Health, Wellness &Beauty a blank slate media special section april 30, 2021
28 HEALTH, WELLNESS & BEAUTY • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 30, 2021
Ask the Guidance Center experts In this monthly column, therapists from North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center answer your questions on issues related to parenting, mental health and children’s well-being. To submit a question, email NSCFGCexperts@gmail. com. Question: We think our son might be engaging in unsafe driving behavior. The other night, he came home from being out with a friend and we could smell beer on his breath. Worse, he’d been the driver. What can we do? —Nassau Parents Dear Nassau Parents: You have reason to be concerned. The statistics are frightening: More teens die from motor vehicle crashes than any other cause of death, and teen drivers are 17 times more likely to be involved in a fatal car crash when they have alcohol in their system as opposed to when they are sober. The same holds true for marijuana and other drugs. A report from Liberty Mutual and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) found that one in five teens admit driving under the influence of marijuana, and one in four say they would take a ride from a driver impaired by alcohol or prescription drugs. While many adults make foolish decisions about driving when they’ve been drinking, teenagers are even more susceptible to feeling like they’re safe to drive even when intoxicated. Their brains are
still developing, and they tend to behave more impulsively, especially when they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Plus, when they do consume alcohol, teens are more likely to binge drink than adults. While the good news is that drinking and driving among U.S. teens has gone down by more than half since 1991, they still drive after drinking an average of 2.4 million times a month. As a parent, you play a crucial role in your teen’s choices, even though sometimes it might not feel that way. Some ways you can encourage safe driving include:
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Make a driving contract with your teen that agrees upon zero tolerance for drinking alcohol or using drugs when driving. Tell them that getting in a car with anyone who has been drinking or using substances is never OK. Promise you will pick them up if they end up in that circumstance. Insist upon a “no texting while driving” rule—or their phones will be taken away. Require seat belt wearing for both the front and back seats, even for a short trip. Consider limiting nighttime driving, especially if your teen is a new driver. Be a good role model: Follow all the rules of the road and never drink and drive.
Question: I hear about all the things people are accomplishing with their pandemic “down time,” but I feel more stressed than ever, since I’m working at home and have two kids who are in remote schooling part of the time. Am I being too hard on myself? —Tired All the Time Dear Tired: In a word, yes! Despite the fact that Shakespeare purportedly wrote King Lear during a pandemic, he surely didn’t have kids pulling on his cloak and asking for help with homework. The stresses brought on by the COVID-19 crisis have been overwhelming. Please give yourself a break! You don’t need to master crocheting or learn a new language right now. And don’t forget to take care of yourself while you’re focusing on everyone else’s needs. Whatever it is that soothes you—yoga, a warm bath, some time on Netflix—put it in your schedule. And ask for help, whether from your spouse, friend or another person who cares about you. You won’t be a good parent if you are burned out. During the pandemic, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is seeing clients remotely via telehealth platforms or, when deemed necessary, in person. To make an appointment, call us at (516) 626-1971 or email intake@ northshorechildguidance.org.
Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 30, 2021 • HEALTH, WELLNESS & BEAUTY
37
Free town outdoor recreation programs The Town of North Hempstead has announced that the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department is now offering outdoor drop-in summer recreation programs at Manorhaven Beach Park in Port Washington, Mary Jane Davies Green in Manhasset, and Michael J. Tully Park in New Hyde Park from May 18 through Sept. 2. The classes are completely free and do not require registration. Each class is designed for adults and will be limited to 25 participants and individuals will be expected to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. “We hope that our residents will take advantage of these fun exercise programs that are designed to increase physical fitness, while staying safe and keeping social distancing guidelines in mind,” said North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth. “With Flow Yoga, Yo Chi, and Cardio Strength there are different classes to fit all interests.” This summer’s offerings will include Flow Yoga at Manorhaven on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.; Flow Yoga at Michael J. Tully Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Yo Chi at Mary Jane Davies Green on Tues-
day and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Cardio Strength at Tully Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Flow Yoga will feature a series of poses that stimulate the body, breath, and mind. The class will work to enhance balance, relieve stress and focus on the importance of breath in your life. Participants must bring a yoga mat and block. Yo Chi is a unique class which will combine the stability of yoga and the slow mobility of Tai Chi with flexibility and balance – including mind and breath. Participants must bring a yoga mat. Cardio Strength will focus on hearthealthy low impact cardio. This will include weighted strength exercises and mat floor exercises. The program will bring the mind to the muscles. Participants must bring a mat and light weights. Classes will be held outdoors weather permitting. There are no rain dates. Each class are first come, first serve and for North Hempstead residents only. For more information, please call 311 or (516) 869-6311 from outside of the Town.
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38 HEALTH, WELLNESS & BEAUTY • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, April 30, 2021
Addressing later-life sleep problems Some changes in our sleep patterns are perfectly normal as we grow older. Older adults tend to go to sleep earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning. Research shows that older adults may need a little less sleep than they did in younger years. This is good to know, because, ironically, worrying about our sleep can actually make it harder to sleep! “But not all the sleep changes seniors experience are normal,” notes Gregg Balbera, President of Right at Home Nassau Suffolk. Balbera says that incontinence, pain from arthritis or osteoporosis, digestive problems, and the side effects of certain medications can affect sleep. Sleep problems can even be a long-term effect of COVID-19. Managing these health conditions can help our sleep — so important, because sleep problems are linked with memory loss, depression, high blood pressure, irritability that affects our relationships, and a lack of alertness that can cause falls and car accidents. Balbera says families should urge older loved ones to seek help for sleep problems. Their doctor may refer them to a specialist for a sleep study, which might include a portable sleep monitor at home, or could take place in a sleep laboratory. Here are some common conditions sleep specialists address:
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Insomnia. Older adults with insomnia might have trouble falling asleep. Or, they might drift off, only to wake up a few hours later, or wake many times during the night, then feel sleepy during the day. Sleep specialists might recommend lifestyle changes, such as getting more exercise, avoiding caffeine, and improving the sleep environment. Treating anxiety can help. Medications might be prescribed, though this is the last choice. Sleep apnea. This condition causes a sleeper to stop breathing for short periods— from a few seconds to even minutes, often repeatedly throughout the night. Sleep apnea may be accompanied by loud snoring, but not always. It can cause a dangerous drop in a person’s oxygen level and can disrupt sleep all night, raising the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and memory loss. The sleep specialist might prescribe a constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) breathing device, or a mouthpiece that adjusts the jaw position. Sometimes surgery is recommended. Sleep-related movement disorders. We all shift position occasionally during the night. But abnormal movements at night can disturb sleep considerably. These include restless legs syndrome, in which a sleeper experiences unpleasant sensations in the limbs resulting in the urge to shift position frequently. Periodic limb movement disorder creates repetitive movements in the limbs for long periods of time. People with sleeprelated bruxism clench their jaws and grind their teeth while asleep. Treatments might include lifestyle changes, addressing underlying health conditions, or medication. Dementia-related sleep problems. “The brain changes of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders can disrupt a senior’s sleep patterns,” says Balbera. “Some people
with dementia may sleep too much, while others have trouble sleeping much at all. The disease disrupts the body’s natural 24hour sleep and wake cycle, leaving a person’s sense of day and night reversed and fragmented.” Balbera says dementia care experts can offer suggestions to improve sleep, such as changing the person’s nighttime routine, diagnosing a urinary tract infection, or considering medication side effects. Daytime napping. “It’s a bit of a stereotype that older adults take a lot of naps,” says Balbera. “Plenty of people of every age take naps, and in some cultures, it’s considered a usual activity of the day. Napping can be beneficial, but also can interfere with sleep at night, so it is something else people with sleep problems should discuss with the doctor.” Second-hand sleep problems When a person has a sleep disorder, this can affect their sleep partner or others in the home. “A snoring spouse is the classic example,” says Balbera. “Earplugs or sleeping in a different room can help. The sleep of family caregivers also can be regularly disrupted if they need to get up at night to help their loved one to the bathroom.” People with dementia may exhibit “sundown syndrome,” when in the late afternoon and early evening, just as the caregiver is most tired, their loved one becomes restless, agitated and very much awake. The person may resist going to bed, refuse to stay in bed, and get up again and again in the night, leaving the caregiver exhausted the next day. Studies show that sleep problems are the No. 1 factor when families decide a person with dementia should no longer live at home, but in a care setting. Home care can help. Professional in-home care services promote good sleep and all-around health for older adults who live at home. Trained caregivers can provide supervision while family caregivers sleep. Professional caregivers help clients manage medical appointments and medications, get enough exercise, and eat well. They provide mental stimulation during the day that helps clients wind down for the evening. They ensure that the home is safe for clients who get up at night. “If a loved one has dementia, it’s important to hire from an agency that trains its caregivers on memory care issues,” says Balbera .“But no matter what the cause of sleep problems, professional caregivers provide peace of mind—and that might be the best ‘sleep medication’ there is!” About Right at Home of Nassau Suffolk The Nassau Suffolk office of Right at Home is a locally owned and operated franchise office of Right at Home, Inc., serving the communities Centerport, Cold Spring Hills, Commack, Dix Hills, East Northport, East Setauket, Greenlawn, Halesite, Hauppauge, Huntington, Kings Park, Lake Grove, Lloyd Harbor, Melville, Nesconset, Old Bethpage, Plainview, St. James, Smithtown, Stony Brook, West Hills and Woodbury. For more information, contact Right at Home Nassau Suffolk at www.rightathomeli.com, 516.719.5999/631.352.0022 or by email at gregg@rightathomeli.com