Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Holiday Feasting Underway!

By Sarah Daubman, Registered Dietician

Thanksgiving for many people is the beginning of the holiday season and a time to reflect on their blessings. People gather together from near and far in celebration of family, tradition, love, gratitude and … okay, let’s not forget about the food. No doubt some of us are still loosening our belt buckles from last week’s Thanksgiving dinners. It’s not surprising with all the feasting associated with thanks and celebration that some of us escape the winter months with a few added pounds.

Unfortunately, year after year of seasonal overeating can contribute to obesity, as pounds gained are not always lost with the warmer months’ return. With more holidays on the way, temptation may still get the best of us – unless we prepare ourselves. This is not to say that special foods cannot be consumed in moderation. The difference is between enjoying and overindulging. Here are a few tips for holiday eating without the weight or the guilt.

On the day of a big dinner, don’t skip meals in preparation for an evening binge. Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch as you would everyday. This way hunger won’t lead to poor food choices and excessive portions.

Be careful of beverage choices as calories can quickly add up. Eight ounces of wine contains up to 160 calories, a serving of regular beer provides 150, 8 ounces of champagne yields 200, soda gives 136 and a cup of eggnog has nearly 350 calories!

If you’re hosting an event or bringing a dish to pass, substitute ingredients with healthier alternatives. Ideas include lower fat dairy choices for milk, sour cream and cheeses and sugar substitutes such as Splenda for baking. For meal preparation, try cooking sprays instead of butter, shortening and oil for greasing pans and cookware.

Bake only the sweets that you need for gifts or single occasions.

If turkey is on the menu again, try basting with low fat stock. Prepare gravy with the same. When enjoying it later, eat it without the skin.

This winter, get active by signing up for a 5K walk/run or similar fitness event, perhaps even for charity. Or make a contract with a friend to walk together during your lunch hour and after work. This kind of commitment provides motivation when exercise becomes less appealing with the colder months.

Enjoy healthfully prepared salads and vegetables as their high fiber content can help you feel fuller longer.

Experiment with new recipes. I’m a big fan of browsing web sites such as www.allrecipes.com and www.epicurious.com for their healthy living recipe collections.

Instead of food, focus on the real reason for the holidays: family.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Looking for Challenging Work?

By Dana Pavelock, Dir. Home Care Operations

Personal Care Aide (PCA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) occupational shortages in the Hudson Valley region have increased as we experience significant aging trends for those in need of home care. In 2000, 12 percent of New York's residents citizens were 65 or older, a 3.6 percent increase since 1990. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by 2030 New York's elder population will increase by 60 percent to almost 4 million. By that year the traditional caregiving workforce (women aged 25 to 44) will decrease by 13 1/2 percent.

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes Home Health Aides as the fastest growing of all occupations having expected a 56 percent growth in new jobs between 2004-2014. Bureau of Labor studies indicate national health care jobs are expected to grow by over 27 percent (twice the rate of other occupations). The industry certainly has its own challenges, experiencing a turnover rate of between 30 percent to 60 percent depending on what study you read. At the same time, the aging population wishing to remain at home requires more complex care that necessitates advanced training of Personal Care Aides (PCAs) to the Home Health Aide (HHA) level.

Finding, hiring, training and keeping PCA & HHA level staff has become one of the major focuses of all home health agencies throughout the state. Due to high volumes of turnover, enhanced supervision directives regulated by the state Department of Health, increasing salaries of nursing staff that are required to provide training and supervision accompanied by low and sometimes delayed reimbursement from contracts, agencies have had to adjust budgets accordingly in efforts to meet the increasing demands for services. Likewise, it has forced agencies to re-evaluate their recruiting practices and how to work with and retain aides after they are hired.

Since the beginning of 2007, our agency has hired over 70 new employees and has been fortunate to have received a grant that offers free PCA & HHA training classes on a monthly basis. This grant expects to train close to 300 students looking to re-enter the health care industry over the course of the one-year grant cycle. Part of the grant involves working collaboratively with the state Department of Labor, Dutchess County BOCES and other collaborators, to assist in helping the students secure work following training. Many of our new staff start out performing homemaker & companion duties, such as cleaning, cooking and shopping, and then attend a training course so they can take on personal care duties. Jobs created by the increase in demand for these workers are expected to produce numerous openings. Persons who are interested in this work and suited for it should have excellent job opportunities, particularly those with personal experience as a caregiver or those who have already participated in training as PCA/HHA or CNA.

The HHA/PCA’s daily routine may vary. Aides may be placed on assignments on a long-term basis (working with the same patient for months or years), some aides will work with several patients a day on a short-term basis and having access to reliable transportation is a necessity. Aides may spend a portion of the working day traveling from one client to another (travel time is usually not compensated but several agencies pay mileage reimbursement). The home environment varies as well with some assignments in upscale private homes while some others might be untidy or depressing. Most patients are pleasant and cooperative while others may be more challenging. Aides work somewhat independently having periodic supervised visit by registered nurses. They receive detailed instructions of when to visit patients and services to deliver. Aides can work anywhere from 2 hours to 40 hours weekly, depending on availability.

Successful aides like to help people and do not mind hard work. Unlike national trends 63 percent of our current workforce is over 45, with 29 percent 25 to 44 and just 8 percent 18 to 24. Twenty-five percent of our staff is over age 60 and one third are over 70, seniors assisting seniors. All aides need to be responsible, respectful, honest, compassionate and cheerful. In New York State, aides are required, at minimum, to have a complete physical exam, be in good health and required to have a criminal history record check.

Anyone interested in working with and supporting our aging population with a few extra hours a day available should contact a local home care agency to check employment opportunities. You couldn’t even begin to imagine the difference you can make in someone’s life and how rewarding this type of work really is!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Trip To Italy A Culinary Treat

By Joanne Chaconis, RD

I have been absent from this blog site for a while. One reason is that I have lacked any creative ideas and the other reason is that I recently spent eight days vacationing in Italy.

Aside from the many ancient sites and beautiful natural landscapes I witnessed, a high point of this trip was sampling the foods. I visited many regions and cities – Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples and Capri, to name a few. All offered an abundance of foods to try. Every meal included one to two courses of fresh pastas, each served in a light red or white sauce. The pasta was thin, a true melt-in-your mouth feel. Prosciutto was served most nights, either with melon or fresh bread. I decided that too much of a good thing was not always good and I soon tired of it.

Main entrée choices always included fish, and the calamari in Venice was delightful, gently breaded and fried. Prior to that Venetian lunch I had not had calamari in 20 years and it was definitely worth that two decade wait.

The salmon served our last night in Rome was seared perfectly. Meat dishes always included a choice of veal. Since I never cook that at home, I always opted for it and was never disappointed with that decision. Desserts were fantastic and included the second best tiramisu that I ever tasted. My friend, Patty Sonsiadek from Fords, N.J., makes the best, hands down.

Earlier I mentioned prosciutto and “too much of a good thing.” That wasn’t the case with the wines. The red wines were light and complemented many meals!
I couldn’t help but notice that despite the abundance of good food and wine that seemed to be prevalent everywhere, there did not seem to be much obesity among the population. Many people seemed to get their exercise by walking a lot (with gasoline over $8 a gallon, I guess that’s a good reason).

My trip was wonderful. A smorgasbord for the mind, eyes and, of course, stomach!

Caio!

Thursday, November 1, 2007

What to Know About Strokes

By Susan Hecht, RN

Stroke.
Why is it important to know your risk factors for a stroke?
Prevention and education! Knowing your risk factors and understanding them is the key to prevention. We are all aware that there are some things that we are unable to modify in our lives; however let’s just talk a little about the things that can be modified by your physician, lifestyle modifications or possibly even medication if necessary.
A regular medical checkup with your primary physician is the first step. This visit can be used for education purposes as well as preventable measures if needed. The single most important thing to know is your blood pressure. Monitoring your blood pressure is the most preventative measure one can take. If it is high (140/90) notify your physician for medical follow up. Those with diabetes mellitus, heart disease, or other health issues should always follow up with their physician.
Some lifestyle modifications we are able to make are tobacco use, obesity, and excessive alcohol intake. Some signs and symptoms of a stroke are as follows: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially one side of the body); sudden visual problems (difficulty seeing in one or both); sudden dizziness or difficulty walking or loss of balance; severe headache with no known cause; sudden difficulty speaking; and sudden difficulty in understanding something.
If experiencing any of the above symptoms, don’t take a chance dial 911 immediately. For further information regarding strokes and or further signs and symptoms; discuss them with your primary physician or call the American Stroke Association at 1-800-4STROKE.