PIKUAH NEFESH CONGREGATIONAL NURSING NETWORK
It is our obligation to care for our body, as God would have us do.
"Our goal is to provide health-related education, counseling, and referrals to the congregation, and to promote wellness by providing a holistic approach to healing that includes the mind, body and spirit. This program, based in the Jewish tradition, will assist in promoting B'nai Israel as a center of healing."		.from the Congregational Nursing Network

The Eldercare Road Trip

In our liturgy we find - birth is a beginning, death a destination and life is journey.  Having compatible and supportive companions along the way is what enriches the journey and their presence, at times, may be the only thing that makes it bearable. 

As we travel in life, there are side trips we take without benefit of a really good map or GPS. No trip is more personal or filled with the potential for potholes than the eldercare route.  More of us are faced with the challenge of helping our parents, our aunts and uncles, our partners, our friends and ourselves as we explore unfamiliar territory together. 

A little pre- trip planning can reduce anxiety at unfamiliar crossroads. 
CAUTION: Caregiving is an emotional trip.

BASIC MAP – for beginning travelers or those at crossroads

• Think about things you want to discuss with your parents, your children or other relatives, such as what plans do they/you have for the future, what goals, wishes for health care, end-of-life care, medical treatment; where do they/you want to live, who would they/you like to help them when the need arises and what kind of help would they/you want; where do they/you keep financial, legal and other papers; do they/you have a living will, health care agent, power of attorney
• Become an educated helper – get as much information as you can about subjects important to the situation; read books, websites
• Know what resources are available in the area where your parent or you live: home health care agencies, assisted living facilities, social service agencies, insurance companies, attorneys, geriatric assessment centers or financial planners
• Contact an EAP (employee assistance program) counselor, if your employer offers that benefit, to get information
• Begin the conversation with your relative before a crisis; try one of these approaches to difficult or emotional topics:

- Talk about an article you have read or something you heard
- Refer to someone else’s experience
- Talk directly about your concerns and their desires

Additional trip guides are available for:

1. Reading Help Signals – time to take action
2. Roadblock – for current travelers
3. Seasoned Travelers – stop regularly at rest stops
4. Seeing Caregiver Stress Signals – time to slow down

The Congregational Nurses Network and Caring Committee members are excellent travel partners.  If you need a guide or some good company, give us a call – 336-1858.

Forgiveness – Yom Kippur - 5768

At this time of year, we hear and speak of teshuvah, selichot and forgiveness.  In our High Holy Day liturgy, there is much written about the need to ask forgiveness of other people before we can ask forgiveness from God.  We also know those from whom we ask forgiveness are under no obligation to grant it.

The concept of forgiveness is complex.  Its meaning and how it is accomplished have been discussed in religious circles for centuries.  As we speak of healing and wholeness, the topic of forgiveness arises. 

In our modern scientific world, there is now research demonstrating the beneficial effects forgiveness has on our physical and emotional well being.  Learning to forgive reduces stress and depression.  People who forgive become more hopeful, optimistic and compassionate because they become more forgiving in general, not just toward the one person who did them wrong.  People who forgive have significantly fewer symptoms of stress - backache, muscle tension, headaches and upset stomachs. 

We are called by our tradition to truly consider our behaviors and to make sincere efforts to return to our better selves and to the Source of our being.  It may also be helpful to know that it is possible, at any age, to learn to forgive and heal body and mind. 

On this Day of Atonement, O God, forgive and purify me.  Give me the courage to renew my life, to change at least part of what should be changed.  On this day I search for reconciliation with myself, with those whom I have offended and hurt and with You.

Act FAST for symptoms of a Stroke

A stroke is known as a "brain attack." It occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or when a blood vessel breaks interrupting blood flow to the brain. Symptoms include: sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg often on one side of the body, sudden confusion, trouble speaking, sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or a sudden severe headache without a known cause. If you see someone with these symptoms and think they may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T and do this test.
           
Face -Ask the person to smile.
                  Does one side of the face droop?

Arms- Ask the person to raise both arms.
                  Does one arm drift downward?

Speech- Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. 
                  Are the words slurred? Can he/she repeat the sentence correctly?

Telephone- Call 911
                  Time is crucial to prevent further damage to brain cells.

THE ULTIMATE KINDNESS

"Laying out the dead" of the CHEVRA KADISHA, the SACRED SOCIETY, whose members have presided for centuries over the burial practices of Jewish communities throughout the world.

TAHARA, the specific term for the ritual purification, is also the word conventionally used to encompass all of the practices from washing to laying out the dead.

TAHARA traditions have evolved over centuries. The rituals are learned through practice and passed from one generation to the next. Each CHEVRA KADISHA develops its own unique customs as appropriate to the values and needs of particular communities while keeping with the general principles of TAHARA and expressing an understanding of how to honor and care for the dead in our own community.

Any congregant (male or female) interested in being a part of this special ritual can e-mail Connie Simon at MrsConnieS@aol.com or call 261-7589.

Thanks,
Connie Simon

  
        FACING LIFE CHANGES

  Help me, O God, to find still moments,
  Quiet spaces within to refresh my soul;
  Calm my questions, my inner debates,
  And let me mediate on Your goodness.

  Help me, O God, to nurture my courage,
  Recalling moments of strength,
  Remembering days of fortitude,
  The certainty of Your regard.

  Help me, O God, to grasp changed visions,
  Filmy curtains to blur my unhappiness
  And wrap my tears with radiance,
  Your hand upon my face.

  Help me, O God, to turn the light,
  Warmed face, fingers outstretched,
  Alive, alive in YOUR sight.

  Debbie Perlman
  A psalmist for our time

The Shawl Comfort Program

We are starting a special program, the Shawl Comfort Program that will be very meaningful to our Congregation, and bring us together with a sense of healing through prayer and creating beautiful shawls. Please contact Connie Simon, 203-261-7589 or Linda Getz, 203-254-0940.  Dates to learn to make a comfort shawl have been scheduled for Mondays in February: 6, 13 and 27 at 7:00 PM at temple.

TERMINATE THE GERMS

"Drug resistance is the most telling sign that we have failed to take the threat of infectious diseases seriously.  The potential of chronic illness is all too real.  Protect yourself from infections by following this simple advice"

• Get immunized

• Wash your hands frequently

• Exercise daily

• Eat nutritious foods

• Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing

• Always clean and cover wounds

• Always clean work out equipment after use

• Finish the entire prescription for bacterial illness

• Do not share your prescribed antibiotics

PIKUAH NEFESH                                                                                           
It our obligation to care for our body, as God would have us do.

Memory & Aging: What's Usual and What's Not?
Barbara W. Abraham, BS, RN, MPH, Geriatric Consultant

There's so much information, some would say too much, about memory and particularly Alzheimer's Disease. Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that aging related memory changes are usual. We can adapt to them since they do not significantly interfere with our daily functioning - surely annoyance, frustration and embarrassment occur when we forget what we are saying in the middle of a conversation, cannot immediately recall the name of someone we know quite well or forget where we placed our eyeglasses (only to find them on top of our head).

A few facts about memory and age:

• there is considerable variability between people when it comes to memory
• the speed with which we process new information slows
• learning new things may take longer (using the DVD after we just mastered the VCR)
• increased difficulty recalling and retrieving information on demand - that illusive name, number or word and the ability to pay attention to more than one thing at a time diminishes (perhaps multitasking is over rated anyhow).

In order to recall something, we must first get the information. Acquisition requires attention and focus. Then the information must be stored so it can be retrieved when we want it.

Cynthia Green, PhD* suggests the A.M. Principle to help remember things:

First, pay close Attention to what you want to remember - really listen and concentrate.

Second, attach Meaning to the information - organize it, see it, connect it to something.

Many factors affect memory - stress, anxiety, grief, fatigue, vision, hearing, medications, lack of organization and negative expectations of our aging minds. There are medical conditions and illnesses that cause dementia (a significant memory impairment that affects multiple aspects of a person's function.) However, before you jump to conclusions about any of your lapses, refer back to the above information and read it again.

A Prayer at Bedtime

May God shelter all of us
Throughout the night.
In the name of Adonai
The God of Israel.

May the Angel Michael be at my right.
And the Angel Gabriel be at my left;
And in front of me the Angel Uriel,
And behind me the Angel Raphael

. . . And above my head the presence of God.

MARCH IS NATIONAL COLORECTAL CANCER
AWARENESS MONTH

What You Need to Know:

• Colorectal cancer is highly preventable, treatable and often curable when detected early.
• Colorectal cancer affects men and women equally - nearly 147,000 people were diagnosed with the disease in 2003.
• Regular exercise and a low-fat diet high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains can help reduce your risk of colorectal cancer by helping you maintain a healthy weight.
• Since symptoms of colorectal cancer are often silent, it is important to get screened regularly. Screening tests may detect precancerous polyps (grape-like growths on the lining of the colon and rectum). Removing these can prevent cancer from developing. Screening tests can also help detect colorectal cancer in its earliest most curable stages.
• When detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is over 90 percent.
• Starting at age 50, men and women who are at average risk should be screened regularly for colorectal cancer. About 75% of all new cases occur in individuals with no known risk factors for the disease, other than being 50 or older.
• Men and women who are at high risk of the disease (personal or family history of colorectal cancer, or colorectal polyps, or a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease) may need to be tested earlier and should talk to their health care professional about when.
• Screening tests are not painful and are usually covered by Medicare and other health insurances.

For more information visit www.preventcancer.org/colorectal

Protect yourself from infections by following this simple advice:

• Get immunized
• Wash your hands frequently
• Exercise daily
• Eat nutritious foods
• Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing
• Always clean and cover wounds
• Always clean workout equipment after use
• Finish the entire prescription for a bacterial illness
• Do not share your prescribed antibiotics.

Plant the seeds of healing:

• Remind yourself that health of body, mind and sprit is within your control
• Learn to laugh and let laughter heal your spirit
• Count your blessings each day
• Live fully, laugh heartily, relax daily, love completely and enjoy the journey
• Heal your neshamah (soul) with song...healing songs, the songs of life

A HEALING BLESSING

"Blessed are You, Adonai our God,
Creator of the Universe,
Who gives voice to our songs
And performs healing miracles daily"

Understanding the Nature of Eldercare

Barbara W. Abraham, BS, RN, MPH, Geriatric Consultant

To paraphrase Rosalyn Carter, former First Lady, of The Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregiving, Georgia Southwestern State University - there are only four kinds of congregants: those who have been caregivers (or helpers), those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need care or assistance of some kind.

There is considerable variability particularly in providing care to older adults -- attitudes, feelings, capabilities, coping mechanisms vary from caregiver to caregiver; the amount of assistance required by any one person varies over time; and the depth and breadth of that assistance fluctuates. If a caregiver has realistic expectations about eh rewards, realities and frustrations of caregiving, that understanding can make living with the stress of caregiving manageable. According to my analysis, some truisms of eldercare are:

• Nothing stays the same
• Each caregiving relationship is unique
• There is no perfect, permanent solution to a given stituation
• Caregiving is an art and a science
• Caregivers need to recognize they may be susceptible to caregiver stress
• Inherent loneliness can go with being a long-distance caregiver
• It is important to talk with the person you want to help

Caregiving is a work in process. We learn as we go. Finding help, learning the system, discovering the best ways of helping, take time. Knowing these facts will remind us that our desire to make plans and resolve issues quickly may not always be fulfilled. Eldercare is one of the realities of everyone's increased longevity.

The Congregational Nurses Network is here to help support the four kinds of congregants.

Knowing to call 911 in an emergency can save your life. So can knowing your blood pressure numbers. Hopefully, they are less than 120/80 mmHg, which is normal. If they're not, ask your doctor what you should do about your blood pressure numbers. Then do it!

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries and other blood vessels. It rises and falls during the day. When it stays elevated over time, it becomes a life-threatening condition - high blood pressure (also called hypertension). High blood pressure will eventually injure the blood vessels in the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes. This may result in heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and blindness.

Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers - the systolic pressure (the force of the blood against the artery walls as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (the force of the blood as the heart relaxes between beats.) A blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, you have prehypertension. This means that even though you don't have high blood pressure now, your chances of having a heart attack or stroke are increased.

About two-thirds of people over age 65 have high blood pressure. If you do not have high blood pressure at age 55, you face a 90 percent chance of developing it during your remaining lifetime. So high blood pressure is a condition that most people have at some point in their lives.

Fortunately, high blood pressure can be prevented and controlled. Often, lifestyle changes can prevent or control it. These include:

• Losing weight, if necessary, and maintaining a healthy weight
• Being physically active
• Eating less salt and sodium
• Following an eating plan rich in fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy foods, moderate in total fat and cholesterol, and low in saturated fat.
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, doing so in moderation

If these lifestyle changes aren't enough to reduce your blood pressure, your doctor will prescribe medication. Work closely with your doctor to find the best dose, and then take your medication as your doctor prescribes.

Remember, knowing your blood pressure numbers and then making lifestyle changes and, if necessary, taking appropriate medication can save your life. For more information on how to prevent and control high blood pressure, visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/index.html.

Touch them, ever so lightly,
with the delicate melody of your Torah. 

The night is quiet, speak softly,
A whisper in the wind.

The soul is searching, listening, praying,
Do you hear it?

Echoing the sounds of prayer, spiritual
Peace, awareness of self.

The darkness is cast aside, drooping
your mantle of hope and healing,
around those seeking comfort and
Serenity.

Ease their pain,

Rustle the leaves with wisdom,
strength, courage.

Lift them with a gentle breeze,
into your mantle folds, a safe haven.

Calm them, hear them, heal them.

Our prayer for you is peace and blessing in the Newyear.
The Congregational Nursing Network
This is a form for Healing.