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In our fast-paced world, where daily demands can often feel overwhelming, it’s crucial to prioritize our mental health. Taking steps to reduce stress and nurture our well-being can lead to a happier and more balanced life. In this blog post, we’ll explore five tips to help you prioritize your mental health.   1. Practice Mindfulness One of the most effective ways to reduce stress and boost mental health is through mindfulness. This practice involves being fully present in the moment, acknowledging your thoughts and feelings without judgment. You can start with short daily mindful exercises like deep breathing, meditation, or a mindful walk. These activities can help you gain perspective and reduce the impact of stress. 2. Exercise Regular physical activity is not just good for your body; it’s a powerful tool for reducing stress and improving your mental well-being. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. Whether it’s a brisk

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that our body needs for many vital functions like building strong bones. Low vitamin D intake is a major health concern, as 42% of the U.S. population are vitamin D deficient. This is why we want to share five ways to get vitamin D without risking excessive sun exposure.  1. Take Vitamin D Supplements  Taking a supplement is one of the easiest ways to ensure you are getting adequate amounts of vitamin D. Countries like the United States do not regulate nutritional supplements, so make sure you are purchasing high quality supplements that have been independently tested.  2. Consume Fatty Fish & Seafood  Fatty fish and seafood are a natural way to consume vitamin D as various species contain different amounts. For example, a farmed salmon may contain less vitamin D than a wild caught salmon. Fish and seafood that are rich in vitamin D are tuna, mackerel, oysters, shrimp and sardines.  3. Eat Fortified Foods  Fortified

  If you live with obstructive sleep apnea, there is a lot you need to familiarize yourself with. You’re working to understand your sleep disorder, the equipment you need for treatment, and key terminology that could be critical to your health. One of the key elements to consider with obstructive sleep apnea is your Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI). If this is something you’ve never considered or heard of before, you aren’t alone. Hart Medical Equipment is here to help you understand the importance of AHI and how it impacts your sleep apnea treatment.   What Is Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI)?  Obstructive sleep apnea causes your breathing to briefly cease during sleep; this pause in breathing is called an apnea event. Your apnea hypopnea index (AHI) measures how many of these events happen per hour during sleep.   What Does My Apnea Hypopnea Index Score Mean?  Simply put, the higher your apnea hypopnea index, the greater the severity of

  Caring for the Elderly: What New Caregivers Should Know   Approximately 40.4 million adults in the United States are caregivers to seniors aged 65 and older, according to Pew Research. Among these 40.4 million, 61% are employed, with over half working their own full-time jobs. Additionally, one in five caregivers claims they administer care on a daily basis. Given this overload of obligations, new caregivers need to know how to juggle their responsibilities so that they can administer care effectively. To help, we’ve provided a few tips new caregivers can use. Know your responsibilities Though the unexpected is always bound to happen, you can reduce stress significantly by giving yourself a clear idea of what you need to do daily. Go into each day prepared by listing down any responsibilities you may have to oversee. Some responsibilities caregivers will likely have include meal preparation, housekeeping, and bathing. You may also have to

  Due to a national shortage of crutches, Hart Medical is accepting donations of new or gently used adult crutches to refurbish and provide to our local, partner health systems in need.​   If you have a pair of new or gently used adult regular or universal crutches, we are asking you to consider donating them to be used for those in need at our local health system locations. Hart Medical Equipment will be facilitating the donations by receiving, cleaning, sanitizing and refurbishing the crutches, then providing them directly to the hospitals and medical centers at no charge.​   Crutches can be dropped off at any of Hart Medical Equipment's locations across Michigan and Northwest Ohio. Visit hartmedical.org/locations to find the location nearest you.​  

  Check for Safety! A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults  Each year, thousands of older Americans fall at home. Many of them are seriously injured, and some are disabled. Falls are often due to hazards that are easy to overlook but also easy to fix. This checklist will help you find and fix those hazards in your home. The checklist asks about hazards found in each room of your home and tells you how to fix the problem. At the end of the checklist, you’ll find other tips for preventing falls. FLOORS: Q: When you walk through a room, do you have to walk around furniture? [  ]  Ask someone to move the furniture so your path is clear. Q: Do you have throw rugs on the floor? [  ]  Remove the rugs or use double-sided tape or a non-slip backing so the rugs won’t slip. Q: Are there papers, books, towels, shoes, magazines, boxes, blankets, or other objects on the floor? [  ]  Pick up things that

    Are you an oxygen patient who’s wanting to travel to a warmer climate, and you’re not sure whether or not we can help? Well, the answer is yes! If you are contemplating a fun road trip, a flight or a bus ride out to greener pastures, Hart Medical Equipment is the place to start. Did you know that if you have Medicare or Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, then your travel is a covered benefit through these two insurances? Patient travel is one of the services that we provide to ensure you have a smooth, worry-free trip that you so rightly deserve!  We also rent portable oxygen concentrators and accessories for those patients who also qualify to use them, for a weekly fee.  When you do decide to make those final plans to see the countryside, just give our friendly Hart Medical Equipment Travel Team a call, preferably two weeks before your departure.  We will need just a few details to get you started, such as a destination address, mode

As spring peeks its head around the corner, people all over are ready to get back outside.  Morning jogs and evening walks are among some of the favorite ways to enjoy the spring weather.  With many people looking to exercise and enjoy the fresh air, running is a great place to start. Maybe you are one of those looking to start up running.  You’ve planned out your routine, dusted off your old running shoes, and have determined that you will be a runner.  Or maybe you’ve decided to start off with simple walks.  Either way, YOU ARE READY.  The first week isn’t bad, in fact it's kind of enjoyable.  Week two starts and that’s when you realize that you have aches and pains all over.  Your hips hurt, your legs ache, and your shins have splints. But above all your feet hurt, so you give yourself a few days break.  Those few days turn into weeks, and those weeks turn into a busy schedule where you forget all about