Equine Complex
Children find solace in horse-assisted therapy
Avery Benedict-Hall can’t talk, but when he slides onto a horse every Saturday morning at 11, his audience can hear the sound of his smile: clap, clap, clap. The 9-year-old has a host of neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy, autism and cortical visual impairment. Clapping is a soothing stimulant for many children with autism.
![Kaiser Permanente's Dr. Walter Kinney has been at the forefront of cervical cancer research and development. Kaiser Permanente's Dr. Walter Kinney has been at the forefront of cervical cancer research and development.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/b414062.jpg?1577874530)
Early Times
Can the medical community eradicate cervical cancer in your lifetime?
Cervical cancer in the U.S. has been declining for the past 50 years, and with recent advancements in prevention and screening, doctors imagine the cancer could be eradicated from America’s population within your lifetime. It’s a lofty ambition with a major caveat: It is almost entirely dependent upon the participation of the nation’s underserved women.
![Researchers have found that decision making can exhaust the brain. Researchers have found that decision making can exhaust the brain.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/bf8b1698work.jpg?1577874530)
Brain Exam
A play-by-play of your body's most important organ
What’s your brain doing right now? What was it doing when you woke up, got hungry, went to work, danced, made love, got angry, got happy, fell asleep and dreamed? Judith Horstman is a local writer and frequent Comstock’s contributor. Her new book, “The Scientific American Day In the Life of Your Brain,” chronicles hour-by-hour what goes on in your brain through a typical day and night.
Reform
Making health care work
This summer we saw the debate over health care reform heat up. The result has been partisanship, too little dialogue and too much misinformation. As a small-business owner, I’m concerned about reform, reform that will protect the country’s millions of small companies against skyrocketing health care costs. My own research has led me to a few basic conclusions.
![Residents of the Chateau at River's Edge participate in a Tai Chi class. Residents of the Chateau at River's Edge participate in a Tai Chi class.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/old-age.jpg?1577874531)
Selling the Boom
The slogans behind senior living
Terri Bacon participates in line dancing, water aerobics and a book club in her community, Glenbrooke by Del Webb, which targets active adults older than 55. She recently started a club that attends theater performances. “I’m busier here than I’ve ever been, and I’m doing things that are worthwhile,” says Bacon, who turns 62 this month.
![(Photo: istockphoto.com) (Photo: istockphoto.com)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/istock_000006027813large.jpg?1577874531)
Dancing with Deception
Making sense of cognitive impairment
Uncle Bert seemed normal to me, so I wondered what was going on when a phone call ripped into an otherwise peaceful Monday. It was Dave, a trusted family friend. “Honey, your uncle has dementia, and all his friends are very concerned about it,” he said. “You need to do something.”
![Ken Skoonberg, 97, likes the PACE program and says he doesn't miss a day. Ken Skoonberg, 97, likes the PACE program and says he doesn't miss a day.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/vx2cbaby.jpg?1577874531)
Choices, Choices
Health care makes adjustments for the boom
Boomers are booming, and skilled-nursing and long-term care facilities are struggling to keep up. But the focus isn’t on beds and population numbers alone. Baby boomers are a picky bunch, and they’re not likely to rest easy with the status quo, say caretakers, many of whom are seniors themselves. That’s part of the reason rehab care has taken on a new face in the past few years, one that’s focused on a philosophy change about senior care.