Sample Articles: February-April 2006

HOW I SEE IT - Mail

By Gerry Mandel

Do you remember the first time you got the AARP magazine in the mail? I do. You know what I did with it? I hid it. Stuck it under a pile of stuff on my desk-Wouldn’t even let my wife see it. I mean, what was a young guy like me in my mid-fifties doing with a magazine for old people? I wanted to tell the mailman that there was no such person at this address: that it was all a mistake. Let’s face it, nobody wants to be tagged with being old enough to get AARP magazine or (as it was known then) Modern Maturity.

I wasn’t retired, and I’m not even sure I was mature! Now, just in case someone from the AARP questions my motives, I want to assure them that I think their magazine is excellent, and no disparagement is intended. I know it’s for younger people as well; at least younger than I am.

I believe the targeted readership age now is 50 and over, so the aging Boomers will read it. That’s a smart move. Hold on to your present readership, while also including editorial content that appeals to people who aren’t on Medicare yet.

What bothered me was not the magazine itself, but the idea that I was now on a list that had me tagged as an older person. That was several years ago. Now I not only get the magazine, I also get lots of other mail in the same category. I have to contend with a daily flow of letters, brochures, pamphlets and post cards, all of them focused on some aspect of aging. Information about hearing aids, wax in my ear, assisted living, tax seminars for seniors, magazine rates for seniors, and funerals.

I especially liked the headline on one pamphlet I received: “Why are funeral prices so high in your area?” To tell you the truth, I didn’t know they were. And I don’t think I want to know the answer! I worked in advertising, so I know businesses can buy lists of names according to various demographics-things like income, where you live, how often you travel, your credit rating, your hobbies, and (obviously) your age.

Nothing is sacred anymore. As soon as they find out I like chocolate, especially dark chocolate, I’ll be put on a “chocolate list,” I will start getting a chocolate newsletter, cocoa offers and maybe even a magazine from the American Association for Chocoholics. I know there’s no way to stop this onslaught of age-targeted mail. Just maybe those folks could be a little more sensitive and put something flattering on the envelope- like “Special Offer for Studs” or “Cool Places for Swinging Vacations.” Then I could look the mailman in the eye again. Do they still use the word “swinging”? Maybe “boss.” I hear that’s a good word. Anyway, that’s how I see it.

Gerry Mandel worked in advertising for over 30-years and is now a free lance writer, playwright, song writer, novelist, and co-host for a TV news magazine program in St. Louis, called “Living Well.” It features topics of interest to people 55 and older. His “How I See It Point of View” reflects his delightful sense of humor. You may direct your comments to him at spidermandel@charter.net.

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Live Without Limits

By Barbara Feth, PT, MBA HEALTHSOUTH

Disability and paralysis need not keep you from the benefits of walking.

Humans were built for walking, but not all humans are able to walk. People who are unable to walk, or severely limited in their walking by pain, disability or paralysis, usually find an alternative way to move through their homes and the community. There are a fabulous variety of wheelchairs, power chairs and scooters available, and our state is extremely accessible to people with disability. Unfortunately, there are frequently negative outcomes for those who do not walk.

Some of these are:
? Osteoporosis—bones become thin from lack of weight bearing.
? Stiff joints—joints, tendons and ligaments become stiff from prolonged sitting. This is particularly true for hips, knees and ankles and the spine.
? Decline or difficulty in maintaining cardio-vascular fitness.
? Constipation or bladder problems from prolonged sitting. For those who are trying to regain the ability to walk following surgery, illness or injury, walking is uniquely challenging.

Research shows that the only way to improve walking is to practice walking. Breaking walking down into component parts and practicing those parts simply does not work. So, how does a person go from being unable to walk to being able to walk?

Fortunately, most therapy departments have equipment that enables “early walking”, such as: therapeutic pools that un-weight the patient through buoyancy, body-weight support harnesses that un-weight patients via a lifting mechanism, and padded platform walkers which enable patients to un-weight their legs by leaning heavily on their forearms.

The limitation of all these ambulation tools is that they cannot “assist” in moving the legs forward in a normal and rhythmic walking pattern. Patients often end up practicing an abnormal walking pattern, which may include “limping” to un-weight a painful limb, or spastic and abnormal movements to compensate for weakness or paralysis. This often results in the abnormal walking pattern being learned and becoming habitual—even after the pain or weakness is diminished.

Some patients are simply unable to advance one or both legs forward, and the therapist must physically move the patient’s legs continuously throughout the walking session. This is very difficult for therapists, and often the therapist fatigues before the patient!

A newly developed technology, AutoAmbulator™, combines body-weight support treadmill training with robotic assisted leg movements. AutoAmbulator™ enables patients to walk much earlier in the recovery process, to practice walking in a safe environment without being limited by the fatigue of their therapist, and to walk with a normal and rhythmic walking pattern. Not only can AutoAmbulator™ assist in regaining the ability to walk, but it can also help improve the health and well being of those who cannot walk due to spinal cord injury or disease, or due to neurological conditions such as advanced Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.

When I recently spoke to a man who has been a wheel-chair user since 1987 due to a T6 spinal cord injury, he explained why he was so enthusiastic about AutoAmbulator™. “It’s not just that my knees and hips are more flexible, and my legs don’t spasm as much, but it’s also the feeling I get when I’m walking. Before AutoAmbulator™ I could only experience that feeling in my dreams.”

To find out more about AutoAmbulator™ and other rehabilitation advances that can assist people who have disability from stroke, spinal cord injury, accidents, surgery, or illness, please call HEALTHSOUTH Scottsdale Rehabilitation Hospital at 480 551 5471.

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The Chaplain’s Tower

By Chaplain Frank

Life Lesson:

Unexpected Blessings During the last days of 2005, I reviewed the year even as I was planning for 2006. In contemplating the past, I find renewed hope for the future. There were circumstances in 2005 that were not to my liking, but I dealt with them and moved on.

Conversely, there were many unexpected blessings in 2005 that warmed my heart and strengthened my self-confidence, and my belief in my self.

I’d like to share with you one of the most important unexpected blessings that came my way during 2005. As you may know, I’m an ordained minister, and have spent my adult life helping people. I’ve given many sermons on the subject of friendship, and am well versed in the biblical definition of friend. The Bible is an inexhaustible reservoir of information on picking friends, being a friend and nourishing the relationship that exists between friends.

Even with this background of information, I’m still in wonder of the blessings of friendship. Early this summer (May or June), a lady with whom I graduated from high school sent me an e-mail. This happened out of the clear blue, and soon after we began to get reacquainted. Remember that it’s been thirty-two years since I last saw her. Since then we’ve had a truly delightful time, sharing about our families, classmates and our faith in God.

We now speak with one another via telephone each week. It’s blessed me immeasurably. The point is this. God can use something long dormant (32 years in my case) to bring joy and happiness to your life. There are 1600 miles between my friend and me, but distance can’t dilute meaningful friendships.

Could there be an unexpected blessing ready to be unwrapped in your life? Quite possibly there is. It may not be reconnecting with a friend from years gone by, but it could be significant nonetheless! Being reminded of this lesson will pay dividends -now and in the future. What does God have in store for me, for you, in 2006? Let’s live 2006 with a sense of expectancy!

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother".
Proverbs 18:24

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Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Ratios Change

By Nancy Keane

American Heart Association announces updated emergency care
(CPR) guidelines

New emergency care guidelines include dramatic changes to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emphasis on chest compressions, according to authors of the 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care.

The guidelines published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, provide recommendations for how lay rescuers and emergency healthcare providers should resuscitate victims of cardiovascular emergencies.

The new guidelines emphasize that high-quality CPR, particularly effective chest compressions, contributes significantly to the successful resuscitation of cardiac arrest patients. Studies show that effective chest compressions create more blood flow through the heart to the rest of the body, buying a few minutes until defibrillation can be attempted or the heart can pump blood on its own.

The guidelines recommend that rescuers minimize interruptions to chest compressions and suggest that rescuers “push hard and push fast” when giving chest compressions.

“ The 2005 guidelines take a ‘back to basics’ approach to resuscitation,” said Robert Hickey, M.D., chair of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care programs. “Since the 2000 guidelines, research has strengthened our emphasis on effective CPR as a critically important step in helping save lives. CPR is easy to learn and do, and the association believes the new guidelines will contribute to more people doing CPR effectively.”

The most significant change to CPR is to the ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths – from 15 compressions for every two rescue breaths in the 2000 guidelines to 30 compressions for every two rescue breaths in the 2005 guidelines. The 30-to-two ratio is the same for CPR that a single lay rescuer provides to adults, children and infants (excluding newborns). The change resulted from studies showing that blood circulation increases with each chest compression in a series, and must be built back up after interruptions.

The only exception to the new ratio is when two healthcare providers give CPR to a child or infant (except newborns), in which case they should provide 15 compressions for every two rescue breaths.

For additional information on guideline changes or other questions or information regarding heart disease or stroke, visit www.americanheart.org or www.strokeassociation.org or call 602-414-5353, 800-AHA-USA1.