Page 16 - Mid Valley Times 8-5-21 E-edition

Thursday, August 5, 2021 | A16 | Mid Valley TiMes
H
H
ealth &Fitne
ealth &Fitne
ss
ss
How has the global health crisis
By Jim Dueck
For the past one and a half years, the entire world has dealt with a global health crisis. Every country,
state and county dealt with this in a variety of ways. In Califor- nia, mandates were put into place that restricted social gath- erings and businesses were either essen-
tial or non-essential. We have been living through unprecedent- ed times and still are.
Seniors, especially those living alone, have had less contact with people than oth- ers. Social interaction, even with one per-
son, is better than no interaction. A pet can be a good companion but is not a substitute for human interaction. Living alone and the lack of socialization with others can affect health and cognition.
Remember when
we were all told to “shelter in place”? We thought this would be for a short time, may- be a few weeks, but it turned into months and months. Some seniors who are alone,
isolated and not able to carry on their usual social activities, may have had a change to their health and cog- nition.
As I talk with fami- lies, I am beginning
to see the impact reduced socialization has had on seniors who have not been able to get out of their house much the past year and a half. If you have a senior in your family who is begin- ning to show signs
of cognitive decline, talk to their doctor and schedule a health examination. Have their medications reviewed, see if there has been a recent de- cline and look for safe ways to increase their socialization.
One of the benefits for seniors living in Independent or As- sisted Living, is the variety of safe social- ization opportunities that have been and are available. Every fam-
ily and senior should determine what is best in their particular situation as no single solution is best for everyone. If we have learned one thing in the past year and a half, it is the impor- tance of socialization and social gatherings and how important
it is for those living alone.
affected seniors?
Welcoming New Patients!
Ask about our no hassle Rx transfer.
Presunte por nuestra transferencia de RX
sin molestias.
Se Habla Español
Emad Marcos (Marc)
Owner/Pharmacist in Charge
WE OFFER: Ofrecemos:
FREE DELIVERY
(Orange Cove, Cutler, Orosi, Dinuba and Reedley)
ENTREGA GRATIS
(Orange Cove, Cutler, Orosi, Dinuba and Reedley)
We Accept All Insurances: Medicare & Medical
Acceptamos Todas Sugaros incluynendo: Medicare y Medical
Free Blood Pressure & Sugar Monitoring
Presion Artierial Libre y Control del Azúcar
OPEN: Mon-Fri: 9am - 6pm | Sat: 9am - 2pm
172N.LStreet | DowntownDinuba | 559.725.4525
What seniors should know about herbal medicines
A lifelong commit- ment to healthy living can improve life ex- pectancy and quality of life while reduc- ing a person’s risk for
various conditions and diseases, includ- ing cancer and heart disease.
Healthy lifestyle choices like eating a
nutritious diet and exercising regularly can greatly reduce a person’s risk for vari- ous ailments, but such choices don’t elimi-
nate that risk en- tirely. As a result, even health-conscious men and women may need to rely on medication to stay healthy. That’s especially true for seniors since age is a risk factor for various conditions.
A 2014 analysis that appeared in the Ar- chives of Gerontology and Geriatrics ex- amined nearly 1,300 published articles
that focused on the use of herbal supple- ments by elderly patients. Though only 16 of those articles met the researchers’ criteria, the analysis concluded that herbal supplement usage
is common among elderly patients, as was a lack of dialogue about such supple- ments between medi-
Dinuba Health Center
324 North Vermont Avenue Dinuba, CA 93618
8AM to 5PM • Mon, Wed, Fri 9AM to 6PM • Tue & Thu
Billiana Hardy, PA-C Family Practice
With you every step of the way!
Sports Physicals
Boosters Vaccinations
cal professionals and seniors. A concerted
effort to initiate such dialogue on the part of both patients and health care providers can help shed light on
herbal medicines so people taking them, including seniors, can learn more about what
HERBAL MEDICINE...
Continued on Next H&F Page
Your one-stop health care provider.
877.960.3426
006509
007386
05636