April 15th attend the one time showing.  Although not the best representation of nusring homes, certainly a close to home topic.

By John D. Sutter, CNN

The iShoe helps detect balance problems in humans. It is expected to be on the market in a couple of years.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) — Erez Lieberman-Aiden had a nagging feeling that his grandmother’s death, which occurred after a hard fall, could have been prevented.

But the 30-year-old graduate student at MIT and Harvard did more than fret. He tried to prevent something similar from happening to other older people.

Lieberman-Aiden invented a high-tech shoe insole to help older people manage their balance before a catastrophic fall occurs. His “iShoe” sneaker insoles track a person’s balance patterns using digital sensors. The battery-powered footbeds transmit data to computers about a person’s walking and standing stability.

“The model of ‘I go into my doctor once every six months or once a year to get a check up’ is kind of more the speed of a society where people write long letters to each other every three months to be in touch,” he said. “Now information can travel all over the place in real time. … That model is beginning to influence medicine as well.”

Lieberman-Aiden was among four students awarded a $30,000 prize in innovation from MIT on Wednesday. The Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prize is given to inventive and entrepreneurial students from MIT, Caltech, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Illinois. Other winners helped develop affordable prosthetic arms, new diagnostic tests for cancer and other diseases, and new methods for storing hydrogen power.

Aside from the iShoe, Lieberman-Aiden was also granted the award for his work with colleagues on developing new technology to create 3-D models of the human genome, which he said had never been done before. What did it end up looking like? Well, if you zoom in a bit, he said, the twisted genome looks pretty much like a pack of Ramen noodles.

The 3-D modeling methods help scientists understand why cells with the same genetic sequencing can function in such different ways, he said. The answer lies in the macro structure, which lets cells turn certain parts of their gene codes on and off.

As for the iShoe, Lieberman-Aiden said he was frustrated after his grandmother’s death, but didn’t know quite what to do about it.

“I was aware that [balance problems in older people] was obviously a problem, but doing anything about it had not really clicked,” he said.

An internship soon brought him some answers. While working at NASA, Lieberman-Aiden stumbled on a project where NASA scientists were trying to analyze astronaut balance in low-gravity environments. All of a sudden he made the connection. Maybe he could use a similar process to diagnose balance problems here on Earth.

“There are interventions people can engage in in order to improve their balance,” he said. “It’s kind of like, in some sense, heart disease, where you’re increasingly prone to it as you age, but there are treatments that can improve the situation.”

The key to a person’s balance, it turns out, is not in how well they walk but how well they stand still, he said. So the iShoe takes particular note of how much a person shifts his or her weight while standing. A well-balanced person might shift weight every 40 seconds, he said, but a person with potentially dangerous balance problems might shift weight constantly, or every second.

The iShoe spits out balance data sets that can be interpreted by doctors, or potentially by patients themselves, he said. It uses a Bluetooth connection to transmit the info from a person’s shoes to a computer.

The invention is still in the research-and-development phase, but Lieberman-Aiden said he expects it to become a consumer product within a few years. He said he’s working with a company to produce the device, and that other manufacturers are looking into the idea, too.

Most of Lieberman-Aiden’s time these days is spent working on his genome modeling project. He’s scheduled to graduate this spring with a degree in applied math, and health science and technology. He also has a baby on the way.

He said he’ll use his $30,000 prize to further his research efforts, help with baby expenses and, possibly, to buy a new couch.

“I do a lot of work on the couch and as a result our couch has become phenomenally dilapidated, so I think we’re likely to buy a new couch,” he said.

 Hi to All,

Especially at the holidays, we find the time to remember that giving is the true gift. I want to express to the staff and families of Marina Bay and Bostonian, my sincere appreciation for participating in our annual Food Drive.  Did you know that one in nine residents of Massachusetts is currently receiving food from a food pantry, soup kitchen, or shelter?

This year, Bostonian and Marina Bay contributed 549 lbs of food!  That is 250 pounds more than last year.  We were also again able to contribute $2,000 to the Greater Boston Food Bank.  These funds will provide more than 3700 meals.  Imagine, 3700 meals! At past holidays we have purchased gifts for area case management departments which were appreciated, but certainly not essential.  Making a difference in the lives of those who are struggling, especially during these challenging times, is a privilege that I feel fortunate to have been granted.

 “Everyone has a role in ending hunger” says the Greater Boston Food Bank.  Enjoy your holidays and know that you have a made a difference!

All of the food collected will go to the Greater Boston Food Bank to benefit hungry families across eastern Massachusetts.  This is a wonderful opportunity to help those less fortunate in these difficult times.  I encourage you to join in our efforts and make a difference in someone’s life today.

The Greater Boston Food Bank is New England’s largest hunger-relief organization and is working hard to help end hunger in eastern Massachusetts.  They distribute over 30 million pounds of food per year to more than 600 hunger relief agencies throughout eastern Massachusetts. 

Once the food you donate is collected by the Food Bank, it is distributed to hunger-relief agencies, such as pantries and soup kitchens. The agencies are able to order exactly what they need, whether that be juice, protein products, or canned vegetables.

 Here are some hunger facts about Eastern Massachusetts:

• 320,000 people or 7% of the population uses emergency food programs annually
• More than one in three households served has a child under the age of 18
• Over 10% of those who receive emergency food assistance are 65 or older
• 57% of the people served have to choose between food and rent, medicine, or heat
• 84% have a place to live but cannot get the food they need
• Please join us in helping these hungry families by donating non-perishable items.

Some examples of desirable foods are:

• Canned tuna, chicken, or other meats
• Canned soups or chili
• Plastic bottles or cans of 100% fruit juice
• Pasta, rice, or other grains
• Healthy Cereal
• Dry or boxed shelf-stable milk
• Canned Beans
• Peanut butter
• Canned Vegetables

Thank you for your participation in this worthwhile event.

By Sharon O’Brien, About.com Guide

For most of us, the holidays are a wonderful time to share the joys of family life and friendship. But for many older adults the holidays can be highly stressful, confusing, or even depressing if their mental, physical and emotional needs are not taken into account.

If you have older friends and family members with underlying health issues, you can help them enjoy the holiday season more by following these simple tips, based on advice from specialists in senior medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine:

1. Stroll down memory lane. Holidays provoke memories, which can be especially powerful in the later years of life. “Leading authorities have observed that memory and ‘life review’ are important parts of the aging process,” says Barry Lebowitz, Ph.D., deputy director of UCSD’s Stein Institute for Research on Aging. “Older people whose memories are impaired may have difficulty remembering recent events, but they are often able to share stories and observations from the past. These shared memories are important for the young as well—children enjoy hearing about how it was ‘when your parents were your age…’.” He suggests using picture albums, family videos and music, even theme songs from old radio or TV programs, to help stimulate memories and encourage older seniors to share their stories and experiences.
2. Plan ahead. If older family members tire easily or are vulnerable to over-stimulation, limit the number of activities they are involved in or the length of time they are included. The noise and confusion of a large family gathering can lead to irritability or exhaustion, so schedule time for a nap, if necessary, and consider designating a “quiet room” where an older person can take a break. “Assign someone to be the day’s companion to the older person, to make sure the individual is comfortable,” says Daniel Sewell, M.D., director of the Senior Behavior Health Unit at the UCSD Medical Center, who adds that these guidelines work well for young children as well as adults with mental, emotional and physical health issues.
3. Eliminate obstacles. If a holiday get-together is held in the home of an older person with memory impairment or behavioral problems, don’t rearrange the furniture. This could be a source of confusion and anxiety. If the gathering is in a place unfamiliar to an older person, remove slippery throw rugs and other items that could present barriers to someone with balance problems or who has difficulty walking.
4. Avoid embarrassing moments. Try to avoid making comments that could inadvertently embarrass an older friend or family member who may be experiencing short-term memory problems. If an older person forgets a recent conversation, for example, don’t make it worse by saying, “Don’t you remember?”
5. Create new memories. In addition to memories, seniors need new things to anticipate. Add something new to the holiday celebration, or volunteer for your family to help others. Enjoy activities that are free, such as taking a drive to look at holiday decorations, or window-shopping at the mall or along a festive downtown street.
6. Be inclusive. Involve everyone in holiday meal preparation, breaking down tasks to include the youngest and oldest family members. “Older adults with physical limitations can still be included in kitchen activities by asking them to do a simple, helpful task, like greasing cooking pans, peeling vegetables, folding napkins or arranging flowers,” Sewell says.
7. Reach out. Social connectedness is especially important at holiday times. “Reaching out to older relatives and friends who are alone is something all of us should do,” Lebowitz says. “Loneliness is a difficult emotion for anyone. Recent research with older people has documented that loneliness is associated with major depression and with suicidal thoughts and impulses.”
8. Beat the blues. “Holiday blues” are feelings of profound sadness that can be provoked by all the activities of the holiday season. Seasonal blues can have a particular impact in the lives of older people, according to Lebowitz. “In some people, the ‘holiday blues’ represent the exacerbation of an ongoing depressive illness,” he says. “Depression is a dangerous and life-threatening illness in older people. Tragically, suicide rates increase with age, specifically for older men. Depression is not a normal part of aging and should never be ignored or written off.”
9. Keep on the sunny side. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression is an illness that can be provoked by reductions in sunlight during the short days of winter. It is important for people confined indoors, especially those at risk for winter depression, to make time for activities that will increase exposure to daylight, according to Lebowitz.

10.  Monitor medications and alcohol. If you have senior family members, be sure to help them adhere to their regular schedule of medications during the frenzy of the holidays. Also, pay attention to their alcohol consumption during holiday parties and family gatherings. According to Sewell, alcohol can provoke inappropriate behavior or interfere with medications.

“Older family members with special needs can get lost in the shuffle and chaos of happy family gatherings,” Sewell says. “So, with all the hustle and bustle of the season, just remember to be sensitive and loving. And plan ahead.”

The Holiday Project is a nationwide organization that facilitates this type of volunteerism.  Check out their web site for more information http://holiday-project.org/.   If you live near Quincy, MA contact Lucia Treggiari, Director of Recreation at Marina Bay Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center.  617-769-5100 ext. 150.

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