In a previous article, we discussed the importance of recognizing symptoms of Lyme disease in seniors. We said Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose, especially in seniors, as it can mirror dementia, as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis and more. Because it is common for seniors to report joint pain, muscle aches, fatigue and dizziness, doctors often feel that the symptoms may not be that out of the ordinary and miss a diagnosis. Knowing all this and advocating for testing is the first step. Next comes treatment.

Treat Lyme disease

If you see a tick on the skin of a senior in your care, document it. Be sure to note the date of the bite. Set up an auto-reminder to check the bite site each day for any irritation or other symptoms. (Lesions typically develop 7-10 days after a tick bite.) Having this information to share with your doctor can greatly help with diagnosis, even if you are able to bring the senior you care for to the doctor right away.

If you find a tick, follow these Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for removal:

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
• Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
• After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
• Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.

Avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible–not waiting for it to detach.

According to the CDC, “People treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely. Antibiotics commonly used for oral treatment include doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil. People with certain neurological or cardiac forms of illness may require intravenous treatment with antibiotics such as ceftriaxone or penicillin.”

The CDC also says, “These regimens are guidelines only and may need to be adjusted depending on a person’s age, medical history, underlying health conditions, pregnancy status, or allergies.”

It’s important to note that the immune system deteriorates as we get older. Therefore, seniors usually respond slower to treatment, which increases risk of the disease becoming worse, especially if diagnosis and timely treatment were delayed. Lyme disease not cured by antibiotics becomes increasingly difficult for doctors to counter and can become fatal. Prevention is the best defense against Lyme disease.

Prevent Lyme disease

Lyme disease cases are concentrated in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with 14 states accounting for over 96% of cases reported to CDC.

The CDC reports that more than 329,000 people are likely to contract Lyme disease every year in the U.S. alone. This estimated number of annual infections is 1.5 times the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and six times the number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS each year in the US. Lyme disease accounts for more than 90% of all reported cases of diseases carried by animals (vector-borne illness). But only one in ten cases of Lyme are reported, since many clinicians are not looking for Lyme disease specifically.

As ticks continue to migrate to more and more areas, we can expect cases to continue to rise. This makes prevention all the more difficult and important, especially for seniors who are more vulnerable to symptoms.

Here are some ideas to keep ticks away:

• Avoid wooded areas with high grass or brush.
• Keep grass cut in and around the yard.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants, and tuck pant legs into socks when in tick territory.
• Use bug repellent on exposed skin and clothing. Ask a medical professional for an option that is safe for the senior in your care.
• Carefully inspect yourself and the senior in your care for ticks after being out in a natural setting.
• Treat pets that can bring ticks inside. Ask a vet for safe options.

The CDC and the Lyme Disease Association offer a wealth of information about symptoms and prevention, as well as patient support resources. Learn as much as possible, and if you suspect the senior in your care has been exposed to environments that harbor ticks, consult a medical professional right away.

This post is sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care serving Prince William and Fauquier counties.

The Northern Virginia Veterans Association (NOVAVETS) is an organization with a sole purpose of supporting veterans, transitioning military members and their families throughout the Northern Virginia region.  Located in Manassas, VA, the association is a one-stop hands-on non-profit that provides that support at no-cost to the veteran or family member.  Those in need are connected to local community resources that best meet their requirements.  Because of the vast need for services and support, NOVAVETS focuses its efforts on the most vulnerable of veterans and those with extraordinary needs.

Founded in 2015, by Retired Major Angela McConnell (PhD), who is also an expert in health services, NOVAVETS is unique in veterans support by guiding the client through the vast and often confusing network of available resources until the problem or issue is resolved.  Relying on a cadre of support specialists, which include military retirees and health care experts, NOVAVETS utilizes pre-screened and verified service and support partner companies and entities to fill the veteran’s need.  Since its founding, NOVAVETS has assisted hundreds of veterans and family members, ranging from veterans needing mental and other health services, to families facing immediate eviction, to obtaining transportation to a veteran’s doctor appointment, to home and yard care help, to hospice care assistance, and to meeting the recreational needs of the severely injured.  Despite the overwhelming successes achieved in coordinating care and assistance to the veterans, the demand continues to grow.  Relying exclusively on volunteers to fill its ranks of supporting the needs of the association, NOVAVETS is especially in need of executives to oversee and coordinate the organization’s operations.  These positions are ideally suited to retired military members, military spouses, or retired professionals.  Compensation is knowing that one made a difference in a hero’s life.  Contact NOVAVETS at 703-659-0788 or www.novavets.org.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or create a FREE account today. Make the smart choice for staying informed about your community. Thank you!

Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel times of the year. The 95 and 495 Express Lanes team recommends planning ahead to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. Congestion is expected to surge as early as Wednesday, August 29, on both the regular I-95 lanes and the 95 Express Lanes. To save time and avoid delays, the Express Lanes team encourages drivers to use the 95 Express Lanes during off-peak hours through Tuesday, September 4.

 

What to expect and when to travel

1. The Express Lanes will help drivers get where they’re going faster. Last year, more than 250,000 trips were taken on the 95 Express Lanes during Labor Day weekend; drivers who took the Lanes saved an average of 35 minutes compared to those who did not.

 

2. Traffic will likely be heaviest from Wednesday, August 29, to Friday, August 31. For those headed out of town, here are the best off-peak times to drive:

 

Wednesday, August 29, and Thursday, August 30: Before 3 p.m. or after 7 p.m.

Friday, August 31: Before 11 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

 

3. Toll prices may be higher than normal during peak travel times, so it pays to think ahead. By visiting ExpressLanes.com or downloading the free Express Lanes mobile app (Apple App Store or the Google Play Store), drivers can check real-time toll pricing and live traffic updates before hitting the road.

 

As an added help, the 95 Express Lanes reversal schedule and I-395 HOV Lanes occupancy restrictions are being adjusted. This should help prevent further traffic and keep drivers moving.

o Thursday, August 30, and Friday, August 31: Southbound reversal begins at 10:30 a.m.

o Saturday, September 1: Northbound reversal begins at 2 p.m.

o Sunday, September 2: Lanes remain northbound all day

o Monday, September 3: Lanes remain northbound all day; I-395 HOV restrictions are lifted

o Tuesday, September 4: Southbound reversal now begins at 11 a.m.; I-395 HOV restrictions are back in effect

 

How to stay updated

Once drivers are on the road, pricing and traffic updates will be available on overhead signs. This includes:

· A sign before the Garrisonville Road exit alerting drivers of any delays on the southbound 95 Express Lanes. Drivers will have the option to exit the Lanes at Garrisonville Road or continue to the end of the 95 Express Lanes, near Courthouse Road.

· A sign before the Quantico/Joplin Road exit recommending drivers exit to the regular lanes if there are major delays on the Express Lanes.

 

Updates will also be shared via Twitter (@VAExpressLanes).

About the Express Lanes operated by Transurban

The 95 and 495 Express Lanes provide drivers in Northern Virginia with faster and more predictable travel options. The Express Lanes stretch more than 40 miles from north of the Dulles Toll Road to Stafford County. Thanks to a public-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban, the Express Lanes give drivers reliable travel choices on two of northern Virginia’s most congested roadways. For more information, please visit ExpressLanes.com.

And in the local writing scene, we have news from Write by the Rails:

Write by the Rails ‘Back on Track’ with new initiatives

Write by the Rails (WbtR), the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club, has announced two new initiatives in conjunction with its 2018-19 theme, “Back on Track.”

The group, which aims to raise the profile of the local literary community, started by scheduling a half-day, fall writers’ workshop to be held October 27, 2018 at Trinity Church in Historic Manassas. The workshop will feature a panel of guest speakers, as well as networking and break-out sessions on a variety of topics and genres.

Jan Rayl, WbtR President said, “As President of Write by the Rails, my goal is to mentor the new and want-to-be authors while balancing that with encouraging and educating our successful authors. Our ‘Back on the Tracks’ Fall Writers’ Workshop is going to be the event to do just that.”

Open to members and non-members, the workshop is $10 per seat for members, $15 for non-members.

“I am excited to have some of our members that have been very successful as writers lead sessions to help some of our new and want to be authors reach their goals. I hope that those that dream of having their name in print will join us,” said Rayl.

The workshop will also serve as the hard launch of the WbtR “#BackOnTrackNow Social Campaign.”

“The #BackOnTrackNow social campaign is a way for writers and literary enthusiasts to take back social media,” WbtR Vice President Katherine Gotthardt said. “The idea is to write a few lines, post them on social media every day, and use “#BackOnTrackNow and #WbtR to track it all. Submit those same lines to Write by the Rails, and we’ll post them, too, giving writers credit, of course.” At the end of the campaign, select posts will be included in an anthology.

Gotthardt said anyone is welcome to participate, members and non-members.

“The goal is to get this movement to spread through all of social media, bring creativity back and further raise the profile of the writers in our local community and beyond,” said Gotthardt. “But you don’t have to wait until October. We’ve started sharing already as part of a soft launch. We encourage everyone to take part.”

Rayl said, “I have been watching our Write by the Rails Facebook page with excitement as several times a day there are new works coming into to our #BackOnTrackNow social media campaign. I hope some of those reading this article will post some poems, memoirs and writing.”

More information on the social campaign, along with a submission form, can be found at www.WbtRBackOnTrackNow.org.

For information on WbtR, membership, general events and meetings, visit the WbtR website at www.WbtR.org.

Write by the Rails, the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club, aims to raise the profile of the local literary community and explore ways to nurture, cultivate and help that community grow. The group strives to be an integral part of the larger arts community and to enhance the quality of life for residents of the area by providing them with the opportunity to participate in events and activities that promote literacy and self-expression. Published and unpublished writers affiliated with Manassas, Manassas Park or Prince William County are encouraged to consider officially joining. 

If you went to college, there’s a good chance you’re among the more than 70 percent of graduates with student loans to repay.

While those loans allowed you to achieve educational goals, they could affect your ability to achieve another part of the American dream — buying a home.

But with careful planning and proper guidance, you can qualify for a mortgage.

To assess each specific situation, Victoria King of The Fauquier Bank recommends the first stop be with a mortgage loan officer. Understanding your financial profile — and how to improve it, if necessary — is the best place to start.

“When you want to buy a home, the first thing to do is talk to a loan officer, even before you talk to a real estate agent, so they can guide you in the home buying process,” she says.

Don’t worry; you’re not alone in this. About 45 million Americans have student debt. The average borrower owes almost $40,000, according to Student Loan Hero. Many owe even more, according to the National Association of Realtors. And it’s a particular problem for first-time homebuyers.

King recommends these steps:

Build Credit: Take small steps that can have a big pay-off. For instance, if you can’t get a major credit card, take out a smaller card, make purchases and pay them off in full. By practicing good habits, you’ll build your credit.

Improve Your Score: Once you’ve got a credit history, talk with a lender, who will begin by checking your credit score. The higher the score, the better the interest rate you can qualify for.

If you need to improve your credit score, there are several options, such as making payments on time, and keeping the balance below 50 percent of the credit limit. If your score still isn’t where it needs to be, King can help improve it through a “rapid rescore” process.

“I can absolutely help somebody with their credit score if they need it,” she explains. The process can take time, for both the lender and the customer, but it can be worth it. “It’s something I take the time to do in order to help my clients,” she says.

Reduce Monthly Payments: Keep your student loan payment — as well as all expenses — low in order to reduce the amount you have to pay each month.

“For qualifying purposes with a mortgage,” she says, “you want to get that payment down as low as possible.”

NMLS #314753

 Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in life. We provide local expertise and personal service through our tradition of community banking with a hometown touch. Contact us for a free consultation to learn more about mortgage options from TFB.

From the Prince William police press release:

Thank you! That is the message from the staff of the Prince William County Police Department’s Animal Control Bureau and our partners in the 4^th annual, nationwide “Clear the Shelters Day” event.

Fifty-four animals – 40 cats, 12 dogs and two rabbits – were adopted on Saturday, Aug. 18. The Prince William Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PWSPCA) covered the adoption fees for animals adopted at the event. The Prince William County Animal Shelter, which is run by the Animal Control Bureau, covered the spay/neuter fees. The PWSPCA-sponsored P.A.W. Express was set up in the Shelter’s parking lot and adopted out 10 cats that were on board.

With the support of NBC4, NBC-owned television stations, and Telemundo, hundreds of shelters in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia teamed up to take part in a national push to find homes for pets in need.

For more information on this initiative, visit https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Clear-The-Shelters-Animal-Adoption-Dogs-Cats-Pets-Event-NBC-Telemundo-315502721.html

Other sponsors of the event included Hill’s Science Diet and Cat’s Pride Cat Litter.

Please visit the Prince William County Animal Shelter; give a homeless animal a new chance at life, and find your new best friend.

A back-to-school message from Dr. Steven Walts, Superintendent of Prince William County Public Schools:

We enthusiastically await the arrival of approximately 91,000 students on the first day of the 2018-19 school year. Our educators and support staff are prepared and passionate about ensuring each student learns, grows, and excels.

Our commitment to serving individual needs is evident in this school year’s opening of Independence Nontraditional School. This unique, state-of-the-art school facility that combines the former New Directions and New Dominion Alternative Education Centers, as well as PACE East, provides all students with greater access to courses and Division resources.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Patients and visitors to Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, as well as all Sentara Healthcare hospitals and outpatient facilities, are now able to receive timely text messages during critical safety events. A new opt-in emergency notification service dubbed SentarAlert allows anyone in Sentara facilities to receive the same texts Sentara employees receive through our emergency notification system (ENS).

SentarAlert allows patients and visitors to text a keyword unique to each Sentara facility or region to 333111 and immediately begin receiving critical safety messages. SentarAlert will begin the service with two critical safety notifications: Active Shooter and Evacuation. At 120 characters, notifications are brief and cryptic, like tweets, and designed to be augmented by overhead pages in hospitals and sites with public address systems.

“Sentara takes safety very seriously. We want to ensure our patients and guests are informed of emergency situations as they arise,” explains Tim Bowers, MS, CHSO, Director of Security for Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. “Sentara is offering a new emergency notification system to anyone who signs up. This system is very similar to those used on college campuses and by governments across the nation to alert authorized people of emergency situations. To receive the Sentara Northern Virginia emergency notifications on your phone, please text the keyword SENTARANV to 333111.”

Opt-in subscriptions last for seven-day cycles when subscribers are notified by text that they are unsubscribed. But they can subscribe again right away for the next cycle. SentarAlert is designed as a safety enhancement for patients and visitors while they are in Sentara hospitals, nursing centers, therapy centers and other ambulatory sites of care. The texts are designed to help employees, patients and visitors make informed decisions during critical safety events.