- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAt any age, mental health challenges can arise. While significant focus has been rightly given to mental well-being in younger people, it’s crucial not to overlook our seniors. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) underscores this, revealing that up to 25% of older adults live with mental health issues, like anxiety or depression. If left untreated, mental health conditions can negatively affect your physical well-being and quality of life. Fortunately, many factors contributing to mental health decline are avoidable. As May marks Mental Health Awareness Month and Older Americans Month, now is an ideal time to implement these five strategies aimed at preserving your mental well-being as you grow older. 1. Nurture/invest social connections Loneliness and social isolation can significantly increase mental health issues later in life. They can also increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and early death. These tips can help nurture/invest social connections: Stay in touch with friends and family via social media or video chat. Virtual meet-ups can help you feel less alone. Volunteer. Giving back to others can help you meet people in your community. It can also provide a sense of purpose that older adults may lose after retirement. Get tested and treated for hearing loss. It affects one in three adults aged 65 to 74, according to NCOA. Hearing loss can make it difficult to follow what’s happening around you. It’s a common reason older adults withdraw from social interaction. 2. Get regular physical activity Sitting for long periods of time and lack of physical activity can increase your risk of depression. Physical activity can boost your mood. For overall health and well-being, older adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking, each week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise, like running. Talk to your primary care provider and decide what’s best for you. They also need at least two days of strength-building and balance activities, which can be done from the comfort of your home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends multicomponent physical activities to meet these triple goals. Try these: Sign up for a dancing class at a local community center for older adults. Take up yoga or Tai-chi. There are many online offerings at no cost. Explore outdoor activities like gardening or hiking. But remember to stay hydrated. 3. Try music therapy Listening to or making music seems to activate brain areas that can improve mental and physical health. Research finds that music-based interventions may be helpful for anxiety, depression and chronic pain. Go ahead and play that oldie but goodie! 4. Reduce caregiver stress Some older adults face the added emotional challenges of caregiving. According to a 2023 AARP Survey, 50% of caregivers said caregiving increased their emotional stress, while 37% said it caused physical stress. If you’re a caregiver, the Luminis Health Caring for Caregivers page provides self-care tips and local caregiver resources. These can help you care for your loved one while taking care of yourself. 5. Recognize mental health issues Depression is common in older adults, but it’s not a normal part of aging. Less than half of older adults who struggle with mental health and substance use issues get the treatment they need. Getting help starts with scheduling regular checkups with your primary care doctor. They can help you manage physical limitations or medical conditions, such as post-stroke or cancer recovery, which may increase your risk of depression. Should you or your loved one experience any of the following symptoms persistently for more than two weeks, it’s crucial to inform your doctor, as they could point to mental health issues: Anger or irritability. Anxious or sad mood. Changes in appetite, mood and energy level. Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions. Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much. Drug or alcohol misuse. Feeling guilty or hopeless. Hearing, feeling or seeing things other people don’t. Loss of interest in things they once enjoyed, including sex. Next steps After ruling out medical causes, your doctor may start treatment for a mental health condition, or refer you to a mental health professional for evaluation and treatment. Mental health problems are often treated with a combination of medication and talk therapy. You can receive high-quality mental and behavioral health services at The Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center Behavioral Health Pavilion on our Lanham campus. You can also call 301-623-4350.
- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhen cancer begins inside the mouth, throat or nose, it is considered a head and neck cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), head and neck cancers account for nearly 4 percent of all cancers in the United States. That may sound low, but more than 70,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. annually. Our experts review the symptoms associated with this disease. The signs of head and neck cancer include: Lumps and sores that do not heal Persistent sore throat Difficulty swallowing Harshness/change in voice Red or white patches in the mouth Trouble breathing or speaking If you experience these changes, talk to your primary care doctor. These could be symptoms of cancer in the oral cavity, throat, voice box, sinuses or salivary glands. Depending on your symptoms, age and medical history, your provider can recommend a diagnostic test for you. Options including imaging, biopsies and speech and swallowing tests. If you are diagnosed with a head and neck cancer, treatment may include: Surgery Radiation Chemotherapy There is potential to use these treatments alone or combined, depending on the subtype and extent of cancer. Treatment requires expert team work among multiple doctors, such as ear-nose-throat (ENT) doctors, surgeons, radiation oncologists and dentists. These providers work together to create a treatment plan. Risk factors for head and neck cancer include heavy tobacco use, heavy alcohol intake and human papilloma virus (HPV). In fact, according to the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, at least 75 percent of head and neck cancers are caused by alcohol and tobacco use. To reduce your risk of this disease, our experts recommend: Avoiding alcohol – it is best to not drink alcohol. If you choose to drink, drink moderately, limiting intake to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women (definition per the Centers for Disease Control). Avoiding tobacco – it is never too late to quit smoking. Call Luminis Health at 443-481-5388 for free resources to help you quit. Vaccination for HPV – most providers routinely recommend it for preteens ages 11-12. For adults up to 45 years, have a thorough discussion with your provider. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a head and neck cancer, our cancer team is here to help. Read about our cancer care services to learn more. Authors Antony Koroulakis, MD is a radiation oncologist with experience treating a wide range of cancers.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLuminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC), the premier healthcare institution in Annapolis, has received its eleventh consecutive ‘A’ Grade from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. According to Leapfrog, LHAAMC has earned ‘Straight A’s’ for every grading period since 2018, and is the only hospital in Maryland to earn this prestigious honor. Grades are updated twice annually in the fall and spring. This latest accomplishment follows the hospital’s third Magnet designation for nursing excellence and its recognition as one of Newsweek’s Best Hospitals in the United States. “Earning consistent ‘Straight A’s’ from Leapfrog demonstrates our on-going dedication to delivering safe, high-quality care, and exceptional patient experiences,” said Sherry Perkins, president of LHAAMC. “This is emphasized as we prepare to celebrate Nurses Week and Hospital Week, a timely reminder that throughout our hospital’s nearly 125-year history, our staff, physicians, and volunteers always prioritize the care of our patients, ensuring we meet the health care needs of our community.” Luminis Health remains committed to implementing and upholding best practices that prioritize quality, safety and accountability across all operational fronts. Our dedication to patient safety is embedded within our organizational ethos, demonstrated through a range of initiatives including regular safety meetings, patient rounds, ongoing education programs for clinical staff, and feedback from our patients. We work closely with the Patient Family Advisors, a dynamic group comprising both staff and community members, who actively engage in voicing concerns and finding solutions. The Leapfrog Group is a nationally renowned organization dedicated to assessing and improving healthcare quality and patient safety. Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 20 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
- Weight LossGeneral Page Tier 3BlogYou may have kicked off 2024 determined to lose weight. If you accomplished your goals, congratulations on your hard work and dedication. However, we know that maintaining weight loss can be just as challenging as achieving it. It’s tempting to reward yourself with old habits once you reach your goal, but remember, this is just one milestone in your journey to a healthier you. Let’s discuss a few steps you can take to maintain your healthy weight. Healthy Weight Benefits Achieving a healthy weight can lower your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, reduce stress on bones and joints and ease the workload on your heart. All these health benefits are why it’s important to not simply lose weight, but to maintain the weight you have lost. Contrary to what some may think, people without obesity generally have just as much difficulty sustaining a small degree of weight loss as people with obesity have maintaining even larger degrees of weight reduction. It Takes Dedication It’s no secret that many weight loss journeys fail in the long term. This can be because strict diets are difficult to maintain over time. Another factor is that the decrease in calories to lose weight causes a drop in the rate your body burns calories. For these reasons, extremely low-calorie diets and rapid weight loss are discouraged. Luminis Health weight loss experts recommend losing no more than half a pound to two pounds per week. Gradual weight loss such as this is more likely to help you sustain it for the long term. Long-Term Weight Loss Individuals who have successfully maintained their weight loss share some common strategies across the board. Regardless of which diet you use to lose weight to begin with, taking up these habits may help you to keep it off: Stay physically active—Try exercising for at least 60 minutes every day. Walking is a great low-impact option. Find an activity you enjoy and do it with someone who brings you joy! Keep a food log—Recording what you eat every day helps hold you accountable, sheds light on emotional eating habits and keeps you motivated. Maintain a balanced diet—What you eat each day should be healthy and well balanced, minimizing ultra-processed foods and high fructose corn syrup. Eat breakfast every day—This is important because eating breakfast boosts metabolism and staves off hunger later in the day, which helps prevent those late afternoon junk food binges. Regularly check the scale—Weighing yourself weekly may help you detect any small weight gains, enabling you to promptly take action if you see the number creeping upwards. Keep Your Eye On The Prize Although many people are concerned about weight loss because of how it affects their appearance, it’s important to remember that even a small amount of long-term weight loss can have remarkable health benefits. Remember to determine your weight management success based on your health and how you feel—not on how you look. Author Dr. Jilian Nicholas, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained bariatric surgeon at Luminis Health.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLuminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) has received its third Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet recognition, the highest national honor for professional nursing practice, is awarded to organizations that consistently uphold ANCC’s standards for nursing excellence. Achieving Magnet status signifies a long-term commitment to excellence in quality care, high patient satisfaction, and a culture where nurses thrive professionally and personally. Having first earned Magnet designation in 2014 and then again in 2019, LHAAMC has now secured its third recognition, placing it in the esteemed ranks of the elite 10% of hospitals in the United States to have achieved Magnet status. This accomplishment places it among the select few, as just over 6% of hospitals nationwide have garnered three or more Magnet designations. “We are extremely proud to receive our third Magnet designation, a testament to our commitment to delivering exceptional care to our patients in a healthy work environment,” said Christine Frost, chief nursing officer at LHAAMC. “This honor reflects the hard work, knowledge, compassion and dedication of our nurses and all of our employees who strive for excellence every day.” ANCC evaluates Magnet applicants based on nursing practice, research, and outcomes—recognized as key indicators in delivering exceptional patient care. Applicants undergo a rigorous and lengthy process, featuring an in-depth application, proof of outperformance compared to peer hospitals in patient and nursing outcomes, and a comprehensive site visit from the Magnet commission. “Maintaining a Magnet designation is a significant achievement,” said Sherry Perkins, president of LHAAMC. “This prestigious recognition symbolizes our commitment to excellent care for our patients and families at a hospital at which nurses and the whole care team are proud to work. The nursing staff learned the news of the recognition through a phone call from representatives of the Magnet program, which was captured via video.
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