Alabama - Gulf Coast

Support for Spouses of Cancer Patients: Insights from a Five-Time Survivors WifeWritten by Kim Potts. The spouse or partner, providing support for spouses of cancer patients, holds one of the most crucial and challenging roles on the cancer care team. As I have been dealing with my husbands cancer for 21 of our 32 years of marriage, I have a lot of experience in this role. I still get emotional when I hear the words five-time cancer survivor said about my husband Bill. Five is a significant number and instantly reminds me of the challenges we have faced and will face in the future. Here are some things I can share based on my experience.What NOT To AskMy heart ached as I listened to our friends ask Bill questions and provide unsolicited comments or advice about his cancer. For example: What are your odds? This question is the absolute worst question to ask a cancer patient, as the odds dont count. Bills response to that question was always 100%. It was 100% that he would either live or die. You will beat it because of your positive attitude. Bill and I have watched many cancer patients with great attitudes die, rendering this comment inaccurate.Let me tell you about my cancer! Bill needs to focus only on his cancer, not someone elses cancer. Bill, you will beat the cancer. Bill knew there was no guarantee he would survive. Recommending a doctor or treatment center without being asked. The patient should be trusted to make the right decision. Bill appreciates advice when he asks for it but unsolicited advice only creates angst. Safety FirstAs a cold, flu, or COVID can kill him during and after treatment, one of my roles has been to be the gatekeeper ensuring anyone who visited Bill was healthy. Patient safety is paramount. Those conversations had to happen any time someone came to see Bill. Before I let them in the door of our home, I had to ask how they were feeling. Bill often sat outside if a plumber or electrician needed to come to our house.Lead with LoveBill has also found great comfort in friends visits, calls and texts. He especially enjoys it when they call and ask him about the favorite meal he is craving then order it, pick it up and bring it over to eat with him! We both love visiting with friends and not talking about cancer. My spirits improve when I hear friends and family tell Bill, Bill, I love you. He then tells them he loves them back. This show of love has been magical for him. Bill finds the presence of family and friends comforting, even if nothing is said.  Self-Care is CriticalAs the burden of caring for a cancer patient is significant, you must take care of yourselfphysically, mentally and socially. I worried who would take care of Bill if I got sick, so I eat well, get enough sleep and exercise often. I spend time in devotion each evening. Through tennis and volunteering, I have a robust group of friends. All of this helps me better deal with the emotions of the cancer journey. But I realize now that I tried to do too much. I did not utilize outside resources like SYNERGY HomeCare to give me a break. I would have benefited greatly from some time away from caring for Bill, for someone else to care for Bill so I could care for myself. Even a half day off would have been remarkable. So, as a spouse, get all the support you need. Outside resources provide this support. Your partner needs you!Kim Potts is married to Bill Potts, the author of Up for the Fight: How to Advocate For Yourself as You Battle Cancer, from a Five-Time Survivor. Kim is a successful business owner, tennis player, mom and best friend to Bill. There is more on Kim and Bill at billcpotts.com. Contact SYNERGY Homecare of Daphne for more information and a free assessment at 251-621-1900.   They provide non-medical home care in Baldwin, Escambia and Mobile counties in Alabama.

How to Prevent & Treat Joint Pain Most of us never think about our joints until they start to hurt. As we age, we lose strength and flexibility in our tendons and ligaments. As our joints get tighter, it may become harder to move. The cartilage between our bones of the joints also starts to break down; this leads to inflammation and osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder. Taking care of your joints can help reduce joint pain and stiffness. Five Tips to Keep Your Joints Healthy  1.      Stay at a healthy weight. Carrying extra body weight puts strain on thejoints, especially the knees. On the flip side, being underweight can lead to a lackof muscle, which helps keep your joints strong and stable. Aim for a healthy weightbased on your height and body type. 2.      Exercise every day and make sure to warm up before and cool down after.You may think it's better to limit exercise if your joints are hurting, but regularmovement and exercise is one of the best ways to prevent and help joint pain.Exercise strengthens the muscles around joints, helping to take pressure off them.If you have joint pain, stick to low-impact activities like biking, swimming,and walking. The more you move, the more likely youll keep moving without painand stiffness as you age. It's also important to stretch before and after you exercise to loweryour risk of straining joints and muscles. Just five minutes of stretching beforeexercise to warm up your joints and five minutes after to cool down will helpprevent workout injuries. 3.      Add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet. A Mediterranean diet richin fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and healthy fats reduces joint pain. Addthese other anti-inflammatory foods to your grocery list:         Tomatoes         Olive oil         Green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, and collards         Nuts like almonds and walnuts         Fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines         Fruits, like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges 4.      Make sure you're drinking enough water. Your bodys cartilage thatcushions your joints is made up of 80% water. When you get dehydrated, yourbody starts pulling water from other sources, including cartilage. This leads to jointpain and a greater risk of injury. 5.      If you smoke, it's time to quit! Smoking is a risk factor for everything, fromheart and lung problems to cancer and joint pain. Smoking increases inflammationthroughout the body. This makes it harder for your body to heal if you injure yourjoints. To quit smoking, seek support and a treatment plan from your Primary CareProvider. His or her phone number is on the back of your Viva Medicare ID card.  Contact Viva Health to find out more about Medicare Plans in the Alabama area.  Call 800-633-8472 to find out more!

A nationwide shortage of affordable senior housing exists that presents a challenge to meet the needs of older adults with very low incomes.According to the National Council on Aging, more than 25 million Americans aged 60-plus are living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL) of $29,425 per year per single person. A 2016 Bipartisan Policy Center report noted, The current supply of housing that is affordable to the nations lowest-income seniors is woefully inadequate. As more low-income Americans enter the senior ranks, this supply shortage currently measured in millions of units will become even more acute.Since 1991, AHEPA Affordable Housing Management Company (AMC) has been a committed provider of safe, dignified affordable independent senior living and affordable assisted living communities for our nations vulnerable elderly and disabled population. A mission-driven organization, AMC has developed and manages 91 affordable independent senior living communities in 20 states that are administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments 202 program. In Mobile, and in the surrounding area, 13 AHEPA Senior Apartments communities offer very low-income seniors over the age of 62 residential apartment-home living with voluntary supportive services they may need to continue to live independently as they age. The services may include meal services, case management, transportation assistance, public benefits programs enrollment assistance, and fitness and wellness programs, among others. All these services can be viewed as health care intervention at a reduced cost as compared long-term care services.  Preventing nursing home care, emergency room visits, or hospitalizations can lead to savings to Medicare and Medicaid programs. Furthermore, our residents health and safety throughout the pandemic has been our priority. Our participation in the CDCs Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program ensured our residents would have priority access to the Covid-19 vaccine.The announcement in January by HUD that it will make $150 million available to support the development of new affordable multifamily rental housing through grants administered by the HUD 202 program is an important step toward addressing the affordable housing shortage and well-being for very low-income seniors. However, it is only a step and many more need to be taken. With this opportunity to grow our mission, AMC pledges to be there for our nations vulnerable seniors as we have been for Mobiles for over three decades.This article was submitted by AHEPA Affordable Housing management Company President and CEO Steve Beck. For more information, please visit www.ahepamgmt.com. 

Now that spring has sprung and COVID restrictions are not dominating our daily lives, we need to get back to the basics.  Time to change your linens, clean those baseboards and review your documents!At a minimum, everyone needs a Durable Power of Attorney for financial matters and one for health care issues.  It is surprising to me how few people execute this very basic estate document.  If you dont have one, and you have a massive stroke, your family will likely have to go to court in order to handle your most basic personal financial matters.  This cost thousands of dollars and is a very difficult process on your loved ones.Next, everyone should execute an Advanced Directive for Health Care, which is also known as a living will.  This document allows you to choose ahead of time whether you would want to have your life artificially extended by the administration of medicine or machines, and whether you wish to have food or water given to you through a tube or IV.  If you do not have this document and catastrophe strikes, the hospital must take the maximum steps to keep you alive, and often the client is then sent to a nursing home where they can live a very long time under these circumstances.  Many do not want this to happen.  If this is the case, execute this document.  For Alabama, this document can be located for free on the Alabama Hospital Associations website.  Most hospitals, hospice companies and doctors offices can also provide the form.This document is often associated with a DNR or Do Not Resuscitate form.  That form is initiated by your physician most often, and is available for you if you reach the stage of your life that you really have no quality of life.  This is not a required document, even though a lot of facilities would prefer it and may infer that it is required.  You are the master of your destiny and you get to choose how your life ends.The next, most common document is the Last Will and Testament.  Everyone should have one, even if you put your children as beneficiary on your accounts and policies.  There may be a reason to open an estate and it will be more expensive and time consuming if you do not execute a will.  You should appoint a Personal Representative and should dictate who gets what property.  If you just want to say, I want my children to have my stuff, then the document will divide your residuary estate.  A common problem I see is where someone has a child they have raised but never formally adopted, or a partner they didnt marry, and those will be left out of any estate if you do not write a will.The last document you may want to consider is a Trust.  We are living in more complicated times, and it is important to have a will, however, that will needs to be probated in court to take effect following your death.  One way to exercise more control over your situation after your death is to set up a trust, that will manage the property over time.  If you have a set of documents that have been completed, make an appointment to determine if any changes should be made.  Laws and circumstances change all the time, so it is important to keep up with those changes.Talk to your estate professional as soon as possible and get your spring cleaning under way!  If you are concerned about getting out in person, call and set up a virtual appointment. Editor's Note:  This article was submitted by Kyla G. Kelim, Esq., Aging in Alabama