ArcaMax

As recently reported by USA Today's Tony Leys, Bette Helm, 71, lives in a nursing home located in Knoxville, Iowa, a small city in Marion County of about 7,500 people. Like many small rural communities, accessible mental health services in the area are scant. Helm needed to talk to a trained nurse practitioner about her constant bouts with ...Read more

What is happening to the blissful joy of country living? While it remains for those who can afford it, for others it seems to be slipping away. As I reported last week, finding a family doctor or adequate health care services is at a crisis point in rural America. As I noted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research ...Read more

For people living in rural America, finding a family doctor or adequate health care services has never been easy. Says Rian Dundon in a timeline.com report: "Country folk have been bootstrapping their healthcare for generations through the use of hard to reach clinics, rural hospitals, and the traveling doctor. And even in the 1920s, when half ...Read more

As if we needed more proof of the adage, "You are what you eat," a study recently published in Nature Aging has demonstrated that calorie restriction may, among other benefits, also slow aging in humans. Reports Time magazine, a goal of the study was to see if people who restricted calories also aged more slowly than those who ate normally. "...Read more

"But only the lonely know why, I cry, only the lonely." These are now classic words of the chorus of a Roy Orbison song that became his first smash hit back in 1960. It obviously resonated with music fans, both back then as well as today, who could relate to its message and the feeling of being lonely. Loneliness as a theme remains fertile ...Read more

Gambling is considered one of the oldest vices in the world. Some would say that's too harsh a description when it comes to wagering on sports. After all, putting a bet down on an outcome can be fun and even a socially stimulating competition among friends. It can make the game more engaging. There are those who will say it's more like a hobby, ...Read more

It should surprise no one that advancing technology and advancing age don't exactly go hand in glove. People of my generation tend to struggle with it or work around the wired world where we can. But this situation is changing. According to a recent analysis by the Pew Research Center, "On several fronts, adoption of key technologies by those in...Read more

American humorist Dave Barry once observed that "you can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'" And you gotta laugh, especially if you are a dog owner, because you no doubt have had a similar exchange with your pet. But have you ever wondered when you ...Read more

For those of you who have successfully navigated Dry January without a slip up, your liver, heart and skin all thank you. Dry January is said to be an observance gaining in popularity during the last few years -- sort of a "mini New Year's resolution" to some.

According to Forbes, the pledge to avoid drinking alcohol during the month of January...Read more

As a U.S. Air Force veteran, past spokesperson for the U.S. Veterans Administration and Veteran Foundation's Veteran of the Year Award recipient, I will always have unwavering regard for those who serve in the military. I also pledge to try to stay up to date on how they are being treated and compensated for their service and sacrifice.

Back in...Read more

"Where were you on the evening of Monday, Jan. 2?" This may be a question that hangs around for quite some time. The full story of the evening's massive impact is yet to be fully played out. For a viewing audience estimated by Nielsen at 23.8 million, and a sold-out stadium of NFL fans, these folks were dialed in to view one of the most ...Read more

The news report seemed hardly new, and I suspect it is not all that surprising. "Nursing is in crisis, fueled by burnout (and) exhaustion," reports New York Times health and science reporter Andrew Jacobs and correspondent Isadora Kosofsky. "An alphabet soup of respiratory illnesses has been spreading misery across the United States, once again ...Read more

As the holiday season draws to a close, we have moved from a holiday based on gratitude to a celebration of the birth of Christ (and other religious-based holidays) to settle on a time for ushering in the New Year and for making resolutions. For many, it has not been a smooth or joyful journey. Much of the country remains in the grips of what ...Read more