Lifelong Learning
Improve Your Mental and Social Fitness
Researchers at Stanford University found that memory loss can be improved by 30 to 50 percent simply by doing mental exercises. The brain is like a muscle - if you don't give it regular workouts, its functions will decline. Suggestions include:
- Keep up your social life and engage in plenty of stimulating conversations. Here in the Valley we have many venues for socializing. Lehigh Valley Active Life in Allentown has daily programs meant to keep you active and engaged with other folks.
- Your community centers also have activities for you to try. They have outings and trips that you can enjoy and usually at affordable prices. You have the added benefit of meeting new people when you try these activities.
Things To Do With Grandkids - Winter 2019
Cooking
You may already from time to time have the grandkids help with cooking. What about getting them more involved in the whole process. Teach them why you use certain spices instead of just having them dump the spice in the mix. You can plan a whole family meal together and do all the cooking yourselves (start small). Go through the whole process of planning, shopping, prepping, cooking and serving the meal. Oh, and don’t forget about the clean-up.
Industry News For Local Professionals Holiday 2019
HealthNet
Wed. Nov. 13, Dec. 11 at 12 pm. Traditions of Hanover Bethlehem, 5300 Northgate Dr., Bethlehem. Networking group for professionals hosted monthly and features a speaker and time for networking - $5.
Lehigh Valley Aging in Place Mixers
Wed. Nov. 20 - Hosted by Sacred Heart Northampton 11:30 to 1:30. 602 E. 21st St. Northampton PA 18067. Please register by Nov. 15 with Kim Garrison
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When To Go To The Emergency Department
In recent years we’ve heard about the importance of not going to an emergency room unnecessarily. Although sometimes it’s obvious that you need emergency care, other times it may be less clear. When deciding whether to visit your nearest emergency room, Rebecca Pequeno, MD, Chair, Emergency Medicine, St. Luke’s University Health Network, suggests you first ask yourself how quickly does the person in distress need help? If someone’s life is at risk or they could be permanently disabled, don’t hesitate, call 911 immediately. Examples are chest pain, difficulty breathing, stroke symptoms, heavy bleeding, and a fall where the person can’t get up or is unconscious.
Valentine's Day Stories
Check-Out Romance
“I met my husband while I was working in a science library. He came in every week to read the latest journals and eventually decided to take out the librarian instead of the books.
After a year and a half of dating, he showed up at the library and started rummaging through my desk. I asked what he was looking for, but he didn’t answer.
Finally he unearthed one of the rubber stamps I used to identify reference books. ‘Since I couldn’t find the right engagement ring,’ he said, ‘this will have to do,’ and he firmly stamped my hand. Across my knuckles, in capital letters, it read NOT FOR CIRCULATION.”
Technological Advances Have Transformed Surgery
Medicine has progressed dramatically over the past 20 years, but perhaps no area has evolved more quickly than surgery. “In the 1990s, we performed surgery totally differently,” said Marian McDonald, MD, Chief, General Surgery, St. Luke’s University Health Network. “The change is as great as the difference between a rotary phone and the latest smart phone.” Today, the majority of surgeries are performed using minimally invasive procedures. To describe the impact, Dr. McDonald referenced gall bladder surgery. In the 1990s, surgeons reached the organ by cutting through the patient’s skin and muscle. As a result, patients spent many days in the hospital and needed several weeks to recover.
