GO Rehab Rocks

The GO™ Rehab Program offers a sweeping new approach that is redefining the rehab experience. The results are clear: It makes rehab more efficient and effective—as well as more comfortable and convenient.

And there are numbers to back that up. UDSMR data confirms that the GO Rehab Program is in the top 5% nationwide for successful rehabs. That’s big news! UDSMR is an independent, not-for-profit organization affiliated with the University at Buffalo‚ State University of New York.

The whole point is to improve clinical outcomes and to enhance the resident experience—and GO is right on point. GO Program clients are overjoyed to have access to an attending physician 5 days a week, to a registered nurse 24/7, and to the Program’s cutting-edge equipment, like the Jintronix biofeedback system.

They all love the private and semi-private rooms, the smart TVs, Netflix, branded coffee, Chromebooks, and a full menu of healthy food choices. Most of all, they rave about the speedy recoveries, getting them back to their lives ASAP.

The GO Rehab Program is a win-win-win: Hospitals, medical personnel, and the clients themselves—everyone wins!

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing With 5 Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas

With COVID-related restrictions in the rear-view mirror, we are again able to safely celebrate holidays, and what is higher on the list than Mother’s Day?

Taking mom out for a decadent brunch is a popular favorite, but if you’d like to bring the brunch into your kitchen this year, we have some great ideas for the menu.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has a look at five Mother’s Day brunch ideas.

1. Savory French Toast Sandwich

Combine breakfast and lunch in one dish for your brunch. Take slices of brioche and coat them in panko after dipping them in the batter. In between, layer ham and Swiss cheese and a mustard aioli to dip.

2. Dessert French Toast

In another twist to this breakfast classic, instead of brioche, use pound cake or marble cake. Top the treat with whipped cream and chocolate sauce or fresh berries.

3. Breakfast Tacos

Combine more elements of breakfast and lunch with breakfast tacos, which is a great idea to serve a large family. Heat up some hard or soft tortillas (or both!), and then cook scrambled eggs, dice up bacon or chorizo, and add bowls of salsa, cheese, and jalapenos on the side. Serve with refried beans or fried potatoes.

4. Smoked Salmon Omelet

This is a delicious dish that’s easy to make. Add slices of smoked salmon once you have your egg ready to fold, and add feta and fresh chives for a tasty, healthy Mediterranean-inspired dish.

5. Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Skip the buttermilk and use Greek yogurt instead. Not only is it a healthier alternative—especially if you use whole wheat flour—but the Greek yogurt will give the pancakes a wonderfully fluffy texture.

 

To learn more about Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://ellicott-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

Campaign: Care that Moves You

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing With 5 Things to Stop Spending Money on This Year

Towards the beginning of a new year, it’s common for people to rethink their budget and review their spending practices. The effort to try and save money can be never-ending, but there’s always places to trim from your budget, especially this year, given that inflation rose more throughout 2021 than it had in nearly 40 years.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has seven things that you can trim or remove from your budget entirely as you look to save money or try to save up for a vacation or new expenditure.

1. Switch to Generic Products

This isn’t a new idea, but just a reminder that generic (or store-brand) products are not only essentially the same as their name-brand counterpart, but it can sometimes be the same product but just with a different label.

2. Membership Plans

Now is a great time to take inventory of your membership plans to see if you’re getting your money’s worth. One popular one that people end up not using very often is a gym membership. And you may be able to use free cardio like walking, using some home weights, and free streaming workouts to be able to satisfy your fitness needs at home.

3. Security System

If you have a security system that’s more than 10 years old, chances are you’re overpaying. Those old, wired systems have been replaced by wireless options that are much more budget-friendly. Solid, basic monitoring can be had for as little as $15 per month, or you can scrap the monitoring entirely by installing doorbell cameras and other smart cameras around your home.

4. Books and Magazines

Online services and devices like Kindle surged during the pandemic, as people purchased digital books, but did you know that your local library likely offers electronic versions of their books to checkout? If you prefer the physical copy, most libraries can also have books checked out online and then be picked up curbside at your local branch.

5. Bags

From grocery bags (which many states and cities are charging people for now) to storage bags, replace your one-time bags with reusable bags for the store and plastic storage containers for leftovers and items in the pantry that you may have previously used Ziploc bags for.

 

To learn more about Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://buffalo-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing With 4 Potential Dangers of Visceral Fat

You may not realize it, but there are two kinds of fat in the body. The first is subcutaneous fat, which is the jiggly fat under the skin that you can grab and pinch. The second kind, which is more dangerous to our health, is visceral fat.

Visceral fat, which includes belly fat, can surround organs inside your body and keep things like the heart, stomach, liver, and intestines from working as they should by releasing toxins into the bloodstream.

In addition to belly fat, Suffolk Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has a look at four dangers of visceral fat.

1. Heart Disease

Studies have found that there’s a greater risk of a heart attack in people who have a normal body-mass index (BMI) but carry belly fat. In addition, a separate study found that women who had excess belly fat were up to a 20% greater risk of a heart attack than women who were heavier overall but didn’t have as much belly fat.

2. Cancer

It’s believed that excess visceral fat leads to a higher risk of several different cancers in the core of the body, including colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer (especially in post-menopausal women), and uterine cancer.

3. Liver Disorders

Fatty liver disease is on the rise as the United States deals with more obesity among its population, and visceral fat is likely to blame. This occurs when too much fat builds in the liver, leading to cirrhosis, cancer, or even liver failure.

4. Kidney Damage

Like heart disease, people who are at a normal weight but contain extra fat around the belly have higher blood pressure in their kidneys, which can eventually damage blood vessels in them and eventually limit its ability to filter toxins in the bloodstream.

 

To learn more about Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://ellicott-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing With 3 Steps to Take to Increase Your Online Security Efforts

With just about every service now available online, it’s increased the amount of sensitive information that’s in cyberspace about you. Not to mention, so many people share their name, hometown, and other personal details on social media networks.

Due to that, there’s a vast amount of sensitive information that can be stolen through hacked passwords.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has a look at three things you can do to protect you and your information online.

1. Keep a List of Your Accounts

There’s a good chance you’ve forgotten about some of the accounts you’ve signed up for. If you haven’t deleted them, go through your email and try and see which sites you hold accounts at. If you’re not using them anymore, unsubscribe or delete your account.

Another good way to discover the people who have your email address is to check your spam or production folder. Every email you get from a retailer, a restaurant, or other business has your email from something that you signed up for or purchased something from. Go to the bottom of those emails and click the link to unsubscribe.

2. Upgrade Your Passwords

While it might be a hassle, try not to use the same password twice. That’s because if hackers get access to one account, they will use that email and password combination on other sites. You should use strong passwords containing numbers and symbols along with letters, and keep them written down (by hand, not on a computer file) in a safe place.

3. Change Passwords Regularly

It’s recommended by cybersecurity experts to change all of your passwords once a year—and perhaps every six months for more sensitive accounts related to banking and healthcare. And be sure to update your password journal with the new information while destroying the old pages.

 

To learn more about Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://ellicott-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing on the Importance of Vitamin D

You’ve probably heard of getting vitamin D through sunshine, which is true, but are you aware of all the ways that this vitamin helps your body?

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has a look at the ways vitamin D helps your body function and what the best ways are to make sure you’re getting enough.

Benefits of Vitamin D

One of the most vital things vitamin D does is that it allows your body to better absorb calcium, which is the mineral that makes up your bones. Without enough vitamin D, bones become brittle, thin, and subject to breaks. It’s vital to help prevent osteoporosis in older adults.

There are other key functions of vitamin D, however, besides calcium absorption. Our nerves need it to carry messages from the brain to other parts of the body, and it’s also key for a well-functioning immune system and helps reduce overall inflammation, which also promotes overall health.

How to Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D

For most men and women, 15mcg (600 IU) of vitamin D per day is the recommended standard. It’s a bit more difficult than other vitamins to get it naturally, so supplement use is quite normal, as studies show nearly 20% of Americans take one.

The best food-related sources of vitamin D are fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel) and fish liver oils. A smaller amount is found in egg yolks and cheese. Beverages like milk are fortified in vitamin D, and plant milk alternatives are also usually fortified as well.

Finally, the sun does play a part, as your body produces vitamin D as part of a chemical reaction that occurs when sunlight hits your skin. Experts say that only around 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure in the late morning or around noon three times per week is enough to keep you at a healthy vitamin D level.

To learn more about Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://ellicott-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing With 4 Tips to Help Prevent Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions to afflict seniors. Statistics show that around one-third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have some form of hearing loss, while that number raises to one-half at age 75 and older.

This is a natural occurrence as we age, but there are external factors that can also harm our ears and lead to hearing loss.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has a look at four ways to help prevent hearing loss.

1. Avoid Loud Noises

This is common sense, but it can be harder than it seems to prevent from happening. Noise from lawn mowers, snowmobiles, motorcycles, leaf blowers, and power tools can all damage hearing—it’s recommended to wear ear protection while engaging in these activities. In addition to obvious high-decibel events like concerts and jet engines, the increase in the use of headphones and ear buds through tablets and smartphones can also contribute to hearing loss if the volume is too loud.

2. Use Proper Hygiene

If you’re having problems with ear wax stuck in the ear canal, do not stick a cotton swab that far in to remove it; your doctor can do so safely. The pressure changes during air travel can also harm your ears. Swallow, yawn, and chew gum during takeoff and landing to help, and you can also take a decongestant or use nasal spray to help with symptoms.

3. Watch for Certain Medical Conditions

Your inner ear is very sensitive, so anything that causes circulation problems can affect your hearing. Conditions include diabetes, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and heart disease.

4. Check Medication Side Effects

Large doses of aspirin can cause temporary hearing issues, and some diuretics can also have an impact on your ears. If you’re experiencing issues, you’ll want to talk to your doctor about any medication that might be causing problems.

 

To learn more about Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://ellicott-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing With 4 Tips to Overcome Sleep Anxiety

Sleep anxiety is a term for that feeling many of us know very well—you’ve had a rough couple of nights of sleep and you’re so worried about falling asleep, that it inhibits your ability to do so even further. That’s sleep anxiety, which can make insomnia even more of an issue than it already is for millions of Americans.

In order to kick sleep anxiety out of the space that it’s renting in your head, Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has four tips on how to cope with this condition.

1. Stop Reading About Sleep

If you’re worried about your lack of sleep and end up turning to the internet for help, you will probably find articles discussing the importance of good sleep. Instead, trick your body into thinking that not getting enough sleep on a certain night isn’t that big of a deal by letting go of how you’re supposed to feel and even treat yourself with your favorite meal or something else you enjoy after a poor night’s sleep.

2. Don’t Feel the Need for Sleep

When you’re going to bed, don’t obsess over trying to get a full night’s sleep or a certain amount of hours of shut-eye. Try to think of it like this: if you get sleep, great; if not, no big deal. You already know you can function without sleep (Step 1), so worrying about sleep just makes things worse.

3. Don’t Try to Overcompensate for Sleep

If you don’t get much sleep the previous night, don’t go to bed early the next night. Try to maintain your routine, as that’s the best thing to do to establish good long-term sleep habits. Additionally, if you are suffering from some sort of insomnia, going to bed early might just increase the amount of time you’re lying in bed and not sleeping.

4. Spend Less Time in Bed

One popular technique that sleep experts use is called sleep restriction. The theory is that by reducing the amount of time you’re in bed, you will increase the percentage of time that you’re sleeping. If, for example, you’re sleeping for six hours but lying in bed for nine, go to bed six hours before you have to wake up. This may cause sleep anxiety to get worse for the first night or two, but studies show that usually by the third night, people fall asleep nearly immediately when going to bed. Once your mind starts to associate the bed with where you do sleep instead of toss and turn, then you can slowly increase your amount of time in bed.

 

To learn more about Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://ellicott-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing With 4 Foods That Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

Studies show that up to half of all Americans over the age of 50 have hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, which is defined as a systolic (top) number above 130 or a diastolic (bottom) number higher than 80. This increases the risk of heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. If you fall into this category, before you turn to medication, you may want to try lifestyle changes like increasing exercise and changing your diet. These simple changes can get you out of the danger zone when it comes to high blood pressure.

Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has four foods that can naturally lower your blood pressure.

1. Low-Fat Dairy Products

The key to lowering your blood pressure through food is with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. It’s lowe in sodium and high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein, and fiber. Low-fat dairy products, like yogurt, are a great way to cut down on fat in your diet while taking in calcium at the same time.

2. Bananas

Bananas are rich in fiber and potassium on their own, and they’re a great natural sweetener for smoothies and baked goods, so they can be a great way to cut down on sugar.

3. Blueberries

Blueberries are a superfood, meaning that they offer several health benefits. As an antioxidant, they can reduce inflammation, and the nitric oxide contained in them can help increase blood flow and lower blood pressure. Adding just an ounce of blueberries to your daily diet can make a difference.

4. Beets

These tasty root vegetables are also high in nitric oxide, and studies show that drinking beetroot juice regularly can lower your top blood pressure number by four or five points. Just look at the labels before you buy it to make sure there isn’t any added sugar.

To learn more about Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://ellicott-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org/.