incontinence, depression — by treat-ing
them with respect and decency,” she
says. She explains that acting with respect
and decency equates to looking out for
our fellow man. Going for a walk with a
grandparent, asking an elderly neighbor to
join you for dinner or engaging a senior in
meaningful conversation helps keeps them
fit and socially active. “This helps with
depression, which can help with dementia,
which keeps people healthy for longer,”
explains Dr. Rudyk.
“In the end we have to get back to the
art of curing,” she says. “Caring bedside
manner and a personal touch still go a
long way.”
The LWeb of Care ong fascinated with the biol-ogy
of aging, Dr. Marsh
Fretwell, of Elderhaus and the
Physicians Group at The Davis
Community, started practicing medicine
in 1977 when, as she says, “our knowl-edge
Going for a walk with a grandparent, asking an
elderly neighbor to join you for dinner or engaging a
senior in meaningful conversation helps keeps them fit
and socially active.
was shallow and our quality of care
was adequate at best.”
Dr Fretwell shares Dr. Rudyk’s senti-ment
that decency and respect go a long
way toward helping seniors in all aspects of
their health, saying, “There’s a web of care
connecting the physical, mental, emotional
and spiritual dimensions of people. Health
is a pathway to all four dimensions.”
“If we look at the whole picture of health
in an aging population, we find that genet-ics
plays a part, but wellness plays a bigger
part. When people engage in what we know
is healthful, they stay healthier for longer,”
she says. “It’s the ‘ounce of prevention,
pound of cure’ adage come to life.”
When Dr. Fretwell lists health issues
concerning seniors, she draws the lines
connecting the four dimensions. Memory
loss ties to emotional struggles. Emotional
struggles lead to stress, which makes it
harder for the body to recover from injury
or illness. A long illness leads to depression
and anxiety, both of which have ties to
dementia. All of it can break the spirit of
a patient, driving them to become inactive
and lose the desire to stay healthy.
The bottom line, she says, is keeping
active. The benefits of exercise cannot
be understated. They include promoting
an appetite by burning calories that need
replacing; getting a needed dose of vitamin
D; helping with stress and self-discipline;
strengthening muscles and bones to aid in
Joe Rouse, wellness
coordinator at The
Davis Community
Rehabilitation and
Wellness Pavilion,
teaches a Hydro Fit
class and helps Helen
Brownell with her
technique in a Body
Core class.
27
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