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Celebrate the Lunar New Year in Philadelphia 2023

Every year, the City of Philadelphia comes alive in celebration of the Lunar New Year. From authentic Chinese cuisine, traditional lion dances, family friendly festivals, and a parade, the city has it all. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year (January 22, 2023) and ring in the Year of the Rabbit, including everything from exciting events to unique cooking classes. Consider this your guide to some of Philadelphia’s best Lunar New Year celebrations.

The Year of the Rabbit

In Chinese culture, the rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity. Anyone born during the year of the rabbit is said to be vigilant, witty, and quick-minded. The kind and resilient animal is also a representation of patience and treating others with respect.

Cocktails in Chinatown

Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC) is hosting its annual Chinese New Year Banquet at the Crane Center on Friday, February 24, 2023. An awards ceremony will take place to honor those who have made a difference in the community. The event also serves as a fundraiser to support the Asian American Pacific Islander immigrant community in Philadelphia.

Date: Friday, February 24, 2023 (5 p.m)

Watch a traditional lion dance and parade

The Philadelphia Suns, a long-time community partner of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, will be performing traditional lion dances in honor of the Lunar New Year. Members of the Philadelphia Suns Lion Dance Troupe preserve the cultural significance of the traditional lion dance. This year, the Suns will be performing in the Lunar New Year Eve Parade on Saturday, January 21, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. to midnight at various establishments throughout Chinatown, starting at 10th and Spring Streets. The Suns are also set to perform Sunday, January 22, 2023 for the Lunar New Year Day Parade starting at 11:00 a.m. at 10th and Spring Streets.

Dates: January 21 & 22, 2023

“Many people don’t realize that their home can be a breeding ground for allergens, such as pollen, dust mite debris, mold spores and other particles that may be airborne,” says Neil Schachter, MD, past president of the American Lung Association of the City of New York and author of Life and Breath. “Other things in the air, such as chemicals from everyday household items like furniture, carpeting, paints and cleaning products, can also contribute to poor indoor air quality. For people who are sensitive to these types of things, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, headaches, dizziness and fatigue may result. A ‘home health check-up’ combined with some simple changes can help make your home a healthier place to live.”

1. Avoid cleaning products with ammonia and chlorine. Some household chemicals may be irritants to the respiratory tract in people who are sensitive to these chemicals. They can cause watery eyes and sore throats and even can trigger coughing and shortness of breath. Choose milder yet effective cleaning aids like those that use baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and citrus oils.

2. Lay area rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. Wall-to-wall carpeting can attract and hold indoor dirt, pollen, pet hair and mold spores and many contain chemicals. Vacuuming can remove some surface dirt, but often the vacuum can actually push pollutants deeper into carpet fibers. Area rugs are best since they can be picked up and cleaned thoroughly to remove potential irritants and allergens.

3. Use high performance air filters. Use a high performance filter, like the Filtrete Elite Allergen Reduction Filter from 3M, to help capture particles such as pollen, smoke, dust mite debris and pet dander from the air that passes through the filter. Be sure to change your filter at the start of every season.

4. Turn up the air conditioning. Air conditioners not only cool the air in your home, they can also help reduce humidity levels. During the warm months of the year, turn up the air conditioner to help keep humidity levels lower, which can help keep mold from growing.

5. Turn off the humidifier. Room air humidifiers are moisture-generating sources that can spread bacteria, mold spores and chemical deposits into the air in your home. Keep relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent to help prevent mold growth.

6. Leave shoes outside. Avoid bringing outdoor pollutants indoors by removing your shoes before entering the home. Wearing shoes indoors can track particles that can become airborne, including animal dander, mold spores, pollen and bacteria, all of which can trigger allergy or asthma reactions

As our loved ones age, they need more attention and care. As you age, you gain more responsibilities that might make providing this care difficult. It’s understandable how difficult it can be to see our elderly friends and family suffer. However, nursing homes do not necessarily have to be the only option. You can also choose in-home care so that you and your loved ones can carry on with your lives.

1. The Comfort of Home

One of the benefits of choosing in-home care is that you get to keep the comforts of your home. It is a terrible feeling to be ill and hospitalized or stuck in a nursing home. With in-home care, experienced assistant will come to your house. That means you get to keep that beloved and well-worn armchair you love. You get to hang out in your own kitchen while reading the daily news.

2. Personalized Care

With the caregiver coming to your home, he or she is able to focus solely on you. Their attention is not divided between others. This means that they can respond to your wishes and needs. If your family member needs the help, you can rest assured that they will get the focused attention they deserve.

3. Reduced Risk of Infection

When many bodies are placed in an enclosed space, the risk of spreading germs is greater. If someone comes to visit you or your loved ones, there is a reduced chance of infection or catching an illness. When one ages, it can be particularly important to avoid colds and flus.

4. Keep Your Independence

As we age, one of the most stressful experiences is the feeling of loss of independence. The inability to take care of yourself can be saddening. However, if a personal assistant comes to your home and help you with the things you cannot handle while you carry on with your daily activities, the feeling would be different. Whether you need help with grocery shopping, cleaning the house, or chores, we can help while you still feel in control.

5. Family Support

In-home care makes it easy for your family participate in your life and care. Your grandchildren can still come visit you in the home they grew up knowing. Nothing drastic has to change. It is easier for your friends and family to come to your house, rather than a nursing home they have never been to before.

6. Peace of Mind

Whether you or your loved one needs help, in-home care is a great way to get peace of mind. You no longer need to worry over if your loved one is being taken care of when you are away.

While memory loss is an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease, its presence doesn't mean a person will develop dementia. A new study at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found a clinically useful way to predict who won't develop Alzheimer's disease, based on patients' awareness of their memory problems.

People who were unaware of their memory loss, a condition called anosognosia, were more likely to progress to Alzheimer's disease, according to the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Those who were aware of memory problems were unlikely to develop dementia.

"If patients complain of memory problems, but their partner or caregiver isn't overly concerned, it's likely that the memory loss is due to other factors, possibly depression or anxiety," says author Dr. Philip Gerretsen. "They can be reassured that they are unlikely to develop dementia, and the other causes of memory loss should be addressed."

In other cases, the partner or caregiver is more likely to be distressed while patients don't feel they have any memory problems. In Alzheimer's disease, lack of awareness is linked to more burden on caregivers. Both unawareness of illness (anosognosia) and memory loss (known as mild cognitive impairment) can be objectively assessed using questionnaires.

The study, believed to be the largest of its kind on illness awareness, had data on 1,062 people aged 55 to 90 from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). This included 191 people with Alzheimer's disease, 499 with mild cognitive impairment and 372 as part of the healthy comparison group.

The researchers also wanted to identify which parts of the brain were affected in impaired illness awareness. They examined the brain's uptake of glucose, a type of sugar. Brain cells need glucose to function, but glucose uptake is impaired in Alzheimer's disease.

Using PET brain scans, they showed that those with impaired illness awareness also had reduced glucose uptake in specific brain regions, even when accounting for other factors linked to reduced glucose uptake, such as age and degree of memory loss.

As the next stage of this research, Dr. Gerretsen will be tracking older adults with mild cognitive impairment who are receiving an intervention to prevent Alzheimer's dementia. This ongoing study, the PACt-MD study, combines brain training exercises and brain stimulation, using a mild electrical current to stimulate brain cells and improve learning and memory. While the main study is focused on dementia prevention, Dr. Gerretsen will be looking at whether the intervention improves illness awareness in conjunction with preventing progression to dementia.

There are many differences between China’s healthcare system vs. U.S healthcare system. Besides finding a health insurance that works best for you as well as a trustworthy primary care doctor, you will have to make doctor’s appointment, and deal with complicate insurance bill. In order to help you get the most out of your healthcare, Leslie D. Michelson, the CEO of Private Health Management, offers tips in his new book “The Patient’s Playbook”, for how get the most out of medical care and how to make the system better work for you from the ground up

1. Develop a strong bond with your primary care physician. Do you trust and respect your primary care doctor and feel comfortable telling her secrets that affect your health? When you develop a good relationship with your primary care doctor, you’re forging a bond with someone who will be invested in your wellbeing for the long haul—and who will be dogged about getting you in for the preventative exams that are right for you. If you don’t have a primary care physician, you are driving without a seatbelt.

2. Take emergency inventory. Make lists for yourself and your family members with the following: 1. Diagnoses and any major surgeries; 2. Allergies; 3. All drugs and supplements you’re taking; 4. A roster of your physicians; 5. An emergency contact person. Keep this information in your wallet or purse—which is the first place an emergency response team will look in the case of an unconscious patient.

3. Measure twice, cut once. Diagnostic error contributes to the death or disability of 80,000 to 160,000 Americans each year, according to a 2013 Johns Hopkins study. Before agreeing to surgery and other treatments, have your pathology, labs or scans re-read by independent pathologists or radiologists to be sure you have a correct diagnosis. Then consult with an expert in your condition—for example, not a general neurologist, but a multiple sclerosis specialist—to at least hear a different take on your disease and treatment options.

4. Recruit a healthcare quarterback. If you woke up tomorrow to learn you had a potentially fatal disease, who’s the person you most trust to be at your side during doctor visits, taking notes and asking questions you might not be thinking of? People always say, “How can I ask anyone to do that? I’m uncomfortable with the idea of dragging my cousin to my appointments.” But you probably have asked a friend or family member to serve as the guardian of your children should that become necessary.

5. For significant problems, go to significant medical institutions. Community hospitals are terrific institutions that can do great things, but for complex issues and procedures—pancreatic, esophageal, neurosurgery, lung surgery, big cancer operations, endocrine surgery or cardiac operations, for example—you want to be cared for at a major institution that does high volumes of similar cases. And here’s a little-known quirk of our system: In medicine, it frequently doesn’t cost any extra to get better quality care. Most Americans live within 100 miles of a major metropolitan city. Almost every large city has an academic medical center or distinguished hospital that is in-network, with specialists and surgeons who take Medicare and most kinds of insurance. Unlike clothing, airlines or hotels, a higher cost doesn’t necessarily mean a higher quality in medicine. Many people may find it difficult to travel for care. But if you’re facing a serious disease or need technically demanding procedures, consider going to the closest large hospital, which is more likely to have the experience and expertise necessary to get you the best outcome.