Cardiac rehab is a multi-faceted treatment program that helps people manage a variety of cardiovascular health conditions. It consists of safe, progressive exercise training, tailored to each individual’s ability; education about therapeutic life changes, such as smoking cessation and maintaining (and even enjoying!) a heart-healthy diet; and stress management. Cardiac rehab can be provided in both outpatient and inpatient facilities.
According to both the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, cardiac rehab is an vital component of recovery from heart disease or heart surgery. Studies consistently show that cardiac rehab reduces the risk of future heart problems in people with a variety of heart conditions, as well as lowering overall risk of death from heart disease.
Cardiac rehab benefits those who have suffered from:
Angina
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction)
Heart failure
Heart procedures, such as:
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts (CABG)
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)
Pacemaker Implantation
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (also known as PCI or angioplasty)
Stent Placement
Valve Replacement
Most insurers, including Medicare, cover the conditions listed above, though they might request a referral from your doctor. In the case of heart failure, cardiac rehab coverage is generally dependent on the extent to which the heart is incapable of pumping blood.
Depending on your medical condition, cardiac rehab may start while you are still in the hospital. In other cases, it may begin a week or more after you are discharges.
Because your program is tailored to your specific needs, the length of cardiac rehab will vary. However, most programs last no longer than three months. Depending on your condition, you may be able to take part in an intensive program that lasts only one or two weeks, or you may benefit from a program that extends beyond three months.
Hear from a cardiac rehab patient, by clicking here.
Regency Jewish Heritage has partnered with the area's leading cardiologists and pulmonologists to form The NJ Heart and Lung Center™
Our Outcomes & Capabilities include:
We offer the very best of care in a patient-centered environment. This means always listening to our residents and patients and respecting their capabilities, while helping them to achieve maximum functionality and independence. And always maintaining the highest professional and quality standards in our staff and our facilities. Our 25 years of excellent care have led to us being awarded a Best Nursing Homes award by US News & World Today, a 5-Star rating by USA Today, and an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, among many other awards.
Contact us by clicking here to see which of our three facilities will best meet your needs or the needs of your loved one.
According to statistics published by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 400 million people worldwide suffer from hearing loss. When an individual's hearing loss is not too severe and damage to the cochlea is not too extensive, electronic devices such as hearing aids can help them manage their hearing deficiency. However, after a certain point, no electronic device is capable of helping an individual manage their hearing loss.
More fundamentally, it is essential to note that managing hearing loss by means of an electronic device or implant is in no way connected with reversing hearing loss. Until recently, the concept of reversing hearing loss in humans would have been considered science-fiction.
It is a fascinating fact that mammals are the only vertebrates that are unable to regenerate damaged cochlea cells. The cochlea contains the hair-like cells that line the inner ear. These hair-like cells pick up vibrations from the eardrum and transform them into electronic signals that can be processed by the brain. Other vertebrates, for example fish and birds, can regenerate the sensory hair-like cells contained in cochlea.
Aging and exposure to loud noises are the main causes of damage to the cochlea. When the sensory hair cells contained in the cochlea are destroyed, a degree of irreversible hearing loss will occur. And when a critical amount is destroyed, severe or total hearing loss will result. At present, this loss is irreversible.
In 2012, research led by Dr. Patricia White identified the group of receptors essential for the regeneration process of sensory hair cells in fish and birds. These receptors are known as epidermal growth factor cells (EGF).
Recently, a group of researchers from the University of Rochester and the Massachusetts Ear and Eye Infirmary began a series of experiments to duplicate this process in mice. This groundbreaking research, also led by Dr. White, was published in their European Journal of Neuroscience.
The researchers were able to identify a specific receptor, known as ERBB2, which when stimulated appropriately caused sensory hair-like cells to regrow in the cochlea. Via a series of experiments, the team was able to find a successful method to stimulate the ERBB2 receptors, resulting in stem cells transforming into the sensory hair cells required for hearing.
Regarding this process, Dr. White stated: "You have to regenerate sensory hair cells and these cells have to function properly and connect with the necessary network of neurons. This research demonstrates a signaling pathway that can be activated by different methods and could represent a new approach to cochlea regeneration and, ultimately, restoration of hearing."
Although this research is still at an early stage, it demonstrates the first time that sensory hair cells were regenerated in mammals. It is hoped that further research will soon lead to human trials, and ultimately to a revolution for the treatment of hearing loss.
At the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, we offer the very best of care in the most appropriate and patient-centered environment. This means always listening to our residents and patients and respecting their capabilities, while helping them to achieve maximum functionality and independence. And always maintaining the highest professional and quality standards in our staff and our facilities. Our 25 years of excellent care have led to us being awarded a Best Nursing Homes award by US News & World Today, a 5-Star rating by USA Today, and an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, among many other awards.
Contact us by clicking here to see which of our three facilities will best meet your needs or the needs of your loved one.
In a healthy adult, at rest, the heart beats between 60 and 100 times a minute. Cells in the upper right chamber of the heart generate an electrical signal that travels through the heart, and makes it beat, a sort of cardiac “spark plug,” if you will.
However, if for some reason the heart’s “sparkplug” is not working properly, the heart will not beat regularly, a condition known as arrhythmia. In some cases, arrhythmia needs to be addressed by inserting an artificial spark plug, known as a pacemaker.
Pacemakers are most commonly used to treat bradycardia, an abnormally slow heartbeat. Other disorders, such as heart block, heart failure, and Long QT Syndrome, may also need to be brought under control with a pacemaker.
No. Pacemakers are inserted through a small incision, usually under local anesthesia. In most cases, insertion takes approximately two hours. Patients are generally able to leave the hospital within a couple of days.
Recovery can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) recommends enrollment in a cardiac rehabilitation program following pacemaker surgery. Cardiac rehab provides coordinated care, and is the safest way for a pacemaker patient to ease themselves back into their normal life. Medicare and most insurance plans cover cardiac rehab for pacemaker insertions.
Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers’ cardiac care provides rehabilitation at the highest level recommended by the ACC. Contact Regency by clicking here.
Once you have been cleared by your doctor, you do not need to limit your activities after pacemaker insertion.
However strong electromagnetic fields may interfere with the functioning of your pacemaker. For this reason, people with pacemakers should not have MRIs.
Your doctor will give you a pacemaker ID card, which you should carry with you at all times. You should also consider wearing a MedicAlert bracelet that states that you have a pacemaker.
Cell phones are safe, but should be kept at least6 to 12 inches away from the pacemaker.
Metal detectors, such as those found at airports and some stores, are generally safe. You will want to minimize your exposure by walking through them quickly and by not standing near them.
Hand-held metal detectors, however, do pose some risk. If you are selected for special screening with a hand-held device at the airport, it is important to show your pacemaker ID card. The staff will then check you in a different way.
Some medical devices may also interfere with pacemakers. Always inform your doctor that you have a pacemaker before undergoing any procedure.
Typically, the part of the pacemaker that wears out is the battery. Most pacemaker batteries last between 5 and 15 years. The procedure to replace the battery is quick, and does not require much recovery time.
At the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, we offer the very best of care in the most appropriate and patient-centered environment. This means always listening to our residents and patients and respecting their capabilities, while helping them to achieve maximum functionality and independence. And always maintaining the highest professional and quality standards in our staff and our facilities. Our 25 years of excellent care have led to us being awarded a Best Nursing Homes award by US News & World Today, a 5-Star rating by USA Today, and an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, among many other awards.
Contact us by clicking here to see which of our three facilities will best meet your needs or the needs of your loved one.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death both in the United States, and globally. For men in particular, half of all death are caused by heart disease.
Over the last few decades, many powerful new drugs have been invented to stave off or lower the risk of cardiovascular disease: statins to control cholesterol and triglycerides, new blood thinners and blood pressure medications to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, beta blockers, and many more. Although many of these medications have been proven to lower an individual's risk of a cardiovascular event, the overall risk for such events still remains high.
Recently, a large study, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that a new drug may prove to be an important step forward in the search for drugs to control and prevent heart disease. The new drug, Vascepa, is derived from fish oil. Since fish oil, and omega-3 fatty acids in general, were already known to be good for the heart, it is not surprising that this highly purified and concentrated omega-3 fatty acid has been shown to be beneficial for the heart. What was surprising, however, was the extent of benefit provided; it surpassed all expectations.
An initial study of Vascepa's effectiveness was conducted with approximately 10,000 high-risk patients already taking heart medications. The results of the study showed that this drug reduced the occurrence of first, second, and subsequent heart attacks, as well as strokes and other cardiovascular problems, by nearly one third.
The study's lead investigator, Dr. Deepak Bhatt, stated, "With this drug, we are not only preventing that first heart attack, but potentially the second stroke and maybe that third fatal event. [...] Prevention of such subsequent cardiovascular events could improve patient outcomes and quality of life and may lower the total cost burden of medical care."
Results of this study were presented at the American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in New Orleans. A detailed breakdown of the data presented showed that Vascepa cut the rate of a first cardiovascular event by 25%, a second cardiovascular event by 32%, and further cardiovascular events by 48%, in comparison to the control group.
It is important to remember, that besides the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs that almost all of the participants in this study were taking, most participants were also taking other heart medications to control their blood pressure or to prevent blood clots. The implications of this are that Vascepa provides a important new addition to the arsenal of weapons that can be used to fight heart disease.
The pace of medical innovation today is astounding. It is not unreasonable to expect that this pace will only continue to accelerate, and that fundamental breakthroughs will be made to fight cardiovascular disease.
At the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, we offer the very best of care in the most appropriate and patient-centered environment. This means always listening to our residents and patients and respecting their capabilities, while helping them to achieve maximum functionality and independence. And always maintaining the highest professional and quality standards in our staff and our facilities. Our 25 years of excellent care have led to us being awarded a Best Nursing Homes award by US News & World Today, a 5-Star rating by USA Today, and an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, among many other awards.
Contact us by clicking here to see which of our three facilities will best meet your needs or the needs of your loved one.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death both in the United States, and globally. For men in particular, half of all death are caused by heart disease.
Over the last few decades, many powerful new drugs have been invented to stave off or lower the risk of cardiovascular disease: statins to control cholesterol and triglycerides, new blood thinners and blood pressure medications to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, beta blockers, and many more. Although many of these medications have been proven to lower an individual's risk of a cardiovascular event, the overall risk for such events still remains high.
Recently, a large study, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that a new drug may prove to be an important step forward in the search for drugs to control and prevent heart disease. The new drug, Vascepa, is derived from fish oil. Since fish oil, and omega-3 fatty acids in general, were already known to be good for the heart, it is not surprising that this highly purified and concentrated omega-3 fatty acid has been shown to be beneficial for the heart. What was surprising, however, was the extent of benefit provided; it surpassed all expectations.
An initial study of Vascepa's effectiveness was conducted with approximately 10,000 high-risk patients already taking heart medications. The results of the study showed that this drug reduced the occurrence of first, second, and subsequent heart attacks, as well as strokes and other cardiovascular problems, by nearly one third.
The study's lead investigator, Dr. Deepak Bhatt, stated, "With this drug, we are not only preventing that first heart attack, but potentially the second stroke and maybe that third fatal event. [...] Prevention of such subsequent cardiovascular events could improve patient outcomes and quality of life and may lower the total cost burden of medical care."
Results of this study were presented at the American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in New Orleans. A detailed breakdown of the data presented showed that Vascepa cut the rate of a first cardiovascular event by 25%, a second cardiovascular event by 32%, and further cardiovascular events by 48%, in comparison to the control group.
It is important to remember, that besides the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs that almost all of the participants in this study were taking, most participants were also taking other heart medications to control their blood pressure or to prevent blood clots. The implications of this are that Vascepa provides a important new addition to the arsenal of weapons that can be used to fight heart disease.
The pace of medical innovation today is astounding. It is not unreasonable to expect that this pace will only continue to accelerate, and that fundamental breakthroughs will be made to fight cardiovascular disease.
At the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, we offer the very best of care in the most appropriate and patient-centered environment. This means always listening to our residents and patients and respecting their capabilities, while helping them to achieve maximum functionality and independence. And always maintaining the highest professional and quality standards in our staff and our facilities. Our 25 years of excellent care have led to us being awarded a Best Nursing Homes award by US News & World Today, a 5-Star rating by USA Today, and an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, among many other awards.
Contact us by clicking here to see which of our three facilities will best meet your needs or the needs of your loved one.
Parkinson's disease is a devastating, progressive illness that has become more pervasive in our society in recent years. There are risk factors for this disease that are unavoidable, age being the most common. Most people who develop Parkinson's disease only begin to notice symptoms between the ages of 60 and 80.
Another well-known risk factor is gender: men have a 50% higher chance of developing Parkinson's disease than women. It is important to note, however, that this statistic considers the entire population of people with Parkinson's disease, without dividing the afflicted people into specific age ranges. If we only consider individuals above the age of 80, for example, the gap for the risk of developing Parkinson's between men and women decreases substantially.
This risk factor of gender provides us with a better understanding of other known risk factors. Generally speaking, there are two categories of risk factors, and both more common in men.
A recent study found that military veterans who suffered mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) had a 56% greater chance of developing Parkinson's disease. Contact sports, like football and boxing, have recently become a greater concern among scientists and physicians, since head trauma is common among such sports. Both military duty and contact sports have far greater participation among the male population.
Another major risk factor for Parkinson's disease is exposure to certain chemicals, metals, and toxins. Although most of us have been exposed to these substances, there are particular jobs that provide relatively constant exposure. These jobs are more populated by males than females. Among the metals that have been connected with Parkinson's disease, the five most common are:
Manganese, bismuth, thallium and zinc have also been connected with Parkinson's.
Among the chemicals and toxins that increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, the Parkinson's foundation lists a variety of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and pesticides.
Other chemicals, like the defoliant Agent Orange used in the Vietnam war, have also been linked to Parkinson's disease.
Though most of the links mentioned above have not conclusively been shown to cause Parkinson's disease, they are known to increase the risk of getting the disease. The precise reasons are still unclear.
The takeaway message for us is that exposure to certain chemicals, pesticides, and metals may be taking a toll on our health that we are unaware of. However, there are some things we can do to limit this risk.
At the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, we offer the very best of care in the most appropriate and patient-centered environment. This means always listening to our residents and patients and respecting their capabilities, while helping them to achieve maximum functionality and independence. And always maintaining the highest professional and quality standards in our staff and our facilities. Our 25 years of excellent care have led to us being awarded a Best Nursing Homes award by US News & World Today, a 5-Star rating by USA Today, and an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, among many other awards.
Contact us by clicking here to see which of our three facilities will best meet your needs or the needs of your loved one.
Skin care rules that we followed when we were young — such as avoiding smoking, and using sunscreen and moisturizers — are still important as we get older. However, as we age, our skin ages, as well, and starts to need special care.
Over the years, our skin becomes thinner and more fragile. The protective layer of fat that lies just below it begins to disappear, causing us to bruise and our skin to tear more easily. In addition, medications commonly used by seniors, such as aspirin; corticosteroids, such as prednisone; and blood thinners such as Coumadin, Plavix, and Eliquis, lead to thinning skin. Even the conditions that crop up more frequently as we get older,, like diabetes and circulation problems, can cause older skin to weaken.
For seniors, weakened skin leads to a greater likelihood of skin tears, which can lead to complications such as infection if they do not receive prompt and proper care.
The following tips for senior skin care can help prevent thinning skin from becoming a problem.
Protect the Most Vulnerable Areas of the Body
Treat Skin with Care
Older skin is prone to dryness, which can make it itchy. Here’s how to keep it supple and prevent irritation and tearing.
With proper care, senior skin can still be healthy skin.
At the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, we offer the very best of care in the most appropriate and patient-centered environment. This means maintaining the highest professional and quality standards in our staff and our facilities. Our 25 years of excellent care have led to us being awarded a Best Nursing Homes award by US News & World Today, a 5-Star rating by USA Today, and an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, among many other awards.
Contact us by clicking here to see which of our three facilities will best meet your needs or the needs of your loved one.
It’s not news we ever want to hear, but sometimes, doctors will inform us that cure is no longer possible for our loved one, and that the best possible care is to offer comfort, and try to ease the way for everyone involved, patient and family.
That is where hospice comes in.
The goal of hospice is to decrease the pain and fear of the dying process. When it is agreed that a patient’s condition is terminal, that the prognosis is no more than six months, that treatment will no longer prolong life, hospice offers the best care possible.
The goal of hospice care is to treat pain and distress — of both the patient and their family — whether that distress is physical, emotional, or spiritual.
Hospice patients and their families are assigned a team of doctors, nurses, counselors, social workers, and, if desired, chaplains, to make the patient’s remaining days more comfortable. Although curative therapies are stopped, any treatment that a therapy — such as physical, occupational, or speech therapy — improves the patient’s quality of life is provided.
Hospice care extends even beyond the patient’s passing; it includes bereavement counseling for the family.
We all want a cure, but when cure is no longer possible, we can still offer care and comfort. Everyone deserves a good end.
At the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, we are uniquely qualified to care for the needs of seniors — including their needs and the needs of their families, at the end of life.
In addition to hospice care, Regency offers a full continuum of care, including exceptional short-term rehabilitation, sub-acute care, long-term nursing, a range of specialty programs and complex clinical services, hospice care and temporary respite care.
Our compassionate, personalized approach has established our long-standing and unparalleled reputation for excellence.
The anterior olfactory nucleus, a region in the forebrain that registers odor, has recently been implicated in areas that range far beyond — but is still linked with — the sense of smell.
Recently, a team of Swedish investigators published a study in the Journal of Neuroscience, reporting that breathing through the nose is more helpful for the storage and consolidation of memories than breathing through the mouth.
There are two important aspects of the study’s findings. The first is that memory is better stored and consolidated while breathing through the nose. The second concerns the process that mediates between breathing, learning, and memory retrieval.
The team pointed out that although their scientific investigation of the relationship between breathing and memory, as well as the technology they are using for their investigations, is new, the concept of breathing affecting our behavior and our memory is actually very old.
In the words of lead author Dr. Artin Arshamian,"This knowledge has been around for thousands of years, in such areas as meditation. But no one has managed to prove scientifically what actually goes on the brain. We now have tools that can reveal new clinical knowledge."
The anterior olfactory nucleus also plays a lead role in another study, published in Nature Communications, which shows that people with good spatial memory are better at identifying smells than people with poor spatial memory.
The sense of smell even seems to hold a key to dementia risk. A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found a strong connection between a person’s ability to identify smells and their risk of developing dementia.
Losing one’s sense of smell may prove to be an strong indicator of dementia risk, and the study’s researchers posit that risk of dementia may be one day be able to be assessed through a simple, inexpensive smell test.
A hospital stay is difficult, especially for an older person. Going home? Not necessarily much easier.
Getting to the “new normal” may involve postsurgical wound care, a new diet, new medications, and a flurry of follow-up appointments. The home may even need to be retrofitted with grab bars and ramps, even for a short-term recovery.
Transitioning to home from the hospital is so difficult, in fact, that 20% of Medicare patients discharged from a hospital must be readmitted within the month.
This transition can be made easier — and safer — by including a stay in a short-term rehabilitation program. A short-term rehab program, like that at the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the patient’s condition, and can make all the difference in the patient’s recovery.
Healthcare professionals and families throughout New Jersey have come to rely on Regency Rehab to fill this crucial transitional role between the hospital and home.
Regency Rehab’s approach to rehabilitation is informed and driven by the same unique experience and philosophy that guides our long-term care mission. We think of each individual in our care as a “total patient” while focusing on specific rehabilitation needs. This approach also means that we recognize that some of our patients will not benefit from aggressive therapy and that for others, returning home to independent living may not be a realistic goal. In these cases, our programs are designed to ensure high levels of comfort and stability, while helping to achieve maximum independence and quality of life.
At Regency, we maintain the highest professional and quality standards in our staff and our facilities. Our 25 years of excellent care have led to us being awarded a Best Nursing Homes award by US News & World Today, a 5-Star rating by USA Today, and an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau, among many other awards.
Contact us by clicking here to see which of our three facilities will best meet your needs or the needs of your loved one.
