Tag Archives for M.D.

If you want a friend in Washington, get a furry friend 

Published in RINewsToday on August 5, 2024

With an increasing number of adults reporting a decrease in the number of close friends, the old adage, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog,” might also be applicable outside the Beltway.  This companionship can also boost your physical and mental health. Your furry friends’ capacity for unconditional love enables them to share our lives’ highs and lows.

The powerful bond of owning a pet

According to the findings of an American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly poll released jointly with the American Veterinary Medical Association, pets offer mental support to their owners.

Among the many mental health benefits of pets, nearly two-thirds of pet owners say that their animals offer companionship (65%), are a true friend (65%) and provide unconditional love and support (64%), the survey finds.  Eighty-four percent of pet owners say that their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health, similar to the findings of last year’s polling on the same topic. The poll was of 2,200 adults, done by Morning Consult.

“It’s easy to overlook the role of pets when we’re talking about mental health,” said APA President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A, in a March statement announcing the survey results.  “But for people who do enjoy the company of animals, they can be a source of companionship, comfort, love, and friendship. I routinely encourage adoption of a pet to my patients who struggle with addiction to alcohol, drugs, or technology. We’re also starting to see more and more research around the role that animals can play in recovery from depression and other psychiatric disorders,” he says.

“As veterinarians, we witness firsthand the powerful bond between people and their animals, and the positive impact pets can have on their emotional well-being,” adds AVMA President Rena Carlson, D.V.M. “From offering companionship and unconditional love to reducing stress and anxiety, pets can be invaluable sources of comfort and support. These survey results further reinforce the importance of responsible pet ownership and the critical role pets play in our lives,” she says.”

Positive impacts of pet ownership

Sixty-two percent of the survey’s respondents say that pets provide a calming presence and also help reduce their stress and anxiety.  Thirty-five percent note that their pet encourages them to be more physically active, too.  The findings note that owning a pet adds structure to a respondent’s schedule and can even increase social connections with others (19%).

While the mental health benefits are widespread, Americans did express some worries about their furry, feathered, or scaly companions. Among their top concerns: 76% were concerned about a pet aging or passing away, 67% reported worrying about their pet’s health conditions, and 67% worried about their care when traveling.

Among all survey respondents, 72% reported having pets at home — 52% had dogs, 37% had cats, 7% had fish, 4% had birds, and less than 3% had turtles, chickens, horses, snakes, lizards, rabbits, guinea pigs, or hamsters. One in five (18%) of those with pets said one or more of their pets was certified as an emotional support animal.

Among all respondents, 44% described themselves as dog people, 15% were cat people, 30% described themselves as both, and 10% were neither. Dog (85%) and cat (86%) owners, as well as those who indicated they are owners of emotional support animals (88%) were all more likely to say their pet had a mostly positive impact on their mental health than those with other companion animals (55%).

According to a July 2023 Pew Research Center study, we also view our pets are family members as well. Sixty-two percent own pet, including about a third (35%) owning more than one.  The study found that 97% of pet owners viewed their pets a furry family member. And  most pet owners view their pets as much a part of their family as human member.   

On a personal level…

The research findings are right on about the multitude of benefits of owning a pet. My five-year old chocolate lab, Molly, keeps me on my toes, literally, with multiple daily short walks around the block, usually ending with a two-mile walk (almost 8,000 steps).  She gets me out at night to exercise and my walking is good for my heart health, maintaining my weight, lowering my blood pressure, and keeping my diabetes in check.  It even helps to lower my stress levels.

Like many pet owners, Molly is considered a family member in my household, and most certainly my good furry friend.  Being 70-years old, I see my social network shrinking, as friends pass away, retire and relocate to be closer to their families. Yes, like many, I might be able to count the number of close friends on one hand.  But Molly is always there for me, waiting at the door when I return from work or running an errand.

Yes, in Washington or outside the Beltway, if you want a friend, get a dog (or even a cat, bird or hamster).  Pets can become a protective buffers against physical and mental disorders and life stressors.

Seniors say they hesitate to mix healthcare and matters of faith

Published in RINewsToday on December 26, 2022

When it comes to matters of one’s personal beliefs, most seniors choose to keep their health care and their spiritual or religious lives separate, a new University of Michigan poll finds. But they do see a role for their health care providers in assisting them to cope with illness by looking for meaning or hope.

The National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA) is based at the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) and supported by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center.

For this new NPHA report, the poll team worked with Adam Marks, M.D., M.P.H., a hospice and palliative care physician at Michigan Medicine, and L.J. Brazier, M.Div., a chaplain at Michigan Medicine’s Department of Spiritual Care.

The poll report is based on findings from a nationally representative survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for IHPI and administered online and via phone in July 2022 among 2,163 adults, aged 50 to 80. The sample was subsequently weighted to reflect the U.S. population. 

Religious and Spiritual Beliefs and Health Care Decisions

According to new data from the National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA), released on Dec. 12, 84% of people between the ages of 50 and 80 say that they have religious and/or spiritual beliefs that are somewhat, or very important to them, including 71% who cited religious beliefs and 80% who cited spiritual beliefs.  About 40% of these older adults say those beliefs have gotten more important to them as they grow older. 

NPHA’s poll findings indicate that women were more likely than men (63% vs. 46%) to report that religious or spiritual believes were important, as those living in the South and Midwest (61% and 59%) compared to those in the West and Northeast (51% and 43%).

In addition, the researchers found that older adults with lower levels of education were also more likely to report religious and spiritual believes as being very important (61% high school or less, 56% some college, 47% bachelor’s degree or higher), as were those with annual household incomes less than $100,000 compared to those with $100,000 or more (59% vs. 43%).

Among older adults with religious or spiritual beliefs that are important to them, 19% say their beliefs have influenced their health care decisions, and 28% say they want health care providers to ask them about their beliefs, note the researchers.

Meanwhile, 77% of all older adults, regardless of beliefs, say health care providers should keep their own personal beliefs separate from how they deliver care.

“While 45% of older adults say their religious beliefs are very important to them, and 50% say that about their spiritual beliefs, even this group largely wants to keep this aspect of their lives separate from their health care,” says Marks, an associate professor of geriatric and palliative medicine, in a Dec. 12 statement announcing the poll’s findings.

“But a sizable majority of all older adults – whether or not they say belief is important to them – reported that they’d turn to health care workers to help them find deeper meaning in their illness, and 78% believe health care workers will help them find hope when they’re having a health-related challenge,” he adds.

According to Brazier, many health care systems have a way to record the religious affiliation of patients in their electronic medical records, and that medical students and others training for health professions are told to ask their patients about any beliefs that might affect their future care.  Having this information available can help providers ensure that patients with strongly held beliefs or specific religious affiliations receive everything from appropriate hospital food to visits with chaplains of a specific faith tradition when they’re having a health crisis or nearing the end of life. 

But for those who do not follow a faith tradition or have strongly held beliefs, having that information available to health providers can also be helpful, says Brazier.

“Being a religious or spiritual person, or not following a faith tradition or spiritual practices, is a highly personal matter,” notes poll director Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., an associate professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine and physician and researcher at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. “So perhaps it’s not surprising that only about a quarter of all people in this age range say they’ve talked about their beliefs with a health care provider, though this rose to about one-third of those who say their religious or spiritual beliefs are very important to them.”  In all, 70% of those who say their beliefs are somewhat or very important to them reported feeling comfortable discussing their beliefs with their health care providers, he says.

Researchers say that even if patients don’t want to discuss their beliefs with their health providers at a typical appointment, it’s important for providers to know if patients with significant health needs, or those experiencing a health crisis, are connected to a faith community that can help provide support. 

In all, 65% of the older adults whose religious or spiritual beliefs are important to them said they belong to a community of people who share their beliefs. 

My Say…

Kathryne Fassbender, Founder and Executive Director of the Hem of Christ: A Dementia Care Ministry, notes that she has never met anyone in her 15 years of work in the field of aging who has wanted to keep their health care and spiritual/religious life separate as the NPHA study states. “What I have found is hesitancy to bring up faith with health care professionals both in physical and mental health care,” she says.

“As Catholics, our health care is woven into how we live our faith, and we wish to have the care we receive be in line with the teachings of the Church. In all honesty, it is increasingly difficult to find doctors who will respect that wish, which opens up a much broader topic of discussion,” she notes. “This hesitancy is across generations, so even care partners for older adults are not always as forthcoming with information regarding faith and health for fear of losing a current healthcare team,” Fassbender observes.

“While the number of doctors who would dismiss someone as a patient because of one’s wishes to keep with the teachings of the Catholic faith in the care they receive is small, the fear is there and it does happen,” says Fassbender, noting that the current medical and social landscape magnifies this fear. “The hostility toward religion and in particular the Catholic Church has a greater impact than I think we understand sometimes,” she warns.

Fassbender says that while it can be helpful to know the personal beliefs of our care providers, it is more important that the doctor, nurse, and therapist, respect our faith. “I know some great care providers who are deeply atheist, yet when they work with their clients of deep faith, they don’t allow their personal beliefs to influence care in any way. They instead assist their client in living out their faith traditions,” she says, stressing that this is what we all seek.

“While I may question some of the findings of this research, I see the findings as a call for care providers to increase seeking to help people of all ages, and all beliefs to live their purpose until their final breath,” says Fassbender.

Fassbender adds: “We must never dismiss one’s faith, regardless of their physical or neuro-cognitive abilities, and most certainly one’s age. I see this study as an invitation to crack open this conversation and allow the hostility, misunderstandings, and fears regarding faith and health to be overcome by the pursuit of care for the human person, fully who they are, what they seek, and how they wish to live life until the final breath.”  

The Hem of Christ started when the time was taken to pause and hear that still, small voice. After years of witnessing how a person’s faith can be diminished simply because of a dementia diagnosis or because someone put their life on hold to care for a loved one, Kate decided that it was time to formalize the small ministry work she had been doing for almost a decade.  Kate answered the call to formalize and set a path for others to walk down, reaching for the hem of Christ. 

NPHA Poll Puts Spotlight on Health Care and Aging Issues

The National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA) is a recurring, nationally representative household survey. By understanding the perspectives of older adults, the NPHA provides information to the public, health care providers, policymakers, and aging advocates on issues related to health, health care and health policy affecting U.S. adults ages 50 to 80 and their families.

Launched in spring 2017, the NPHA grew out of a strong interest in aging-related issues among members of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) bringing together more than 600 faculty members  who study health, health care and the impacts of health policy. In addition to IHPI, the poll receives support from AARP and Michigan Medicine, AARP and U-M’s academic medical center.

The NPHA results can put a spotlight on future research needs and to create an informed national dialogue on poll issues examined. 

Don’t Drop Your Guard Against COVID, Flu, and RSV

Published in RINewsToday on December 12, 2022

COVID 19 cases across the nation are fewer in number than this time last year. But health care experts say that the Covid-19 is here to stay.

A new poll released by the Washington, DC-based American Psychiatric Association (APA), the nation’s oldest medical association, shows that while nearly a third of Americans report that while they anticipate being more stressed out this holiday season than last year, they are less worried about spreading or contracting COVID at a festive family gathering. Researchers say the findings, reported in the Dec. 2022 Healthy Minds Monthly Poll, reported they were more worried about affording holiday gifts. The APA’s study was conducted online by Morning Consult from Nov. 9-14, 2022, among 2,209 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Holiday Worries, Less Concern about COVID Pandemic  

According to the poll’s findings, 31% of adults say they expect to feel more stressed this upcoming holiday season compared to last. This is an increase of 9 percentage points since 2021. Potential drivers of holiday stress include worries like affording holiday gifts (50%) and meals (39%) and finding and securing holiday gifts (37%). Younger adults and those making less than $50,000 are more likely to worry about affording the holidays, say the researchers.

Compared to 2021, adults are less worried this holiday season about spreading (35% in 2021 versus 25% in 2022) or contracting (38% in 2021 versus 26% in 2022) COVID-19 at a holiday gathering, noted the researchers. Adults are also less worried about spending time with family who have different views about COVID-19 (30% in 2021 versus 18% in 2022),” they say.

“This is a busy time of year for many people, and it’s common to put a lot of expectations on ourselves during the holidays,” said APA President Rebecca W. Brendel, M.D., J.D in a Dec. 1st statement announcing the study’s findings. “We can all benefit by enjoying moments that bring meaning and belonging, but those times are different for each of us. It’s also okay to opt out of some or all events if they bring more stress or distress than joy. There is no one right way to spend the holiday time of year,” she said.

On the positive side, the researchers added, “the plurality of adults (47%) say they are most looking forward to seeing family and friends this holiday season, of the options tested. That varied by age: Older adults (45-64: 50%, 65+: 63%) are more likely than younger adults (18-34: 37%, 35-44: 36%) to say so. A fifth of American adults (21%) said they were most looking forward to eating good food.”

The researchers noted that parents (39%) are more likely than non-parents (27%) to say they anticipate experiencing more stress this holiday season compared to last year. “Young adults and Democrats are more likely to worry about discussing politics and spending time with family with different viewpoints about COVID-19 during the holidays,” they say.

“While Americans are looking forward to seeing family this year, it’s important to remain vigilant about COVID-19, the flu and RSV,” warns APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A. “We are in a different situation than in 2020 or even 2021, but it’s still important to take precautions and stay home if you are sick,” she said.

Beware of the “Tripledemic”  

 With the Christmas holidays just weeks away, older adults must now not let their guard down about protecting themselves against a “tripledemic” of COVID, flu and RSV, says Nick Landekic, a retired scientist and biotechnology entrepreneur who is a contributor to RINewsToday. 

“COVID is now a pandemic of older people,” warns Landekic in a Dec. 9 article in the state-wide news blog. “With the year-end holidays upon us and infection rates rising across the country, the stark new reality is COVID is now a pandemic of older people,” he says.

“Right now, is a particularly risky time with a ‘tripledemic’ of COVID, flu, and RSV, with almost the entire country at ‘high’ or ‘very high’ levels of infection. Hospitalizations and deaths are both up sharply over the past two weeks, with deaths increasing as well,” says Landekic.

According to Landekic, the most accurate predictor of ending up hospitalized or dying from COVID is age. “Older people are thousands of times more likely to die of infection than younger persons,” he says, noting that the statistics bear this out. “Ninety percent of COVID deaths are now among those over 65. Over 300 Americans continue to die of COVID every day, and nearly 1,000 just on December 7 – a rate of over 100,000 a year – and most of them are over 65,” he says.

(COVID is now a pandemic of older people – Nick Landekic: https://rinewstoday.com/covid-is-now-a-pandemic-of-older-people-nick-landekic)

“You don’t want to get sick from one of these viral  infections and miss visiting with family and friends during the Christmas and New Year holidays, says Michael Fine, MD, author and chief health strategist for the City of Central Falls, adding that  “we’re in a “tripledemic” of COVID, flu and RSV (filling the nation’s pediatric hospitals). “It’s the worst flu year we’ve seen in recent memory,” he says, noting that “it has come early and hit hard.”

Dodging the Bullet 

During the upcoming holidays, Fine says it is easy to protect yourself against the “tripledemic” to prevent infection.  He recommends the importance of getting a bivalent COVID booster  if you haven’t had a booster during the last four months.

“You want to be extra careful two weeks before attending holiday gatherings,” says Fine, a family physician who contributes on health and medical issues (as well as short stories) for RINewsToday and is the former Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.  Specifically, wear masks in stores and avoid restaurants and bars for about two weeks before a gathering or planned travel. “I don’t think many are eating outside at this point,” he quips.

“Wearing a mask in an airport terminal is important when traveling to family gatherings,” says Fine.  While there is good air infiltration in the air, it is not so in terminals, he adds.

When attending a holiday gathering with multiple households, it is a very good idea for everyone attending to take a COVID 19 home test. “It is not perfect but better than nothing,” says Fine.

“Those who have not been vaccinated yet, you still have time to do so before attending those holiday gatherings,” says Fine

Fine believes that people who haven’t yet been vaccinated can take comfort from the last two years and our now extensive experience with the vaccine. “We have two years of experience with the vaccine with billions being vaccinated.  We haven’t seen any substantial programs. It’s now the best tested vaccine in history,” notes Fine.