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CARING IN DuPage
JULY 2019
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DRAWING THE SAME VALUABLE LESSONS FROM DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES Summer Jobs: Then and Now
I knew I wanted to be a nurse from a very young age. My mother worked as an activity director at a nursing home not too far from the house I grew up in, and, when I was 16, she helped me get a job there for the summer. I did all kinds of work there: laundry, housekeeping, working in the kitchen, you name it. None of it was too glamorous, but I really enjoyed working in that environment. That job removed any last doubts I had about going into nursing. I was lucky to get a summer job that prepared me for my career. Connecting with patients and their families, something I had the chance to do a lot at the nursing home, is still my favorite part of the job. While not every student will have the opportunity to get a summer job related to their desired career, every summer job comes with all sorts of learning opportunities. Whether you score that prestigious internship you’ve been thinking about all school year or end up slaving over a grill at a burger joint, every summer experience has value. Some of that value comes in the form of a paycheck. My parents didn’t give me any sort of allowance, so anytime I wanted to go out with friends or go shopping, that money came out of my paycheck. There’s a real satisfaction that comes with earning money I think some kids don’t get to experience today. Similarly, I think something missing in younger generations is the satisfaction that comes with working up through the ranks. The first job I had wasn’t what I envisioned for my career path, but it helped me to understand how crucial doing good work on menial tasks was to the people at the nursing home. Like I said, I did laundry, cleaned rooms,
and worked in the kitchen. I was okay with starting there, because I knew if I kept at it I would get the nursing career I wanted eventually.
Students’ summers look a lot different than they did when I was younger. My kids were forced to choose between having a summer job or making it to summer practices for the sports they played in the fall. You didn’t always have to
choose between one or the other. Even though student athletes might not be earning a paycheck, they can still use sports as a way to learn about responsibility and accountability. If you don’t show up for practice, you might not forfeit some pay, but you’ll have to sit out during the game. In team sports, every player has to cooperate and understand their role or the whole group suffers the consequences. Lessons learned in sports translate well to a work environment.
“WHETHER YOU SCORE THAT PRESTIGIOUS INTERNSHIP YOU’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT ALL SCHOOL YEAR OR END UP SLAVING OVER A GRILL AT A BURGER JOINT, EVERY SUMMER EXPERIENCE HAS VALUE.”
My summer job helped me develop cooperation, persistence, and listening skills I still use in my career today. While fewer kids might opt to work during the summer over their other activities, that doesn’t mean they have to opt out of learning life skills that could be crucial to career success. If your kids are working or playing sports, I encourage you to make sure they understand how each experience can benefit their future.
–Diane Thorson Director of Nursing & Compliance
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Everyone with a smartphone has heard time and time again that looking at your phone before bed is a bad idea. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “The use of electronic devices in the bedroom further disrupts the natural pattern of the sleep-wake cycle” primarily because of the blue light emitted from the screen. While most scientific data pertaining to sleep recommends you place your phone in another room overnight, those who toss and turn regardless of phone location might benefit from using technology rather than tucking it away. Here are three FREE sleep apps that might help you get to dreamland faster.
3 FREE APPS TO HELP YOU CATCH THOSE Z’S INSOMNIACS UNITE
Pzizz While there are many apps that claim to help people fall asleep quicker, very few are programmed to prevent sleepers from growing bored of the same monotonous soundtracks. Pzizz combines music, sound effects, and binaural beats, and an embedded algorithm generates a slightly different track each time you use it.
Snore Report
Many troubled sleepers who are able to fall asleep are jolted awake shortly afterward.
SHOWING OUR APPRECIATION FOR LIFECARE INNOVATIONS A Safer Community for Its Most Vulnerable Members
Have You Heard the Good News?
BrightStar Care of Central DuPage has had the pleasure of working alongside organizations in our area with similar missions and passions, and we think it's fitting to show our appreciation for the work of one of these organizations in particular: Lifecare Innovations. Lifecare Innovations serves people who, because of age, psychiatric conditions, or developmental disabilities, cannot manage day-to-day life on their own. They are made up of around 25 social workers with a wide variety of responsibilities, including coordinating care, managing health care issues, and arranging for support and services that contribute to safety and independence. In situations where there are no other candidates for the role, the staff members of Lifecare can also act as a power of attorney or a legal guardian. The expertise and collective knowledge of Lifecare’s highly experienced staff helps customize their approach to each individual’s specific needs and find solutions to a myriad of highly complicated problems.
BrightStar Care partners with Lifecare to provide nursing and non-medical care for some of their guardianship clients. Lifecare fills an increasingly necessary role in today’s society. The adult children of our aging clients often live far away and aren’t always available to provide their loved ones with support and guidance. They are relieved to know that a professional clinician can fill the role of caregiver to their parents or other elderly relatives. Ultimately, Lifecare’s services make the community safer for its most vulnerable neighbors. We at BrightStar Care of Central DuPage look forward to continuing our partnership. If you have questions or are interested in Lifecare Innovations, please contact Martha Kerns, Chief Marketing Officer at 630-953-2154.
Romans 15:13 — May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 10:13 — No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 — But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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The inability to stay asleep throughout the night can stem from a multitude of factors, but snoring tends to be the most common. The Snore Report app records through the night to detect any snoring sounds and then provides the user with an overview of the previous night’s recording, including an index to determine snore intensity. Using this app might not help you fall asleep faster, but it could offer helpful information about why you aren’t able to stay asleep. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock Instead of setting an alarm to jolt you out of sleep at a specific time, choose a window
Treating Skin Cancer
WITHOUT ANY INVASIVE BIOPSIES
of time to wake up with the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock. The app will sense your sleep movements and ring an alarm when you’re
Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed formof cancer in the world, with more cases occurring each year than all other cancers combined. The most dangerous formof skin cancer is melanoma, but evenmelanoma can be easily treated if detected early. For years, the only way to confirmwhether a patient hadmelanoma was for a dermatologist to take a skin sample to view under a microscope. Fortunately, over the past few years, a number of less invasive approaches have changed howwe diagnose melanoma. The MelaFind Optical Scanner Would you have thought missile navigation technology paid for by the Department of Defense could help in the fight against skin cancer? While it can’t provide a definitive diagnosis, the MelaFind Optical Scanner can still give doctors a better idea of whether a suspicious lookingmole would require a biopsy by matching it against a database of 10,000 digital images of melanoma skin disease. Unfortunately, this technology was discontinued in 2017 by Strata Skin Sciences, Inc. after they failed to see financial gains from the product. MultiphotonMicroscopy Fortunately, MelaFind was not the last noninvasive approach to detecting and diagnosingmelanoma. Instead of having to remove a skin sample from the patient, this multiphotonmicroscopy lets doctors examine a patient’s skin directly and determine whether it is cancerous withinminutes. The method observes a certainmolecule that provides useful information about the organization of skin cells through high-resolution images —all without actually sampling the patient’s skin. Reflectance Confocal Microscopy Reflectance Confocal Microscopy (RCM) was developed at around the same time as Multiphoton Microscopy. While RCM bears many similarities to Multiphoton Microscopy, RCM can help surgeons determine the borders of a malignant tumor in the event that it needs to be surgically removed. Even with all these technological leaps in the noninvasive detection and safe removal of melanoma, the ideal situation is to never have it in the first place. You can prevent skin cancer by protecting yourself fromharmful UV rays. Use plenty of sunscreen and stay in the shade when you can to limit your exposure to UV while still enjoying the summer.
in the lightest stage of sleep. This way, you’ll wake at the optimal time, feeling refreshed rather than groggy.
WATERMELON CUCUMBER SKEWERS Inspired by CookingLight.com
INGREDIENTS
• 1 medium-sized watermelon, cubed • 2 cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch rounds • 1 block feta cheese, cut into small cubes • 1 bunch fresh mint leaves • Salt, to taste
EQUIPMENT
• 1 packet of bamboo skewers
DIRECTIONS
1. Assemble skewers by placing one watermelon cube, one cucumber round, one feta cube, and one mint leaf on skewer in that order. Repeat until skewer is full.
2. Lightly season with salt and chill in fridge until right before serving.
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416 EAST ROOSEVELT ROAD, SUITE 105 ● WHEATON, IL 60187 630.260.5300 WWW.BRIGHTSTARCARE.COM/WHEATON
CARING IN DUPAGE SUBSCRIPTION
INSIDE
Summer Jobs: Then and Now 1 3 Free Apps to Help You Catch Those Z’s Appreciation for Lifecare Innovations 2 Watermelon Cucumber Skewers Noninvasive Methods of Melanoma Detection 3 4 Tips for Mental Acuity 4
If you know someone in need of home care or more e-learning materials, contact monica.labrot@brightstarcare.com.
GRAY MATTERS
4 Tips for Mental Acuity
Learn New Hobbies Do you want to reduce memory loss by 40–50%? Dan Buettner, a researcher and bestselling author on studies about happiness and longevity, suggests learning a new hobby. Whether you learn to knit, paint, or discover a new board game, you’ll enjoy improved mental health. Get your hands moving, and your mind will surely follow. (Note: Watching TV as a hobby doesn’t count! People who regularly watch TV may suffer up to 50% memory loss.) Socialize If you want to maintain mental health, make socializing a priority. Having an active social life increases your resistance
Everyone faces the prospect of growing older. When it comes to aging, people’s primary concerns include their changing appearance and aches and pains. But perhaps even more important is mental health. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your mind sharp as you age so you can enjoy your retirement. wellness in all its forms. A simple, light workout now and then not only maintains physical health but also boosts your mental well-being. A 5-mile walk once per week can increase brain volume and prevent mental diseases, including Alzheimer’s. It’s no wonder exercise is the go-to solution for maintaining wellness. Exercise Working out is inextricably tied to
to mental diseases and improves your mood. Furthermore, a healthy social network of friends and family (and we’re not talking Facebook here) gives you a support system to fall back on when times get tough. Take a Break Take a step back from your everyday life and enjoy the small things. Set aside time to sit down with a good book or another activity you enjoy. While on that 5-mile walk, why not take a few moments to slow down your pace and look at the world around you? As the famous saying goes, “Stop and smell the roses.”
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