Photo Credit: Dave Pyle

As a young girl visiting relatives in England, I recall sitting in the back seat of my grandfather’s 1972 Vauxhall, wearing my safety harness, careening down English country roads.  My grandfather was driving.

In his younger years, he successfully drove around wooded country lanes with hairpin turns and through the busy streets of London.  But over the years his skills had changed.  Although Granddad was behind the wheel, this effort actually took two “drivers”.  Since he was totally blind in one eye (as a result of aging), with failing vision in his “good” eye, my grandmother served as co-pilot.  “Turn left! Turn right!  Car coming on the right! Mind the lamppost!” Granny would shout.   Are you cringing yet? It was harrowing, to say the least.

Do you have a loved one who’s driving skills may have changed?   Have you observed difficulties such as trouble changing lanes, minor accidents, or getting lost on familiar routes?

Penny Eissenberg, Occupational Therapist and Director of Therapy Operations at Health South Rehabilitation Hospital in Richmond, manages the operations of their driver rehabilitation program.  Penny shared that if you suspect a problem with a loved one’s abilities, the first step is to go for a drive with the individual.

“Spending time with them (while they are) driving helps you gather information.  The driver is never going to hear a family member’s concerns if they feel they don’t have the perspective of being in the car with them.”  Penny remarked, “It’s a difficult conversation to have and you need to feel out the right time for it”. And if the time isn’t right, don’t broach the topic in the moment; but find the right time to address it.  Penny shared that it is all part of the process.  And she should know, since she has 12 years of experience guiding clients and their families through these steps.

Driver rehabilitation specialists offer a neutral, objective assessment. “I have broad shoulders, and sometimes, someone has to be the bad guy.  I can do that for families when that is necessary.”  However, the goal of driver assessment and rehabilitation is “not to stop people from driving, but rather, to help keep a person driving as safely as possible for as long as possible,” Penny continued.

“After the initial conversation, the next step is a visit to the doctor,” Penny said.  “Sometimes changes in driving can be due to a change in pharmaceuticals, or other issues which can be addressed.”

Depending on the situation, the physician may recommend a driving assessment.  Occupational therapists who specialize in driver rehabilitation are uniquely qualified to perform driver assessments, due to their training in assessment of physical, cognitive, visual and visual-perceptual abilities, as well as analyzing a task to break it down into manageable pieces (often called activity analysis).   As part of increasing safety while maintaining independence, an occupational therapist may recommend strategies such as driving during daylight hours only, or modifications to a vehicle, such as wider mirrors or booster seats.

My Granddad did eventually give up driving.  But I am sure having these tips would have been helpful in the process, both in decision making, as well as maintaining a degree of independence once his car was garaged.  If you have a concern about a friend or family member’s driving abilities, consider these tips from the American Occupational Therapy Association.

To find a list of certified driver rehabilitation specialists, click here.

Everyone at Rainbow Station is passionate about education and making a positive difference in the lives of children. They know that you have entrusted them with your children and they make sure that every day is better than the last.

With programs from Nursery School to Preschool to Private Kindergarten, and then progressing to The Village which is a unique school-age recreational program for children up to age 14, they have plenty to offer too.

Summer Camps

First of all, don’t miss all they have to offer for summer camp. Rainbow Station has plenty of options for kids of all ages. Learn more about them by clicking here. Summer camps offer:

• Mini-courses on a variety of subjects boost existing subjects or learn new ones
• Weekly field trips to both fun and educational destinations
• Regularly scheduled extracurricular activities
• Blow-out end-of-summer picnic

Check them out now!

Why Choose Rainbow Station?

Exactly why is Rainbow Station such a great place for kids to grow, learn, play and develop? Here are 5 good reasons!

1. Fun and effective, PLAYWORKS establishes standards of learning for each age and developmentally specific class. Teachers work with your child at his or her own pace to achieve these learning goals through thematic-based teaching and the self-discovery of play, and to measure progress through a variety of developmental assessments.
2. Nursery School – Your child gets individual attention from primary caregivers, small group interaction, strong teacher-child interactions, and a thematic-based curriculum.  Kids thrive in an environment that also offers music and creative movement,  physical activity, and a focus on cognitive and language, social and emotional development; creative, and fine and gross motor skills. They have fun and learn all at the same time.
3. Preschool Programs – As kids advance to preschool educational programs at Rainbow Station, they continue receiving individual attention, and participate in primary care groups and small groups. With degreed and credentialed teachers, they have comprehensive learning programs with educational curriculum based on standards of learning (SOL). Teachers encourage interactive learning and group participation to help children develop leadership skills, teamwork abilities, and an understanding of the problem-solving concepts they need to excel. Classroom computers offer enhanced learning and music contributes to fun and education.
4. Private Kindergarten – Just one more reason to LOVE Rainbow Station! The kindergarten experience is based on developmentally appropriate curriculum and classes are limited to 10 students per teacher. State-certified teachers promote standards of learning that exceed those set by local states. In addition to classroom computers and other interactive opportunities, students can participate in after-school recreational programs. Rainbow Station introduces your child to new learning opportunities, including foreign language and other unique offerings.
5. The Village – Children up to age 14 are still growing and developing and they need the guidance and leadership of experienced teachers. Rainbow Station’s program offers stimulating recreational activities based on each child’s personal interests. Children may choose to play a board game, work on homework, create a production at the Village Theatre, or visit the library for reading and stimulation. The Café offers healthy snacks and they thrive in a safe, protected and age-appropriate group setting. Check out the Clubs for 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th graders that offer exclusive programs for specific grades. Kids love it!

Rainbow Station’s website is filled with valuable information for you and your children. Find out about their Get Well Place where they provide onsite care in a safe environment staffed with a full-time pediatric nurse. And learn more about their summer camp programs.

There’s plenty to love about Rainbow Station. You will be glad you chose them as a safe place for your child’s care and education – and your child will be cared for in a nurturing, fun, and educational environment every day.

Click here to find the Richmond area location nearest to you.

Rainbow Station is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com

By: Gayle Schrier Smith, MD, Richmondmom.com Guest Writer

Is it the flu or something else?

I had an ‘earthquake’ sort of an idea recently, and I was looking for a sounding board. What better place than with RichmondMom.com readers to discuss the concept and look for feedback? Remember back in August when the rumbling under our feet turned out to be a real, live earthquake? As I walked out of my office that day to see what was going on, I picked up my iPhone and searched #RVA on Twitter, and instantly I knew that there had been an earthquake. Tons of information, mostly experiential…instantly.

Amazing…and I can’t program the DVR!

The speed that information travels on the internet is incredible, and I wondered if I could have that same kind of instant information about the illnesses and infections going around Richmond this winter.

On Twitter, I am known as @MDPartner, and this month I started posting what I was seeing in the sick patients of my practice.  A mild type of stomach bug, a fair amount of croup, and then a ton of strep throat. Colleague and primary care physician, Mark Ryan, MD who is also known @RichmondDoc on Twitter, supported my idea and began sharing the things he’s been seeing going around the community.

Information, when it comes to communicable disease, is really important to have, and many think that the spread of infection comes under control effectively and quickly when parents are well educated about what’s going around.  Every parent knows that when the note comes home and the ‘throw-ups’ are going through your child’s class, it’s important to listen carefully when little Johnny says (from the back seat of the car, of course…) “My stomach doesn’t feel so good.”   As it turns out, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook may be more efficient that traditional institutions at data banking and communicating trends to people who are interested in what’s going around.

You might have heard about a project called Google Flu. By counting how many times people search for information about influenza, the computer guys in Silicon Valley were able to build a math algorithm and accurately predict the spread of influenza illness. As it turns out, the CDC already tracks the spread of communicable diseases, like influenza, and reports that information to doctors.

What is interesting and pretty amazing to me… the Google Flu guys were able to report spreading cases of influenza as they were emerging across the country TWO weeks before the CDC published their surveillance data.

Two weeks!

That’s huge when it comes to being a Mom and deciding whether to keep my child home from school with what looks like it might become flu.  Knowing what’s going around helps me as a doctor- mother, too. When I’m in my office seeing case after case of strep throat, I am more likely to test a child who looks like she might have an atypical case of the bacteria. When I’m holding the bowl and a cool wash cloth in the middle of the gastroenteritis-night for my own kids, it really helps to be able to say that the misery will be short-lived.

Back to my earthquake of an idea.  

Dr. Ryan and I decided to call it RVASickCall. It’s a short searchable term for Twitter and Facebook that can be attached to information about what’s going around in Richmond, Virginia and in the surrounding counties.  We thought we would invite parents of all sorts, and physicians who enjoy a more tech-savvy approach to medicine to share what’s going around.  The Richmond public health department could also use the tag to post what their epidemiologic data suggest is going around.  Using social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, the information would be shared under the Twitter tag @RVASickCall or searchable with the hashtag #RVASickCall.  Nothing formal. Nothing fancy.  If the tool is useful, it’s likely to grow in user posts and shared experience.

The idea is to connect and share information instead of germs.  Good ideas tend to spread easily and offer some benefit to many without too much work involved.

RVASickCall.

Next time your child or your patients are sick, post a note to Twitter or Facebook, and tell us what you think.

  Creative Commons (attribution)

Gayle Schrier Smith, MD is a pediatrician on Monument Avenue who Tweets as @MDPartner and blogs at The Doctor Download. She is the mother of four who is often heard reminding her own kids that “an apple a day…”

Our community is filled with strong, effective first responders.  Within an hour of the report that Robert was missing, the Hanover County Sheriff’s department was activated in full search and rescue mode.  Over the next six days, police, EMTs, and other trained rescuers mobilized efficiently and effectively over air, land, and water to cover a lot of ground in finding Robert.  At every press conference, Captain Trice greeted the public with a calm, matter-of-fact demeanor that never faltered in its positive outlook for Robert’s safe return.  People sometimes talk cynically of the ineffective and inefficient operation of our government and its services. This was a shining example of efficiency in action and our tax dollars at work.

Our community is full of generosity. Once the call had been given for volunteers, people showed up in droves.  Thousands of volunteers worked in challenging conditions, searching for Robert, providing aid to the searchers, and keeping things organized at the search headquarters. Many local businesses and churches also supplied meals, supplies, and lodging for the volunteers. Many more individuals provided spiritual comfort with their positive thoughts and prayers for the family. There was a need and the community opened its arms.

Individuals with autism have unique needs. At first, many people questioned how a child could so easily be separated from his parents, even questioning the parenting skills of Robert’s father. As we have learned through information shared in the past week, one of the hallmark behaviors of individuals on the autism spectrum can be darting or “eloping” without regard for safety.  While this can be a challenge, parents of individuals with autism must live in the real world. Compassion and support from the community is more effective and more helpful than judgment.

There are supports in place to help prevent future issues like this. Project Lifesaver

is a national program designed specifically to help individuals with cognitive or behavioral challenges who may wander or run.  Although not available in every community, this nonprofit program provides a tracking device, usually worn on the arm or leg, that can help locate someone who might have wandered such as an individual with autism,dementia, or down syndrome.  The program has a high success rate but not enough people are aware of its availability.  It is incidents like these that help shed new light and awareness on this program and will hopefully increase its availability in the community.

Everyone loves a happy ending. I don’t think there’s anything else that needs to be said about that.

Enjoy fun at CMOR and help children suffering from terminal illness.

It’s so sweet – “It Comes in Pink”!

Little girls dresses and shoes, and pretty pink bows and ribbons are so sweet. It’s so fun to buy pretty pink clothes and accessories for little girls.

But what if you were buying a pink cane to help your daughter or granddaughter walk?

The 3rd Annual It Comes in Pink event is held at the Children’s Museum of Richmond September 30, 2011 from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 P.M. It benefits the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation and honors a Richmond girl who has Niemann Pick disease. This is a rare terminal disease and this little girl started walking with a cane at 4 years old. Her “nana” was so sad to see her walk with a cane, but her attitude changed when that sweet young girl said that it was okay because the cane “comes in pink!”

What a positive and wonderful attitude — and now we can help raise funds for research and support for this little girl and others like her.

Tickets on Sale

Tickets are just $45 and they include:

1. Live beach music presented by King Edward & the BD’s
2. Heavy hors d’oeuvres
3. Adult beverages

The event is held at the Children’s Museum of Richmond Central location. Come dressed in beach attire to celebrate and enjoy the beach theme. Hawaiian shirts, sundresses, shorts, and flip flops are all that are needed. No fancy dressing up – just beach attire and a big smile.

Guests 18+ are welcome to attend and tickets can be purchased online at It Comes in Pink website.

Let’s make a difference for this little girl who loves her cane, because “It Comes in Pink”.

J. Sergeant Reynolds, Richmond VA

Courage to Succeed program helps ease the way through college for those who need a little extra help.

For students with Asperger’s Syndrome the first day of college is filled with fear and anxiety. Charterhouse School, an affiliate of UMFS, and Commonwealth Autism Service have partnered on a program, Courage to Succeed, which will help students with Asperger’s Syndrome transition to college successfully. The program starts today with six students attending J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.

“Students with Asperger’s Syndrome or high functioning Autism have very specific challenges that they must work to overcome to be successful in a college setting,” said Dr. Erik Laursen, Executive Director of Charterhouse School. “The program works with these students by providing individualized support in social, independent, and life skills based on the students’ strengths and needs.”

 Courage to Succeed uses a positive behavior support approach to assess each student’s needs and develop appropriate academic, social and life skills supports. Students meet regularly with College Program staff and their positive behavior support teams to monitor progress, develop “to-do” lists and identify new goals.

 Each student, along with his or her family, participated in individualized planning prior to the first semester of their enrollment in college. Plans will be developed through a team approach and will provide a framework in three categories: academic, social, and independent living support. These support systems are designed to lead to increased independent living and employment upon graduation.

 “Our goal is help these students succeed and obtain a college degree,” added Laursen.

 To learn more about the Courage to Succeed program, visit www.charterhouseschool.org.

Ukrop's Bakery has cupcakes for all occasions.

Pinkalicious Cupcakes and Hello Kitty Cupcakes by Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods are a wonderful option for a little girl’s party. MARTIN’s Grocery has them all, including new custom themed cupcakes. Ordering online or in the store is quick and easy.

For perfectly pink parties, plan to host a Hello Kitty collectible party and feature their pink/white custom Hello Kitty Cupcakes!

Invite guests to come dressed in pink, ask them to bring their favorite Hello Kitty themed item, and serve the cupcakes, strawberry flavored ice cream and pink lemonade!  Each cupcake comes with a great party favor already included to add to their collection!

Fans of the popular Pinkalicious children’s book series can also think pink by ordering our custom

Hello Kitty cupcakes by Ukrop's Bakery

Pinkalicious cupcakes!  Invite guests to bring their books and have a round robin storytime or arrange a book swap!

Are you headed to a party and want to leave a perfectly pink impression?  Order a set of cupcakes and gift them to the host!

Mrs. Nelson and John Thomas enjoy a special gift basket together.

Can a simple, short visit just to say “hello” make your day brighter?

It definitely can if you’re an older adult who has little opportunity to interact with others, get out and about alone, or frailties of aging that keep you closed up in your home much of the time. With the increasing rate of chronic disease and the rapidly increasing number of people in the 60+ age category, there are plenty of lonely, isolated people around – some of whom might just be in your own neighborhood.

Thanks to ElderFriends, a service of Family Lifeline, there is a friendly visiting program for isolated and/or lonely elders where volunteers can make a difference in their lives. With just one visit per week, you can bring sunshine into the life of an elder-person who simply seeks companionship and someone to talk to.

Are you thinking that as a young mom or dad, you don’t have any more time to spare? Read what one of our Richmondmom.com readers has to say about this.

Helen’s Story

Helen Trevey and her family moved to Richmond about 4 ½ years ago. The ElderFriends program was just beginning at that point and she decided to attend one of their training sessions to learn more about them. She was quickly paired up with an elder-friend who was unable to leave her house and was somewhat depressed. The two talked by phone weekly for a while and then she began to visit her new friend.

“As a person new to Richmond and newly married, it was a great way to volunteer and have a new friend. I was with my first elder-friend for two years, but transitioned her to another volunteer when my son was born. I really hated doing this because I knew how much she enjoyed our visits, but I also knew the new volunteer would give her the support she needed and I had no help with my son,” explains Helen.

When Helen’s son was one-year old, she felt a strong desire to get involved with another elder-friend. “I had stayed active within the committee for ElderFriends during that year, but had not taken on a new friend. But I knew I wanted to. I was soon paired up with Mrs. Nelson who was an 89-year old woman with a sharp mind, but physical problems that would not allow her to get out of the house, and we became wonderful friends.”

“My son was already starting to talk at one, and Mrs. Nelson totally enjoyed him coming along on our visits. She even had a special basket of toys for him beside her chair, and each visit when we arrived, she had taken his favorite toy out and placed it on the table. That meant so much to me as a mother,” Helen remembers fondly.

Helen explains how Mrs. Nelson has two daughters and two sons and even though they live close-by and check on Mrs. Nelson daily, they work full-time and have many commitments themselves. Her visits were a great help to Mrs. Nelson and to her family. It gave her elder-friend something that was hers and hers alone too. They shared stories and had many similar interests. Mrs. Nelson was able to relay her conversations and stories of their visits to her own children each day when they called or stopped by. It helped Mrs. Nelson continue to feel some semblance of independence because this was a relationship that was especially for her.

“Sometimes I would take a few groceries because I knew what she liked. Sometimes we just stopped by to say hi. It was a treat because my son’s grandparents don’t live nearby, so this gave him a person to get to know who was like a grandparent. It taught him about being around elderly people and he learned to relate to her well. When he did visit his grandparents, he was more open and related to them better I believe. Mrs. Nelson helped him develop his social personality and learn new activities too. She would count with him and help him learn new things every visit.”

Mrs. Nelson passed away this summer and it was a very difficult loss for Helen and her family. It was like losing a member of their family. But it was a relationship and experience that she would not trade for anything. “Elder people are so humble in giving advice, yet they teach us so much. You get so much wisdom from elders just by sitting and listening to what they have to say. John Thomas and I will miss her very much.”

The Family Speaks

The story doesn’t end there.

Mrs. Nelson’s children also talked about the Family LifeLine program and what it meant to them.  We sat down with one of Mrs. Nelson’s daughters, Mary Jane Michael. Mary Jane could not say enough about what Helen and the program meant to her mother and her family.

Mary Jane explained that she introduced the ElderFriends program to her mother through a gift basket they brought her on Christmas. She explained that a group of people cared enough to send this gift and they wanted to visit with her. That basket made it easier to introduce the program to our mother and start this friendship with Helen.

“Helen was wonderful for my mother and my mom could depend on her coming every week with John Thomas. That meant a lot to her. Others came by occasionally, but Helen was such a loyal friend and my mother loved the visits with her young son,” Mary Jane explains.

Mary Jane said that her mother knew how busy Helen was with a young son and a very busy life and it made her really appreciate the effort she put forth to make visits to her. It gave her mother something to look forward to and most importantly, it was someone who wanted to come and see her. It was not someone who came because they were paid or they had to and her mother knew that.

“My mother would always tell us about the visits with Helen and John Thomas and it gave her something special to share with us. It was important to her and she was excited to tell us things we didn’t know about her day. The more visits she had, the more stimulated she was and that made her life happier. These visits gave her a reason to get up, get dressed, and made her feel important and valued,” Mary Jane recalls.

Mrs.  Nelson went to live with Mary Jane during her last 6 weeks of life, and Helen continued to call and visit even though it was a much longer drive for her. “That was helpful to me and it continued to be special to my mother.”

“I would absolutely encourage people to get involved with ElderFriends. It is a valuable program that does more than words can express. It only takes a 60 minute visit once a week to make a difference to an elderly person and the person’s family. Just knowing someone else cares makes a difference to all of us.  Helen was very special to our mother and she is very special to us. She and John Thomas made a huge difference in our lives and we are grateful for the time she shared with our mother.”

A Balancing Act

We asked Helen if it was difficult to find time to make the visits to Mrs. Nelson. “You make it a priority in your life and make a commitment. It’s just one day a week for an hour, although we often stayed longer and visited more. But it’s like going to the gym or anything else that’s important to your life – you put it on your calendar and you do it. You will find the time because it’s that important and it’s rewarding.”

It is a balancing act to fit one more thing into your day, especially when you have young children. But when you know that you are making a difference in the lives of people and are demonstrating caring, love and compassion to your children to help them develop important social skills, then it is worth the effort.

As Helen explained to us, “Not only did this help Mrs. Nelson, it helped me. And it gave me and my husband something important to talk about over dinner at night as John Thomas and I shared stories about Mrs. Nelson. It has only been weeks since Mrs. Nelson passed away, but I am getting ready to meet a new elder friend soon. It hurt to lose her, but I know I made a difference and I will continue to make a difference.”

Helen also emphasizes, “Don’t be afraid to introduce your child to situations involving elder friends because they look over those things that worry adults, and only see the beauty in a person. They help bring out that beauty and create new hope. John Thomas knows that we won’t be seeing Mrs. Nelson anymore, but he is ready to meet a new friend and he holds fond memories of those days with Mrs. Nelson. That’s what life is all about.”

For more information, visit the Family Lifeline website or email them at  elderfriends@familylifeline.org. You can also call Ruth Anne Young at 804.249.5432. We challenge all Richmond moms to search within themselves and see if this is something that might fit within their priorities. And then visit the Family Lifelife website and learn more about the program. You will definitely make a difference in someone’s life.

And you will likely find that they will make a special difference in your life too.

"A Day to Remember" is July 10, 2011.

Full Circle Grief Center needs your support for their “Summer to Remember” campaign to raise $100,000 in 100 days!

If you or someone you know has lost a loved one, then you know how hard it is to deal with the loss and grief. Especially for children who lose parents, siblings, or other loved ones. Now there is something you can do to help grieving children by supporting Full Circle’s programs that provide a safe place for children to grieve and express their emotions and concerns.

This summer’s campaign is critical to help Full Circle continue to provide programs, services, and family events at no charge to families dealing with the pain of losing loved ones. Here are some simple ways you can help:

1. “A Summer to Remember” – the campaign is a time to give financial support that will help children deal with the agonizing grief of losing a parent, sibling or others in their life.  It is even more important for donors to make their gifts as early as possible because a very generous donor has presented a challenge. They are currently matching donations received up until June 30, 2011. You can visit the special website page to make your donation which will be counted towards the donor’s matching gift.
2. Full Circle also is raising funds on “A Day to Remember” on Sunday, July 10, 2011. This is a day for families to work together to support grieving families in our community. It is part of Full Circle’s 2011 “Summer to Remember” campaign to raise $100,000 in 100 days. You can sponsor a lemonade stand, baked goods sale, car wash, dog wash, or any other creative way to raise money for Full Circle’s programs. Prizes will be awarded for the most money raised, as well prizes for the most creative idea for fundraising. You can submit your idea and help make this campaign a success by encouraging others to participate. Visit this link and tell us how you think we can make “A Day to Remember” even more successful. Conduct your own fundraiser and present your gift to Full Circle.
   

   Full Circle's Memory Quilt is created by children expressing their grief through art.

3. Wine Down Wednesday at the Wine Loft in Short Pump is donating all proceeds to Full Circle on July 6. We need as many people as possible to attend the event on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. There will be a brief presentation of Full Circle’s mission and capabilities, along with an opportunity to talk with the founders, Stephen and Allyson Drake, so you can learn more about Full Circle. It’s just $5 at the door which goes directly to Full Circle and drinks are discounted for the event. Visit here for more information and mark this date on your calendar.

And if you have lost a loved one, be sure and visit Full Circle’s website and take advantage of the Memory Wall to remember the person with a special message. Join dozens of others who have created a memorial to their loved one.

Please help Full Circle help those who are grieving by offering creative outlets for children to express their grief and remember their loved ones. No gift is too small and they also need volunteers to help in many different areas.

Get 25% off at the Veggie Tales store online.

Looking for some great entertainment for young kids this summer?

Then you’ll love the sizzling summer savings with the Veggie Tales products. You get 25% off storewide (not including pre-orders) and free shipping may even apply based on the size of your order.

DVDs, music, books, toys, apparel, home decor and more are available. These cute little characters teach great lessons about life, living, and caring about others.

If you’ve already purchased these books for kids, you know how great they are. If you haven’t tried them yet, it’s the best time to test them out with 25% off. Buy enough books, CDs, games and more to keep kids busy this summer.

Visit the website and enjoy lots of Veggie Tales favorites. And why not stock up for birthdays, holidays and special occasions too?

But hurry – this sale won’t last long!