We have started another new year in the midst of the SARS COV-2 pandemic. Many people feel frustrated, tired, stressed and really just want to 'get back to normal.' Many have found themselves facing new challenges with childcare, elder care or adult dependent care. The NIH Aging and Adult Dependent Care Committee (AADCC) has continued to search for ways to better support the NIH community in these areas.
The NIH AADCC starts the new year with two new Co-Chairs, Martina Lavrisha and Melissa Porter.
Martina Lavrisha, MSN, MPH, RN, PMH-BC –Martina has worked with the aging and developmentally disabled populations throughout her 30+ years as a nurse and uses her experience of community resources to coordinate and post on the Adult Care Support Listserv. She has been a voting member of the AADCC since 2018 and enjoys working with the diverse group of members who bring varied experiences to broaden the groups' perspective. Martina is currently a senior clinical research nurse in the clinical center and supports outpatient studies for NIMH and NCCIH.
Melissa Porter, M.Sc. – Melissa has worked at the NIH for 21 years, working in the clinical lab, research lab and administration. Melissa is currently the Director of Operations for the NCI, Center for Cancer Genomics. Melissa has three children, two who have special needs. She has a personal interest in adult dependent care and is always looking for ways to better support the NIH community who have or will have adult dependent care responsibilities. She has been a voting member of the NIH AADCC since 2019 and is currently a voting member of the NIH Childcare Board.
The AADCC would like to acknowledge Jill Bartholomew and Cooper McLendon for leading the AADCC as Co-Chairs for the past four years. Under Jill and Cooper's leadership the AADCC has improved communications with the NIH community utilizing the NIH Listserv adult-care-support@list.nih.gov, participating in various activities during Family Month, engaging with other stakeholder groups and other initiatives that have helped the NIH community learn more about some of the resources available to them. We thoroughly appreciate all the work they have done for the committee and are happy to have them continue to participate as voting members.
As we start off 2022, here are some heart healthy tips from NHLBI and NIA to keep you in the best form possible. Ways to improve one's health include getting good quality sleep, regular physical exercise, maintain a healthy weight, manage stress and choose heart healthy foods. Adopt one tip at a time to your current routine to increase the likelihood of maintaining the change. More information can be found at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/heart-healthy-living or https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep#good.
Below are some tips from these websites.
· Sleep can become less predictable and less deep as one ages with awakenings in the middle of the night and difficulty falling back asleep. Ways to improve one's sleep include:
· Avoid large meals shortly before bedtime. A light bedtime snack may be helpful. Many people find that warm milk increases sleepiness. A warm bath can also induce a more relaxed state. Avoid stimulants such as caffeine for at least 3 or 4 hours before bed. Practice deep breathing to promote relaxation and distract yourself from your thoughts (4 count as you breathe in through your nose, hold for 7 and 8 count as you breathe out through your mouth). Decrease exercise within 3 hours of your bedtime.
Find an exercise that brings you joy whether it be dancing or walking with coworkers or friends. Start with a realistic goal of 5 minutes and add on as you incorporate the exercise to your daily routine. Some real benefits of exercise include:
- Keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent
- Have more energy to do the things you want to do and reduce fatigue
- Improve your balance and lower risk of falls and injuries from falls
- Manage and prevent some diseases like arthritis, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and 8 types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer
- Reduce anxiety, improve mood
Maintain a heart healthy weight by limiting portion size, picking healthy snacks and reducing your salt intake. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/maintaining-healthy-weight For food choices and recipes please refer to the link to learn more about the DASH diet which is a Mediterranean based diet (vegetables, fish, olive oil, whole grains). https://healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov/ Make changes slowly to your current routine for the best success. Consider adding a vegetable to lunch or dinner or grab carrots or celery for a snack while driving. Eat a piece of fruit instead of the cookie you may be craving. You may opt to substitute fish instead of meat another week. It is important to stay hydrated especially while wearing masks so drink 4-8 ounces of fluid instead of a snack as it may be your body is telling you it is thirsty rather than hungry. By making these small changes you are giving your heart and body the tune up it needs for the best you in 2022.
