health & wellness >>
continued from page 44
depth testing. There have been many
instances of people who are highly
intelligent testing in the MCI range
when more in-depth testing indicates
Alzheimer's disease. Their intelligence
allows them to compensate for their
cognitive deficits on the screening tool
but cannot be sustained through more
extensive testing.
St. Joe's
Lung Cancer Program Offers
the Latest Diagnostics, Treatment
Lung cancer is the most common
cause of cancer death in men and
women combined, but recent treatment
breakthroughs provide ways to earlier
diagnose and better treat the disease.
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland's Lung Cancer
Program offers the latest in diagnostics,
treatment and clinical trials.
By Jack Weiner,
President and CEO
St. Joseph Mercy
Oakland
Here's why you should seek out St. Joe's for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.
We offer:
• A quicker path to diagnosis and treatment with twice monthly multidisciplinary
Lung Tumor Board meetings attended by a team that includes nationally recognized
experts in Radiation Oncology and Thoracic Surgery, along with specialists in
Pulmonary Medicine, Medical Oncology, Pathology, Radiology and others. Working
together, the team develops a personalized cancer treatment plan for each patient
designed to deliver the best outcomes.
• A lung cancer nurse navigator who facilitates care for each patient. She provides
patient education, coordinates appointments and provides additional emotional and
resource support throughout each patient's treatment journey.
• Our nationally recognized specialists have dedicated St. Joe's affiliated lung
cancer practices and are skilled and experienced in the latest cutting-edge
diagnostic and treatment technology.
• Superdimension Navigational Bronchoscopy System, Endobronchial Ultrasound
(EBUS) and Low-Dose Lung CT screening for the latest in detection, diagnosis and
staging, along with da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery.
• A Surgical Pavilion with modern surgical suites that offers the most up-to-date
technological advances in the area.
• Access to nearly 150 clinical trials through our Community Clinical Oncology
Program (CCOP), the same trials accessed by the Mayo Clinic. This means patients
can receive cutting-edge treatment while remaining right in our community.
• Access to educational information in our Cancer Resource and Support Center,
within the Alice Gustafson Center on the hospital campus.
• A Cancer Center that offers an environment of patient comfort and dignity in both
the physician office and the infusion center.
For more information on St. Joe's Lung Cancer Program, call Patti Moore, Lung Nurse
Navigator, at 248-858-3471.
When you're looking for the latest, comprehensive and compassionate lung
cancer care, come to St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, where our clinical outcomes speak
for themselves.
DiscoverRemarkable
1973890
46 November 26 2015
JN
Why is it important to be screened
or tested?
That's an individual decision. There is
no cure for dementia; however, there are
medications believed to slow down the
progression of the disease, which helps
people live with more mild to moderate
forms, rather than severe. With that in
mind, starting treatment as early as pos-
sible is important to help preserve cogni-
tive functioning.
How can I tell if my memory issues
are normal for someone my age or a
sign of dementia?
Have you ever walked out of a park-
ing lot and had to think for a moment
because you weren't sure where you had
parked your car? Or searched the house
because you couldn't find your keys?
Most of us have. We tend to joke about
losing our memories or getting older, but
the reality is that most of us lead busy
lives; we don't always pay enough atten-
tion to routine tasks and occasionally
have difficulty remembering where we
left our keys (or car). And that's perfectly
normal, especially as we age.
So how do you distinguish when your
level of forgetting is no longer what
would be considered normal? Generally
speaking, when memory loss or confu-
sion is severe enough to interfere with
someone's ability to work and maintain
a social life, it is no longer considered
normal age-related cognitive chang-
es. Instead, that's probably the time to
consult a neurologist or geriatrician for a
closer look.
But the fact that some of these things
occasionally happen to all of us, ironi-
cally, feeds denial, both on the part of the
person living with dementia and his or
her family members.
I have a family member just diag-
nosed with dementia and I am feeling
overwhelmed. What do I need to know?
As overwhelming as it can be in the
beginning, it is important to understand
that everyone's course of the disease is
individual because different parts of the
brain can be impacted by dementia. For
example, short-term memory may be
impaired, but judgment may still be
intact. Because impacted areas differ
from person to person, people with
dementia can have very different func-
tional abilities.
Unfortunately, this means that a
cookie-cutter approach won't work; ifs
important to avoid fast forwarding to
the worst-case scenario until you have
to. Someone who is diagnosed with
the early stages of dementia later in life
may never reach advanced stages of the
disease.
It's also a good idea to plan ahead.
Start by discussing with your loved one
their needs, plans and wishes, includ-
ing end-of-life care, advance directives,
hospice and funeral arrangements. Ifs
also a good idea to obtain Durable Power
of Attorney documents if they aren't
already available. Gathering telephone
numbers for doctors, lawyers, financial
advisers and having them all in one
place, along with copies of crucial docu-
ments such as wills, insurance policies,
tax returns, investments, bank accounts
and medical records, can make things
easier than searching frantically when
the need arises.
How can I plan a family celebration
to include a relative who has dementia?
A little advanced planning can make
a tremendous difference when including
a loved one with dementia in a family
celebration. Use these suggestions:
• Choose the time of day careful-
ly: Many people with Alzheimer's experi-
ence Sundowner's syndrome, meaning
they become less lucid later in the day
and into the evening. If this is true for
your relative, brunch would be a better
choice than dinner.
• Plan activities for every-
one: Singing songs from long ago is a
favorite pastime for many adults with
dementia. Pop in a CD and your loved
one might sing along! Or, if you've got
little ones who like to paint, have every-
one participate. People with Alzheimer's
or other forms of dementia often enjoy
painting. It's like riding a bike — people
never forget how. It also allows them to
tap into the creative side of their brain.
• Join in her reality: Oftentimes
people with dementia can become
agitated if they're challenged, and that
doesn't create a warm, celebratory feel-
ing. So if your family member thinks
she just got back from Europe, instead
of trying to tell her that was a long time
ago, ask what she liked best about her
trip. Joining in their reality enhances
your time together and provides reas-
surance.
• Use bright colors for decora-
tions: Brighter colors are easier for older
adults to see, so if you're picking up flow-
ers or balloons, choose bright, vibrant
colors. *
For more details or support, contact ElderCare
Solutions of Michigan, a Jewish Family Service
agency at www.eldercaresolutionsofmLorg or (248)
592-1944; or the Alzheimer's Association at www.
alz.org or its 24/7 Helpline at (800) 272-3900. Lynn
Breuer, MSW, is the 24/7 team leader and marketing
manager of ElderCare Solutions of Michigan.