Mrs. Jones was doing well at home but has decided she needs a more supportive living environment. She and her family discuss options, and assisted living seems to be the next step.

Becoming the target of a stinging insect is painful and unpleasant under the best of circumstances. However, for people who are allergic to insect venom, a simple sting that would cause nothing more than localized pain, redness, and swelling in most people can cause a severe or even life-threatening reaction.

A nature hike, camping trip, picnic, or casual stroll through your favorite local park can be a pleasant, invigorating experience that puts you in touch with the great outdoors. Of course, such activities can also put you “in touch” with some critters you’d do well to avoid—such as ticks.

When you think of health and wellness, what comes to mind? Watching what you eat or exercising three to five times a week? Focusing on self-care or practicing mindfulness and meditation? Those are just a few of the recommendations that have been touted as ways to protect our physical, mental, and emotional health.

A newer form of patient care is proving to be just what the doctor ordered—especially during a global pandemic. Perrysburg Family Physicians is among practices throughout the nation that have begun using the Medici app for telehealth.

With COVID-19 (and now summer break) keeping kids home from school and many parents either required to work from home or out of work altogether, families throughout our community—and, indeed, all over the world—are experiencing a degree of stress that most have never encountered before. Many are struggling to cope with this “new normal,” and it’s having a significant impact on family dynamics.

There is no question that breast cancer is a major public health issue. Diagnosed in about one out of every eight women, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second most common cancer overall (not including non-melanoma skin cancers). While significant advances have been made in breast cancer treatments and survivorship, relaxed vigilance is never an option with this disease. The best possible outcomes are achieved when the cancer is detected and effective treatment is begun early in the disease process.

Many of us remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle. Even more thrilling, our first bicycle ride! I certainly remember both of these events—my first bicycle was entirely pastel in color and had a jaunty flowered basket on the front. My first bicycle ride was a mix of pure terror (what if I fall?) and excitement (finally, a taste of freedom!).

When someone is diagnosed with a serious medical ailment, such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, the typical reaction from family, friends, and acquaintances is sympathy and support. However, a diagnosis of mental illness oftentimes elicits a very different type of response, ranging from wariness and suspicion to outright fear and even discrimination. As a result of this stigma, people with mental illness too often feel ashamed, suffer in silence, and avoid seeking vital treatment.

With the COVID-19 pandemic currently in full swing, and older adults being especially vulnerable to the disease, now might not seem like the best time to consider making the move to a senior living community. However, when you weigh the risks and benefits of moving to a community versus waiting out the pandemic at home, for many individuals it still makes more sense on balance to start exploring the option of moving.