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Video of the Month
I Remember Better When I Paint
This documentary film is about the positive impact of art and other creative therapies on people with Alzheimer's disease. Click here to watch now. |
A Timeline in Long-Term Care
NPR recently released a timeline of milestones in long-term care policies, showing the larger part home- and community-based care are playing in America's eldercare system.
Learn more here.
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Brenda's Recipe Corner
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Oxtail Stew
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Oxtail stew is an old-fashioned stew that was popular during the Depression Era and used to be thought of as poor folk food, however it is very sought after by foodies all over the world now. It also used to be a very inexpensive cut of meat, but that is no longer the case.
Oxtail meat is filled with collagen, and is very tasty. The stew created when using this part of the animal is extremely tender, thick and rich. It is one of my all time favorite comfort foods.
Ingredients You Will Need:
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 to 3 pounds oxtail, sectioned out
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups chicken or beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 carrots chopped or sliced
2 parsnips chopped or sliced
2 turnips chopped or sliced
1 rutabaga chopped or sliced
Pour the vegetable oil into a large kettle, and place on the stove. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Place the oxtails into the bag and shake, making sure all are evenly coated before removal. Pour the oxtails into the heated oil, and cook on medium-low heat until evenly browned, turning as often as needed.
When the oxtails are browned, pour in the tomato paste, broth, spices, onions and garlic, and cover. Simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally. When the meat is tender, add the carrots, parsnips, turnips and rutabaga, shoving them down into the liquid so that they are well immersed. Cook for an hour, checking often. If, at any point, the broth has cooked down too much, add more as needed. Skim fat and serve. This can also be served over rice.
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Greetings!
February is a great month to reach out to those we appreciate and let them know we care. Spend an extra hour with a cherished senior, enjoy a meal with someone who is lonely, or simply provide a listening ear. At Assisting Angels Home Care, we hope to show our appreciation to you by providing noteworthy caregiving news and information. Thank you for all that you do to enhance the lives of those around you. In a spirit of sharing and community, we hope you will find the following articles in this month's newsletter informative and beneficial.
Thank you,
The Team at Assisting Angels Home Care
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 10 "E"s to Extend a Healthy Life
 Whatever the age, there are specific activities that keep one healthy and active or help to become so. Research shows that it is almost never too late to make lifestyle changes. Colin Milner is an expert on active aging, and he has created ten "E-tips" to help. Here is one: Expectations: If you've been following a healthy lifestyle up 'til now, simply keep going; if you need to make changes, anticipate succeeding, not failing - and don't let age be a barrier. Research has shown that thinking positively about getting older can extend your life by as much as 7.5 years. Read all ten tips here. Find out more about the International Council on Active Aging here. |
An iPhone Means the Doctor is In
 Rumor has it that the iPhone is set to replace the stethoscope with a new free iPhone app that monitors heartbeats and has the potential to help physicians save lives in remote areas. This new application, invented by a University College London researcher, Peter Bentley, allows an Apple iPhone to be used as a stethoscope. This same researcher sees the smartphones as a way of saving lives, saving money and improving healthcare. According to an article in the Guardian, two-thirds of doctors and 42% of the public were using smartphones in 2009. This number is growing rapidly, as the article also states that more than 80% of doctors said they expected to own a smartphone by 2012. Read the entire article about this app and others under development here. |
Get Out that Treadmill and Avoid the Common Cold
 Exercising five times a week and keeping physically fit is now shown to reduce the number and severity of colds. The fittest participants in this study actually had a 43-46% lower frequency of colds compared to those who only exercised one time a week, at most. Read the entire article here. |
Employee Spotlight
This month we would like to focus our Employee Spotlight on Tara Maddox. Tara has been working at Assisting Angels for almost a year and says that the favorite part of her job is being able to focus on one client at a time. Prior to care giving at Assisting Angels, Tara's places of employ had her simultaneously caring for several clients which did not allow Tara the opportunity to get to know each client on a personal level. A typical day for Tara begins by her taking care of daily chores in preparation for her client; that way, she's ready to devote her entire attention to her client when she wakes up. Most days are filled with reading, watching favorite television programs, and doing fun-filled activities at a nice, moderate pace. When Tara is not being an Assisting Angel, she spends a lot of her free time reading; she especially likes learning about the books of the Bible. Tara also enjoys hanging out with family and friends, and even finds time to volunteer at Simply Cats cat shelter. Thanks, Tara, for all you do! You are of great value to Assisting Angels, to your clients, and to every life you touch. |
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