Better Breathing
Preventing and Treating COPD By Shanna Hogan The event occurred 12 years ago, but the memory of it still causes Doug Salter to wince. He had come down with a nasty cold and sore throat and coughed up blood during a coughing fit. “The first thing that goes through my mind as an ex-smoker is […]
Prepare for Tomorrow Today
There’s no time like the present to get your affairs in order By Erin Thorburn The Boy Scout motto “Be prepared” is good advice for all stages of life, but it takes on greater import as we grow older. Getting one’s affairs in order sooner rather than later can ensure your end-of-life wishes are followed […]
A Critical Connection
Growing evidence shows diabetes increases risk for dementia By Candace Hoffmann Researchers are beginning to see a connection between diabetes and types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Anything that affects blood flow or causes inflammation can impact the brain and contribute to the changes in the brain proteins that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and […]
Memory Loss: Normal Aging or Cause for Concern?
By Shanna Hogan Losing your car keys. Forgetting someone’s name. Mixing up words. Who among us has not experienced one or more of these mental miscues? Most often, they are just signs of mild forgetfulness that can be chalked up to normal aging. But, how can you tell the difference between normal age-related […]
Steps to a Healthier Heart
Sleep plays an important role in maintaining a healthy heart By Shanna Hogan Give Paul Johnson hiking boots, a well-marked trail and the splendor of nature, and he’s a happy man. “I love the outdoors,” he says. But the retired printing-press operator was not so happy last fall when respiratory and cardiac health issues landed […]
Make a DASH Toward Better Health
The DASH diet can help lower blood pressure By Alison Stanton Doctors often prescribe a low-sodium diet to combat high blood pressure, but experts say there is an even better approach. It’s called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH plan. “The DASH plan is much more than just a low-sodium diet,” says Registered […]
How to Increase Your Vitality
By Alison Stanton When Tracy Garrett thinks of the word vitality, she pictures people who are active and full of vim and vigor. The registered dietitian nutritionist and diabetes program coordinator from the Sun Health Center for Health & Wellbeing also defines vitality as the state of “being strong and of having energy.” But what […]
The Health Benefits of Meditation
How to maximize your meditation By Erin Thorburn What if there were a way to reduce depression and stress, increase mindfulness and concentration and even boost immune health and memory function – all without taking a single pill? Studies show there is. According to experts, meditation offers a host of mind, body and emotional benefits. In […]
Building a Community Through Education
Community Education covers wide variety of health and wellness topics geared to older adults By Alison Stanton A typical Sun Health Community Education program features a local health expert sharing the latest information on a health-related topic and answering questions in front of a live audience. It might seem like a quaint method of learning compared with […]
Hope for the Journey
Memory Care Navigators help clients and families cope with dementia By Susie Steckner and Ken Reinstein When Alan Hughes was diagnosed with vascular dementia four years ago, he and his wife Judi felt unprepared for the road ahead. “We didn’t know to what extent our lives were going to change. We were depressed and confused,” […]
