Posts Tagged ‘Breakfast with the Docs’

Brent Cutro, D.O., will lead a discussion on arthritis at “Breakfast with the Docs” at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 23, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Roughly one in five adults is diagnosed with arthritis, and over 50% of those ages 65 or older suffer from some type of arthritis.

Arthritis–the inflammation of one or more joints which results in pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited movement–develops as a result of the breakdown of cartilage. Cartilage lines a joint, cushioning it and allowing for smooth movement. Cartilage also absorbs shock when pressure is placed on the joint like when a person walks. A loss of cartilage causes the bones to rub together which results in pain, swelling (inflammation) and stiffness.

While there are over 100 different types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common forms. Osteoarthritis typically develops because of normal wear and tear, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder.

Symptoms of arthritis include:
•    Persistent joint pain
•    Pain or tenderness (in a joint which is aggravated by movement)
•    Joint deformity
•    Loss of range of motion or flexibility
•    Inflammation (joint swelling, stiffness, redness, and/or warmth)

This disease typically worsens with age. Treatment options vary depending on the type of arthritis, however proper diet (including enough protein) and exercise can help alleviate discomfort. In addition, stretching daily, warm baths and massages help relieve muscle tension.

Dr. Cutro is a new physician at the Oak Park Arms. Prior to joining the Arms he practiced internal medicine at West Suburban Hospital.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. And it’s not called “Breakfast with the Docs” for nothing: participants who attend will also be served a healthy breakfast.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Erin K. Hill, Psy.D., ABPP-CN, will lead a discussion on healthy brain aging at “Breakfast with the Docs” at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 23, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

It is inevitable that brains age along with the rest of the body. Studies show that as people enter their 30s, the brain’s weight, network of nerves and its blood flow begin to decrease. Brain cells, called neurons, lose the tree-branch-like connections between them, which are essential to thought. The brain can adapt, however, and grow new patterns of nerve endings.

Surprisingly, the notion that education and thriving careers impact brain health is a misconception. While careers have been proven to help brain health, those effects are not sustained after retirement. Instead, those who are socially, mentally and physically stimulated show greater cognitive performance with a brain that appears younger than its years.

While more research is being done on how to keep the brain resilient and decrease cognitive decline, the tools necessary to keep brains healthy later in life might already be right under people’s noses.

Things people can do to keep the brain young include:
•    aerobic exercise
•    maintain a healthy diet
•    perform activities that speed up brain activity (puzzles, ping pong, etc)
•    reduce and manage stress
•    get enough and proper sleep

Other lifestyle choices such as smoking and consumption of alcohol also affect the total health of the brain, and body.

Two nutrient patterns – one found in fruits and vegetables and the other an omega-3 pattern high in fatty acids found in fish -  have been found by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University to promote brain health.

Research on vitamins and nutrient patterns have shown to slow the aging process of the brain, and that there might be a link between the ability to learn new information, brain mass and vitamins.

Games which stimulate short term and long term memory, decision making and strategizing all strengthen different areas of the brain.

Dr. Hill is a clinical neuropsychologist, board certified through the American Board of Professional Psychology. She earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Roosevelt University. She completed her internship training in neuropsychology at Henry Ford Health Center and her clinical neuropsychology fellowship training at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

Prior to joining Sage Neuropsychology Consultants, Dr. Hill managed a private neuropsychology practice in Brookline, MA. In addition, she served on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Neuropsychology Society.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. And it’s not called “Breakfast with the Docs” for nothing: participants who attend will also be served a healthy breakfast.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Blanca Baldoceda, M.D., MPH, will lead a discussion on vitamins and myths of taking vitamin supplements at “Breakfast with the Docs” at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 16, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

As people age, their body’s ability to absorb vitamins and nutrients from food becomes less efficient. Aging can also affect appetite, and a lack of access to healthy meals may prevent maintaining a varied diet or can force a person to skip meals altogether. In addition, certain medications or restrictive health issues may impact the body’s natural processes or limit vitamin absorption.

Symptoms of mild vitamin deficiencies in seniors include anemia, cognitive impairment, an increased tendency for developing infections and poor wound healing. Severe vitamin deficiencies can even lead to irreversible organ damage.

Seniors in particular should be aware of certain vitamins because of their benefits and because of their common deficiencies. Understanding vitamins and their contributions to a healthy wellbeing will contribute to overall health and wellness.

The most common vitamin deficiencies in seniors are:
•    Vitamin A – necessary for healthy immune system and helps fights cancer
•    Vitamin B12 – low levels can lead to reversible dementia
•    Vitamin C – necessary for antioxidants important for wound healing
•    Vitamin D – low levels cause lower bone density and bone pain

It is important to eat nutrient-dense, healthy meals. These foods include:
•    fruits and vegetables
•    whole grains
•    low-fat or fat-free dairy products
•    seafood, lean poultry and meats, beans, eggs, unsalted nuts
•    limit consumption of solid fats, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars

Dr. Baldoceda is the medical director of PCC South Family Health Center in Berwyn. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine in 2001. She is board certified in Family Medicine and has over 12 years of medical experience.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. And it’s not called “Breakfast with the Docs” for nothing: participants who attend will also be served a healthy breakfast.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Ajay Nehra, M.D., will present a discussion on urology and aging at “Breakfast with the Docs,” at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Roughly 13 million Americans suffer from urinary incontinence—the involuntary leakage of urine. Though it can happen at any age, it is often a condition seen in the older population.

One in five individuals over 40 suffers from overactive bladder or symptoms of urgency or frequency and over 50 percent of seniors in the nursing home population experience elderly urinary incontinence.

As a person gets older, muscles in the bladder and urethra lose strength. Changes with age reduce how much the bladder can hold and can increase the chances of elderly incontinence. Despite weakening muscles, however, incontinence isn’t normal at any age except during infancy.

Causes of incontinence can widely vary, from simply not drinking enough water to more serious conditions like an inflamed bladder wall.

Types of urinary incontinence include:

•    Stress Incontinence- Pressure exerted on the bladder from sneezing or coughing causing loss of urine
•    Urge Incontinence- A sudden, intense urge followed by an involuntary loss of urine
•    Overflow Incontinence- Frequently or constantly dribbling urine
•    Mixed Incontinence- Suffering from more than one type of incontinence
•    Functional Incontinence- Inability to make it in time due to physical impairment (i.e. arthritis)
•    Total Incontinence- Continuous leaking

There are ways to improve this condition. Changes in diet, such as eliminating alcohol, acidic foods and caffeine, and regular exercise to strengthen the lower body can help. Medications may also be used in conjunction with behavioral techniques to decrease incontinence.

Dr. Nehra serves as the vice chairperson and professor and director of men’s health in the Department of Urology at the Rush University Medical Center. Prior to his current position he was a professor of urology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

He received his medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, where he also completed an internship. He went on to complete a transitional surgical internship at Malden Hospital in Massachusetts, a surgical residency at Boston University School of Medicine, and a residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he served as chief resident in urology.

Currently Dr. Nehra serves as president-elect of the International Society of Men’s Health and as editor of the Journal of Men’s Health. In addition, he has contributed over 130 articles and 170 abstracts to numerous peer-reviewed journals.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. And it’s not called “Breakfast with the Docs” for nothing: Participants who attend will also be served a healthy breakfast.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Melanie Siedlinski, RN, MSN, a certified diabetic educator, will present a program on diabetes at “Breakfast with the Docs,” at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood. Two common types of diabetes are: Type 1–an auto-immune disease where the body destroys insulin and Type 2—a disease characterized by insulin resistance.

Over 20 million Americans are affected with diabetes with over half of those cases occurring in people 55 or older. In fact, one in four people over the age of 60 have diabetes.

As people age, management of diabetes changes. Treatment involving a combination of medicine, diet and exercise helps control blood sugar and prevents symptoms and problems.

If left untreated, complications may include:

•    Trouble seeing, light sensitivity or blindness
•    Sores and infections on skin and feet that could result in amputation
•    Nerve damage in the body
•    Kidney disease
•    Higher blood pressure and cholesterol
•    Heart disease and stroke

Siedlinski, a certified diabetes nurse educator at Adventist GlenOaks Hospital, will present the latest information on the impact of nutrition on diabetes and demonstrate how patients can take control of their diabetes through diet and proper nutrition.

With over 32 years of experience in diabetes management, Siedlinski leads and oversees the Corporate Hyperglycemia Collaborative, which provides outpatient diabetes management classes, individualized patient follow-up and extensive outreach in the communities within the organization’s service area. Her outpatient services focus on older and lower-income clients.

She has coordinated a grant from the Glendale Heights Chamber of Commerce targeted toward diabetes screening for 200 students within community elementary schools and she provides semi-annual screening and education to hospital employees.

Siedlinski also provides quarterly lectures to seniors in the community, and has coordinated diabetes screening at numerous local events.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. And it’s not called “Breakfast with the Docs” for nothing. Participants who attend will also be served a healthy breakfast. Reservations are requested by Friday, Nov. 30.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.