Full Show 9/10/2026: Newell broadcasts LIVE from East Jefferson YMCA in Metairie for “Healthy Aging Day”

0:00That is right folks. We are here live from the East Jefferson YMCA in Metare for a healthy aging day and I feel like I'm in the right place because I am aging day by day by day and there's no doubt and I've already connected with a whole bunch of friends that I went to, I went to grandma school with and high school with and it's been wonderful this morning. It's amazing the number of folks that walk into this YMCA and you can tell when a class starts because there's actually folks just one after the other coming in coming in coming in. I love this place because everybody's happy. Everybody's got a smile. Everybody's having a great time. I think this is our second or third time here and it's the same. That's what I love about it. It's just very consistent. Everyone's happy. They have a good time. They feeling good and there's so many different programs that they offer here for folks that you can take advantage of. And our first guest this morning is Dr. Brett Wallace, Dr. B and he is the CMO primary care

1:02plus chief medical officer for primary care plus and doc, welcome to the show. Yeah, thanks. Thanks for having me again. Yeah, I almost forgot about you. We could go right. I know. I know. You're absolutely right though. This place has fantastic energy. It's really great to be here. You know, it's a it's a beautiful facility, outdoor swimming pool, gymnasium, all kinds of different activity rooms that set up very clean and very friendly. Yeah. And you know, coffee machines here, folks use it as a social outlet as well. All of that be an incredibly important as you're growing older. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, just walking in the doors, you can kind of feel it. You can see how excited people are to be here. It's very social, which is really important, especially as you are aging. Sometimes people don't get the opportunity to get out and do what they should be doing. And that's definitely not what's happening here. So if you are at home, it's a great opportunity to come out and maybe meet a few new

2:04people. Now you guys have a unique relationship with the East Jefferson YMCA, right? We do. Yeah, we have worked with the Y for quite a few years and we we try to help in particular with primary care plus on the education side. You know, we have a lot of docs who love to talk and they love to get together with patients and actually explain disease processes to them. So we've been doing that with them for quite a quite a long time now. Yeah, it's interesting. You know, about primary care plus and let's give the listening audience a little history of that organization. Yeah, yeah, we have been around amazingly now for over 15 years. We started all the way back in 2011. Louisiana, board and bread. In fact, we started up in Baton Rouge and then quickly moved to New Orleans. And now I can't quite believe it, but we are 13 clinic strong from the New Orleans metro area all the way up to Munro and all the way over to Lafayette and still grow. And we've got a great clinic and

3:07metery just down the street from where we are over on homeable of our. Absolutely. And the patients, the census that you'll have that you'll treat in the clinics across the state. Tell us about that mix. Yeah, it's, you know, each of our clinics is very community based. So they have some nuances to them. But in general, we, we see patients that are 18 and older. We do have a large number of patients that are above 65. And, you know, but we do take all payers. We're not unique to one individual insurance company, but we really focus on primary care. That's our core. That's really what we do well and what we try to bring to the public. So we hear that term a lot, primary care physician. Talk to us about what that is. Yeah. So, so PCPs or primary care physicians are really the captain of the ship is the way I like to look at it.

4:07And I am a PCP. So, so I believe that what we do is we try to learn all about our patients and help them manage many of the diseases. And if we can't manage something ourselves, then we will help coordinate the care with a specialist. But what we want is we want to have a complete picture of everything that's going on both medically, but also socially in your life so that we can really try to help you, hey, age in a healthy way. It's really important to make sure you identify disease early so that we can head off any complications of disease. So, not unlike business and not unlike a number of other things in life, your health care requires a strategy. It does. It does. A lot of people don't realize that. And I think there's there's a you see it in society. It's the reason why there's so many urgent cares. We we're very transactional and we want you know, to have something immediately. The the thing is when it comes to your health, it's really important to look longitudinally. Look at where you're

5:11going to be in five years, 10 years, 15 years. If you don't address things early on with your primary care physician, you're more likely to have more problems as you get older with a lot of diseases in our area. Would you say is it fair characterization? I'll put it that way. There's no quick fix out there. I wish there were. I wish there were. You know, there are definitely quick wins that we can get. But it is it's something you have to work at all the time. You know, and it's not it's not always easy to just take a pill and solve your problem. It really quite often requires lifestyle change. And you've got to have somebody you can talk to about what that means, you know, things like diet and exercise and not doing things that are harmful to you. That's where your PCP comes in. It's a combination of things, right? That coming together looking at the totality and the interesting thing that I recently learned is that a lot of people take a lot of daily supplements, a lot of vitamins. They

6:14don't really use the word contraindication, but the reality is there's some that don't work too well with others. So you shouldn't take them together, right? Exactly. Exactly. Well, it could be as simple as that. Yeah, there can actually supplements. It's in fact, I'm glad you brought it up. It's something that we talk about a lot with our patients because they don't always tell us that they're taking supplements. And supplements can actually interact with prescription medications that you're taking as well. So you want to talk with your doctor about that to make sure that there are no interactions. There are supplements that can be very helpful and very good, but what's interesting in our society, it's very unusual to have a vitamin deficiency, for instance. I mean, I've only seen that a few times in my long career. But there are so many people taking a multivitamin because they've been told that that will help you. But you want to make sure that the supplements you're taking are tailored to what you need and that they don't interact poorly with anything else that you're taking. Yeah. And it's not uncommon to like present with iron deficiencies,

7:19right? So the multivitamin might help a little, but it's not going to be the one that's going to be able to maintain and improve your iron levels for you. Yeah. I mean, if you have an actual deficiency in something, you're likely going to need a dose that's higher than what a supplement can provide. But the thing about it is that we a lot of times we don't think about how simplistic some of the things are in our minds that actually could be complicated from a medicine standpoint. Exactly. Well, yeah, I mean, something simple like if you take exercise, for example, it's very important to exercise as frequently as you can, but you want to make sure that your exercise regimen is not exacerbating any other problems that you have. And as you get older, that can be an issue. Let's say you have knee problems and you are an avid runner. Running more is not going to help your knees. It's probably going to make your knees worse. So we may have to shift a little bit and actually find something else that's equivalent and

8:20healthy. Someone gave me a tip the other day. I'm wondering what your reaction would be as a primary care physician. They said, you know, you got that little notes thing on your smartphone and list all the supplements and vitamins you take and list all the prescriptions there. And when you walk into the doctor's office, you can just send the email and send it right to him. I love it. And when it changes, you know, you just eliminate one or add one. And that way you're not trying to remember it because every time you go visit a doctor, they're going to ask about all of that and they're going to want to know about all of that. And, you know, the old maxim that information is power is so true, right? Oh, yeah. And that is one of the best recommendations. I always tell patients that they should make sure they have a complete list of everything that they're taking. And we need to know about that to make sure that nothing interacts definitely. But then also if we need to adjust a matter, add another matter, we need to know what we're actually dealing with. And there's so many times I can tell you where people say, you know, I'm taking something. It's in a blue

9:22bottle. It's a pink pill. You know, and that that doesn't usually help. We can we have tools we can use to try to figure it out. Come on. You just can't recollect it. Not the blue bottle. Be eight million drugs that are out there. But no, I mean, having that information and, and you know, another thing with that notes app is when things are bothering you or if you're concerned about something, write them down, you know, I mean, I've had people come in with a very big list. And, but I think that's important because when you get into the doctor, you know, you don't want to be rushed. You want to make sure that you're addressing all of the issues that you have. So make sure you know exactly what you want to talk about. And don't be shy about it. Doctors appreciate that if you're thorough, you know, in the presentation of what's going on with you. Oh yeah, they should be. Yeah, we'll say. The primary plus, excuse me, that tongue tied here. Primary care plus model. Got it. Finally, is that the willingness to spend more time with the patient?

10:25Yeah. And you know, that's one thing we did a very long time ago. We adjusted our appointment times because it's really difficult to to learn about a patient in the amount of time you're given on average with a doctor. You know, once you're checked in and they've done your blood pressure and all that, sometimes it's five minutes. That's not enough time to get to know your doctor. And so you need more time in that setting. And then another thing I really encourage people is come in more often if you need to. You know, you don't need to just come in once a year and try to do everything all at once. It's okay. Your doctor wants to see you more frequently to try to address anything that comes out. It comes up throughout the year. You know, it's interesting. And I know this is a little off track, but how many times I hear from folks that say, you know, I was at the doctor 12 months ago and none of this was present. How much actually can actually crop up physically for you and

11:26and be really serious in the span of nine to 12 months? Yeah. I mean, a year is a long time. And actually, if you look, we have a lot of great data on how our patients are aging and how they're actually doing with their health. I've seen instances where a patient hasn't been in in a year and they may have gained 15 pounds within that year. You know, 15 pounds is, it's not a huge amount over 12 months. You won't notice it, but your doctor looks at it and what is that actually confer your blood pressure maybe up? Your blood sugars may not be as well controlled as they were on your medications. So that's why it is important to come in more frequently. So when we talk about healthy aging, we just we've just talked about building this relationship with your doctor, you know, developing that trust, going to, you know, the necessary amount of time. You talked about staying active and, you know, making sure that you're exercising.

12:28Yeah. And that is critical and something I see so frequently. There's a lot of people that as they age become less active. It's sort of a part of aging. You may hurt a little bit more when you do things, but what I think they don't realize is the more inactive you become, the more inactive you will become over time. Because you start losing muscle mass, your bones aren't as strong, you ache a little bit more. So what's critical is actually making sure that you're getting up, you're active, you're exercising really 30 minutes, five times, five times a week is what we recommend. You know, I was saying to somebody the other day, getting up early in the morning is a habit. It's not determined by how I feel, at least for me. And because I know I'm ultimately going to get up and going and get the blood flowing. And I'm going to feel better. More likely than not. Yeah, exactly. And I think if you work it into your routine and don't look at it as a hassle, then I think you're more

13:31apt to stick with it. The other piece that, and I have to do this all the time, is I get bored. And so I try to do different activities. You don't need to do the same thing every day. In fact, sometimes it's good to mix it up. You know, maybe you want to walk one day, maybe you want to go swimming one day, maybe you want to do a little bike riding, you know, and then maybe take a day off. And so it is important to kind of keep it creative, keep it fun because you'll maintain your exercise patterns that way. And that's the beauty of like aqua therapy, getting in a pool and just moving around, even if it's just jogging in place, because you remove that gravity, you remove the impact, but the body's moving. Pools are incredible. They're one of the best ways to exercise, because you're absolutely right. The low impact is so much better for your joints, but you can burn just as many calories running in place in a pool, probably more in some instances than you can on land, because of all that resistance from the water. And it feels great. And then that thing going on in the head, right? Your mind. You don't

14:32want to get the cobwebs there either. Absolutely. And I think a lot of people don't realize how impactful exercise can be on mood. If you exercise with other people too, that that personal interaction that you have keeps you sharper, keeps your mind from getting those cobwebs. And that isn't that's a real thing. Social isolation, not helping. No, no, very bad. And this has been shown in studies over and over that people with less interactions, family interactions, even sometimes controversial interactions do much worse in their health. And so it's good to challenge yourself, challenge others, make sure you're having conversations with people. And if you know anyone who is suffering from isolation, try to reach out to them. You know, you can actually do a whole lot just by making that contact. Absolutely. And it doesn't have to be a lengthy period of time just to check in. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Just check in, see how they're doing. You may actually spark something

15:33where they're like, Oh, you reached out. Now I'll reach out to you. Right. Right. And then the biggest challenge for people like myself, I think I put away a half loaf of bread last night at the restaurant with brother guilty. Guilty as charge is in in this area in this city, really tough to manage food. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Food is food is a lot of people's enemy in a lot of instances. And I think the way that I try to tell people to approach it is if you deny yourself completely, it will not work. What you have to think about is the moderation of it. And it's fine to celebrate. It's fine to go out and have a lavish meal every once in a while. What you want to watch, really in particular, is home-based snacking is actually one of the worst things you can do. And the problem is there are so

16:37many snacks that you'd think are probably not all that bad for you, but they're not great for you either. A lot of carbohydrates. And it sounds cliche, but it's actually, if you need to crunch on something, you know, crunch on an apple, crunch on celery, you know, it's okay to use dips and stuff like that. That's actually better than eating a bag of pretzels or chips. Yeah. You know, the little trick I use is that I know what I also in the grocery store to avoid. All those in the middle are bad for you. So I don't go down those days. I always tell people go along the edges. I guess, you know, maybe your biggest strength is know your weaknesses. Exactly. Yeah. And I mean, that is a good point. I always tell my wife, I'm like, there's certain things we can't have in the house because if they're in the house, because I will be disassuming. Yeah. So you're your final piece of advice for folks. Yeah. I think, you know, kind of to tie it back to where I am and what I do

17:37at Primary Care Plus. I think the most important thing for me is making sure that you are comfortable with your doctor. You should not go to a physician that you don't feel like you can share with, that you don't feel like you can be truthful with, that you don't feel like you're getting enough time with or the responses that you need. Because what is really important is being an advocate for your own health and then your physician will be that advocate as well. You know, if you kind of use the football analogy and break this up into quarters, right? Of your life, first, second, third and fourth quarter. When you're into fourth quarter, what just seems to me, you have to be more mindful about these things in order to achieve healthy aging. Yeah. It's not going to come as simple as the first quarter. No, we all know the right. So it may require a little bit more discipline, a little bit more attention, a little bit more sacrifice. Yeah. Well, and what you used to be able to quickly recover

18:38from in your 40s and 50s starts to become a little more difficult in your 60s and 70s. And so you do, like you said at the beginning, you really need to come up with a plan. You know, how am I going to mitigate these problems? You know, everybody develops issues, you know, joint pains and you know, gaining a little bit of weight and high cholesterol, things like that. It's very common. What you can't do is you can't let it derail you from your plan, which is to be healthy for as long as you can. And there's so many activities that you want to do as you approach, you know, retirement and maybe you have an opportunity to travel or do this or do that. But if you have a list of comorbidities or challenges, health wise, it really limits, you know, this just broad set of opportunities out there. Yeah, exactly. I mean, you're, you're fourth quarter, like you said, can actually be one of the most wonderful periods in your life. You know, you've got more time to do some of the things maybe you didn't when you were working.

19:41Yeah. Um, you know, so you, you've got more time to spend with family and friends as well. So make the most of it and don't experience it with 10 or 15 chronic medical problems if you possibly can. Yeah, absolutely. Uh, Dr. Brett Wallace, we always appreciate you spending time with us. I mean, you just so easy to converse with on these issues. And I know the, the reaction of our listening audience, when you're on with Tommy and others on our station, we always appreciate the advice that you give because it's truly spot on. And, and thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it. I love it every time. Thank you, sir. That's Dr. Brett Wallace. And we will be right back folks. We are broadcasting live at the YMCA here in East Jefferson for a healthy aging month and today's healthy aging day, as we call it, and we will be right back. Stay with us. And folks, if you're looking for a fun way to focus on your health and connect with the

20:41community, come on out to the East Jefferson YMCA in Metare for a healthy aging today. The event is free and they've got workshops from primary care plus group exercise classes, give giveaways, breakfast, lunch and come celebrate healthy aging day from nine to two today. Come by, say hello, get moving and learn something new. You're going to love this facility. And there's so much to do here. It's absolutely phenomenal. In fact, Carrie Diaz, the executive director of the YMCA here joins us. Carrie, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. I'm excited that you're here today. Well, thank you for joining us. When we talk about healthy aging, what does that really mean beyond just exercising physical health? So I mean, the YMCA is all about healthy mind, body and spirit. So it's not just about being physically healthy. It's it's mental health wellness and social connection. Those things are incredibly important. So we're looking at the whole health situation. So while physical health

21:47is a part of it, that's only a piece of the puzzle. So we're here to help complete that puzzle because just being physically active is great in that great start. But social connection, community, belonging, supports that mental health as well. And those things are incredibly important so that we are able to age gracefully in a healthy way. And obviously you support all of that through offering all kinds of different activities. I understand it. Y'all do like field ups. Everything, right? I mean, we do. I mean, honestly, we've tried so many different things here and we have a lot of fun figuring out what the community is looking for and surprising seniors along the way. So we do field trips. So we might have a day where we're going to take, you know, our seniors over to a place like game on our adventure quest and go play laser tag. And so you think that that's for the kids, but no, it's not for the kids. Like let's have a good time. Let's get everybody out. Let's explore our city. What our community has to offer. We're always doing things,

22:53you know, it might even be something called like game time where we'll have a day where we're coming in and playing board games. Just like the, you know, the grandkids are doing. And so it's a wonderful way to shake things up, keep the brain activity going and exercise your brain just like we're exercising our body. Yeah. A lot of people, you know, they reach a point in time in their life and they may say to oneself, I'm too old for all of that. I don't, you know, or maybe they lost the significant other in their life and they, you know, they're kind of ambivalent about reconnecting. But that's what this place is kind of all about. It really is. And so we have people walking through our doors every week with similar stories like this. So the first thing I will say is you're not alone. So the YMCA is a welcoming environment and will become your second family. So you will make connections here that make you feel welcome and belonging and really make a significant

23:53impact and bring value to your life. So if you are in that situation where, you know, you may have lost this spouse and you're feeling lonely, come see me today, come toward this facility, come change your life. Like it is, it is not too late. It's never too late. And in same thing, when it comes to physical fitness, if you've never worked out in the gym before, if you've never taken a group fitness class, it is okay. This is not a place for intimidation. This is a welcoming environment. We have classes where we are introducing seniors to weight equipment that have never touched weight equipment before. But we do this from such a loving, caring spot so that it feels natural. They're not intimidated. They're not scared. We walk them through how to utilize each piece of equipment so that they are going to use it. They're going to use it properly and they're not going to get injuries while trying to just do things on their own. And we're constantly have our staff, you know, that's around making sure that, you know, they're doing what they need

24:55to do and we can support them in whatever way that they need. And then same thing kind of goes for our group exercise classes. We have over 90 exercise classes offered each week and about 70% of those are specifically curated for seniors over the age of 55. Yeah, it's interesting too. I guess maybe last year, year before last, I ran into a group that I met here. We had broadcasted from here at a Saints game. And they, I think they meet in the parking lot correctly if I'm wrong. And they all go down to the Saints game together. And they're all dressed up and all kinds of crazy outfits and stuff. And I mean, they would just have an a-hoo. We do. We have so many groups that have formed here socially that like it's kind of hard to keep up with sometimes. And so we, we even, when we went back through like our COVID era where the Y had to close its doors. Those social groups came in socially distance in the parking lot to keep their social connections going because it's

25:55that important to them. So, and those things still happen today. So they have certain days where they are going to be here. You're going to see them in the lobby tables drinking coffee, dressing up in themes. You'll be able to hear from one of those members later today on the show, you know, Miss Lloyd's cheese. What I call my adopted grandmother. I've lost all of my grandparents. So I don't have any grandparents that are still living. And so I've been able to form connections with the members here that have impacted my life in such a way that I can't even explain. And so every time I, you know, I walk in the door, she walks in the door. She's like, it's my granddaughter. I was like, there's my wife, grandma. And so the relationship between, you know, the staff and the members here, they're genuine and packed full relationships. And I'm like, I feel so blessed to be meeting the members here and playing a small role in that value. And you wouldn't be the first one, you know, if you just kind of walked in and walked around and just observed and not really say anything to

26:56anybody, but just kind of get the feel of the place. That's how you introduce yourself to a place like this maybe, right? It really is. And so like we embody that Southern hospitality. It is real. So I mean, there are places, many other options that you can go if you're looking, you know, for fitness where you're not really looking for a connection. This is the place that's for connection. We meet you where you are. And it is okay if you are shy. It is okay if you're not great at forming social connections. It will organically happen here because the moment you step into the door, it feels like a warm hug. And it feels like you're home. So I'm like, there is no place like this place when we're talking about the YMCA physical fitness, social connection as a whole and helping mind body and spirit. Yeah. And I mean, that that plays such a critical role in healthy aging, right? Yes. And you know, in that third and fourth quarter of life. And I find, let's see, I think this might be the third time I'm here. It is. The third time. Yes. And I noticed this morning, the

28:00groups get younger. They are hard, you know, and they're staying active and they're staying active longer. So I mean, it's really hard to tell here ages because, and you'll act some of these members like, what which are secret? And many of them will say, because I go to the Y. Yeah. And it's not something that I ask them to say, it's it's real. And it's amazing to kind of just see and watch it happen. We had one of our oldest members, the oldest member that we had active at the YMCA passed away recently. He was 98 years old, was coming every single week. And like, and he attributed like his long, his healthy life to being a member at the YMCA. And so in those moments, the funeral is filled with other Y members and Y staff and those things. I mean, it really is your second family provides this value to your life and provides that connection that everybody so desperately needs. You guys also play and assist in making sure that they're able to live

29:04independently. Yes. Yes. And that for a lot of folks is, you know, kind of the defining line of, you know, their personal worth maybe are, do they really want to continue on? You know, and once you get those thoughts in your mind, it kind of has a, this decline that you go through, right? Absolutely. And so I mean, it really is important. So like some of our fit group in this class, as they tell me, let me interrupt because I wanted to make one other point. What? It for you to address there. We have a lot of younger adults that are out there probably listening to this and saying, ah, you know, that's for older people. But the reality is, is they probably have a mom or dad. Oh, absolutely. Right. Right. That would very much benefit from this place. Oh, sure. And they would as well too. And they would as well too. Yeah. I mean, memberships here start at six weeks old. So yeah, we have members from six weeks to 98 years old here at the YC. We have something for the whole family or whatever stage of life you are in. We

30:06have the place or program that's going to be for you. So you will find what you're looking for in your life here. And we're able to meet that need for you. So I mean, it is wonderful to be able to join as a family or like to convince your parents like, hey, you know, you kind of been sitting around for a little bit. Let's get involved. Come to the Y. We have a lot of partnerships with the, with some of the Medicare programs that cover the cost of memberships. So like if cost is a problem. I mean, if you're in a Medicare advantage plan and they cover the cost of being a member here, you have absolutely nothing to lose. You have nothing to lose. Right. And a lot of people don't realize that. Correct. Correct. And so I mean, we don't have partnerships with every single one, but we're like a nice good bit of them. So the big thing is come, come tour the Y, share with us, which Medicare advantage plan that you have will let you know if you qualify for one of those memberships. And by all means, like I said, if you qualify for one of those, you absolutely have nothing to lose. So come and see what we have to offer. And I guarantee you we're going to have something that that interests you from like a book club to going out to eat to taking classes,

31:10to drinking coffee to play in games to just, you know, socializing or having a place just to get out of your house and changing your environment. Like those things make a big difference. Yeah, I know I've been here before and a lot of folks they will come stop by, have a cup of coffee before they go to rouses to do their grocery shopping next door. Yes. Yes. We have members that absolutely just come, swipe in, have a cup of coffee and then they're on their way for the day and don't even, you know, work out sometimes. Yeah, and they figure, you know, I leave home once a day and I just kind of elongates my, you know, the time that I'm out and I'm out and about and it feels good and it works for them. It does. I mean, we're more of that kind of like community center hub type place. So this, you know, we do have some, of course, that come take their classes or get their work out and go. But the majority of the people are here for the longer term. They're spending a good portion of their day with us. They're stopping in to see their friends. They're, you know, talking about life together. And so it's really kind of amazing the connections that

32:12you see that happen within the walls here. Yeah. And, you know, I love being here because everybody at walk sends got a big smile on their face. I mean, you and that pictures speaks a thousand words. It sure does. It sure does. When you see that picture for sure. Carrie Diaz, thank you so much for joining us, executive director of the East Jefferson YMCA here and we appreciate it. Thank you so much. We are so blessed to have you out here today. Everybody here is very excited that you are here. I know a many are tuning in and we have some some great other stories to share throughout the day. Absolutely. Thank you so much. We will be right back, folks. 504-260-1870 on the Oakland Heart Jules Tex and Texlan. Talk and Texlan. Excuse me. I don't know why I am tongue tied this morning, but we will be right back. And just be a little careful as you drive around in the city today. We've got some crazy storms going on out there. It is raining really hard at the present time out here on the East Bank in Metri. Just a reminder,

33:16opening week on WWL is presented by hands-free sketchers slip-ins just up in and go. WWL is your home for Thursday night football. Tonight the LA Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers down under in Melbourne, Australia. And our coverage starts at 7 p.m. kickoff at 7.35. Catch Thursday night football and every prime time game on your home of NFL football. WWL M F M dot com and always live on the free Odyssey app. And just another reminder tomorrow night. At 6 p.m. make an appointment and visit with Lane Kiffin on a Lane Kiffin show. Saturday, LSU battles, Louisiana Tech and Death Valley. Find out how the Tigers plan to dominate the Bulldogs in game two and the strategy to improve before the matchup with the Rebels in Ole Miss. Don't miss the Lane Kiffin show with head coach Lane Kiffin in the voice of the Tigers. Chris Blair, Friday evening at 6 p.m. and after fans in

34:19the pro with juice and horse on WWL and the free Odyssey app. It's been a crazy week, fellas. You quite frankly. Back and forth in court, out of court, what's going to happen. We've had a couple of guests on some great conversations about this. We talked to the attorney general the other day Liz Mural who I think is made the most incredible argument cohesive and where that she presents the information and what they're actually the southeastern conference is doing in their lawsuits. I'm not sure how much longer this saga goes on. Hopefully it comes to an end and hopefully LSU continues to dominate like they did the other night and we look forward to the game. This weekend as well. All right, we'll be right back folks. Stay with us. All right folks, when we come back after the top of the hour news break, we're going to visit with Dr. Rameedo who is one of the primary care physicians here at Primary Care Plus. We'll talk about

35:24a number of issues. We'll also talk to Eva Waits, the senior activities coordinator with the YMCA. As we said earlier, come on by. They have breakfast items, lunch items, snack items, a bunch of different boots, information on healthy aging days. Stay with us. That's right folks. Riverside Drive is if you take that power boulevard exit off the itan as you head west and as soon as you get off and you look to your right and you're going to see the East Jefferson YMCA facility there, beautiful facility. It's got a lot to offer here. And that's what today's show is all about is making you aware of these opportunities. So for example, if you're participating in a Medicare Advantage plan, it very well may be that you will offer significant discounts or even free membership at a facility like this in order to maintain

36:25that healthy life, healthy aging, so to speak. And these are great opportunities for folks. And you've heard me say this over and over again. I love coming out here because everybody's smiling. I mean, it's a beautiful place. They're all excited about coming in and exercising and taking advantage of this incredible facility here. Swimming pool outside. They said they had a wonderful summer because so many dry days this summer and so many opportunities for folks to learn how to swim and other activities, water aerobics, this, that a lot of different things going on here and a lot of different activities as well. And we do know that Americans today are living locker and healthier lives is more important now than maybe ever before. And getting older sometimes comes with challenges and changes. And as we said just a minute ago, this is all about an opportunity to take advantage of a facility that helps through that process both with your body, your mind,

37:28classes that are given here, educational classes that are giving here as well, and tips every day and interactions here every day as well. And joining us now is Dr. Joseph Rameato who joins us from Primary Care Plus. Primary Care Plus has a partnership with the East Jefferson YMCI and it's a really strong, healthy partnership. One that they all enjoy and I got had an opportunity to talk to Dr. Joseph Rameato two years ago, right? Now what I did not know folks was that he comes to us from Philadelphia. And when I asked him about whether or not he's a Saints fan, he was conflicted right away. He's a Saints fan on the days that they don't play the Philadelphia Eagles. And he says this year, thankfully there's not going to be this conflict. Doc, that was a very disappointing response.

38:33But you're true to your home, your home team where you grew up and I guess they got a part of you and we got a part of you. So it's not so bad after all. That's right. That's right. So Doc, tell us about you move down here to how did you end up down here? Let's start there. Yeah, so I'm a Philadelphia mourn. I met my wife in college in Philadelphia and she's from down here. So after we graduated she brought me on down with her and I've been here ever since. And you're never going to leave. You know that about women that grew up south of the I-10. You're going nowhere, dude. You're staying right here. It's a wonderful place to be trapped. I'll say that. Absolutely. I came down here. I did some extra college down here and then I did LSU for medical school and then LSU for residency, family medicine down here. And it's been fantastic every year. So you are an LSU fan, of course. So what drew you to primary care plus? Primary

39:43care plus is a fantastic place to work and to go for care. We focus on quality over quantity. I'm given an immense amount of time with each patient to focus on all their needs, all their care needs. They can ask questions. I can provide the information. My goal is for every patient to not feel rushed and feel like they got true, complete care at every visit. And primary care plus just facilitates that. It's been fantastic. Duck, how long have you been practicing? This will be my sixth year now. And is that right? No, fifth year. Fifth year now. And it's been great. Residency down here at LSU was intense but excellent training and then primary care plus has been a fantastic place to continue that work. Is that something that you recognized early in your education, the importance of being able to spend more time with the patient?

40:45Yes, absolutely. In any point in my training, I found that being able to spend time with patients, ask the questions to get to the root of what brought them into that care situation has always been useful. Sometimes it's not as useful for the immediate issue but it can be useful for helping them avoid health issues down the line. And that's always a goal. Yeah, because it seems kind of an anomaly encounter to a lot of what happens. And I'm sure a lot of the horror stories that you heard while in medical school and while you were doing your residency programs. Yeah, unfortunately there are many times in the healthcare world where things are rushed, things are missed and it can lead to bad outcomes. And so I've been privileged to be able to practice in a place where I'm given that ample opportunity to really help my patient. Absolutely. For you, when we talk about healthy aging, what does that mean to you? Because there is a little

41:51bit of a personal touch and a feeling about this, right? I would consider healthy aging to be taking the time and the effort and energy to establish habits so that you can live the best version of life every year. And so it has to be proactive. You have to make those decisions to establish those habits and stick to them. And barring, you know, unforeseen circumstances, they can usually really bring you into a long time in the future where you're able to live the life you want. It's really a lot about minimizing risk, right? I mean, there's no guarantee. There is no guarantee in life, right? But it is about minimizing risk. And we know that scientifically, there's certain things that minimize risk. That is 100% true. There are things that we can do that reduce our risks. We're living with our history and we're living with our genes. And those things will impact us for the entirety of our lives. But there's things we can do to reduce those negative

42:53impacts and improve the positive impacts of those histories and those genes. So things like sleep, diet, exercise, they're all core to minimizing those risks. What is the one thing that you think your patients don't realize have such a contributing factor to their health? You just mentioned sleep. A lot of people don't really make that connection for the most part. Sleep is probably one of the most important things to our health. Seven to nine hours. That's the goal. That should be our target throughout our life. The benefits are really hard to understate. Everything from hormone balance, cognitive care, good sleep can reduce your risk of dementia. It is kind of paramount. And I know that sometimes life and society and what our responsibilities can affect that. But it should be a goal. It

43:57should be a focus of how you plan your life should be to gear towards that seven to nine hours. Yeah, you know, oftentimes I have to remind myself that this program or series that I've deeply into that maybe the television at 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock at night needs to go off. Yeah, if you know you're going to be up at five in the next day, you got to plan for that. Now, if you live a lifestyle where you can sleep until eight, then sure. Unfortunately not. What are, you know, we talk about growing older and for most people it's just not a vibrant or desired conversation to have. But what are some of the just common things that we can expect? I mean, just, you know, sure. As we age, there are things that are, let's say, inevitable to

45:00a certain extent, muscle mass decrease, strength decrease, gradually worsening reaction time, some cognitive slowing memory. Those are all too some extent inevitable. They can be minimized at genes do play a part in it. Our past history plays a part in it. But yeah, a little bit of forgetfulness. Maybe you don't remember the name of a guy you met six years ago. That's to be expected. Maybe you can't bench press what you used to. That's to be expected. But it shouldn't look like severe forgetfulness. We shouldn't be forgetting our brothers, our sisters. We shouldn't be forgetting someone we interact with every night. Weakness should not be a sudden in ability to walk or falling frequently. Eggs and pains are expected, you know, there's only so much tread on the tire. But it shouldn't be severe. It shouldn't be debilitating. It shouldn't be

46:02for preventing you from moving and living your life. So that's kind of the difference between expected aging and, you know, pathological aging, I guess you could say. How important is it to not hyper focus on these changes? When when my patients come in, that is a question I do get asked. My response is frequently focus on all the things you can still do. Focus on the things that you maybe have never done and can still do. Broaden your horizons. And the broader your horizons are. Maybe the depth of what you can do is a little bit more shallow, but the broadness of the horizons might be broader than you realize. And so I do try to focus on that on ability over disability. You know what's amazing to me is people that will take up like an instrument or this or that or do something in activity that they've never done in their life and they take it up at age 70.

47:02And by age 72 they've mastered it. I mean it's absolutely amazing, right? I'm a huge proponent of learning a language, learning an instrument in your retirement because you have the time now. And those things can be truly useful for exercising the mind, keeping the fingers dexterous if you're playing an instrument. There's a social component. Maybe you maybe a form of band. All those things are useful and enjoyable. Joy, happiness is also kind of invigorating and can help you live that longer, better life. Absolutely. When we focus a lot on when we talk about primary care plus about spending longer with the patient, but there are other things that kind of set it apart as well, right? So we have a real caring dedicated support staff. When you work with primary care plus and

48:09you know, heavens forbid you end up in the hospital or in an emergency room. We reach out to you right away. We say, hey, is there anything we can do? We'd love to get you in this as soon as possible. Make sure that you understand your next steps going forward. So you have the best care. Maybe a specialist explains something to you real fast and you didn't quite get it. I want you to come in and I want to explain it to you 10 times until you are making the best choices for your care going forward. I find that to be very useful. We focus on coming in as often as you need. You want to come in every month, come and see me every month. You want to come in every, you know, four months. Great. If you're doing great, I want to see you when you need to be seen. And we focus on that as well. So seeing you at your schedule, at your pace and making sure you really understand your health. It's kind of a mindset, you know, for the patient because that and I was talking to Dr. B earlier that that kind of runs counter, right, to everything that that you know about the healthcare delivery system. What's the reaction that you see with your

49:13patients? I mean, you're a young doctor, right? I mean, and you're actually privileged because you've worked, you're working in a model. It's different. I really am privileged. I speak to my colleagues and one of the things that they are kind of blown away by is how much time I get to spend with these with my patients and how often it leads to great outcomes because I'm able to explain the value of preventative care, the value of proactive care. And they're more willing to listen. A well-explained piece of advice is more likely to be followed than someone off the cuff saying, make sure you eat right like no. And with our with our long visits, with our longer visits, with our kind of more time I'm able to spend, I'm able to reach into those good habits and help the patients establish them. Yeah. And I guess it doesn't take the patient long to recognize,

50:14nor realize that, you know, the value of this. I have a lot of repeat patients who come in and there's a lot of smiles at those visits where they just feel like they're taking care of. I have patients who are referred from my other patients saying, you know, Mr. Zones, who said, I should come see you and I'm glad I did. And I do hear that feedback often and I'm happy every time I hear it because it means that it's not just a show between me and them. These patients are going out into the world and bringing my words on advice to their friends and family. And I appreciate that. And I appreciate seeing the friends. I know you guys, when I have visited primary care plus facilities, very much a team, you sense it when you walk in into door, you know. There are not many places where I've had the physician come to the waiting room and sit down and talk to people. Yeah. If I, if me coming out and talking to someone can, can help them

51:22feel taken care of, then I'm happy to do it. And I have done it. Sometimes they are a little hesitant to have it walk with a medical assistant. I'll come and walk with them just to be a friendly face because that is an easy, happy, enjoyable experience for me and it makes sure that they get the best care that they can. You know, folks may be listening out there as well. You know, this kind of all sounds a little bit hokey, right? But it's not because I've seen it. I've seen it happen. I've seen it work. And I tell you what else I've seen is that when, you know, when we go out to one of the primary care plus centers and we set up the radio and, and y'all invite your patients to come out and spend a day there, they don't have an appointment. They come. They show up. They do. I mean, never in my wildest dreams would I would have ever thought about going to the doctor's office to celebrate a day or, you know, an anniversary or whatever. And they come out by the dozens.

52:26They do. And I'm happy to see them every time. That's part of the primary care provider relationship. Should be one of kind of community building where they feel accepted and taken care of and primary care pluses. I felt really excellent at fostering that sense of community. These patients feel happy seeing the medical medical assistance come out. And they address them by name. Everyone gets addressed by name. You know, it's interesting too. And we don't talk about it much. And I'd love to get your reaction to this. We, you know, we kind of focus today's healthy aging day, right? But y'all's model for young adults who, you know, came up through adolescent care. You know, I have a lot of friends that fear doctors had had an experience. I maybe that scared the bejesus out of them when they were 10 or 8 or 9. And they've never overcommit. Sure. You know, when you're treating 18-year-olds,

53:31I got to imagine that it's a very easy thing for them, much easier in this model. It is, for my new patients, for all the patients, new patients through primary care plus, we get an hour for our new patient visits, which is tremendous for establishing rapport for finding common ground, for feeling like it's a conversation. And so for an 18-year-old, can I give you just a little bit of advice? Don't share with them that you're an Eagles fan. It comes up sometimes. I try to downplay it a little bit. I don't wear the jerseys as often as I do. Yeah, you still. But, yeah, we are able to have that good conversation. And because we're able to have that good conversation, it feels more like talking with a colleague with a friend. And that makes these 18-year-olds who I might be the first doctor they've ever been to. They're not a pediatrician. This might be the first time they're making medical decisions for themselves. This might be the first time where they have to communicate feeling bad, feeling

54:37uncomfortable, and get taken care of. And I've found that having that extra time has been great for establishing these relationships. I do, and I do have those 18-year-olds. Absolutely. Dr. Remito, final thoughts? We really want to establish great habits when you are in your early 65, 75 range to promote that long, healthy life. You want physical activity, good sleep, a good social life. Friendships are invigorating. They are going to keep you younger, longer, and eat what, eat right? That is healthy fats, lean meat, lots of fruits and veggies. That's the keys. That's tough down here. You're asking for a lot. That's true. Dr. Remito, thank you so much for joining us. Truly appreciate it. Enjoy the conversation. Dr. Joseph Remito with Primary Care Plus. We will be right back folks. 504-260-1870 on the

55:42Open Heart Joulers Talk and Text Line. If you got a question that you want to answer, send it in. We'll get it asked of the folks that we have. And when we return, we'll visit with Eva Waits, Senior Activities Coordinator at the YMCA. We'll be right back. Stay with us. That's right folks. We're out here at Healthy Aging Day at the East Jefferson YMCA on Riverside Drive. You take that power boulevard exit as you're heading west, and it's going to let you out right there. You look to your right and you'll see the wide and incredible facility out here. And joining us now is Eva Waits, Senior Activities Coordinator, Programs and Practical Tips as well. She has maybe the funnest job out here, right? I do have the best job. You get to coordinate these activities with all the folks and then they take off on their own. They do. They do. A lot of self-starters here, right? Yes. We just put it out there and they run with it. So talk to us. You work with the folks

56:45through this healthy aging process each and every day. Give us some of your thoughts, your insights about that. So at the Y, we focus on physical activity, which improves, keeps you healthy and moving. But we also focus on a lot of other things, group exercises we have. We have educational seminars, lunch and learns, birthday celebrations, monthly lunches, and we do day trips. But all of that just combined just goes well with not just exercising alone. It builds a community where people love to come. You see a lot of friendships. I'm looking out over the reception area now, just people are just chatting with one another. It's like they're at an event. But this is every day. This is every day. I've been here on days where we're not doing an event. This is what you see

57:45every day. This is what you see. Our tables are always full. They love to come and just visit and hang out with their friends or make new friends. You know it's interesting when we talk about activity. What I love about what y'all do is that it's safe here. It is safe. Right. It's safe not only outside the facility, it's safe inside the facility. But one of the primary factors that it improves is that you guys talk about strength and balance and how that increases mobility. So if you have a home and your bedrooms upstairs, you will be able to navigate that longer because of what y'all do here. And y'all keep all of that in mind working towards those goals. Correct. We do. If you have good strength, balance, mobility, that's really important. And it's not just about your fitness, but it helps

58:50keep you, you know, living independently, being able to keep doing all the things that you enjoy doing without that would not work well. And even as simple as some of the activities, in fact, I recall a conversation that I had. I think it was two years ago with one of the folks that were here. They said, you know, before I started coming to the Y, I couldn't vacuum my own home. You know, not even my own bedroom. And they said to me, now I do it all. I'm off the floors. I, you know, vacuumed the rugs and it's become second nature. And I have my, they were struggling with balance. And they said, I have it back. Yes. And you'll get it back coming here. I mean, like our Silver Sneaker class, they focus a lot on your, you know, strength and being able to, you know, maintain that balance and all. And so we have that Silver Sneaker class several

59:51times a week. We have Yoga Stretch. We have Body Pomp, which will, you know, build muscle. And we have aerobics classes. So everything is senior based mostly during the day. We have a lot of activities, but it is the most important thing that you can maintain your strength and balance. And what I love is that it transcends into their personal life and it allows them to live independently longer. It does. And we've said we've had members come in that maybe were, at first in a wheelchair. And they've taken these classes and the next thing you know, they're not in the wheelchair no more. They may be with a walker and they continue to gain that strength and they're with the cane. And it's just so rewarding to see how they, you know, these classes help. It's almost like a covert rehabilitation facility. Because you're actually rehabbing, you know, as you're going through these, these fun exercises and fun activities. And you recognize

1:00:53all of a sudden that you're able to do things you couldn't do six months ago. Exactly. And it's just a reward. And I'm not rewarding is that for you when you hear these stories. Well, you're not only hearing it. You get to see it, right? I do. I do. And I just love to see them coming in and then they're just growing, you know, with that strength and getting that balance back. So what else do you see? I mean, we've talked a lot with both Dr. Wallace and Dr. Rameeto as well as Kerry Diaz, the executive director here about the mind. That's my favorite subject. So let's talk about that because you know, you talk about the physical side, but I get the sense that there are people that may have been, you know, maybe a little standoffish, maybe not as outward, you know, maybe not an extrovert, but an introvert. Correct. Their entire life. But when they were here for a while, they change. They go through this

1:01:59mental world. Yeah, this place will change you. Yeah, this place will change you. I mean, I think working, not just doing physical activities, but working your mind and all. I think that's important good for mental health. It's just, it's an important thing. And we do a lot to build on that. You know, we have our group activities and then the it prevents isolation, loneliness, all of that. Now, I think last year I talked to a stroke victim that was he could give a member correctly. And I'm sure you all have a lot of folks that had suffered a mild stroke or something. And they were trying to get certain things back. And and the observation was, you know, some of the exercises they're doing would, I don't know if you mentioned board games or something along those lines and some activities that they were doing. He

1:02:59said, it helped him immensely. Thought it was thought it was a joke at first and didn't even recognize that he was improving all along. Right. The games that we play, we have on Mondays at noon, we have, we call it game time. It was formerly brain games, which you don't even realize you are using your brain for these games. I mean, we play a lot of fun games. We do scrabble at least once a month. We try to do a word game, numbers games, building like sequence games, different things like that. And you know, you know, they're just so fun in our room is packed. We can run anywhere from 10 to 20 people to join us. And they just have a lot of fun. It brings, you know, new friendships, laughter, we make sweet memories. But what's interesting is, and you correct me if I'm wrong, they, they don't really, we're connecting the dots that this was going to help them improve. And then as they look back, they say, oh my God, what a difference. Correct. We have a gentleman that he, I think it was a heart attack that he had had and he came

1:04:05back, you know, to do his physical activities and all. And we have a book club that we meet once a month. So he started the book club and he always brings so much to it, to the table with that, you know, like whatever questions I present to them, he always has something to build on. And he says that time and time again, that without, you know, coming back to the Y and finding the extra activities besides the physical, he may not be where he is. And that's got to be incredibly rewarding when you see that progress that's made every day that they walk in because I guess one of the first folks that they meet is you, right? Me or one of the other directors that are, yeah. So, but yeah, we always point them out to our table where all of our flyers are and, you know, we let them know what we have going on each month. We have that newsletter that goes out monthly. And then we keep the flyers full for them to know everything. You know, I walked into the, the wait room area earlier, which is huge, by the way.

1:05:11And I used to take it relatively seriously, myself at one point in time. And it's amazing how many folks that are in, of that senior age that they're on those free weights. They take it serious. They do take it serious and they're very committed to their physical exercise classes. I mean, they let me know in the beginning, don't schedule a social activity during their, their physical fitness class because they just assumed it chopped my head off. They were not. And we get more demanding as we get older. I'd be just a little. Well, even weights, thank you so much for joining us. We truly appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having us. Thank you for the. With these cool. Naida here at the YMCA, folks, come on by. It's on Riverside. Drive. You can't miss it. 66, 91. It's a great facility. And if you're part of a Medicare Advantage plan,

1:06:11You may get a free membership and maybe part of that plan or at least a reduction in price or something. Come on by, got nothing to lose. I think you're going to love it here for sure. We'll be right back. Stay with us. Come on by and say hello folks. We're at 6691 Riverside Drive, the East Jefferson YMCA. Come and enjoy some lunch with us. Check out the programs here. As I was mentioning earlier, if you're part of a Medicare Advantage plan, one of the benefits may include membership here. At the Y, a lot of folks that are members here are here as a result of their membership in a Medicare Advantage plan. So you want to think about that. You got nothing to lose. It could be that the membership fee is covered by your plan and therefore free. And they have a lot of information here as well for folks and talking about a healthy aging day here at the East Jefferson YMCA.

1:07:14All right folks. Just another reminder. If today at 4 p.m. on sports talk with Steve Geller and Jeff Noak, the latest Saints news from practice as the black and gold gear up for Sunday in Detroit. Plus get this week's best bets in college in NFL football from GBI wins.com. Handi-Capper Michael Westwood at 525. Join the fantasy frenzy at 625. Call in with your week one roster questions for a rotary analyst, Joe Bartell. Then at 7 Thursday night football from Australia between the LA Rams and the San Francisco 49ers on WWL and the Odyssey app. Stay with us. We'll be right back folks. Folks, when we come back after the top of the hour news break, we will visit with Lois Sherdon, senior member here at the Y. We'll talk about her personal experience, her perspective, how this place has been able to accommodate her and whether or not they're meeting her expectations.

1:08:21So stay with us. We'll be right back. Welcome back folks. That's right. We're here at 6691 Riverside Drive East Jefferson YMCA. We've had a healthy aging day and celebrating today for a healthy aging month. We've had an opportunity to talk to Dr. Brett Wallace and Carrie Diaz, the executive director of YMCA. Dr. Ramito with primary care plus and evil weights as the senior activities coordinator for the Y. I got a little note from a friend Peggy who says, I know I just want to let you know your show finally got me to take a tour of the Y. I saw her walking in earlier and I'm very excited about that and folks you need to come by. Now we're going to talk to Lois Sherdon, who is a senior member here and I can tell that she's very excited about joining us.

1:09:23Lois, that's right. You're not nervous at all. I'm not nervous. I'm just about to fall out this chair. Lois, if you would, tell us a little bit about your experience here at the Y. How did you get what Lord Jew here to the Y? Well, I took care of a lot of people in my life but I started here probably 20 years ago. My goal was to get the people to come here and stay because the classes are so good to keep you mobile. In my senior years, I won't ask. I'm proud of my 88 years but it's so commendable to see people come and stay. Now, we have a carry is my adopted granddaughter, you know, carry. So she came up with a senior, senior sprung. I never went to a senior sprung in my days.

1:10:29But guess what? I won senior, senior sprung queen. Oh, there you go. She asked me where my crown was today and I said I forgot it. But that's okay. It's not the crown. It's a person that comes. But the YMCA is very great. It's a place for us to gather. We get together and some of us need to go to the doctor. We drive them, wait, pick them up. And we have about 20 of them. This is our military. We have a military group here that's just great. Okay, Vietnam boys, I call them boys. They got different ones, you know, different Navy and Army and all. But they usually gather about eight or ten of them at the table. And we have a cookie club that's maybe 20, 25 ladies. But we keep people coming because this place is the place to be together to express your feelings.

1:11:33And if you need any help with that, we have some ladies that really need us. And I'm one to be the first one to help them. But it keeps me coming back because the staff is so great. I mean, they work with you. They have different things that they do for us. Okay. And they always call me when they have something and say, can you get your girls over here, you know, sure, can't. And you'll actually create, you'll do things outside of the Y too, right? I mean, yes, we go to, Eva has a lot of things that we go to where the donors give to the Y. We go eat at their restaurants, you know, it promotes them to give to the Y. But it's really a great activity place for all of us. And I try to bring them all back. I went to a Y when I was on a trip and it looked like it was dead.

1:12:37This one's not dead. We really boom and things here. And Carrie helps us out very much. So what is your favorite class here? What is your favorite? All of them. All of them. I have yoga and I have a cardio. And all my instructors are just great. They really are. If you do something a little wrong, they can't tell you. When you first start, they help you out showing you what to do. But they really are great. I can't find anything bad with this place. This place has been my safe haven. And a lot of people, like you see them show up, this is not half of them because the rain kept them away. Yeah, it was, it was this point. Yeah, it's bad. Anyway. So when you talk about that, you say all of them. I mean, is there something about each particular one that you really enjoy? Classes, you mean? It's hard to say because I like my yoga and I like my cardio.

1:13:41That's a two- I go to. And I like both of them. So I can't compare them because they both, I come here five days a week in work out. Have you been coming for 20 years? Yeah, maybe more. I don't know. Okay. But that, you know, is important because those early years that you were here and obviously has provided a benefit for you later in your life, right? Yes, that keeps me mobile. You know, a lot of people at this age. Folks, if you'd have seen or jumped in that chair, you would have seen, you would know what mobile is all about. But no, it's, this place is like I say my safe haven. And I want to give the military guys a shout out because they usually have like eight or ten on the table, but with the rain, I guess it wasn't here. But we kind of share things with them and they share with us. So we keep them coming, you know, and it's good for them.

1:14:41They talk about their experiences and it makes us appreciate what they did for us. Yeah. When, if somebody might be hesitant about coming out and visiting, and you know, what would you say to those folks? I tell them, come see me. I have one lady that came a couple of days ago, she was new and I said, what is your name? And she says, Irma, I said, oh, Irma, Thomas, that's my association with names. Right. And she says, yes. And so she's coming now because it's like a friendly face that greeted her. And gave her a name to make a feel good. I said, you know, nobody can do anything for you, but you have to make a point to come here. We hear for you, whatever you need, but try to help you out with whatever you need.

1:15:42When I walk in, I feel that sense of community right away. Yes. You see it within 10 feet of entering the front door. That's where the coffee area is. Right. And everybody's just kind of interacting. And everybody's smiling. That's what I love. Yeah, yeah. I mean, they just great people. I mean, we'd have a lot more, but with the rain, I came through water with my car. I hope it's okay. I said, I got to be here. But anyway, we do have a great, great, great group of people here. And I think the staff has a lot to do with that. Like Eva has different things that we do and carry. You can't be carried. I adopted her as my granddaughter. Right. Absolutely. How many folks do you think you've lured to the line? Oh, gee. I really don't know what's so long. So you're a recruiter. I'm a recruiter. But I don't get paid, Norman. No, I get paid with compliments.

1:16:43So that really helps me. But they also great people or just, you know, some are kind of shy. I think I'm shy. But I just love people in general. And when I travel, I make, in fact, I tell one of my friends, she says, well, they picked the right one. Now, y'all do activities outside of the Y. It's field trips and stuff that we talked about. I think the last time I was here, I don't know if you were part of the group, but they're young. I was there, but I think they go to saints, they go to saints games and stuff like that as well. Yeah, I think Sheila, where I was back, was the one that spoke before, you know. Because she was a schoolteacher, and I wasn't honest. I was a banker. You were a banker? A banker. I knew how to make the money. She knew how to spend the money, you know. No, but Sheila's a good one. And Joyce, my second and command here, she keeps them straight.

1:17:47We, I think, we about 20 to 25 in the group. Right. Yes. But it's so nice of you all to do this for the Y. Because I recruit as many as I can. Well, I think it's really important. I mean, I think everybody gets to a stage in their life where somebody in their family needs, you know, a little extra help. And I love the fact that Yano totally rely on the Y itself, that you're helping each other. That's right. And you recognize that some folks are less fortunate than others, and they need that help. And they may not have any family here to do so. That's right. When you talk about, you know, taking someone to the doctor, that's a high hurdle for some folks, right? Yes, yes. But you ought to see how we go. It was President's Day, okay? And we, she needed to get an appointment at the, uh, Ashna. So we all dressed in red, bright and blue. We brought a table with goodies. So you made fun out of it, right? It was a lot of fun.

1:18:47And the doctors came out and he says, they got a man at the table. Well, we had a Marine that walked up his wife was in there. And he says, thank you all for dressing, you know, red, white and blue, it was President's Day. So, okay, we thank you. So the next thing was, she had to go again. It was Thanksgiving. So we dressed like Thanksgiving with the turkeys. But I mean, we make it a fun thing for the one that has to go get an appointment, you know? So it really makes us feel good to be there for whoever needs us, you know? And that's how we are. We all, you know, and she's one that always hangs with me too. We three of us that go and bring somebody to the doctor or whatever they need. So if you had the magic wand and you could make anything happen for folks out there, what would it be? Um, health wealth and be yourself, you know? A lot of the ladies that came was kind of shy.

1:19:50Well, I mean, you can be shy a little bit, but you got to have some enjoyment in your life. You know, you're just, in fact, I used to make my husband laugh before he passed away. But it's a little things in life that makes it great, you know? I told him one day, I said, did you see what's outside? And he says, no. So he went and looked. He said, there's nothing out there. I said, that's what I mean. There's nothing out there. That's the kind of person I have. Well, I could tell that you all bring a lot of joy to one another. And that's what it's all about in the creation of community and the place that we call home. And that's what makes this place so special, right? That's right. This is a special place in my heart for me. If I go anywhere, anywhere, every day I'm here five days a week. Absolutely. Yes. Lowest, Sheridan, thank you so much for joining us. And thank you for sharing your story. Thank you. And if anybody has any hesitation about coming up, just ask for Lowest.

1:20:51And she's going to get her group of ladies together and make sure that you all get the reception that you deserve. That's right. That's right. And they'll make you feel right at home. This is our second home. We just go home to sleep and then we come home. This is our second home. Absolutely. Thank you so much. Thank you. No one's going to have a great night. I appreciate the interview. I don't know. This is my first time on campus. You did great. You did good. So next time. No, I've been on stages before, but never on radio. Never on radio. There's a first time for every time. First time. Absolutely. Thank you so much. Have a great weekend. Thank you. You too. I'm going to go with this. Wait, wait. No, before we go to break, I have to let the people know that the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for St. Helena, Tangible Hoa and Libberstam Parishes, that's St. Helena, Tangible Hoa and Libberstam Parishes until 338 PM. So the National Flash flood warning from the National Weather Service.

1:21:54Absolutely. Thank you, Coleman. Appreciate the update, folks. The weather is bad weather moving across. So we have this flood watch. So just be aware of that. We'll be right back. Stay with us. All right, folks. Welcome back. We appreciate you all joining us. We are here at the East Jefferson YMCA. And we've been celebrating healthy aging day. And joining us is Gordon Watch, the YMCA CEO, Chief Executive Officer, as well as Al Robucho, the Jefferson Council on Aging CEO. Hello, gentlemen. Welcome to the show. Thank you. Yeah. Thanks, sir. Gordon, let's start with you. Obviously, we're here at the East Jeff Y. I've got a number of techs people asking, where are all the Ys in the area? So let's talk about that first. Sure. Well, I always say the Y has been here a while. We've actually older than Rex and Comas. We've been here since November 16, 1852.

1:22:54And in the Metro region, every Y is a standalone nonprofit organization. We're linked to all the Ys across the U.S. and really across the world. But we're an independent nonprofit. And so we are located in Jefferson Parish with what we do here at the East Jefferson Y, which is really a community center. And then our Covington YMCA, also a community center, bell chase YMCA. You've been to bell chase before new. And grateful for that. And then downriver in Buries and Port Software, we operate locations in the rural areas. And everything in life happens there. We have weddings there. We have funeral repass. We have everything at those Ys. And then on top of that, we operate the oldest adult literacy program in the region on New Orleans area, going back 60 years or thereabouts. And that's in partnership with the public libraries. New Orleans Public Library. We teach in their locations, Jefferson Parish Public Libraries. We do an outreach program with our Aquatics programs.

1:23:59We run pools for Jefferson Parish and other folks train lifeguards across the region. So think of us as beyond our walls. And that's it's appropriate that Al Robas show is here. I had the privilege of chairing his board two different times. And probably I don't know, out 12 years or so on your board in total, I guess, before you all kicked me off. Absolutely. But the Council on Aging is a great partner. And we teach classes and Al's senior centers throughout Jefferson Parish. We teach Matter of Balance, which is an evidence-based Falls Prevention program. We don't want our seniors to fall. We don't want any of us to fall. Falls lead to hospitalizations and complications. We teach sale, which is an evidence-based modest exercise program. You can do in chair-based exercises. And then we teach a program. That actually are really good at work. Yeah. And in fact, some of the leading folks now, even for 18, 19, 20-year-olds, are talking about that work out in a chair.

1:25:02Yeah. And it's so appropriate, especially as you rehabbing from surgeries and things, our Aquatics program for seniors is a big deal with water aerobics and movement arthritis and recovery from surgeries. But the Council on Aging has been a great partner with us in Jefferson Parish and Al has been there almost 20 years now. Almost. And Al's also organized and been the champion for the entire Council on Aging network across the state of Louisiana. So he's a big advocate for the elderly. Absolutely. I've known Al a long, long time. And Al, I didn't realize you were still the CEO of Silicon Valley. And we didn't kick Gordon off the board. His turn makes part. We would have had him serve another term if he wanted to. I know how that works. Once you're in, they never let you out. Right? Talk to us about Jefferson Council on Aging. We've been very fortunate in Jefferson Parish that we've had the ability.

1:26:03And I know that there's been funding ups and downs over the years and challenges, but always there and been a mainstay of the parish for a long time. Since 1971, we've been there. For the seniors of Jefferson Parish. We're the primary agency advocacy for the seniors in our parish. We are nonprofit cooperation. We're not part of Jefferson Parish government. So we are independent from them, but we do receive financial support from the federal government, the state, local government, and also nonprofits. We operate non-senus centers from Canada to Grandile. And we have over 110,000 seniors in Jefferson Parish that we're responsible for. Unfortunately, we don't have enough money to cover everyone that would like services. But there's so much that you'll do. And I mean, I say this all the time that it's necessary for us to have a robust and appropriately funded not-for-profit community to backfill on a lot of the services that go to the public.

1:27:12And the services that government just can't get to. There's no one organization that's adequately funded to handle all this. It's going to take the collective effort as Gordon is just talking about the why. And you're talking about Council on Aging. True. We try really hard to serve everyone we can, but it's impossible. There's just more needs than we have revenues for. But we're fortunate that we do have great support in the community. Gordon and I have had a long-term partnership. And when I came to the Council on Aging, people were doing exercises. And I was concerned that, of course, we're dealing with fragile people. And they did not know proper exercises for the seniors. So when Gordon and I are pardoned, and I got the why over there, we have people who are professionally trained to deal with the seniors. And we try with the Council on Aging to keep people physically, mentally, and socially well-being.

1:28:17And we're concerned about, of course, their physical health. And also isolation is a major problem for seniors. That's why we have the senior centers. Absolutely. There's a lot of activity there, a lot of joy there. Gordon, if you would, talk about why this is really important for the community. I'll just made an observation. We are an aging population in Jefferson Parish. We don't recognize that a lot of times. But I follow the demographics of the parish very closely. I always have with that come some challenges. But with that, it's a lot of joy and a lot of opportunity for folks. Yeah, no. We jokingly say sometimes the good news is that we're living longer. And the bad news is we're living longer. We're living longer. You know, and so you want to be... It is so true. You know, I joke about Newland, I classmates from high school and we're both aging into that category. And I always talk about the family gifts that I've received, you know, generationally, arthritis,

1:29:22and high blood pressure and all that, right? So you got to keep moving, stay active, stay, as Al said, mentally, socially, physically active. And that's really important. So collaboration is the way I was just reflecting on Al's comments about not enough resources. And so, you know, you've got to multiply the resources to do good things. And that's what we try to do. As we age in Jefferson Parish, nobody looks forward to putting a family member in a residential setting, and being a nursing home or something like that. We want to stay at home as long as we can, stay active as long as we can. Al does a very important home meal delivery program, which we need to grow the resources for that, so that we can support more people. It's critical. It's absolutely critical. And I actually serve on the Jefferson Community Foundation Board too, which is another partner that does the programming with us.

1:30:23So we're looking to see how we can help Al with the home meal delivery program support. And also, we've developed a program called iPhone and Android Basics for Boomers. Because, you know, we all know how many times a day does your phone ring with some spam call? And, or you get some strange email or communication, but seniors are tend to be so trusting and vulnerable and get defrauded all the time. So we've developed a program to work with seniors in that, through our adult literacy program, our director of education services, Dr. Amy Leggett, developed a curriculum that we can use for that. So problem solving together. And as we age as a community, how can we stay active and engaged? Al, to you, what do you see as the biggest challenge for you? The biggest challenge, of course, is finances, unfortunately. The parish right now is doing a study.

1:31:24And it's, they've completed it. And now they appointed a committee as a yesterday to look into ways of better financing programs for the seniors in our parish. And something that people should know, we're non-profit. And of course, there have been a lot of negative things about non-profits lately. The consul in aging, the way we get money is we say that we're going to provide ex-number of units of service. For instance, if we say we're going to serve a million meals, if they'll give us the money. But if we don't serve a million meals, we have to write a check and send it back to the state. And we're audited and we can't, it's not like at the end of the year we have money left over that we can say, let's go buy some furniture or anything like that. All of the funds are specified and you cannot transfer the funds from one program to another. Gordon, are you your biggest challenge? I think the biggest challenge is creating awareness for the YMCA, for example, that we exist.

1:32:29And I appreciate so much you guys being here and primary care plus and people's health being the champions for the elderly that they are. But directing people to the Y's is community centers. And a lot of folks don't realize if you're on Medicare and you're on a Medicare-advantaged program like People's Health, your membership at the Y is covered as part of your benefits package. So that's really important. People living on fixed incomes, like Al said, they're stretching to make food go further and everything so that you can come and be a part of the Y family here. And make this your community center, your home. We jokingly say it's the free coffee that we provide that keeps people coming. So get yourself some coffee before you leave. But it is the community that really roots people here. Well, you know, the thing too is I can talk about it till the cows come home, right?

1:33:29But the reality is the moment you walk in that door, you're going to experience it. And I mean that with all sincerity, you've seen it out. You walk in and everybody's got a smile on their face. They're talking. They're interacting with one another. And I've said that several times today and I know people are probably tired of me saying it. But it tells you about the place, the moment you walk in. You can feel it. And everyone telling everyone hello and being very cordial and respectful and the like. Yeah, and that's true. And that's the culture that we want to create here. And Kerry Diaz, I know you had her on earlier. She's wonderful as the executive director here. And her team create that culture, that welcoming culture. And then our instructors here, you know, a lot of our instructors in a long time engage with the members. So there's the connection I was talking to Anita, one of our instructors today who's you'd never know she's 62. She looks like she's 42 and she's fluent in five languages.

1:34:31Makes me feel like a like a dummy. I didn't do so well in Latin Greek and at Jesuit. So right there with your brother. But just to create that and to welcome all the people that come across our front door, no matter what their background is. You know, one of our seniors who lost her husband not too long ago was telling me first time I had seen her since she lost her husband. That she got emotional when I said I was sorry for her loss. And she said, I don't know where I'd be without my wife friends. I come here for their support for the exercise sure, but you know, for the support of friends. Absolutely. I mean, and what I love about it and I've seen, you know, I've addressed the groups at the Council of Aging in my previous life many times. And I, is the fact that so many people step up and help one another outside of what the respective agencies do for them.

1:35:37And they recognize right away that this is somebody in need and they're so giving of themselves. You know, and if they're able to drive, they'll drive them to the doctor or if they're able to drive, they'll drive them to visit a family member at the hospital or in a nursing home or whatever it may be. You know, when they know that there's someone that doesn't have the capability or the availability of transportation. And they just want to make it happen for them. They want to give back to the community through these places. You know, and what I love about them more than anything else and I think it's overlooked is how much our your facilities and Gordon yours are safe havens. You know, they're safe. Right. If you go to a senior center, chances are very good that a senior come up to you and say, if like Gordon was saying, so many lose their partners and they'll come and say, if it were not for the senior center, I'd stare at the four walls all day long.

1:36:39And this is my savior. This keeps me going. We have people over a hundred years old going to senior centers and we the eldest person that we serve in food to is 104 years old. Wow. So people are living longer and you will mention Jefferson, the median age now in Jefferson is 40 years old. Yeah. And that's incredible. I remember when it was 28. Yes. That's right. And so when you think about it, you're an aging, you know, parish for sure. But that's safe haven. You made a comment earlier about being a group of folks that are susceptible to all kinds of different things out there. I mean, especially these smartphones now. And the fraud is heartbreaking. I mean, it's just heartbreaking when you hear these anecdotal stories, right? Yeah. No, I mean, we still need to continue to work on that as AI evolves and.

1:37:39Oh, it's going to get worse. Yeah. Become even more complicated just to help people be safe and secure. Now, but I'm interface with family. You know, we started off with the iPhone classes, helping people from being scammed. And then we had people in the class say, well, my grandkids live in, you know, Ohio. And I don't know how to FaceTime with they talk about FaceTime. I don't even know what that is. And so, you know, we begin teaching them ways to stay in touch with family who live elsewhere. And also how to, you know, gain be safe about passwords. I was telling our educators that came in one time and said, we had a student come to class, the senior. And she had all of her passwords. We've been teaching about passwords written in a book. And then on the cover of the book, she had written my passwords. And they said, probably not a good idea. And I said, so I told the instructor, say, well, you failed as a teacher. You failed as a teacher. That's what happened. I'm a little guilty of that, my son. You don't have a book with my password.

1:38:40No, they may not have that title on my phone. But, you know, it's a difficult thing to manage. But the utilization of that technology and that connectivity that you can have to your family that may be located elsewhere. Unfortunately, all of us have kids that may not be staying here. And my brother, East Coast, my sister, West Coast, haven't been here long, long time. It's the only way that you can connect with many families. Yeah, no, that's right. We rely on the technology and we can be victims of the technology. Well, Gordon, first let me thank you for hosting us today here at the East Jeffers and why with the Primary Care Plus. And obviously the folks from People's Health as well, the great partnership that exists here. I always have a great time. I just love seeing the interaction of folks as they walk in and out to you and your organization as well.

1:39:40The incredible job that they do. You're a feeding program. People don't really grasp how critical that service actually is. It is life and death. It is. You know, for your clients, so to speak. And I mean, it makes all the difference in the world. One in four Jeffersonians or seniors have food insecurity. One in four. One in four. So if you, we have 100,000. And we're wealthy parish. We are. Comparatively. Comparatively, right? That's correct. But it's amazing how when you start to peel back the layers of the onion, you see some things that had no idea. But I always tell when I address the legislature trying to get more funds that yes, we are wealthy parish. We are property rich and dollar poor because people have been here since after World War II.

1:40:43They built these homes and they are now worth a lot of money. We're just like English nobility. That's right, you're majesty. You have property rich and cash poor, right? Yeah, you look at a matter. You know how expensive a home is in a matter. But yeah, a lot of these people have a problem keeping the houses off. Yeah, absolutely. No doubt. But thank you all for all that you do. We in Jefferson parish would be less than without both of you gentlemen. And we appreciate your efforts day in and day out. We'll be right back folks. 504-268-770 on the E.O. Quinhart, Julie's talk and text lines. Stay with us. Let me first thank all the folks out here at the East Jefferson YMCA for hosting us today. We really appreciate their efforts. This is, you know, folks not to repeat myself, but it's a great facility. I mean, you know, I'm looking out across the common areas here right now at the Y

1:41:45and there are probably 50 or 60 folks out there interacting and enjoying themselves, sharing stories and the like, which is an incredible opportunity. If you're looking for something to do in your life and you're looking for a source of a place to come work out, exercise and meet other folks, this is a great safe place to do it. The East Jefferson YMCA right here on Riverside Drive. It's by the Rouses on Power Boulevard Camp, Missed. A lot of parking, really safe area. Just to remind our high school football fans, get ready for week two in the Manning Family Children's Prep Football Roundup. The most comprehensive high school football show in America joined E.O. Zan in Alan Wadell. Tomorrow night at seven live from the game of the week, Hanville in St. Charles and other top battles include Brother Martin at St. Paul's. Just what at St. Thomas Moore, Denham Springs at Central and Lafayette Christian at Westminster

1:42:48and get ready for another exciting weekend of high school football, the Manning Family Children's Prep Football. Tomorrow night from seven to ten thirty on WWL and the Odyssey app. We'll be right back, we'll check in with Scoot when we return. Stay with us. Alright, Scoot's next. What do we have coming up, Scoot? Well, we're going to talk about that NFL game last night and how would you like to be Drake May trying to get over that? Also, the president wants to give us five thousand bucks if we vote Republican. I'll take it. Scoot's up next.