and other tick-borne illness? – What are the different kinds of ticks, and the diseases they may carry? Do ticks spread bacteria or viruses? – What is a co-infection? – What tick found in Maine, can cause severe to fatal illness in just 15 minutes (!) after a bite? – What is a tick check? What should you do if you find a tick attached to you? What is the safest way to remove a tick?  Where can we send ticks to be identified/tested? – What is a “bullseye rash” and how could it show up differently in men & women? Does everyone get a rash when bitten by a tick? – What type of clothing effectively reduces your chance of getting a tick bite? What is permethrin & how is it used on clothing (NOT your skin)? – What is picaridin & other repellents which ARE applied to our skin? What works/doesn’t work to repel ticks? Guest(s):  Dr. Beatrice Szantyr, Internist and Pediatrician who lectures on Lyme disease and related tick-borne disorders in Maine and nationally, to both professional and community groups. She is an active member of the Maine CDC Vector Borne Disease Work Group, and a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.  Dr. Szantyr also had served on the 2022 Federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, Access to Care and Education Subcommittee. FMI: EPA info on effective repellents www.epa.gov/insect-repellents www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you University of Maine Tick Lab Protect Yourself from ticks & tick-borne diseases: extension.umaine.edu/ticks/ Tick testing Amherst MA. (tests for more diseases): www.tickreport.com Columbia University Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center www.columbia-lyme.org/ Lyme Disease Association Research, Education, Prevention and Patient Support    lymediseaseassociation.org/ Lyme disease.org Powered by patients. Home of Lyme Times and My Lyme Data: www.lymedisease.org/ Maine Tracking Network: Tickborne Diseases Improving public health with better information data.mainepublichealth.gov/tracking/home TickEncounter  The University of Rhode Island Tick-borne Disease prevention Education web.uri.edu/tickencounter/ This article is brief enough for a patient to bring to a doctor’s visit for them to consider: The Management of Ixodes scapularis Bites in the Upper Midwest wmjonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/110/2/78.pdf PARTICULARLY FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS (& FMI for Clients): LymeCME Free, Evidence-based, AAFP-Accredited Courses that Physicians Can Trust www.lymecme.info/ Invisible International invisible.international/ The Montecalvo Platform for Tick-borne Illness Education is a library of accredited continuing medical education (CME) courses that teach front-line clinicians about diagnosing and treating vector-borne diseases. These courses are free to all users and are accessible to both clinicians and patients online. ****************************************************** Previous HEALTHY OPTIONS PROGRAMS on ticks & Lyme can also be found at: archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2023/05/healthy-options-5-3-23-lyme-disease-tick-borne-illness-and-how-to-be-tick-conscious-to-protect-ourselves/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2022/10/healthy-options-10-5-22-the-ticks-are-still-here-what-you-need-to-know/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2022/05/healthy-options-5-4-22-yearly-update-on-ticks-lyme-and-tick-borne-illnesses/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2021/05/healthy-options-5-5-21-ticks-those-blood-sucking-parasites/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2020/06/healthy-options-6-3-20-ticks-and-tick-borne-illnesses/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: -What does an elder advocate do? -What are the steps that are needed to create a plan in the event that you or a family member require medical care in a health care facility such as rehab/or a nursing home? -What could go wrong when you (or a family member) need advanced care in a facility and are being discharged from a hospital? -Are you required to go to a nursing home that a hospital discharge planner suggests? -What are your legal rights when being faced with a hospital discharge that attempts to place you or a loved one in a substandard care facility? -How can you evaluate the quality of a health care facility? What is a good strategy to help you or a loved one be admitted to a good quality health care nursing home? -What are some legal documents necessary as part of a long term plan for health care? Why should you discuss this plan with a lawyer? -What is the difference between standard Medicare plans and supplemental policies (Medigap), and Medicare Advantage plans? Why is it important to understand these differences and why do standard Medicare supplemental plans offer more flexibility and allow for more treatment options? -What are some creative options to avoid isolation as one ages? -What should you do for yourself or a loved one to create an  “aging in place” environment? Guest(s): Elder Advocate Jack Halpern, founder and chairman of MyElder. myelder.com myelder.com/blog/ www.instagram.com/bigjackhalpern  (and Facebook) Previous Healthy Options programs on related subjects: Healthy Options 12/6/23: Brain Health and Aging Well Susan Wehry, M.D., geriatric psychiatrist and director of AgingME, on healthy aging, being resilient and engaged as we age, how to handle “dementia worry” (anxiety one might have, about fearing a dementia diagnosis), and how to counter the impacts of severe isolation & loneliness which arose acutely throughout the pandemic, and is still being experienced by many people- including those with dementia. archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2023/12/healthy-options-12-6-23-brain-health-and-aging-well/ “The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare,” about how the current health care delivery model is ill-equipped to provide comprehensive, person-centered care to seniors, and how many treatable conditions and symptoms are dismissed as “just old age.” The discussion highlights specific tools that we can use to help prevent these mistakes and what we need to know to achieve healthy aging. archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2017/08/healthy-options-8217/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well Program Topic: TEENS TO TRAILS, an organization connecting Maine students to life-changing outdoor experiences. This month: What is Teens to Trails and what is their mission? How does Teens to Trails work with parents, students and schools? What are the health benefits of being in the outdoors? How can these outdoor experiences help kids improve their well-being, emotional resilience, and reduce stress & anxiety? Is there a difference between outdoor education and outdoor recreation? What are the benefits of outdoor play and how do students respond to their outdoor activities? What do you see in the kids when they’re part of an outdoor club? How do they interact with their peers? What do we mean by “unstructured time”, and why is this time so important for all of us? What impact are personal devices such as phones having on the health of our children- and when they are connecting with the outdoors, what changes may occur? Guest(s): Alicia Heyburn, Executive Director of Teens to Trails, and Miles Bisher, social studies teacher and outdoor club advisor. FMI: teenstotrails.org About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: What are some ways we can enhance the health of our nervous systems, and calm our minds? How can simple breathing techniques enhance our health and well-being? Why is movement such an important technique to calm our nervous system? What is Qi Gong? What is WuJi? What do we mean when we speak of meridians? What is a body scan? How can we practice this for ourselves and why is this beneficial? About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: Why is this topic & program relevant for people of all ages? What is Aging Maine? What is the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Project? What is dementia?  What is “dementia worry”? What do we need to do to maintain brain health– and why is exercise & diet so important? How can we create new neural paths in our brains? What is neural plasticity? What does it mean to have meaning in our lives? Why are social connections so important? What are/were the effects of loneliness and isolation, especially during the pandemic- and currently? Guest/s: Susan Wehry, M.D., geriatric psychiatrist and director of AgingME www.susanwehrymd.com agingme.org About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.