Healthy Us – Winter 2026

Nurses’ insider tips for your next hospital visit 

Around 34 million Americans visited a hospital in 2024, according to the American Hospital Association. Nurses who work in hospitals shared their tips with The New York Times to make a hospital stay safer, easier and more comfortable. 

• Call, don’t fall. Whether in bed reaching for something on a side table or in the bathroom, use the call button. Don’t be self-conscious or ignore feelings of weakness or dizziness. Falls are a nurse’s worst nightmare. 
• Bring your own pillow. Even if the hospital’s pillow has been disinfected, it’s healthier to use your own. Plus, it’s more comfortable.  
• Keep your health information in one place. Having easy access to all your medical information is crucial for getting good care. Make sure your basic information is up to date online or bring paper records with you to the hospital.  
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. At the beginning of the day, ask the nurse what your schedule of tests or consults looks like. If questions occur to you later, keep a notebook and jot them down.  
• Pay attention to discharge instructions. Be sure to go over post-care instructions carefully and ask as many questions as you need to. It’s good to have a second person there also. If you can’t, ask if you can record them with your phone.   
• Ask about more affordable meds. If you can’t afford the medications on your discharge instructions, tell your nurse who may be able to work with pharmacists to find options.  

10 Questions to ask when choosing a therapist 

Having good rapport with a therapist is the most important factor in determining the outcome of therapy, according to research from Harvard Medical School.  

The therapist should have formal training and certification and be licensed in Georgia. In general, the therapist should be able to describe the merits and drawbacks of different types of treatment, including ones he or she doesn’t offer. The therapist should also let you know how he or she will monitor your progress. 

Here are some questions to ask as you consider working with a therapist: 

1. What’s your training (i.e., what certification or degrees do you hold)? 
2. How long have you worked in this field? 
3. What kinds of treatment or therapy do you think might help me? 
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches, including medication? 
5. How does the treatment work? 
6. What are the chances that treatment will succeed? 
7. How soon should I start feeling better? 
8. How will we assess my progress? 
9. What should I do if I don’t feel better? 
10. How much will treatment cost? 

These are not always easy questions to answer, and the therapist may not be able to answer everyone definitively. By taking note of the therapist’s responses, you should get some sense of what the therapist is like and whether you will be able to establish a good working relationship. 

Pharmacist tips regarding your medications 

• Take your meds out of the bathroom cabinet. Steam and heat can break down active ingredients. They need to be in a cool, dry place. 
• Learn how to take your medications properly. For instance, crushing a time release pill will give you the whole dose at once. Inhalers can be used too often. Some people inject their medication in the wrong place. Ask your pharmacist to give you a demonstration.  
• Review your medications periodically. Discuss with your doctor that all of them are still necessary and meet your current needs.  
• Ask about prices. Check with your pharmacist about generic drugs or manufacturers’ coupons. 
• Get rid of old drugs the right way. Don’t flush them down the toilet as they get in our water supply and treatment plants aren’t designed to remove them. Ask your pharmacist if they have a drop box for expired drugs or check the Drug Enforcement Administration website, which has a search option for year-round drug drop-off locations near you.  

Can a 10-second balance test predict longevity? 

A study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people in middle to later life who couldn’t stand on one leg for 10 seconds had nearly twice the risk of premature death than people who reached the 10-second mark. 

Study participants who took the balance test were 1,700 men and women, ages 51–75, without walking issues.  Over a seven-year follow-up period, 123 participants died of various causes. After taking participants’ age, health conditions, weight, and other factors into account, the researchers determined that failing the balance test was associated with an 84% higher risk of dying, compared with passing the balance test. 

Give the test used in the study a try. Here’s what to do: 

Whether you or not you hit the 10-second goal, practice this drill every day and try to extend the duration of the hold. It’s a great way to boost your balance—which reduces your risk of falls, fractures, and other complications, regardless of any possible effect on longevity.