Family Health Corner

News That Affects Your Family's Health

FAMILY HEALTH CORNER
News That Affects Your Family's Health

Staff Reporter

Medical startup has Stonington native in mind

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Oct. 6—When over 100 people gather on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at Stonington Country Club for the first Andrew Heylmun Invitational golf tournament, they’ll gather not only to remember a young man who died too early, but with another purpose in mind.

Heylmun, a Stonington High graduate who grew up and was well-known in town, was 33 years old when he died suddenly in December from an undiagnosed heart condition. His mother, Judy, said he was diagnosed with Lyme disease and Bell’s palsy a couple months before he died. His mother said Andrew took the prescribed antibiotics and steroids to treat it, but did not have a primary care physician to follow up with. If he did, “I’m convinced the outcome could have been different.”

The lack of a primary care physician is an issue many teenagers and young adults deal with, and there hasn’t been an easy solution. Whether the intricacies of the country’s health care system, the cavalier attitude of youth, the awkwardness of a doctor’s visit, some combination of all or something else, many teens and young adults slip through the cracks.

That’s where Paul Julius comes in, hoping to fill that gap.

Julius, a lifleong friend of Heylmun and fellow Stonington native, has founded Amory Health, which is focused on primary care and urgent care through text for teens and 20-somethings.

The idea of the business, according to Julius, is to drive better health and health education for the 13-25 age group that spends nearly eight hours a day on their phone.

“I started Amory Health very much with Andrew in mind,” Julius said. “That age group lives through text. The best way is to go to them.”

Julius has helped found two other startups, Orthology, which specializes in physical therapy, and Heartbeat Health, which focuses on cardiology.

“The tranistion is terrible in the U.S.,” Julius said “When you’re a kid you have a pediatrican, but in college you’re essentially on your own. The second you turn 18, in some cases you’re handed the keys to the castle for your own health insurance and you’re not really prepared for that.”

Story continues

Heylmun was very much the picture of health until his death. He played football and was on the crew team at Stonington, where he was voted ‘Best Looking’ and ‘Best Actor’ after starring in the school play.

He spent two weeks in Costa Rica in high school, providing education and infrastructure to the indigenous Tico tribe there. As a senior he lobbied unsuccessfully to have the school scale back on its spending for its graduation party.

“That’s just how he was,” Judy Heylmun said. “He was a very, very caring person. He was literally my best friend.”

Heylmun graduated with a degree in business from Southern Connecticut State University and was a well-known server and bartender at several area restaurants before finding a sales job in the health care industry.

“Teen health and 20-something health is very weird,” Julius said. “(Hopefully) that’s all changing. We have a big opportunity to change perspective. There’s been no real investment in that age group and so it’s easy to get disenfranchised. There’s a really big gap and that should be more consistent. With (Amory Health) it’s really, really affordable. For $15-20 a month you can talk to a doctor whenever you want.”

For more information about Amory Health, visit AmoryHealth.com. For more information on the golf tournament and the scholarship in Andrew’s name, visit AndrewHeylmunLegacyFund.org.

o.poole@theday.com

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Walking your way: NAMI hosting virtual walk for mental health this weekend | News, Sports, Jobs

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MARQUETTE — There’s never a bad time to think about your mental health: Where it stands, how you can improve it, and where to go for help if you need it.

This Saturday, the National Alliance on Mental Illness wants you to know that you’re not alone. NAMI’s national organization, along with its more than 600 local affiliates across the country, will be hosting a virtual walk in support of mental health awareness.

NAMI’s Alger/Marquette counties chapter is one of the affiliates participating in the virtual event, dubbed “NAMIWalks Your Way: A United Day of Hope.”

“Last year, we saw light at the end of the tunnel — which grew closer through the first half of 2021 — and we kept walking toward it, often virtually,” NAMI officials said in a news release. “Let’s keep the momentum going this fall as we unite across the country to celebrate Mental Health for All.”

NAMI Alger/Marquette will be participating under the regional portion of the walk titled “NAMIWalks Your Way Northern Michigan.” NAMI’s statewide organization, NAMI Michigan, is hoping to raise $20,000 in the northern Michigan initiative. As of Tuesday morning, $995 has been raised, according to the NAMIWalks website. Nationally, local chapters have raised a combined $11.8 million.

This year’s theme is Mental Health for All, and NAMI is encouraging everyone to participate in any way they’d like. Suggested activities include:

≤ Walking a 5K around the block, at a park, or on your treadmill;

≤ Planning a craft day with your kids;

≤ Holding a bake sale and letting friends decide what you bake for a donation;

≤ Practicing self-care with a favorite hobby such as yoga, gardening or knitting;

≤ Dusting off the stationary bike or elliptical and going 3.1 miles;

≤ Posting a Sign of Hope on social media (signs can be downloaded at bit.ly/3AcTpYa).

“On the day of the event, NAMIWalks participants, mental health advocates, and NAMI partners will step up our strength and energy even further,” the news release stated. “There are thousands of ways to reach a goal — and every one is yours. Together with you, NAMIWalks remains one of the top mental health walk series in the country.”

Despite the walk being virtual for the second straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers are confident that their fundraising goal will be achieved.

“Mental Health for All — and Always,” the news release stated. “We have been encouraged through the last 18 months to discover our participants’ remarkable resilience. Whatever regulations are in place for event day, our NAMIWalks community consistently finds a way to reach their goal– nothing could mask their enthusiasm.

“Even if you’re isolated geographically, we’ll be united in our hearts. Depending on the local programming on Oct. 9, you can walk the walk with us or participate in inspirational, engaging livestreams with other like-minded crusaders.”

Event registration is free and participants are encouraged to share photos and videos of their activity on social media with the link to your walk’s fundraising page and the hashtag #NotAlone.

Those who raise at least $100, whether via self-donating or asking others, will receive a NAMIWalks Your Way 2021 T-shirt for their efforts.

To register for NAMIWalks Your Way Northern Michigan or to donate, visit bit.ly/3AfYOh7. To find out more about the national effort, visit www.namiwalks.org.

Locally, NAMI Alger/Marquette hosts virtual support groups twice a month via Zoom. If you’re battling mental health issues and are interested in receiving an invitation to a support group, contact NAMI Alger/Marquette President Cindy K. Bertucci at ckbertucci58@charter.net or 906-360-7107. Sessions are held on the second Monday and third Thursday of each month and are currently virtual due to the pandemic.

To find out more about NAMI’s national organization and NAMI Alger/Marquette, visit www.nami.org or www.namimqt.com.

If you’re battling mental health issues and are in search of help, the NAMI HelpLine is available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. by dialing 800-950-6264 or by emailing info@nami.org.

If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts and are in search of help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

Ryan Spitza can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. His email address is rspitza@miningjournal.net.

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Teaching magic tricks to kids with ADHD can enhance their feelings of self-esteem and confidence

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Teaching magic tricks to children with disabilities can enhance their feelings of self-esteem and confidence, a study has shown.

The study, published in Health Psychology Research, is a collaboration between the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Institute for Arts in Medicine, the School of Health Professions’ Department of Occupational Therapy and illusionist and educator Kevin Spencer. It shows the effectiveness of a virtual summer magic camp program in enhancing self-esteem in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Children with ADHD can experience low self-esteem.

Learning and performing magic tricks can benefit children and adults with disabilities. The approach promotes motivation and improves physical, psychological, perceptual or social functions in those who participate and has been shown to be an effective treatment technique.

Magic trick programs have also been reported to enhance the self-esteem of children with severe emotional disturbances, and those with a diverse range of developmental disabilities such as communication difficulties, learning difficulties, (emotional) behavioral disorders, autism and ADHD.

The single-group study at UAB included six children with ADHD, ages 8-14, who participated in a virtual magic camp program designed for children with disabilities. The camp met three days a week, in sessions from 45 minutes to one hour, over four consecutive weeks, for a total of nine to 12 hours. Participants completed assessments before and after camp, and they and their parents were individually interviewed after camp to explore their camp experience.

Self-esteem scores after the magic camp were significantly higher than the self-esteem scores before camp. Findings were validated by the participants, who described gains in self-esteem after participating in the magic camp, and by the parents’ statements regarding the positive impact on their child’s psychological well-being.

ADHD is a common child and adolescent neurodevelopmental disorder. It is characterized by problems with attention skills, staying on task or being organized, and affects academic performance in school and daily activities. In addition to inattention and/or hyperactivity, children and adolescents with ADHD report psychological well-being difficulties such as low self-esteem. Considering their frequent challenges and failures in school, and adverse social feedback they encounter, these experiences may contribute to their low self-esteem.

Research on ADHD shows self-esteem problems can lead to maladaptive coping strategies, such as anxiety and depression, substance use and deviant peer choices, and disruptive behaviors such as bullying and peer victimization, the study says.

Psychosocial interventions have been recommended to help children and adolescents with ADHD cope with difficulties and failures in school and everyday life and increase self-esteem.

Future studies should investigate the holistic impact of magic camps on children and adolescents with ADHD and include measures that tap into other psychosocial attributes, such as social functioning, social skills and self-efficacy, the study authors say.

UAB Magic Camp, which is held each summer, is part of a collaboration between UAB Arts in Medicine, the UAB School of Health Professions’ Department of Occupational Therapy, Children’s of Alabama and Hocus Focus™. UAB occupational therapy students are trained in the protocol developed by illusionist and educator Kevin Spencer -; an international authority on the therapeutic use of magic tricks in physical and psycho-social rehabilitation -; and provide instruction to the campers.

Each camper is paired with two OT students for the duration of the three-week summer camp. Through this pairing, campers work at their own speed and have a personalized learning experience. The end of each camp will feature a streamed magic show performance for friends and family. Camp is free and open to children ages 9-18 who have been diagnosed with a disability. The virtual camp welcomes participants from all over the United States and internationally.

Source:

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Journal reference:

Yuen, H. K., et al. (2021) Contribution of a virtual magic camp to enhancing self-esteem in children with ADHD: A pilot study. Health Psychology Research. doi.org/10.52965/001c.26986.

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University researchers to study gender disparities in heart disease diagnosis

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In collaboration with Women’s Health Research at Yale, University scientists are leading a pilot clinical study on improving heart disease diagnosis for women.

Brian Zhang

1:16 am, Oct 07, 2021

Contributing Reporter

Ariane deGennaro, Staff Illustrator

In collaboration with Women’s Health Research at Yale, University scientists are leading a pilot clinical study on improving heart disease diagnosis for women — in hopes of highlighting the effectiveness of additional diagnostic procedures aside from the existing standard of care. 

The study is a branch of a larger Women’s Health Research project to examine gender disparities in cardiovascular health, made possible by the 2021 Wendy U. and Thomas C. Naratil Pioneer Award — which will give principal investigator Samit Shah up to $50,000 in grant money. Shah first received funds on July 1. Currently, the team is enrolling 100 female research participants whose experiences with cardiovascular treatment at the Yale New Haven Health System will be documented and examined over the next two years. 

“When we look at all people, we should cater what we’re doing based on the person,” said Shah, who is also an interventional cardiologist and an assistant professor of medicine. “Cardiologists and patients should always ask what more can we do.” 

According to Shah, the basis for his study lies in a need to adopt a more thorough means of assessing cardiovascular problems. Fifty percent of women who have symptoms of heart disease do not show a blockage after cardiac catheterization — the current standard of care which involves inserting a long thin tube through the blood vessels to the heart and an angiogram. As a result, they are sent home without a diagnosis, only to find themselves in the same emergency room suffering from the same symptoms a few months later, Shah said. 

The same protocol, however, is more effective in generating a proper diagnosis for men, who are more likely to show blockages due to higher levels of testosterone.

“We can attribute some of these disparities in diagnosis to the biological differences between men and women,” said Erica Spatz, associate professor of cardiology and epidemiology and a collaborator on the study. 

Having conducted a past study that found that most women have heart attacks that are not classified as the same types as men have, she cited hormonal changes as a key factor. Unlike testosterone, estrogen protects against plaque formation in blood vessels, making blockages less detectable through catheterization despite women showing the same heart disease symptoms. Moreover, she explained that estrogen delays the onset of heart disease in women by about 10 years, a process that according to Shah, stops once women reach menopause. 

The problem is that medical workers are devoting too much attention to finding these blockages, which also need to be identified, Shah explained. One concern is that researchers lose sight of other factors. Additionally, catheterization is an invasive procedure, detrimental to a patient’s physiological health if performed frequently.

In his study, he plans to conduct additional procedures and testing following catheterization to ensure that women receive a proper, timely diagnosis. 

“We try to be totally comprehensive . . . we measure the blood flow; we measure the resistance in the small blood vessels that we can’t see when we take pictures; and then we test the blood vessels for how well they open and close,” Shah said, emphasizing that patients deserve answers and should be made aware of why and how exactly they are developing adverse symptoms. 

Aside from attempting to diagnose patients and provide them with proper medication, the study also encompasses a qualitative aspect, wherein the researchers conduct structured interviews to assess patients’ symptoms, emotions, medication and lifestyle changes throughout the two years of clinical study and testing. 

The cohort of research participants participating in the interviews, obtained through purposive sampling and who were all recommended for cardiac angiography, will be divided into two groups: one that receives the existing standard of care and another that also undergoes additional procedures supplementing the catheterization. 

Yale medical student Leslie Tseng MED ’23, who received a scholarship to work on this project full-time, explained that the interviews delve beyond yes and no questions to better capture the experiences of the participants before and after the procedures. 

According to Tseng, the answers can be used to engineer a better quality of life for patients, as well as understand how patients will individually benefit from more accurate diagnoses — be it for self-reassurance, access to support and therapy programs or other reasons. To ensure that these perspectives are coming from a diverse group, “we are also doing chart review to look at everyone’s demographic factors, such as ethnicity and zip code,” Tseng added. 

The researchers aim to incorporate qualitative patient perspectives in their explanation to justify why additional medical procedures should be made the standard of care in medical institutions throughout the country. 

Tseng also spoke to some of the challenges currently facing the project: testing modules are new and there isn’t a large existing cohort currently undergoing these tests. Shah is hopeful that with time, the team will be able to recruit a larger number of participants and expand the pilot study to collaborate with new partner institutions.

The research project is currently being conducted in 10 different countries.


BRIAN ZHANG

Brian Zhang is a first year in Davenport College.

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Mental Health: 19 Proven Ways to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

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Prolonged stress is bad for us. Stress can manifest itself as a physical and mental health problem. Stress also causes an increase in cortisol levels, which leaves us in a continual state of alertness, ready to jump into a fight, flight or fright response. This prolonged rise in cortisol levels is not good for us. It can result in high blood pressure and puts additional pressure on the blood vessels in the heart and brain. Prolonged stress can lead to structural changes in the brain too.

Many people suffer from stress headaches, heart burn, back ache, they are unable to sleep and are more prone to infections as stress interferes with their immune system. Stress can increase their blood sugar as it causes your liver to release glucose, it can adversely affect your sexual performance, make you more at risk of a heart attack or stroke and contribute to mental health problems.

If you’re feeling stressed, whether by your job or something more personal, the first step to feeling better is to identify the cause.

The most destructive approach is turn to something unhealthy to help you cope, such as smoking, drinking or binge-eating comfort food.

Exercise
Stress hormones: Exercise actually lowers your body’s stress hormones – such as cortisol. It also helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that boost mood and can act as natural painkillers.

Sleep: Exercise can also improve your sleep quality.

Confidence: regular exercise can contribute to mental wellbeing.

Deep breathing exercises
Cortisol in your bloodstream activates your sympathetic nervous system, signalling the fright, flight or fight response.

In response to this, your heart will beat faster, your breathing quicken and your blood vessels constrict to conserve blood flow to your vital organs.

Controlling your breathing to override this response, will activate your parasympathetic nervous system and help you relax.

The goal of deep breathing is to focus your awareness on your breath, making it slower and deeper. When you breathe in deeply through your nose, your lungs fully expand and your belly rises. There are several types of deep breathing exercises, including diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing and paced respiration.

Understanding how to control your breathing is extremely helpful in combating panic attacks.

Often mindfulness courses and yoga will incorporate deep breathing exercises.

Take control
Feeling a loss of control is a key contributor to that panicky feeling.

The act of taking control is empowering in its own right and depending on the reason for the stress, may instantly relieve some of the panic

Say no
Again, part of taking control. Simplifying the number of things you are doing and who you are trying to please, should help reduce the stress in your life.

Alongside this – delegate. If someone else is able to take the strain – let it go!

Stop procrastinating
If you have things on your mind that you need to do – get them done! Dilly dallying will lead to an increase in stress as you rush to try and complete them, when the deadline approaches.

Write things down
One way to handle stress is to write things down. When the brain is trying to remember things it can be stressful in itself. The act of writing things down brings order to some people’s thought processes and can consequently be calming.

Spend time with friends and family
Spending time with friends and family can help you get through stressful times.

It is thought that spending time socialising helps release Oxytocin, which is a natural stress reliever and it reduces the effect of cortisol.

Increase physical contact
Harder to do in the midst of a pandemic. But if you have people within your bubble, cuddling, kissing, hugging and sex can all help relieve stress.

Positive physical contact helps release oxytocin and lower cortisol. Consequently, lowering blood pressure and heart rate and reducing the fluttering of stress and anxiety.

Spend time with a pet (or cuddle a baby!)
Stroking a pet can have an incredibly calming effect. Once again it is the caring interaction that is thought to release oxytocin and counter the effects of stress.

Owning a pet can also give someone a sense of purpose, encourage exercise and providing companionship. However owning a pet when you are unable to look after them properly can provoke additional stress and worry!

Take some Me Time
Take time out to do things that you really enjoy. This can be with friends or family, or on your own. But it is your choice as to how you would like to spend your time, not something you are doing to please someone else!

Challenge yourself! Learn a new skill or language or do something to stretch your abilities and gain a sense of satisfaction from completing it. The sense of achievement will contribute to your sense of wellbeing.

Laugh
Laughter can improve your immune system and mood, it relaxes your muscles and can lead to a feeling of well-being.

Herbal remedies
Check with your pharmacist to be sure they do not interact with any other prescription medication that you may be taking. Some of the following could also have side-effects.

Lemon balm: Lemon balm is a member of the mint family that is known for its soothing and anti-anxiety properties.

Omega-3 fatty acids: can potentially help.

Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat stress and anxiety.

Green tea: Green tea contains many polyphenol antioxidants which provide health benefits. It can lower stress and anxiety by increasing serotonin levels.

Valerian: Valerian root promotes sleep. It contains valerenic acid, which alters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, thought to reduce anxiety.

Kava kava: Kava kava is a member of the pepper family. The indigenous people of the South Pacific have long used it as a sedative, it is thought to be beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety.

Peppermint or chamomile tea both have soothing properties.

Aromatherapy
Using essential oils or burning a scented candle helps many people reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

Some scents can be especially soothing.

  • Lavender – good for promoting sleep too
  • Rose
  • Vetiver
  • Bergamot
  • Roman chamomile
  • Neroli
  • Frankincense
  • Sandalwood
  • Ylang ylang
  • Orange or orange blossom
  • Geranium

Reduce your caffeine intake
Caffeine is a stimulant found in foods such as coffee, tea, chocolate and energy drinks. High doses can increase anxiety and make it harder to sleep.

Chew gum
Chewing gum is thought to relax tension in the jaw muscles and some studies suggest that it increases blood flow to your brain.

Yoga
Yoga has become a popular method of stress relief and exercise and is helpful in promoting a feeling of calm wellbeing as well as improving your body’s tone and flexibility.

Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a way of thinking, to reduce your mind wandering. It can be extremely helpful in reducing the anxiety-inducing effects of negative thinking. There are many apps that can help you practice this, such as Headspace.

Listen to soothing music
Listening to music can have a very relaxing effect on the body. Slow-paced instrumental music can help you feel more relaxed and help lower blood pressure, heart rate and reduce stress hormones.

Classical, Celtic, Native American and Indian music along with nature sounds, have particularly relaxing affects on the body. However listening to music you enjoy is also mood enhancing and relaxing.

Men’s mental health
Suicide is the biggest killer in men. Men may not always good at recognising stress in themselves, and stress is clearly an individual experience. What one man finds stressful, another will not. What can be stressful at one time may not cause stress during another time. And the signs and symptoms of stress can also vary from person to person and from year to year. National Stress Awareness Day is a great opportunity to start conversations. Take a moment to think about your own and others wellbeing and find advice or support on managing stress.

Try our online Mental Health First Aid course
We have produced an 8 hour comprehensive Mental Health First Aid course that covers adult and young people mental health and will teach you how to recognise warning signs of mental ill health and help you develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone, whilst keeping yourself safe. We help you develop resilience, learn new ways to cope with stress, advise on sleeping better and equip you with a wealth of resources to be able to confidently help someone struggling with their mental health.

This online qualification will provide you with the knowledge to spot specific warning signs that an adult or child could be struggling with a mental health condition, it explains how to initiate a supportive conversation, explore healthier lifestyle choices and links to the wealth of additional support available if someone needs further help.

Ideal for individuals needing additional help and guidance to support their mental well-being, for those looking to introduce positive mental health practices to their workplaces, for teachers and support staff and friends, family and colleagues wanting more information on this vital topic

 

Emma Hammett is an experienced nurse and first aid trainer, she has worked in many areas including A&E, Children’s Ward, Burns Unit and Acute medical and surgical wards before becoming hospital manager of Hammersmith and Charing Cross Hospitals. In 2007, she founded First Aid for Life and is shortly going to publish her second book, Burns, Falls and Emergency Calls – The ultimate guide to the prevention and treatment of childhood accidents.
Emma is also the founder of First Aid for Pets offering first aid training courses for your pets https://firstaidforpets.net/

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COVID declining in St. Clairsville schools | News, Sports, Jobs

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ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Masks will remain optional in the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District as COVID-19 cases decline in the schools.

Superintendent Walter Skaggs confirmed Wednesday morning during the board of education’s meeting that the district’s mask policy will remain optional for students and faculty. He said the number of cases has declined over the last couple of days.

School nurse Kerry Shepherd said there are currently 13 positive cases among students and staff — 11 cases among students and two cases among staff. The cases break down to four positives in the elementary school, four in the middle school and five in the high school. There are also 17 close contacts reported among students and zero among staff.

“The (Belmont County) health department feels that three weeks ago should have been the peak for the delta (variant), so we should see a downward trend now,” she said.

Shepherd said she is anticipating a slight uptick following this weekend’s homecoming dance; however, the district’s numbers are still “very good.”

“There’s still no transmission in the classrooms other than the one special needs classroom. Anybody that has been isolated or quarantined because of a close contact in the classroom has not had any issues. It’s community-wide, it’s mostly in families,” she said.

Skaggs said he recently attended a statewide superintendents meeting in which other superintendents reported a decline in their schools’ case numbers as well. He said he hopes the downward trend continues.

In other matters, Belmont County Juvenile and Probate Judge Al Davies gave an update about some of the programs offered to students in the county. A couple of the programs he spoke about are the alternative school, which offers education to students suspended from school, and the virtual learning program, which offers an alternative to students who have a difficult time learning in a traditional classroom setting.

Davies said the leading cause of students being sent to the alternative school program, both this year and last year, is due to students using vaping devices.

“I’m trying to get as much information as I can out there about the destruction of nicotine addiction. It’s amazing to me the amount of misinformation about vaping,” he said, adding that he tries to educate youth that heroin and nicotine are the two most addictive drugs.

He said he is working to create a program for the schools to educate students more on the negative effects of vaping. Skaggs said people do not realize how bad vaping is for them and the long-term effects it can have on the person’s lungs.

Davies also talked about the Belmont County Schools Staying Clean program. He said the district is able to use some of the funds obtained through the program to sponsor other programs for students in the county. One of those programs occurred Wednesday at the Capitol Music Hall in Wheeling. Students in the county were transported to the location to hear from speaker Nathan Harman.

“He’s a very dynamic speaker with a very impactful story. He was a drug addict, alcoholic, and was involved in a car accident. He was driving and killed one of his best friends. He went to prison, he was reformed, rehabilitated, reborn and now he has an amazing story that he can relate very well to the kids,” he said.

Another program is the Juvenile Justice Jeopardy Rollout that is put on by the St. Clairsville Police Department. It is a Jeopardy-style program in the classroom with a range of topics about police interactions, rights, and consequences of getting into trouble. Davies said he hopes to extend the program into other schools in the county.

Davies said they are resuming mock trials this year. He said the seventh-and eighth-grade program will resume in December.

“If we can make an impact on just one kid, I think it’s been a victory,” he said.

Davies thanked the board for its partnership on the programs.

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What health care can I get if I retire before 65

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Question: G.D. in Batavia: If I retire before Medicare kicks in, what are my health insurance options?

A: Although most people consider 65 to be the standard retirement age in the U.S., did you know that the average actual retirement age is younger? According to GoBankingRates.com, it’s age 63 in Ohio and Indiana, and age 62 in Kentucky. This means the average retiree in the Tristate spends at least two to three years in retirement before they’re eligible for Medicare. So, this is an excellent question that likely impacts thousands of our neighbors.

Your first move should be to check with your employer. A 2019 Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that, while not common, almost 3 out of 10 employers do offer retirees coverage. If it’s not available, you’re married and your spouse is still working, see if you can join their plan. Retirement typically counts as a “qualifying’ life event,” meaning you’re eligible for a special enrollment window.

If neither of those options are feasible, you can explore plans offered on the public marketplace by the Affordable Care Act (online at healthcare.gov). In some cases, if your retirement income is low enough, you can qualify for a subsidy. If you don’t qualify, be prepared for the possibility of sticker shock. You could also consider buying a health plan directly through an insurance company (known as “private” insurance). In this case, we recommend working with an insurance broker or using a comparative website such as GoHealth or eHealth.

Electing to use COBRA insurance for up to 18 months is also a possibility, but just be aware: This option can also be quite expensive because you’re paying your full premium with no employer assistance. Another idea is to pick up a part-time job that includes health benefits. Examples include Lowe’s, Starbucks, Costco and UPS.

The Allworth Advice is to do your research. All these options come with different coverage, availability and costs. Plus, a lot depends on how long you need to bridge the gap between when you retire and when you become Medicare-eligible at age 65.

Q: Roger from Florence: My son is 22 and thinking about changing jobs and only has about $3,000 in his current 401(k). Since it’s not that much, can he just leave that with his soon-to-be former employer?

A: He likely won’t be able to do this. In most cases, if an employee leaves and their 401(k) account balance is less than $5,000, the employer won’t permit that account to stay in their plan.

This means your son has two options: He can either cash out the money or take it with him. We don’t like the idea of cashing out because he’ll have to pay taxes and a 10% early withdrawal penalty. So, instead, he should consider rolling that money over into an IRA. Just be sure he tells his employer to make it a “direct” rollover and has the check made payable to the IRA custodian – he’ll avoid paying taxes or penalties on the transfer using this method.

Here’s the Allworth Advice: Your son should be proud that he’s managed to save $3,000 for retirement so far. And that’s what he needs to keep in mind – this money is for retirement. It may not seem like a lot right now, but if he sets it aside in an IRA and doesn’t touch it (or, even better, adds to it), it will have a chance to keep growing.

Every week, Allworth Financial’s Amy Wagner and Steve Sprovach answer your questions. If you, a friend or someone in your family has a money issue or problem, feel free to send those questions to yourmoney@enquirer.com.

Responses are for informational purposes only, and individuals should consider whether any general recommendation in these responses is suitable for their particular circumstances based on investment objectives, financial situation and needs. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed above to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional adviser of his/her choosing, including a tax adviser and/or attorney. Retirement planning services offered through Allworth Financial, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through AW Securities, a Registered Broker/Dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Call 513-469-7500 or visit allworthfinancial.com.

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Chiropractor Medina Ohio Reduces Discomfort For Patients After Several Years

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Patients of The Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center are highly appreciative of the teams’ chiropractors and their abilities to relieve persistent pain and aches.

Medina, United States – October 6, 2021 / / —

Unlike typical perception presumes, a chiropractic practitioner doesn’t just adjust bones back into location, making that well-known splitting sound a few of us are satisfied by and which terrifies the rest of people. Chiropractic doctors are able to resolve disorders and injuries like whiplash from automobile accidents, extreme labor time when giving birth to a child, the weight that an infant places on a mother’s pelvic region, migraines, and even vertigo.

Prenatal chiropractic specialist services are customized to each mother too is the present state of health, and to the trimester which she is sustaining. The highly trained chiropractic specialists at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center technique pregnant clients with the utmost care and tenderness to guarantee the safety and health of children, and moms, alike. The weight of a child puts pressure on a mother’s back and pelvic bones, and the resulting pain frequently worsens in the third trimester because babies reach their most substantial weights throughout this time. This considerable weight and pressure applied to the pelvic area can transform pregnancy from a radiant, exciting time, into a difficult one, due to the sheer discomfort associated. Nevertheless, given that 7 out of 10 women endure incredible back pain while pregnant, the chiropractor Medina Ohio group at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center makes themselves available to relieve this pain.

Remarkably, a research study has actually revealed that employing a chiropractic practitioner to carry out chiropractic services upon females while they are pregnant can lessen the time which labor takes. Lengthier labor times are typically connected with issues and are just downright tiring, so the chiropractor Medina Ohio team at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center goal to prepare moms’ bodies to sustain labor in the most optimal, smooth method.

For additional information about the chiropractor Medina Ohio team at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center, please check out https://www.adv-health-medina.com/.

The chiropractor Medina Ohio group at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center are experts at their craft, and likewise, provide aid to patients with severe injuries from vehicle mishaps that generate their chiropractic aid. Whiplash typically affects a patient when they’ve been rear-ended by another vehicle while driving, and symptoms do not constantly all at once present themselves. Frequently, chiropractic clients who have experienced whiplash from a vehicle mishap or other occasion do not experience signs for a number of weeks following their injury, however, the longer one waits to look for treatment, the worst and more long-lasting whiplash symptoms can be.

A patient of the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center states, “I am so grateful that there is a chiropractic specialist near me with the know-how that the group at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center utilizes. I was in an automobile mishap twenty years ago and handled whiplash symptoms for much of those 2 long years, up until I discovered this chiropractic physician near me. After a few sessions, my devastating whiplash started to improve significantly, and after many more sessions, I can now state I do not experience any remaining symptoms. I am so grateful to be discomfort complimentary.”

Even more, the chiropractor Medina Ohio group at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center has the ability to treat conditions like vertigo, which afflicts clients with woozy spells and a feeling that the space is constantly spinning. Vertigo can in some cases be so severe that patients suffering through vertigo attacks are required to rest for hours at a time till the attack passes. Vertigo is, subsequently, incapacitating for some patients, but no matter the level at which vertigo is experienced, it normally interferes with everyday life in a disruptive manner. The chiropractor Medina Ohio team at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center is trained to address the source of patients’ vertigo, which can vary from migraine headaches to back injuries to ear infections, and more.

A client of the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center withstanding vertigo, states: “I felt faint and lost my footing one night and was terrified that I was having a stroke, so my family called the paramedics, and they identified that I was experiencing serious vertigo. It took me months of research to find a fantastic chiropractic specialist near me. The chiropractic doctors at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center eliminated my vertigo signs completely, and I now no longer live in fear of more serious issues.”

The plethora of ailments and injuries that the chiropractic specialist group at the Chiropractor Medina Ohio Center reward is prodigious. Patients of the center remain in the best hands in Medina Ohio.

Contact Info:
Name: Troy Naftzger
Email: Send Email
Organization: Advanced Spine Joint and Wellness
Address: 5020 Victor Drive, Medina, Ohio 44256, United States
Phone: +1-330-242-7669
Website: https://www.adv-health-medina.com

Release ID: 89047946

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What Suni Lee’s Olympic Gold Means for Her Hmong American Community

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In this op-ed, Jessica Goudeau speaks to Hmong Americans about Suni Lee’s Olympic gold, and what lessons we can learn about individualism versus community.

When Chef Yia Vang saw footage of the rickety balance beam that Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee’s father built for her when she was young, he laughed: “That’s so Hmong.” 

Like Lee’s family, Vang, founder of Union Hmong Kitchen, is part of the Hmong American community in St. Paul, Minnesota. The balance beam felt representative to Vang because it demonstrated Lee’s unwavering support for his daughter. It also showed the scrappiness that he remembers from his own childhood; when he and his family first moved to the United States from a refugee camp in Thailand, his dad used the same kind of woodworking skills to make “swords or guns for us so we could have something to play with in the backyard.” But mostly, it underscored Lee’s resilience, which Vang defines as a quality Hmong people have had to show for generations: “No matter how hard things are, we push forward. That’s grit, true grit. Suni embodies that never-give-up spirit.”

When Suni Lee won the all-around gold medal last week in Tokyo, beating Brazilian rival Rebeca Andrade by just over a tenth of a point, she became the first Asian-American to win gold in all-around gymnastics for the U.S. at the Olympics. It was also a historic win for Hmong people. For Steve Thao, executive director of the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent in St. Paul, it was “one of the great milestones of Hmong history.”

He cites the community’s closeness because of their shared history: “We were persecuted in China and Laos, and we came here as refugees, so we’re really connected.” Many Hmong Americans came to Minnesota as refugees in the 1970s, following the Vietnam War. But they had been displaced long before the war; Vang said the word ‘Hmong’ “literally means we don’t have a land of our own; the word translates to ‘free, or people of the free.’” The Hmong people, a discrete ethnic and cultural group, lived for centuries in China, but conflicts with Imperial China beginning in the 1700s forced them to flee to countries in Southeast Asia, including Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

“Suni’s story will shed light on the story of many countless individuals who made sacrifices for us to come here as refugees.”

The United States has a particularly shameful past in relation to Hmong people; during the Vietnam War, the CIA fought a secret war in Laos, recruiting and training Hmong people to fight against Communist troops in Northern Vietnam. This included creating and arming child soldiers. At the end of the Vietnam War, the CIA left the country, abandoning tens of thousands of Hmong people.

Minnesota State Senator Fue Lee calls the secret war in Laos and the history of U.S. relations with Hmong people “the story that isn’t being told.” He says the Hmong people who arrived in the U.S. in the 1970s didn’t come because “we wanted to game the system.” Instead, “we had to flee for our lives.” He hopes that “Suni’s story will shed light on the story of many countless individuals who made sacrifices for us to come here as refugees.”

The last few years have been especially complicated for the Hmong community in St. Paul and Minneapolis. The death of George Floyd and the resulting racial tension in the region, as well as a spike in attacks on Asian-Americans alongside political rhetoric that blamed COVID-19 on people from Asia, has deeply impacted the community.

Alicia Thoj, the Community Engagement Director at RiverLife Church, which focuses on second and third generation Hmong people in St. Paul, said “a Hmong person will experience discrimination on a daily or weekly basis. It’s been challenging because there are so many different levels of racism.” But she also says that, while discrimination against Asian-American people is growing, so is support: “There’s a gathering of people who come around us and say, ‘We see you, we hear you, we’re with you.’”

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COVID-19 Numbers Continue To Rise After Labor Day Holiday Weekend – CBS Baltimore

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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Summer is coming to an end and with it, hopes of getting covid under control.

While covid cases continue to climb, many Labor Day travelers are returning home from their final trip of the summer.

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Despite warnings from the CDC urging unvaccinated people not to travel ahead of the holiday weekend, more people were on the move across the country compared to last year.

“People are like yeah it’s all open it all free, and it’s devastating to me,” said one nurse.

Here in Maryland over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths were reported Monday. The statewide positivity rate remains just below 5 percent.

Governor Larry Hogan touted the state’s vaccination efforts on meet the press Sunday.

“I’m pleased with the results of where we are,” said Hogan. “We’ve vaccinated 81 percent of all the people that are eligible.”

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After the praise, Hogan highlighted the continued push to get more shots in arms.

“We’re still dealing with the unvaccinated folks, which count for most of our hospitalizations and deaths,” said Hogan. “And some of it has to do with the fact that there’s been tremendous disinformation campaigns.”

Despite warnings from the CDC, many people decided to stick to their travel plans over the holiday weekend. The TSA estimates roughly 3.5 million travelers passed through airports across the country on Friday and Saturday alone – more than doubling last year’s number.

And doctors say that comes with risk.

“What we are concerned about is that travel could increase the positivity rate in our state,” said Dr. David Marcozzi, Chief Clinical Officer of the University of Maryland Medical System.

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Health officials are now keeping a close eye on key COVID-19 metrics in the coming days as Labor Day travel comes to an end.

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