Senior Helpers hosts a weekly radio program called Everything Elderly. We talk about all sorts of topics related to seniors, with an over-riding focus on health. The show airs on 1290 am WLBY, every Saturday morning at 8:30. This weekend, was our 20th show, with our 50th guest. Earlier today on the program, we talked about two very different, but equally interesting topics, Vestibular Therapy and Stephen Ministry.

Audrey Bergen is a physical therapist in the neuro rehabilitation program at Chelsea Community Hospital. She specializes in vestibular rehabilitation therapy, treating patients with dizziness, caused by inner ear problems.

One of the conditions that Audrey addresses is BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). Looking at each word; Benign - not life threatening, Paroxysmal - sudden, Positional - related to movement, Vertigo - dizziness. Fifty percent of those over 65 get BPPV. The symptoms of BPPV include brief occurrences of sudden spinning or sudden dizziness, usually immediately after the patient moves.

The cause of BPPV is in the inner ear. Calcium carbonate crystals get out of place, and need to be relocated. Vestibular therapy maneuvers the head, and mechanically moves the crystals, from where they are not supposed to be, back to where they belong.

If you have dizziness, you should first see your doctor. There can be many causes of dizziness. If the inner ear is the cause, that dizziness can likely be treated by vestibular therapy. It may take just a few therapy sessions to have significant improvement.

On-going habituation exercises can help a patient with dizziness concerns. This process can help the brain get used to specific movements, and can reduce the dizziness effect of those motions.

If you are interested in contacting Audrey, the number for the neuro rehab program is 734-475-4138. The website for the Chelsea Community Hospital is cch.org. If you’d like to listen to the full 13-minute discussion, click on this audio file link.

Laurie Kotchenruther and Jerry Gray are with the Stephen Ministry, a program at the First Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor. They are both Stephen Ministers, lay ministers that provide spiritual care. They ‘walk along’ with their care receiver and give support. They are available to that person in a time of need, or a time of difficulty. Stephen Ministry is not counseling in the traditional sense. It’s not about fixing the problem, it’s more focused on listening. About 60% of their care receivers are seniors.

Stephen Ministry is a large international organization, with over 10,000 active groups. The Ann Arbor area has about ten Stephen Ministries. It is a non-denominational Christian program. There are about ten Stephen Ministry groups in Ann Arbor.

Stephen Ministers are all volunteers - Christians willing to learn, and make themselves available to help others in need. These caregivers are trained over several months, and continue to receive continuing education. The Stephen Ministers also have on-going supervision, where they receive coaching and support from other Stephen Minister colleagues.

Confidentiality is an important aspect of the program. The caregiver/care receiver relationship is similar to that of a doctor/patient or lawyer/client. The Stephen Minister and their caregiver usually meet once a week, but can meet more often if necessary.

Laurie appreciates being a Stephen Minister as it allows her to help people grow in a positive spiritual way, and has allowed her to grow closer to God. Jerry very much enjoys working with the other Stephen Ministers; they are nice, fun people.

If you would like more information about Stephen Ministry, you can contact the First Presbyterian Church at 734-662-4466, or go to their website, firstpresbyterian.org. If you would like to listen to the full 12-minute discussion, clink on this audio file link.

Alan Caldwell is the owner of Senior Helpers, providing in-home care services, primarily to the elderly. He can be contacted acaldwell@seniorhelpers.com, or at 734-927-3111.