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The things many would point to as indicators – youth, wealth, a fully capable body – fall short, says Charles Gourgey, a veteran hospice music therapist and author of Judeochristianity (www.judeochristianity.org), a book that explores the unifying faith elements of Judaism and Christianity.

“Youth is ephemeral, abundant wealth is for just a few, and we all experience some kind of disability, usually at several points in our lives,” he says. “A car accident, the loss of a job or a home, grief over a loved one’s dying: such things can happen to anyone and easily destroy our happiness.”

Gourgey says some of the greatest strength he’s ever seen was demonstrated by certain of his patients facing imminent death.

“Some people have complete love and grace when facing death – it’s how they’ve lived their lives, and at the end of their lives, it’s what supports them,” he says. “Those who, at the end, are peaceful, grateful and confident share some common characteristics.”

They are:

• Their love is non-self-interested. When we have awareness of and deepest respect and reverence for the individuality of others, we overcome the high walls of ego and experience a tremendous sense of freedom, says Gourgey. He says he continues to be inspired by patients who cared more for the well-being of others, including their fellow hospice patients, than themselves while facing their own mortality. Non-self-interested love – loving others for themselves without expecting or needing anything in return – is the greatest form of love, he says.

• They had an unwavering faith that transcended religious dogma. Faith is the knowledge that there is more to life than the apparent randomness of the material world; a sense that we are known to a greater reality and will return to that reality. No matter what their religion, the patients who were most at peace with their life’s journey were those who had faith in something higher than themselves. The problem with many concepts of faith, Gourgey continues, is that people attach specific doctrines to it, which means some people will always be excluded. A unifying faith – that all people are connected and love is the force that binds us – allows for trust, compassion and caring.

• They were motivated by an innate sense of what is good. They didn’t get mad at themselves; they didn’t beat themselves up for mistakes they might have made in the past. That’s because they were always guided by their sense of what is good, and they made their choices with that in mind. That did not prevent them from making some bad choices or mistakes over the course of their lives, Gourgey says. But when they erred, they addressed the problem with the same loving compassion they extended to others. “Their compassion overcame even any self-hate they may have experienced.”

Many patients left lasting impressions on Gourgey, and taught him valuable life lessons. He remembers one in particular.

“She was in hospice, a retired nurse who had developed a rare, incurable disease,” he recalls. “She would go around every day, checking to see what she could do for the other patients. She fetched blankets for a 104-year-old lady who always complained of cold feet. She sat with and listened to patients who needed company and someone to talk to. She had an attentive awareness about her, like she was fully in touch with her soul.”

Gourgey was with the woman when she died.

“She was radiant, she just glowed. She kept repeating how grateful she was for her life,” he says. “It was as if the life of love she’d lived was there to transport and support her at the end.”

About Charles “Carlos” Gourgey

Charles “Carlos” Gourgey, PhD, LCAT, MT-BC, is a board-certified and New York state-licensed music therapist. He has more than 20 years of experience working in hospices and nursing homes, and for 10 years was music therapist for Cabrini Hospice in New York City. He has published articles on psychology and religion in various journals.

Why is hospital discharge planning so important for a successful recovery? The following example is one of many that happen frequently in hospitals.

A patient had parathyroid surgery. The parathyroid gland regulates calcium in the blood. A known side effect of this surgery is hypocalcemia, low calcium level in the blood.

The patient was discharged from the hospital without calcium supplements or instructions on potential complications and symptoms if a low calcium level develops. She returned to the hospital emergency room when her calcium level caused severe hypocalcemia symptoms. She was given excessive daily dosages of calcium and remained in the hospital until her condition stabilized. She was discharged from the hospital. Similar to her first hospital discharge, she was not given instructions on potential side effects. More importantly, her increased daily dosage of calcium was not reduced upon discharge. She went home continuing to take excessive amounts of calcium for many weeks. She returned to the hospital again when the increased calcium levels caused hypercalcemia symptoms which included kidney damage and several of her teeth fell out!

75% of hospital readmissions are preventable. Most of these are drug events which are preventable. Unfortunately, there is a breakdown of communication between medical providers, home health staff, nursing homes, family members and the patient. Medicine reconciliation is critical when you are discharged from the hospital. Typically, when you are admitted to the hospital your prescription drugs will change based on what the hospital uses. It is important for your health safety to reconcile your medications upon discharge to ensure that duplication and adverse side effects do not occur.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recognizes this serious, yet common problem in hospitals and has addressed it by funding Project RED, Re-Engineered Discharge. Currently, approximately 250 hospitals are participating with more to follow. The program helps hospitals to educate patients on self-care and to improve hospital discharge communication to reduce overall hospital readmission. The program was initially developed by Boston University Medical Center to help solve their own discharge planning problems.

Common questions addressed in successful discharge planning include:

What should I eat?
What activities or foods should I avoid?
Where is my pharmacy?
What is my medical problem?
What are my medication allergies?
What medicines do I need to take? Why am I taking them? How much do I take?
How do I take this medicine?
When are my next appointments?
Questions for my next appointments

Remember, if you are a Medicare beneficiary and you do not feel that you are ready to be discharged or the post-discharge planning is not acceptable to you, you can appeal the decision. http://www.lifelongwellnessadvocates.com/are-you-being-discharged-from-the-hospital-too-soon/

Lifelong Wellness Advocates, LLC is an independent patient advocacy company that serves the Colorado and Rocky Mountain region. Mary Scroggin-Harris, company founder, helps individuals and their families to be proactive with their health planning and care. Lifelong Wellness Advocates consults and educates patients so they can make informed decisions about their health care. http://www.lifelongwellnessadvocates.com/

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Fortunately, they also have the fictional Dr. Gregory House, who makes up in diagnostic acumen what he lacks in charm and bedside manner.

Hugh Laurie’s acting talent isn’t the only reason the 2012 Guinness Book of Records ranks “House” the world’s most popular TV show. It’s as much because the premise is all too real, says Sean Belanger, CEO of CSDVRS, a national video relay services provider for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

“Many illnesses defy diagnosis and ingenious specialists are few and far between,” he says. “Which is why recent technological advances in video conferencing are so exciting. Telemedicine is not just about more convenient meetings – it’s about saving lives.”

Belanger’s corporation launched Stratus Video (www.stratusvideo.com) last year to focus on honing that technology. He understands the life-changing potential of high-quality, on-demand video conferencing – his company provides video-relayed deaf interpreting services to government agencies and businesses across the country, including the Social Security Administration, Boeing Corp. and Wal-Mart.

 “On-demand, high-definition mobile video conferencing solves life-or-death problems, like the hospital patient in Georgia who needs to be seen by the specialist at the Mayo Clinic – fast,” Belanger says. “To that end, we support video technology today for American Sign Language and Spanish, and provide language interpretation access for more than 180 spoken languages, all on a mobile device.”

Telemedicine is also used to bring doctors to far-flung rural communities; save travel time and money on consultations and team problem-solving; and even to have more experienced medical professionals offering guidance and instruction during procedures.

Observation and reliable connections are critical when video conferencing is used in these ways, Belanger notes. So continuing to refine and improve the tools will have far-reaching – and very personal – effects.

“Think about what happens when you go to the doctor. He or she looks down your throat, into your eyes and ears. What they see there gives them information about what’s wrong with you,” he says. “The better the video relay system, the more reliable and trusted telemedicine becomes and, who knows?, that could even lead to lower health insurance premiums.”

At the least, it ensures patients get all the medical whiz genius of a Gregory House – without the snark.

“Hey, with video conferencing,” Belanger says, “just hang up on him.”

“We all know we should make healthier choices,” Dr. Wright explains. “But we don’t necessarily make it a priority. Sometimes it feels like we can’t make it our first choice. Staying fit and eating well seems to fall through the cracks.” Moms and dads with hectic schedules are the norm right now; this pragmatic guide to good health is written especially for them. “We want to help them achieve their goal of staying fit without sacrificing work and personal goals.”

The secret is locked inside our brains, Dr. Wright says. “I wanted to explore the psychology of why we think about being healthier but don’t actually do it. To succeed, we have to completely change the way we think about food and the role exercise plays in our lives. Then you’re open for an ‘ah-ha’  moment: just as you shouldn’t start planning for retirement a mere five years before you stop working, you shouldn’t start living healthy only when something goes wrong.”

Dr. Wright’s long medical career is the background for the guide’s comprehensive overview on healthy living. From an explanation of fats and how they affect our bodies to a fascinating account of why Americans just can’t seem to put down the Twinkies, the truth about food is revealed and medical myths debunked. The financial advantages of physical fitness are outlined, and an affordable easy-to-follow fitness routine to use at home is included. “The rules we’ve developed work as personal mantras,” Dr. Wright continues. “Protecting your family and your own health are goals that should be taken to heart.”

Making The Wright Choice even more compelling are the testimonials included by Dr. Wright and his co-author. Ordinary people have found success in their health, diets and pocketbooks by following Dr. Wright’s simple regimen, including tasty, easy recipes. The Wright Choice: Your Family’s Prescription for Healthy Eating, Modern Fitness and Saving Money is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.

That means that more Americans than ever will also soon be deciding how to handle their eldercare. Steve Casto, Retirement Income Specialist and author ofIs Your Retirement Headed in the Right Direction?, (www.stevecasto.com), says there are important questions and answers to consider before making that critical decision.

“The key thing to balance is the difference between what you think you’ll need and what you can afford between your liquid assets and insurance coverage,” Casto said. “If you don’t start by asking yourself the right questions, you’ll never get to the answers that will lead to a successful long-term care plan.”

Here are some questions – and their answers:

Q. Should I opt for nursing-home or in-home care insurance?
A. When selecting insurance plans, protect against your worst risk first. In-home care is more about maintenance, while care outside the home is focused on crises. Home care is good for when a person needs help getting around. If he has a stroke, he’d need to be cared for outside the home initially, so there is a need for both.

Q. What should I select as my daily allowance?
A. If your health deteriorates, a daily allowance of $100 per day could cover all your care outside the home, but only a third of the care inside the home. Your home-care costs could rocket to more than $400 or more per day, so plan for the worst.

Q. What is an elimination period?
A. Sometimes referred to as the “waiting” or “qualifying” period, this refers to the length of time between the beginning of an injury or illness and receiving benefit payments from an insurer. With long-term care, the typical elimination period is 90 days, which means you are responsible for covering the first 90 days of care on your own. Most people believe that Medicare covers the first 90 days, which is dead wrong. It only covers it under certain conditions, and not all patients meet those conditions, which include:

o A nursing home stay that follows a three-day hospital stay
o Admission to a nursing home within 30 days of hospital discharge
o A Medicare-certified nursing home
o Physician-certified need for skilled care on a daily basis

Your best bet is to be insured through a long-term care policy for that first 90 days.

“These are just a few of the issues,” Casto says. “A good starting point for those planning early is to completely discount the idea of getting a dime from Medicare. Even if it is still around when you need long-term care, the restrictions on Medicare are tightening. You’ll be lucky to get the program to pay for 10 percent of a nursing home stay.

“The real answer is to get a solid long-term care insurance policy that is based on a sound plan.”

Get Ready for Allergy Season

If you don’t want to be stuck using anti-histamines all spring, consider some natural therapies. For instance, certain allergies are related to certain foods – by eliminating those foods, even hay fever can be eliminated. Cleansing, especially candida, liver or colon cleanses can also be very effective for allergy relief, as are homeopathics.

Consider Becoming an Early Bird

Studies have shown that people who wake up earlier are healthier than night owls who completely miss the morning light. Especially after our long winter with no light, it will do you good to take advantage of the early morning light and the vitamin D it gives. Vitamin D has been found (when paired with a healthy diet) to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer by two-thirds.

Get Dirty

This has a few different connotations – feel free to explore whatever meaning you give “dirty” (spring fever anyone?). However, I am referring to dirty in the most literal sense. Who here doesn’t remember playing in the puddles as a kid? Heck, who doesn’t remember EATING mud as a kid? Not only is exposure to a little dirt good for your inner kid (and your outer kids), exposure to bacteria is important to build healthy immune systems. So go out and play in the mud!

Eat Seasonally

‘Tis the season for eating spring baby greens! When you are choosing greens, go for a mix of tastes: mild, bitter, peppery and spicy. A good example is a mix of dandelion greens, arugula, escarole, frisée, radicchio and endive. Spring greens are excellent for bone health and the digestive system, increasing digestive juices and enzymes in your liver, pancreas and stomach. Eat them before your dinner to improve your overall health.

Stop and Smell the Tulips

Even if you don’t know how to meditate, one of the most valuable principles is to live in the present. I realize you have a lot to do – we all do – but stop every once in a while and just enjoy all the beauty in your life. Do only what you are doing, be only where you are. Stop multi-tasking so much and just be. In addition, research is showing that being outdoors can have benefits for both your physical and mental health. So breathe it all in and stop fussing about everything, at least for a bit.

Spring is full of transition and promise. Enjoy it. If you need help with allergies, cleanses or setting some goals to take advantage of the newness of spring, please consult a holistic health practitioner.

Kristi Shmyr is passionate about helping people move past pain and ill health so they can enjoy a fully lived life. For health, happiness and success tips to make for a more passionately lived life, you can check Prana Holistic out on the web at: http://www.pranaholistic.ca

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By Adrian T Brown

Nutrients: Thou shall consume into thy body only foods that are produced by plants to live healthy, and forbid everything that is produced in a plant. The first plant is a living organism that is God-made, but the second plant is a building that is man-made.

The first plant produce living phytonutrients with potent antioxidants compounds in the form of vitamins and minerals that protect body cells from the damaging effects of Free Radicals. Free Radicals are by-products of oxidative damages to the cells of the body, as a natural result of metabolism, or from our unhealthy lifestyle of fry foods, smoking and other poisons we put in our body.

Free Radicals also come from the polluted environment, and the damage to the cells is associated with an increased risk of many chronic lifestyle diseases. Antioxidants such as vitamin C, carotenes and vitamin E reduce the damage caused by these radicals.

Balanced Diet: Thou shall have a balanced diet every day and live healthy. Yield not to the temptation to eat your meal up-side-down. For thy health sake, eat your heaviest meals between breakfast and lunch. Dinner and supper should be lighter than the others.

Modern day eating is putting 1 in every 3 persons at risk of developing cancer at some time in their lives. Eating a balanced diet daily should consist of the following: seven to nine servings of whole grains; five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables; three to five servings of protein and one to three servings of fats and sugars.

A serving is half of a measuring cup, or one of those small party plates. Eating the right way can turn back the hands of time, and change the way you think, look and feel. But even more important, can reverse the age-related macular degeneration of the body.

Rest: Thou shall get quality and quantity sleep to live healthy. Get enough to refresh and rejuvenate your body. Studies have shown that when people get less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep each night, their risk for developing diseases begins to increase. Get a full night’s rest of seven to nine hours whenever possible.

Without adequate sleep, the immune system becomes weak, and the body becomes more vulnerable to infection and disease. To ensure quality sleep, your bed room environment should be quiet and dark for best resting experience. And you should not work in bed, unless it is “sexersize”

Exercise: Thou shall move thy body daily for the many health benefits. The health benefits that are derived from exercise are unquestionable, yet the majority refuses to make the time to exercise the body. These are just some of the benefits to live healthy:
o Stronger heart and lungs
o Joints flexibility and muscle strength
o Stronger bones to manage your rigorous activities
o Acceptable weight management
o Enhancing vibrant sex with your spouse
o Increased energy
o Increased self-esteem
o Increased mental focus
o Reduction of stress and improve your mood
o Reducing risk of colon cancer
o Reducing risk of heart attack
o Reducing risk of gall bladder disease

Water: Thou shall drink five to eight glasses of water daily and live healthy. Two third of our body is made up of water, ninety five percent of our brain is water, ninety percent of the lungs consist of this substance and eighty two percent of the blood is just water.

Do not take it lightly when they say water is life, that is a fact. Drinking enough water to keep your cells hydrated can prevent headaches, reduce tiredness, improve concentration and increase short-term memory.

Detoxification: Thou shall cleanse that God given body of yours and live a healthy life. Because of toxic over load, you are often times feeling fatigue, sluggish, suffering from aches and pains, having skin problems, digestive problems, headaches and allergy symptoms.

Detoxify your body of the accumulation of poisons that you get from almost everything you do, including the unhealthy foods you eat, the polluted air you breathe and the impure water you drink.

Sunlight: Thou shall get more sunlight on thy skin and live healthy. Researchers are now starting to recognize the importance of sunlight for a healthy lifestyle. Vitamin D is absorbed naturally from the sun. It’s necessary for healthy bones, muscles, and cells. It also helps the body absorb and use phosphorus and calcium. If we are exposed to sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes a day, we can absorb about 10,000-15,000 IU of Vitamin D each day.

Laughter: Thou shall laugh out loud every day because it is good for you. If you want to effectively manage stress, laugh more. You can laugh even when there is nothing to laugh about. Laughter benefits the health of the mind and soul. New research has shown that laughter can flush clots, cholesterol and inflammation from the body.

Laughter has similar health benefits to exercise. When we laugh, our facial muscles stretch and there’s an increased heart rate and blood flow. We breathe more deeply, taking in large amounts of oxygen, to cleanse the system and activate many health benefits.

Endorphins, a natural pain relieving hormone, are released during laughter. Endorphins created by laughter reduced cravings for food, alcohol and drug addictions. Endorphins are also believed to reduce stress and slow down the process of aging.

Socialize: Thou shall spend quality and quantity time with friends and family and live healthy. Health and happiness are brother and sister; they operate like hand in glove. If you have friends and loved ones around you, it can make the difference in living longer and healthier life.

Several studies report that there are fewer colds, lower blood pressure and lower heart rates among those with strong social ties. We are created natural social beings, which is why marriage, perhaps the strongest tie, adds years to life expectancy.

Meditation: Thou shall meditate day and night to maintain our mental health and emotional well-being. I leave this health commandment for last, but it’s the most important. Simply put, meditation is a discipline thought that focus on one single object for a period of time.

Just like how we rest and cleanse our physical body, we need to mentally detox our mind from the mental clutter, messages and information we have been consistently bombarded with through out the day. It’s refreshing to spend a time of quiet, still reflective moment where we can commune with our God, so we can hear from and learn to surrender every situation to His control.

Washington, D.C. is a vibrant, historical city on the Potomac River that entrances visitors with its culture and activity. Founded in 1790, Washington D.C. is a planned city with a wide variety of architecture, museums, arts, and sports to entertain and delight visitors and residents alike.

The architecture present in Washington D.C. includes a wide range of styles and with construction dates ranging back all the way to 1765 in the case of Georgetown’s Old Stone House. The styles of homes and other buildings that you can find in Washington include: neoclassical, Georgian & Georgian revival, Queen Anne, Victorian, Romanesque, gothic, modern and others. This is a fabulous city to live in if you’re interested in the beautiful architectural styles that have evolved over the past 245 years.

The city as a whole was planned mostly by Pierre L’Enfant who strove to design a city that Thomas Jefferson described as an “American Paris” with low buildings and airy streets. While the city streets were not all completely laid out as planned, it does retain much of the original theme of L’Enfant’s design.

Washington D.C. has over 40 museums and almost one fifth of the land is utilized as parks including the massive National Mall which includes the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Reflecting Pool and is an area often used for rallies or protests as well as a gathering point for presidential inaugurations. The city hosts a large variety of museums, many of which are run by the Smithsonian Institution.

For anyone looking for a little more entertainment, Washington is also a cultural hub. The city boasts the Kennedy Center which is host to the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet. The city also has a number of venues for jazz and blues music as well as indie and alternative music.

For visitors and residents who like their entertainment a little more on the physical side, there are many sporting options to choose from as well. Washington D.C. is home to no less than five major men’s professional sports teams and two professional women’s teams.

Anyone looking to relocate to Washington D.C. will also appreciate that the city as an extensive public transportation system. Public transport is an essential part of living in Washington, D.C., with a population that doubles during the workweek. The public transit in the city includes an extensive bus and subway system and the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority is increasing the number of buses and trains in their system as time goes on to make sure that there is ample transportation in place as the population increases.

All in all, Washington D.C. is an amazing city to visit and soak up a little bit of history; for those who want to marvel in its culture there are also many gorgeous residences that you could call home.

Each of us wants to live a long and happy life. A lot depends on a health state of a person. It is said not in vain that health is the greatest wealth. Not something else but namely good health state makes a person happy. Being healthy means being happy.

Other life goals it is possible to reach, but health is something that you will never pay, it can be managed, controlled, improved if there is such a possibility. Therefore from the very childhood it is so important to watch out the health condition and try not to spoil the health.

Here are some general tips which will allow you to support your well-being:

1. Sleep no less than 7-8 hours. Try to stick to a definite regime. If you suffer from permanent insomnia, take anti-stress medications or visit a health care provider for a consultation.

2. Try to stick to a healthy diet. Eliminate products which do not suit you. Drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables. Try to eat light food.

3. Avoid smoking and drinking too much alcohol. This can lead to depression, thus influencing your health state.

4. Concentrate on your work or studies. Try to be involved in various activities, as it will make you feel needed in the society. Your self-esteem will grow – and it also contributes to a better well-being.

5. Try to find a kind of hobby which you will like.

6. Spend more time on fresh air. Nature usually calms down and relaxes.

7. If you know you have a certain disease, don’t postpone a visit to a physician! Consult with your doctor and finish a prescribed course of treatment.

8. In order to feel healthy it is recommended to go in for sport. Choose a sport activity which suits you.

9. Avoid stresses pessimistic disposition and thoughts, depressive state or something associated with mental disorder. It is known that stress and depression spoil the nervous system.

10. Smile more! Positive thinking is a 50% of successful life and good health state!

Everything is in our hands. Each of us is a “creator” of his/her own life. And it is essential to do everything possible to reach those goals set for us. Without health it is impossible to achieve most of the life goals. Taking care of health is important in any age, as people have goals and wishes in any age. Support your health and be happy!

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