Stay Healthy

BEFORE MAKING THE COMMITMENT, GET TO KNOW YOUR HOSPICE CARE.

Families sometimes don’t recognize that they can choose among hospices. Why is this so important?

The U.S. hospice industry has changed dramatically in the past two decades because of the growth of for-profit hospices. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports 66 percent of hospices held for-profit status in 2013, an increase of 15 percent from the 51 percent reported in 2011. 

After Jeffrey Newton’s tragic death, Audi of Hilton Head gives back in his honor.

As he did every morning, 30-year-old Jeffrey Newton arrived at Audi Hilton Head on Aug. 26 and said “hello” to everyone in the dealership. An hour later, he fell to the showroom floor and began to seize. His colleagues called 911. The paramedics arrived just a few minutes later, but Newton was taking his last breath. 

PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE DOGS HELPING VETERANS WITH PTSD

Psychiatric service dogs can be powerful allies for recent veterans recovering from the traumatic effects of war.

“There isn't enough medicine in the world to make myself or other veterans feel as safe as we do with our four-legged battle buddies,” said veteran Zachary Pennington, who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and is recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Sometimes human beings can't heal what dogs can.”

TOSSING AND TURNING AT NIGHT? SLEEP DISORDERS CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOUR OVERALL HEALTH, BUT THEY ARE TREATABLE.

Have you ever had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or getting restful sleep even though you had the opportunity? Sluggish and irritable insomniacs understand all too well that problems with sleep can affect your work and family life, make you grumpy and just make you feel yucky all day.

Insomnia begins as an acute condition but quickly can become chronic and often debilitating. Those with insomnia typically complain or grumble about their quality of sleep. Many report an inconsistent duration of sleep. Often, they feel like they don't sleep at all or that their sleep is light and not restful. Some may find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.

The new fall clothes and sneakers have been purchased, notebooks have been organized and kids throughout the region have settled into what families hope will be a successful new school year. However, according to the latest statistics, one in five children ages 13 to 18, or 20 percent of youth in this age group, have or will have a serious mental illness — causing significant functional impairment in their day-to-day lives in school, at home and with peers.  Childhood mental disorders include a range of disorders that can be diagnosed and begin in childhood, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, behavior disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders and substance use disorders, among others.     

In honor of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the 30th anniversary of Monthly, we offer 30 facts and tips to increase breast cancer awareness:

Memory Matters is a nonprofit organization that ensures that even those dealing with memory loss feel safe in the community going about their everyday lives. As part of its efforts, it is working with area businesses and organizations to spread awareness.

The nonprofit group launched its Purple Angel Project in January, and has already trained 650 employees at more than 30 Hilton Head Island businesses to recognize the signs of dementia, as well as how to help someone who is suffering from dementia and memory loss — skills that will be invaluable on Hilton Head, where the latest U.S. Census showed that 68 percent of island residents are older than 65.

WHEN TEAM HAPPY FEET SETS OFF AT THIS YEAR’S LOCO MOTION, THEY’LL HAVE PLENTY TO BE HAPPY ABOUT.

Carolyn Neely is smiling. She is ordering lunch at Bluffton’s Corner Perk, the late summer heat ruling out a coffee and casting pearls of condensation on her water glass. Along May River Road, cars are rumbling along. And Carolyn Neely is happy.

Happy because she can call herself a survivor, smiling because she knows all too well how much the deck was stacked against her.

In his best-selling book “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End,” Atul Gawande tells a story about a maverick geriatric doctor, Bill Thomas, who takes a job in a New York nursing home and decides to combat what he calls the three plagues: hopelessness, helplessness, and boredom.

Breaking all the rules, Thomas brings in dogs and cats and 100 parakeets and gives the animals and birds to residents, telling them to take care of them as their own.