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- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAt any age, mental health challenges can arise. While significant focus has been rightly given to mental well-being in younger people, it’s crucial not to overlook our seniors. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) underscores this, revealing that up to 25% of older adults live with mental health issues, like anxiety or depression. If left untreated, mental health conditions can negatively affect your physical well-being and quality of life. Fortunately, many factors contributing to mental health decline are avoidable. As May marks Mental Health Awareness Month and Older Americans Month, now is an ideal time to implement these five strategies aimed at preserving your mental well-being as you grow older. 1. Nurture/invest social connections Loneliness and social isolation can significantly increase mental health issues later in life. They can also increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and early death. These tips can help nurture/invest social connections: Stay in touch with friends and family via social media or video chat. Virtual meet-ups can help you feel less alone. Volunteer. Giving back to others can help you meet people in your community. It can also provide a sense of purpose that older adults may lose after retirement. Get tested and treated for hearing loss. It affects one in three adults aged 65 to 74, according to NCOA. Hearing loss can make it difficult to follow what’s happening around you. It’s a common reason older adults withdraw from social interaction. 2. Get regular physical activity Sitting for long periods of time and lack of physical activity can increase your risk of depression. Physical activity can boost your mood. For overall health and well-being, older adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking, each week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise, like running. Talk to your primary care provider and decide what’s best for you. They also need at least two days of strength-building and balance activities, which can be done from the comfort of your home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends multicomponent physical activities to meet these triple goals. Try these: Sign up for a dancing class at a local community center for older adults. Take up yoga or Tai-chi. There are many online offerings at no cost. Explore outdoor activities like gardening or hiking. But remember to stay hydrated. 3. Try music therapy Listening to or making music seems to activate brain areas that can improve mental and physical health. Research finds that music-based interventions may be helpful for anxiety, depression and chronic pain. Go ahead and play that oldie but goodie! 4. Reduce caregiver stress Some older adults face the added emotional challenges of caregiving. According to a 2023 AARP Survey, 50% of caregivers said caregiving increased their emotional stress, while 37% said it caused physical stress. If you’re a caregiver, the Luminis Health Caring for Caregivers page provides self-care tips and local caregiver resources. These can help you care for your loved one while taking care of yourself. 5. Recognize mental health issues Depression is common in older adults, but it’s not a normal part of aging. Less than half of older adults who struggle with mental health and substance use issues get the treatment they need. Getting help starts with scheduling regular checkups with your primary care doctor. They can help you manage physical limitations or medical conditions, such as post-stroke or cancer recovery, which may increase your risk of depression. Should you or your loved one experience any of the following symptoms persistently for more than two weeks, it’s crucial to inform your doctor, as they could point to mental health issues: Anger or irritability. Anxious or sad mood. Changes in appetite, mood and energy level. Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions. Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much. Drug or alcohol misuse. Feeling guilty or hopeless. Hearing, feeling or seeing things other people don’t. Loss of interest in things they once enjoyed, including sex. Next steps After ruling out medical causes, your doctor may start treatment for a mental health condition, or refer you to a mental health professional for evaluation and treatment. Mental health problems are often treated with a combination of medication and talk therapy. You can receive high-quality mental and behavioral health services at The Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center Behavioral Health Pavilion on our Lanham campus. You can also call 301-623-4350.0
- Weight LossGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIf you are considering weight loss surgery (also called bariatric surgery) you may have heard of a gastric bypass or a sleeve gastrectomy, which are the most common bariatric procedures. Gastric bypasses have been performed for over 50 years. Today, it is usually a minimally invasive procedure with laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Let’s compare the two options of weight loss surgery. The gastric bypass divides the stomach, creating a small pouch. The larger piece of the stomach no longer stores or digests food, however it does still create digestive juices that are pushed downstream to meet up with the food you eat. The small intestine is also divided and connected to the newly created small stomach pouch. This helps with weight loss because the stomach is now much smaller, which means you are able to hold less food and ingest fewer calories. Also, a portion of the small bowel does not see food anymore, which results in decreased absorption. In comparison, the sleeve gastrectomy removes about 80% of the stomach using surgical staplers. As with the gastric bypass, it helps with weight loss because the smaller stomach holds less food. Also, the 80 percent of the stomach that is removed produces most of the body’s ghrelin or “hunger hormone.” Removing the hormone decreases the hunger sensation and increases fullness. Surgery is the most effective treatment for type 2 diabetes. 80 percent of people who receive gastric bypass experience a remission of diabetes. For those who have the sleeve gastrectomy, remission is seen in over 60 percent of patients. Both procedures involve reshaping the stomach to hold less food and both work for weight loss. If you are considering weight loss surgery, the best way to understand which option is right for you is to meet with a bariatric surgeon. We invite you to access our website to request an appointment or sign up for a free webinar with one of our surgeons. This article was originally featured in the Enquirer-Gazette. Authors Jilian Nicholas, DO, is a bariatric surgeon at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center.0
- Men's Health, Women's Health, Wellness, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn 2012, Tammy Smith weighed 340 pounds. She attended a weight loss surgery seminar and decided to have gastric sleeve bypass. Her journey to new health habits began several months prior to her surgery, leading to a nearly 200-pound weight loss. Here’s Tammy’s story in her own words: Two years ago, I was very scared and nervous about the idea of bariatric surgery. I went to a seminar and met Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Alex Gandsas and he was amazing. After speaking with him, I decided to go through with the surgery to have the gastric sleeve bypass. The easiest part of the journey has been the surgery itself. There was very little pain. The hardest has been adjusting to a new way of thinking about food and establishing an exercise routine. But the program is set up for success by helping you adjust to new habits before surgery. Three months leading up to surgery, I met with the nutritionist in Dr. Gandsas office who guided me in the right direction. It was a lifestyle change that needed to take place in order to be successful. Each month, I picked two or three of the changes that needed to happen. I worked on making these changes every month until they became habits. As weeks went by the challenge was to make good choices and exercise regularly. I have lost 191 pounds. I started at 340 pounds and size 24. Now I am in a size 4. My journey has changed me. I love the new me. I never knew this life I now know could have existed. This surgery is not a quick fix or a magic procedure. It is about changing your way of life, not just a diet. Bariatric surgery is a tool in your tool box. Learning good eating habits and educating yourself about nutrition is key. For those who choose not to work out, the results will not be as great. The true test for maintaining and continuing my weight loss came after I lost my husband. Getting through the last six months has been a huge test to old eating habits. But I have stayed the course, and I know I will continue with my new lifestyle. I am so thankful for this program at AAMC. If you make the changes and do the hard work you will be successful! Learn more about bariatric surgery at www.AskAAMC.org/WeightLoss.0
- Behavioral Health, Senior Care, Wellness, UncategorizedGeneral Page Tier 3BlogSeniors tend to face special risks from alcohol, even if they aren’t heavy drinkers. Even moderate drinking can be a problem in this age group. Health risks of alcohol in the aging Alcohol poses special risks for seniors for a variety of reasons. For example, alcohol can: Interact with medications. The older we get, the more likely we are to take medications, according to the American Society on Aging. And medicines—whether prescribed by a doctor or bought over the counter—often don’t mix well with alcohol. Alcohol can counteract or decrease the effects of some medications, such as those taken for high blood pressure,reflux disease or gout. Alcohol also can magnify a medication’s action. The combined sedative effects of alcohol with tranquilizers, sleeping pills or pain relievers can be particularly dangerous. Increase the risk of accidents. Alcohol impairs coordination and increases the likelihood of falls and other accidents. For older people, that raises an already increased risk for hip fractures and disability. Hide other health troubles. Alcohol can mask symptoms of other medical problems, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). For example, the changes it causes in heart and blood vessels may dull the pain of angina—an important warning sign of heart attack. Cause problems in small amounts. The body’s ability to absorb and deal with alcohol changes as we age. Our tolerance level goes down, meaning it takes little alcohol to have a big effect. A diagnosis overlooked It’s not always easy to know when an older person is abusing alcohol, according to the NIAAA. They’re often retired, which eliminates occupational red flags like missing work or losing jobs. Older people also are more likely to drink alone at home, according to the American Geriatrics Society. That makes them less likely than younger drinkers to be arrested for fighting or drunk driving. In addition, some of the side effects of alcohol abuse may be dismissed as signs of “getting old.” Mental confusion caused by heavy drinking can be mistaken for symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, for example. Depression, insomnia and poor eating habits are associated with aging—and alcohol abuse. So how can you tell if someone you love is abusing alcohol? If someone minimizes how much they drink, that’s a red flag. Or if someone takes offense when asked about their drinking, that’s a red flag. Other signs may include someone who: Drinks alone or hides his or her drinking from others. Feels irritable or resentful when he or she is not drinking. Uses alcohol to cope with problems like depression or sleeplessness. To get an idea of whether or not you might have a drinking problem, take this short quiz. If you think alcohol might be a problem for you or someone you love, seek the advice of a health care professional. He or she may suggest counseling or a treatment program. The good news is that older people tend to stick with treatment programs better than younger people. In fact, research has found that simply pointing out the ill effects of alcohol can significantly reduce an older person’s drinking. For more information about alcohol visit AAMC’s Pathways drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, askAAMC.org/Pathways. Originally published Dec. 23, 2014. Last updated Jan. 21, 2019.0
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