Wellness Words May 2016 Posted on May 10, 2016May 10, 2016 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Carol Tomlinson, RN BSCommunity Health EducatorOsteoarthritis According to the Arthritis Foundation, osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability affecting more than 27 million adults in the US. Sometimes called degenerative joint disease, OA can affect any joint but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers, and the bases of the thumb and big toe.In normal joints, a firm, rubbery material called cartilage covers the ends of each bone. Cartilage provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion between bones. In OA, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. Bits of bone or cartilage can break off and float inside the joint space causing more pain and damage.OA symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include:Pain: A joint may hurt during or after movement.Tenderness: Your joint may feel tender when you apply light pressure to it.Stiffness: Joint stiffness may be most noticeable upon awakening or after a period of inactivity.Loss of Flexibility: Affected joints may no longer be capable of full range of motion.Grating Sensation: You may hear or feel a grating sensation when using the joint.Bone Spurs: Hard lumps may form around the joint.Factors that may increase your risk of OA include:Age: The risk increases with age.Sex: Women are more likely to develop OA, though it is unclear why.Obesity: Increased weight puts added stress on weight-bearing joints, such as hips and knees. Also, fat tissue produces proteins that can cause harmful inflammation in and around joints.Joint Injuries: Even injuries that occurred long ago and seemingly healed can increase risk.Genetics: OA seems to be prevalent in some families more than others.Currently, the process underlying OA cannot be reversed, but symptoms can often be effectively managed with a combination of lifestyle changes, therapy, medication and at times surgery. Lifestyle changes that can make a significant difference in treating OA include, but are not limited to:Exercise: Increases your endurance and strengthens the muscles around the joint, making it more stable.Lose Weight: Even a small amount of weight loss can relieve some pressure and reduce pain.Pain Medications: Talk to your physician about over-the-counter and/or prescription meds.Assistive Devices: Can make it easier to move and work without stressing your joint. Your doctor or therapist may have ideas about what devices would be most helpful.Attitude: A positive health attitude will greatly affect how well OA is managed. For example, focus on what you can do, not on what you can’t; break down activities into small tasks that are easy to manage; balance rest with activity; and develop ways to manage stress.The ability to cope despite pain and disability often determines how much of an effect OA has on everyday life! HealthLink offers “Tai Chi For Arthritis” classes. This gentle form of exercise can safely relieve arthritis pain, improve flexibility, strength, balance, mental focus, and performance of daily activities.For more information on osteoarthritis, talk to your health care provider, contact the Arthritis Foundation at arthritis.org or 456-1203, or call HealthLink Littauer at 736-1120. You can e-mail us at healthlink@nlh.org, see our website at nlh.org, or visit our new wellness center at 2 Colonial Court in downtown Johnstown, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
NLH Gastroenterology campaign gets National nod from American Hospital Assoc. Posted on May 3, 2016 by Dakota PikeThe American Hospital Association’s Matthew O’Connor reached out to Littauer after hearing about our gastroenterology campaign – his story is in the this months issue of the associations Health & Hospital Networks.Using Humor to Address a Serious Health Care ConcernNathan Littauer Hospital in upstate New York uses silly pint glasses, puzzles to help improve colon cancer mortality rates.May 3, 2016Matt O’ConnorUnable to make a dent in colon cancer patients’ mortality rate through traditional means, a small hospital in upstate New York is adding a new ingredient to its approach: humor.The 74-bed Nathan Littauer Hospital found its home county of Fulton was near the national average for incidence, but had a higher than average mortality rate. Leaders there decided to look at their gastroenterology department, and specifically its colonoscopy procedure — or lack of procedures in this case. They staffed up from one gastroenterologist to three and opened a new endoscopy center, but something was still missing.“Everyone knows that nobody wants a colonoscopy,” says Laurence Kelly, president and CEO of Nathan Littauer Hospital, in Gloversville, N.Y. “We said, ‘Let’s do something different and creative to get people’s attention,’ and it certainly has worked.”That’s where their humorous colonoscopy initiative comes in. Patients who schedule a colonoscopy receive a notepad filled with quizzes, puzzles and a space to write “a haiku about #2” for their frequent trips to “the office.”The real draw is that each patient who schedules a colonoscopy gets a pint glass with tick marks to help measure out his or her laxatives for the procedure. It also makes a great beer glass for later.The program is only five months old, but many are optimistic it will help to bring the hospital’s colon cancer rates down, including Nathan Littauer gastroenterologist Kamini Ramani, M.D., who some patients call “Dr. Innerds” because of the logo on the pint glass. “I’m hopeful we will reach our goal and at least get near the national standard,” she says.Hospitals don’t often employ humor to tackle such serious issues, but Kelly believes it has made all the difference. “Listen to ideas that are out of the box,” he says. “You think your usual efforts will work: this is science, this is medicine, it’s preventive and the right thing, so people would say, ‘Yes, sign me up’ — but it just doesn’t work that way.”
Primary Care Saves Lives Posted on April 26, 2016April 28, 2016 by Dakota PikeAnother Happy Patient!Simply put: Nathan Littauer’s Primary Care saves lives. Listen to Mary Ann Bausewein, RN as she explains a patient’s encounter at our Mayfield Primary/Specialty Care Center… April 2016
Wellness Words April 2016 Posted on April 12, 2016April 12, 2016 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Carol Tomlinson, RN BSCommunity Health EducatorSAY YES TO LIFE!Become An Organ, Eye & Tissue Donor Organ, eye and tissue donation may not be the most popular topic, but it is one that saves thousands of lives every year. There is no age limit to becoming a donor. In fact, the oldest donor was 93! Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be in perfect health. Except in the case of kidney donations, your eligibility to donate organs or tissues won’t be determined until after your death. According to the Center for Organ and Tissue Donation, there are currently over 100,000 patients waiting for life-saving transplants in the U.S. Every 14 minutes, another name is added to the waiting list and an average of 18 people die every day due to a lack of transplantable organs. One donor can save or enhance the lives of up to 50 people. Today the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, small intestines and pancreas can all be transplanted in individuals whose own organs are failing. Tissues that may be donated include bone, heart valves, skin, cartilage, tendons, veins and corneas.Some examples of the uses of tissue donation include:Donated bone can prevent amputation for bone cancer patients.Tendons and cartilage can replace tissue lost or injured due to trauma, disease or infection.Veins can be used to reestablish blood circulation after bypass surgery which can prevent heart attack.Donated skin may be used to help save severe burn victims.Heart valves have the ability to “grow” in younger patients, reducing the need for repeat surgeries.Cornea recipients are often given the chance to see for the first time.Truths about becoming a donor to remember include:People of any age can become donors.Registered donors receive the same care in hospitals as non-donors. The medical staff trying to save lives is completely separate from the transplant team.Most major religions in the United States do not prohibit organ or tissue donation.Donation does not prohibit an open-casket funeral.There is absolutely no cost for donation.How do you sign up to become an organ, eye and tissue donor? It’s simple!Go online to health.ny.gov/donatelife and choose the option that is best for you.Call the New York State Donate Life Registry at 1-866-693-6667.Tell your family and be sure they are aware of your decision so they can support your wishes.YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor is one of the finest and most unselfish humanitarian actions you can take. Why not take the time now to declare your wish to give the gift of life?For more information, call HealthLink Littauer at 736-1120. You can e-mail us at healthlink@nlh.org, see our website at nlh.org, or visit our new wellness center at 2 Colonial Court in downtown Johnstown, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
Gazette story features Littauer provider Melissa Bown Posted on April 8, 2016 by Dakota PikeUNUSUAL TIMINGFlu season running late this year in Capital RegionBy Vanessa Langdon/For The Daily Gazette, April 6, 2016 Littauer Photo by Sara SchrumMelissa Bown, employee health/infection prevention manager at Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville, pictured, expects the late flu season to die down in the next couple of weeks. CAPITAL REGION — Winter started late this year and so did the flu season, according to Megan Helmecke, infection preventionist with Albany Medical Center. The late season flu hitting the Capital Region is more unusual in its timing than its severity, she said.“We had a high level of confirmed flu cases in the last weeks and [it’s] starting to decrease in the last couple of days,” she said.The late uptick in flu cases has been reported statewide.“We really didn’t see flu cases pick up until early February,” Helmecke said. “Seems to be we peaked in mid-March, which seems to be the same that New York state is reporting.”The late season flu is being felt in area schools, too.“Like the snow we saw yesterday [that] we usually see in February, it’s just hitting later than usual,” Robert Hanlon, a spokesman for the Scotia-Glenville School District, said Tuesday referring to Monday’s snowfall.Similar to what’s being reported at local hospitals, the district is starting to see relief.“We usually see this level in mid February — it kind of peaked last week and now we’re seeing it drop back off,” he said.Hanlon said that this peak is nothing like the situation they saw during the swine flu outbreak.“What we ran into with swine flu is half of a classroom would be out. It’s kind of spread out all over the place now,” Hanlon said. “Schools aren’t even required to keep track of their numbers — the only time schools were required to track numbers were [during] the swine flu.”The outbreak at Scotia-Glenville has not required the district to do any special cleaning.“It wasn’t across the board so we didn’t do anything more than we normally do, nothing intense, nothing with special chemicals or anything like that,” he said.“With the flu you have to just burn it through you and recover.”This late season flu is a strain that is protected in the vaccine, according to Helmecke, so the spread should be controlled.“People don’t usually think of the flu in April but with the late onset, the peak is at a different time period,” she said.At Nathan Littauer Hospital had only had nine confirmed cases of flu this season but they have heard about a late-season outbreak in the community.“I had heard of some reports that our Lexington Community Houses had an outbreak of the flu,” said Melissa Bown, employee health/infection prevention manager at Littauer. The Lexington houses are state-run group residences for people with disabilities.According to the state reports, the 2015 peak for the flu occurred about the first week in January for hospitalized patients and the last week of January for out patients. This year the peak was the third week in March for the state, said Bown.“I would say we would start to see it die down overall in the next week or two and it’ll continue down,” she said.“We should get another couple weeks of it and then we should be in the clear.”
