February 2018: Eating for Heart Health

“There is so much conflicting information out there about how to eat for heart health. What do I really need to know if I want to avoid heart disease?”

I love the timing of this question! Why? February is American Heart Month. If this time of year has you dreaming about a heart-shaped box of chocolates, maybe it’s time to put some thought into what’s really good for your heart – your actual heart, not the chocolate one. In spite of all the advances in medicine over the years, heart disease remains the leading cause of illness and death in the country.  But there are things we all can do to help minimize our risk. A heart-healthy diet is one of the easiest places to start.  What’s not so easy is knowing exactly what that means – especially in the face of the many diet fads that come and go. In honor of Heart Month, let’s take a look at the important elements of eating to prevent heart disease.

Keep it Low
Saturated fat and cholesterol, that is. To keep your diet as heart healthy as possible, it’s important to limit your intake of saturated fat found in animal products, and avoid trans fats, from partially hydrogenated oils, entirely.  Limiting cholesterol is also key. Cholesterol — found in foods such as red meat and high-fat dairy  — can raise blood cholesterol levels. This is of particular concern for those already at a high risk of heart disease. Sodium is also an important player in heart health because of its impact on blood pressure, so keep your intake moderate.

Keep it Real
Search the internet and you’ll see many people who promote a strict vegan diet as the only way to help treat or prevent heart disease. This is not necessarily the case. While a healthy vegan diet can have benefits, it’s not the only option. Being too restrictive isn’t realistic or sustainable for most of us, so veganism might not be your best bet. A plant-based diet (eating mostly plants, with occasional egg, dairy, meat, fish, and poultry) is a great way to get started in reducing your dietary intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. Learn more about plant-based diets here: http://www.vrg.org/ – The Vegetarian Resource Group

Keep it Whole
Instead of obsessing about counting calories and fat grams, focus on eating whole foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. This means plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and healthy whole grains. Brown rice and oats are always good grain choices, but branching out to other options, such as quinoa, millet, bulgur, and buckwheat can keep things interesting. Most importantly, focusing on the wide variety of delicious foods you can eat will make it easier to give up the few things you can’t.

Keep it Light
Processed foods and added sugars should be the lightest part of your diet. Consume lean meat, poultry, dairy, sweets, and desserts in small amounts.  Fish can be eaten slightly more often.

In general, it’s best to focus on getting a balance of the wholesome choices discussed here.  The best news of all?  Chocolate… and by that, I mean dark chocolate… can be good for your heart in moderation, so Happy Valentine’s Day!

To learn more about eating for your heart, join us for “Feed Your Heart,” a 4-week nutrition class devoted to heart health.

January 2018: A Fresh Take on New Year’s Resolutions

Hard to believe it’s that time of year again:  time to take stock of the past year and make our resolutions for the year ahead.  Are you thinking, “Didn’t I just make resolutions?” If last year’s goals fell by the wayside once post-holiday life kicked into gear, you’re not alone.  Maybe 2018 is time for a fresh approach with these simple tips to make your resolutions stick.

Renew your goals.
It’s a good idea to review and renew your health and wellness goals every year.  Take a fresh look at where you are and where you’d like to be a year from now.  Don’t let past experiences dissuade you from tackling a challenging task.  Setting SMART goals (Specific • Measurable • Achievable • Relevant •Time-bound) can help. (See below.)

Determine where you are.
If you haven’t already done so, schedule physicals, eye exams, dental cleanings, and preventive health screenings.  Knowing where you stand is an important first step in determining what you want to achieve this year.

Involve the experts.
Have a candid conversation with your doctor or other healthcare professional about what they think your priority should be.  Your best move may seem obvious at first, but there may be something you’re missing.  Asking a professional can help you keep the right things in perspective.

What’s it going to be? Time to choose.
After talking to your doctor, choose just one thing to work on at a time.  You’ll have a greater likelihood of success if you focus your efforts.  Choosing too many things to improve at one time can leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. So what’s it going to be? Sleep? Diet? Exercise? Mindfulness?  Choose one and get started.  Then tackle the others one at a time as you make progress.

Set yourself up for success.
Once you know where you’re focusing your energy, the best thing you can do for yourself is plan ahead, find support in professionals, family, and friends, and look for tools to help measure your progress. The internet is a good place to start for free electronic resources to address a variety of issues.  Printable food logs are also available. Use one as a place to start, and customize it to meet your needs by adding columns for sleep and exercise, for example.  If you prefer a book, there are many journals  available to purchase. The most important thing is to choose the tool and format that suits your lifestyle.

The new year is a great time to begin on your path to wellness, and the right tools can make that path smoother.  If you need help getting started, feel free to contact me for a private consultation at 203-438-5555

December 2017: What happens in December … stays in December

At this time of year, I typically like to give advice on how to enjoy the holidays without going entirely off the rails. This year, however, I’m leaving you to your own devices to navigate the splendors of the season — I trust you! — and proceeding right on to January. It’s important to think about the new year before it actually begins.

If you have any nutritional aspirations or goals for 2018 – and most of us do – here are my tips for turning those aspirations into actualities.

Tip #1:
Set a SMART Goal.

For those who haven’t encountered this curious acronym before, SMART stands for:
• Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
• Achievable (agreed, attainable)
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)
• Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)

This means that while having such noble plans as, “I will eat more healthfully in 2018,” or “I will eat less cheese and more fruit,” and “I will never touch red meat again!” are admirable, they are hard to measure. And possibly unrealistic. Whereas, “I will eat 3 servings of vegetables per day every day in January 2018,” is easy to understand and measure.

If you need help or advice setting SMART goals, please feel free to contact me for recommendations based on your specific needs at 203-438-5555

Tip #2:
Accountability is key. It’s good to have some “skin in the game.”

It’s generally considered ‘easier’ to succeed with a plan if you’ve committed time, energy, even money to the goal. And if you’re not the only one in the world who knows about the plan.

Take, for example, the age old question: “If a tree in the forest gives up dessert for January but “cheats” every night and nobody is there to see it, did the tree actually “cheat.”

Why yes, it did. That tree needed to join a weight management group, or keep a nutritional journal or, heck, tell some tree friends about its goals.

*Speaking of groups, take a look at our Women’s Nutrition & Lifestyle for Weight Management group starting on January 2nd. It promises to be motivational. And fun.

Tip #3:
Get the support you need.

No man is an island. Look around you. Everywhere there are friends, family, colleagues, strangers even . . who likely have similar goals to your own. Or meaningful goals of their own.

Enlist each other.

Find a workout buddy to meet you at the gym or on the roads; join forces with a family member to reinforce good habits at home; share your goals with colleagues and spend lunchtime together comparing notes or taking a brisk walk.

Getting support from those around you increases your chances of success. And makes it more fun while you’re at it.

Happy New Year!

2017 RVNAhealth Health & Wellness Fair

Annual Event Provided Family Fun for Everyone

Check it out: Seven-year-old, Amelia Taibi, had such a good time at the 2017 RVNA Health & Wellness Fair last April that RVNAhealth made it onto her All About Me favorites chart printed in the school yearbook (see bottom left in photo)  – along with pizza and Chinese checkers!

“She said it was ‘the best thing she did all year,’ ” laughs her mom Danielle, an RVNA occupational therapist who brought her husband and children along to the annual Health Fair for a bit of Saturday family fun.

Says Amelia, “I loved petting the [therapy] dogs, and coloring in the books that the nurse gave me. I also loved guessing how many beans were in the jar [at the massage table]. It was cool to get my eyes tested with a camera and to see Elmo help my 2-year-old brother, Luca, look at the camera for his eye test!”

“The Health Fair really made an impact on Amelia,” says Danielle, “it was both incredibly fun and secretly educational.  And I think she also loved the bag of goodies she left with. It was like Halloween for her!”

“Next year, she’s bringing friends!”

See what’s in store at the 2018 RVNA Health & Wellness Fair. Hope to see you there!

Jonathan Winn Takes the 2018 Spelling Bee Sash

It was a Winn-win at RVNA’s 7th Annual Spelling Bee when the final word went to Jonathan Winn, founder and co-artistic director of Ridgefield’s Thrown Stone Theatre Company. After a fun-filled evening of orthographic sparring, intense concentration, best guesses, Lifeline rescues, and audience buy-backs, Winn emerged victorious. So, what was the last word? Dormition, or “death resembling falling asleep.”

From the likes of contemporaneous and gibbon to salinity and burglarious, contestants and their Lifelines went round for round, while audience members leaned over and whispered to each other, “I’ve never even heard that word before.”

Words — misspelled or not — cannot express RVNA’s gratitude to the 13 contestants (see list below) who took to the stage, put their skills to the test, and maintained their senses of humor to make the event a tremendous success. This year’s Bee raised nearly $13,000 — through ticket sales, donations and event sponsorships — to support RVNA’s Nursing Education programs.

“Once again, we owe a debt of gratitude to our contestants and their Lifelines, our moderator, judges, and audience members who gave their support to this important tradition,” said Theresa Santoro, RVNAhealth President and CEO. “Together with our sponsors, they made an invaluable contribution to our Nursing Education program, allowing our clinical staff to continue to offer the best possible care to our community.”

Stay tuned for next year when the 8th Annual RVNAhealth Spelling Bee returns with a new crop of spellers and a whole new set of formidable words.

2018 RVNAhealth Spelling Bee Contestants:

  • John Apinis, RN, BSN, RVNA  & Lifeline, Leslie Chiaramonte, RVNA
  • Chris Augustine, Ridgefield Fire Department & Lifeline, Paris McAdam
  • Deirdre Basile, Ph.D., Ridgefield Council of PTAs & Lifeline, Barb Jennes   2018 Runner Up!
  • Lyndsay Clark, KickFit CT & Lifeline, Christopher Clark
  • John Dunleavy, MD, OrthoConnecticut & Lifeline, Bridget Dunleavy
  • Kate Fitzpatrick, Kate Fitzpatrick Consulting & Lifeline, Paul Fitzpatrick
  • Carol Gardell, Ridgefield Thrift Shop & Lifeline, Barbara Hillery
  • Amy Piantaggini, Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance & Lifeline, Jane Turner
  • Steve Scalzo, Ridgefield Little League & Lifeline, Maureen Scalzo
  • Matt Stamatis, Ridgefield High School student & Lifeline, Anne Driscoll
  • Kate Tinsley, Ridgefield Police Department & Lifeline, Bill Tinsley
  • Tim Washer, Comedian and former Saturday Night Live writer & Lifeline, Danielle Foley
  • Jonathan Winn, Thrown Stone Theatre Company & Lifeline, Amanda Curtin

Thank You To Our Generous Sponsors!

AR Kids
Audrey Road
BMW of Ridgefield
Dr. Blaine Langberg
Casey Energy
Cathie Bonner, Professional Skating Instructor
Cramer & Anderson Law Firm
Dr. Dana C. Jones
Fairfield County Bank
Fairfield County Financial Services
Hamlet Hub
Maida Design
Reynolds & Rowella, LLP
Ridgefield Academy
Ridgefield Fire Department
Ridgefield PBA
The Ridgefield Press
Ross Bread Shoppe & Coffee House
Study Works – Janie Larson
Tiger Sports
Turner Mechanical, Inc.
We Do Lines
Young’s of Ridgefield

Go Further with Food

The foods you choose can make a difference in starting your day off right, fueling you for an athletic event, or keeping weight or a medical condition in check.  March is National Nutrition Month, and it is worth taking stock of how you and your family eat.  Many families have active and fast paced lives, making eating healthfully a challenge.  Revamp your family’s eating habits by prioritizing good nutrition. Here are some tips from our Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Educator, Meg Whitbeck:

Start each morning with a healthy breakfast.  This simple act provides a good start to the day, fueling you and your family for whatever lies ahead at work or in school.  In between meals, enjoy snacks like fruits and vegetables with plant-based protein like hummus, nuts and seeds to help maintain energy levels until your next meal time.  Plan regular family meals throughout the week.  Family meals can be any time of the day! Breakfast is often a meal where everyone can be together, eating healthfully. Modeling healthy habits will set your kids up for success in both dietary and emotional health. A few meals a week where kids can be involved in meal planning and prep is a plus!

When planning meals, keep the following in mind:  Half of your plate should consist of fruits and vegetables, which can be fresh or frozen.  Fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains helps you feel full longer and can reduce the risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  If you’re working to maintain a healthy weight, be aware of portion size as well as food choices, and know when you’ve had enough to eat.  Reduce your consumption of food and drinks containing added sugars, which provide little or no nutritive value.  Even when dining out, make smart food choices.  Look for healthier options that are grilled, baked, broiled or steamed instead of fried, buttered, creamed or breaded.  In general, try to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and drink more water.  If you need guidance in creating a healthy meal plan or diet for your situation, RVNA’s Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Educator, Meg Whitbeck, can help.  Call her at 203.438.5555 for more information.  Meg also runs classes and workshops on a variety of topics which you can learn about by checking the RVNAhealth website, rvnahealth.org.

About RVNA

Founded in 1914, RVNAhealth provides home and community health care services, supports public health and safety and promotes the highest quality of life in Western Connecticut 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. RVNAhealth has developed a patient-centered model of services in which individuals and communities are educated in health and wellness practices, patients with acute and chronic conditions are provided vital care in their homes and community outreach programs are in place to help individuals remain healthy over the long term. Services include home health care, senior care solutions, disease management, an “aging-in-place” program called “Quality Living at Home”, maternal and child health care, immunization and vaccination clinics as well as educational and wellness programs.

Becoming BIG and LOUD

RVNAhealth Offers Unique Therapy Programs for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

RVNAhealth has introduced two new therapy offerings —
LSVT* LOUD (*Lee Silverman Voice Treatment) and LSVT BIG. Both are geared toward improving function in those with Parkinson’s disease.

Often referred to as “the incredible shrinking disease,” Parkinson’s is a degenerative condition characterized by a progressive loss of motor function, impacting both speech and movement. Parkinson’s affects nearly a million Americans today.

The LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG programs are designed to improve patients’ quality of life and confidence by addressing their diminishing vocal and physical capabilities. As Parkinson’s progresses, a patient’s voice becomes quieter and movement becomes smaller, although the patient does not necessarily recognize these changes. “There is a disconnect in how a patient perceives his or her voice,” says RVNAhealth speech pathologist Cheryl Rafferty, MS CCC-SLP and LSVT LOUD therapist. “They hear it as louder than it is.” The same is true of movement.

LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG address this disconnect through structured activities that re-train patients’ brains to amplify their vocal range and exaggerate their movements.

Both programs follow follow the same essential model and both require a strong commitment from the patient.  Therapists describe it as a “lifetime commitment,” though the program itself lasts for just four weeks.  “When patients commit to the program and see an improvement in their ability, it’s a big motivating factor,” says RVNA’s Casey Sarmiere, PT and LSVT BIG therapist. “Often, friends or family see the improvement first and comment on how much better the patient is moving or how much louder his voice sounds. It really makes the patient want to put in the time to keep up the work.”

Each program involves one hour of therapy four times a week for four consecutive weeks. During these weeks, the patient also has daily homework exercises. At the conclusion of the program, the patient is given a maintenance plan of exercises to complete every day in order to maintain their function. The ultimate goal behind both programs is for patients to make enough progress during the four weeks of therapy that they continue the work on their own.

In order for LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG to be truly successful, early intervention is key. Ideally, patients will begin therapy before symptoms even emerge so function is not yet diminished.

“Part of our job is to educate patients so they know to ask their doctors to refer them for BIG and LOUD sooner rather than later,” adds Sarmiere.  “The sooner a patient begins therapy, the better the outcome.”

RVNAhealth currently offers both LSVT BIG and LSVT LOUD in the homecare setting. Rehab by RVNA also offers LSVT BIG in our facility at 27 Governor Street in Ridgefield, and plans to offer LSVT LOUD on site in the future as well.  Please check with your insurance provider to determine your coverage for these programs.  For more information, call 203-438-5555

The Specifics: How BIG and LOUD Really Work

LSVT LOUD

Common speech problems that Parkinson’s patients experience include a soft voice, mumbled speech, monotone speech, and a hoarse voice. LOUD tackles these issues with structured activities that work the patients’ vocal range and teach them to increase volume without straining their voices.  In each session, the therapist takes the patient through a series of rigorous vocal exercises that alternate between loud and soft.

The patient brings his or her voice to a high/loud level 15 times, followed by 15 vocal “lows.” The patient also holds a vocal “ahhh” at each level, and repeats 10 specifically-designed sentences. The ultimate goal is to improve loudness, improve speech intelligibility, increase facial expression, and improve confidence.

LSVT BIG

Developed under the same principles and used in conjunction with LOUD, the LSVT BIG program addresses the issues that Parkinson’s patients experience relative to movement. As with their vocal ability, patients’ movements become smaller and more tentative as their disease progresses.  Here again, their perception of their movement is vastly different from reality. Often, a patient needs to be shown a video of their movement in order to understand how limited it has become.

As with the LOUD program, LSVT BIG aims to retrain a patient’s brain so their perception of their movement is more accurate and so they become able to move with more amplitude. In each session, the therapist takes the patient through a series of seven whole-body exercises that involve reaching up and down, and moving side to side or back and forth. Basic walking with big steps is also a component. Exercises are all exaggerated to reinforce that the patient needs to make his or her movements bigger.

LSVT BIG also incorporates training in any daily task that causes the patient difficulty. This can be something as simple as picking up a hairbrush or buttoning a shirt to more involved tasks such as doing laundry or getting in and out of a car. Therapists can also simulate complex scenarios, like shopping in a busy store, by placing obstacles in the patient’s way and working on how to navigate around them.

Hospice by RVNA: A New Layer of Care for the Community

RVNAhealth Hires Director for New Offering

RVNAhealth is pleased to announce that Leslie Chiaramonte, MSN, BS, RN, CHPN, has joined the staff as director of the agency’s newly developing service to the community – Hospice by RVNA. In that role, she will lead a team of specialists certified in hospice and palliative care. A certified trainer for the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium, Chiaramonte will guide her staff through the education and certification process, ensuring the highest quality outcome. The addition of Hospice by RVNA means that RVNAhealth will soon offer the complete continuum of care – providing for patients of all ages, from birth to end of life.

Chiaramonte’s early experiences caring for patients with cancer have given her a unique perspective not only on curative patient care, but also on end-of-life care. She sees hospice – the care of patients in their last stages of a terminal illness – as a natural and potentially beautiful part of the life cycle. Those are not often words associated with dying, but Chiaramonte describes hospice care as a way to bring dignity and compassion to patients and their families during a difficult time. The focus then becomes offering care and comfort for the patient, plus education and support for the family who are helping to provide that care.

“What will set RVNAhealth apart from other hospice providers is that all of our nurses will be certified specialists in the field,” says Chiaramonte. “What’s more, RVNAhealth believes in an interdisciplinary approach, bringing our hospice nurses together with staff physicians and social workers, as well as chaplains in the community to offer complete care.”

Hospice by RVNA will also provide families with 13 months of bereavement support after their loved one has passed on. Studies have shown that families often experience the most difficulty on or just after the one-year anniversary. Hospice by RVNA will also be dedicated to supporting the family through this difficult time.

Chiaramonte was first exposed to hospice early in her nursing tenure while working in an oncology unit. She began to see it as an indispensable part of the cycle of care, and soon went on manage two hospice units in assisted living and senior residence communities in the Bronx, NY. A move to Florida to run two hospice units added to her experience, but also made her realize that the New York area was further along in its acceptance and development of the specialty. She returned to the New York metropolitan area to be closer to family and join RVNAhealth to develop and launch Hospice by RVNA in Connecticut.

“Hospice care enables a patient to live life to the fullest for as long as he or she lives,” says Chiaramonte. “RVNAhealth is gratified to be able to expand our services and meet that need in our community.”

For more information about RVNA, call 203-248-5555

BEE Part of the Fun

Snow Date: Monday, March 19*

The winter Olympics may be over, but the competition in Ridgefield is about to heat up at RVNA’s 7th Annual Spelling Bee on Wednesday, March 7, at the Ridgefield Playhouse.  While most of the town sleeps, 26 among us — 13 Spelling Bee contestants and their respective off-stage Lifelines — will, no doubt, be burning the midnight oil in a last-ditch effort to hone their skills and vocabularies before the big night.

In addition to the brave contestants who put themselves on the line in the name of fun and philanthropy, the unsung heroes behind the Spelling Bee are the local sponsors whose generous contributions make the event possible. Ticket sales to attendees make up the last critical component of the Bee’s success, making it a true community-wide effort.

Proceeds from the event support RVNA’s Nursing Education program. Each year, the organization spends roughly $40,000 on education and in-service training for its more than 80 nurses, therapists and home health aides who served 1,500 patients last year and made more than 48,000 home care visits.

The RVNAhealth Spelling Bee is a fun, family tradition for a great cause.  Join in the camaraderie, enjoy the competition, and help RVNAhealth continue to support our community. See the full list of contestants and sponsors, or to buy tickets.

* Please Note: The snow date for the event is Monday, March 19. Rvna will make an announcement on Tuesday afternoon as to whether or not the Bee will be postponed. Check back for further information.

Medicare Scam to Watch Out For

Beginning in April, Medicare will start a year-long program to replace all current Medicare cards and issue new ID numbers. The new ID number will no longer be a beneficiary’s social security number. This change is part of an effort to better protect seniors from identity theft. Ironically, scammers are taking advantage of the situation to do just that.  Here’s what to watch out for:  Scammers call seniors posing as Medicare representatives and tell the seniors that they’ll be getting new Medicare cards. The scammer then says that a temporary card will be issued, and asks for personal information such as bank account numbers, social security numbers, or credit card information in order to process the temporary card. Callers may also ask for payment for the new card.

To protect yourself and your loved ones from becoming a victim, remember the following points:

  • Medicare does all communication by mail unless you request otherwise. A representative will never call or visit you unless you have made prior arrangements.
  • New Medicare cards will be sent automatically to all Medicare recipients. You do not have to do anything (make a request, pay, provide information) to receive the new card. Never agree to pay a fee or provide personal information in order to get your card.
  • The process of issuing new cards is a lengthy one, so not everyone will receive the new card at the same time. There is no need to pay a “rush charge” or any other fee associated with getting a new card. Simply use your current card until your new one arrives.
  • DO NOT share your Medicare number with anyone other than your doctor, pharmacist, other healthcare providers, and your supplemental insurance company.
  • If someone asks you for your information, for money, or threatens to cancel your health benefits if you don’t share your personal information, hang up and call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

For more information on Medicare, visit the government’s official Medicare site.