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Help your Loved One Quit Smoking

Posted on March 30, 2018March 29, 2018 by Judah

Did you resolve to stop smoking in 2018? Do you have a loved one who wants to stop smoking? We’re a quarter of the way into the year, and if you haven’t yet stopped smoking, now’s the time to do it.

Smoking is a significant contributor to many serious diseases, like heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Secondhand smoke also causes health problems for the people around us. Even thirdhand smoke—the chemical residue left on indoor surfaces after someone smoked there—can trigger asthma attacks and other potentially serious reactions.

Our risk for developing diseases and health conditions rises as we age. Smokers are at even greater risk of disease. According to a fact sheet compiled by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the leading hospital for cancer care in NJ, most lung cancers are linked to smoking, and are preventable.

If you have a loved one who smokes and is having difficulty quitting, here’s how you can help them:

Acknowledge that it’s hard.

Quitting smoking is not just ending a bad habit. It’s breaking a serious, entrenched addiction. The best thing you can do for your spouse, child, or other loved one who is struggling with quitting is to acknowledge how hard it is. Most people can’t do it on their own; your relative needs your support.

Create a smoke-free environment

Work with your loved one to remove anything smoking-related from his or her surroundings. Get rid of ashtrays, matches, lighters, and spare cigarettes. Put out air fresheners to cover the smoke smell that may trigger the desire to smoke. Don’t allow visitors or other household members to smoke anywhere near the house. In addition, encourage your loved one to avoid places where he or she might be more likely to smoke.

Prepare for Withdrawal

Nicotine withdrawal, the body’s reaction to stopping smoking, is uncomfortable and may make your loved one grumpy or irritable. Depression, anxiety, and headaches are also common with nicotine withdrawal. It usually takes two weeks for the symptoms to subside fully. Help your loved one get through withdrawal by preparing beforehand. Find activities he or she enjoys to serve as a diversion during that time.

You may also suggest using FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies, such as skin patches or gum, which offers relief from withdrawal symptoms. Most importantly, don’t take your loved one’s irritable behavior personally. It’s not you—it’s the withdrawal.

Don’t overreact if they smoke once or twice

Most people can’t stop smoking cold turkey. While working hard to quit smoking, it’s fairly common for to give in to an overwhelming urge now and then. A temporary lapse does not mean they’ve quit on quitting. If you find your loved one stealing a puff, empathize with him or her, and then let it go.

Consider joining a Quit Smoking program

Programs such as Robert Wood Johnson’s Tobacco Quitcenter can provide treatment, therapies, and support for aspiring non-smokers. These programs help people understand why they smoke, teach coping skills, and treat withdrawal symptoms. If your loved one is struggling alone, you may want to suggest they find a smoking cessation program near them.

Helping your loved one kick their smoking addiction is hard work that can take months or years of dedication. Remember to keep a positive attitude and empathetic outlook to support your loved one achieve a happier and healthier life.

Peripheral Neuropathy: What You Need to Know

Posted on March 26, 2018June 27, 2018 by Judah

Peripheral neuropathy is a group of conditions involving damaged or diseased nerves. There are many different forms of peripheral neuropathy, mainly divided into two types: mononeuropathy and polyneuropathy. Mononeuropathy, like its name suggests, is when only one nerve is damaged. Polyneuropathy is when multiple nerves around the body are damaged.

One very prevalent type of chronic polyneuropathy is diabetic neuropathy. This condition occurs in diabetics, particularly those with poor blood sugar control.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of PN are tingling and numbness in the hands and feet. Depending on which nerves are affected, you may also experience:

Sharp, throbbing, or burning pain
Diarrhea or constipation
Loss of bowel and/or bladder control
Sexual dysfunction
Low blood pressure
Sensitivity to touch
Lack of coordination and/or falling
Muscle weakness

Causes and Risk Factors

There’s no one cause of PN, since it’s not actually a single disease. It’s a group of disorders, and there are many different causes. Some of the triggers for neuropathy include:

Alcoholism
Autoimmune disease
Bone marrow disorders
Certain infections
Chemotherapy
Diabetes
Exposure to toxic substances
Trauma
Tumors
Vitamin deficiencies

There are also some cases of PN where no specific cause can be identified. However, knowing the common causes listed above can help identify people at risk for neuropathy. For example, more than half of all diabetics develop some sort of PN. Those whose blood sugar levels are poorly controlled are at higher risk.

People with kidney, liver, or thyroid disorders are also more likely to develop peripheral neuropathy. In addition, family history puts you at higher risk.

Prevention and Management

People at risk for damaged nerves should take steps to prevent developing neuropathy. The best way to prevent it is to manage the condition that may cause the damage. It will also help to make healthy lifestyle choices, by avoiding alcohol, eating a good diet, and exercising regularly.

If you have already been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, you can manage the condition with a healthy lifestyle. Quit smoking, treat injuries and wounds right away, and take care of your extremities.

Complications

People suffering from peripheral neuropathy often lose all sensation in their extremities. They can’t feel temperature or pain, so they may burn themselves without realizing. They may also develop sores from injuries or extended pressure they don’t feel.

If your foot becomes injured without you realizing it, it can become infected quickly. As mentioned above, it’s important to check for injuries regularly and treat them before they get infected. Allowing infections to fester untreated may result in limb amputations.

Another complication of peripheral neuropathy is increased risk of falls. Weakness and loss of sensations in the feet make falls more likely.

In order to avoid complications and control the condition, see your doctor right away if you are at risk for PN and you begin experiencing symptoms.

Protect Seniors from Medicare Scams

Posted on March 16, 2018March 16, 2018 by Judah

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a senior or have a senior in your life. Did you know that every year, millions of seniors fall prey to scammers and crooks pretending to call from Medicare?

Here are some tips to help you or your loved one avoid these unscrupulous characters:

Medicare does not call beneficiaries

This is the number one piece of information that will help many seniors spot a scam. Medicare, like virtually all government offices, never makes unsolicited phone calls. To make this crystal clear: Unless you called Medicare and are expecting a call back, Medicare will not call you. They send letters if they want to tell you something.

Some scammers will call you, pretending to be from Medicare, and say you have a debt you must pay. Alternatively, they may claim Medicare owes you money and they need your bank account information for a direct deposit. Now, with Medicare replacing all beneficiaries’ insurance cards beginning this April, you may get a call from someone stating you need to pay for the new card. This is false; the card will be mailed to your house and it’s 100% free.

If there really is an outstanding debt, Medicare will mail you a letter about it. Do not let anyone intimidate you into paying your debt right now or they’ll come arrest you. If you get such a phone call, hang up and call 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227) to check.

Don’t give personal information over the phone unless you made the phone call

If someone calls you claiming to be from your doctor’s office or hospital and requests your banking or insurance information, do not give it unless you personally know the person you’re speaking to. Sometimes these crooks can obtain your health information through illegal means, and sound very convincing. Remember, you have the right to hang up and call your doctor’s office on their regular number and check with the receptionist that the call is legit.

Protect your Medicare card

Medicare advises you to treat your card as a credit card. Don’t leave it lying around, and only give the number to your doctor.

Be aware of Medicare fraud

Some real but unscrupulous companies will bill Medicare under your insurance ID for services you didn’t receive. Never sign for anything you’re not sure is 100% accurate. You have the right to ask your provider exactly what they will bill Medicare and how much your coinsurance is expected to be.

You should also review your or your parents’ explanation of benefits statements regularly. This is the document your insurance company sends you, itemizing the medical services they paid for. Call the insurance company right away if you notice any discrepancies.

If you have an elderly family member living alone, remind them about the possibility of scams. Follow the link below to download a handy print-out you can paste next to your loved one’s phone to help them remember about scams.

Click here: Free Printout for Phone

sample of printout to place near phone

Eat Your Leafy Greens

Posted on March 15, 2018March 16, 2018 by Judah

close up of green lettuce We’ve long known the health benefits of eating green leafy vegetables. They’re packed with vitamins and minerals that help you lose weight, fight cancer, and keep your heart healthy. And now they can save your memory too.

Green Leafy Vegetables Improve Brain Function

A new study suggests that eating just one daily serving of green leafy vegetables—spinach, kale, lettuce—can significantly improve your brain function. The long-ranging study focused specifically on older people and followed their eating habits over five years. The results showed that people who ate 1.3 servings of leafy greens every day had the brain function of people 11 years younger.

Previous studies have told us that a nutritious diet plays an important part in cognitive function, but now we know that green leafy vegetables alone can prevent mental decline. The theory behind this revelation is that green leafy vegetables are rich in lutein and folate. Lutein is an antioxidant that reduces inflammation in the brain, and folate is a B-vitamin that reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Other Benefits of Green Leafy Vegetables

Besides preventing mental decline, green leafy vegetables offer a wealth of other benefits:

Cardiovascular health
Diabetes prevention
Weight management
Sun protection
Cancer prevention
Bone health
Eye health
Gut health
Excellent source of iron and calcium

How to Add Green Leafy Vegetables to your Diet

These vegetables are really easy to add to your diet, and they’re tasty too. If you’re not already eating 1–2 servings a day, you can start today with minimal investment.

The vegetables you want to add to your diet include arugula, broccoli, cabbage, chard, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, and spinach. They’re delicious in salads, stir fries, and on the side. You can also add them to your omelets, sandwiches, and even smoothies.

A serving of leafy vegetables is about 1 cup, or 1/2 cup cooked. Aim to consume two servings a day for maximum benefit.

Daylight Saving Time is 100 Years Old

Posted on March 9, 2018March 9, 2018 by Judah

Close-up of a clock It’s time to spring forward again! Early Sunday morning, New Jersey will turn its clocks forward from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. You’ll probably oversleep on Sunday, since your internal body clock will be an hour behind, but you should get used to the new time after a day or two.

Daylight saving time (DST) is a practice that is supposed to maximize the daylight. As winter turns to spring in countries far from the equator, the days get longer. The sun rises as early as 4:00 a.m. in the summer, so by the time most people start waking up at more earthly hours, the sun has already been shining for a while. By moving the clock forward, the sun rises—and sets—at a later time, thereby giving us more sunlight when we’re up and about.

You probably don’t remember a time without DST. That’s because daylight saving time is celebrating its 100th anniversary in the United States. It was first implemented in the US in March 1918, to preserve coal during World War I. In 1916, Germany moved the clocks forward in an effort to conserve fuel for the war effort. The United Kingdom, recognizing a good idea even though they were fighting Germany at the time, followed suit a few weeks later. It took two years for the United States to to implement it as well.

After the Great War, most American cities dropped DST, only to pick it up again during World War II. During the war years, DST was actually used year-round to provide more daylight and conserve fuel. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the start and end dates for daylight saving time.

Daylight Saving Time: Good or Bad?

Daylight saving time is a hotly contested topic year after year. Proponents argue it saves energy and money, reduces car accidents, and gets people outdoors more. Symptoms of SAD—seasonal affective disroder—decrease after the time change. Another health benefit is that people are more likely to be active during DST, and Vitamin D intake from sun exposure increases as well.

Skeptics claim the savings—if they exist at all—are insignificant, and DST is nothing but a disruptive annoyance. Changing the clock interferes with your body’s circadian rhythm and makes you feel tired for a few days. Some people feel the effect of the time shift for weeks afterward. There was also a startling study that showed that moving the clock forward can trigger heart attacks in those already at risk.

To reduce the effect of losing an hour of sleep, start moving up your bedtime tonight. Give yourself an extra half hour to sleep, and do the same on Saturday night.

At this point, DST is an institution in the United States, and most people appreciate having more daylight hours. It’s hard to tell whether or not we get any meaningful benefit from it, but it’s still fun to change the clock twice a year!

Ambulance Transports and Medicare: What Is and Isn’t Covered

Posted on February 28, 2018June 18, 2018 by Judah

If your loved one requires an ambulance for any reason, you might wonder whether or not Medicare will cover it. Ambulance transports are covered under Part B (outpatient) Medicare, but there are many regulations and limitations surrounding coverage.

It’s important to know your coverage and rights in advance. The best customer is an informed one, and that is especially true in medical care!

So here’s what you have to know about coverage of ambulance transports:

Allowed Amounts

Before we go into the coverage of various types of transports, let’s talk about “allowed amounts” for a minute. Medicare has a capped amount they allow for each ambulance ride, and anything above that amount is the provider’s responsibility.

Medicare covers 80% of the allowed amount. You will be responsible for the 20% coinsurance, unless you have a Medigap plan and/or Medicaid. If you haven’t yet paid your deductible for the calendar year, you will need to pay it before coverage kicks in.

Emergency Transports

Medicare always covers transports for emergencies. When you call 911 during an emergency, the transport to the hospital will be covered at 80% of the allowed amount.

An emergency transport’s Medicare coinsurance is normally around $80. If you have Medicaid or a Medigap (Medicare supplement) plan, they will cover the balance. Many other secondary or supplemental insurance plans will cover the emergency transport coinsurance as well.

Non-emergency Ambulance Transports

Residents of nursing homes are able to see the attending doctor when he makes his rounds in the facility. But if they need to see a specialist—such as a cardiologist or dermatologist—they usually need to go to the doctor’s office. Nursing home residents also sometimes need to go to a hospital or clinic for certain treatments unavailable at their facility.

Usually, residents who need to go out for appointments are able to go by private car or taxi. But if your parent is bed-confined or otherwise unable to ride in a car, he or she will need a non-emergency ambulance transport. Medicare has strict rules about coverage for non-emergency transports.

The ambulance provider must get a doctor’s order affirming that an ambulance is necessary. They must also document the patient’s condition, and may not bill Medicare if the patient did not technically need the ambulance. Medicare automatically denies payment to any claim that does not meet their medical necessity standards.

Medicare also doesn’t cover transports to doctors’ offices. If your mom is at the facility under her Part A stay, the first 100 days of rehab care, the facility must pay for the transport. Otherwise, she will be responsible for the full cost of the transport.

Some secondary insurances will cover routine ambulance transports. If your mom or dad will need an ambulance for an appointment or treatment, check their coverage beforehand. This will help you avoid expensive surprises after the fact.

Repetitive Ambulance Transports

Say your dad is at Regency Heritage in Somerset, NJ, and has weekly wound care treatments at Robert Wood Johnson hospital. If he needs to go via ambulance—the wound location makes it difficult or impossible to sit, for example—Medicare considers that “repetitive transports”or a “frequency.”

Repetitive transports include trips to and from dialysis, chemotherapy, radiation, and wound care. The rules for repetitive transports are even stricter than those of regular one-time ambulance transports. Medicare only pays for trips that were authorized in advance and meet rigorous medical necessity standards. Frequencies that were not authorized or were found afterward to be medically unnecessary are the patient’s responsibility.

Non-medical Transports

Medicare only covers ambulance transports to “covered” locations. These are typically a hospital, the patient’s residence, a skilled nursing facility, or a clinic. All other locations are not covered. If you want to bring your bed-confined parent to a family party, for example, be prepared to foot the bill.

Medicare will also only cover transfers from one facility to another if the second facility offers care unavailable at the first. If you want to switch mom or dad to a skilled nursing facility closer to you, Medicare will not cover that transport.

Mobility Access Vehicles (MAV)

Medicare doesn’t cover non-ambulance transports, even for medical reasons. Trips in private cars, taxis, paratransit services, or any other specialized vehicle will not be covered. Some private insurances will cover transports in certified wheelchair vans.

Be an Informed Customer

If your loved one needs to go by ambulance for a routine appointment, here are some questions you can ask to make sure you won’t be hit with unexpected charges:

Does he or she absolutely require an ambulance?
Why can’t I take him or her in my car?
Did his or her doctor sign a Certificate of Medical Necessity?
Were all required authorizations for both Medicare and private insurance obtained?
If the transport is to a doctor’s office, will the facility cover the transport?
What will my parent’s out-of-pocket cost be?
Which company will be transporting my parent? How can I reach them with questions?

If your parent receives a bill you think is too high, or you feel Medicare should have paid for the trip, you have the right to appeal to Medicare. You can also contact the ambulance company and request an explanation for the charge.

New Blood Test for Detecting Concussions

Posted on February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 by Judah

A concussion is mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). It happens most commonly after a sudden blow or bump to the head. Sports injuries in children and young adults, and falls in the elderly are the most common causes of concussions.

Until now, there has been no definitive way to to diagnose a concussion. Doctors usually diagnose it based on history of head injury and symptoms like headache, dizziness, and cognitive problems. They may also order a CT or MRI scan to check for injuries in the brain. The point of the scan is to detect brain tissue damage, however a majority of patients with concussions don’t have detectable brain tissue damage. In addition, many medical experts are concerned with reducing radiation exposure in patients.

Introducing the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator

Approved last week by the FDA, the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator is a blood test designed to evaluate mTBI. The blood test is able to detect bruising and bleeding on the brain with 97.5% accuracy, and can observe the absence of damage 99% of the time. It works by detecting certain proteins released by the brain after an injury. The blood test will revolutionize concussion diagnosis, and will be a huge money-saver for hospitals.

Blood tests are much cheaper than CT scans, and they are basically painless. There are no averse side effects associated with blood tests, which is not the case with CT scans. One CT scan uses the same amount of radiation as 20 chest scans. Switching to the blood test will eliminate the need for all that radiation exposure.

“Availability of a blood test for mTBI/concussion will likely reduce the CT scans performed on patients with concussion each year, potentially saving our health care system the cost of often unnecessary neuroimaging tests,” said Dr. Scott Gottlieb, FDA Commissioner in a press release.

Trauma affects the body worse as we age, so seniors who fall are more likely to sustain a concussion. Since early evaluation and diagnosis are critical for quicker and easier recovery, this blood test will be a game changer.

Regency Park is the Top Nursing Center in Monmouth County

Posted on March 6, 2013March 6, 2013 by Judah

When I tour with folks at Regency Park Nursing & Rehab, I tell them that we are not here to simply facilitate the ‘survival’ of our residents. There isn’t a resident here who is simply passing time and “surviving.” Rather, everyone who is here is absolutely thriving!

One need only witness the happy and smiling faces of our residents (and their families) to see the kind of compassionate care we provide.

There are far too many nursing homes who adopt the “survival method” approach, whereby they engage in ‘routine maintenance’ of the residents who fall under their care. There is no passion invested in their work and there isn’t a desire to build up the emotional and psychological wellbeing of their residents, in addition to looking after their physical needs.

Regency nursing centers offers a diverse range of programs geared towards stimulating and cultivating the total wellbeing of our patients and residents. As a result of our overarching commitment to create happy residents, we have built a recreation program that is first rate and unrivaled by any of our competitors.

Each and every day is chock full of activities and our residents are constantly busy, active and happy!

Whether it is our many interactive games, bingo sessions, concerts (Elvis didn’t die, he is in our building all of the time!) or our arts and crafts, there is something for everyone!

In fact, right outside my office there is a huge calendar of activities posted on the wall. See the picture below. Every resident has a small version of this calendar in their private rooms. Some of the activities are self explanatory, while others are completely foreign to me. I do know that our Recreation Director, Maribel Restrepo, invests a great deal of effort and talent into making every activity a unique success!

I invite you to tour with us at Regency Park in Hazlet, New Jersey, to see what all of the buzz is about!

Please call me at 732-264-5800 extension 3343.

Regency Jewish Heritage Nursing & Rehab, Hosts Community Event

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Judah

Regency Jewish Heritage Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 380 DeMott Lane, Somerset hosted a brunch and booking signing event on January 13, 2013. The author, Michael Levy, spoke about his book, “Living, Teaching and Eating with China’s Other Billion”.

Over 85 people from the Somerset Community attended this lively, stimulating presentation by this delightful young man’s experience in the Peace Corps. Michael Levy is an educator, writer, and traveler, who currently teaches in Brooklyn, New York. Levy returns frequently to Guiyang, China to check in on his students and visit the basketball courts where he momentarily attained stardom.

The audience was riveted by his charismatic portrayal of his experience deep in China’s heartland. His students, neighbors, and coworkers found many other uses for him during his time there: resident “Friendship Jew,” romantic adviser, provincial basketball star, and culinary club founder, among other things. His account of overcoming vast cultural differences to befriend his students and fellow teachers is poignant and laugh-out-loud funny.

A delicious buffet brunch was provided by Regency and enjoyed by all. Books were sold to benefit the local Hadassah groups, and the afternoon was enjoyed by all that attended.

Pictured left to right are Rita Levy, of Canal Walk Hadassah Chapter, Michael Levy, author, and Ruth Weinfeld of the Somerset Run Hadassah Chapter. For further information regarding Regency Jewish Heritage Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, please call 732-873-2000, or visit www.regencynursing.com.

Regency Nursing Hosts Annual BBQ Celebration!

Posted on September 12, 2012September 12, 2012 by Judah

Submitted for publication by: Marie Barnes, Corporate Marketing and Public Relations Director, Regency Nursing Centers, New Jersey.

Hundreds of family members and friends gathered for a fun-filled Annual Family BBQ hosted at Regency Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 3325 Highway 35, Hazlet, NJ. This year’s event was held on Sunday, September 9th, to provide all our residents and patients a wonderful afternoon, filled with their loved ones, good food, and lots of smiles. This year the event also fell on Grandparent’s day, a fitting day to visit and celebrate with that very special family member.

A delicious buffet barbecue luncheon was served, outside in the facility’s park, situated on the side of the building. Joey Sudyka provided live entertainment, dancing, ice cones, games, moon walks, and plenty of entertainment for the broad spectrum of ages that attended. While the day is planned for all the patients and residents, along with their family members, the staff enjoys bringing their family for a delightful afternoon. All that enter the doors of Regency Park feel the warm, family atmosphere on a daily basis.

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA — Pictured, is the family of Judah Gutwein, Admissions Director at the facility, after the children had their faces painted with their special character, done by the face painters at the event.

For further information, please contact 732-264-5800, or visit us a www.RegencyParkNursing.com