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File Photo Homebound for the Holidays? Tips for mental health in difficult times By Deirdré DeLeo, Associate Director of Programs and Clinical Operations, Visiting Nurse Service of New York The holiday season is often referred to as the “most wonderful time of the year,” but for many, including those who are elderly or homebound, the holidays can heighten feelings of isolation, grief, and upset.  This year may be especially difficult for those experiencing the “holiday blues,” as the COVID-19 pandemic has generated fear, distance, and the absence of traditional communal activities. Many times, however, these “blues” are a symptom of something much greater, such as depression, anxiety, or even self-destructive ideation. Nearly one in four adults ages 65 and older reported experiencing depression or anxiety in August 2020, a rate that has been steady since the start of the pandemic, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Similarly, 46% of older adults in...

N ew York City landmarks to be lit in recognition of International Human Rights Day include: One World Trade Center. (Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor) Governor Kathy Hochul announced that landmarks would be lit blue on December 10, 2021, to commemorate International Human Rights Day — which is observed every year on December 10th to commemorate the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  This milestone document proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.  Subscribe in a reader

File photo Subscribe in a reader Follow @Bronxvoice1 Tweet By Jessica L. Zwerling, MD, Director of the Montefiore Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease  As we get older, it’s natural to forget things from time to time: the name of the actor in your favorite television show, the title of a movie you are seeing with friends, or where you put your house keys when you came home. Eventually the answers will come to you, even if it is in the middle of the night. It could be that you are worrying too much, or you might have a medical condition you are not aware of, like a vitamin deficiency. But if you or a family member think your forgetfulness is getting worse, or--more important--getting in the way of daily life, it could be the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Signs can include getting lost in a familiar place or having difficulty with tasks like paying bills or preparing meals. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease progress ov...

Walking in a Winter Wonderland: What you need to know about exercising outside Tweet By Sonia Rappaport, Physical Therapist and Rehabilitation Instructor, The Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) Partners in Care The cold weather is back! Between plunging temperatures and limited sunlight, it’s no wonder some of the most devoted of exercisers hang up their fitness gear and stay inside – whether it’s to hit the couch or the elliptical.   It should come as a surprise to no one that exercise boosts metabolism and mood. But did you know that exercising outdoors, particularly in the winter, can increase those benefits? Believe it. According to a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, exercising in the cold weather increased participants’ metabolism and their muscles’ capacity to use oxygen – not bad! Meanwhile, a 2017 study found that climbing outdoors, compared to both exercising indoors on a treadmill and to remaining sedentary, v...

By Reema Amin, THE CITY This article was originally published on Nov 15 at 8:08pm EST by THE CITY A student with disabilities at HeartShare Taranto preschool in Brooklyn receives occupational therapy. The state is calling for new changes to ease New York City’s special education complaint backlog.  | Christina Veiga/Chalkbeat This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Sign up for their newsletters here: ckbe.at/newsletters. No one has been assigned to help resolve roughly 9,400 special education complaints in New York City — even as nearly 30% of available hearing officers have no cases on their plates, according to the state education department. In response, state officials want to require these officers to take on a minimum number of cases or otherwise risk losing their certifications. It’s one of several state proposals over nearly two years aimed at easi...

By Dr. Inessa Gendlina, Jack D. Weiler campus director, Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Montefiore Health System; assistant professor, medicine (infectious diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine It’s fall – the season of color, pumpkins and flavored lattes. This is the season when we watch our beautiful Bronx take on shades of golds and reds. It is also the time of year when we traditionally talk about flu shots. This year, so much attention continues to be focused on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters that it may feel like flu does not exist.   So, what do we know about flu in the era of COVID? The short answer is not very much. Before the COVID pandemic, predictions about flu (seasonal influenza) were made based on what was happening in the southern hemisphere and Australia, as these areas experience their peak flu season ahead of ours (in August). Since the pandemic, with everyone wearing a mask, various degrees of lockdowns and the strengt...

Io Gerald, 10, got her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at her school, P.S. 19 in Manhattan’s East Village. Her mother, Christina Gerald, left, was by her side.   By Christina Veiga, Chalkbeat New York Nov 12, 4:23pm EST About 17,000 children ages 5- to 11-years-old got vaccinated against COVID-19 at their schools over three days this week, a level of demand that caught city officials by surprise.  Now Mayor Bill de Blasio says he may add additional days for school-based sites to offer the shots, and is considering opening up campuses to administer second doses. The city’s initial plans called for only offering the first shot at schools.  “Sites in the public schools have been incredibly popular. More than we imagined, honestly,” de Blasio said Friday during his regular appearance on WNYC radio.  Younger children only became eligible for the Pfizer vaccine on Nov. 2. Since then, city officials say more than 51,000 New York City children in this age gr...

By Jose Martinez, THE CITY This article was originally published on Nov 9 at 8:36pm EST by THE CITY The Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, Nov. 9, 2021. | Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY The federal infrastructure deal could deliver some key regional transportation projects for New Yorkers, but still falls short of meeting the city’s vast needs, according to transit and planning experts. The bill, awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature after the House of Representatives passed it Friday , could jumpstart the extension of the Second Avenue Subway from 96th Street into East Harlem, construction of a new trans-Hudson rail tunnel and improvements along Amtrak’s Northeast corridor. Other long-planned transportation projects, however, such as the Utica Avenue and Red Hook subway extensions , are likely to remain on the drawing board even longer, officials acknowledged. Proposals to replace the Port Authority Bus Terminal and to build a rail...

By Christina Veiga, THE CITY This article was originally published on Nov 8 at 8:44pm EST by THE CITY Io Gerald, 10, got her first vaccine dose at her school, P.S. 19 in Manhattan’s East Village. Her mother, Christina Gerald, left, was by her side.  | Christina Veiga/Chalkbeat Even behind her purple mask, 10-year-old Io Gerald’s eyes grew noticeably wide when she realized it was over: She had been jabbed with her first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. The fifth-grader at P.S. 19 in Manhattan’s East Village jumped out of her chair. “I did it!” she said. Students across New York City lined up to get vaccinated at their schools on Monday, the first day officials made doses available at school sites. Demand outpaced supply at some schools , and lines wrapped around the block at others . Some parents set up lawn chairs to snag a spot of the first-come, first-served shots. About 200 schools offered vaccinations on Monday. Mayor Bi...

By Chandra Wilson   Veterans Day is a time to pay respects to the brave service men and women who have served our country and  reflect upon the heroism of those who died in service. We owe a debt of gratitude to those among us who have served and continue to serve and protect our American freedom. It is important to remember our “vets” not just on November 11 th , or during November’s Military Appreciation Month , however—they need our support every day of the year. At the not-for-profit Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), veterans receive special care with two programs aimed at helping veterans navigate the complex world of healthcare benefits and services that those who’ve served our country are entitled to and so richly deserve. Led by Director Joseph Vitti, himself an Army veteran, the VNSNY Veterans Programs provide veterans and their loved ones with a skilled veteran liaison, who is available to assist and guide them with accessing the many bene...

Yoav Gonen, THE CITY This article was originally published on Nov 2 at 9:15pm EDT by THE CITY On Jan. 1, the 61-year-old ex-NYPD captain will become the second Black man to assume the top slot in City Hall. Now he’s charged with leading a metropolis of 8.8 million residents out of the ravages of the pandemic. He won’t be lacking for challenges. Eric Adams gives his mayoral victory speech in Downtown Brooklyn. | Hiram Alejandro Durán/ THE CITY New Yorkers elected Eric Adams, a retired police captain, former state senator and two-term Brooklyn borough president, as the city’s 110th mayor on Tuesday — hoping he can lead a metropolis of 8.8 million residents out of the ravages of the pandemic. After a competitive Democratic primary in June where Adams eked out a victory by just 7,197 votes , he handily defeated Republican radio host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa in the general election. The Associated Press called the race shortly...