Healthy Options 2/6/19

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: -What does an elder advocate do? -What are the steps that are needed to create a plan in the event that you or a family member require medical care in a health care facility such as rehab/or a nursing home? -What could go wrong when you (or a family member) need advanced care in a facility and are being discharged from a hospital? -Are you required to go to a nursing home that a hospital discharge planner suggests? -What are your legal rights when being faced with a hospital discharge that attempts to place you or a loved one in a substandard care facility? -How can you evaluate the quality of a health care facility? What is a good strategy to help you or a loved one be admitted to a good quality health care nursing home? -What are some legal documents necessary as part of a long term plan for health care? Why should you discuss this plan with a lawyer? -What is the difference between standard Medicare plans and supplemental policies (Medigap), and Medicare Advantage plans? Why is it important to understand these differences and why do standard Medicare supplemental plans offer more flexibility and allow for more treatment options? -What are some creative options to avoid isolation as one ages? -What should you do for yourself or a loved one to create an  “aging in place” environment? Guest(s): Elder Advocate Jack Halpern, founder and chairman of MyElder. myelder.com myelder.com/blog/ www.instagram.com/bigjackhalpern  (and Facebook) Previous Healthy Options programs on related subjects: Healthy Options 12/6/23: Brain Health and Aging Well Susan Wehry, M.D., geriatric psychiatrist and director of AgingME, on healthy aging, being resilient and engaged as we age, how to handle “dementia worry” (anxiety one might have, about fearing a dementia diagnosis), and how to counter the impacts of severe isolation & loneliness which arose acutely throughout the pandemic, and is still being experienced by many people- including those with dementia. archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2023/12/healthy-options-12-6-23-brain-health-and-aging-well/ “The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare,” about how the current health care delivery model is ill-equipped to provide comprehensive, person-centered care to seniors, and how many treatable conditions and symptoms are dismissed as “just old age.” The discussion highlights specific tools that we can use to help prevent these mistakes and what we need to know to achieve healthy aging. archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2017/08/healthy-options-8217/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 3/6/24: Advocating for the care needs and rights of elders in nursing homes & assisted living facilities first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well Program Topic: TEENS TO TRAILS, an organization connecting Maine students to life-changing outdoor experiences. This month: What is Teens to Trails and what is their mission? How does Teens to Trails work with parents, students and schools? What are the health benefits of being in the outdoors? How can these outdoor experiences help kids improve their well-being, emotional resilience, and reduce stress & anxiety? Is there a difference between outdoor education and outdoor recreation? What are the benefits of outdoor play and how do students respond to their outdoor activities? What do you see in the kids when they’re part of an outdoor club? How do they interact with their peers? What do we mean by “unstructured time”, and why is this time so important for all of us? What impact are personal devices such as phones having on the health of our children- and when they are connecting with the outdoors, what changes may occur? Guest(s): Alicia Heyburn, Executive Director of Teens to Trails, and Miles Bisher, social studies teacher and outdoor club advisor. FMI: teenstotrails.org About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 2/7/24: Teens to Trails first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: What are some ways we can enhance the health of our nervous systems, and calm our minds? How can simple breathing techniques enhance our health and well-being? Why is movement such an important technique to calm our nervous system? What is Qi Gong? What is WuJi? What do we mean when we speak of meridians? What is a body scan? How can we practice this for ourselves and why is this beneficial? About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 1/3/24: Easily-Learned Movements & Breathing Techniques first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: Why is this topic & program relevant for people of all ages? What is Aging Maine? What is the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Project? What is dementia?  What is “dementia worry”? What do we need to do to maintain brain health– and why is exercise & diet so important? How can we create new neural paths in our brains? What is neural plasticity? What does it mean to have meaning in our lives? Why are social connections so important? What are/were the effects of loneliness and isolation, especially during the pandemic- and currently? Guest/s: Susan Wehry, M.D., geriatric psychiatrist and director of AgingME www.susanwehrymd.com agingme.org About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 12/6/23: Brain Health and Aging Well first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: 1  How does the Trauma Resiliency Model and Community Resiliency Model work to calm the nervous system? 2  How can Trauma Resiliency aid individuals & communities in the recovering process, after mass shootings? 3  What are some new strategies being used globally to treat trauma? 4  What is a simple technique we can try right now to relax our nervous system? 5  How does our nervous system respond to stress? 6  What is second-hand trauma? 7  What are some ways to assist someone who has directly experienced trauma? 8  What is the “resilient zone”? How do we know if we are no longer regulated emotionally? 9  What do we mean by “understanding our physical body at the level of sensation”? 10 What is the amygdala and what part does it play in trauma & PTSD? What are we learning from neuroscience & neuropsychology regarding trauma? 11 How do the steps of the Community Resiliency model work? What does it mean to use the techniques of Tracking, Grounding, Finding a Resource, Gesturing, Getting Help Now, and Stay & Shift, and how can they help us deal with our own responses to stress and trauma? 12  Does the Community Resiliency Model work with children? How can we teach children to self-regulate themselves emotionally? Guest/s: Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, is a trauma therapist, co-founder and former Executive Director of the Trauma Resource Institute, and key developer of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. She is the author of “Building Resiliency to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models”, the host of the weekly podcast, “Resiliency Within”, and a contributor to Psychology Today. FMI:  The Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) is a nonprofit organization devoted to cultivating trauma-informed and resiliency-focused individuals and communities throughout the world. www.traumaresourceinstitute.com “Resiliency Within” podcast: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/resiliency-within-elaine-miller-karas-lcsw-dH7ZjesXLAx/ “Resiliency Within” Facebook page: www.facebook.com/resiliency.within VoiceAmerica- “Resiliency Within”: www.voiceamerica.com/show/3997/resiliency-within Reflections of a Trauma Therapist in the Russo-Ukraine War www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-resiliency-trauma/202212/reflections-trauma-therapist-in-the-russo-ukraine-war NAMI -National Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org/Home 988 Crisis Line 988lifeline.org Previous Healthy Options programs on the Trauma Resource Institute can be found at: archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2021/03/healthy-options-3-3-21-building-resiliency-to-trauma/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 11/1/23: Restoring and enhancing resiliency and balance after shock and trauma first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: How do we hear? What can cause hearing loss? Are there differences in sensitivity in how individuals react to loud sounds? How can we protect our hearing? How do you know that you are experiencing hearing loss? What are some detriments to delaying or not getting hearing aids when they are needed? How would an audiologist assess your hearing ability?  How is the hearing of infants & young children assessed, & addressed? What are the differences between prescription and over-the-counter hearing aids? Guest/s: Kate Weiss is an audiologist in Minnesota, & currently an independent consultant, after a 40-year career spent mostly in pediatrics. She worked for many years at Children’s Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota, and in the Minneapolis Public Schools’ home-based birth-to-three program, Early Childhood Special Education preschool program, and with deaf and hard of hearing students and their families and teachers in elementary, middle, and high schools. For several years, she worked with both children and adults of all ages at St. Paul Rehabilitation Center. She was co-chair of the task force that developed protocols for universal newborn hearing screening, infant hearing assessment, amplification fitting, and parent advocacy for the State of Minnesota’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program. FMI:  From CONSUMER REPORTS online (& the May/June 2023 magazine article, HOW TO HEAR BETTER NOW). Check out the other links they also list, on ratings of both prescription and over-the-counter hearing aid brands & retailers.) 1. Your Guide to Hearing Helpers www.consumerreports.org/health/hearing-aids/your-guide-to-hearing-helpers-a2688068457/ 2. A Complete Guide to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids www.consumerreports.org/health/hearing-aids/complete-guide-to-over-the-counter-hearing-aids-a3898239010/ 3. This Quick Quiz Can Screen You for Hearing Loss (Note: Not a “hearing test” to screen for hearing loss, but a good tool to help people screen for how much hearing issues interfere with their social/daily life, and about the possible need for hearing aids.) www.consumerreports.org/health/hearing-ear-care/self-hearing-test-for-auditory-wellness-a4832177815/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 10/4/23: How we hear, how to protect our hearing, and recognize & manage hearing loss from infancy to adulthood first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: How does quantum physics play a role in our health & well-being? What is heart coherence? What is vibrational medicine? How does our breathing affect our nervous system? What is the importance of our being aware of our nervous system? Guest/s: Diana Maria Chapin, one of the founding members & president, of The Healing Garden. She is a Reiki Master and works with energy healing & meditation, helping clients to develop wellness skills. Michele Walker, entrepreneur, Transformational Life Coach, and Self-Healing Mentor. She has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and is a certified facilitator of the Energy Codes, a self-healing system developed by Dr. Sue Morter. FMI: TheHealingGardenMaine.org About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 9/6/23: Quantum physics, energy work & health: vibrational medicine & The Healing Garden first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: What legislation has been proposed or passed in Maine to protect & strengthen reproductive health? How has Maine been affected by the reversal of Roe v. Wade? Maine is not considered a “safety state” due to its distance to other states, but have we seen an increase in out-of-state clients, due to restrictions elsewhere? What are reproductive rights, and what is reproductive justice? What other health resources are provided at clinics, aside from reproductive health? How are the overall health services negatively affected, when reproductive choice & abortion services are curtailed or eliminated? When clinics shut down, how does this directly impact clients? What are the risks and dangers which can & do arise from restricting medical services for clients (of any gender)? What are various methods of family planning which are used in clinics? What are the issues relating to “late-term” abortions? What is a medication abortion? How does this work, and how effective is it? How is this method being opposed now by those who favored the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade? Guest/s: Lindsey Piper is a nurse practitioner specializing in sexual and reproductive health, and is the Lead Clinician for the Center for Reproductive Health at Maine Family Planning, providing direct abortion services as well as guidance & training, for health care providers. Lindsey also sees clients in her Belfast, Maine clinic for gynecologic visits, gender-affirming hormone treatment, abortions, and vasectomy. She has been in this field for over 20 years, working for independent, feminist health care clinics, and Planned Parenthood. Mareisa Weil is Maine Family Planning’s Vice President for Development & Community Engagement. She has a Master’s degree in Policy, Planning and Management from the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine, and has worked with Colby College, the Maine Hospice Council and Center for End-of-Life Care, and the Homeless Services Center in Santa Cruz, California. FMI: mainefamilyplanning.org About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 8/2/23: Maine Family Planning after the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: What is the Alexander Technique? How can our physical structure be affected by the way we breathe? What does stress have to do with it?! What are a couple of simple examples we can try, to practice the Alexander Technique? What is the difference felt in our body when we gently allow our lungs to inhale and exhale, versus straining to take a deep breath? How do our physical and emotional habits inhibit or enhance our posture & poise, and the ways we move? How can we become aware of our natural breathing so we can be more relaxed as we move through our day? How might these techniques help us to be more confident and productive, in performing and/or other areas of our lives? Guest/s: Tracy Van Fleet is a Grammy Award winner, mezzo-soprano and voice teacher based in the Los Angeles area. As a soloist, she performs with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and has appeared with some of the most prestigious orchestras around the world. She is a Level 3 Total Vocal Freedom coach, and is in the process of qualifying for certification as an Alexander Technique Teacher. Lisa Rogers Lee is a chamber singer, oratorio soloist, and voice teacher with a private studio called Voice for the Whole Singer. She has appeared with numerous opera companies throughout the United States, and is an educator and mentor of singers of all ages. She recently became a Level 2 Total Vocal Freedom coach, teaching Alexander Technique principles to singers. Lisa Lee and Tracy Van Fleet are the founders of the Ageless Singer, a program designed to support and empower female singers over the age of 50. More information on The Alexander Technique. About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 7/5/23: The Health Benefits of the Alexander Technique first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: Where are ticks found & how can we identify the ticks we may find, in their different life cycles? What size are they right now? What is Lyme disease and why is it often difficult to diagnose- and treat? What are co-infections? What are the different illnesses which are showing up now?  What is Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Borrelia, Alpha-gal, & Powassan Virus? What are the ways that we do treat tick diseases? Is there an effective way to prevent Lyme after a tick bite? Is using a single dose of antibiotics a valid and effective strategy to use right after a tick bite? Why should we not wait if we have symptoms after a tick bite? What are symptoms we might experience? What does clinical diagnosis mean? What are some preventative techniques we can use to minimize our risk of getting a tick-borne illness? What kinds of clothing, and repellent, are effective to try to prevent tick bites? What is permethrin and what are the benefits to using it on our clothes, socks and shoes? How do we check for ticks? Why do a tick check and why is it a good idea to shower after we’ve been outside? Why should we check our pets for ticks? What about people who come visit and may bring ticks? If you get a tick bite, how do you remove the tick safely? What might we do next? How long does a tick have to be imbedded for it to be able to transmit disease? Should you send a tick to a lab for analysis? Do we have decisive testing for tick diseases? Are there any vaccines yet? Guest/s: Dr. Beatrice Szantyr, Internist and Pediatrician who lectures on Lyme disease and related tick-borne disorders in Maine and nationally, to both professional and community groups. She is an active member of the Maine CDC Vector Borne Disease Work Group, and a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.  Dr. Szantyr also had served on the 2022 Federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, Access to Care and Education Subcommittee.  Additional Information: EPA info on effective repellents www.epa.gov/insect-repellents www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you University of Maine Tick Lab Protect Yourself from ticks & tick-borne diseases: extension.umaine.edu/ticks/ Tick testing Amherst MA. (tests for more diseases): www.tickreport.com Lyme Disease Association Research, Education, Prevention and Patient Support    lymediseaseassociation.org/ Lyme disease.org Powered by patients. Home of Lyme Times and My Lyme Data: www.lymedisease.org/ Maine CDC Lyme disease Frequently Asked Questions www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/vector-borne/tick-messaging.shtml Maine Tracking Network: Tickborne Diseases Improving public health with better information data.mainepublichealth.gov/tracking/data-topics/tickborne-content University of Rhode Island Tick Encounter Tick-borne Disease prevention Education web.uri.edu/tickencounter/ This article is brief enough for a patient to bring to a doctor’s visit for them to consider: The Management of Ixodes scapularis Bites in the Upper Midwest wmjonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/110/2/78.pdf For clinicians: LymeCME Free, Evidence-based, AAFP-Accredited Courses that Physicians Can Trust www.lymecme.info/ Previous Healthy Options programs on ticks & Lyme, with links to other websites of interest, can also be found at: archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2022/10/healthy-options-10-5-22-the-ticks-are-still-here-what-you-need-to-know/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2022/05/healthy-options-5-4-22-yearly-update-on-ticks-lyme-and-tick-borne-illnesses/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2021/05/healthy-options-5-5-21-ticks-those-blood-sucking-parasites/ archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2020/06/healthy-options-6-3-20-ticks-and-tick-borne-illnesses/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 5/3/23: Lyme disease & tick-borne illness, and how to be tick-conscious, to protect ourselves first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.