As an employee of Memorial Hospital, I am very grateful to the many individuals from our community who volunteer here. Our dedicated team of 300+ volunteers is full of hardworking, compassionate individuals who are freely giving their time and talents to Memorial Hospital. It’s difficult to imagine what our staff’s workdays would be like without volunteers – the day would certainly be much more stressful.

While going through one of the fast food establishments for a morning coffee I witnessed a senior group in full force (at a mini convention shall I say ) having their morning breakfast. Of course having oatmeal, toast or egg and an English muffin without the cheese may be a healthy choice; however, I have some other simple healthy options to consider prior to any fast-food morning meetings.

What is the “Sandwich Generation”?

This is a fairly recent term referring to people who are dealing with their own “traditional” family issues while also taking care of aging parents or grandparents. Carol Abaya, M.A., from New Jersey, is given credit for naming this increasingly common situation by giving it the name “Sandwich Generation”. She breaks it into three different categories:

Communication is a key ingredient in obtaining and maintaining good health.  Asking questions can help you to take care of your health, prepare for medical tests and take your medicines the right way. To better understand your health, Memorial Home Health nurses recommend that you ask these three questions every time you talk with your physician, nurse, therapist, pharmacist or other health care provider:

Many seniors worry about their sleep. In his book, Say Goodnight to Insomnia, Gregg Jacobs, PhD of the University of Massachusetts Sleep Disorders Center, states that up to half of American adults report problems with insomnia, and spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on prescription and over the counter sleeping pills.

On March 28 I had the pleasure of serving sundaes at the WSOS Senior Center for their monthly birthday celebration. Hospice of Memorial Hospital was honored to sponsor dessert at this month’s party. I, along with my colleagues Pat Lucius from hospice; Carol Miller, hospice volunteer; and Andrew Smith from marketing at the hospital scooped ice cream and added all the fixings for nearly 100 seniors. Pat and Carol each spoke to the group about the rewards of working and volunteering for our great hospice team.

The Memorial Hospital Leadership Team has committed to assisting the local soup kitchen at Grace Lutheran Church by providing the staffing for one meal per month.  Eight leaders are needed monthly to serve and clean up after each meal.  

“I Got Those Mean Old Low Down Dirty Worried Blues”….  Sound familiar?  We tend to think when we are having problems, we might feel depressed or blue, OR we might feel anxious or worried….but both?  At the same time???  These two issues probably happen concurrently more often than we are aware.  

Food is frequently the centerpiece of social gatherings, family functions and professional engagements. Dining out is full of healthy vs. extremely unhealthy options, and daily life can get in the way making nutritious dietary decisions. When confronted with any of these situations, consider the importance of having an appropriate daily caloric intake and the impact that can have on maintaining a healthy weight, which is essential to living a healthful lifestyle.

February is American Heart Month, but for Memorial Hospital’s employees in the cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) department, the heart is always beating at the front and center of health care.