Air Quality Safety

Health and Wellness

Clean air is something that is taken for granted in New York State. Climate Change has affected some weather patterns and caused hotter and bigger fires in Canada. Yes, Canada does have fires annually, but the smoke is usually pushed out to sea. This time, the weather pushed north to south – also not typical for this time of year. That brings out all the wildfire smoke. Any smoke is inherently bad for you as is any particulates within the smoke. The body can handle things in small doses but not nearly enough to contend with fires. Just remember that …

Collaborative Efforts: Supporting People With IDD and Their Mental Health

Health and Wellness

Mise en place. It is a culinary term to have everything in place for setting up a dish. All the ingredients are in the right quantities and prepared. Spices are set aside already measured and set to go. Because once the heat gets applied, those chemical reactions are going to happen and things won’t wait because you forgot to stock enough turmeric or dice the onions ahead of time. Every celebrity chef you see on TV has everything set and ready to run so they can focus on the actual cooking or baking of the dish. The past several highlights …

Goal Setting Foundations

Health and Wellness

Welcome to the New Year. Many people view ringing in January as a way to shed the woes of the previous year and look forward to what may come. And with that comes New Year’s resolutions: a promise to maintain good habits or to modify them into something else. Many people naturally strive to better themselves, and what they choose to do or not do is an expression of their true self. There are a few ‘rules’ you can follow to help accomplish the goals you set. We can use the classic example of weight loss, but this can extend …

Chronic Pain and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

Health and Wellness

Studies have shown that pain has long been recognized to have a negative effect on emotional status, ability to work, social activities, interpersonal relationships, and functional ability and leads to the increased utilization of healthcare services. I chose this topic because it is personal to me. I have bone-on-bone arthritis in my hip, and my quality of life has been greatly effected because the pain is exhausting.  With that said, I am lucky because I have the tools to either ask for help or get help myself. Can you imagine having chronic pain and not being able to express your …

Dementia and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

Health and Wellness

What is Dementia? Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Although it is well known that older people are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, it is less well known that individuals with intellectual disabilities, especially Down syndrome, are also at high risk of the disease, and research shows that people with IDD have a prevalence of dementia. What are some signs of Dementia? Early signs may include changes in health, and in …

What is the Difference between a Pandemic and an Endemic?

Health and Wellness, Staff Perspectives

Written by Sue Sproule, MPA, RN, Director of Nursing at The Arc of Monroe What is the Difference between a Pandemic and an Endemic? During the past two years of living through this pandemic, we have had to learn so many new terms. Words like “novel,” “close contact,” “N-95,” “quarantine vs. isolation,” and others. The list goes on and on. The latest word to emerge is “Endemic.” I thought it might be good to explain the difference between a “Pandemic” and an “Endemic.” The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic in March of 2020 due to the rapid …

Nursing in the IDD Field

Health and Wellness, Staff Perspectives

Written by Sue Sproule, MPA, RN, Director of Nursing at The Arc of Monroe March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share about how special it is to work as a nurse supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Rewarding Career One of the most rewarding aspects of being a nurse and caring for people with IDD is that we can build meaningful connections with the people we support. It’s unlike a hospital or family medicine environment where patients are constantly in and out, never staying (hopefully) for extended …

Identifying Aspiration Pneumonia

Health and Wellness

Have you ever experienced a meal where something “went down the wrong pipe”? If so, you’ve experienced what’s known as aspiration. This is a fairly common occurrence that can occasionally lead to aspiration pneumonia when someone can’t cough up whatever has entered his or her airways. Pneumonia is a breathing condition in which there is inflammation (swelling) or an infection of the lungs or large airways. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when food, saliva, liquids, or vomit is breathed into the lungs or airways leading to the lungs, instead of being swallowed into the esophagus and stomach. As you can imagine, aspirating …

Recognizing and Responding to Trauma

Health and Wellness, Staff Perspectives, Uncategorized

When you think about the signs of trauma, what do you imagine? Most people will think of someone curled up in a ball, alone, in a dark room, but that is more of a stereotype than reality. There are many signs and symptoms of trauma that are more subtle and you can be struggling with the effects of trauma without even realizing they are occurring. Because trauma can occur anytime our experience overwhelms our ability to cope you may even notice something is off but associate a trauma symptom with some other problem. Some outwardly obvious signs of trauma can …

How Do Our Brains Respond To Trauma?

Health and Wellness

Our brains are amazing. They are the control centers for our whole body, and they make us who we are. But for some people, it can feel like they are fighting a constant battle with their brain.  People who have experienced trauma, such as violence, abuse, a serious injury or a natural disaster, are at risk for developing a condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD impacts the way in which a person’s brain functions. There are three specific areas of the brain that are impacted by traumatic events. The first is called the amygdala. The amygdala’s job is to …