Most Americans will tell you they value privacy and want to protect themselves online from any unwanted searches into their private lives, especially their medical records. When it comes to such health information, they assume that HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act/Privacy and Security Rules) will protect them. Well, yes and no. HIPPA will…

Some of us like to have our chocolate and eat it, too. Whether in cookies, slathered on cakes, poured on top of ice cream, or eaten straight from a bar, chocolate is delicious. While we tend to think of chocolate as a Valentine’s Day gift or think more about it during American Heart Month, for…

It’s pretty much a given that as we age, we experience some hearing loss. That’s because changes occur in our middle and inner ears over time. Hearing loss also stem from various medical conditions we may be experiencing. Today, it is said that hearing loss often begins in one’s forties, and by the time adults…

  …But visions of sugar plums still danced in my head, and cookies, and cakes, and sweet buttered bread. Oh, what shall I do when I see a big platter, and think that more turkey really won’t matter? Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all! I needed advice, so the Witherell I called. And…

At a recent birthday party for a woman turning 80, the gifts were piled high and her anticipation was great. But after opening the first six, she got a little cranky. “Oh no, not another nightgown! I don’t spend my days in bed!”  It produced a good laugh, but it also highlighted the fact that…

It’s almost cliché that Bingo and senior health facilities go hand and hand. Here at the Witherell, residents play the game every week, but so do millions of others elsewhere. Bingo is even played online. Pretty interesting considering the game is nearly 500 years old. We wondered, why, after all these centuries, is Bingo so…

The historic Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that was signed into law on August 16 is setting the stage for a significant reduction in healthcare costs for millions of Americans, particularly Medicare beneficiaries. It will help make prescription drugs more affordable for beneficiaries and enable others to get and keep affordable coverage on the ACA…

Over the years, there have been several studies about the benefits humor can have on one’s health, let alone for those who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. But it was a chance remark from a Witherell family member that got us thinking: Maybe there was something visitors could do to brighten their visits…

It was five years ago that Mary Tate, Witherell’s Coordinator, Volunteer and Resident Services, decided that the corporate track was no longer for her. She wanted a change. Formerly employed in human resources by Walt Disney Co, Berkshire Hathaway and the United States Olympic Committee, Mary set her sights on the nonprofit sector. Shortly thereafter,…