Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters By: Jim Starshak
Kansas Senior Press Service
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting more than 46 million Americans, including 300,000 children. Arthritis costs the economy more than $128 billion annually and limits people’s activity more frequently than heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. And it might surprise you to learn that 80 percent of adults in this country have arthritis or know someone who has it.
If you are among the 80 percent, you may believe there is nothing you can do to limit arthritis’ debilitating effects on you or a loved one. Well, I want to educate you about a simple and effective program that can help you live a better life in just six weeks.
The Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program is a comprehensive self-management course developed by Stanford University in 1979. Stanford’s research revealed that people who believed they could exert some control over their pain actually experienced less pain and more freedom of motion.
This discovery led to the creation of the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program. The program’s primary focus is to increase self-efficacy, the belief that you can influence your own thoughts and behavior, as a primary tool to combat the devastating effects of arthritis.
Can six weeks really make such a difference? Lenexa resident Ruth Attebury knows it can. She said she started feeling a positive difference in her life after only the second session and then it got even better.
“More than anything, it helps me sleep longer at night,” Attebury said of the program’s effects. “When I sleep better, I feel better.”
Participants and facilitators meet for two hours each week for six weeks. Initially they discuss the many types of arthritis, its pain cycle, and causes of depression. Next, they learn and practice cognitive behaviors such as visualization, distraction, relaxation, and positive self-talk, and strategies such as exercise, medication use, and fatigue management to help them control their arthritis pain and their life. Although exercise is discussed and encouraged throughout the program, this is not an exercise class.
Helen Phipps, who participated in the program in Johnson County, said, “I can’t remember ever spending 12 hours on anything and getting so much benefit out of it. It’s just wonderful!”
Cherie Torney, one of the two facilitators in Phipps’ class, remarked how much fun it is to watch people’s attitudes, confidence, and actions progress over the six weeks.
The Arthritis Foundation’s secret elixir is not really a secret. The Self-Help Program empowers its participants through a proven system of individual action plans. In each of the six weekly sessions, every participant makes an action plan—setting one goal for that week, strategizing how to accomplish it, and sharing the plan with the group. The following week, participants discuss their challenges and successes and strategize how to overcome obstacles. The socializing, laughter, encouragement, and positive feedback in every session uplift the entire group. The result is a feeling of empowerment, enthusiasm, and renewed inner strength.
Every participant receives a copy of the 368-page Arthritis Help Book, the Arthritis Drug Guide, and the Arthritis Supplement Guide. Participants are encouraged to read the materials to increase their understanding of how their actions can help control their arthritis symptoms. These resources stimulate conversation in each session, reinforce weekly topics, and are invaluable references for life after the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program.
The true beauty of the program is that it only takes six weeks to learn and implement the techniques. Contact the Kansas Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation at 1-800-362-1108 for information about classes in your area. Maybe you can schedule a class for your church, club, or neighborhood group. You have nothing to lose but your pain and stiffness.
Will the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help program work for you? Like any self-help program, you will get out of it what you put into it. If you are ready to break your pain cycle and surmount arthritis and similar ailments, this is the program for you. It is not difficult, it does not take a lot of time, and, unlike the products touted in those late-night infomercials, with the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program you really can change your life in just six weeks!
Jim Starshak, MS, is an active Arthritis Foundation volunteer and committee member. A U.S. Army Special Forces disabled veteran, Jim is president of The Home Gym (www.thehomegym.net), a personal health and fitness business in Johnson County, where he teaches t’ai chi, first aid, and CPR.
By: James A. Wise, PhD, CCC-A, and Tim Steele, PhD, CCC-A
Kansas Senior Press Service
In the second of a two-part article, we will discuss how to choose an audiologist, hearing aid technology, affordability of hearing aids, and how assistive listening devices can improve your hearing.
When you have hearing loss, well-informed choices can mean the difference between a hearing aid that helps you hear your best and one that you keep in the top drawer of your night stand.
Q: How do I choose an audiologist?
A: If you have hearing loss, choosing an audiologist is the most important choice you will make in your treatment. You will work closely with your audiologist to find the best hearing solution. Therefore, selecting an audiologist who is licensed, highly educated, and communicates well with you is vital to your success.
Look for someone who holds a master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited university, has completed a clinical fellowship year under the supervision of a licensed, certified audiologist, and has passed a national competency examination. To maintain licensure, audiologists must also complete continuing education hours each year. Audiologists have specialized training in the prevention, identification, assessment, non-medical treatment, and rehabilitation of hearing disorders, including dispensing hearing aids and assistive listening devices.
Q: How do I choose a hearing aid?
A: There are several styles of hearing aids, including behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, and completely in-the-canal. Within each style are varying sizes, shapes, and colors. The decision regarding which style is best for you depends on factors such as the type and severity of hearing loss, the size and shape of your ear, the features needed on the hearing aid, and personal preference. It’s also important to consider your dexterity and your ability to insert or remove the hearing aids, clean them, and change the batteries. To determine which style is best for your needs and your budget, consult your audiologist.
Q: What should I do if I don’t think I can afford hearing aids?
A: According to the Better Hearing Institute’s most recent survey, two of three people 55 and older with hearing loss report that affordability of hearing aids is a key reason for not treating their hearing loss. Hearing aids are not covered under Medicare or the majority of state-mandated health benefits. In fact, 73 percent of hearing aid purchases involve no third-party payment. However, most insurance plans, including Medicare, do pay for a diagnostic hearing evaluation.
Don’t let cost keep you from hearing your best. Good audiologists offer a variety of hearing aid technologies and styles in a range of prices. When you have your hearing evaluated, please discuss your budget concerns with your audiologist, who will consider those concerns when recommending hearing aids.
Recent bills in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR 2329) and U.S. Senate (SB 1410) could assist up to 1.2 million children and 11.5 million Americans 55 and older in treating hearing loss. The bills would provide a tax credit of up to $500 per hearing aid, available once every five years, toward purchase.
If you support a tax credit for hearing aids, we suggest you write a personal letter to your representative or senator, urging support of these bills. For contact information, call the Kansas Legislative Hotline at 1-800-432-3924.
Q: What is an assistive listening device?
A. Assistive listening devices (ALDs) can improve communication and offer greater independence. They are designed to enhance listening in social, interpersonal, spiritual, cultural, and recreational situations. ALDs can be hard-wired, infrared, FM, or loop systems. They can enhance hearing with the telephone, television, and other complex listening environments. Alerting devices for emergencies, TTYs, and closed-captioned decoders are also available. These are options that your audiologist should discuss with you.
Associated Audiologists offers an educational program, called Hearing Perks, for our patients. The sessions are scheduled monthly at each office and are very informal. The goal is to help our patients learn more about how they can get the most from their hearing aids and from assistive listening devices.
James Wise and Tim Steele are president and vice president, respectively, of Associated Audiologists, which has offices in Olathe, Overland Park, and Prairie Village; www.hearingyourbest.com.
By: Susan M. Walter
Kansas Senior Press Service
Leaves make last attempts
To cling on withered branches
Bidding all farewell.
Droopy canna heads,
Weakened from their summer life,
Bow as though in prayer.
Drying shreds of grass,
Hiding little bashful toad
Playing peek-a-boo.
Water lilies, now
Balded heads, two dozen eyes,
End their flower show.
Sun-scorched cattails point
Way to heaven, have a last
Family reunion.
From a single branch
A gold leaf searched the earth;
Autumn makes a debut.
Susan Walter, 87, is a creative writer, painter, quilter, volunteer, and swimmer residing in St. Joseph, Missouri. She has been married for 62 years and has six children.
These articles are also available electronically at the Center on Aging Website: http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/Senior_Press_Article/Topic_Index.htm