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PAGE 4B —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 21. 2016
Medication mismanagement can be prevented
Medication management
is an important issue for
seniors and their families.
Failure to properly manage
medications can threaten the
lives of seniors, highlighting
the emphasis families must
place on ensuring seniors
take their medications in
strict adherence to their phy
sicians" instructions.
Polypharmacy, or the tak
ing of multiple medications
for different conditions, can
be a potential health hazard
for the thousands of seniors
who must manage health
conditions with prescription
drugs. Harmful drug interac
tions are a result of the con
fusion that can arise when
seniors take multiple med
ications at the same time.
The American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists
estimates that more than 34
percent of senior citizens are
prescribed medications by
more than one physician,
and 72 percent use medica
tions they were prescribed
more than six months prior.
Many people also have
begun “pharmacy shopping”
to save money. According to
a study published in 2010
in American Nurse Today.
44 percent of men and 57
percent of women older than
age 65 take five or more
medications per week, with
some taking as many as 10.
Medication confusion is
one risk, but older adults
also metabolize medica
tions differently than young
people. As a result, they
may be more susceptible to
overdose or other ill effects.
Families looking to help
seniors effectively manage
their medications should
consider the following tips.
•Keep a running list of
medications. Maintain a list
of all medications being
taken, noting both prescrip
tion and over-the-counter
medications and any supple
ments and herbs. Provide a
copy to any new doctors you
visit and any new pharma
cies you patronize.
•Use pill sorters.
Medication sorters can keep
medications organized and
eliminate some of the per
sonal error in medication
management. Organizers
have daily slots and may
also differentiate between
nighttime and daytime med
ications.
•Understand why each
medication is being pre
scribed. Ask your pharma
cist and doctor to explain
why each medication is
prescribed. This information
should be printed on the pre
scription label. Some drugs
designed for one symptom
may actually be used to treat
other issues as well.
•Ask for help. Some
seniors may benefit from
friendly reminders from a
loved one regarding when
to take certain medications,
especially if they need to
take multiple doses through
out the day. Cognitively
impaired seniors may
require the services of a vis
iting nurse or another care
giver.
•Recognize that not all
medications are right for
seniors. The American
Geriatrics Society maintains
a list of medications that
older adults should avoid or
take with extreme caution.
Some drugs pose a high risk
of side effects or interac
tions, while others are less
effective. Discuss alterna
tives with your physician if
you are prescribed one of
these medications.
•Keep a medication diary.
Record any side effects that
occur and how the medica
tions make you feel. Always
bring up issues promptly
with a doctor.
Proper medication man
agement can help seniors
avoid drug-related accidents
or worse.
Author and mom offers five simple tips to get dinner on the table
The challenge working
parents face in maintaining
work-life balance is often
compared to a juggling
act. Finding time together,
especially on weeknights
when family schedules
tend to be hectic, is no
small task.
But finding time together,
particularly at the dinner
table, can pay a host of
dividends. According to
the Family Dinner Project,
studies have linked regular
family dinners with higher
grade-point averages and
self-esteem in children, as
well as lower rates of obe
sity and eating disorders in
both children and adoles
cents.
Cook, writer, activist
and mother of two Katie
Workman knows full well
how difficult it can be
to make nightly dinners
together part of a family’s
routine. But Workman,
whose latest book, “Dinner
Solved!" (Workman
Publishing), provides 100
family-friendly recipes and
variations to ensure that
everyone at the table is
happy, relishes the oppor
tunity to help others make
family dinners a fun part of
their nightly routines.
“Many of us put so much
pressure on ourselves when
it comes to family meals,”
says Workman. “But when
we ease up on that pres
sure, dinner actually seems
to happen more often, and
the meals are a lot more
fun."
To help even the busi
est moms and dads find
time for family dinners.
Workman offers the fol
lowing tips so parents can
produce weeknight meals
the whole family can enjoy.
1. Less is more
Don’t make yourself
crazy trying to master a rec
ipe with an endless ingredi
ent list on a Wednesday
night. Weeknight meals
don’t have to be perfect or
exotic. Even the simplest
recipes can make for deli
cious meals.
2. Change it up
Skip those time-consum
ing, last-minute trips to the
grocery store for missing
ingredients by replacing
them with something sim
ilar that you already have
on hand.
3. Elevate your meal from
simple to sophisticated
Pairing weeknight meals
with the perfect wine can
elevate midweek meat
balls to something more
memorable. Versatile
and budget-friendly,
Greystone Cellars® wines
are approachable and
easy to drink. Since 1995,
Markham Vineyards has
been producing a small
amount of Greystone
Cellars wines exclusively
for the Culinary Institute
of America, which receives
a portion of the proceeds
for each Greystone Cellars
bottle sold. Befitting their
connection to the CIA,
Greystone Cellars wines
enhance any meal, mak
ing them ideal options for
cooks whose weekly meal
schedule includes pasta,
pork chops and everything
in between.
4. Get a head start on
prep work
Whenever possible,
reduce the stress of week
night meals by doing some
of your meal prep long
before dinnertime. Chop
veggies for the week on
Sunday nights or take a few
minutes each morning to
gather ingredients for that
night’s meal.
5. Make it a family affair
Make weeknight meals
more fun by involving the
whole family. Parents can
let the kids peel carrots or
measure rice or perform
other age-appropriate
activities.
Nightly family dinners
help families build stron
ger bonds, and weeknight
meals need not be lavish
undertakings. Learn more
about Greystone Cellars
wines at www.greystone-
cellars.com.
Delicious and easy-to-
prepare, this recipe for
$ 5 00 0FF
Ticket Ot‘2(T Or More. Valid with coupon Mon.-Thurs. only.
La Hacienda Commerce La Hacienda Braselton
173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. 5391 Highway 53
706-335-7458 706-654-0070
I The Original Mexican Restaurant! Not affiliated with any other restaurant. |
“Maple-Barbecue Pork
Meatballs” from Katie
Workman’s “Dinner
Solved!” makes the perfect
weeknight family meal.
Pile them on rice or cous
cous or quinoa with a few
extra spoonfuls of barbe
cue sauce for an easy and
different weeknight dinner.
MAPLE-BARBECUE
PORK MEATBALLS
Serves 6
3/4 cup panko bread
crumbs
1/2 cup barbecue sauce,
plus more for dipping if
you like
1/2 cup grated peeled
apple
1/3 cup minced onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher or coarse salt, to
taste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
11/2 pounds ground pork
1. Preheat the oven to
375°F. Lightly oil a rimmed
baking sheet.
2. Combine the bread
crumbs, barbecue sauce,
apple, onion, egg, and
salt in a large bowl. Add
the maple syrup and stir
to blend. Add the pork
and combine well using
your hands, but try not to
squeeze the mixture too
much. Form one-inch-
round meatballs and place
them on the baking sheet.
3. Bake the meatballs
until cooked through, 16
to 20 minutes. Serve hot,
with extra barbecue sauce
on the side.
Headmaster’s
Corner
by
Steve Cummings
PRICELESS - You probably
remember the MasterCard com
mercials that advertised items
you could purchase with a credit
card, and when you purchased
those items, you received some
thing that was “priceless,” e.q.
being able to spend quality time
with your kids. The last thing
in the commercial was always
something that did not carry a
price tag.
An excellent education in a
Christian environment is one
of those things that is priceless.
You cannot place a value on
the lasting impact that this type
of education will have on your
children.
Invest in your child’s future
by giving them the best edu
cational opportunity available.
Your investment now will pay
priceless dividends in the future.
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
The Madison County School System has tentatively adopted a millage rate which
will require an increase in property taxes by 0.78%.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on the this tax increase to
be held at 800 Madison Street, Danielsville, GA 30633 on August 2, 2016 at 6 pm.
Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase area at 800
Madison Street, Danielsville, GA 30633 on August 2, 2016 at 8 am and August 9,
2016 at 6:30 pm.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 16.99 mills, an increase of
0.131 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more
than 16.859 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value
of $100,000 is less than $10.
ADVERTISEMENT FOR SEALED BID
The Madison County Board of Commissioners is seeking bids for
painting traffic stripes on specified county roads.
Specifications for the project can be obtained by contacting Alan
Lapczynski (706) 795-6260 at the road department.
Bids should be sealed and clearly marked on the outside “SEALED
BID FOR ROAD STRIPING” received no later than 12:00 p.m.
on July 29, 2016 in the office of the Chairman of the Board of
Commissioners located at 91 Albany Avenue in Danielsville,
Georgia.
The board of commissioners reserves the right to reject any and all
bids.
All bid packages must contain O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 affidavit in
order to be considered.
CHAIRMAN ANTHONY DOVE