Wellness Words September 2014 Posted on September 10, 2014 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Wendy Chirieleison, MS EdCommunity Health EducatorWhat You Can Do To Prevent FallsAutumn is almost here! Time for students to get back to school, the weather is cool and crisp, and people begin spending more time indoors straightening up the house and getting ready for the holiday season. As September is Fall Prevention Awareness Month, this is the perfect time to reflect on some of the things you can do to be sure you do not succumb to an injury due to falling.According to the New York State Department of Health, falls are seriously affecting older adults. In fact they report that, every day because of a fall, 223 people are seen in the emergency room, 140 people are hospitalized, and 60% of those hospitalized who are 65 years of age or older will wind up in a nursing home.Preventing your risk of falling is important, and The New York State Department of Health Bureau of Injury Prevention identifies four things that you can do to ensure your safety, like starting a regular exercise program, having a medication review, having your vision checked, and taking steps to make your home safer.Begin a regular exercise program: The NYS DOH recommends exercises like Tai Chi, which help improve balance and coordination. HealthLink has been offering Tai Chi classes in the community for several years. Instructors have been certified through the Arthritis Foundation, an evidence based program to improve balance, flexibility, muscle strength, and overall well-being. Always talk to your doctor first, to help you find the exercise program that is right for you.Have a medication review: As you get older, the medications you take can act differently in your body, causing sleepiness or dizziness. Have your doctor or pharmacist review a list of all prescribed and over-the-counter medications you are taking.Have your vision checked: Have your eyes checked once each year. This will help if you need a different prescription for your lenses. Annual eye exams can also help catch problems like glaucoma or cataracts, which can negatively affect your vision and increase your risk of falls.Make your home safer: Put things away. Do not put anything on the floor like books, papers, or clothing, especially in areas where you walk. Use a double adhesive on throw rugs to keep them from sliding. Re-organize cabinets so that items used most often are within reach. Install grab bars next to the bathtub and toilet for ease of access. Use non-slip bathmats in the bathtub or shower floor. Improve the lighting in your home by using lamps or brighter light bulbs in darker areas of the home and install lighter curtains or shades to reduce glare. Install handrails and lighting in all staircases. Always wear shoes inside and outside of the house.Consider installing a Lifeline system so that, in the event of an emergency, you will not have to worry about getting to the phone. Lifeline ensures that help is available at the push of a button 24 hours a day, 365 days of the week. Littauer’s Lifeline has been providing this personal emergency response system to the community for over 25 years, and can be contacted at 773-5507.For more information, attend a FREE program co-sponsored by HealthLink/Nathan Littauer Hospital, Office For Aging and the YMCA entitled “Improve Balance & Prevent Falls” on Tuesday, September 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. Transportation is available to the Y for this program…for details or to attend, call OFA at 736-5650.
NLH supports the Peck’s Lake triathlon Posted on September 9, 2014 by Dakota PikeThanks to all for help with Peck’s Lake triathlonThe Daily Gazette – Sunday, September 7, 2014, Leader Herald – Thursday, August 7, 2014 Letters to the editor:Thanks to all for help with Peck’s Lake triathlonThe fifth annual Peck’s Lake Sprint Triathlon took place on Aug. 2 on and around Peck’s Lake. The day’s conditions made for a great day. The event hosted 111 athletes and their families and friends, with approximately 76 percent of participants from outside of Fulton County including participants from nine states. These participants spent money in our county on lodging, food and refreshments, and more. We are grateful to all of them for making our county their destination on that day and hopefully to return to Fulton County on many more occasions.The continued success of this triathlon would not be possible without the help of our entire Fulton County community and its businesses — Nathan Littauer Hospital, Brown’s Ford, Benjamin Moore Paint, Wal-Mart Distribution Center #6096, Alpin Haus, the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce and its dedicated staff, the Peck’s Lake Protective Association, the Peck Family and Peck’s Lake Enterprises, the residents and volunteers of Peck’s Lake, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, the Ambulance Service of Fulton County, the volunteer fire departments of Meco and Caroga Lake, and many other individuals who helped in many ways to make this a great event.A special thank you to the children of the Boys & Girls Club of Gloversville for their assistance at the finish line. Their help was greatly appreciated.We are thankful to all of these businesses and individuals. And we are grateful to our Fulton County residents who welcome with open arms these and thousands of other visitors as they explore the great resources of Fulton County.Mick Brenno,Gina DaBiere-GibbsThe writers are, respectively, Triathlon coordinator and director of Tourism for the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce
Many wonderful things come without planning Posted on September 9, 2014 by Dakota PikeThe Rev. Bonnie M. Orth is the Pastoral Care Coordinator at Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing HomeMany wonderful things come without planningSeptember 6, 2014By The Rev. BONNIE M. ORTH, Leader HeraldDuring the summer, when the children in our church are on break from Sunday school, we have what we call “adult time” during our worship service. I have been reading snippets from a wonderful book by Mr. Rogers called, “Life’s Journeys According to Mister Rogers, Things to Remember Along the Way.” Fred Rogers was a Presbyterian minister whose specialized ministry was his wonderful children’s television show.This past Sunday, I read the following entry from his book, “I saw a friend who is a freelance writer and asked him what he was working on. ‘Nothing right now,’ he answered. ‘You know how it is for freelancers. But at times like this I tell myself I’m in between opportunities. That way, I don’t have to feel I’m nowhere.'”Mister Rogers continued, “There’s often a tendency for us to hurry through transitions. We may feel that these transitions are, ‘nowhere at all’ compared to what’s gone before or what we anticipates next to come. But you are somewhere, you are ‘between.'”September is a time of transitions for many of us. Children transition to a new grade, and teachers transition to a new group of students. College students transition to living in a dorm on campus and parents transition to empty nests. For many churches, September is also a time of transitions, the beginning of a new Sunday school season, often the gearing up of church activities, Bible studies, stewardship campaigns, committee meetings and the business of the church after a restful break for the summer.Many of us are thrown by transitions. They seem an awful lot like that dreaded word “change.” I wonder if we too looked at the transitions of our lives as “in between opportunities” we might be more open to them and would embrace them.Mr. Rogers finished his lesson by saying, “Sometimes it surprises me to think that my work on that first children’s program was almost by chance! Isn’t it mysterious how so many wonderful things in life come to us seemingly without our planning? We start traveling down one street, and we find ourselves interested in something we never expected on a side street, and as we explore it, the side street becomes the main street for us.”As we enter the transition times of our lives, may we have the patience not to hurry through, but to take our time and experience the plans that God has for us. None of us can go back and make a new start, but we can all begin today and make a new ending. Trust in the words from Jeremiah 20:11-13, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.”The Rev. Bonnie M. Orth is the pastor of the Mayfield Central Presbyterian Church and the pastoral care coordinator at Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
Congratulations Donita Crankshaw, Goodwill Award recipient Posted on September 9, 2014September 9, 2014 by Dakota PikeCrankshaw receives NLH awardAugust 28, 2014Leader HeraldGLOVERSVILLE – Primary and Specialty Care Center Manager Donita Crankshaw was nominated as the Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home Goodwill Award recipient for the second quarter.“Of our 1,000 employees, these are people that our employees themselves want to honor,” said Littauer CEO Laurence Kelly in a news release. “These are the best of the best; they deserve our recognition for their incredible impact on NLH and patient care.”Crankshaw proved early in her 15-year tenure at Littauer that she was somebody very special, Kelly said in the release.Crankshaw was nominated by her peers for her respectful demeanor and vast knowledge, coupled with her compassion and sincerity while dealing with patients and co-workers, the release said.Upon receiving the award, Crankshaw accepted while thanking her peers. “I share this award with my staff and the providers; they give 100 percent to me, and make me a better person,” she said in the release.The NLH Goodwill award is given out quarterly and once annually to an employee, recognizing goodwill and promoting “people caring for people,” the release said. Crankshaw received a plaque on the NLH Hall of Fame, a monetary award and a preferred parking space.Recipients for the award are nominated by NLH employees, providers or patients, and submitted to the Goodwill Committee, where in a blind format they are selected. Quarterly employees are among other nominations for the NLH Goodwill Employee of the Year.PHOTO:Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home Goodwill Award winner of the second quarter, Primary and Specialty Care Center Manager Donita Crankshaw. Photo submitted
Winners of chamber golf event announced Posted on September 9, 2014 by Dakota PikeWinners of chamber golf event announcedAugust 23, 2014Leader HeraldAMSTERDAM -The Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of its 2014 Chamber Scholarship Golf Classic on Friday.The tournament winners were as follows: first place: Matt Clarke, Tim Salls, Pat Michel and Gary Brooker (58); second place: Kevin Porter, John Doherty, Jim Sammons and Kevin Krogh (59); third place: Brennen Parker, Ed Davis, Ken Stall and Gary Leva (60)The Scholarship Golf Classic was played by approximately 120 golfers Wednesday at Amsterdam Municipal Golf Course. Partial proceeds from the tournament went to the chamber’s scholarship program, which over the past 30 years has awarded $160,000 to Fulton and Montgomery County high school and college students, according to the news release from the chamber.Major sponsors of the tournament were Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, Bouchey & Clarke Benefits, St. Mary’s Healthcare, NBT Bank, Beacon Insurance Agency Group and Ricmar Marketing Design Print.
Central Civico Summerfest a success Posted on September 8, 2014 by Dakota PikeAmsterdam health fair draws crowdSaturday, August 23, 2014By Sudip Bhattacharya Gazette Reporter AMSTERDAM — Since second grade, Thalia Leon, 18, has to deal with her severe asthma.Even going up a flight of stairs can force her to stop and try and catch her breath. She’s been using her asthma inhalers daily.On Friday, however, she spoke with Dr. Maruthi M. Sunkara, a pediatrician certified in asthma education at Nathan Littauer Hospital, about her condition.He told Leon to ask her doctor for a different sort of medication, and to also find out what could possibly be triggering the asthma, such as dust or pollen. He handed her information that could also help her.This was a common scene at the second annual SummerFest that was held at the lot at Centro Civico and sponsored by Nathan Littauer.The clouds gathered overhead. The wind was cold. But again and again, people from the community would arrive, and ask for more information at one of the many vendors dedicated to healthcare and health services.“There’s not much to do in Amsterdam so it gives kids a chance to get off the streets and have fun,” Leon said.There were 30 vendors at the event, including St. Mary’s Healthcare and Wal-Mart, who provided free vision screenings.SummerFest, according to Fabrizia Rodriguez, director of community development initiative at Centro Civico, is a way for people in the community to know what resources are available to them, and for the providers to get to know the community as well.Laurence E. Kelly, president and CEO of Nathan Littauer, said that being at the event was a way to spread information and help people figure out how to access healthcare.“It’s nice to be out of the office and in the community,” said Janis Freeman, a nurse practitioner at Nathan Littauer. She was at the event sharing information about the threat of skin cancer.The event, which lasted from 1 to 7 p.m., also included music and food, from empanadas to collard greens.And of course, bouncey houses for the kids.There was also a long line for free school supplies, since the school new year is right around the corner.For Elvira Ramos, who was with her 9-year-old son, Christopher, the event was useful. Her nephew Brandon Ramos, and her mother-in-law, Gloria Vega, both visiting from New York, were also at the event.Elvira Ramos had gone to almost every healthcare vendor and felt she could share the information she learned that day with other people she knew.“They should do this more often,” she said.It was Antonio Diaz’s first time at the event. He didn’t have a primary care provider but he spoke with those at the booth for Fidelis Care. He made an appointment for next week with Fidelis to discuss getting health insurance.PHOTO: Children pose as future doctors in a cut-out by the Nathan Littauer Hospital at Central Civico’s Summerfest
Sen. Schumer visits the NLH Speculator Primary & Specialty Care Center Posted on September 8, 2014 by Dakota PikeSchumer’s visit to Speculator focuses on rural health care August 16, 2014 By ARTHUR CLEVELAND , Leader HeraldSPECULATOR – Nathan Littauer Primary Care Center’s waiting room was filled as U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer visited with health and municipal officials on Friday afternoon, Aug. 15.The visit by Schumer, D-N.Y., was his second to the region this week. He spoke with representatives of Hamilton County, Speculator and Lake Pleasant as well as Nathan Littauer Hospital and Hudson Headwaters Health Network about local issues.Laurence Kelly, chief executive officer at Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville, and Dr. John Rugge, CEO for Hudson Headwaters Health Network, the Queensbury-based health network, spoke with Schumer about some of the difficulties of providing health care in a rural county with a low population like Hamilton County.Rugge said there are no pharmacies within the county. For Speculator residents, the closest is in Northville, a half-hour away.Bill Farber, Hamilton County Board of Supervisors chairman and Morehouse town supervisor, said there were more hardware stores in the county than pharmacies.Schumer told Kelly he is co-sponsoring a bill that would increase the number of residencies for primary care doctors. Schumer said it would create about 15,000 new residencies, with half of them being general residencies.“There is a shortage of residences,. There are interns who can’t find residencies,” Schumer said. “That’s the kind of doctor we need in a place like this,” Kelly said. “Doing lots of things rather than a narrow specialty.”Farber said Hamilton County offers mental health services, certified home health agency and drug and alcohol services for residents.“We need to figure out how to maintain this integrated system,” Farber said. “If you think about it, we are really a microcosm of the healthcare system.”Rugge said not many doctors want to go out into civil practice any more.Schumer asked about the chances of a retiring local doctor being able to find a replacement. Kelly said he thinks Schumer understands issues the health care industry is facing and what members of his constituency are facing going forward.Neil McGovern, Lake Pleasant’s town supervisor, said he was pleased to see Schumer making another visit to the area.“It is always productive to have a United States senator come when there are issues [that are unique]. Most of our funding for local government are an amalgam of both state and federal [funding]. If the federal reps aren’t here and don’t touch down, they never have any scale or any idea what we are facing on that level,” McGovern said.PHOTO: Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., left, greets Nathan Littauer Hospital CEO Laurence Kelly, right, on Friday, Aug. 15. The Leader-Herald/Arthur Cleveland
