Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Robin Williams, John Pinette, Comedy and Tragedy

           I posted a few days ago in LinkedIn that if the US didn't start treating our mentally ill as well as we treat our physically ill, we would just see more and more reports about deaths like Robin Williams. Then someone today quoted a line from John Pinette, and I realized I was seriously wrong.
           Public health officials will tell you that only 1 in 10 Americans can handle their own health well (are proficient at health literacy skills) and only 1 in 33 are able to handle their mental health.  I will say that mental health care across the country did make some giant leaps forward with the Affordable Care Act, but we have now probably reached the point were they are both handled the same.
           Follow my logic here for a minute. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the US. What do we tell smokers? Just stop smoking. Here's a patch. Why can't you quit. What do we tell the depressed like Robin Williams? Cheer up. It's all in your head. Here's a pill. Obesity is the number two cause of death in the US with malnutrition being the leading cause worldwide. What do we tell the obese, like John Pinette? Stop eating. Move more. Sorry there isn't a pill for that.
          Want more objective facts (thanks CDC). 1 in 4 Americans will suffer with a mental illness in their lifetime. 1in 3 Americans are obese (not just overweight), with almost 1/2 of all Hispanic Americans being obese. Approximately 1 in 5 adult Americans smoke tobacco.  1 in 10 Americans will struggle with depression in the lifetime. 1 in every 4 deaths in the US is related to cancer. The only disease that kills more Americans is heart disease.
         Our medical community has great solutions to physical health problems.... eat a well balanced diet, exercise daily, see your doctor for screening tests, with medications and surgery often correcting what does go wrong. Yet physical health problems are the number one and two causes of death. We have less interventions for mental health problems (which cause fewer deaths), but are the leading cause of disability in both the US and Canada. We need to figure out how to improve care and get people to live healthier lives in both realms of health.
         So as you can see, we don't really treat our mentally ill any worse than our physically ill. The problem is that we really aren't doing a good job of treating either. And that can be born out in the tragic deaths this year of these two comedians. Robin and John had plenty of money and access to the best health care in the world and still died way too early. We need to be better at teaching people how to handle their health in general..... physically and mentally. Socially and spiritually as well. But that's a topic for another blog. 



Thursday, March 13, 2014

Health and Pets



        Health encompasses so many pieces of your life. There is your physical health- how your body operates within the world, mental health- how you think and learn, social health- how you relate to the people around you, and spiritual health-where your strength comes from when you are struggling.  These four areas of health feed into a cycle of improving your overall health or slowly destroying it.

         Your health can also be impacted by things beyond your control.  Animals, and especially pets, are a part of nature that can really impact your health and your outlook on life. And nowhere is that more apparent than when we look at animals within use of the medical field. Service animals are trained to assist the blind, the deaf and epileptics function within our world.  Therapy dogs are used to help children learn to focus in school, with seniors to provide love and affection, and for those in rehab to talk to when they are stressed. Therapy horses are being used to help people who struggle with depression, anxiety, and communication skills. Doctors’ offices often have fish tanks within the waiting rooms in part because watching fish lowers blood pressure and is calming. Senior housing providers (nursing homes and assisted living centers) have become pet-friendly in the last few years as research showed the health benefits of having pets is often intensified with seniors.

          Recently, I took a tour of a local memory center that has taken pet-friendly to a new level. And it thoroughly impressed me. The center had had a fish tank, and allowed residents to bring in their own personal pets for a few years.  In the last few months, they have invested in their own pets as a health benefit to their residents. As of my visit they had a dog, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, 2 hamsters, 3 birds, the fish tank, and a beautiful indoor butterfly garden.  I could see the change in the residents as I walked in. They were calmer and more focused. There was laughter as they watched the bunnies. Most didn’t notice the butterflies, but they enjoyed the different flowers within the garden. 

         The director confirmed that her residents were happier, healthier, and calmer as well. And as a benefit so was her staff. The staff no longer ran through the halls. Residents and staff stopped and laughed with each other over the antics of the animals. The discussion I heard that morning over and over was about the intro of the new bunny to the existing bunny. It did not go well! Bunny fights are nasty! But it created an environment of talking about stressors, and the reality of pet ownership, and life. Coworkers were bonding together with each other and their residents. The pets encouraged better social health within this environment.  Talking to the pets helped with emotional health. Walking the dog, petting the cats, watching the fish improves their physical health. The gentleness of their pets contributes to spiritual health and resiliency.

        So what should you take away from this blog? That animals help make us healthy. If you have a pet take a minute to recognize how he/she helps you be healthier. If you don’t have a pet, maybe consider getting one. Do some research before you buy a particular animal. If you are going for a cat or a dog, consider adopting from a local humane society or rescue group. If you want to “try out” dog or cat ownership, consider becoming a foster home for a rescue group, where you keep the animal only for a short period of time. Even a beta fish in a small bowl on your kitchen counter can make you smile and bring you peace. It really doesn't matter your age, pets improve your health. What type of pet would you get to bring a little life into your world? I'd love to know. 

Monday, February 24, 2014

What does Low Health Literacy Look Like in Seniors?



·                       Health Literacy is the ability to make healthy choices, navigate the health care system, and respond appropriately in a public health crisis. Our federal government estimates that only 1 in 10 Americans are proficient at health literacy skills, with that number dropping to 1 in 33 for mental health literacy.
·                   Seniors are known to lose their health literacy skills as they age.    Having two or more chronic illnesses (and mild hearing loss is considered a chronic illness) is linked to losing health literacy skills as well. People who have low health literacy skills are at much higher risk of serious injury and premature death than people whose health literacy skills are better.
             While I usually dislike blogs with lists, in this case, the list below is designed to help you see whether or not you or your aging loved one is risking their health and safety unnecessarily.  If you can see these behaviors in yourself or your loved ones, please contact me at info@healthliteracyforall.org to learn how to live a healthy future.

·          So what are some of the behaviors that are linked to low health literacy, especially in seniors?
o   Inability to understand or follow the doctor’s orders
o   Forgetting to take their medication, or taking it wrong. Even when they are justifying their reasons for not taking it
o   Inability to judge their own driving skills
o   Unable to make decisions based on safety and health issues. They often argue independence over safety and well being
o   Cannot read expiration dates on products. Especially hazardous as they often lose their sense of taste/smell as well.
o   Does not know what medications they are taking or why they are taking them.
o   Cannot operate tv, remote, cell phone that they could use previously
o   Not prepared to deal with bad weather. When it snows, they expect you to be there now to shovel them out.
o   Doesn’t keep up with personal care as they did a few months/years ago.
o   Doesn’t maintain their home as they did. Hoarding or throwing out important things.
o   Refuses to discuss the future, wills, life insurance, housing options, what the doctor is telling them.
o   They shove mail places rather than dealing with the paperwork as it comes in. if you look, you may find late notices and cancellations.

Friday, February 14, 2014

2 Health Literacy Skills and Growing Up

Health Literacy is (in English) the ability to make healthy choices and to navigate the health care system whether you are healthy or ill. There are 22 core skills and pieces of knowledge that go into making a person proficient at health literacy. And to some extent, those skills vary as you age.

When you are a child, your parents handle your health care needs and make most choices for you. No 4 year old has ever chosen to grow up un-vaccinated, in a smoking home, using an emergency room as a primary care doctor's office. (All, I hope you know, are low health literate behaviors.) Because we do not yet have comprehensive health literacy classes in schools and colleges, sadly what you learned at four is likely to follow you through to 14, 24, 44 and beyond. But in those few areas of the country where health literacy skills are being taught, children can learn to be their own health advocates.

One of the key skills to develop in health literacy training is the ability to communicate with your doctor. This is a skill that should be developed from toddlerhood on. I know what you are thinking! Toddlerhood? She's crazy! But stop and think for a minute. If your child is old enough to say "my finger has a boo-boo" to you, (s)he is old enough to say it to the doctor. You may have to give further explanations, "he slammed it in the car door," or "she burnt it on the stove." But learning from toddlerhood to talk to the doctor is a key skill to getting your child used to being able to give all their information to the doctor.

As your child ages, parent should allow their child to get the first chance to answer all the doctor's questions. When a child has told his parent that his throat hurts, and he is clearly running a fever, the parent is likely to assume strep throat and call the doctor. When the doctor asks if the child's ears hurts, or if his stomach is also upset, the parent really doesn't know. By answering for the child, usually with a "he didn't complain about that," the parent shuts down the child's ability to tell the doctor what he is feeling. What 6 year old is going to say, "well actually doctor my ears really are killing me, my throat is just even worse," when mom has already said no?

By the time you child is a pre-teen, the doctor should be asking you to leave the room for a few minutes. This is not so your child can be harmed, but for privacy as the doctor checks for hernias or asks "have you tried drinking alcohol?" There are just some things a teen will not say in front of their parent, but the questions still need to be answered truthfully to the doctor. Don't take it personally, be glad you taught your teen to trust their doctor and they have someone they trust who will take the time to ask the tough questions, and give correct answers to your teen's most personal questions.

Another key skill is the ability to fill out paperwork. By the time they can write their name on the little lines, you can begin to give your child their paperwork to fill out. At first, it might just be their name and phone number, but year after year, they will be able to fill out more and more of it with less and less of your help. Obviously, until they are 18, the parent will still need to sign all the forms, but they gain invaluable real world experience by filling out the forms as soon as possible. It will certainly make it easier for them to fill out their first job application, when they are already familiar with the medical forms. Also, there is a lot of questions on the intake forms on health history. This becomes a great chance for the parent to talk about the family's medical history (your grandmother had breast cancer, your Grandpa Charlie died of a heart attack when you were 2) that might not get discussed anywhere else.

As always, if you have any questions about the information contained within this blog, feel free to email me at Info@healthliteracyforall.org.