5 / 8
Q
How can I help my
kids make healthier
food choices?
A
Whether you’re a child or
an adult, when it comes to
choosing healthier foods, the best
time to start is right now, when you
are thinking of it.
Have kids make a list of all the
foods they like and categorize them
into anytime foods, sometime foods,
and once-in-a-long-while special party
foods. Then have them limit their
favorite treat foods to only five times a
week, but pick when they want them.
Help them think about their daily
foods and only treat themselves with
the least healthy choices on a holiday
or on their next birthday.
When you and your child do
treat yourselves, keep it to just one
serving. Get rid of the rest of the
package or food, so you are not
tempted to indulge again.
For everyday beverages, stop all
sugary drinks. Water is the best. No
need to spend extra calories on or
expose your teeth to all that sugar.
Switch to calorie-free and sugar-free
drinks. Encourage your kids to do
this and to drink milk a couple times
a day—and you’ll see a move toward
success in their health.
By making small changes a few at
a time and building on that success,
you’ll empower your children to
make healthy choices without feeling
deprived. They will have the power
in their hands to live a healthy life.
Q
What is the difference
between palliative
care and hospice care?
A
Because palliative care and
hospice care both provide
support to people facing serious
illness, they are often seen as the
same thing. However, the services
they provide are quite different.
Hospice care provides medical
services, emotional support, and
spiritual resources for people who
are in the final stages (last six
months) of a serious illness, such as
cancer or heart failure. Hospice care
also helps family members manage
the practical details and emotional
challenges of caring for a dying
loved one.
Palliative care focuses on
improving quality of life—in body,
mind, and spirit—for people at
any time during serious illness.
While it can be combined with
care designed to cure your illness,
palliative care is focused on your
particular goals, such as reducing
pain, managing treatment side
effects, or communicating openly
with caregivers.
PeaceHealth provides hospice
care—including in-home care—as
well as palliative care locally. Talk
with your health care provider about
the options that are best for you or
your loved ones.
Q
I’ve been diagnosed
with COPD and feel
helpless. What can I do to
keep this disease under
control?
A
It is natural that you feel
overwhelmed with a new
diagnosis of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD). What’s
important to remember is that there
are things you can do to control
this disease.
If you smoke, quit.
It’s
essential if you want to slow the
progression of the disease. Your
provider can give you options to
help you quit.
Learn about your medicines.
COPD medicines are vital for staying
well and active. It is important to
take all medicines as prescribed and
tell your provider about any side
effects or problems that crop up.
Ask about pulmonary
rehabilitation.
This program offers
emotional and psychological support
and has been shown to improve both
quality of life and functionality.
Keep a good attitude, and
take action!
If you’re feeling
discouraged or down, tell your
provider. Depression can be a
roadblock to managing COPD well.
There’s no cure for COPD. But all
of its symptoms can be reduced if
you stay involved in your care and
work to stay strong, healthy, and
connected.
NUTRITION
PALLIATIVE/HOSPICE CARE
LUNG HEALTH
Erin Harnish, MD
Pediatrics
PeaceHealth Medical Group–
Family Medicine & Pediatrics
1615 Delaware St.
Longview, WA
360-414-2385
Divya Bappanad, MD
Pulmonology
PeaceHealth Medical Group–
Specialty Medicine
1615 Delaware St.
Longview, WA
360-414-2730
Lawrence Neville, MD
Neurology/Palliative Care
PeaceHealth Medical Group–
Specialty Medicine
1615 Delaware St.
Longview, WA
360-414-2730
HOSPICE CARE AT HOME
Living
your
life to the fullest
Living with a progressive illness
can often be frightening,
frustrating, and confusing. When
you accept hospice, you do
not have to walk this journey
alone. At PeaceHealth Hospice,
our team of multidisciplinary
caregivers works with you and
your family to create a plan of
care specific to your own wants,
needs, and goals. We also
change this plan as needed. You
and your family, rather than the
disease itself, become the center
and the focus of care. Working
together, we can ensure that
you receive comprehensive care
and symptom management in
an atmosphere of compassion,
dignity, and grace.
Continuing your life at home
Recent studies show a growing
number of families prefer their
family member to have hospice
care in their own home and in
familiar surroundings with those
they love. Did you know that
Medicare and Medicaid allow
many hospice services at home?
Some of these services include:
■ ■
Home visits by registered nurses
■ ■
Home visits by social workers
and counselors
■ ■
Home visits by health aides
■ ■
Home visits by volunteers
■ ■
Chaplain services
■ ■
Family counseling services
during hospice care
■ ■
Palliative physical therapy
■ ■
Occupational therapy
■ ■
Speech pathology
■ ■
Dietary consultations
For more information about
hospice in-home services,
please call
360-577-2615
.
www.peacehealth.org5