Brain Injury Awareness

Brain injuries can happen in any shape, way, or form from slipping on ice to crashing a motorcycle. There are many people who aren’t diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injuries or are diagnosed late because they thought it was “just a concussion”. Generally, veterans who return back from war are usually diagnosed with TBI. Football players, hockey players, or any other intensive sports can lead to great head injuries that may end a players’ career. 

There are three levels to Traumatic Brain Injuries; mild, moderate, and severe. Mild head traumas are just as bad as severe head traumas. TBI changes a person physically and mentally. A person who was once able to multitask now needs to concentrate at one thing at a time. Sleep patterns and daily routines alter. It’s frustrating and confusing. It’s as if you’re literally born again and need to learn this new body. The people who knew the “old” you now need to adjust to the “new” you. It doesn’t just stop with a head injury, it continues throughout your entire life. There’s also a sense where you don’t belong or fit in. It’s like high school all over again. 

Just like a person who suffers from chronic panic attacks shouldn’t be told “relax” or “calm down” a person who suffers from TBI shouldn’t be told, “It’s just a concussion”. Just because brain injury is considered to be an “invisible injury” doesn’t mean it’s non-existent. People with TBI can and eventually will go back to their daily routines however, they aren’t as productive as they used to be. 

It’s difficult to convey feelings and pain of going through TBI unless you’ve actually been through it. Understanding and empathy from friends and family are helpful to though at times people may feel like they’re outsiders. 

With today’s research and findings, we are more aware and knowledgeable about brain injuries and our bodily functions then ever before. However there is still much we don’t know and raising awareness is vital for us and for our loved ones.  

Love Your Pet Day

This “unofficial” National holiday is set aside to give our lovable pets a little more extra love and attention. 

Our pets constantly give us unconditional love. They’re protective, supportive, loyal and they’re the best at keeping our secrets.  In addition our pets provide us with great health benefits such as reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. 

Our pets give us so much without asking for anything in return

Here are some ways to show our love to our wonderful pets. 

When walking your dog allow them to explore a new path. While you’re at it, stay out a little bit longer, this also allows them to get some good exercise.  

After a long day from school or work, coming home to an enthusiastic creature full of joy and happiness makes anyone feel good. Spend a little more time with your pet or great them at the door with a new treat to show your little cutie how much you love them. Don’t forget to scratch their backs a little longer that would really make your cat purr. 

Finally, when you give them a bath, give it to them full of love and maybe for tonight let your pets sleep beside you. 

Our pets do so much for us; let’s give them a little bit more love in return. 

Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home Continues to Help Raise Awareness for Heart Disease on National Wear Red Day

February 23 2015

Brooklyn, NY, February 15, 2015 --(PR.com)-- February 10th 2015, In support of National Wear Red Day, the nurses and staff at Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home came in wearing red shirts. National Wear Red day is a famous ongoing campaign to raise awareness for heart diseases. By wearing the color red it allows us to represent the color of love and the color of our hearts.

Cardiovascular diseases range from having a Congenital Heart Disease, a type of defect in one or more structures of the heart of blood vessels occurring before birth, to having a Heart Attack, where a coronary artery is suddenly blocked and stops the blood flow to the heart muscle, both of which are evidently frightening.

However, everyday there’s new technological innovation and research that help improve diagnoses, treatment, and care for such matters. Although doctors, researchers, and other professionals are all doing their best in helping us, we should also help ourselves and our communities.

While many people to this day still believe that a heart disease is a man’s disease, more women than men have died each year from cardiovascular problems. Heart diseases don’t discriminate between genders, age, or size. A heart attack or stroke can happen to anyone at any time and is the leading cause of death more so than cancer. The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men and are often misunderstood. In fact, many people are still unaware of the symptoms or think it may be something else.

One in every three women dies of a heart disease and stroke. Although sharp chest pains are usually associated with heart attacks this is not usually the case for women. Women may describe their chest pains as having some sort of pressure or tightness. At times, women might not even feel any chest pains at all, rather, they may have other symptoms unrelated to chest pains such as:

Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back, or abdominal discomfort
Shortness of breath
Right arm pain
Nausea or vomiting
Lightheadedness or dizziness
Unusual fatigue

Women with Diabetes in particular have subtle symptoms and are more at risk of obtaining heart disease.

How much sleep, eat, exercise, and stress a person receives also determines different risk factors of heart diseases. Here are some tips for a healthy heart.

For Handling Stress:

Focus on one thing at a time
Take a break
Adjust expectations- set little goals that lead to the big goal

For Eating Healthy:

Use a food diary to help control portions
Eat 6 small meals instead of 3 big meals
Go for a walk with family or friends after a meal

For Exercising:

Walking
Bicycling
Swimming
Jogging
Yoga
Gardening
Exercise with Children

American Heart Month is one of the great ways to raise awareness about heart diseases of any kind. Help prevent it close to home and worldwide.

Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home is a premier 140-bed nursing and rehabilitation care center that provides comprehensive inpatient care to all its residents. Located at 2749 Linden Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11208, Brooklyn Queens’s professional and compassionate staff provides around-the-clock medical and nursing care in a caring and comfortable environment that centers around its residents.

Brooklyn Queens offers outstanding short-term rehabilitation for individuals coming from an acute-care setting, as well as superior long-term care and hospice care. Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home has an exceptional staff of physical, occupational and speech therapists that carefully tailors unique recovery programs for each and every resident.

For more information on Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home, visiting hours or general inquiries, kindly contact Marty Dicker at 718.277.5100 or martybqctr@gmail.com.​

Senior Citizens and Global Warming: Polar Opposites?

(January, 30, 2015)In today’s day and age, the jaw-dropping effects of global warming have become a worldwide phenomenon and scientists can’t believe how fast it’s approaching society. Global warming is the increase in temperature on the Earth as a result of the trapping of heat by overly abundant greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide. Since 1870, global sea levels have increased by an astonishing eight inches and keeps growing at a steady rate. Also, according to the US Global Change Research Program, temperatures have rose by about two degrees in the last fifty years and only keeps getting hotter. Due to the increase in temperature, there has been an increase in precipitation as well. In addition, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are at the highest levels that they have been in the last hundreds of thousands of years.

Global warming clearly is an issue worldwide for many reasons, but more specifically for health reasons. The portion of society probably the most affected by health issues related to global warming is senior citizens. Global warming creates major risks and dangers for senior citizens because extreme heat for days at a time can cause heat strokes or dehydration and possibly even death. Senior citizens with diabetes have it one worse being that their risks for illness from the heat are greater. Also, global warming creates smog, a combination of high temperatures and pollution from greenhouse gas emissions. This smog degrades the quality of the air in the atmosphere and the higher the temperature, the worse it is. This creates a problem for senior citizens with heart and respiratory diseases and increases the risk of severe health issues and even death.

In the end of the day, global warming has had an enormous impact on senior citizens especially and its only going to get worse in the future. The bottom line to sum up this article is: senior citizens and global warming are POLAR OPPOSITES and its only getting worse.

Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home honors Human Rights Day 2014

(December 12, 2014) Brooklyn, New York - -  The Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home observes this year’s Human Rights Day. Human Rights issues has been a subject that nations have struggled over for a long time. While, international and domestic laws have evolved to promote the betterment of all mankind, there is still a long way to go to ensure equal rights for all people. As the fight for the establishment and maintenance of human rights continue, many brave men and women will continue their work to make a difference for those whose human rights are violated.

Famous human rights activists:

• Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865): Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He was in office during the American Civil War. He fought to keep the country from splitting apart, while establishing the basic human right of self-determination. His Emancipation Proclamation was one of the first official declarations condemning slavery. His efforts led to the end of slavery in 1865.
• Frederick Douglas (1818-1895): Douglas was a former slave who was taught how to read by his master’s wife. After a failed escape attempt, Douglas finally gained his freedom in 1938 when he ran to New York. He became involved in anti-slavery campaigns and travelled across the United States giving speeches on human rights.
• Susan B. Anthony: Anthony was a dedicated suffragist and civil rights activist. Together with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association. She is credited with playing a notable role in passing the nineteenth amendment which gave women the right to vote.

“Here at the Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home, we are proud to commemorate Human Rights Day. Over the centuries, mankind has come a long way in promoting human rights with the abolishment of slavery and laws protecting women’s rights. However, there is still work needed, both here and abroad, to help establish and protect basic human rights,” says Marty Dicker, administrator at the Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home.

Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home is a premier 140-bed nursing and rehabilitation care center that provides comprehensive inpatient care to all its residents. Located at 2749 Linden Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11208, Brooklyn Queens’s professional and compassionate staff provides around-the-clock medical and nursing care in a caring and comfortable environment that centers around its residents.  Brooklyn Queens offers outstanding short-term rehabilitation for individuals coming from an acute-care setting, as well as superior long-term care and hospice care. Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home has an exceptional staff of physical, occupational and speech therapists that carefully tailors unique recovery programs for each and every resident.

Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home Promotes Breast Cancer Awareness this October

The Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home is involved in promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and providing important information to help awareness of breast cancer. Extensive research has shown that there are many genetic and environmental risk factors involved in breast cancer incidence.

Genetic risk factors include:

1. Mutated genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. An abnormal mutation of these proteins prevent the cells from inhibiting the growth of abnormal cells.
2. A person with a family history of breast cancer is at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. If a person has a close relative who has or had breast cancer, regardless if the relative is male or female, he or she should discuss screening methods with his or her medical provider.
3. Race and ethnicity can also effect the risk of breast cancer. A white American woman is at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than African American, Asian American, and Hispanic American women.

Lifestyle factors include:

1. Drinking alcohol can increase the chances of developing breast cancer. In addition to breast cancer, too much alcohol consumption can increase the risk of getting other forms of cancers.
2. Exercise can reduce the chances of developing breast cancer.

“The Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home family is committed to raise breast cancer awareness this month. Breast cancer is a devastating disease that can be detected early if the right measures are taken. We ask everyone to take into consideration the factors of breast cancer that can be controlled or reduced,” says Marty Dicker, administrator at Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home.

Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home is a premier 140-bed nursing and rehabilitation care center that provides comprehensive inpatient care to all its residents. Located at 2749 Linden Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11208, Brooklyn Queens’s professional and compassionate staff provides around-the-clock medical and nursing care in a caring and comfortable environment that centers around its residents.  Brooklyn Queens offers outstanding short-term rehabilitation for individuals coming from an acute-care setting, as well as superior long-term care and hospice care. Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home has an exceptional staff of physical, occupational and speech therapists that carefully tailors unique recovery programs for each and every resident.

Is a Motor-Scooter right for you?

For seniors with limited mobility getting around each day may be a struggle. Running simple errands, and doing simple tasks within one’s home may feel like a burden when it shouldn’t. Besides for the standard walker and wheelchair which aids in the mobility of seniors, many people opt for a motorized scooter. As great as it might seem to be, there are many pros and cons when investing in a scooter. Below is a guideline that can help clarify if a motor scooter is right for you.

Pros of using a motor scooter:

-Increases mobility in those who cannot walk at all, or for limited distances.

-Saves time as it is easy to move around with a controlled speed.

-Gives the elderly feelings of independence and control.

Cons of using a motor scooter:

-Does not promote exercise and movement.

-Can be very expensive.

-Any scooter may be too big to maneuver around one’s house.

On the market today, there are many types and models of scooters available, in many price ranges as well. Generally, a motor scooter can cost anywhere between $800-$3000, however some insurances do foot the cost of it. The best way to decide what’s right for you and your needs is to do research! Visit a store that specializes in this area, test one out, and compare different models. You won’t know how a motor scooter can change your life until you try it!