Playing His Cards Right
Geriatrician Francis Salerno, M.D., co-authors book on healthy aging
‘It’s been a learning curve’
Francis Salerno, M.D. (left), and Henry Acres decided to self-publish their book on healthy aging and also are looking to get it printed in Spanish. Acres is a former professor of English at Hofstra University. “I tape-recorded my thoughts for the book, and Henry turned them into easy-to-understand sentences,” Salerno says.
E is for Exercise
Ward off immobility, falls and depression with exercise. If you haven’t been exercising, start now!
Call 610-402-CARE to learn about the Healthy You Fitness Centers and Human Performance Center, both reimbursable through Culture of Wellness.
N is for Nutrition
Enjoy foods rich in antioxidant vitamins like blueberries and oranges.
Want a nutrition assessment to learn how to make healthier choices or a metabolism analysis to see how your body burns calories? Call 610-402-CARE to sign up and learn how to use your Culture of Wellness dollars.
Francis Salerno, M.D., didn’t have good “starting cards” in life. At age 8, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which resulted in his losing his sight 20 years later. Diabetes also put him at twice the risk for developing heart disease. Last year, he suffered a heart attack.
“Two major factors affect our health,” he says. “Thirty percent is our genetics—the cards we are dealt at birth. Seventy percent is how we live our lives or play those cards.”
For the past 30 years, Salerno has played his cards the best he can. He mixes aerobic exercises, strength-training, Pilates and tai chi in hour-long home-gym workouts. He also eats right. “Lots of fish, chicken, whole grains, fruits and vegetables,” he says.
Now Salerno shares his healthy aging message with others. He and longtime friend Henry Acres, 81, are co-authors of a new book, Basic Prevention: A Guide to Healthy Aging.
“Aging is divided into a time when you can do everything you want and a time when you become frail,” Salerno says. “Our book can
help people expand the time when they can enjoy life and take care of themselves.”
The book’s information is represented by the acronym “BASIC PREVENTION” with each letter standing for one or more preventive care strategies. For example, “B” stands for brain health, bones and burns; “A” stands for advanced directives and aspirin. “The idea of presenting the information this way came to me while I was dreaming,” Salerno says. “The format helped us organize our thoughts.”
A daily habit
Francis Salerno, M.D., faithfully exercises six days a week. He has ridden more than 58,000 miles on his stationary bike.
In addition to covering 20 strategies, Salerno and Acres include tips on what you should look for in a physician, what to expect from the “normal” aging process and common problems that affect people as they get older, including chronic pain and dementia. “We included lots of practical advice. Each chapter ends with a ‘What You Can Do’ section that helps people apply healthy living principles to their daily lives,” Acres says.
“I practice what I preach,” Salerno says.
Want your own copy of Basic Prevention? We’re giving away five free copies. To enter the drawing, click here or call 610-402-CARE and give us your best healthy aging tip.
Revealing Our Hand
A book author asks for our advice about highly motivated colleagues When author Andrew Harrison began researching his upcoming book, The Road to a Passionate Workforce, he interviewed leaders from NASA and Hallmark. He also talked with our own Mary Kay Grim, senior vice president of human resources.
“He selected us because we’re ranked as a U.S. News & World Report best hospital and as one of FORTUNE magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For,” Grim says.
Grim told Harrison about the passion she sees every day. “When I ask new colleagues at orientation why they want to work here, they say it’s because of our reputation for excellent patient care,” she says. “We all play a vital role in creating a culture that values teamwork and recognizes colleagues for a job well done.”
We’ll find out if we make the final cut for Harrison’s book in the upcoming months.
This page last updated 2/27/08 02:38 PM
