Wellness Words January 2012 Posted on January 11, 2012August 16, 2012 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Ryan Wille, B.S.Community Health Educator HELPFUL TIPS FOR SUCCESSFULNEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS Keeping New Year’s resolutions can be a struggle for anyone, including older adults. However, it does not have to be this way. If goals are simplified and mindsets altered, older adults should have no problems with keeping their resolutions past January!Keep your resolutions to a minimum: Having too many resolutions can lead to discouragement when all goals are not met. Try to only make one or two resolutions for the New Year.Set realistic goals: Start with small resolutions and make sure they are attainable. It is great to push yourself, but you don’t want to set goals that can not be reached.Be patient: Correcting bad habits and making positive changes is not an easy process. It takes time and there will be setbacks. Try not to get discouraged or punish yourself.Be proud: Be proud of your accomplishments and reward yourself. This will give you incentive to keep up with your resolutions.The American Geriatrics Society’s Foundation for Health in Aging has provided the following top 10 New Year’s resolutions for older adults:Eat a healthy diet – Experts recommend eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables. Choose fiber-rich whole grain bread, rice and pasta. Pick less fatty meat, like chicken. Shoot for heart-healthy fish, like tuna or salmon, twice a week. To help keep your bones strong, include sources of calcium and Vitamin D in your diet. Use healthier fats, such as olive and canola oils, instead of butter or lard.Take a multivitamin-mineral – Check labels and choose one that includes 100% of the “Daily Value” for most vitamins and minerals.See your doctor or healthcare provider regularly – That means at least once a year, unless he or she says you should come in more often. At each visit, talk to your provider about the medications you’re taking and any health concerns you may have.Exercise – Exercise is safe and healthy for older people…even older people with illness like heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis. Many of these conditions actually improve with exercise. Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program.Toast New Year’s Day with a smaller glass – According to experts, moderate drinking means just 1 drink per day for older men and ½ a drink daily for older women. Since alcohol can interact with certain drugs, ask your healthcare provider whether even this much is safe for you.Prevent falls – Falls are a leading cause of injuries and deaths among seniors. Exercises can boost your strength, balance, and flexibility, and help you avoid falls.Workout your brain – The more you use your mind, the better it will work. Reading, crossword puzzles and socializing give your brain a boost.Get help quitting – You can lower your risks of many health problems, breathe easier, enjoy more energy, and better sleep if you quit smoking…no matter how long ago you started.Guard against feeling down or anxious – Lingering sadness, tiredness, loss of appetite or pleasure from things you once enjoyed, difficultly sleeping, worry, irritability, and wanting to be alone most of the time can all be signs that you need help. Tell your healthcare provider right away.Get a good night’s sleep – Get at least 7 to 8 hours each night. Avoid daytime naps, which can keep you up in the evening.For more information, contact your health care provider or HealthLink Littauer at 736-1120. You can e-mail us at healthlink@nlh.org, see our website at www.nlh.org, or visit our wellness center at 213 Harrison Street Ext. in Johnstown, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
Littauer announces first baby of the year Posted on January 6, 2012August 16, 2012 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer announced today that Baby Janessa Rose Richards was the first baby born at Nathan Littauer Hospital in the New Year. Mother Miranda Cooper welcomed little Janessa on January 5, 2012 at 4:56pm. She weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20 inches from head to toe. Dr. Samach delivered baby Janessa. This is Miranda’s first child.Littauer welcomed the first baby of 2012 today. The Auxiliary presented mom with a huge gift basket to mark the occasion.Littauer’s Auxiliary presented the mother with a huge basket, adorned with baby gifts- from handmade blankets to gift certificates. “The Auxiliary puts a tremendous amount of thought into the Baby New Year Basket. Co-Chairs Anita Moore and Anita Beck love doing this project and they even include a special gift for Mom, too. What the mother leaves with is really a gift of the heart while being extremely practical as well.” stated Sue McNeil, Director of Volunteer Services at Nathan Littauer.Both Mom and baby are resting comfortably at the Birthing Center. xxxCaption for photo:The Auxiliary presents Littauer’s New Years Baby with a basket. From left to right: Anita Moore, Jeanne Wilkinson, and Susan McNeil Director of Volunteer Services, Grace Naselli, Anita Beck and Patty Franco. Mother Miranda Richards hold baby Janessa.
Littauer is one of five hospitals in New York to receive funding Posted on January 6, 2012 by Dakota PikeDoctors across New York will award Nathan Littauer Hospital $100,000Gloversville, NY… State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., recently announced that Nathan Littauer Hospital is one of five health care providers in New York State to be awarded a grant of $100,000 over two years to support physicians who practice medicine in underserved communities through the “Doctors Across New York” Program. “We appreciate the Doctors Across New York Program as we continue our quest to bring qualified specialists to the residents in our area.” stated Laurence E. Kelly Littauer’s President and CEO adding, “The program is essential for areas like Fulton County.”The hospital added urologist Dr. Paul Husson to their rolls in August of last year. As one of the only Urologists in the region he is already very busy. The Doctors Across New York Program is a critical program to help ensure that New Yorkers in every community in the State have access to high-quality health care services,” Commissioner Shah said in a release. “These grants will help these institutions increase access to vital health care services in rural and urban areas.”The Doctors Across New York Program awards funding to support recruitment and retention of physicians in underserved areas. Physicians participating in Doctors Across New York make a multi-year service commitment to practice in an underserved area in the State.Doctors Across New York is a state-funded initiative enacted in 2008 to help train and place physicians in underserved communities in a variety of settings and specialties to care for New York’s diverse population. According to the NYSDOH, it is estimated that 25 percent of New Yorkers live in medically-underserved areas, and many communities lack physicians who can provide specialty medicine in areas such as Urology.Nathan Littauer Hospital states that they are planning on conducting outreach activities for Dr. Husson so that people who are suffering with Urology issues can get the answers and treatment they need. “Many people are silent about urology issues -allowing it to deeply impact their quality of life. We want to change that.” stated Cheryl Mcgrattan Hospital Spokesperson.“We are devotees of preventative medicine used in conjunction with medical specialties. Therefore, this was a great holiday gift.” stated Mr. Kelly.
NATHAN LITTAUER HOSPITAL was recognized during 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade On Monday, January 2, 2012 Posted on January 3, 2012August 16, 2012 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer Hospital played an important role in the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. As a hospital that participates in the Center for Donation & Transplant’s “Flags Across America” program, Nathan Littauer Hospital had a rose with a hand tied ribbon displaying our name in the Memorial Rose Garden on the Donate Life float entitled “…One More Day.” The rose is symbolic of all of the organ and tissue donors that have given or enhanced the lives of countless individuals. The Center for Donation & Transplant would like to thank Nathan Littauer Hospital for thier continued support as we continue to try to end the wait for lifesaving organs and transplants in the U.S.For more information about the Center for Donation & Transplant, please visit www.cdtny.org. For more information about the Donate Life Float, please visit www.donatelifefloat.org.
Meet the man with the plan Posted on December 30, 2011August 16, 2012 by Dakota PikeAfter a small smoke event at the hospital our Safety Officer reflects on why Littauer’s response was so exemplaryJoe Slovack answers our questions about Fire SafetyAfter a Code Red at Nathan Littauer Hospital on December 29, 2011 we sat down with Nathan Littauer’s own Joe Slovack to shed some light on how Nathan Littauer readies for emergencies. Here are a few questions we asked Joe Slovack:Q: What is your title at Nathan Littauer Hospital? A: I am the Safety Officer at Nathan Littauer Hospital.Q: How long have you been employed at Nathan Littauer Hospital?A: 30 years.Q: What happened yesterday at Nathan Littauer Hospital?A: A Code Red (fire) occurred on the 2nd floor of the Hospital at 1PM on 12/29/11. The fire was caused by construction activities that were taking place on the roof at that time. This was a small event that was mostly smoke-related but we did move patients away from the effected areas. Our staff responded quickly and efficiently by closing off areas, pulling alarms, alerting staff, and ultimately moving patients away from the smoke. No patients, staff or firefighters were injured as it was a relatively small event. Everyone did their part and many areas of the hospital were fully operational during the event.Q: The fire department arrived?A: Yes, the fire department responded quickly. And thanks to the fast acting staff in the pediatric unit and engineering and housekeeping departments, everything was mostly over by the time they arrived here. The fire department was extremely professional and excellent in their response. The Fire Department issued an ‘all-clear’ in about 40 minutes.Q: Does this type of thing happen often?A: Fortunately no.Q: The fire department was very quick to compliment Nathan Littauer staff about their response. In fact, Beth Whitman-Putnam, Fire Chief of the City of Gloversville Fire Department stated “The Staff of Nathan Littauer Hospital performed an exemplary job of evacuating and isolating the area of alarm in advance of the Fire Department’s arrival.”A: It was certainly a proud moment for the Hospital to be recognized as doing a good job reacting to an incident like this by fire personnel who do this professionally. That they were impressed with our performance says a lot about the abilities of our staff.Q: What do you have to do with the response?A: As the Safety Officer I help train all the employees at Nathan Littauer Hospital in fire safety procedures. Hospital employees receive a tremendous amount of fire and disaster response training: New hospital employees receive fire response training as part of their orientation; All staff wear badges at all times that display fire response instructions on the back; We also have completed one-on-one training with staff in different departments; And additionally, all staff must pass written tests about fire safety yearly. And then of course we have fire drills.All Littauer staff wear fire safety tips on their badgesQ: How often do you have drills?A: Once a month, one shift per quarter. In fact, we had an evacuation fire drill in June of this year that was performed in conjunction with the fire department and the activities were very similar to yesterday’s events.Q: Why do you think this “event went so well” given the circumstances?A: As a whole, our staff has many years experience doing what they do. And the practice, skills and knowledge they have gives them the confidence and ability to respond calmly to an emergency situation.Q: So I guess its back to usual at Littauer?A: Actually no. We conduct a Post-plan Activation Feedback Request with all managers after every emergency event. It’s a global survey used to review any effects an incident had in each work area. Managers get input from their staff as to what went well, or what could be improved. The responses come back to me and the results are used to assess our overall staff response and preparation, building operation, and the effectiveness of our policies related to the event. That way we can continue to improve our preparedness based on actual hand-on experience. And earning praise from the fire department like we did in this incident proves that it works.Thanks Joe Slovack Safety Officer! XXX
