Exercise is not a four letter word… its eight and no that does not mean it’s twice as bad. Exercise is good for you, but that is not really a mystery. What may be a bit of mystery is how essential it is for the elderly to exercise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

By: Sherry Netherland, Director of Special Projects for Assisted Healthcare Services More hours of daylight make spring the perfect time for lifestyle changes – particularly increasing your activity levels.  When I was a kid, it meant being able to go outside and play after school. As an adult it means being able to go for…

By: Sherry Netherland, Director of Special Projects for Assisted Healthcare Services “I don’t have time to exercise!” That’s why I don’t like to call fitness Exercise. The “E” word may turn you off, but being sedentary should be what scares you. A sedentary lifestyle will shorten your life, a fitness lifestyle will lengthen it. You…

By: Sherry Netherland, Director of Special Projects for Assisted Healthcare Services How many of us have been lured into purchasing a fitness device with the sales pitch, “You can do it while watching television!”? How many of us are now watching it collect dust while we are watching television, or, worse, not seeing it at…

By: Sherry Netherland, Director of Special Projects for Assisted Healthcare Services Did you know that laughing can add years to your life?  A 2010 study published in Psychological Science reported that people who smile live longer.  There are many physiological benefits of laughter – Increased circulation caused by an increase in pulse rate and respiration (increasing…

By: Sherry Netherland, Director of Special Projects for Assisted Healthcare Services I started my professional healthcare career as an audiologist.  Statistics on aging will report that only 50% of seniors over age 65 have hearing loss.   Well, those 50% of seniors were my patients, so essentially, 100% of the people over 65 who came to…

By: Sherry Netherland, Director of Special Projects for Assisted Healthcare Services I have worked with seniors and their healthcare issues for a long time. The best advice I can give you is don’t grow old. Don’t get me wrong, I am not advising you against aging, unless, of course, you have figured out how to…

By: Sherry Netherland, Director of Special Projects for Assisted Healthcare Services My father hated doctors.  My father believed that just going to the doctor made you sick. For him, it was out of sight out of mind.  He was of the “walk it off” school of healthcare.  I have no memory of him going to…

By: Sherry Netherland, Director of Special Projects for Assisted Healthcare Services According to data from the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 25.8 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.  That’s 8.3% of the population. Research on diabetics reveals the prevalence of the disease is weighted differently amongst various ethnic groups, with the…