Apr 27, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world to a degree that has not happened in over 100 years, every organization from global corporations to small local businesses to independent ‘gig economy’ contractors became embroiled in a new reality of shutdowns, social distancing, economic uncertainty and remote work. Perhaps no business leader has been more critical to preparedness and ongoing operations than Human Resources (HR) professionals. During a crisis like this, HR is to business as nurses are to a hospital: the first responders stabilizing the situation, coordinating continued care, taking the steps necessary to minimize damage and ensuring a...
Read MoreFiled Under: coronavirus, corporate wellness, CoV, covid-19, HR, human resources, mental status affects health, novel coronavirus
Nov 6, 2019
Our state of mind has a profound impact on all aspects of our life. In a fascinating article in the October 22nd edition of the New York Times, “You May Only Be as Old as You Feel”, Emily Laber-Warren explores the difference between chronological age and "subjective age". We each have a chronological age. When we were children, we were often asked "How old are you?" Always being anxious to be older, we usually held up more fingers than our age. So our mother or father told us we were going to be that many fingers, but right now we were one finger...
Read MoreFiled Under: Mental Health, mental status affects health, retirement
Aug 28, 2019
My first contact with a tangible mental illness and its implications occurred as a young lawyer trying a murder case in which my client, assigned to me by the court, was accused of murdering his wife. In the normal course, I sought a mental health evaluation of my client. I called one of the most prominent forensic psychiatrists in Detroit and asked him if he would evaluate this individual to determine if he could stand trial or if there was a mental health defense to his criminal actions. The psychiatrist visited the individual at the county jail and conducted an...
Read MoreFiled Under: changes in healthcare, Health Management, healthcare quality, Mental Health, mental status affects health
Jun 26, 2019
“Heart Disease Roars Back,” was the front page headline of an extensive article in the June 22-23, 2019, “Wall Street Journal” on the increase in heart disease. The article by Betsy McKay states, "The death rate for cardiovascular disease – which includes heart disease and strokes – has fallen just 4% since 2011 after dropping more than 70% over six decades, according to mortality statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." The article goes on to state, "Particularly alarming is that the death rate that is actually rising for middle-aged Americans."In another article in the “Jerusalem Post” introducing a new innovative test for sleep...
Read MoreFiled Under: Health Management, mental status affects health, patient satisfaction, preventive healthcare
Apr 29, 2019
I am often asked when am I going to retire? Since I have achieved the age denoted as "senior citizen" it is a fairly legitimate question. Yesterday as I was pondering what I would like to write about in this month's Health Points, I came upon a lead article in the "Wall Street Journal" entitled "The Case Against Early Retirement". To delve into the philosophical - I have often thought there are two phases to later life; and I define them as, "living or waiting to die". As Richard W Johnson states in the opening of the article, "Most people look forward to retirement,...
Read MoreFiled Under: elder care, Mental Health, mental status affects health, retirement, retirement health