GAAMHA Pathway House
(978) 632-4574
www.pathway.com
171 Graham Street
Gardner MA 01440

Rehab Locator

Substance abuse treatment services
Services Provided: Substance abuse treatment, Halfway house
Type of Care: Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)

Short Term Residential Treatment

Short term residential programs provide intensive and brief treatment based on a modified 12-step approach. Originally, addiction specialists designed these programs to treat alcoholics with addiction problems, but during the cocaine epidemic of the mid 1980s, many residential treatment programs began to address other types of substance abuse disorders. The original residential treatment model consisted of a three to six week hospital stay for inpatient treatment, followed by extended outpatient therapy and participation in a self help group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Following stays in residential treatment programs, individuals should remain engaged in outpatient treatment programs and or aftercare programs. These programs help to reduce the risk of relapse once a patient leaves the residential setting.

Hollywood

Hollywood is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California that is situated west-northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is a metonym of American cinema, and people often use it interchangeably to refer to the greater Los Angeles area in general. The nicknames Star Struck Town and Tinsel Town refer to Hollywood and its movie industry. In 1853, one adobe hut stood in Nopalera, named for the Mexican Nopal cactus indigenous to the area. By 1870, an agricultural community flourished in the area with thriving crops of many common and exotic varieties. The residents called this area the Cahuenga Valley, after the pass in the Santa Monica Mountains immediately to the north. Soon thereafter, land speculation would lead to subdivision of the large plots and an influx of homeowners. Hollywood incorporated as a municipality on November 14, 1903. The vote was 88 for incorporation and 77 against it. On January 30, 1904, the voters in Hollywood decided, by a vote of 113 to 96, for the banishment of liquor in the city, except when it was for medicinal purposes. Neither hotels nor restaurants served wine or liquor before or after meals. By 1910, because of an ongoing struggle to secure an adequate water supply, town officials voted for Hollywood to annex into the City of Los Angeles for its water system. Los Angeles was a growing city and had opened the Los Angeles Aqueduct that was piping water down from the Owens River in the Owens Valley. Another reason for the vote was that Hollywood could have access to drainage through Los Angeles' sewer system. With annexation, the name of Prospect Avenue changed to Hollywood Boulevard and all the street numbers in the new district changed.

Oral Antibiotics

Oral antibiotics used to treat acne include erythromycin or one of the tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline, the better absorbed oxytetracycline, or one of the once-daily doses of doxycycline, minocycline or lymecycline). Sometimes doctors prescribe Trimethoprim (off-label use in UK). However, reducing the P. acne bacteria will not do anything to reduce the oil secretion and abnormal cell behavior that is the initial cause of blocked follicles. Additionally antibiotics are becoming less and less useful, as resistant P. acne strains are becoming more common. Acne will generally reappear quite soon after the end of treatment--days later in the case of topical applications, and weeks later in the case of oral antibiotics. Furthermore, side effects of tetracycline antibiotics can include yellowing of the teeth and an imbalance of gut flora, so doctors recommended these treatments after the determining that topical products have no effectiveness. Studies show that sub-antimicrobial doses of antibiotics such as minocycline also improve acne. Doctors believe that the anti-inflammatory property of minocycline also prevents acne. These low doses do not kill bacteria and hence cannot induce resistance.

Nails

Nail care is more than the proper maintenance of the fingernails and toenails. A nail is a horn-like envelope covering the dorsal aspect of the terminal phalanges of fingers and toes. The nail is made of a hard protein called keratin. Nails can dry out, just like skin. They can also peel, break, and become infected. The nail protects the ends of the fingers and toes from trauma and helps pick up small objects. Care of the fingernails and toenails is important. Poor nail care causes problems. Recommendations for maintaining nail health include: keeping nails clean and dry in order to keep bacteria and other infectious organisms from collecting under the nails; cutting nails straight across with only slight rounding at the tip; using a fine-textured file to keep nails shaped and free of snags; and avoiding nail-biting. Nail changes, swelling and pain can signal serious problems that may require a physician and medical nail care. Medical nail care includes preventing and treating diseases. Nail diseases are distinct from diseases of the skin. Although nails are a skin appendage, they have their own signs and symptoms, which can relate to other medical conditions. Nail conditions that show signs of infection or inflammation require medical assistance beyond a beauty parlor. Deformity or diseases of the nails are onychosis. Onychia is an inflammation of the nail folds of the nail with formation of pus and shedding of the nail. Onychia results from the introduction of microscopic pathogens through small wounds. The medical term for ingrown nails is onychocryptosis. Ingrown nails can affect the fingers and the toes. With this condition, the nail cuts into one or both sides of the nail bed, resulting in inflammation and possibly infection. The relative rarity of this condition in the fingers suggests that pressure from the ground or shoe against the toe is a prime cause. The movements involved in walking or other physical disturbances can contribute to the problem. Mild onychocryptosis in the absence of infection is treatable by trimming and rounding the nail. In more advanced cases including infection, doctors perform matrixectomy by surgically excising the in growing portion of the nail down to its bony origin and thermally or chemically cauterizing the matrix to prevent recurrence. The best results are by cauterizing the matrix with phenol.